Content Creation

Content refers to the diverse range of visual, textual, and multimedia elements that collectively shape the narrative and visual identity of our brand. It encompasses everything from written copy and images to videos and graphics that we use to communicate our values, mission, and offerings to our audience.

Content creation within the scope of a brand guide involves the strategic development and curation of these elements in alignment with our brand's core principles and guidelines. It's the process of crafting compelling, consistent, and resonant materials that effectively convey our brand's essence while maintaining a unified and recognizable identity across all touchpoints.

The University of Cincinnati is committed to ensuring that all digital content is accessible to everyone, including individuals with disabilities. This commitment is not only required by law but is also in line with our mission of providing equal access to information and opportunities to all members of our community. Our EIT Accessibility Policy outlines the responsibilities of each college and unit in ensuring the accessibility of their digital content, including websites, documents, and multimedia.

Brand voice is the way we communicate words to our audience. This distinctive style captures our personality, values and vision. Understanding and applying our brand voice consistently across all platforms enables us to forge meaningful connections with our diverse audience and embody the spirit of UC.

While our voice always remains consistent, our tone changes based on the audience we are talking to, what the situation is, and what we are communicating.

Writing tips: Be clear, positive, and use active-voice. Avoid using passive-voice, negative language, or being confusing or complicated.

A tagline is a concise phrase, usually spanning three to six words, that captures the essence of our brand identity—our mission, vision, and values. While taglines don't appear in our university templates, they can be influential when used appropriately. However, it's important to note that their inclusion might disrupt design balance and hierarchy or divert attention from the institutional logo or your lockup. As such, taglines are generally discouraged in our marketing materials.

Should you choose to incorporate a tagline into your marketing toolkit, it's crucial to ensure its longevity. A well-crafted tagline should withstand the test of time for at least three to five years. Additionally, any proposed tagline must secure approval from the University of Cincinnati's Brand Review Committee and potentially undergo Trademark and Licensing review and approval.

It's worth mentioning that the University of Cincinnati does not employ a tagline at the institutional level. Instead, we leverage slogans to communicate our various offerings and initiatives.

In contrast to taglines, slogans are brief, memorable catchphrases closely tied to specific products, programs, services, campaigns, or endeavors. They find their home in advertising and are designed with defined timelines, typically lasting 1–2 years. Slogans are crafted to adapt based on distinct audiences or even a specific user's journey. This adaptability gives us the agility to cater to our diverse audience mix effectively.

Slogans empower us to fine-tune our messaging, ensuring relevance and resonance with specific target groups. Their flexibility is a cornerstone of our dynamic brand communication approach, allowing us to engage with various stakeholders in meaningful ways.

The University defines a tagline as a brief phrase (three to six words) that references the parent entity and speaks to brand identity—mission, vision, and values.  

Taglines do not appear in our university templates. The use of taglines may disturb balance and hierarchy in your design work and could even distract from the institutional logo or your lockup. Taglines are not necessary in marketing and are discouraged. 

If you elect to include a tagline in your marketing toolkit, that tagline should have a shelf life of at least three to five years. