It’s been nearly a year since UT Knoxville started implementing its new logo across campus.
Since last fall, Office of Communications and Marketing staff have worked closely with liaisons from 220 campus units to update online and printed materials with the new logo.
Jacob Rudolph, marketing director for the Office of Communications and Marketing, said that everyone who has contacted the office has received logo files and that implementation has been largely successful.
“We knew it would take some time, but the rate of implementation has exceeded my expectations,” Rudolph said. “Throughout the process, we encouraged everyone to use the new logo as they updated and reordered materials, recognizing that there wasn’t a centralized budget or an expectation that we could replace everything right away.”
Some larger updates—like the T buses and campus signage—are still in the works.
Working closely with logo liaisons provided the office with new insight about the unique communication needs of the many departments and units.
With those insights, the office recently launched an updated brand guidelines website with resources intended for use by all members of the campus community. The resources include detailed guidelines and standards, as well as template files for PowerPoint presentations, websites, HTML e-mails, name tags, electronic stationery, and research posters.
Rudolph said the logo is at the center of the university’s visual identity, but it is only a small part of the larger framework for how everyone communicates about the university.
“Our brand is who we are as an institution. It’s our reputation—how we present ourselves and how we are perceived,” Rudolph said. “Everyone on our campus plays a role in advancing our reputation and communicating with consistency. We hope that all faculty and staff will use the brand guidelines in their work.”
If your department or unit has not yet received new logo files, complete the new unit logo form on the brand guidelines website.
If you have questions, contact the Office of Communications and Marketing at creative@utk.edu.