Cornell Business Analytics Branding

Pia Bocanegra
Sep 8, 2018 · 3 min read

During the fall semester of my sophomore year, I, along with three of my best friends, had the crazy idea that we should start a student organization. Although all four of us had different career interests, there was one element that was necessary to excel in these different fields: analytics.

Problem

We realized that there was no project team or consulting club at Cornell that responded to the growing demand for knowledge in analytics. Cornell Business Analytics was created to respond to this growing demand. Regardless of what industry an individual wants to break into, knowledge on how to leverage analytical tools to solve business problems has become increasingly necessary. With that, I started to define and conceptualize the brand of Cornell Business Analytics.

Branding Process

Brand Proposition

Cornell Business Analytics (CBA) is a student-run organization that offers pro-bono business analytics services to on-campus and off-campus clients. Our goal stems from the idea that data-driven decision making is vital for successful businesses and organizations. Through providing pro-bono business analytics services, CBA offers hands-on project experience and business analytics education to our members. CBA also aims to educate Cornell students about business analytics and foster a community of individuals interested in the field.

Target Audience: Students & Clients

The target audience of Cornell Business Analytics encompasses students and on-campus/off-campus clients who are in need of pro-bono business analytics services.

For the students:

  1. Gain hands-on project experience with real-world clients
  2. Develop proficiency in key analytic and computer tools and languages, including Microsoft Excel, SQL, R, and Tableau
  3. Make a tangible impact on the performance of businesses and organizations by delivering data-driven insights

For the clients:

  1. Receive high-quality, pro-bono business analytics services from a select group of highly motivated students
  2. Interact with students for their personal and professional growth

Creating a Unique Personality

Although Cornell Business Analytics is a pre-professional organization, I did not want it to have a pre-professional personality. I wanted the following characteristics to encompass Cornell Business Analytics’ unique personality:

  • Playful
  • Friendly
  • Interdisciplinary

We kept these characteristics in mind while building Cornell Business Analytics’ visual assets, such as its logo and typography.

Building Brand Assets

Style Guide: Typography & Logo
Internal documentation/one-page pitch for potential clients

Brand Evolvement

During the formative semesters of Cornell Business Analytics, the branding material was minimalist and rather, conservative. For the Fall 2018 recruitment cycle, I attempted to make the branding material more playful and really embrace our unique personality. The branding campaign aims to emphasize that in order to embrace the age of disruption, one must create solutions at the intersection of business and technology.

Cover Photos for Fall 2017 and Spring 2018
Cover Photo for Fall 2018
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