Caroline Kustu
As a brand enthusiast, passionate storytelling through visual design and collaboration is at the core of what I do, especially in a world where brands are ever-evolving. I love fostering an environment where creativity and strategic thinking thrive, celebrating teamwork, and valuing every voice to make great ideas come to life.
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Experience
Education
Contract Brand Manager (April 2026 - Present)
University Partners—Hybrid Student Housing
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Lead the design and development of responsive website templates for owned and managed multifamilycommunities, collaborating with third-party developers and internal stakeholders to create cohesive, user-centered digital experiences.
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Refresh community brands through integrated marketing campaigns—including social media, email,out-of-home (OOH), and digital collateral—to strengthen market positioning and support leasing performance for underperforming properties.
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Develop comprehensive brand guidelines for communities lacking established standards, creating scalable visual systems that ensure consistency across digital, print, environmental, and marketing channels.
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Partner with marketing leadership, community teams, and external branding agencies to translate business objectives
Independent Creative Director (September 2025 - Present)
ZipCode Creative — Remote MultiFamily Marketing
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Drive brand development and visual identity creation for multifamily communities and vendor affiliates, grounded in market research and competitive analysis.
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Design scalable brand systems across social, print, signage, digital experiences, and environmental applications.
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Partner with and art direct designers and illustrators to develop cohesive brand assets and campaign creative.
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Deliver strategic creative solutions that enhance brand differentiation and support leasing and revenue objectives.
Brand Creative (August 2016 - Present)
Caroline Kustu Design, LLC —Dallas, TX Business Owner
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Develop strategic brand identities, visual systems, and marketing campaigns for organizations across multifamily, nonprofit, economic development, hospitality, and small business sectors.Partner with agencies, developers, and in-house marketing teams to deliver brand strategy, creative direction, website design, digital marketing, and print collateral.
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Create comprehensive brand guidelines, messaging frameworks, and scalable design systems that ensure consistent execution across all customer touchpoints.
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Educate clients on brand positioning, storytelling, and implementation strategies, helping businesses build cohesive and recognizable brands.
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Selected Clients: North Texas Food Bank, Celina Economic Development Corporation, WPP Media, Prestige Plumbing, Urban Orthodontics, Rose Haggar Elementary, Renew Retreat
National Creative Director (July 2018 - July 2024)
Willow Bridge Property Company — Dallas, TX Multifamily
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Led the national brand transition from Lincoln Property Company to Willow Bridge Property Company, establishing updated brand standards and implementing workflows that increased creative efficiency across internal teams.
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Managed a multidisciplinary creative team while overseeing national marketing initiatives, design operations, and project execution for multifamily communities nationwide.
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Developed integrated campaigns across digital, print, social media, and experiential marketing, expanding brand reach and strengthening engagement.
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Spearheaded social campaigns and strategic partnerships that increased community engagement and contributed to the successful national brand launch.
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Collaborated with executive leadership, designers, and cross-functional teams to streamline creative processes and elevate brand consistency across the organization.
Senior Designer (June 2016 - July 2018)
Somnomed — Plano, TX Medical Device
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Directed global brand development across print, digital, trade show, and marketing initiatives while maintaining consistency across international markets.
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Produced integrated marketing campaigns and sales collateral supporting healthcare professionals and business development efforts.
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Collaborated with internal stakeholders and clients to develop strategic creative solutions that
strengthened brand communication and market presence.
Skills
Corporate Brand Identity
Brand Strategy
Creative Direction
Art Direction
Brand + Logo Development
Website + UX Design
Marketing Strategy
Creative Operation
Cross-Functional Leadership
Design Systems
Print & Digital Marketing
Project Management
Client Managment
Adobe Creative Suite
Tools
Photoshop
InDesign
Illustrator
Lightroom
Premiere Pro
Adobe XD
Power Point
Canva
Monday.com
Visual Storytelling
Mailchimp
Languages
English
Korean
ArtCenter College of Design
Pasadena, CA
Bachelor of Arts, Advertising Design
September 2008 - April 2013
Earlier Experience
Copywriter: Rapp —Irving, TX (2015 - 2016)
Graphic Designer/Copywriter: AIS Media — Atlanta, Ga (2015)
Copywriter: Junior Creative: Disney Yellow Shoes Creative Group — Glendale, CA (2013-2014)
Contact: carolinekustu@gmail.com *References provided upon request
