BRAND STANDARDS

Memorandum from Purchasing Department
Letter of Instruction for RFP #251-27-161
To: Prospective Parties
Thank you for your interest in the Wake County Public School System. Please review the following
instructions prior to submitting your proposal.
* Prior to submitting and executing the proposal, please make sure you read and understand the terms
and conditions referenced. All proposals are subject to the terms and conditions outlined herein. All
responses will be controlled by such terms and conditions and the submission of other terms and
conditions, price lists, catalogs, and/or other documents as part of an offeror's response will be waived
and have no effect either on this Request For Proposals or on any contract that may be awarded
resulting from this solicitation. The attachment of any other terms and conditions by the Offeror may be
grounds for rejection of that proposal. Offeror specifically agrees to the conditions set forth in the
above paragraph by signature to the proposal.
* Please read carefully the section titled CONFIDENTIALITY AND PROHIBITED COMMUNICATIONS
DURING THE RFP PROCESS. All questions should be directed only to bids-pgooding@wcpss.net
* Offerors are cautioned that this is a request for offers, not a request to contract, and WCPSS reserves
the unqualified right to reject any and all offers when such rejection is deemed to be in the best
interest of WCPSS.
* In submitting a proposal, the Offeror agrees not to use the results there from as part of any news
release or commercial advertising.
All qualified proposals will be evaluated, and awards will be made to the Vendor(s) meeting the RFP
requirements and achieving the highest and best final evaluation which is best for WCPSS. Vendors
SHALL not be considered who are not approved or authorized by The State of North Carolina to do
business with The State of North Carolina. WCPSS reserves the right to waive any minor informality or
technicality in proposals received.
IMPORTANT: CONFIDENTIALITY AND PROHIBITED COMMUNICATIONS DURING EVALUATION
During the evaluation period-from the date proposals are opened through the date the contract is
awarded-each Vendor submitting a proposal (including its representatives, sub-contractors and/or
suppliers) is prohibited from having any communications with any person inside or outside of WCPSS
regarding this solicitation. All communication should be directed in written form to the WCPSS
contact indicated above.
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Request for Proposal #251-27-161
1551 Rock Quarry Rd - Bldg. F DISTRICT BRAND STANDARDS & VISUAL IDENTITY SYSTEM
Raleigh, NC 27610 Contract Type: Open Market
Refer ALL Inquiries to: Petra Gooding
Telephone No: 919-588-3456
E-Mail: bids-pgooding@wcpss.net Using Agency Name: WAKE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM
NOTICE TO VENDORS
Proposals, subject to the conditions made a part hereof, will be received via email to bids-pgooding@wcpss.net until 12:00
p.m. on September 30, 2026. Proposals are subject to rejection unless submitted on this form.
EXECUTION
In compliance with this Invitation for Proposals, and subject to all the conditions herein, the undersigned offers and agrees
to furnish and deliver any or all items upon which prices are proposed, at the prices set opposite each item within the time
specified herein. By executing this proposal, I certify that this proposal is submitted competitively and without collusion.
Failure to execute/sign proposal prior to submittal shall render bid invalid. Late proposals are not acceptable.
VENDOR: FEDERAL ID OR SOCIAL SECURITY NO.
STREET ADDRESS: P.O. BOX: ZIP:
CITY & STATE & ZIP: TELEPHONE NUMBER: TOLL FREE TEL. NO
(800)
PRINCIPAL PLACE OF BUSINESS ADDRESS IF DIFFERENT FROM ABOVE
TYPE OR PRINT NAME & TITLE OF PERSON SIGNING: FAX NUMBER:
AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE: DATE: E-MAIL:
Offer shall be valid for 120 days from date of proposal opening unless otherwise stated here: _______ days
Prompt Payment Discount: _______ % __________________ days.
DELIVER BID TO: Petra Gooding
bids-pgooding@wcpss.net
RFP SCHEDULE
The table below shows the intended schedule for this RFP. WCPSS will make every effort to adhere to this schedule.
Event Responsibility Date and Time
Issue RFP WCPSS 9-22-26
Submit Proposals Vendor 9-30-26 @ 12:00 PM ET
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PROJECT OVERVIEW
The Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) seeks a qualified branding, marketing or communications
agency to assess, modernize and strengthen the district's brand system.
WCPSS serves a large and diverse community through hundreds of schools, departments, programs and
initiatives. The district's current brand standards were developed decades ago. While the core WCPSS
identity remains well established, the communications environment in which the brand is used has
changed substantially.
Today, WCPSS branding appears across websites, mobile devices, social media, short-form video,
presentations, printed materials, apparel, promotional products, school communications, advertising and
emerging AI-assisted design platforms. Over time, decentralized creation of materials and inconsistent
interpretation of existing standards have resulted in significant variation in how the WCPSS brand is
represented.
