Cultivating a cohesive brand story

In this installment of our series on brand resources, we’ll take a look at how Digital Collegium member institutions use brand pillars, archetypes and narrative frameworks to inspire a shared vision for communicators. These schools excel at tying their brand to their mission, heritage and values to create a strong sense of identity.

Mission inspired

• Antioch University’s brand guide uses its mission, with a strong focus on “social, racial, economic and environmental justice,” as the foundation of its identity. This mission is reflected in the university’s brand voice, including its “Win one for humanity” tagline and its core language tenets of “practicing what we teach,” “inclusion” and “connection.” The mission also inspires the university’s visual elements, including a color palette designed to “share our optimism” and typography that is “universal, friendly and easy to use.” Antioch University’s mission-based brand identity serves to unify messaging across its decentralized campuses.

• Virginia Military Institute has one of the most distinct brand stories of Digital Collegium’s member institutions. Its brand revolves around its military-inspired mission, vision and values, with references to citizen-soldiers, self-discipline, selfless service, courage and honor. This mission, vision and values are codified in the university’s brand pillars, personality and voice, as well as its crest and other imagery.

“Defining a brand personality provides inspiration and helps communicators ‘gut check’ their message against defined traits that promote brand recognition. ”

Heritage and history, with a modern twist

The brand resources of each of these schools are informed by their unique heritage and history, helping to inspire a shared sense of identity that enables cohesive storytelling.

• Carnegie Mellon University’s founder, Andrew Carnegie, was the son of a Scottish weaver. This bit of history inspires the Tartan, CMU’s team name and school pattern. The woven tartan plaid, also available as a digital pattern, represents “different thoughts, interests, backgrounds and skills coming together to make up the fabric of our bold, colorful and unorthodox university.” Other elements of Scottish heritage inspire the brand’s visuals, including the Scottish terrier mascot and the thistle, the national flower of Scotland. Carnegie’s founding commitment, “our hearts are in the work,” serves as the university’s motto and is incorporated throughout its messaging.
• Dillard University’s brand narrative and voice honor the school’s legacy of achievement and Black excellence, tying current and future students’ potential to that legacy. The brand narrative serves as a point of inspiration as well as a source of content that communicators can use in their messaging.
• Penn State University’s design toolkit features elements based on the school’s heritage and architecture. Its official blue-and-white color scheme is complemented by Old Coaly (a shade of black inspired by the mule that served as the unofficial first mascot) and Original 1887 (the dark pink of the school colors at that time). Geometrics, shield elements and other graphics are inspired by campus historic architecture and landmarks, and can be modernized using gradients and overlays. Tying the brand to the school’s unique history allows communicators across Penn State’s many campuses and programs to maintain consistent storytelling.
• Vanderbilt University was founded after the Civil War with a vision to “strengthen the ties between a divided country” and an eye toward the Ivy League schools of the north. This brand story is reflected in the university’s ethos of “Radical Collaboration” and in its core beliefs of Belonging, Self Direction, Collaboration and Growth. These elements help form the foundation of Vanderbilt University’s brand and inspire its visual identity, elements of which were redesigned in 2022 to include modernized logomarks and the university seal and motto of “Crescere aude,” a Latin phrase meaning “dare to grow.”

Unique location

These universities demonstrate how a unique or noteworthy location can be used as a point of distinction in a brand story.

• Dillard University uses its location in New Orleans as a key message pillar. Its supporting points—“a shared history of overcoming challenges,” “the significance of a world-class city” and “a lineage of contribution to New Orleans”—reflect the dynamic relationship between the university and the city. Dillard’s brand guide encourages communicators to use the vibrancy of New Orleans to “create desire and inspire,” particularly for its “Future Bleu Devils” audience. 
• Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi, located on its own island off the Gulf Coast, weaves its unique campus location throughout its brand. It inspires the university’s Islander imagery and messaging: its logo features a “momentum wave (modeled after an on-campus sculpture), and its tagline is “America’s #1 College by the Sea.” Brand pillars include “Gulf Experts” and “Coastal Lifestyle.” Campus members are provided with marketing phrases and sample headlines that reinforce the unique opportunities its location provides, including, “Where Island Learning Meets Island Living,” “Restore the Gulf” and “Our Professors Dive In.” Communicators are encouraged to incorporate these key points into their messaging.

Personality and essence

Defining a brand personality provides inspiration and helps communicators “gut check” their message against defined traits that promote brand recognition. 

• Carnegie Mellon University’s brand personality is embodied in three archetypes: The Hero, The Sage and The Creator. These archetypes help set a message’s tone, and the university provides examples as well as tips on applying each archetype based on communication goals.
• Dillard University uses personality traits to humanize its brand. These traits—open-minded, resilient, self-assured, community-minded, aware and courageous—“shape the voice and tone” of the brand. Communicators can pick and choose the traits most relevant to their message’s audience and goals, using them to align their message to the brand.
• Texas A&M University Corpus Christi uses its brand personality, The Explorer, to promote the unique opportunities the school provides by virtue of its island location, small size, and research and teaching focus. This archetype is reinforced by other elements of the brand, including its academic and cultural points of view, brand pillars and visual elements.