Voice
Our brand voice communicates the personality and values of the Columbia Alumni Association (CAA). Using a consistent brand voice across all communications reaching our audience helps to unify our community and maintain our audience's expectations.
Characteristics
We encourage all alumni to interact with us and their fellow alums and foster a sense of belonging for all of our members in all we do. We avoid divisive and exclusionary language.
We are...
- Friendly; Informal
- Just right: "Join other Columbians, catch up with classmates, and make new friends."
And not...
- Exclusive; Restrictive
- Off-brand: "Alumni, excluding classes from the 1980s, are expected to arrive on time."
Our communications are sharp, insightful, and engaging, and reflect the intellect and sophistication of our alumni and the University.
We are...
- Confident; Knowledgeable
- Just right: "Columbia graduates have made contributions in every arena of New York City life, including the sciences and the arts."
And not...
- Pedantic; estoteric; arrogant
- Off-brand: "Columbia graduates have made greater contributions to every aspect of New York City life than graduates of other urban Universities, as measured in four distinct surveys."
Our communications are designed to make it easy for alumni to connect with the University, with other alumni across schools, and with resources of value to them.
We are...
- Clear; Supportive
- Just right: "The CAA is offering this event to connect alumni excited to meet others seeking work in their field."
And not...
- Condescending; Pushy
- Off-brand: "If you're unable to find a new job, the CAA's new networking event may be for you."
Inspired by the diversity and achievements of our alumni community, and the vibrancy of New York City and Morningside Heights, our communications are multi-dimensional and convey energy and dynamism.
We are...
- Spirited; Lively
- Just right: "The newest Columbia graduates brought their own unique qualities, stories, and energy to their first alumni event."
And not...
- Over-zealous; Boisterous
- Off-brand: "Our newest graduating class brought down the house when they partied all night at their first alumni event!"
Tone Adjustments by Audience and Channel
The tone of our brand voice can be adjusted for use with certain audiences or on different channels.
Recent Grads (last ten years)
- Communications to recent graduates can be more casual and energetic.
Staff
- Outreach to University staff should be informative and clear.
Students
- Messages to students can be more casual and can dial up the fun and helpful qualities in our voice.
Web Copy
- Goal: To communicate basic services and event descriptions.
- Adjustments: In order to assist our audience in finding what they need and in signing up for an activity, the copy should emphasize clarity and brevity.
- Goal: To communicate news and opportunities for alumni to connect and build community.
- Adjustments: Emails should feel as if they are communicating with a constituent 1:1, emphasizing personability and helpfulness.
Social Media
- Goal: To engage and delight our constituents online, and sometimes to drive action, such as registrations.
- Adjustments: In keeping with the tone on many social media platforms, we may be more playful and fun. Posts must also be brief and pithy.
Advertising/Flyers (Print/Digital)
- Goal: To drive action.
- Adjustments: Advertising copy should be concise and direct.
Remarks
- Goal: To welcome and build excitement.
- Adjustments: Capture the personality of the speaker; directly engage the audience.
CAA Copy Style Elements
The following is a list of tips and rules to keep written copy consistent across CAA communications.
School affiliations include a single apostrophe.
- Donna MacPhee ’89CC *Note the direction the apostrophe is facing.
Approved School abbreviations should be used.
- Columbia College: CC
- Barnard College: BC
- Columbia Business School: BUS
- College of Dental Medicine: DM
- School of General Studies: GS
- Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation: GSAPP
- Graduate School of Arts and Sciences: GSAS
- Graduate School of Journalism: JRN
- Columbia Law School: LAW
- School of Nursing: NRS
- Mailman School of Public Health: PH
- The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science: SEAS
- School of International and Public Affairs: SIPA
- School of the Arts: SOA
- School of Professional Studies: SPS
- Columbia School of Social Work: SW
- Teachers College: TC
- Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons: VPS
Academic degrees do not have periods
- Examples: BA, MS, JD, MSW, PhD
For the CAA and other organizations, write out the full name on the first reference, followed by the standalone acronym in parentheses to establish the acronym for use in subsequent references.
- Example: “The Columbia Alumni Association (CAA) is a global network. The CAA connects Columbians of all Schools to one another and to Columbia's intellectual and social fabric.”
Last names alone may be used after the first mention.
- Example: Donna MacPhee is a 1989 graduate of Columbia College. MacPhee co-founded the Women’s Leadership Council.
An individual’s title should be capitalized if used before the name, but not capitalized if placed after the name.
- Example: Vice President for Alumni Relations Donna MacPhee attended the event.
(vs.) Donna MacPhee, vice president for alumni relations, attended the event.
Columbia University style requires the use of the serial or Oxford comma—the comma before “and” in a list of three or more items.
- Example: “The nearby movie theater is running She Said, Strange World, and The Menu.”
Dates and times follow a specific style.
- Date Example: November 25, 2022 (note: not November 25th)
- Time Example: 6–8 p.m. (note: not 6:00 PM–8:00 PM)
Inclusion of “Columbia Alumni Association”/”CAA”
The name of the Association must be prominent in all communications and collateral created or sponsored by the CAA.
Each email's sender profile (the "from") or a subject line should reference the CAA or Columbia Alumni Association wherever possible. Exceptions can be solutioned on a case by case basis.
Examples:
- All emails signed or usually sent by Donna MacPhee should utilize the sender profile “Donna MacPhee, CAA.”
- All emails from the CAA, but not sent from an individual or sub-brand, should utilize the sender profile “CAA.”
All emails sent from the CAA or a CAA sub-brand should contain a footer explaining the sponsorship of the CAA. Members of the UAR team can collaborate with CAA Marketing on developing appropriate footers.
Example:
CAA Newsletter: The Columbia Alumni Association (CAA) newsletter is sent monthly and serves to inform and connect alumni from across Columbia’s Schools.
All emails to a broad audience or sent on behalf of a CAA sub-brand, program, or service should contain at least one reference to "Columbia Alumni Association (CAA)" within the body of the emails, preferably two.
Examples of appropriate language within email bodies include:
- For Invitations: "The Columbia Alumni Association (CAA) invites you..."
- For sub-brands: “Sponsored by the Columbia Alumni Association (CAA), Columbia Alumni Leaders Experience…”
Websites
Top nav should include a link to learn “About the CAA.” The hero image should support text identifying the site as the home of the CAA.
All supporting pages of the website should include a reference to the CAA in the copy introducing that page’s content. Example: As a member of the Columbia Alumni Association (CAA), you have access to exclusive benefits. Find out more below... Explore your benefits.
All pages should include a clearly labeled link to the CAA website. Pages for CAA sub-brands not sponsored by Global Clubs or Shared Interest Groups should contain language identifying the subject’s relationship to the CAA. Example: The Columbia Alumni Association’s She Opened the Door initiative launched in 2018, and was created to enlighten, educate, elevate, and empower self-identifying women across the University.