Xamk Brand Guidelines

These guidelines apply to Xamk’s communications and marketing. They serve to build a uniform and recognizable brand. They encapsulate Xamk’s identity and define the brand’s foundation, including the underlying values, our vision of what we are, and where we are heading.

The guidelines contain practical instructions on using visual elements, our main messages, and how Xamk can be described briefly and concisely. The guidelines contain links to materials you can use in daily communications and when planning and producing marketing communications.

The guidelines aim to make the work of Xamk employees easier and inspire everyone to communicate. They are also a tool for partners who produce materials relating to Xamk. In addition to these guidelines, project funders’ instructions, and other communications and marketing guidelines should also be followed where necessary.

Looking for the logo files?

To find Xamk’s logo files for digital and printing use, visit our material bank.

Updated 12th of October, 2023.

XAMK’S PERSONA

Defining the brand’s persona helps to plan communications and themes, and produce content.

Xamk’s values

We act responsibly.
We care.
We work for tomorrow.

Verbs

We are. We care. We dare. We do. We feel. We create.

BRAND PROMISE

The brand promise encapsulates the core of the brand: values, significance, and benefits for the customer and partner.

Xamk’s brand promise is All for the future.

Xamk creates a new era for professionals. Xamk encourages learning, studying and pioneering ideas. Xamk is both an enabler and expert in these areas. Thus, Xamk’s promise urges, encourages, and inspires us to give it all for the future

As a rule, All for the future is the signature of Xamk communications, but if the phrase is used as the heading at the brand level, Xamk’s logo can simply be used as the signature.

BRAND LEVEL MESSAGE

All for the future

Courage and curiosity. The will to discover, understand and learn, and to go all in for a better future. We at South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences – Xamk – share an attitude and a mindset. We work to support you when you define a new era of professionals. Because the best way to know tomorrow is to create it yourself.

MAIN MESSAGES

Xamk’s main message is the brand promise All for the future.

Xamk creates a new era for professionals. Xamk encourages learning, studying and pioneering ideas. Xamk is both an enabler and expert in these areas. Thus, Xamk’s promise urges, encourages, and inspires us to give it all for the future.

As a rule All for the future is the signature of Xamk communications, but if the phrase is used as the heading at the brand level, Xamk’s logo can simply be used as the signature.

How can we know tomorrow?

The supporting message The best way to know tomorrow is to create it yourself expands Xamk’s brand promise, mindset, and operating method. At Xamk, we do not try and guess what the future will bring – we know because we create tomorrow ourselves.

The supporting message is used as part of the body text, not as a heading or signature.

Bachelor’s Degrees

Main message: Be the difference.
Supporting message: To make a difference, you have to be the difference. The professions of tomorrow are created today at South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences – Xamk. Gain the skills, become an expert and define a new era of work.

Master’s degrees

Main message: Aim higher.
Supporting message: Take your career to new heights with master’s level studies. Join the Xamk Master School community. Expand your network and expertise for an even brighter tomorrow.

RDI and Specialist Services

Main message: Think bigger.
Supporting message: The Forest, the Environment and Energy, Logistics and Seafaring, Digital Economy and Sustainable Wellbeing. These are the cornerstones of Xamk’s research, development and innovation activities. With 250 annually ongoing projects, we make an impact regionally, nationally and internationally.

Employer image and stakeholder communication

Main message: Make your mark.
Supporting message: The best way to know tomorrow is to create it yourself. That is why South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences – Xamk – builds, researches and develops the working life of tomorrow with the strength of four campuses in the South Savo and Kymenlaakso regions in Finland, and with the help of a global network of friends and partners. We at Xamk believe in equality, equal opportunities and fairness. We care for each other and we care for the environment. We make our mark where it’s needed the most. Do you?

Catering and Conference Services

Main message: Take a seat.
Supporting message: Grab a chair and get ready for a tasty time in our seven cosy restaurants in Mikkeli, Kotka, Kouvola and Savonlinna. The lunch cafeterias of South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences – Xamk – serve daily our students, staff and customers outside the Xamk organisation. In addition, we offer catering and meeting services. Great service is a matter of heart to us, and we favour the best organic produce of our own region. You are warmly welcome!

For companies

Main message: See the difference.
Supporting message: Does your company need help navigating the constant changes of working life? South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences – Xamk – is here for you. To make the future more foreseeable, manageable and profitable, we offer our expertise for companies and communities. Join us at Xamk and get the insight, tools and perspective you need to build a better future.

