(Version of 28 June 2012)
The following document introduces and spells out the University's basic rules and requirements for branding. It first covers marketing-and-communications messaging, and then covers the university's rules for use of the university's logo, official SFU colours, the tagline (“Engaging the World”), the coat of arms, SFU Athletics and club logos, the design of business cards and stationery, and more.
This document has been approved by the University, and is maintained by SFU's office of Public Affairs and Media Relations (e-mail: srmclean@sfu.ca).
If you have suggestions or proposals for improvement or variation of the requirements, please address them to SFU Public Affairs and Media Relations (srmclean@sfu.ca and seray@sfu.ca).
MESSAGING
The university’s vision is: “To be the leading engaged university defined by its dynamic integration of innovative education, cutting-edge research, and far-reaching community engagement.”
Those elements—of community engagement, of innovative education, of cutting-edge research—are the foundations of SFU’s marketing, media, and outreach communications.
As they say in Marketing 101: “The Rule of Repetition is basic, yet very powerful. Simply put, it means that any marketing communication is most effective when it is repeatedly brought to the attention of the target market.”
So SFU’s theme(s) should be explicitly included and repeated in your communications—and clearly demonstrated—as we focus on consistent communication of “the vision”.
That focus includes constantly using “engaged university” messaging and the “Engaging the World” tagline. And it means linking our new and ongoing initiatives to the vision, its goals, and its underlying principles.
Also essential: Consistent and recognizable visual identity in all our communications, external and internal. That includes using only the standard SFU design elements and the official colour palette, and adhering fully to the SFU Branding Requirements in all uses of print, web and social media.
BRANDING REQUIREMENTS
The University Branding Requirements stem from a resolution passed by the SFU Board of Governors in November 2006. It reads:
"That the Board of Governors of Simon Fraser University approve the wordmark and brand developed by Karo Design as the University standard and that all University communications must meet the requirements of the Simon Fraser University Graphic Standards manual." (Italics since added for clarity and emphasis.)
Graphic Requirements manual:
Those graphic requirements manual contain much detail and fine print on the required applications of SFU branding. This overview document is a companion to them, and spells out some basic ground rules and approaches.
Table of Contents
GROUND RULES
Full name of university
In all branded documents and products, the name "Simon Fraser University", in full, must appear somewhere—as prominently as artistically appropriate, up front and up high.
Examples: on the front page of a brochure, newsletter, report or document, the homepage of any SFU website, the text content of a webpage, the intro and extro of an SFU video, the main story of a feature package. In text items on the web, the full name needs to be well within the first 50 words to maximize Search Engine Optimization.
Abbreviation "SFU"
The abbreviation "SFU" can be used on second and subsequent reference. It can also be used in headlines for brevity. And it can be used in messages on Facebook, and on Twitter, LinkedIn, MySpace and the like, where you are limited to 140 characters.
The abbreviation "SFU" now can also be also be used for the three campuses: SFU Burnaby, SFU Surrey, SFU Vancouver. (Note: "SFU Downtown" is not acceptable.)
And it can be used for faculties, departments, schools and units. (E.g. "SFU Health Sciences" and "SFU Criminology".) But the full name "Simon Fraser University" must be in close proximity.
Depending on your audience, using "Simon Fraser University (SFU)" can be helpful.
Remember that people in other regions and countries may not grasp instantly what labels such as "SFU Surrey" mean. It's always wise to use things such as "SFU's Surrey campus", "Simon Fraser University's Vancouver campus", "the Burnaby campus of Simon Fraser University", etc.
Other names
In the same vein, people in other regions and countries may not grasp quickly what labels such as "SFU Contemporary Arts" mean. Thus you'll usually want to use the full name "SFU's School for the Contemporary Arts" or "Simon Fraser University's School for the Contemporary Arts."
You'll want to avoid other abbreviations that are familiar to insiders but foreign to others. Thus internally we may refer to an event being in "AQ3000" but for external audiences you'll make that "Room 3000, Academic Quadrangle, SFU's Burnaby campus" or the like.
Abbreviations cannot be used on business cards, letterhead, envelopes, etc.
The red-block SFU logo (at left) that was adopted in 2006 is invariably the right one to use in all forms of communication. The Requirements Manual will show you how to use it, with or without the registered wordmark of "Engaging the World".
(Until the requirements manuals are fully updated, any reference to "Thinking of the World" should be replaced by "Engaging the World".)
