March 22, 2007
An Update from the Implementation Committee of Case Western Reserve University's Branding Task Group
To: Faculty, Staff, Students, Alumni and Friends of Case Western Reserve University
From: Branding Task Group Implementation Committee
As you recall, the university's Branding Task Group (BTG) made its recommendations regarding future action on the university's logo to the Board of Trustees in late February.
Those recommendations called for the university to:
- Develop a creative emblem and word mark design that is reflective of the shared contributions of Case Institute of Technology and Western Reserve University and the current brand position
- Develop a stratification of brand guidelines that builds on the 2003 foundation but allows for both formal and informal representations of the university
- Develop a brand-positioning platform
As you may know, the BTG has designated an Implementation Committee (IC) to facilitate these action items. View a list of IC members and sub-committees.
The IC is utilizing existing research provided by Lipman Hearne, additional peer group research and feedback from alumni forums throughout the process. In addition to this ongoing work, the IC would like the university community to participate in the process in three significant ways.
First, the IC will host an opportunity for the university community to offer ideas on-line and in campus forums. The on-line community can go to http://forum.case.edu/read/7/16777. For those able to attend a campus forum, please register at http://www.case.edu/president/btg/comm/forumreg.html for a forum on either Wednesday, March 28, at 5:30 p.m. in the Spartan Room of Thwing Center or Friday, March 30, at 12:30 p.m. in Clapp Hall 108.
The second phase will incorporate the research and feedback received from the forums into a series of possible emblems and word mark sketches—created by the University Marketing and Communications team. These early sketches will be on display during a daylong "fair" on April 6, the date of the university's next community hour. Suggestions from faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends offered during the fair will be used to narrow down and hone the emblem and word mark options. We also will provide this same opportunity for our on-line community. Details are forthcoming.
For the third phase, members of the IC will share two or three final logo designs with the university community the week of May 7. The IC will then use that input to select one design and present a final emblem and word mark, as well as a timeline and process for change, to the BTG. The BTG will recommend a final logo and brand guidelines to President Eastwood, who will then carry the recommendation to the Board of Trustees in early June.
As a reminder, while the IC plan is in process, the university should continue with the current branding guidelines.