C of C to get new logo

Committee aims to revamp school marketing

The College of Charleston is getting a marketing makeover, complete with a new logo.

Mike Haskins, vice president for marketing, said marketing officials and other campus groups have spent nearly a year exploring a new look — changing the logo, color palette and typefaces. It's all part of giving the school a new brand, he said.

"The whole idea of branding is to showcase yourself and show what's unique about your institution," he said. The school needs "a coherent, cohesive identity," he said.

Stein Communications is working on the logo, he said. The Atlanta-based company works exclusively with higher education clients. So far the company has pitched one design to replace the decades-old logo that features historic Randolph Hall. Many campus groups looked at it, Haskins said.

Many campus groups looked at the new logo idea, which featured a wrought-iron theme, and most of them liked the concept. But "they didn't love it," he said. The company will incorporate feedback from many different campus groups and present some more options, Haskins said. The new logo should be done early next semester.

"The Randolph Hall logo was well-respected and many people have a deep-seated affection for it," said Brian McGee, chairman of the department of communication and a member of the marketing committee that's working on the logo.

Many colleges have logos that feature buildings. "It's not distinctive or recognizable," McGee said. The school needs a logo that's better than "pick your oldest building on campus," he said.

Haskins said the new logo needs to showcase history, the campus environment and a connection to the city of Charleston.

Seaton Brown, a junior and member of the marketing committee, said most students he's talked with want a new logo. They want it to demonstrate history and tradition, he said. But they also want it to somehow show the things they're proud of at the college today.

Board of Trustees chairman Bobby Marlowe said there's no way the marketing department will find one logo that will make everybody happy. But the college is shooting for one that's "generally embraced by the overall community." He said he'd personally like the school to adopt a logo that's dignified and that "says something about history, education and Charleston."

"I don't think that has to be a building," Marlowe said.

McGee said the committee that's working on the logo is a very inclusive one with representatives from many campus groups. He thinks that anyone with reservations about adopting a new logo will feel more at ease when they finally see it.

Until then, "they fear a campus committee is going to muck up a good thing," he said.

Haskins said he's pleased that there's a buzz on campus about the new logo. "For so long people on this campus have thought this is a great institution. They want to get that out to a wider audience."

Reach Diane Knich at 937-5491 or dknich@postandcourier.com.