FRAMED LOGOS

The framed logo was specifically designed for external communications. Its primary version is yellow and should always be used with a dark base. In black-and-white materials, the white version may be used. The framed logo is used in education marketing and when communicating about research and development on the website, printed materials, and social media. It is also used for marketing catering and conference services.

Depending on the situation, you can use a framed logo with the footer South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences (orKaakkois-Suomen Ammattikorkeakoulu in the Finnish version) or a version with the slogan All for the future in the footer.

When communicating about research and development, a footer with the school’s name is primarily used.

The footer text in the logo is always of the same colour as the logo itself: a yellow framed logo with a yellow footer and a black framed logo with a black footer.

BLACK AND BLUE LOGO

A blue logo with black footer text is the symbol of the UAS used in more formal contexts, including degree certificates, forms, and business cards. In these contexts, the logo is always used with the official name of the UAS (in Finnish or English). In monochrome printing, a black logo is used.

PROTECTED SPACE

A protected space has been defined around the logo to ensure that the logo stands out from other elements. To determine the size of the protected space, the width of the letter M in the logo is used as the unit of measure. The letter ‘M’ appears in all logos, meaning the same protected space is also used in all logo versions.
In logos containing the letter X (Xamk Sports, Xamk Alumni, Xamk Lux), the protected space consists of a vertical and horizontal area around the logo that is one-half the width and height of the X.

MINIMUM SIZES

A minimum size has been defined for the logo to ensure that the logo itself and the footer remain legible. The minimum width of the landscape version is 19 mm in all implementations. If a smaller logo must be used in some cases (such as ballpoint pens handed out as promotional gifts), a version without a footer can be used.

X LOGO

Xamk’s visual materials and service logos use a square with a notch on each side. It may be used to liven up the visual world, and it can serve as a simple signature in various visual materials, including images used in social media or Xamk brand photos. The X logo in Xamk’s brand identity should be yellow whenever possible. Unlike the Xamk logo, the X logo can also be tilted slightly, however, no more than 30 degrees!

USE OF LOGO

The main rule is that the logo must always stand out clearly from its background. Particular attention should be paid to this if the logo is placed over an image. There must be sufficient contrast between the logo and the image, so the logo should not be placed over multicoloured images. A white logo must not be placed over images that are too light in tone, nor the black version over images that are too dark.

The logo may not be stretched or distorted in any way, and its aspect ratio must remain the same in all situations. The colours or shape of the logo must not be modified for any reason. The figures below contain examples of prohibited ways of using the logo. Always ensure sufficient contrast between the logo and the background image, and do not stretch or tilt the logo.

A high-quality logo that is always the same shape forms the signature of Xamk’s communications and creates an association with high quality. Communications signed with a high-quality logo are considered reliable and of a high standard.

LOGO HIERARCHY

All activities bear the Xamk logo

Xamk’s brand hierarchy is monolithic. This means that all sub-brands communicate under the Xamk brand rather than having their own separate brands. This way, Xamk appears as a versatile actor, and its different activities add to a uniform whole. All activities at Xamk must keep to the Xamk brand in their communications. No separate brands or logos are created for projects and similar. Projects are part of Xamk’s activities, and Xamk’s visual materials are used for communication.
Projects conducted in cooperation with other higher education institutions may be an exception.

If a project or event is organised by several Xamk units, or they are involved in some other way, Xamk’s main logo is used in communications rather than each unit’s logo.

The logos of Xamk’s sub-brands consist of Xamk’s black logo, under which the name of the unit or service is typeset in Montserrat Bold.

The logos of Xamk’s services are composed of a yellow X, with the name of the service under it in Montserrat Bold (e.g., Xamk Alumni, Xamk Sports or Xamk Lux). The Communication and Marketing Services compose logos for carefully selected services.

COLOUR PALETTE

Colour values have been defined for different uses to ensure that they can be reproduced as consistently as possible in all media. These colour values are in keeping with commonly used colour profiles.

Of the main colours, blue has been defined as the primary colour for group-level communications. In other cases, a combination of black and yellow is used.

The purpose of additional colours is to enrich layouts and infographics, for example. They give the graphic designer extra tools to achieve a visually appealing end result.

WEBSITE TYPOGRAPHY

In titles on Xamk’s website and web materials (including social media channels), Montserrat Bold is used, while Montserrat Regular is the font for the body text.

PHOTOS

Brand photos

Xamk’s brand photos are visually impressive images that tell a story, at the centre of which are people surrounded by an inspiring environment or landscape. Rather than Xamk’s concrete activities, such as studying, research or business cooperation, the images reflect Xamk’s values, brand story, personality, and promise – the idea of all for the future, courage, and defining a new era of professionals.

