A brand is more than a logo. It is the voice we use to tell our stories. It is the experience people have with our university. Our brand guidelines are the tools we use to create those stories and reinforce those experiences; they are the operating manual for looking, speaking, and acting as One University.
Ohio State, Brand Guidelines Website |
Brand StoryHow does a major university with nearly 33,000 employees effectively and efficiently manage its brand and visual identity?
The University Communications department has developed a comprehensive website devoted to the university’s brand story and guidelines. From key messaging and editorial style guides to photographs, digital media and mobile app templates (just to mention a few!), the Ohio State brand website provides thorough, helpful information to its employees to build a strong brand identity. Mission & Institutional Position Statements The Ohio State University brand is rooted in the school’s history, identity and achievements and is expressed and supported in the school’s mission and institutional position statements. Mission statement: To advance the well-being of the people of Ohio and the global community through the creation and dissemination of knowledge. Our brand looks to the future, too, ready for tomorrow's challenges and opportunities. Institutional position statement: Ohio State is a dynamic community where opportunity thrives. Through our far-reaching network of diverse resources and perspectives, we foster the incisive thinking, spirit of collaboration, and depth of character you need to transform yourself and your world. Brand characteristics Ohio State claims to be like no other university. Here are the distinguishing characteristics the school uses to support this assertion. Size and breadth: Our abilities and strength derive from our vastness of resources, including our people. Collaborative opportunities: Within our academic, research, social, and civic-minded community, the ways we connect and intersect with each other create a thriving environment for learning and growing. Personal pathways: Ohio State supports and encourages individuals to pursue their own path to fulfillment through knowledge. It is a gateway to immense personal and professional opportunities for those with the initiative to seize them. A Midwest sensibility: While we weren't all born Buckeyes, the Midwest mindset is a big part of our culture and something we come to share. Brand personality Ohio State’s brand guidelines also articulate the school’s brand personality and indicate these personality traits should be apparent in all university communications. Open and sincere: We welcome anyone who is curious and willing to work hard. Even as we compete to be the best, we think being friendly is just good manners. Big and bold: For those who want to transform the ways our society thinks and lives, opportunity and a lifelong badge of distinction await at Ohio State. We push boundaries. Creative and inquisitive: Buckeyes are interested in why things are the way they are. We question. We explore. Practical: At Ohio State, we learn through experience and generate knowledge with real-life application. Our pursuit of excellence is imbued with a Midwestern sense of pragmatism. Spirited: We Buckeyes are energetic and proud of who we are, but our pride is not limited to history or sports. We bring vitality to everything we do. |