WCPSS is not seeking a wholesale rebranding of the school system or a significant redesign of the existing
WCPSS logo. Rather, the district seeks a partner to evaluate the existing visual identity, recommend
appropriate refinements, and create a modern and comprehensive brand system that can be consistently
implemented across a large and decentralized organization.
The resulting system should provide clear parameters that protect and strengthen the WCPSS identity
while making it easier for employees, professional designers and vendors to create consistent, high-quality
materials.
PROJECT GOALS
The selected agency will help WCPSS:
1. Establish a clear and cohesive districtwide visual identity system.
2. Modernize standards that were developed before many of today's primary communications
platforms existed.
3. Reduce inconsistent interpretation of the WCPSS brand among employees, designers, vendors,
schools and departments.
4. Create clear standards governing the relationship between the WCPSS master brand and
departments, programs, initiatives and campaigns.
5. Establish when unique logos, marks, identities or campaign branding are appropriate and when
they are not.
6. Reduce the proliferation of department, office, program and initiative logos through a clear and
intentional brand architecture.
7. Create standards for promotional products, apparel, signage, event materials and other physical
applications of the brand.
8. Establish contemporary standards for social media, digital content, motion graphics and video.
9. Develop standards for the responsible use of generative AI and AI-assisted design while preserving
the integrity of the WCPSS brand.
10. Make it significantly easier for employees to create materials that are professional and on-brand
without requiring professional design expertise.
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BACKGROUND
For background purposes, The Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) is currently the largest school
district in North Carolina and the 14th largest in the United States. There are currently 204 schools serving a
student population of approximately 160,000, with approximately 20,000 staff. Wake County covers 854
square miles. Additional information about the school system can be accessed via the internet site
(www.wcpss.net).
SCOPE OF WORK
The scope should include, but is not necessarily limited to, the following areas.
A. Brand Audit and Discovery
Conduct an assessment of the current WCPSS brand and its implementation across the organization.
The audit should include representative examples of:
District communications
Email signatures
Department and program materials
Social media
Video
Presentations
Signage
Advertising
Recruitment materials
Apparel and promotional products
Reports and publications
Event materials (Table top stand, step and repeat, handout)
Existing department, initiative and program logos
Vendor-produced materials
The agency should identify inconsistencies, gaps, unnecessary complexity, outdated practices and
opportunities to strengthen the overall system.
The audit should specifically identify areas in which existing standards are unclear, incomplete or subject
to inconsistent interpretation.
B. Brand Strategy and Architecture
Recommend a clear brand architecture defining the relationship among:
Wake County Public School System
Departments and offices
Programs and initiatives
Campaigns
Events
The architecture should establish clear rules for when a separate identity, logo, sub-brand, campaign mark
or other visual identity may be created.
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WCPSS is particularly interested in reducing unnecessary proliferation of department, office, program and
initiative logos and creating a recognizable connection between district-supported activities and the
WCPSS master brand.
The agency should recommend a process for requesting, approving and retiring secondary identities.
C. Core Visual Identity
Evaluate the existing WCPSS visual identity and recommend refinements necessary to create a
contemporary, flexible and durable system.
WCPSS is not seeking significant modification of the existing WCPSS logo.
Standards should address at minimum:
Primary and secondary logos
Logo variations
Clear space
Minimum sizes
Incorrect logo usage
Color palette
Secondary and accent colors
Typography
Photography
Illustration
Iconography
Graphic elements
Patterns
Layout and composition
Accessibility and readability
The resulting standards should reduce subjective interpretation and provide sufficient specificity for
different professional designers and vendors to produce visually consistent work.
D. Department, Program and Initiative Branding
Develop clear standards for departments, offices, programs and initiatives.
The system should answer practical questions such as:
Does this initiative need a logo?
When should the WCPSS logo be used instead?
Can a department have its own color palette?
Can a program establish its own visual identity?
Can a program create its own social media identity?
How should temporary campaigns be branded?
How should internal initiatives be branded?
When should an existing logo or visual identity be retired?
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The agency should recommend a systematic method for bringing existing identities into compliance with
the new standards.
E. Digital and Social Media Standards
Develop standards specifically designed for contemporary digital communications, including:
Facebook
Instagram
LinkedIn
YouTube
Short-form vertical video
Stories and reels
Social media graphics
Profile images
Account naming
Thumbnails
Email graphics
Web graphics
Email signature
Standards should accommodate both professionally produced materials and content created quickly by
district and school employees.
The system should clearly identify which elements must remain consistent across digital platforms and
where creators have flexibility.
F. Video and Motion Identity
Develop a recognizable WCPSS motion and video identity. This will include developing consistent standards
for b-roll and interviews so that videographers have visual representations of how those elements need to
be shot. This should also include developing standards for video editing that are clear and consistent with
instructions for accessing required graphics and where they need to be placed within videos.
