VSU brand book team guides Caraga State U in own branding journey

Armed with insights from the success of the Visayas State University Brand Book, the university branding team went to Caraga State University in Butuan to guide them in crafting their branding and communications manual.

“VSU's branding strategy has profoundly influenced our decision to pursue a similar trajectory for Caraga State University,” said Ms. Aquessa Piamonte, Information Officer III and head of CSU’s Public Information and Communication Office.

“We were impressed by how they have packaged and implemented their manual. This was greatly manifested in the in-depth discussion of the processes and strategies, which were appreciated and considered by the committee members.”

VSU instructors Mr. Jed Asaph D. Cortes and Engr. Jucel Marie T. Guatlo served as the resource persons in CSU’s workshop held on June 26-27, 2024, that aimed to consolidate their own branding efforts patterned after VSU’s. 

“We are grateful to our resource speakers, Mr. Cortes and Ms. Guatlo, for championing CSU’s mission in chartering refined branding initiatives. Beyond their expertise, PICO also aspires to emulate the values and best practices of VSU through its University Integrated Media Centre (UIMC),” Ms. Piamonte added.

Mr. Cortes was the Chairman, while Engr. Guatlo served as Coordinator and Layout Artist of the VSU Brand Book Task Force from 2021-2023, the team entrusted with the publishing of the VSU Brand Book. The book was launched during the university’s 99th anniversary in April 2023.

CSU’s PICO chose VSU as the primary benchmark for their branding project because of the VSU Brand Book.

“For our branding initiatives, we chose to partner with a university that has an established reputation and proven excellence in the field. VSU’s distinguished standing in branding extends to the Caraga Region, making it a clear choice for our collaboration. Thus, we prioritized securing their approval and sought to be guided by their experts.”

In the workshop, Mr. Cortes and Engr. Guatlo expounded on the provisions of the VSU Brand Book, like visual identity, communication policies, academic regalia, and sports.

While the VSU Brand Book is publicly available on its website, the creative thinking and historical study that went into its development was something only its proponents tacitly knew.

“When Caraga State U extended the invitation, I said yes immediately. Our branding journey was something I am proud of and it’s something I wanted to share with other state universities like CSU,” said Mr. Cortes.

“I was happy to bring Engr. Guatlo, who has been our reliable partner in seeing the project through with her passion and expertise,” he added.

CSU’s branding team aims to finish their branding manual this year. The university has two campuses in Agusan del Norte: the main campus in Butuan City and an equally large satellite campus at Cabadbaran City about 30 kilometers away.

After launching the VSU Brand Book, the university established a Branding Committee to oversee its implementation and suggest improvements in future revisions. 

Dr. Ulderico Alviola, assistant professor of development communication and head of the University Integrated Media Center, leads the committee with Engr. Jucel Marie Guatlo as co-chair.

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