Brand guidelines

Branding goes beyond just the logo. It shapes the way the world perceives us. The NAU brand is an experience that involves visuals, messages, branded objects, and interactions. Here are some clear and easy-to-follow guidelines to help you create marketing and communication materials that supports the NAU brand standards and integrity.

Visual Identity Guide

• Logos
• Color palettes
• Typography
• Louie
• University seal
• Athletics brand
• Email signature
• Email campaign
• Social media presence
• Photography

Written Content Guide

Brand voice and tone

Our brand is alive in all of us. The tone and voice in everything we say express our brand personality and our core values. The clarity, confidence, and authenticity of our voice strengthens our image and reputation: the greater our reputation, the greater our appeal.

To ensure the integrity of the NAU brand, we use a clear, consistent voice that reveals NAU’s distinguishing personality—authentic, personal, and independent—and remains consistent regardless of subject or audience.

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Content repository

The University Marketing content repository provides NAU faculty and staff information including recognitions (rankings and awards), features (stories and testimonials), and statistics that supply a wealth of material for effective, accurate, and consistent communication of the NAU brand. The content in the repository is available for use on NAU web pages as a link only as we continually update the content.
(coming soon)

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Web content creation guide

Migrating pages and content from Ektron to WordPress is an opportunity to enhance how we communicate with our audiences and to engage with them using effective, relevant language. Use this web content creation guide (coming soon) and the A-Z index as handy references for building your web pages. All content creators should be familiar with the NAU brand and its written content guidelines.

General web content creation tips

This section provides web-writing tips. Web audiences differ from print readers. Rather than “read,” they scan for the information to help them accomplish tasks and move on. We have only 5 to 20 seconds to grab readers’ attention.

• Keep content simple and the structure logical.
• Keep it short:
  • headers: 4–8 words
  • subheads: 1–5 words
  • sentences: 1–20 words
  • paragraphs: 1–7 sentences
  • documents: 300–500 words
• Craft with purpose: State the clear purpose for each page and section.
• Think like a reader: Anticipate and address our audience’s needs.
•  Anticipate the next step: Think about the reader’s journey and provide clear “calls to action” (CTAs) to help them progress—for example, request information, apply for admission, engage on social media, etc.
• Write active: Use active voice and verbs as much as possible.
• Use we and you: Engage with the reader.
• Omit needless words:  The leaner, the better.
• Avoid jargon and obscure acronyms: Write so that anyone can understand the message. We are writing for a general audience, not specialists.
• Write effective headers: Create concise, informative page titles with purposeful headings and subheads. When you better understand search engine optimization, you can write more effective headers.
• Use “sentence case” in headers: Write the header like a sentence. Capitalize only the first word and proper nouns, and don’t include a period.
• Front-load content: Place key information at the beginning to keep readers engaged and prompt them to action.
• Use short chunks of information, such as block quotes or significant numbers, to keep users on the page longer and better support our marketing objectives.
• Review your work: Proofread and double check to ensure all facts are correct and links are working.

NAU web content creation guide (coming soon)

We manage our website through a collaborative effort between University Marketing and each division, department, and college. As subject-matter experts of the website’s content, staff members from each unit are responsible for creating, updating, and deleting content on their respective websites.

The web content creation guide helps ensure that your website presents high-quality content in a readable, appealing format. It provides detailed, step-by-step guidance to help you build on-brand NAU pages in WordPress.

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Editorial style guide

Our editorial style guide provides anyone writing for university publications with guidelines to ensure a clear, consistent writing style across all platforms, which strengthens NAU’s reputation and brand. We use The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th ed., as the primary authority for style, grammar, and usage. Exceptions, such as the use of Associated Press style for numbering, are noted in this guide.

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Messaging guide

Our messages are more effective and engaging when we consider the perspectives and motivations of our various audiences and write content to draw them into a conversation about what NAU can offer. The NAU voice, with our distinguishing personality and attributes, remains constant, but the tone and themes change to express key ideas that appeal to our audiences.

Prospective undergraduate students

Our primary audience segment, prospective undergraduate students, includes incoming high school students who will attend at the Flagstaff campus—and parents of those students. Other segments include transfer students and prospects from a range of ages for all statewide campuses and NAU Online.

We invite our audience to embrace the exhilaration of facing the unknown head-on, the anticipation they will feel as they trade the beaten path for a life-defining one. Our prospective undergraduate students stand at the threshold of tomorrow, and we’re ready to share their next big step.

Key messages for prospective undergraduate students:

• Students can meet the future on their own terms at a university designed for discovery.
• Everything here is built to further their personal and professional exploration.
• Our faculty members recognize students’ potential and prepare them to realize it.
• The research we take on will bring them to the frontier of knowledge.
• The collaborative community we foster means they have an entire institution in their corner.

Key messages for transfer students:

• We see every student as a member of the NAU family.
• Our services—from academics, to financial aid, to housing—make the transition to NAU as smooth as possible.
• Our low student-to-faculty ratio allows for personal attention.
• Here, faculty mentors see students as individuals with potential rather than numbers on a roster.
• The collaborative community we foster means students have an entire institution in their corner.

Prospective graduate students

This audience includes prospective graduate students for the Flagstaff campus, statewide campuses, and NAU Online. They are preparing to build on the foundation they have already laid, with expert faculty who can help them achieve their goals in a collaborative environment where excellence is the norm.

Prospective graduate students are also primed to face the unknown head-on, but their professional exploration is at a more specific, elevated level. Messaging focuses on the high quality of NAU research and the mentoring faculty who will engage them to expand their knowledge and career growth. Their opportunities abound because of our commitment to research and teaching.

