Branding

How should I address the University?

In general usage, the recommended naming is “NC State University.” Other options can be “NC State,” or “North Carolina State University.” The official full name of “North Carolina State University at Raleigh” is to be avoided, due to the implication that there’s another NC State somewhere else.

Can I use “NCSU”?

Under no circumstances, with the exception of a url (ncsu.edu) should “NCSU” be used, either internally or publicly.

Why not?

Back in the 2000s, NC State did some market research on the name recognition of “NCSU” vs. “NC State.” What we discovered was that “NC State” had good name recognition across the country, but “NCSU” was not well-known or well-understood outside the South. At the time, we were trying to strengthen our brand by paring down the multitude of ways you could refer to the university, so that was the origin of our decision to save “North Carolina State University” for super-formal occasions, like commencement and Founders’ Day, because it’s the most cumbersome of our names; to call ourselves “NC State” or “NC State University” the vast majority of the time; and to eliminate “NCSU” altogether as the weakest form of our name.

That’s why NCSU is never to be used in any communications intended for any public audience, whether internal or external. To make sure members of our community get in the habit of using on-brand terminology, we prefer that people refrain from using NCSU even in emails within the university or on platforms like Slack. Besides, once it’s on the internet in any form, there’s no telling who may eventually see it.

Fun fact for trivia night: the actual official name of the university is "North Carolina State University at Raleigh."

What logo can I use for the University?

Go to brand.ncsu.edu/logo to see and download all the options.

Note that the “block S” logo is not to be used by academic units – it’s reserved for student/alumni spirit and athletics. Similarly, the chancellor’s seal (with the Bell Tower) is only allowed for official communications from the Chancellor’s Office.

My group is sponsored or working with another company, can we use their logo in print or on the web?

You must ensure that you have explicit permission from the company to use their logo – just because you may be working with them or using their product does not imply consent to use their logo on any University communication.

Can I use the Department Logo on merchandise (like a shirt or cup)?

As the Department Logo includes the University’s trademark, it is subject to royalties, and can only be produced by licensed manufacturers. See Trademark Licensing for more information.

Email

I need a Google Group or Generic Email Address

Submit a request on Web Registry. Note that you'll need at least two unique Unity IDs to be contacts for the group/email account. Requests typically take a few days to be processed. Additionally, there's a known bug on the contacts page -- if it throws an error when you submit, refresh the page until it doesn't. For a Generic Account, make sure you setup Two Factor on it right away using Get2FA—strongly recommend against setting up Two Factor with a personal device.

Student Workers, Interns or Temps

How do I get some help?

It is encouraged to get certified and hire student workers to assist with job functions. Student workers can act as an extension of the communicator, or offer skills that may expand communications and marketing, such as video, animation, and social media engagement. Design and communications students are the best pool to choose from.

Students eligible for Financial Aid are eligible for the Federal Work Study (FWS) program, allowing departments to hire them during the academic semesters--FWS covers 70% of their hourly pay (up to $1000/semester), leaving the department responsible for the remaining 30%. These awards can be started at any point in the semester. Positions open for FWS are listed to eligible students in Workstudy Central (in MyPack).

The Provosts Experience Program is similar, but is open to all undergraduate students, and is limited by the number of PEP grant requests. Requests for Fall/Spring are typically due in April each year. Positions for PEP should be promoted through your own channels, including ePack, as there is no other central directory for them.

For intern or temps through DELTA, contact, Mike Cuales, and Design student workers contact, Kathleen Fenner.

Content Calendars

What tool should I use?

Scheduling tools are recommended to assist with automating the expectation of frequent social posting. Budget, orientation, and ramp-up time should all be taken into consideration which is why each department may use a different tool to fit their needs and workflow. Commonly used tools include Social Pilot, Loomly, Sendible and Later.

Email Newsletters

What service should I use?

Bulk email services are recommended to assist with automating the expectation of frequent email communications and newsletters. Tracking metrics, opens, bounces and unsubs are all valuable information for the communicator. Budget, orientation, and ramp-up time should all be taken into consideration which is why each department may use a different tool to fit their needs and workflow. Commonly used tools include SendGrid, MailChimp, Emma (OIT-managed license), Acoustic (COE-managed license), and Google Groups/YAMM.

