Elevating the Covington Business Council Brand: Strategic Collateral Design & Communications
Project Type
Graphic Design
Work Completed
2023-2024
Project Type
Graphic Designer
Dates
2023 - 2024
Campaign Overview & Organizational Challenges
During my time at the Covington Business Council (CBC), I served as the Marketing and Events Manager, responsible for promoting programs, elevating the organization’s brand presence, and engaging members through strategic communications. While my primary focus was marketing and event coordination, it quickly became clear that there was a significant gap in graphic design and branding infrastructure.
The CBC operates in a competitive environment, with its primary competitor being the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce — a well-established organization with a polished visual identity and strong brand recognition. To break through the noise and distinguish CBC’s messaging in the region, I strategically leaned into creative, cohesive design execution across all materials.
Recognizing the need for strong visual consistency and professional presentation, I developed a suite of foundational marketing collateral that included a comprehensive brand guide, a persuasive sponsorship guide, and a visually engaging annual report. Each piece was designed not only to support daily operations and fundraising efforts but also to elevate CBC’s presence in the business community and communicate its unique value.
Strategy & Execution
Style Guide
When I joined the Covington Business Council, there were no formalized visual standards, resulting in inconsistent design across print and digital platforms. To address this, I created a comprehensive brand guide to unify all communications and establish a clear visual identity.
Key elements included:
- Color Palette: Selected a modern yet professional palette that reflected the organization’s role as a business leader while still feeling approachable and community-oriented.
- Typography: Defined primary and secondary typefaces for both print and digital use to ensure readability and consistency.
- Logo Usage Guidelines: Outlined proper and improper logo treatments (e.g., spacing, placement, and background usage) to maintain brand integrity.
- Graphic Elements & Layout: Established rules for headers, footers, and photography treatments to create a recognizable look across all collateral.
- This guide became the
foundation for all marketing and communications efforts, ensuring a professional and cohesive presentation to members, sponsors, and media.
2023 Annual Report
To highlight the Council’s impact over the past year, I designed a comprehensive annual report that effectively combined storytelling with data visualization.
Key elements included:
- Infographics & Metrics: Developed simple, impactful visuals to communicate membership growth, event attendance, and sponsorship revenue at a glance.
- Narrative Sections: Partnered with leadership to craft clear, engaging copy that celebrated organizational milestones, member achievements, and community partnerships.
- Visual Cohesion: Applied the new brand standards to create a clean, professional layout with consistent typography, colors, and imagery.
- Multi-Platform Use: Optimized the report for both print distribution and digital sharing via email and website download.
The annual report served as a
flagship communications piece, reinforcing CBC’s credibility to members, sponsors, and community stakeholders while setting a new standard for organizational storytelling. This report was handed out after the 2023 Annual Dinner to all guests, and was also visible online on the website.
2024 Sponsorship Guide
The organization needed a clear and compelling way to communicate sponsorship opportunities to prospective partners. I led the creation of a Sponsorship Guide designed to both inform and persuade.
Key contributions included:
- Tiered Sponsorship Levels: Structured multiple levels (e.g., Presenting, Gold, Silver, Bronze) with corresponding benefits, making it easy for sponsors to identify the right fit for their goals.
- Value Emphasis: Framed sponsorship opportunities around community impact, visibility, and networking benefits, rather than just transactional perks.
- Professional Layout: Designed a clean, visually balanced document that aligned with the new brand guide, using clear hierarchy, icons, and white space for readability.
- Flexible Use: Created both print and digital versions so the guide could be used in in-person meetings, email outreach, and on the website.
This guide became a key development tool, empowering staff and board members to approach potential sponsors with confidence and consistency.
Impact & Results
- Improved visual consistency across print and digital materials.
- Professional sponsorship guide that supported fundraising efforts.
- Clearer communication of organizational achievements through the annual report.