Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated Brand Guidelines

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated Brand Guidelines

Table of ContentsPurposeWhat is a Brand?Brand MeaningMessagingEmblemsFonts and ColorsPhotographyAdditional Resources34513163337422

PurposeThe value of Alpha Kappa Alpha’s brand guidelines lies in theability to provide consistency and recognition. Consistent useof our logo, font, photographic style and key messages willbuild awareness and recognition of the Alpha Kappa Alphabrand. Over time, these elements will become visual remindersof what our brand means to our members and those we serve.Send questions to: communications@aka1908.com3

What is a brand?A brand is a concept, an ideal that people hold in their mindsand in their hearts when they think about a product, individualor organization. It is the collective memory of countlessexperiences over a lifetime. For Alpha Kappa Alpha, at its core,a brand is a promise of what the organization represents andwhat it means to those who engage it.4

Brand MeaningWe choose brands not only for what they can do for us, but alsofor what they mean to us. The development of brand meaning isa deliberate process to infuse tangible and intangible qualitiesinto the brand that differentiate it from other brands. Thissection describes the key drivers of Alpha Kappa Alpha’s brandmeaning: our history, positioning, brand attributes and brandpersonality. These elements should come through in everythingwe do and say.5

Our HistoryAlpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated had its humble beginnings as the dreamof Ethel Hedgeman, a co-ed at Howard University. Along with eight other students,she worked to create a support network for women with like minds to come togetherfor the mutual uplift and benefit of others. In 1908, her vision became a reality asAlpha Kappa Alpha became the first African-American Greek-letter sorority.Cultural awareness and social advocacy marked Alpha Kappa Alpha’s infancy. TheSorority promoted African-American culture and encouraged social action throughthe presentation of artists and social justice advocates. In these early years, AlphaKappa Alpha also made its mark on education by establishing the first organizationalscholarship at Howard University in 1914, just one year after its legal incorporationin the District of Columbia. These programs were a prelude to the thousands ofpioneering and enduring initiatives that define the Alpha Kappa Alpha brand today.6

Our HistoryAlpha Kappa Alpha’s programs have continued to reflect thecommunal consciousness steeped in the Sorority’s traditionsand embodied in its credo, “To be supreme in service to allmankind.” We have enriched minds and encouraged life-longlearning; provided aid to those in need, and initiated socialaction to advance human and civil rights. Since it’s founding,the Sorority has worked collaboratively with other groups tomaximize outreach on progressive endeavors; continuouslyproducing leaders to preserve its credo of service.7

Our HistoryAlpha Kappa Alpha has grown to be a globally-impactful organization ofnearly 300,000 collegiate members and alumnae, constituting 1,024chapters in 42 states, the District of Columbia, the US Virgin Islands, theBahamas, Germany, Liberia, South Korea, Japan, Canada, South Africaand the United Arab Emirates. Our members are bound by the bonds ofsisterhood and empowered by a commitment to servant-leadership thatis both domestic and international in scope. For over 110 years, theSorority has maintained its focus in two key arenas: the lifelong personaland professional development of each of its members and anunwavering presence at the forefront of effective advocacy and socialchange that brings equality and equity to all the citizens of the world.8

Our HistoryUnder the leadership of thirty international presidents and withthe support of a professional headquarters staff since 1949,Alpha Kappa Alpha’s members have instituted groundbreakingsocial action initiatives and social service programs that havetransformed

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated (AKA) is an international service organization that was founded on the campus of Howard University in Washington, DC in 1908. It is the oldest Greek-lettered organization estab