The people in the brand photos are shown with their backs to the camera, focusing their eyes on a landscape, symbolising the future and opportunities ahead. As a rule, the photos show a single person. However, on a discretionary basis, when planning new brand photos, several people can be used if this better supports the message of the image and the story it conveys. The photo should have a yellow detail, such as an item of clothing, an object or a building that uses Xamk’s colour palette.

General-purpose images

General-purpose images show one or several persons. Rather than posing for the camera, they should act as naturally as possible in the photos. Some people may be facing the camera, while others may have their backs turned to it. An effort is always made to take the photos in genuine situations that reflect the versatility and scope of Xamk’s work and the diversity of people studying and working at Xamk.

The images must be in focus and of high quality. However, perfect advertising-standard lighting is not required. When planning an image and considering its use, you should always ask what is happening in the image and what the image tells you. The clearer the answer and the context, the better the image will align with Xamk’s policy on general-purpose images.

EMMI

You can download images from the Emmi image bank!

Brochures

Templates have been created for brochures intended for printing. These templates can be used in all Xamk brochures, whether they focus on education or research and development.

A separate brochure template has been created for brochures dealing with research and development, where the text fields and elements are targeted for R&D purposes.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Xamk’s social media channels

Xamk currently has some 40,000 followers on different social media channels.
Our social media channels reach several different target groups: potential and current students, employees, customers, alumni, partners, stakeholders, other higher education institutions and scientific communities, and media representatives. Communication and Marketing Services run Xamk’s social media accounts, coordinate content creation, and manage, develop, and produce content concepts. Some of the communication content is produced by students and Xamk specialists.

Visual identity

Xamk’s social media content supports the Xamk brand and builds its reputation. Xamk’s visual identity, colour palette and graphic elements are visible on different social media channels and follow Xamk’s graphic guidelines.

Hashtags

FI #xamk #tunnehuominen
EN #xamk #allforthefuture #learningunlimited

In themes dealing with sustainability or responsibility: #xamkvastuu
Emma Gaala: #xamkgoesemma

A recipe for content – What do we post on Xamk’s social media channels?

Xamk’s social media content recipe is useful, informative, inspiring, and visual.

We use examples, images and stories to convey information. What we wish to get across is that we are working for tomorrow and defining a new era of professionals with the specialists of today. We want to make our mark! We stand out and liven up the brand with good content.

In social media, we wish to convey a mood, explain even complicated questions simply from person to
person, and shed light on the background behind events. Our community consists of 9,500 degree students and 20,000 open UAS students, and nearly 900 employees. We have plenty of stories to tell!

Stories and genuine experiences are what interest people. You can tell your story on any platform, and there is also plenty of choice between Xamk’s channels. Interesting content concerning education, research, and development are welcome. Our channels give Xamk’s specialists a voice. Our tone is relaxed and down-to-earth on every channel. We are easy to approach! But we also challenge people to think.

We favour concepts and contents that align with our strategic goals, inspire, and consider each channel’s characteristics. We produce content relating to both education and RDI in novel ways.

Channels

Instagram – @xamkfi
Facebook (FI) – @xamkfi
Facebook (EN) @xamk
TikTok – @xamkfi
Youtube
Podcast @xamkpodcast
LinkedIn
Twitter

Use Xamk’s channels – go ahead and post that story!

To get the best visibility out of social media channels, communicate through Xamk’s official accounts. Xamk staff and students can produce content for Xamk’s channels.
Contact the community managers – planning the content together well in advance is a good idea.

As a specialist on social media

Talking about your work is worthwhile. Rather than hiding your enthusiasm, you should celebrate it. The content itself and the way it is spread determine its value. Good content is the start, not the finish line. Similarly, a good event is nothing without an audience. You should use your Twitter or LinkedIn profile for specialist communications. Those studying and working at Xamk can add Xamk’s official cover photo to their social media profile!
For images to use on LinkedIn and Twitter, visit Emmi image bank!

Examples of social media posts

#xamktutkii – What are the latest innovations in Xamk’s research? A story concept with a new angle.
#xamkvastuu – sustainable development at Xamk, responsibility measures and an introduction to Green Office activities.

#työelämätarinat – Xamk engages in versatile working life cooperation.

Stick to a consistent visual identity

Avoid using stretched images in social media, Xamk’s logo in the wrong proportions, distorted images that you do not have the copyright to and, for example, excessively large walls of text.

