2026-27 HS National Company Branding Competition

COMPETITION OVERVIEW

An effective brand will be memorable, relevant to the company’s business, and consistently applied across all elements. A versatile logo is one that will look good when applied in different applications, such as brochures, websites, or promotional pens. This competition challenges VE students to demonstrate their company branding through the submission of a branding package. 

• Click here to access the competition scoring guide.
• Click here to view sample submissions.

CONTENT REQUIREMENTS

• Page 1: Logo, color palette with color codes, and fonts
• Page 2: Company letterhead and one-paragraph company description
• Page 3: Business card (front & back, if applicable)
• Pages 4-6: Three additional applications of company branding. Elements may include a cover page template, sales materials, product packaging, trade show banners, direct mail, social media pages and/or posts, or other similar elements.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

• Submit as a single .pdf file to the Competitions Manager.
• Maximum file size: 1GB
• One entry per firm
• All submissions due by 10:55 PM ET.

JUDGING CRITERIA

• First Impressions - What is your first reaction to the branding elements? (Logo, color palette, fonts, company letterhead, one-paragraph company description, business card, and additional applications of branding)
• Branding Package - Were all elements met? (Logo, color palette, fonts, company letterhead, one-paragraph company description, business card, and three additional applications of branding)
• Logo, Fonts, and Color Palette - How would you rate the quality of the logo, font choices, and color palette?
• Consistency across elements - Does the brand identity extend consistently across each element? Do the various elements come together to make a cohesive whole?
• Relevance to the business - Do the logo and branding elements seem to be relevant to the business or industry?

CAREER READINESS FRAMEWORK ALIGNMENT

Leadership:

• Demonstrates intrapreneurship
• Operates with purpose

Professional:

• Communicates effectively
• Demonstrates self-development and learning orientation
• Embraces change

Functional:

• Demonstrates industry/function-specific skills
• Communicates through storytelling

Technology:

• Applies appropriate technology to task