The SFU brand is paramount. Secondary logos (such as a faculty, school or other SFU unit logo) must always be in a less visually prominent position than the SFU “red-block” logo. They must never dominate or outweigh the SFU logo, or be larger in size or impact than the SFU logo. You must not alter, vary, manipulate, or distort the SFU logo in either design or in application. Do not change the colour of the logo. Do not incorporate the logo or its elements into other graphic designs or logos. On the headers of websites, do not change the size of type in the SFU wordmark.
The only approved exceptions to the red-block rule are two:
1. SFU's varsity Athletic teams use the SFU Athletics "swoosh" logo (at left) as their primary graphic. SFU Sport Clubs may also use the swoosh, or use the red-block logo. If the swoosh is used, the red-block logo must be in reasonably close proximity to it, so that it is clearly visible to spectators.
2. The SFU Woodward’s Cultural Unit has a special “SFU Red-W” logo (at left) that it may use as a primary logo on materials for events produced, presented, or sponsored by that unit. The full name “Simon Fraser University” must appear prominently on the material. The SFU Woodward’s Cultural Unit will also use this “SFU Red-W” logo on its Twitter and Facebook channels.
SFU’s School for the Contemporary Arts will always use the standard red-block logo.
Only the SFU red block can be used on business cards. Secondary logos (such as a faculty, department, school or other SFU unit logo) can be used on letterhead, etc., appropriately sized and placed at the bottom. Any secondary logo and its positioning must be approved before use by the SFU Design Group and SFU Public Affairs and Media Relations.
The prime and paramount logo on SFU websites is the red-block logo; secondary logos may be used in the top-right end of the main header. A secondary logo may be used in conjunction with text on a webpage but must never dominate or outweigh the SFU logo, or be larger in size or impact than the SFU logo. Do not change the size of type used to identify your faculty, school, department or unit in the SFU wordmark at the left end of the header. Use the same font and size in the official "Engaging the World" wordmark, as shown in the header at www.sfu.ca
Use of the logo on "event" or "conference" websites, social-media channels or printed material requires two things in advance:
1. Official endorsement of your event or conference by a vice-president, dean or campus executive director; then
2. Approval by SFU's office of Public Affairs and Media Relations (PAMR) for use of the logo.
PAMR will ask you to confirm the endorsement, and to see a draft of how you propose to use the logo on your site, channel, or printed material.
The SFU red-block logo or logo and wordmark is the only logo, graphic, design, or piece of artwork that is to be used in SFU e-mail signatures.
On occasion, SFU is a partner or ally of an external agency, centre, funder or partnership that, as the lead partner, generates shared documents or website. In such a case, SFU's red-block logo must be prominently displayed. SFU Public Affairs and Media Relations will help you negotiate suitable positioning for the SFU logo.
Official colours
SFU’s main official and traditional primary colour is “SFU Red”. However, numerous variations of SFU Red (and other SFU colours) have been used over the years. And while the official colours have not changed, their coding by colourmetric agencies has been adjusted.
Here is a table showing the correct official colours for the university, using Pantone® and other codes, for print and web use:
For accurate colours, use the current coding that appears below:
|
SFU Red |
SFU Black |
SFU Blue |
SFU Gold * |
Spot |
Pantone® 187 C |
Pantone® 7 C |
Pantone® 287 C |
Pantone® 132 C |
CMYK ‡ |
C: 23 |
C: 65 |
C: 100 |
C: 33 |
RGB |
R: 166 |
R: 61 |
R: 0 |
R: 160 |
LAB |
L: 37.72 |
L: 24.22 |
L: 20-88 |
L: 52.56 |
Hexadecimal |
#A6192E |
#3D3935 |
#003087 |
#A07400 |
* A metallic version of SFU Gold (Pantone® 8640) is used only on some official documents. The metallic version of the SFU gold can only be printed as a spot colour. Don’t be tempted to use it for other purposes.
‡ The CMYK values above are for the US Web Coated (SWOP) V2 ICC profile, the default used by SFU Document Solutions and many external printers. When not working with SFU Document Solutions, please provide the outside contractor with the Spot and CMYK values for the official colours to ensure colour accuracy.
Please note that SFU’s graphic requirements manual for print use include some different and outdated information on official colours. The manual will be revised. This will take some time, however, as other updates must also be accommodated. So until further notice rely on the table above.
The “old” information and codes from the original graphic requirements manuals mean that many current SFU websites and print products have colours that aren’t quite “correct”. There is no pressing (and expensive) need to go correcting all past products. Do not, for example, throw out a stock of brochures just because “the red isn’t quite official any more.” But when you need to print more of them, use the colours in the table above.