Standards may include:
Video intros and outros
Lower thirds
Name and title treatments
(Audio logo)
Logo animation
Transitions
Caption styles
On-screen text
Title cards
Social video
Vertical video
Interview framing
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Thumbnail design
Music and audio considerations
Accessibility requirements
The goal should be for WCPSS-produced video content to be recognizable as part of the WCPSS brand even
when viewed outside a WCPSS-owned platform.
Everyone should be able to use it - How to insert our graphics. (Canva)
G. Artificial Intelligence and Generative Design Standards
Develop practical guidance governing the use of generative AI and AI-assisted tools in visual
communications.
Guidance should address:
Acceptable uses of generative AI
Prohibited or high-risk uses
AI-generated imagery
Representation of students, employees and school environments
AI-assisted illustration
AI-assisted graphic design
Image manipulation
Brand consistency
Copyright and intellectual property considerations
Disclosure considerations
Human review and approval
Accessibility
Bias and representation
The agency should develop reusable prompting guidance that enables employees and professional
designers using approved AI tools to create outputs aligned with WCPSS brand standards.
Prompting guidance should address elements such as:
Color
Typography
Photography style
Illustration style
Composition
Visual tone
Graphic treatments
Prohibited treatments
Where feasible, the agency should structure this guidance so that WCPSS can adapt it for future AI and
design platforms.
H. Promotional Products, Apparel and Merchandise
Establish standards for WCPSS-branded physical products, including:
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Name tags
Shirts and apparel
Bags
Pens
Water bottles
Giveaways
Conference materials
Employee recognition items
Recruitment materials
Event merchandise
The standards should establish:
When promotional products are appropriate
Which WCPSS marks may be used
Acceptable customization
Appropriate placement and sizing
Quality expectations
Approval requirements
The agency should recommend approaches that reduce the creation of disconnected department- or
program-branded merchandise.
I. Photography and Representation Standards
Develop guidance for photography and visual storytelling that reflects the breadth of the WCPSS
community.
Standards should address:
Photography style
Authenticity
Student representation
Staff representation
Classroom imagery
Staged versus documentary photography
Diversity of age, race, ethnicity, ability and family/community experiences
Image cropping
Stock photography
AI-generated imagery
The goal should be to provide enough direction that photography selected or commissioned by different
employees, departments and vendors still feels recognizably part of the WCPSS brand.
J. Accessibility and Multilingual Design
Brand standards should incorporate accessibility as a fundamental design requirement.
Standards should address issues such as:
Color contrast
Typography
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Minimum text sizes
Captioning
Alternative text considerations
Information hierarchy
Readability
Accessible documents
Accessible social media graphics
The agency should also consider how the visual brand system functions in multilingual communications,
including languages that require significantly different text lengths or character systems.
K. Templates and Practical Tools
Develop a comprehensive template system that enables employees without professional design expertise
to produce materials that remain consistent with the WCPSS brand.
Templates should be designed for the software and platforms commonly used by WCPSS and may include:
Invitations
Presentations
Reports
Flyers
Posters
Social media graphics + templates
Social video
One-pagers
Event materials
Certificates
Digital signage
Templates should balance consistency with sufficient flexibility to meet legitimate communications needs.
Templates should be accompanied by clear guidance indicating what users may customize and which
brand elements should remain unchanged.
L. Brand Governance Framework
Develop a practical governance guide that establishes how the WCPSS brand should be managed following
completion of the project.
The framework should address:
Who owns and maintains the WCPSS brand
Which decisions require Communications approval
What departments may determine independently
When a new visual identity may be created
Who may create logos or visual identities
How exceptions are requested
How exceptions are approved
How vendor-produced work is reviewed
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How outdated logos and materials are retired
How standards are enforced
How new communications platforms are incorporated into existing standards
The governance framework should be realistic for a large public school system and should minimize
unnecessary administrative burden.
The goal should be to make compliance easy and exceptions intentional.
M. Work to Be Completed by WCPSS
The following elements are outside the primary scope of the agency engagement and will be developed or
managed internally by WCPSS.
Brand Voice and Messaging
WCPSS will develop internal standards addressing:
Voice
Tone
Plain language
Institutional versus conversational communications
Writing for families
Writing for employees
Social media voice
Headlines and calls to action
Terminology and naming conventions
Editorial Style Guide
WCPSS will develop and maintain its own editorial style guide.
Brand Standards Platform
Develop brand standards using a web-first approach. The agency will provide structured, accessible, web-
ready content that WCPSS can publish within its website/CMS, including headings, body copy,
specifications, examples, image descriptions/alt text, and downloadable brand assets. A designed PDF may
be provided as a supplemental reference but should not be the sole or primary way to access the
standards.
WCPSS will create and maintain the online version of the brand standards and associated digital resource
platform.
Stakeholder Engagement
WCPSS will lead engagement with essential partners for the project.
The selected agency should work collaboratively with WCPSS staff and incorporate relevant findings and
input provided by the district.
Districtwide Rollout and Ongoing Implementation
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