You have worked hard with your marketing team to create or update your college’s brand style guide. The logos, fonts, messaging, color palette, graphics and photography all embody the institution’s mission, values and spirit. Your team already has implemented this style guide to ensure the college’s website, social media platforms, brochures, flyers, direct mail pieces, logo apparel and gear reflect the same brand DNA.
Brand collateral like this can bring students, parents, and visitors to your college campus. But once are they walk through the gates, are they greeted by blank walls and impersonal signage? If so, now is the time to take those brand style elements you carefully crafted and emblazon them on the much broader canvas of your physical campus through environmental branding.
What is environment branding? Essentially, it is using interior and exterior graphic design to express brand messaging throughout a physical space, creating a carefully curated environment for constituents to experience in person.
For example, the marketing team at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida, states: “From the flags at our front entrance to collaborative workspaces and alumni stories on lobby walls, environmental branding helps set us apart and highlights Lynn’s innovative, global and personalized nature.”
“From the flags at our front entrance to collaborative workspaces and alumni stories on lobby walls, environmental branding helps set us apart and highlights Lynn’s innovative, global and personalized nature.” — Lynn University
In developing an engaging environmental branding project for your college, there are a number of creative assets you can utilize. These include wide format printed signage such as lamppost flags, banners, 3D cut-outs, posters, window clings, graphic and photographic wallcoverings.
While your entire campus, indoors and out, can serve as the backdrop for environmental branding, there are some locations that are no-brainers. Wide format signage can be used for building team spirit and fan enthusiasm in campus sports facilities, for example.
Does your team have a mascot with paws? Why not start outside with pawprint graphics on the walkways leading to the sports complex or stadium? Line the walks with team flags and hang large logo banners on the buildings. You also can use large-scale photography in posters and wallcoverings to highlight team members or remind fans of team victories.
Then there’s the student union, where students and faculty come together to study, socialize, and relax. What better place to promote college unity and spirit with logo graphics and photography showing the best of campus life?
When Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton Student Union underwent a renovation, the college creative services team was tapped to develop welcoming and engaging environmental graphics for the project. Their design included posters, wallcoverings and window clings incorporating the university’s iconic owl logo in huge, vivid graphics. The team also used color-coordinated paintings banners and furniture to enhance and draw attention to the logo, creating a fun and engaging environment.
The sky is the limit for the ways your marketing team can use environmental graphic designs to promote your college brand on campus. Inspiration and creativity are only the beginning, however. It’s equally important to work with a partner that can turn your vision into physical reality.
At Southeastern, we can assist your creative team in choosing the best substrates and earth-friendly options available to enhance your graphics and photos and express your brand. Our wide format machines can print projects up to 90+ inches wide and 2 inches thick on paper, vinyl, canvas, rigid board – even wood! In particular, roll-fed substrates are great for huge outdoor banners – the feeder will just keep on printing, no matter the length.
Let Southeastern work with your creative team step by step to ensure your environmental branding campaign will enhance your campus in eye-catching and long-lasting graphic designs that build your brand, strengthen campus spirit and remain in alumni’s memories long after they receive their degree.
Manage Your Marketing Assets
Ready to simplify asset management? Request a demo of Brandstash today to see this powerhouse tool in action.
