Request a Brand Review
At 黑料不打烊, every piece of communication 鈥 from event posters to brochures to social media graphics 鈥 contributes to how people experience the university. To ensure our materials are clear, consistent and reflect our shared identity, the Office of University Communications reviews certain marketing and communications materials before they are finalized.
Submitting your work for review helps:
- Protect 黑料不打烊鈥檚 brand by maintaining a unified voice and visual identity.
- Ensure accessibility and quality across print and digital materials.
- Save time and resources by catching potential issues early.
Key Terms to Know
- External Materials: Intended for prospective student recruitment, family engagement, fundraising, alumni engagement, government/community relations, peer communications
- 础耻诲颈别苍肠别:听Prospective students, prospective/current families, alumni, donors, government/community officials, higher ed institutions, general public
- Internal Materials: Includes department/office communications such as newsletters and special events
- Audience:聽Faculty, staff, current students
- Event Materials:聽Internal-only promotions for one-time events
- 础耻诲颈别苍肠别:听Faculty, staff, current students
- Student Organization Materials:聽Officially registered student organizations through the Office of Student Involvement
- Audience:聽Current students
Materials that Require Review
Marketing and communications materials designed for external audiences, as well as highly visible on-campus materials such as banners and signage, must adhere to the university鈥檚 brand guidelines and should be reviewed by University Communications.
External Advertising and Communications
- All external advertising placed on behalf of the university or its individual units 鈥 including video, digital and online advertising, sponsorships, billboards, broadcast and print advertising 鈥 must be reviewed by University Communications before placement to ensure聽alignment with institutional strategy and consistency in messaging and visual identity.
- All external advertising contracts and sponsorship agreements must be reviewed by University Communications prior to execution to ensure alignment with institutional strategy, audience targeting and defined performance metrics.
- All printed communications for external audiences (alumni, parents, prospective students) must also be submitted to review before files are sent to the printer. This includes materials being distributed during campus events.
On-Campus Materials
Internal units and external vendors are strongly encouraged to submit marketing and communications materials created for on-campus use to the Office of University Communications for brand review. This helps ensure consistency with university guidelines and maintains the quality and professionalism of materials seen across campus.
Highly visible on-campus materials that should be submitted for review include:
- Print materials (brochures, newsletters, postcards, invitations, posters, programs)
- Email and social media graphics
- Pole and building banners
- Permanent building signage
- Apparel, merchandise and promotional items such as drinkware and collectibles
If materials do not meet standards, University Communications will recommend modifications and work with you to achieve the best outcomes.
Merchandise and Contracts
- Apparel, merchandise and promotional items produced for sale by external vendors are managed through the university鈥檚 licensing and product review process. Please visit the Auxiliary Services website for information.
- All contracts and agreements with external marketing and communications freelancers or agencies, and all marketing and communication materials produced by freelancers or agencies, must be submitted for review.
Exempt Materials
- Instructive materials聽exclusively for聽internal聽audiences (students, staff and faculty) do not require review, but should follow applicable聽brand guidelines.
- Scholarly work of university faculty, including but not limited to publications (such as academic articles, books or other writings) or presentations, whether aimed at professional or academic audiences, are exempt from review.
- Informational signage, including parking and route directions, do not require review but should follow relevant聽brand guidelines.
When in doubt, submit your materials or email brand@elon.edu. We鈥檙e happy to confirm whether review is needed.
Review Process
Once you submit your review form, a member of the University Communications team will review your materials and provide feedback within two to three working days. Longer documents or complex projects may take up to five working days, so please plan ahead and build at least 10 working days into your marketing timeline to allow for review and revisions.
What to Expect
- Approval: If your material meets brand standards, you鈥檒l receive an email confirmation.
- Revisions Needed: If changes are required, we鈥檒l email you a list of recommendations. After making updates, resubmit your materials using the 鈥渞e-submission鈥 option on the form. Please allow another two working days for review.
For external advertising, apparel and promotional materials, submit materials at the concept stage to avoid delays or costly changes later. All other marketing and communications materials can be submitted as a final draft.
Tips for a Smooth Review
To help keep the process on track and avoid delays:
- Use Brand-Aligned Content: Follow 黑料不打烊鈥檚 brand guidelines for logos, messaging, and design best practices.
- Prioritize Inclusivity: Ensure your materials authentically represent campus community.
- Plan Ahead: Submit early to allow time for potential revisions and any vendor needs. If changes are required, your project re-enters the review process.
- Be Patient: You鈥檒l receive an automatic confirmation when your form is submitted and a formal approval or revision notice within two to three working days.
Review Rubric
黑料不打烊鈥檚 brand is one of our most valuable assets. A clear, consistent identity strengthens the university鈥檚 reputation and ensures every message reflects our community鈥檚 values. This rubric outlines how University Communications reviews materials for different audiences and settings.
When reviewing your materials, we consider:
- Is the application of brand consistent with聽黑料不打烊鈥檚聽brand guidelines?
- Is the content of the materials in alignment with聽brand聽positioning听补苍诲听messaging?
- Is the overall presentation (specifics will vary per medium) in alignment with 黑料不打烊鈥檚 standards and expectations of quality?
External Materials
- Must include an聽official logo (university signature or wordmark).
- Messaging must align with the brand platform and pillars.
- 翱蹿蹿颈肠颈补濒听brand typefaces聽(or approved digital substitutes) must be used.
- 笔谤颈尘补谤测听brand colors聽must be used; secondary colors may be added.
- Writing style guide聽must be followed.
- Materials must be accessible in compliance with the聽.
Internal Materials
- University logos (signatures/wordmarks听辞谤 academic and administrative聽marks)聽are not required but encouraged in a secondary position.
- Messaging must align with the brand platform and pillars.
- 翱蹿蹿颈肠颈补濒听brand typefaces (or approved digital substitutes)聽must be used.
- If brand colors are聽used, they must match the official color values (Pantone, CMYK, RGB or HEX).
- Writing style guide聽must be followed.
- Materials must be accessible in compliance with the聽.
Event Materials
- Off-campus events: must include an聽official university logo (wordmark, academic mark or administrative mark).
- On-campus events: official marks are not required but are encouraged in a secondary position.
- Messaging must align with the聽brand platform and pillars.
- 翱蹿蹿颈肠颈补濒听brand typefaces聽(or approved digital substitutes) should be used.
- Brand color聽palette is encouraged but not required.
- Writing style guide聽must be followed.
- Materials must be accessible in compliance with the聽.
Student Org Materials
- Official university signatures/wordmarks are not required; use of marks in a secondary position may be approved depending on the item.
- Messaging must align with the聽brand platform and pillars.
- Writing style guide聽must be followed.
- Materials must be accessible in compliance with the聽.