Branding & Communications Policy

Last Updated February 25^th, 2011

In an effort to protect the brand equity of the Management Undergraduate Society and to educate those working within the Society, the Branding & Communications Policy standardizes all marketing procedures. Deviations from this policy shall not be allowed at any time, as the image of the Management Undergraduate Society is critical to the success of its operations.

1. Scope
   1. The Branding & Communications Policy shall apply to all services under the jurisdiction of the Management Undergraduate Society (MUS), and any person or organization using branding under the control of the Management Undergraduate Society
      1. Services under the jurisdiction of the MUS include:
         1. All portfolio committees, events, and representatives
         2. All MUS Recognized Clubs as included in the Clubs Policy
         3. Executive Council
         4. Board of Directors
      2. Branding under the control of the MUS include:
         1. The MUS logo and any related imagery
         2. All logos or imagery of services directly affiliated with the MUS as outlined in Section 1, Article a (i) of the Branding & Communications policy
2. Visual Identity of the MUS
   1. The MUS logo and any related imagery are the intellectual property of the MUS
   2. Any person who uses the MUS logo must abide by the policies and procedures as outlined in the MUS Visual Identity Guideline
   3. In accordance with Section 1, Article a (i) of the Branding & Communications Policy, all services of the MUS must use the MUS logo on all marketing materials which include the service logo
      1. Marketing materials include, but are not limited to:
         1. Brochures
         2. Posters
         3. Online content
         4. Sponsorship packages
         5. Any material used to promote a service of the MUS
3. Visual Identity of Services under the MUS
   1. All logos of services as outlined in Section 1, Article a (i) of the Branding and Communications Policy and any related imagery are the intellectual property of the MUS
   2. Any person who uses a logo or related imagery under the control of the MUS must abide by the policies and procedures as outlined in the MIS Service Identity Standards Guideline
   3. Any logo, imagery, or graphics that are developed within the MUS shall be the intellectual property of the MUS
4. Rebranding Procedures
   1. Rebranding shall be defined as a change in any portion, size, shape, color, text, position, or look of a logo or related imagery
   2. Rebranding of the MUS logo and all related imagery must be approved by the Board of Directors by a two-thirds (2/3^rd) majority vote
   3. Rebranding of any logo affiliated with an MUS service as outlined in Section 1, Article a (i) of the Branding & Communications Policy must be approved by the VP Communications
   4. Rebranding shall be permitted for only the following reasons:
      1. Loss of brand equity
      2. Logo and related imagery is out-of-date
      3. Logo is no longer reflective of the service
      4. Violation of the MUS Constitution, any MUS Policy or Guideline, MUS Memorandum of Agreement with McGill University, any Desautels regulation or McGill University regulation
   5. Creation of a new brand for a service that has otherwise not had a brand must be approved by the VP Communications
5. Use of MUS Marketing Channels
   1. All MUS members, as defined in the MUS Constitution, have the privilege to use any marketing channel provided by the MUS for any MUS service
   2. Available MUS marketing channels include, but are not limited to:
      1. MUS weekly email
      2. MUS website
      3. Bull & Bear Newspaper
      4. Basement Televisions
      5. Sandiford Computers
      6. Poster boards
   3. The VP Communications reserves the right to alter, filter, table, or remove any promotion or use of a marketing channel for an MUS service at any time, including any decisions made by those responsible for the service
   4. No external service (i.e. non-MUS service) shall be allowed to use any MUS marketing channel without prior approval from an Executive Council member
6. Promotions
   1. All promotions for any services, whether MUS-controlled or an external service, must abide by McGill University regulations
      1. If a fine is levied upon the MUS as a result of the actions of an individual conducting promotions, the fine will be passed along to the individual
   2. All marketing material, as deemed by the VP Communications, distributed in promotion of a service controlled by the MUS or an external service, or supported by the MUS, must be of an equitable nature as described in the Equity Policy
   3. Leaflet distribution shall not be allowed
7. Postering
   1. All promotional posters to be placed in the Bronfman basement must be approved by a member of the Executive Council
      1. Only posters that promote student activities will be allowed in the Bronfman basement
      2. Every MUS activity is allowed a maximum of eight (8) posters
      3. All non-MUS activities are allowed a maximum of four (4) posters
   2. Posters must be removed after the date of the event, or the offending group shall be penalized
      1. The penalty shall be decided by the VP Communications
   3. Posters will not be approved if they are:
      1. Promoting a gathering that would disrupt the University activities and/or environment, or promote hatred or violence
      2. Not regarding relevant and beneficial information for MUS members
      3. Advertising
   4. Any decision regarding a poster about which the Executive Council is uncertain, Building Director would be authorized to make the final decision in these matters
8. External Communication and Media Relations
   1. The President shall be the official spokesperson of the MUS unless he/she designates a VP to be the spokesperson on behalf of the Society
   2. In accordance with the Corporate Relations Policy, any person acting on behalf of the MUS must use the MUS logo on any material to be distributed
   3. Any person other than the President or designated VP may only speak on behalf of the MUS under the direction of the VP Communication or be constrained to information publicly available on the MUS website
   4. Any person wishing to comment on any issue of interest may do so at their discretion, but must clearly state the following:
      1. “[The following] is not the position of the Management Undergraduate Society”
   5. Any form of mass media communication shall be under the direction of the President of the MUS or a designated VP
      1. Mass media communication shall be defined as media that is of a public nature, reaching beyond the McGill campus, and considered a reliable source of information for the general population
   6. Any form of communication claiming to be speaking on behalf of MUS must come from an Executive Council member email address
9. Enforcement of the Branding & Communications Policy
   1. Branding and communications within the MUS shall be kept to a high standard and in accordance with any regulations of McGill University
   2. Deviations from the Branding & Communications Policy shall not be tolerated at any time
   3. The VP Communications is the primary enforcer of the Brand & Communications Policy
   4. Any concerns with the Branding & Communications Policy should be directed towards the VP Communications
10. Consequences for Policy Infractions
    1. If it is found that the MUS logo has been used in a malicious or inappropriate manner meant to derogate the image or name of the MUS, the Society may, at their discretion, take legal action against the offending party
       1. Any unintentional misuse of the MUS logo by an individual shall be removed and/or corrected by the VP Communications
    2. Any person found to be using any marketing channel under the control of the MUS without the permission of the Society as per Section 5 of the Branding & Communications Policy shall have their content removed immediately
       1. Repeat offenders shall be banned indefinitely at the discretion of the VP Communications
       2. The removal of any ban will be at the discretion of the VP Communications
    3. Any person found to be making a statement on behalf of the MUS without authorization shall be reprimanded under the following procedures:
       1. If the person is an appointed individual
          1. A verbal warning shall be issued for the first offense by the VP Communications and any related VP
          2. A written warning shall be issued for the second offense (email or otherwise) by the President
          3. After a second warning, the offending person shall be removed by office
       2. If the person is an elected individual
          1. A verbal warning shall be issued for the first offense by the VP Communications and any related VP
          2. A written warning shall be issued for the second offense (email or otherwise) by the President
          3. The Board of Directors shall be notified if a third offense occurs and, at the discretion of the Board of Directors, the offending person may be censured
             1. A “censure” shall be defined as a formal reprimand to the individual in question
          4. Upon a fourth offense, a referendum shall be called to recall the individual in accordance with the MUS Constitution