Marketing Communications

Buffer Zone

The buffer zone is the minimum distance that any other elements can be placed near the GCC logo. This ensures the logo remains prominent and in an uncluttered environment. The amount of buffer zone is always in direct proportion to the size of the logo, and should not be altered.

As shown here, the Buffer Zone is defined by the width (or height) of the letter “G” in GCC. The smaller the logo, the smaller the “G” space.

DO NOT modify the size or location of any individual piece of the logo, DO NOT twist or stretch the logo, DO NOT omit any part of the logo (“Genesee Community College” may be removed if the logo is too small for the the text to be legible).

There are three approved colors in the GCC Corporate identity: Pantone Black, Pantone 285 C, and Pantone 117 C. Pantone 116 C is an acceptable option for web-based materials.

Designers may reverse text out of these colors, or print blue or black over yellow.

PMS-Color Usage Pantone Black C	PMS-Color Usage Pantone 285 C	PMS-Color Usage Pantone 117 C	PMS-Color Usage Pantone 116 C
CMYK Equivalent C 0   M 0   Y 0   K 100	CMYK Equivalent C 90   M 48   Y 0   K 0	CMYK Equivalent C 7   M 27   Y 100   K 12	CMYK Equivalent C 0   M 14   Y 100   K 0
Screen Equivalent R 35   G 35   B 35	Screen Equivalent R 0   G 114   B 206	Screen Equivalent R 201   G 151  B 0	Screen Equivalent R 255   G 205  B 0
HTML Equivalent #23 23 23	HTML Equivalent #00 72 CE	HTML Equivalent #C9 97 00	HTML Equivalent #FF CD 00

Font Families

Any version (Bold, Medium, Italic, etc.) of Futura and Museo are to be used primarily by the College’s professional design team when expressing the GCC brand in a print environment.

For general college use in most Microsoft Office applications and for online environments (such as html), the following substitutions are recommended:

• Any versions of Arial (in place of Futura)
• Georgia (in place of Museo)

Use your discretion when designing text, and remember that clear and legible communication is always the primary goal. The typography should always support the message, rather than impede it.

Please feel free to contact the MarCom Office when promoting events and activities to off-campus markets.

Genesee Community College has an official plaid/tartan that is encouraged to be used by faculty, staff, clubs to incorporate into various events, such as fundraising products and services. The plaid image is copyrighted in the U.S. and the tartan is registered with the Scottish Register of Tartans, National Archives of Scotland. Both of these filings support the reserved rights to reproduce the specific plaid image and tartan weave.

The plaid/tartan design was created through the Fashion Design program, supported by the Fashion Merchandising program. Collaboratively, this design has been used on projects on campus to encourage both the concept of design for the Fashion majors, to build collegiate spirit and reinforce the GCC brand. Among the projects:

• Men’s neckties (100% silk)
• Men’s bowties (100% silk)
• Women’s Scarves (100% silk)
• Vests (100% cotton tartan weave)
• Kilt (100% cotton tartan weave)
• T-Shirts, short & long sleeve (poly blend)
• Socks (lyra/poly blend)
• Stationery (paper)
• Signage & Logo’s (paper)

A database history log of plaid & tartan weave will be kept on all the projects created by our GCC Community which will serve as a history log as well as a resource highlighting successful products. The log will track all projects going on at one time and to avoid having competing products the same semester/year. There is no cost involved for the plaid/tartan usage.

All items bearing the plaid or tartan weave should include the copyright symbol: © 2015 on each item. This could be printed, stamped, dyed or attached on a label as best fits with the design of the project. Lettering should be in black, white, or one of the college specific hexadecimal/pantone colors.

A new design of a plaid pattern or a new tartan weave with the College colors would not be considered an official GCC plaid and should not be used as it is a competing product infringing on the existing Copyright. It is important to keep with the branding theme, design and specific colors set forth through the College’s Marketing Communication Office. Plaids that are not using the official College colors, such as a pink/red would not be competing or infringing on this Copyright, however it may require research to see if a different plaid or tartan is already Copyrighted or Registered. Please feel free to contact the Fashion Business Program to discuss any aspect of the plaid/tartan use or intended project.

