The Challenge
Brigham Young University enjoys outstanding rankings and has the largest undergraduate enrollment of any private university in the nation. But communications were siloed and fragmented, and misperceptions persisted among employers and other key audiences. We partnered with the University on a research initiative to inform and inspire BYU’s first university-wide brand and identity system.
The Impact
The research guided our development of an emphatic, audience-centric brand story that energized the university community at every level, forged a new sense of collaboration among communicators, and became the foundation for a national awareness campaign. A large number of visitors to the campaign microsite have spent twice the normal time on the site, with the majority of visits coming from states with historically low awareness of BYU.
Project components
- Qual/quant research
- Concept testing
- Brand platform
- Messaging—audience translations, academic units
- Brand guide
- Brand workshops—university-wide, college-specific
- National ad campaign—print, digital banners, storyboards, out-of-home
Thank you for developing an inspiring brand message for us that is resonating strongly across campus and for helping us to develop a fantastic marketing campaign (that is now out in the wild). Thank you for sharing your expertise, your talents, and all of your excellent work with us.
Jeff McClellan
Director, Brand & Creative, Brigham Young University
Brand Narrative
We believe a world yearning for hope and joy needs the graduates of Brigham Young University (BYU). As disciples of Jesus Chris, BYU graduates are motivated by love for God and His children. BYU graduates are directed by living prophets prepared to serve, lift, and lead. This preparation demands a unique university model: at BYU, belief enhances inquiry, study amplifies faith, and revelation leads to deeper understanding.
At BYU, helping students to develop their full divine potential is central to both our teaching and our scholarship. As the flagship higher education institution of The Church of Jesus Chris of Latter-day Saints, BYU strives to emit a unique light for the benefit of the world—a light that will enable BYU to be counted among the exceptional universities in the world and an essential example for the world.
Message Translations
Marriott School of Business
College of Engineering
College of Humanities
College of Family, Home, and Social Sciences
College of Fine Arts and Communications
McKay School of Education
At the BYU McKay School of Education, our inspiration is Jesus Christ, the Master Teacher. We educate for eternity, knowing that every person is a child of God with a divine nature and destiny.
Learning, for us, is life-giving—it’s why McKay School students commit to serving in challenging and noble professions, and why McKay School faculty dedicate themselves to being leading scholars, outstanding teachers, and role models of living the gospel.
As faculty, staff, and administrators, we devote our minds and spirits to our work, so we can nurture the full potential in others—for the benefit of the world.
Identity System Architecture
