Brand voice and tone

Messaging for the brand

We have visual standards that help to guide the use of our brand, logo, and mark, as well as the relationship of our logo and mark to different entities at the university. Equally important is how we talk about the brand.

Recommended style points

• Concrete language. Metaphors and similes are great for creative writing, but for talking to prospective students, it’s best to be concrete rather than abstract.
• Short sentences, spare words. Short, declarative sentences that avoid ornate prose or Latinate words are best for conveying precise messages to our target audiences. Long sentences with subordinate clauses are liable to lose our audience.
• Active, rather than passive tense. For example, use “You’ll have a wealth of opportunities for outside recreation,” not “A wealth of opportunities for outside recreation will be available to you.” Active tense demonstrates a direct relationship between us and the students we are communicating with.
• Personal voice, rather than institutional voice. We offer an intimate, tailored experience for the student that is based on personal contact and interaction. Therefore, our language should be personal, rather than institutional. For example, “We’re here to help you get adjusted to college life,” rather than “The university has a wealth of resources available to help a student get adjusted to college life.”