Steps to Requisition the Use of GCC’s Officially Registered Plaid

1. Complete the GCC Plaid/Tartan Request Form.
   The application information will become part of the historical use of the plaid/tartan on campus.
2. After the application has been reviewed and approved, a plaid image or weave count for the tartan will be provided to the lead person requesting the project.
3. Vender of choice may be used for product development. Possible vendors could be recommended.
4. Please be sure to apply or have vendor apply the © 2015 copyright symbol and year of copyright filing to the plaid on the product.
5. When project is underway and after it is completed, send an electronic image of the product for the database history log.
6. If applicable, post any images related to #GCCPLAID for online followers.

GCC has a wide variety of ways to promote campus events. For a more detailed description of marketing an event or newsworthy piece through MarCom, please see pages 47- 49 of the GCC Brand Standards Manual.

Press Releases

To promote your event through the MarCom department’s press releases, please remember the following:

• Understand the “five W’s” (Who, What Where, Why, When) and include this information.
• Time, date, location, title, contact information, cost for attendees, general description and uniqueness of event.
• Adequate notice to the MarCom office is required. Six weeks is recommended.
• Photos of the event make a Press Release more appealing.
• Our writers benefit from other links, videos, quotes, or outside information to assist in their understanding of the event in order to better describe your event to editors.
• MarCom distributes press releases to a number of publications in Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, and Wyoming counties, as well as in the Buffalo and Rochester areas. If you would like your press release sent to a specific publication outside of these regions, please specify in your press release request.
• If you’d like to request a press release or other MarCom services, complete the MarCom Request Form.

Flyers & Bulletin Boards

• Pros: Easy to generate paper flyers.
• Cons: Need multiple copies for bulletin boards all over various campus sites.
• How to:
  • Batavia Campus – All flyers must be approved, stamped & posted by the Student Activities Office. Please review the Flyer Guidelines before submitting your flyer, as flyers that fail to meet these guidelines will be removed nightly from the Bulletin Boards.
  • College Village – Flyers can be sent directly to College Village through inner office mail. They will accept 114 – 1/2 page flyers which will be put on resident doors. Contact College Village directly at (585) 343-0163 with any questions.
  • Campus Centers – Send 2 copies each for all six campus centers via Intercampus mail – Size: 8 ½ x 11”.

Forum Banners

• Pros: Read by anyone in the Forum.
• Cons: Banner must be produced off campus and funded by the individual department, permission to hang should be received through Buildings and Grounds before ordering a banner.
• How to: Process a work order with Buildings and Grounds before hanging AND to be taken down.

myGCC – Current Events Module

• Pros: Seen by current myGCC users
• Cons: Users have to be logged into myGCC; not on every page
• How to: This is from the Events Calendar; your event must already be on the calendar to appear here.

myGCC – Internal (Campus/Personal Announcements)

• Pros: Can ‘target’ announcements to specific subgroups, very specific subgroups can be created, can include extended text.
• Cons: Reader must log in to see the announcement, when there are too many announcements, they ‘blur’ together.
• How to:  Create a Help Desk call that includes your edited text.

Marquee (Roadside Video Sign Board)

• Pros: Everyone sees it when they come to campus.
• Cons: Extremely limited text, (10) words or less, not easy to read especially if traffic is moving.
• How to: Complete the MarCom Request Form.

Stall Wall

• Pros: Read by anyone using a bathroom stall.
• Cons: Monthly publication, used solely by the  Business Office for general Business process information, not used for general event announcements.
• How to: Contact the Business Office for more information.

Video Displays

• Pros: Large screens are easy to see to anyone in the Tech Building.
• Cons: These screens are only in the Tech Building, do not connect to campus centers.
• How to: Create a PowerPoint slide with your information. Recommended 20 or fewer words (your display is only visible for 8 seconds) Save your slide as a .jpg file. Email media@aotai-tech.com with the slide, as well as the start and stop dates to be shown (maximum of one month).

Website Calendar

• Pros: Publicly available on the external website, user can subscribe to the calendar.
• Cons: Reader must go to the calendar, text only.
• How to: Contact the office in which your event “falls” (Records, Student Activities, Theatre, Art Gallery, Library, MarCom). Create a Help Desk call for an event, including all the information and edited text.

Download the Model Release Form