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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.

ʯÁñÊÓƵ’s brand is so much more than a logo or color – it’s the way our University is perceived by the people and communities that interact with us. It’s a combined effect – our stories, the way they are told and how they are presented work together to define us in the minds of our audience. Consistency is king and the details matter.

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.

In fall 2020, SU’s Marketing and Communications (MarCom) Team, led by the associate vice president of marketing and communications, partnered with Stamats Communications, Inc. and its subsidiary, The Thornburg Group, to conduct SU’s Brand Exercise Project.

Throughout the project, research, surveys and focus groups provided insight into what makes ʯÁñÊÓƵ unique. The goal was to create an authentic SU brand to define what makes the University special and provide the narrative that tells the world about SU’s warm and welcoming environment full of access to rich and plentiful opportunities and experiences.

An overview and timeline of the project are available on the Brand Project History page.

It’s never been more important to ensure we tell our story in a way that’s authentic, yet differentiates what we have to offer, as choices and preferences in higher education continue to grow.

Our previous major branding initiatives – “Live. Learn. Lead.” and A Maryland University of National Distinction – were adopted nearly two decades ago. At that time, there was no internal or external contribution to their creation and an overall brand identity was not considered. In an effort to create an authentic brand that is inclusive and reflects the current campus, an extensive Brand Exercise Project was conducted in 2020-21. After months of research, workshops and focus groups, the new brand launched in fall 2021.

 

• Although the school colors of maroon and gold have not changed, we have developed a small set of accent colors; see the Graphics Standards Manual for details.
• We have a signature design element called the SU Wave. This simple open curve is now reflected on the SU website, and the University Communications Team is incorporating it on other publications and digital media.
• SU has adopted a new typeface/font – Libre Franklin – which can be downloaded from or activated for account holders. The previous SU fonts of Baskerville and Avenir will not be discontinued, but Libre Franklin will be the primary font for all campus marketing materials.
• We have refined and updated our Graphics Standards Manual and created a (note: the Brand Guide is password protected. Click the button and enter your FULL email address and network password when prompted) to outline the specific language and images that align with the brand.
• Letterhead and business cards have been redesigned and can be ordered through the .
• We updated our Text Style Guide and Inclusive and Affirming Language Guide.

• SU logo.
• Our school colors: maroon and gold.
• The SU Athletics Sammy the Sea Gull logo and mascot.
• The University seal.

No! Sammy the Sea Gull is still our loyal mascot. Details on Sammy logo usage are available in the Graphics Standards Manual.

The ideas these two taglines represent did not go away. Instead, the ideas they encompass are reflected in the new brand’s promise:

ʯÁñÊÓƵ is home to inspired students and educators, fostering rich opportunities and a broad world view to challenge ourselves to shape the future.

Yes … and no.

The new brand centers around the tagline and concept “Make Tomorrow Yours,” which is informed from the centering idea of “Setting Success in Motion.”

Although these phrases can be used literally, the University Communications Team is using their themes as jumping off points to illuminate the distinct aspects and people that make up the University. Think of the brand themes as an invitation for the reader to engage with our community through your unique lens.

To find out how these new themes can be used for your group, put in a request through the .

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: it’s promise, pillars, character, centering idea and concept through this brand website, the new and SU’s Graphics Standards Manual.

Browse this website and start reviewing your materials and messages. You can still use your existing materials, but as you plan for updates, plan on working with the University Communications Team to find out how to best represent your information through the brand.

Ready to use the brand now? The good news is our team of marketing and design professionals will automatically apply the brand, as needed, to your requests made through the (publications and items) and (digital communications). Want to discuss a broader marketing strategy, you can use the for that too! Just put in a request with your ideas and details and we’ll help make it a reality.

It’s important to keep graphics within the system we’ve developed, and we can work with you to come up with a solution to accommodate most needs. The brand represents all members of the University, so we want to work with you to find a way to best convey your group’s unique message through the brand. Rather than using elements to develop on your own, please start this process through the and a member of the University Communications Team will work with you to realize your vision while maintaining the brand.

Since multiple logos dilute the brand, we discourage the creation and use of additional logos. Reference the Graphics Standards Manual for details on how the Creative Services and Brand Strategy Office can marry your group’s identity with the SU logo. You can start this process through the .

• For letterhead:
  • Visit the Visual Brand Elements page to download the updated electronic template. 
  • Order through the .
• For business cards, order through the .
• For a Power Point template, visit the Visual Brand Elements page to download the updated electronic template.

When promoting the brand and the SU community on social media, #MTY (the acronym for Make Tomorrow Yours) represents our Sea Gull community. It can be used with communications to alumni and the campus community, as well as in recruitment materials and on social media, for building our Sea Gull community online.