Frequent Questions

Most plainly stated, a brand is a perception. It’s the intangible combination of images, personality, identity, values, story and experience that comes to mind when you think of a product, organization or person. Good brands add value to an organization and ring true to who you are. 

In 2018, a group of individuals from across campus came together to identify opportunities for improvement in UNI’s strategic marketing and communication efforts. President Mark Nook and senior leadership approved moving forward with a comprehensive brand strategy initiative which involved:

• Research. Partnering with UNI’s Center for Social and Behavioral Research and Strategic Marketing Services, nearly 3,500 people representing 14 audiences responded to quantitative online surveys or participated in focus groups and in-depth interviews during the 2018-2019 academic year.
   
• Planning and conceptual development. Through an RFP, UNI selected and partnered with Michael Patrick Partners (San Francisco, Calif.) to build the overarching brand, messaging and creative platforms. The initial research plus an additional round of in-depth interviews with key stakeholders informed these next steps. 
   
• Execution and implementation. By fall 2020, internal teams comprised of University Relations and college marketing managers and staff completed the visual identity, creative direction and messaging for the updated brand. Upon approval of all elements, the teams developed a rollout plan for launch on Feb. 1, 2021. 

University Relations led this effort in collaboration with college marketing managers, serving as a branding workgroup and subset of a larger Integrated Marketing Council (IMC). UR and the workgroup provided updates to the IMC, President’s Cabinet/Senior Leadership, Dean’s Council, University Council and University Advancement as the strategy and its components were developed.

A brand is the culmination of identity, story and experience that you have with an organization, product/service or person. The logo is part of a brand’s visual identity, made up of a combination of images and/or text that serve as a visual representation of the brand. 

The initial research provided insights from more than 3,400 constituents of all backgrounds and laid the foundation for the strategic and creative development which followed. Smaller groups of faculty, students, staff, alumni and leadership provided additional review and feedback at key milestones of development, including strategy, messaging and creative touchpoints. 

First, remember that what you do every day in your interactions with prospective students, students, faculty, staff and others is part of living the brand. 

Second, get to know this updated brand and story, our shared personality, and brand guidelines. Browse the website, join in education sessions within your unit and start reviewing your materials and messages. Many units have a brand ambassador who can serve as a point of contact to answer questions or you can reach out to University Relations at brand@uni.edu. 

Ready for a specific project that needs University Relations assistance? Submit a creative services request form and get started!

You can find email signature instructions in the Template Gallery on Google Drive. For an HTML version of the email signature, please contact brand@uni.edu or your Brand Ambassador.

Lockups are now available in Photoshelter. If you don't see your lockup, please contact brand@uni.edu.