You should place larger paragraphs of text separate from the image itself. The official colours and logos of the Xamk brand identity are always used in Xamk’s social media updates. This ensures a consistent visual identity on the social media channels and strengthens Xamk’s association with high quality.

VIDEOS

The videos produced at Xamk are informative and consistent with Xamk’s brand identity. Each year, Xamk creates new videos for education marketing consistent with a specified video concept.

These questions are the backbone of educational videos: what, why, who, and how? The duration of each part is around 10 to 15 seconds, which means a total length of approximately 1 minute. The content can consist of moving or still images with audio and subtitles. It may also contain spontaneous comments on education. The video format is a square (1:1).

Teasers of 10 to 15 seconds can also be created from educational videos and used in social media marketing, for example.

In addition, Xamk also produces business-oriented testimonial videos about Xamk’s working life cooperation from a perspective that is interesting to potential students and companies. The videos emphasise the benefits for both the company and the student rather than the possibilities of studying.

Testimonial videos are a separate series that keep to the same pattern in their narration, ensuring that the video concept can later be expanded to create virtually unlimited numbers of new testimonials. The videos focus on a company representative who, in an interview and under guidance, talks in their own words about the company, the future challenges of the field, and cooperation with Xamk.

Xamk’s video materials also include live streams broadcast on YouTube, for example, in connection with events held remotely.

INFOGRAPHICS

Infographics are used in such contexts as brochures, PowerPoints, social media, and Xamk’s website to summarise and illustrate information. The use of infographics is recommended when this helps to encapsulate or clarify content, making it easier to understand or more accessible. Clear and well-structured infographics are ideal for Xamk’s informative, concise and clear communication style. In the context of education marketing and RDI, infographics are always black and yellow. The other brand identity colours can be used in infographics as additional colours.

For topical examples of Xamk infographics, visit Xamk’s key facts and figures web page!

Example of infographics consistent with Xamk brand identity.

STATIONERY

One way or another, Xamk’s brand identity is visible in everything that we do. For this purpose, Xamk has official templates for documents, business cards, certificates and envelopes, all of which support the Xamk brand and its visibility in our daily work.

Business cards

There are three versions of Xamk’s business cards: Finnish, English, and Finnish/English. Everyone chooses a business card to suit their needs. If possible, a version of the card with notches cut into it is used, helping it to stand out and support Xamk’s visual identity.

To order business cards directly with your details, use Xamk’s MyGrano ordering system!

Document templates

A uniform look is important in all communications, which is why official pre-printed stationery is used for letters, documents and covering notes that we send out. The logo is shown in the upper left corner.
The electronic document is pre-filled and printed on a blank sheet. The ready-made template contains the logos and address details. The font used in the document template is Arial (font size 10pt, line spacing 17pt, or 1.5 lines.)

The covering note is printed on an A6-sized post-it that is easy to use in different contexts. Its is available in both Finnish and English.

Envelopes

Envelopes come in four sizes: C5 and C4 with and without windows, E4 with a window, and an invitation card size C65 without a window. The address information is printed on the envelope flap. The school’s colour is used as the base colour. The logo is always placed in the upper left corner.

Degree certificates

The format of the degree certificate is a folded A3.

The size of the certificate folder is 220x310mm. For a more dignified look, the cover logos are printed in gold. The certificate folder is matte laminated. Its cover has a space for a separate card on which the awardee’s name is printed.

SIGNS AND VISIBILITY

Campuses

On our campuses, Xamk’s logo is displayed unobtrusively and stylishly. The visual identity on campus is constructed with separate Xamk signs, flags, and banners, but the logo is not shown on painted surfaces of buildings or furniture, for example.

Campus signposts consist of indoor and outdoor signs, which also repeat Xamk’s colours. This includes signposts on approach, building identifiers and signs on exterior walls, guide maps and other outdoor signs, door decals, signs for floors, corridors and rooms, and information signs in various facilities.

Separate guidelines have been prepared on signs.

Cars

The brand is shown in decals on cars used by Xamk. The decals show a simple character X and suitable text, depending on the car, such as on the electric car in the image.

EMAIL SIGNATURE

Email signatures are also part of our organisation’s visibility. A uniform email signature, in which we use Xamk’s black and white logo, bolsters Xamk’s visual identity. The font in signatures is always Calibri, font size 11. You can include your own or Xamk’s social media channels in the email signature if you wish. For more detailed instructions on creating email signatures, see the Lux intranet.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

For more information on the brand and brand identity, please contact (firstname.lastname@xamk.fi):

Tiivi Pukkila-Nupponen
Head of Communication and Marketing Services

Jukka Turunen
Graphic Designer