Brand Foundation

Disseminating the College of Charleston’s brand to the widest audience, in the most effective manner, requires that we consistently communicate the essence, the heart and the character of the College. The brand story, positioning statement, key messages, college mission and core values form this essence. They remind us that, at its core, the College of Charleston is an academic institution of the highest quality. There are many ways in which we can and should tell this story.

The College of Charleston brand story provides the framework for telling the many specific stories of the institution. The brand story establishes the defining traits of the College of Charleston. It gives us focus, helps us remember who we are and forms the basis for the content of all our communications.

The brand story is our internal statement of who we are and why we are unique. Rather than publishing the entire brand story, each unit of the College should use the brand story as a guide to creating effective marketing and communications. Relevant aspects of the story should be expanded and extrapolated, quantified and discussed in detail and illustrated with specific examples and photographs. Each unit of the College of Charleston should find the appropriate way to expand upon the brand story and to illustrate it with detailed examples that reflect the overall brand.

How the brand story is used will depend on the audience, its unique needs and desires and the medium through which the story is told. But the picture that is created, stroke by stroke, is one of an exceptional institution that transforms lives. The Office of University Marketing can work with individual units of the College to extract the relevant sections of the brand story and turn them into a short and memorable brand promise statement that adapts the brand story for your target market.