When SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise) rebranded to Enactus in 2012, Enactus Simon Fraser University (SFU) – like every other Enactus team – followed suit.
The Enactus SFU team used yellow shirts during the transition, which matched the colour of the Enactus crane. New hashtags were created and old accounts were retired.
The following year, we switched the colour of our shirts to red because red is the SFU colour, and it also represents Canada. However, there was one problem: at Enactus Canada Regional Expositions, Enactus SFU wore purple for presentations and business formal events; we didn’t match!
In 2014, the team made a decision to change to purple shirts. Why was this such an important issue?
The answer: branding!
Here are some tips for branding your team:
1. Brand Personality
Your team’s brand goes beyond your name, logo and the specific projects you run. A brand personality includes how people feel and what people think about when they think of you.
Imagine the set of human characteristics that you would want attributed to your brand and work everyday, in everything you do to demonstrate those characteristics.
How will you connect with your audience? What platforms will you use? What will you showcase on those platforms? What tone of voice and specific language will you use?
Depending on your team, your personality may be slightly different as you cater to different demographics but overall should remain true to the global Enactus brand: passionate, entrepreneurial, socially-conscious, optimistic, competitive.
2. Be Consistent
Enactus has created a set of Brand Guidelines and as we are a part of a larger, international organization, it is important that your team aligns with the Enactus brand.
It’s also about being recognized. If you choose to use a certain colour (or font or tagline or messaging), ensure that it is consistent across all platforms – online and offline.
If you’re consistent, people begin to associate you with your colours, the look of your publications, the tone and language in your writing, your particular imagery, etc. Whenever I see a gold-yellow, I immediately say to myself, “That’s Enactus yellow!”
3. Take Your Time
Branding your team is a process that does not happen overnight. Once you understand and start to show your brand personality, it’s time to look the part.
Before you start, create a list. This could include a mock-up of your logo, default cover photos, email signatures, hashtags as well as t-shirts and other team gear. It may take several iterations to come up with something that satisfies your team, but do not let that deter you! The best brand is one that speaks to people.
These steps have provided you with a simple roadmap of how to start branding your team. Take a look at how Enactus SFU’s branding has evolved since 2012!
To learn more about Dorothy, read about her Enactus beginnings!