Brand Platform
Ohio University’s brand platform serves as the foundation for our institutional identity, look, voice and narrative, clearly and boldly communicating which stories we choose to tell and the way we tell them. A distinct and unified brand helps every Bobcat articulate our shared University identity and aspirations in a way that resonates – who we are, who we hope to be, and what people think and feel about OHIO.
Anchored By Our Mission
OHIO’s brand story is rooted in our University mission of holding the door open for students who are eager to learn, connecting them with experiences that prepare them for career and community service and leadership. Our brand and our mission should always feel consistent and aligned to support (rather than compete with) one another. After all, Bobcats help Bobcats.
Brand Promise
Our brand promise expresses the defining value we offer to the people we serve – our students, our state, our partners, and all those who benefit from our teaching and scholarship.
Our Promise
Ohio University unlocks opportunities, experiences and connections that influence the success of our students and the communities we serve, today and for generations to come.
This simple but powerful promise has been true since Ohio University’s founding in 1804. Established as the first institution in the Northwest Territory, OHIO’s charter calls out the intrinsic importance of education in the prosperity of people and of society as a whole.
Brand Mantra
The brand promise is most simply expressed in our brand mantra: Forever OHIO.
Forever OHIO is more than a tagline; it’s an identity, a deep and lasting connection with the people, places and life-changing experiences and opportunities gained here. These two simple words weave our storied history with our promise for the futures of those we serve.
It speaks to the lasting impact OHIO has had and will have; to the depth of enduring commitment we have for our students; the abiding love for this verdant and globally unique place, and to the invisible green-and-white string forever connecting us not only via past shared experiences, but an evergreen, singular goal: continue to boldly move OHIO and the world forever forward.
Brand Pillars
Our brand pillars anchor our brand voice and personality and help us focus our storytelling. They articulate who we are as an institution and how we show up in the world.
OHIO fuels opportunity.
Ohio University prepares students for fulfilling careers in in-demand fields, with the majority of our undergraduate students earning career-aligned degrees. As a public state University, we are committed to educating students from and recruiting students to Ohio, and we are a leader in educating the workforce that is driving Ohio’s economy now and into the future. Our faculty and students are deeply engaged with businesses, governments and non-profits across the region we serve to uplift local economies, support and strengthen regional infrastructure and expand access to healthcare, education and the arts.
OHIO builds leaders ready to serve.
We provide the personalized support students need to find their passions and their potential, and then we step back and let them lead. Our residential campus in Athens serves as a learning lab where students have ample opportunity to create new organizations and initiatives and test ideas. OHIO is home to multiple student-run media outlets, a student-led record label, student-supported health clinics in multiple fields, a student investment group managing part of our Ohio University Foundation portfolio, and much more. Students see the impact they can and do have on our University community, and they leave ready to serve communities across the state and around the world.
OHIO partners to solve big problems.
As a top research university situated in an ecologically and economically unique region, we develop and apply solutions that have significant impact on the Appalachian region we call home. Within the university, we collaborate across disciplines and generations to form creative inquiry teams that have strong faculty mentorship, curious undergraduate and inspired graduate students, who bring both breadth and depth of knowledge to fuel our research enterprise. Externally we partner with our communities and industries to be sure that solutions will work not just here, but across the globe.
Bobcats pave the way for future Bobcats.
Ohio University graduates are fiercely loyal and always ready to support the success of the next generation of Bobcats. They have helped the University build unmatched experiential learning programs such as our D.C.-based externship program for journalism students, OHIO in L.A. for students studying film, and incredible internships in professional sports for students pursuing a degree in sports administration. All OHIO students have the opportunity to connect with alumni during their college journey through our Bobcats Help Bobcats programs, building an incredible support network, for life.
Brand Personality
If your role at OHIO includes marketing or communication, it’s important to not only understand our brand story but also to embrace our brand personality, which helps set our brand apart in the marketplace. In your storytelling, keep these attributes of our brand personality in mind:
Creative
Inventive, Eclectic, Resourceful
Authentic
Grounded, Sincere, True to self
Tenacious
Persistent, Focused, Enthusiastic
Fun
Cool, Relevant, Casual
Engaged
Collaborative, Helpful, Impactful