Despite the rise of digital communication and branding, outside print remains a major factor for most schools, colleges and universities. Printed documents are used to communicate with parents, guardians and the students themselves, as well as with the press and other external official bodies. With outside print playing such a significant role in the marketing and communications efforts of academic institutions, print design and branding ought to be a major consideration for your school, college or university. Take a look at how you can work to protect and develop your brand through print…
The importance of branding for schools, colleges and universities
Branding must be at the forefront of your mind when developing outside print strategies. From letters to parents and guardians to branded workbooks and certifications, strong visual branding will benefit your school, college or university in a number of different ways:
Officialdom – Consistent visual branding across all of your external communications will work to enhance the officialdom of your institution. Recipients will be able to recognise that documents have come from an official source and can be trusted, making your communications more effective.
Unity – Branding helps to foster a sense of unity between staff, students and parents. Visual branding ought to remain consistent across printed materials, school uniforms and any branding used on the building itself – that includes colours, typefaces, logos and more besides. Strong branding can help individuals to feel included in an organisation, encouraging them to be greater ambassadors of your school, college or university.
Marketing and recognition – Branding is meant to be noticed, and strong branding will be picked up, remembered and associated with your institution for years to come. An effective, integrated branding and marketing push will help to encourage positive associations between your institution and its branded content, boosting student admissions and building esteem.
How to protect and develop your brand through print
So branding is inarguably important to schools, colleges and universities, but how can you work to protect and develop your brand through print? What actions will help to make your brand stronger and more recognisable?
Strong visual branding – Strong visual branding is essential. A powerful and recognisable logo, a punchy motto, evocative colours and an appropriate typeface are all elements of effective school branding, but this isn’t an exhaustive list of considerations. High quality print design services will help you to develop a strong visual brand that will reflect the values and goals of your organisation.
Consistency – To protect and develop your brand you’ll need to ensure that it’s consistent. This means marrying the visual style of everything from uniforms to certificates, permission slips to letters and everything in between. If there are any inconsistencies in the look and feel of your branding across the board then your brand will be weakened, robbing it of its effectiveness.
Evolution, not revolution – People grow accustomed to branding – it’s one of the attributes that makes branding so successful. Changing your school’s branding outright, then, is a dangerous undertaking. Marketing history is chequered with examples of rebranding exercises gone bad – from the launch of ‘New Coke’ to Gap’s ill-fated logo redesign. Here at PMG we encourage evolution rather than revolution – only in very particular circumstances would we suggest a complete rebranding exercise. Instead, subtly update your branding to reflect changing trends and any changes to the structure of your organisation.
Visual branding is an important consideration for schools, colleges and universities, and outside print is a crucial part of that process. Here at PMG we offer both print management and print design services, helping you to use print more successfully and cost-effectively. If you’d like to find out more about our services or learn more about the importance of branding, don’t hesitate to contact PMG today.
