Evolving the College’s Organizational Brand
“I am extremely pleased with every element of our brand refresh. The brand elements were elevated and modernized and have taken our brand to the next level. We are extremely excited about implementing the new brand because it is absolutely beautiful. Beautiful words, beautiful visual concepts, and a beautiful logo. We worked so well together that the Hatcher team felt like an extension of our own. That, and the creative process and outstanding end product were both exceptional.”
– Client
Overview
The College of Southern Maryland (CSM) has long been recognized for providing accessible, high-quality, and affordable education opportunities across Charles, Calvert, and St. Mary’s counties. A cornerstone of the tricounty region, CSM is committed to meeting the needs of its diverse network of students, faculty, local businesses, public schools, and the broader community. Motivated by a new president’s leadership and a keen awareness of the its evolving audiences, CSM sought to deepen its connection with the Southern Maryland community and revitalize its institutional brand.
Challenge
When Dr. Yolanda Wilson began her tenure as the new president in 2023, she introduced exciting ideas to honor CSM’s legacy, reinvigorate the college’s connection with the Southern Maryland community, and drive effective change at CSM to meet the evolving needs of the workforce and prospective students. Inspired by the new president’s fresh perspective, staff and leadership recognized the need to refresh the college’s existing visual brand and language to authentically capture the institution’s evolving identity. CSM sought to collect insights from across their diverse audiences, explore current strengths and opportunities for improvement, and ultimately develop a new institutional brand that could carry the college into the future.
Solution
Leveraging insights from extensive audience research—including a two-hour brand navigator session with CSM’s marketing team, eight focus groups, eight interviews, and two surveys with more than 1,200 total responses—CSM and Hatcher shaped a new institutional brand to carry the college forward. With a refreshed messaging framework, a new college logo, a detailed brand style guide, and a brand rollout plan developed by Hatcher, CSM was prepared to reintroduce itself and reaffirm its unwavering commitment to its community.
Insight-driven discovery
Hatcher conducted comprehensive research to capture a deep understanding of the perspectives and sentiments of CSM’s various stakeholder groups, both internal and external. We conducted eight focus groups with approximately 35 total participants; eight stakeholder interviews with key internal leaders, local partners, and county superintendents; and two surveys that received 1,244 total responses. This initial phase was crucial in uncovering how students, staff, donors, and local business partners perceived CSM and its brand. By engaging with these diverse groups, we gathered valuable insights that informed the development of messaging and a visual identity that accurately and powerfully conveyed CSM’s modern essence. Our approach emphasized collaboration and inclusivity, reflecting CSM’s strong commitment to creating a new identity in partnership with its community. This collaborative effort resulted in a brand identity that not only resonates with the entire CSM community but also authentically represents their collective vision and values.
Driving Engagement
Building on the research findings, Hatcher produced a high-level messaging framework to articulate CSM’s core qualities, primary benefits and offerings, competitive edge, and unwavering commitment to their community. Using this framework as a foundation, we crafted targeted, audience-specific messages tailored to address the unique needs and interests of seven distinct audiences. These messages ranged from encouraging workforce development students to enhance their skills at CSM, to inspiring credit-free students to explore CSM’s lifelong learning opportunities, to reinforcing CSM’s unwavering commitment to student success for both local school partners and current students.
Igniting a New Visual Brand
For the new visual brand, Hatcher first produced three initial visual brand identity concepts, incorporating imagery, typography, and textures that reflected the insights gleaned from the research. Through ongoing collaboration with CSM, Hatcher refined the creative approach to align with the key stakeholders’ vision and developed a comprehensive suite of brand materials, including social media assets, a PowerPoint template, a stationery suite, and a one-pager template. To support CSM in applying the brand in the future, Hatcher created a nearly 60-page branding manual and style guide that detailed logo usage, color palettes, typography, and visual language. To enliven the brand, Hatcher also developed a phased brand implementation plan, guiding CSM through each step of the rollout process. Although a new logo was not initially a priority, research revealed strong interest, leading CSM to entrust Hatcher with its development. Hatcher’s creative team designed several logo concepts based on research-driven themes, ultimately finalizing the logo with input from more than 800 community members.
Impact
Although CSM is still in the early phases of rolling out the new brand, CSM’s marketing team and leadership affirmed that the new brand successfully balances CSM’s rich legacy with its commitment to future career pathways. The new brand serves as a unifying force across the tricounty area, embodying the new presidency’s energy and the college’s unwavering dedication to student success. In a recent client satisfaction survey, CSM expressed its excitement about the modernized brand, praising the collaboration with Hatcher and the exceptional end product that reflects the college’s core values.
Capabilities
Analysis, optimization, and reporting
Branding
Content
Graphic design
Qualitative research
Quantitative research