Columbia Global
Brand Strategy: James Wu, Amanda Yogendran, Mailande Moran, and Johnson Banks
Visual Identity: Johnson Banks
Verbal Branding: Nick Asbury and Johnson Banks
Columbia University’s former President, Lee Bollinger, created Columbia Global as a vehicle for bringing four of the university’s global initiatives together under one umbrella: Columbia Global Centers, Columbia World Projects, the Committee on Global Thought, and the Institute for Ideas & Imagination. When Studio Tomo was approached to develop the brand for the newly-formed Columbia Global, it tapped the London-based branding agency Johnson Banks, who had extensive experience in higher education branding, to partner with on the project.
At the heart of Columbia Global’s work is the imperative to turn research into impact and to ensure that practitioners are armed with cutting-edge research. Together with the Johnson Banks team, we landed on the brand idea, Thinking + Doing, and used this idea as a platform for both the verbal and visual identity of the organization. Most importantly, this positioning helped align the interests, activities, and identities of the four initiatives within Columbia Global and created a shared vision for the myriad of stakeholders within.
Learn more about Studio Tomo’s partner, Johnson Banks.
“I first met James as a guest lecturer during a course I took at SIPA. Even in that brief interaction, James left a lasting impression with his clear, empathetic approach to branding and communications. I knew that when I faced my next major communications initiative, I would reach out to him—and I’m so glad I did.
James led the Columbia Global team through a thoughtful discovery process, identifying the right team and approach to meet our needs. This included bringing the agency Johnson Banks into the fold as a key partner, whose deep experience in higher education branding perfectly complemented our goals. His ability to assemble the ideal constellation of collaborators and guide them toward a unified goal was critical to our success.
One of the most impressive aspects of working with James was how he and his colleagues navigated a significant organizational restructuring that occurred mid-way through our brand strategy development.
James and the team at Johnson Banks approached this challenge with flexibility, creativity, and incredible resilience, such as seamlessly adapting our strategy to reflect a bigger organizational scope while maintaining the integrity of the original vision. Rather than being derailed, the process emerged stronger, in part thanks to his leadership.
James has a rare combination of strategic acumen, empathetic communication skills, and the ability to synthesize complex input into clear, compelling brand strategies. For instance, his and his team’s ability to align our diverse stakeholder perspectives resulted in a brand strategy that not only unified our internal messaging but also resonated powerfully with external audiences. His grounded presence and collaborative spirit instill confidence in everyone involved, helping to guide projects toward alignment and impactful results.
Our organization is better for having worked with James and the team at Johnson Banks. I’m confident that any team or project would benefit immensely from his expertise.”
— Cristiane Costa, COO, Columbia Global