How do I get my events in front of undergraduates?

Submit your events and news to the Academic Affairs undergraduate-focused newsletter.

Photography, video services, and live streams

Should I shoot or should I pay?

The expectation for video services is more important than ever. The communicator will likely be asked to fill these requests. If the department does not have a budget, and the communicator can confidently use the equipment, ECE has video equipment for events and live streams available for loan. If the department does have a budget for video services, it may be best to hire outside help. WolfBytes is an on-campus service that can cost about $1,000-$3,000 to live stream events such as Hall of Fame and graduations.

What gear should I be trying to purchase?

This varies based on you and your department's priorities (and budgets), however, for handiness, ECE maintains a B&H Photo/Video wishlist of their current recommendations for university communicators. Note that this list isn't a "buy everything on it", but rather "these are recommendations for this category of product." Note that B&H offers substantial education discounts on most items, which is reflected when purchased in Marketplace. For general reference, the actual price is typically 10-20% lower than what listed to the public (and on that wishlist).

The vast majority of items on this list are ones owned and operated by ECE communicators, and you're welcome to swing by and check them out. The remaining ones are either from personal experience or better choices than those made previously.

I need a camera, where do I start?

Most major brands of cameras have great product lines at this point. By and large, most COE groups are using either Sony or Nikon platforms. What follows is opinion:

Sony Alpha (Charles Hall, ECE)

Sony was effectively the first to roll out mirrorless camera platforms (as compared to D-SLR). Mirrorless are generally much lighter, and now on parity with D-SLR for speed. The Sony Alpha family of cameras has a fit for each level of budget or purpose—and share the E-mount lenses. Cameras such as the a6400 are small and light, use a crop sensor (smaller sensor), and have no limit to video recording length—they're also relatively cheap, and very suitable for student workers. Moving up, the a7c is a small full-frame (large sensor) camera, with similar capabilities to the a6x00 series, on a full-frame platform.

Then, you get into a7 territory for full-frame pro-level cameras. These are designed by generations (a7ii, a7iv, etc), and by primary-photo (designated with an "r"—a7r iv) primary-video (designated with an "s"—a7s iii), and generalist (no additional letter—a7 iv).

Generally, the Alphas are very good at low light (which is handy is our poorly lit spaces), and have very effective autofocus.

If you want to try out options, ECE has a6400, a7s ii, a7s iii, and a7r iv models, MSE has an a7s iii, MAE has an a7 iii, and BME an a7 iv.

Nikon (Rob Lasson, ISE)

...

Sigma

Not a camera, but a solid maker of lenses that fit both camera platforms—highly recommend looking at them as options for glass that is typically cheaper than Sony/Nikon branded lenses.

Preferred print vendors

Who should I send my newsletter, tshirt or poster to print for my department?

The university has WolfXpress for quick turnaround, and is similar to FedEx Office or Staples in capabilities and quality. A preferred apparel vendor currently is Roberts Group, found through the Marketplace, however other vendors may be used, including 4Imprint, AnythingImprints (Geiger), and BrandFuel. For offset printing high-quality/high yield projects, vendors include Alphagraphics, RR Donnelly (NC State rep is Aaron Tian), and many others.

Media Training

What do I say to the press?

It is encouraged to have formal media training. The university offers training through UCOMM, and COE Comms can create crisis cells for in-the-moment issues that may arise. Rob in ISE can also offer media training to go over crisis communications and bridging, for example.

ENGR Communicators Professional Development

How do I get better at my job?

The university offers many free skill development services. Access them through REPORTER and LinkedIn Learning. UCOMM and OIT also offer specific training. External self-paced options include SuperHi and Surfaced Studio. Some ENGR communicators are members of ASEE, and attend the annual engineering communicators conference. Some departments may subsidize graduate coursework. The university offers a tuition waiver for courses at NC State. Northwestern offers an 8-week Digital Marketing Strategies graduate certificate, and UNC-Chapel Hill offers a three-semester Technology and Communication graduate certificate.

