Strategy

Brand development

Brand evolution

As stewards of one of the most recognized and highly-regarded higher education institutions, we have a duty to protect its brand and must be thoughtful in how we represent our campus to the world.

One of our top priorities is to make updates that help communicators better tell the university’s story. From 2022-24, we conducted rigorous quantitative and qualitative research and learned how our campus uses the brand. We explored our brand’s strengths and weaknesses, and determined opportunities for even greater impact.

UC Berkeley/Cal Identity Task Force

In 2022, the UC Berkeley/Cal Identity Task Force was formed to develop a strategic framework to inform the optimal way to express our dual identities as UC Berkeley and Cal — both verbally and visually. The task force included representatives from key campus constituencies, including alumni, faculty, staff and students. In addition to bringing their own experiences and expertise to the project, the UC Berkeley/Cal Identity Task Force and Brand Advisory Committee members considered the feedback shared by the campus community and the extensive research conducted for this project. Local, state and national polling found that:

  • The separation of UC Berkeley and Cal has contributed to confusion among external audiences and cultural diffusion among internal audiences
  • The UC Berkeley/Berkeley names perform best across audiences and key reputational attributes, scoring particularly well on academic excellence
  • For many internal audiences, the Cal identity represents so much more than athletics — it signifies community and inspires school pride

63

Interview and focus group participants

15,830

Survey respondents

68

Peer institutions analyzed

More than a quarter of the people living in the San Francisco Bay Area are unaware that UC Berkeley and Cal are the same university. The situation gets worse the farther you get from the Bay Area. Nationally, more than two-thirds of people think UC Berkeley and Cal are different institutions.

UC Berkeley brand refresh

After reviewing these and other research findings, the UC Berkeley/Cal Identity Task Force made several recommendations to enhance clarity, elevate community and communicate the breadth of the campus’ offerings and comprehensive excellence.

In response to the task force’s recommendations, the campus implemented an updated visual identity toolkit inclusive of both the UC Berkeley and Cal identities.

Brand Advisory Committee

The Brand Advisory Committee serves in an advisory capacity and makes recommendations to Communications & Public Affairs on the UC Berkeley brand guidelines and strategy.

The committee’s tasks are as follows:

  • Meet as needed to review proposed changes to the brand guidelines.
  • Surface and provide feedback on issues and challenges related to the brand and contribute to discussions around possible solutions.
  • Advocate for principal brand strategy and serve as an ambassador for the brand.