Existing websites should ideally change to the numbers above, but that could be costly and complicated. Substitute the new codes over time, as you can reasonably afford. For new websites and products, use the table above.
A special "Engage Red" that was used for the SFU Engagement campaign now is phased out and is not to be used again. If there is a further phase of the engagement campaign, this red may be used only with special permission from the Design Group.
Important: Do not alter official colours. And do not attempt to judge and match colours by eye. The screen you’re using, the ambient light, or the material you’re printing on, may make a correct colour look “incorrect” to the eye. So may the use of colour functionality in various software programs.
If in doubt, consult the SFU Design Group (cknight@sfu.ca).
Always insist on accurate colour. Poorly matched colours will over time weaken impact, and reduce the effectiveness and public awareness of the SFU brand.
"Engaging the World"
The branding "tagline" of SFU, for general use in communications, is "Engaging the World", adopted in 2012. SFU's Office of Francophone and Francophile Affairs (Bureau des affaires francophones et francophiles) may use a French-language version of the tagline, "Le monde en tête". So may SFU's Department of French (Département de français). Other SFU departments and units may also use the French tagline in French-language communications.
Coat of Arms
The university's coat of arms (sometimes called the crest) is restricted to limited formal use.
The coat of arms illustrated on the left, granted to SFU in 2007, is limited to specific formal uses: degree and certificate parchments, and their frames and folders; a special line of high-end commemorative gifts from the SFU Bookstore, and formal communications of the President, Senate and the Board of Governors. No other version of the coat of arms may be used.
Use of the coat of arms must always be approved in advance by SFU's office of Public Affairs and Media Relations.
FLAGS and BANNERS
The university flag bearing SFU's coat of arms is restricted to official use by SFU Ceremonies & Events (e.g., for Convocation), SFU Facilities Services, and the offices of the President and Chancellor.
The university flag for all other uses will be the red-block logo. No secondary illustration (for example, a department logo) is permitted on such a university flag.
The design of street banners, pop-up banners, promotional banners, background banners and the like must be approved in advance by the SFU Design Group.
If you have questions, address them to SFU Public Affairs and Media Relations: Scott McLean
WEBSITES, BLOGS, SOCIAL MEDIA & VIDEOS
All SFU websites must be hosted on University servers. All must use or follow the standard style-template and navigation architecture as shown in current CQ templates. So must blogs hosted at SFU. Steve Ray of Public Affairs and Media Relations can offer web templates and guidance to help you. And, as noted above, before going live, all new sites/blogs/designs must be run past Steve Ray: seray@sfu.ca
On occasion, SFU is a partner or ally of an external agency, centre, funder or partnership that provides and maintains the partnership's website. In such a case, SFU's red-block logo must be displayed on the homepage and all other pages. And there must be a link to either the main www.sfu.ca page, or to the website of the participating faculty, school or unit; and preferably to both. SFU Public Affairs and Media Relations will help you negotiate suitable positioning for the SFU logo.
Social media
The branding requirements also apply to SFU channels in social media (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and others.) See SFU's Social Media Guidelines.
The minimum branding requirement is an approved logo and the name "SFU" or "Simon Fraser University". It's obviously difficult on Twitter to use the full name (which eats up 23 of your 140 characters) so a simple "#SFU" is OK there; but you can use the full name in postings on Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.
If you are creating an official SFU social-media site, first contact SFU Public Affairs and Media Relations (Steve Ray at seray@sfu.ca) for an approved logo and other images, and to ensure coordination with other SFU channels.
SFU-endorsed events, photo albums, videos, etc., should be created on, and be administered from, official SFU Accounts. For example, if an event is being created and posted on Facebook, and the event is an SFU event, officially endorsed by the university, it should be posted by one of SFU's official Facebook Pages, not from a personal account.
Online videos
SFU-funded videos posted on YouTube or other channels must also carry SFU branding. (The minimum requirement is the red-block logo and the full name Simon Fraser University prominently in the intro and extro.) Before posting such videos, consult Annette de Vries of SFU Public Affairs and Media Relations: adevries@sfu.ca. (De Vries also manages the official SFU YouTube channel, and is always looking for quality SFU-branded video to post there.)
Departments and units of SFU who want to have their own YouTube channels must ensure the homepage thereof is consonant with SFU's branding. Ask Annette de Vries for assistance in getting an approved logo for your channel, use SFU's official brand colours for the colour scheme, and submit the final draft to de Vries so she can confirm it meets the university's branding requirements.
iPhone and Other Apps
If you develop an SFU app for iPhone or other devices—an app that will be, or will appear to be, an official app endorsed and supported by SFU—both the branding and technical qualities of the app need to be approved before it goes live.
