Brand Architecture
Large, national, R1 universities like OHIO are organizationally complex and engage with diverse audiences in a wide variety of ways. In that environment, maintaining brand consistency can be challenging, and that only makes is more important. Having a unified brand voice and visual presence influences market awareness, drives brand perception, and ultimately influences the success of the institution overall.
All colleges, divisions, units, organizations, initiatives and projects at OHIO have a role to play in uplifting the institutional brand.
OHIO’s brand architecture helps stakeholders understand how they fit within the overarching University brand and how their individual identity can be expressed within the brand.
Core Brand
The core brand serves as the foundation for any brand expression representing our institution, its colleges, units, programs or initiatives. The core brand is articulated through our institutional brand promise, mantra and pillars and countless stories that bring those pillars to life.
Core brand identity is represented through our one logo system, always utilizing the arched OHIO mark or an appropriate unit/department logo lockup along with brand colors, visual design conventions, imagery and typography.
All academic and support units operating as part of Ohio University and serving its mission should present themselves as part of the core brand.
Core Sub-Brand
Within the core brand, University Communications and Marketing has partnered to develop and support college and unit-specific sub-brand platforms that provide a clear messaging strategy for each of our academic colleges, and units with unique audiences such as our Ohio University Alumni Association and Ohio University Athletics.
Ohio University Athletics Shared Identity
In 2026, Ohio University moved to a one logo identity system with the University retiring its former academic logo to embrace the arched OHIO that had represented OHIO Athletics for the last several decades. At the same time, OHIO Athletics moved to the standalone arched OHIO, versus the lockup with the Attack Cat illustration, as their primary mark.
University
Athletics
In terms of visual identity, Ohio University athletics uses Under the Elms green as its primary color versus Cutler Green, and the OHIO Athletics visual identity is distinct in its more limited use of brand colors and image choice and graphic elements that show the movement, energy, excitement and impact of game day.
College Sub-Brand Expression
While our academic colleges utilize a standardize logo lockup, each of them also have distinctive brand expressions that fall within the core brand while connecting with their unique audiences.
Sub-brand Identity Exceptions
In rare cases, a unit within the core brand is granted an exception to have an identity mark that is outside of the standard logo lockup. These exceptions require approval from the Vice President of University Communications and Marketing and are limited to sub brands marketing to highly specialized audiences. In addition to the unique marks shown below, these sub-brands may also choose to instead use the standard logo lock-up if the use case calls for more alignment with the core brand.
Examples include:
Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine
Ohio University Alumni Association
Extended Brands
Extended brands include entities operated by the University or one of its units that fall within the mission of the institution but have unique audiences, receive significant extrinsic support, and/or are operated in partnership with an external entity. Brand expression for extended brands should always include the University name or mark but may, with approval from the Vice President of University Communications and Marketing, fall outside of the standard logo lockup.
Examples of extended brands include:
Kiplinger Program
Zanesville Education Resource Center
Nanoscale & Quantum Phenomena Institute
Affiliated Brands
Affiliated brands are entities that operate within the framework or footprint of Ohio University but have missions that are distinct from the Ohio University mission. They also typically serve a non-University audience and are primarily funded through extrinsic support.
These affiliated brands can and should have distinct brand identities. If the brand identity includes the name of the University or the entity hopes to convey its alignment with the institution as part of the brand, the brand expression should be reviewed and approved by OHIO’s Vice President for University Communications and Marketing.
Examples of affiliated brands include:
WOUB
Athena Cinema
Small Business Development Centers
Note that any and all entities that receive the majority of their operational funding from University sources must be presented as core or extended brands and may not utilize their own branding as affiliated brands.
Special Programs, Initiatives, Campaigns or Events
In some instances, it is appropriate to create unique branding for a special program, initiative or event operated as part of unique activities. These brands should always be created by or under the direction of University Communications and Marketing. Unique brands should not be created for University events unless the event is intended to be recurring, includes an external audience component, and will attract a repeat audience of significant size.
Examples of these special initiative and event brands include:
Make Respect Visible
Music Industry Summit
Bobcat Brew Trail
Student Organizations
The State of Ohio Revised Code outlines specific requirements for student organization as it relates to utilizing the University logo or brand in their promotions or marketing materials. Guidelines can be found on the Student Affairs website.