A budget has been allocated and is in the process of being implemented for Stellenbosch University’s (SU) rebranding project, which includes the launch of the new SU logo.
This is according to Martin Viljoen, spokesperson of SU. The new logo was approved by the SU Council on 13 April, according to an official SU media statement released on 24 April.
“As part of the total repositioning of the [SU] brand, a comprehensive application was submitted to the Strategic Fund [by SU] and R7 million was allocated, of which expenses amount to R3.6 million to date,” said Viljoen in email correspondence with MatieMedia.
The budget covers the overall development of the brand identity and comprehensive consultations on campus, as well as further developments in marketing material, communication elements, banner printing and campus signage, according to Viljoen.
The new SU logo was approved by the SU council on 13 April. IMAGE: Supplied/Stellenbosch University
“A campus-wide audit in 2018 pointed out that the university’s brand has become fragmented and that the potential of the brand is underutilised,” said Viljoen.
Brand positioning is crucial for universities worldwide, as it affects the reputation and ranking of institutions, according to Viljoen. It has the ability to attract students, funding and investments, he added.
“The creation of a new, strong and uniform brand identity was therefore a strategic decision that benefits the entire university community,” said Viljoen.
The new logo is part of an extensive co-creation project that involved at least 3 100 contributing stakeholders, stated Prof Hester Klopper, deputy vice-chancellor of strategy and internationalisation at SU, in the official media statement.
Once the new logo has been registered as an official trademark and the brand guidelines have been fully developed, a phased implementation process will be launched that will take place throughout the year, according to Viljoen. “Until then, the current SU logo (the centenary brand mark) remains in place,” said Viljoen.
Brand new perspectives from members of SU
The new SU logo is “distinctive, appropriate, memorable and timeless”, said Prof Elmarie Costandius, a senior visual art lecturer at SU, in the official media statement.
Some SU students are, however, more sceptical of the logo design, according to Zanne Cronjé, a final-year BA student in visual communication design.
“Initially, I did think it was really nice, but the more I looked at it and thought about it, the more I wondered if it was the right move for the university to do,” said Cronjé.
Cronjé suggested that it might be a challenge to apply the new SU logo mark consistently across the wide spectrum of branded materials on campus, from merchandise to email signatures and building signs. Compared to the old logo mark, which Cronjé described as relatively simple, the new logo includes a complex range of lines, curves and edges.
The current SU logo, with the centenary brand mark, will remain in place until the implementation process of the new logo begins later in the year. PHOTO: Maryam Adams