For branding, consult Steve Ray of Public Affairs and Media Relations: seray@sfu.ca. He will verify whether your app meets the SFU branding requirements. He will also help you approach SFU I.T. Services to verify that your app meets technical and coding requirements.
One technical issue you need to think about: Should your SFU app work only on iPhone/iPAd? What about Android, BlackBerry and and other operating systems? Regardless, apps in development must be checked out by I.T. before launch so that, even if designed only for iPhone and iPad, they will work properly on them.
(You also need to consider how your app will be maintained. If the developer leaves SFU, who will maintain the app?)
SFU ATHLETICS and SPORT CLUBS
The SFU Athletics department and its funded varsity teams use the SFU Athletics "swoosh" logo shown above as their primary logo. For example, on clothing, equipment, scoreboards, balls, facilities, signage, documents, programs, scoresheets.
SFU'S red-block logo must then be in reasonably close proximity to it, so that it is clearly visible to spectators.
Some examples:
An example of this last: A gym floor or playing field might have the swoosh logo painted at the centre line or sideline; if so, then the red-block logo is to be positioned prominently on a nearby wall, end zone, backboard, basketball cart, on-deck circle, or somewhere clearly visible to spectators and TV cameras.
Neither the swoosh nor the red block is to be used on the seat or the crotch of of shorts, pants, sweatpants, etc.
SFU Athletics and SFU Sport Clubs need the approval of the SFU Design Group regarding any placement of swoosh and red-block logos. The Design Group will take into account any branding requirements of the NCAA, GNAC, or other league; and will help Athletics to avoid "logo clutter" but still have SFU branding reasonably visible.
Athletics must also have the approval of the SFU Design Group to add the names of particular sports (e.g. Football, Basketball, Swimming, Golf) to the swoosh logo.
Any other use of the swoosh (for example, on SFU Bookstore products) must be approved in advance by the associate vice-president, Students & International. (trahilly@sfu.ca)
"The Clan"
The historic name "Clan" is restricted to use by funded varsity teams of SFU Athletics. The name is not to be used in any logo or other graphic format; nor can it be used on clothing, equipment or facilities. It can be used in text on documents, news releases, and in the text-content of websites.
Sport Clubs
SFU's UnIversity Sport Clubs (listed at http://students.sfu.ca/recreation/clubs/index.html) may use the Athletics swoosh or the SFU red-block logo as their primary graphic.
The rules for usage are the same as for SFU Athletics and others.
The use and placement of SFU branding or logos on clothing, caps, scarves, gloves, etc., must be approved in advance by the SFU Design Group. The red block is the primary logo. Secondary logos from faculties, schools or units of SFU may also be used with the approval of the Design Group. Neither the red block nor any secondary logo is is to be used on the seat or crotch of shorts, pants, sweatpants, etc. The same rule applies to the name of the university and the initials SFU.
Lapel badges (name badges)
Staples has the official template for SFU lapel badges (name badges/ID badges) and is an approved supplier. (Contact Helen Mazocchio at helen.mazzocchio@cexp.ca.) However, units at SFU may need or wish on occasion to produce their own ID badges, which can be done faster and cheaper. The design of any such badge must be approved in advance by the SFU Design Group. (Contact Carol Knight at cknight@sfu.ca.)
SFU DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS
Business cards, stationery, invitations, stickers
Requirements for business cards and stationery are given in the Requirements Manual for print products.
You will find that key requirements have been pre-built into the online order form at SFU Document Solutions. The form will not accept variations. If you wish to depart from the pre-set formats, you will need advance approval and assistance from the SFU Design Group.
SFU Document Solutions will also help you adhere to the university's branding requirements for envelopes, notepads, labels, invitations, nametags, greeting cards, stickers, forms and other materials.
Brochures, flyers, posters, banners, catalogues, presentation materials
SFU Document Solutions will also help you adhere to branding requirements for such products. If you wish to depart from the requirements, you will need advance approval from the SFU Design Group.
SIGNAGE
The SFU Design Group, working with SFU Facilities, will help you adhere to current requirements in building and way-finding signage.
"Old" material and signs
You will continue to see "old" coats of arms and dated branding around the University for some time. This is because the university has not required, and does not require, immediate replacement of materials that bear "old" branding. But when you need to order new products, or when dated signs or materials reach the end of their working life, the new branding requirements apply to replacements and new stock.