Key messages:

• Students have laid the groundwork; now their greatest achievements are ahead.
• NAU’s globally connected faculty mentors inspire them to exceed their expectations for excellence.
• Collaborative cohorts, experiential learning, and hands-on research give them the assurance that the career they’ve chosen suits them.
• Whether on campus or online, they’ll engage in significant research and creative activities in an atmosphere designed for discovery.
• The collaborative community we foster means students have an entire institution in their corner.

Adult learners

Adult learners are particularly interested in the value provided by NAU’s statewide campuses and NAU Online. These options provide flexibility and the same commitment to excellence as all NAU programs, which are powerful opportunities for adult learners to take the next step in their education.

Key messages:

• We know the challenges they face.
• Our flexible formats at locations throughout the state make earning a degree convenient for those with families and careers.
• Our students form a community of support and learn from one another.
• An NAU degree has the reputation of an established institution and an alumni network active in the state and around the world.
• The collaborative community we foster means they have an entire institution in their corner.

Alumni and donors

Alumni and donors are partners in the success of NAU through the years. They should identify as Lumberjacks, and when they stay connected to their alma mater, through contributions and interactions with fellow alumni or current faculty and students, they are investing in the continuing excellence of NAU. Alumni and donors embody the NAU voice as authentic, personal, and independent.

Alumni and donors recognize that they can help ensure NAU students succeed. Alumni and donors also experience opportunities after they leave NAU and thrive with the skills and values they embraced while on campus. Giving back so others have similar opportunities motivates them to stay connected.

Key messages:

• Being a Lumberjack means being a part of a strong community of collaborators, leaders, and innovators.
• Once a Lumberjack, always a Lumberjack—we’ll continue supporting you every step of the way along your journey, to your first career and beyond.
• Whether you’re a young alum about to enter your first career, or you’re ready to further your professional development, we will help you define and work toward your next goal.
• The connections you made here will last a lifetime, and when you return for cultural activities, athletic events, or volunteer opportunities, you’ll know you always have a home in Flagstaff.
• By connecting with fellow Lumberjacks, you not only build your professional network, but you also enhance NAU’s reputation across the nation as a leading university.

OneNAU community

We all—current students, faculty, and staff at all NAU campuses and NAU Online—collectively contribute to a vibrant culture that fosters our stated values through our actions and words. These values should be emphasized when we share what our community is about:

• Student-centered. We place student success at the center of our academic and service planning, policies, and programs.
• Integrity. We operate with fairness, honesty, and the highest ethical standards.
• Diversity. We strengthen our community through diversity of cultures, experiences, and perspectives.
• Service. We partner with communities in the spirit of collaboration, to provide services and expertise to support Arizona, the nation, and the world.
• Discovery. We engage in innovation to create, share, and apply new knowledge, scholarship, and artistry.
• Excellence. We commit to the highest quality in all endeavors.

The explicit use of the OneNAU message is primarily for inter- and intra-campus communications. It embraces NAU’s diversity and celebrates our unity. We are aligned in our purpose—ensuring our students make the most out of their moment and graduate prepared to succeed as engaged citizens.

College-level core messages 

The following are core messages that cover key focal points of distinction and areas of emphasis to use for each of the NAU colleges.

College of Arts and Letters

Join a tight-knit community that feels like a small liberal arts college with all the perks of a globally connected university. Set in a culturally vibrant mountain town, our campus and our diverse, rigorous creative programs lead to life-changing opportunities that will launch you on a career path you’ll love to live—in the arts, business, education, languages, or public service.

College of Education

In the only nationally accredited teacher education program in Arizona, you’ll engage in demanding, hands-on coursework, performance assessments, and innovative teaching methods. Mentored by expert faculty, you’ll graduate as a competent professional, prepared to lead in the classroom and bring out the best in your students.

College of the Environment, Forestry, and Natural Sciences

Here, you’ll experience an entrepreneurial, interdisciplinary approach to education. Our collaborative, acclaimed faculty provides opportunities for you to build your future and transcend challenges. You’ll enjoy rare educational opportunities in this unique mountain-top location with wide-ranging, internationally recognized programs and research in a variety of areas.

College of Engineering, Informatics, and Applied Sciences

Prepare for a career in a high-demand STEM field. Whether you choose civil, mechanical, or environmental engineering—or computer and cyber systems—our creation of a distinct college meets the growing interest in these vital fields. Two research centers—the existing Center for Bioengineering Innovation and the future Center for Materials Interfaces in Research and Applications—ensure you’ll be on the leading edge of discovery.

College of Health and Human Services

Practice in state-of-the-art simulation environments and clinics statewide. You’ll engage in rigorous, evidence-based learning experiences and unique research.  The college advances knowledge and practice in the health professions and provides meaningful professional service. You’ll graduate equipped with skills to improve life quality in local, regional, and global communities.

College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

Tackle contemporary issues and conduct boundary-crossing research focusing on the scientific study of human behavior, justice, and culture. Engage in critical thinking and rigorous inquiry about contemporary social issues. From archaeological digs, to child welfare training, to virtual reality creations, you’ll join with faculty and peers to prepare for a career in building resilient, sustainable communities.

The W. A. Franke College of Business

Connect with global business leaders such as Warren Buffett, manage financial portfolios, and present business plans to venture capitalists. Through the “Franke Experience,” you’ll prepare for a successful, meaningful life. Programs combine technical business education with professionalism development, and our dedicated, approachable faculty inspire you to lead an ethical business, thrive in a competitive market, and succeed as an entrepreneur.

Honors College

Our accomplished faculty lead small, interactive classes for a deeply rewarding educational experience. Here, you can join a diverse living and learning community, paint with a master in the Grand Canyon, restore a river delta, and cultivate citizenship through serving local and global communities.