Cal State Monterey Bay

The Strenth of us

Engaging the Cal State Monterey Bay community in a transformative brand journey focused on elevating the University's brand identity and expanding its regional, national, and international recognition.

The Strength of Collaboration

THE PROJECT

On April 4, 2024, Cal State Monterey Bay unveiled its new brand campaign, "The Strength of Us," through an on-campus launch event. This milestone marked the culmination of an extensive, iterative process refined through surveys, focus groups, and open sessions with key stakeholders.

This process led to a refreshed brand identity, the creation of comprehensive brand guidelines, and a versatile suite of marketing templates designed to ensure a cohesive brand implementation across various marketing and communication channels, including brochures, banners, postcards, videos, digital and social media.

THE IMPACT

The result has been a significant increase in student inquiries and campus visits, with social media engagement at an all-time high. Enrollment for Fall 2024 saw a 15% increase - the highest of any other university in the California State University system.

The University is also experiencing a steady climb in the U.S. News and World Report rankings, having its best year ever including being ranked No. 1 for social mobility among Western regional universities.

In addition, the campaign won several industry awards, including:

+ Gold at the 2023 MARCOM Awards (Creative Design)

+ Two Gold at the 2024 Hermes Awards (Brand Campaign and Ethos Video)

+ Platinum at the 2024 MARCOM Awards (Fundraising Brochure)

+ Three Educational Advertising Awards in 2025, including Gold (Publications, Special Video, Fundraising Brochure)

What We Did

Qualitative and Quantitative Research

Competitor Positioning Analysis

Brand Positioning Framework

Brand Creative Concepts

Logo Refresh

Spirit Mark Development

Concept Testing

Brand Guidelines

Brand Rollout Planning

Photography/Videography

Brand Launch Video

Airport Digital Displays

Marketing Templates

Website Content

Fundraising Brochure

Foundation Magazine Redesign

Strategic Plan Editing and Design

Want to learn more about our branding process?

Now we have a cohesive and clear brand framework that allows us to communicate consistently with all of our university stakeholders.

Vanya Quinones, President

Photography Brings the Story to Life

Photography by Jason Jones

You nailed it! The colors, fonts, choices with word placement, and "Strength of Us" tagline all feel fresh, aligned, and brilliant. As an alum, I couldn't be happier with this new brand evolution!

Alum and Foundation Board Member

Ethos Video

At Cal State Monterey Bay, there are truly no limits to what can be accomplished through a united campus community and a common spirit for learning and life.

The Strength of Community

The campus community was continuously involved in the branding process through focus groups, surveys, and open sessions.

The result is an award-winning brand campaign, record-breaking enrollment growth and increased national recognition.

Rising in the Rankings

Ranked No. 1 for social mobility

The University has seen a steady climb in the U.S. News and World Report rankings, having its best year ever in the year following the brand launch. This includes being ranked No. 1 for social mobility among Western regional universities, a metric that measures how well a school puts low-income students on a path to success. The University also had impressive overall rankings among Western schools, coming in tied at No. 5 overall among public universities and tied at No. 10 among all schools in the 15-state region.

Brand Empowerment Tools

Fostering a Culture of Brand Stewardship

Recognizing the need for consistent and on-brand communications across a diverse campus, we developed an innovative suite of customizable templates in InDesign, Canva, Word, and PowerPoint. These tools were designed to empower faculty, staff, and student communicators to create professional-quality marketing materials with ease and confidence, ensuring every piece of communication—whether it was a banner, poster, brochure, postcard, or social media post—was visually compelling and aligned with the university's new brand guidelines. This empowered approach not only strengthened the brand internally but also enhanced the university’s external image, contributing to a unified and powerful representation of the Cal State Monterey Bay story.

Brand Flexiblility and CONSISTENCY

Easy-to-Use TEMPLATES

These templates didn’t just simplify the creation process; they revolutionized it. With easy-to-use tools, we've enabled the campus community to take ownership of their communications and fostered a culture of brand stewardship where everyone is now an ambassador of our university's identity.

Aaron Byant PhD, Associate VP, Marketing and Communications

The Ripple Effect

Building on the success of our branding campaign, Red Cactus is currently partnering with Cal State Monterey Bay to support its fundraising campaign, "Ripple Effect." We're collaborating to create a range of impactful materials, including a cultivation viewbook, brochures, PowerPoint templates, fact sheets, and more.

Our cultivation viewbook won Platinum at the 2024 MARCOM Awards and Gold at the 40th Annual Educational Advertising Awards.

A Cascade of POSITIVE Impact

The Power of Education to Transform Lives

At the heart of "Ripple Effect" is a powerful message: every contribution sparks a wave of positive change that uplifts students, families, and communities. It’s an invitation for donors to join a legacy of transformative impact.