Adventures in logo town: Managing institutional logos

Abstract

In a perfect world, an academic institution’s logo would be favoured and exhibited with appropriate pride by friends, faculty, students and staff. In a perfect world, university leadership would embrace the value and wisdom of a sensible comprehensive graphic identity system. In a perfect world, the diverse segmented enterprises and interests of the university would recognise the benefit of identifying with the host institution and welcome each opportunity to mark that relationship. This paper is a cautionary note for all those who are tasked with preserving and promoting their institution’s logo in their own particular imperfect world — especially when administration is materially indifferent to this issue and the campus culture disfavours restrictions of any sort. An addition to the caution is a warning not to overgeneralise what this paper offers. The strategies the current author has employed will not bring success in every circumstance. In fact, there is some evidence that these strategies have not necessarily been successful in this circumstance. Nevertheless, progress is being made as marked by the most meaningful measurements, record-breaking undergraduate enrolment and public support through private giving, plus greater levels of income from licensing goods and services that pay to bear the marks of the university. While there is much room to dispute that the strategies employed played any meaningful part in the university’s success, any fair-minded person would conclude we at least did not impede it.