Overview of The University of Akron’s brand
It’s important for The University of Akron to consistently communicate who we are and what we believe to our key constituents. That consistent communication fosters credibility, allowing each of our colleges, schools and departments to gain tremendous value from their association with the UA brand.
University Communications and Marketing is responsible for disseminating and overseeing the UA brand guidelines and we will gladly assist you as we move forward under a single strong brand.
What is a Brand?
It’s more than a logo, a slogan, a mascot or an ad campaign. It’s long-lasting, with enduring strength.
A brand is:
- The promise we make to our audiences
- The essence of our University
- The experience we create
- The personality we convey
- The message we deliver
- The identity we express
Our Brand Look
A unified visual identity is crucial to building brand recognition and shaping a strong UA brand in the communities we serve, communicating important attributes of our institution to our students, parents, research partners and donors. It encompasses names, logos, type fonts and color palettes, allowing individual UA entities that comply with our style to instantly leverage our brand value.
Used properly in all UA communication materials, our visual style will ensure a powerful presentation of the University’s brand.
- It allows all entities to communicate with one voice rather than diluting our brand with multiple, conflicting brand interpretations.
- It gives each entity instant recognition as a UA unit.
- It consistently communicates our brand attributes to each entity’s audiences.
- It saves the time and expense of creating multiple visual solutions, allowing each entity to save valuable resources.
- It protects not only the University’s brand equity but that of each entity as well.
Colleges and departments are required to follow these visual standards in all communications.
Student groups are not required to follow these standards in their internal communications. However, they are encouraged to do so when communicating to off-campus audiences in an official capacity on behalf of UA.
We invite you to read more about our visual style and how your unit fits within the UA brand hierarchy. If you have questions about print or web applications, please refer to The Brand Guidelines (PDF, 10MB).
Our Brand Voice
“We Are Akron. We Rise Together.” This is our master brand creative platform that speaks to the University’s tight-knit, supportive community. But it’s much more than a stand-alone tagline. It’s a motivational and inspirational call to action that shapes our communications and how we talk about ourselves. And it’s flexible: it can tee up a range of headlines and body copy that match the tone and intent of our message, whether they’re focused on admission or advancement.
The Brand Guidelines (PDF, 10MB) capture it all: how we tell our story, how we convey who we are, and how we share the work we’re doing with others.