Developing a sound marketing strategy isn’t something that happens statically. Strategy is meant to evolve, breathe, be agile, and transformative. This is thinking, planning, and executing in the ways that matter to your audiences.
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1
Reinvigorate a powerful, distinguished brand
We worked closely with A&A stakeholders to develop the visual assets, brand voice, stories, and strategies that could create a powerful and easily sustained brand.
2
Create usable guidelines and assets
In any large organization, more than one group will use your brand assets. How can usable assets be provided–along with guidelines–to ensure the broader team has what they need, without “breaking” the brand identity?
3
Strategic alignment
At its best, brand management needs to align with audiences and goals, as well as visual and technical strategy. It’s an incredibly complicated balancing act.
4
Coordination with other brands
College brands don’t exist in a vacuum. The Arts & Architecture brand had to clearly fit into the Penn State community, standing out while not challenging central guidelines. Working closely with university branding groups is a must for this kind of work.
90%
90% of 18-29-year-olds use social media regularly. Having brand alignment across channels is an absolute must.
Discovery
Our collaboration with the client was key to understanding how to strategically position the college’s visual identity. Our comprehensive discovery and insights process gave us the information we needed to know exactly who we’re talking to, and why. These efforts helped our team craft and curate a highly distinguished identity through assets, brand voice, tiered messaging, and information architecture.
Strategy
Brands are more than logos (and the college’s logo was already defined, anyway). We had to strategically build a look and feel around that mark. A look and feel that would support the group’s goals — most importantly, recruitment. Taking a strategic approach to design is one of our agency’s strengths, and we sure got to use it on this project.
Design
In a university context, individual unit marks need to stand out, and follow the rules. How could we make sure that Arts & Architecture had a brand identity that set it apart from all of the other colleges at Penn State while sticking to university guidelines? By working really closely with central communications, of course. We cooperately figured out exactly how far we could stretch the university brand guidelines without breaking them, coming up with assets and branding materials that stood out, while fitting in, making the individual college and central communications both happy. Phew.
Authenticity & Credibility
The story of the College is best told through the people that make the arts community so vibrant. Alumni, faculty, and students are all contributing to the landscape. It was important to showcase the people that make the College such an integral part of the University.
Awards and Recognition
2022 Graphic Design USA American Digital Design Award
Category: Website Design
Established in 2000, GDUSA’s American Digital Design Awards amplifies the power of design to enhance online and interactive experiences including websites, social media, email marketing, digital advertising, interactive and interface design, video and animation, 3D and the Metaverse, and more.
2020 CP2 Bracket Award
Category: Online / Digital Websites or Apps
The task of consolidating seventeen school sites into one website for the College required an extreme amount of planning and open dialogue between our agency and the client. The end result was a conversion-centered site that didn’t compromise on design. The site was reviewed and honored with a Bracket award. These awards are a measure of excellence as determined by a panel of industry leaders.
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