Best of CASE District VII Award
 

Institution: California State University, Chico

Title of entry: Branded Templates for Instagram Stories

About this entry: In a desire to enhance our social media presence and further engage people on our most interactive space on the Internet, University Communications created seven easily replicable, on-brand Instagram story templates. With a primary audience of Gen Z in mind, the resulting system could be used to drive interest among prospective students, bolster affinity among existing students and alumni, and drive better awareness of University events, stories, and announcements. The templates were modeled off the University’s refreshed visual identity (launched in 2021), prominent non-education brands, other institutions of higher education, and inviting and striking design trends—as well as design best practices. Each template features core identity pieces that are fixed but offer space to feature social media graphic trend elements. Built with clickable links, polls, and quizzes in mind, they are designed for user activity and have spurred significant increases in overall engagement on Instagram, as well as with the platforms the stories link to (such as our storytelling website). The templates include a weekly event roundup, resource infographics, story teasers, “this or that” concepts, and covers for IG Story takeovers and seasonal wallpapers.