Most engineering disciplines also have national or international associations that allow department heads to network and share information. Some of these have started adding in conference tracks and groups for departmental communicators--your department head may be able to point you in the right direction (one such example is the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department Heads Association (ECEDHA), which has an active Communicators program).

Excellence in Communications

What awards can I enter for my work?

As a university employee, you can participate in the Council for the Advancement of Scholastic Excellence. NC State is located in the District III/Southeast region. Categories to enter outstanding work include copywriting, website, photography, speechwriting, and graphic design.

What University Awards are available?

The penultimate NC State award for staff is the Award for Excellence. This is awarded first at the College level. Those that receive the COE Award for Excellence are nominated for the University level, who are in turn nominated for the Governor's Award. Nominations for COE are typically in March. In the COE, you must have two years of service in Engineering to be eligible, and you may only win once.

The Pride of the WolfPack award is a quarterly award for staff who "exceptionally demonstrate NC State's values. In COE, you must have one year of service in Engineering.

Outside Help

What if I don't have time to do it all?

If the department budget allows, the ENGR department communicators can outsource marketing projects to the Communications Office in the College of Engineering. The current rate is $60 an hour for services including graphic design, web design, event planning, copywriting, and photography. Turnaround will be subject to demand.

Engineering communicators are also encouraged to collaborate with each other as much as possible to reduce redundancy and lighten everyone's load.

NC State Communications

What is happening on campus outside of the COE?

It is recommended to join the StateComm Google Group to see campus-wide news from other departments.

Are there campus events?

Subscribe to the university calendar of events to add events happening in your department. You will not be able to select your department name, but you can select the College of Engineering. Just include your department name and address so it populates a Google map embedded into the event. If you are using the Xanadu WordPress Event plugin, you can embed campus events directly onto your website.

What is the NewsWire RSS feed?

Your WordPress site must have the NewsWire plugin installed. After installation is complete, you will need to customize the news you want to populate on your sites. There is the possibility to become a News Contributor if you file a ticket through ITECS, but as of July 2022, no communicator has been added in over a year. Refresh the feed periodically throughout the day to see articles in the feed. You will be able to republish the article on your site with the formatting intact.

What is brand training?

Several times a year, the University Communications office offers the official NC State brand training. You will get a notification from Eric McCrary through the StateComm listserv when the date is approaching, and you must register for the training with your Unity ID. Currently, it is held virtually through Zoom.

Is there an NC State link shortener?

Bookmark the Go Link site. The custom URLs can be tracked for engagement metrics.

Is there NC State campus stock photography?

Bookmark the NC State Stock Photoshelter site. At this time, the only photographer contributors are Marc Hall and Becky Kirkland.

What fonts do I use?

Univers and Glypha are the university fonts. However, in the summer of 2022, Roboto font was approved for digital comms in its Regular, Condensed, and Mono styles.

Is there an expert list?

Refer to the university expert list to ensure important faculty are listed.

Press Releases

How do I get a press release for my department's awesome news?

Individual units are not permitted to write official press releases on the behalf of the university. The only people allowed to write and circulate them are the university reporters, and for Engineering our main science writer is Matt Shipman. At times we may have Tracey Peake, but start with Matt. The department communicator can only write news articles for their department websites, email newsletters and social posts: not official press releases.

Regular ENGR/NC State Events

What are the cyclical events I need to have on my content calendar?

In addition to DOG, as of July 2022 every spring, there are many other events to have on your radar for cross-promotion.

• Red and White Week, each fall

• NC State University and Department Commencements, each May and December

• University Open House, each fall (October)

• Engineering Open House, each spring (March)

• Engineering Career Fair, each spring

• Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) Spend a Day, each spring

Day of Giving

What is it and what do I have to do?

The annual campus fundraising event, Day of Giving (DOG), aims to boost donations to departments, colleges and units by faculty, staff and alumni. Communicators are strongly encouraged to attend pertinent planning meetings. Assets from the DOG committee will arrive through the StateComm listserv before the event. It is a daylong event and effective communications take place all day with challenges to boost camaraderie and team spirit. Join the DOG Google Group to receive messaging and assets.