Northwest Shoals unveils new institutional brand
Franklin County, News, Phil Campbell, Z - TOP HOME
 By  Staff Reports Published 
4:56 pm Wednesday, July 5, 2023

Northwest Shoals unveils new institutional brand

Northwest Shoals Community College launched a rebranded visual identity that celebrates the college’s unity and the impact it has had on Northwest Alabama since 1963.

The college’s rebrand initiative is a direct result of receiving a $100,000 national branding grant from the Lumina Foundation in August 2022 through the Million Dollar Community College Challenge.

According to NWSCC president Dr. Jeff Goodwin, the process started with one clear objective: listen to the campus community to discover the visual representation of what makes Northwest Shoals special. “Our research process was predominantly community and student driven,” said Goodwin. “We came out of those meetings aware that we needed a visual identity that was welcoming, unifying and collegiate.

The branding committee heard story after story about how Northwest Shoals changed students’ lives, but they did not feel our logo represented their collegiate experience.” 
 The college held numerous market research meetings and logo concept testing focus groups. After meeting with alumni, faculty, staff, students, K-12 educators and community leaders, there was a clear consensus on the selection of the new visual identity.

“The new logo selection is very collegiate with a strong sense of unity,” said NWSCC’s public relations and marketing director, Trent Randolph. “Northwest Shoals is part of the fabric of our communities that we serve in Northwest Alabama. Regardless of the campus you visit, Northwest Shoals’ faculty and staff are united in serving our area schools, community, students and workforce in the best way we can.”

According to Randolph, another unifying symbol in the college’s rebrand was the removal of the hyphen between Northwest and Shoals. “Throughout the process, the rebranding committee noticed a general distaste for the hyphen among stakeholders. We found that, to many, it was seen as a divider between the campuses. We wanted to remedy any symbolism that did not signify our unity as a college.”

All logos were developed in partnership with Rickabaugh Graphics. Rickabaugh is a national collegiate branding firm and an official National Junior College Athletic Association branding partner. Digital branding updates for the college are being made currently. Signage and other collateral are being implemented in phases as funds allow.

Also on Franklin County Times
County school board adopts $52M budget
Main, News, Russellville, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
September 17, 2025
RUSSELLVILLE Franklin County Schools has adopted a $52 million budget for fiscal year 2026, reflecting a $2.5 million increase over last year. The bud...
Judge denies YO status for Phinizee
Main, News, Z - News Main
Bernie Delinski For the FCT 
September 17, 2025
FLORENCE — Youthful offender status was denied Tuesday for a 17-year-old charged with the death of a 13-yearold during what authorities said was a rob...
RCS passes $43.3M budget
Main, News, Russellville
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
September 17, 2025
RUSSELLVILLE -- The city school board has approved a $43.3 million budget for the 2025-26 school year. Chief Financial Officer Lisa Witt said revenues...
Program tackles stress of caregiver burnout
News, Records, Russellville
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
September 17, 2025
RUSSELLVILLE -- Many people deal with caregiver burnout. Kids and Kin childcare partner Marquita Wilson presented a program at the Russellville Public...
Flavil Wayne McCaig
Obituaries
September 17, 2025
Flavil Wayne McCaig Sept. 12, 2025   Flavil Wayne McCaig, 82, of Russellville, passed away Sept. 12 at his residence. He was born March 3, 1943, to Au...
Cultura Garden Club begins its year with roses and plans for fall
Columnists, News, Opinion
HERE AND NOW
September 17, 2025
The Cultura Garden Club held its first meeting of the year. President Cheri McCain presided. She provided information on projects and programs for the...
We can’t afford to lose electric vehicle industry
Columnists, Opinion
September 17, 2025
In Alabama, we understand what it means to build things that matter. We’ve long been home to builders and winners – our steel won wars and built the s...
Firefighters, cadets honor 9/11 with stair climbs
News, Russellville
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
September 17, 2025
RUSSELLVILLE – Firefighters and RHS JROTC cadets participated in a stair climb in recognition of the 24th anniversary of 9-11. Sgt. Grant Tarascou and...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *