Branding Cases

Case A: Presentations

Susan, the president of the Bush School's Student Government Association Diversity Organization, is preparing a slideshow that she will deliver at an upcoming national conference. May she use the Bush School template or other branded images for her slideshow, which includes the logo in the header of every slide?

Answer:

Yes, since Susan is a Bush School student and is representing the school at the conference, she may use the logo in a prominent place, such as a header. She also may use a Texas A&M slideshow template provided at the University Brand Guide.

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Case B: E-folios

Jeff is a student enrolled in a public service class that requires the creation of a professional online portfolio. As a proud Bush School student, he would like to include the school logo in the header of his website since he plans to use it in his job search. May he use the branded logo in the header as planned?

Answer:

No. He should use neither the Bush School nor the Texas A&M logo in the header of his personal website, even though he is creating it for a class. He will likely use the website beyond the class to promote himself professionally and individually (i.e., not representing an organization at the university or himself in an official university capacity).

Exceptions:

• If he is limiting the site only to the course and to the instructor for the class assignment alone, he may use the logo.

• If he wants to display a logo on a page where he has participated in a Bush School activity, such as a service project, or where he has received recognition for an accomplishment at the school, he may include it (such as on an academic page where he lists his degrees). This case also represents appropriate uses of logos or other images from other organizations and companies. Caution: Always check with the company's branding guidelines before including its images in your work.

Case C: Social Media

Chris is the communications officer for the Bush School's Pi Alpha Alpha chapter and would like to create a website or Facebook page for the organization to keep members current on upcoming events. May he use the Bush School's branded images in his site?

Answer:

Yes, he may, since the site represents a university-recognized organization. This use would apply to Facebook, Google+, Twitter, and other social media platforms the organization is using to represent itself. However, Chris and other members maintaining the site must remember that the site represents the Bush School; thus all activity must reflect the ethical and professional behavior the school expects from its students.