Branded Material/Items

The following Q&A concerning ECE branded materials and items should provide direction and information regarding what options will work best for your needs.

I want some promotional swag for an event or initiative to promote/represent the ECE Department

All promo items (including for Recruitment, Undergrad, Grad, Industry, Alumni, and Senior Design) go through ECE Marketing and Communications (ece-communications@help.ncsu.edu). The persons responsible for the funding communicate the need, the ideas they have, and the budget intended. Options from approved vendors we have reliable relationships with are provided, and opportunities to combine needs are investigated (e.g.: if one alumni event needs 50 mugs, and Ph.D. Visit Day needs 50 mugs, we can order 100 mugs and split the order, saving us a ton of money and effort).

Once the items are selected, we work with the vendor to get them proofed, trademark-approved, printed, and shipped. They are then either stored by the appropriate office if available, or go into one of the MarComm storage locations, and will be provided upon request.

We do have a limited number of existing promotional items that can be provided for specific events subject to availability — contact ece-communications@help.ncsu.edu to inquire.

Why can’t I just order items myself?

In addition to avoiding duplication, ECE Marketing and Communications is responsible for ensuring that we are branding ourselves correctly, and representing the rules enforced by NC State Trademark and Licensing. This involves, amongst other things, ensuring that the right logo is used in the right configuration for the context; information is included when relevant to the medium (including @NCStateECE, for instance, might be relevant on recruiting material, where it might not be appropriate for high-touch audiences); that the correct spacing between items is used to include accurate brand seclusion; and that the use of other NC State-related elements do not supersede primary brand objects.

As noted, we also try to find opportunities for ECE units to combine needs and take advantage of volume discounts that would otherwise not be available, have reduced setup costs, and save resources.

Finally, we have known entities that we work with that will be responsible for quality—and will ensure corrections are made if there are issues. This is made far easier when we consistently use the same vendors and account managers, as they know our specific needs, what we do/don’t do, turnaround times, and social concerns (e.g.: preference for Made in America items, sustainable options, B-Corp companies, etc.).

What if I just want some shirts for my lab or student group going to a competition or major event?

Yes, you can use one of the approved NC State ECE bricks from the Branding Resources in conjunction with any specific event or group messaging. When in doubt, drop a note to ece-communications@help.ncsu.edu and we’ll be happy to verify if your material is correct. However, use cases like this should be for specific time-limited purposes and should be specific to the event/use.

Any use of the NC State brick must however go through an approved vendor by the University.

My Student Org wants to do a t-shirt fundraiser!

Sure! There are various University rules, and funding constraints particular to each org and relationship, so those should all be taken into independent account.

However, should you want to use any NC State branding (Brick, Block S, Tuffy, etc.) your order must go through an approved vendor, and will be subject to trademark licensing fees if you’re selling materials.

We’re happy to help provide additional guidance if you email ece-communications@help.ncsu.edu; though note that SGA, E-Council, Trademark, etc. rules are governed by those entities, so others will also need to be contacted for current rules.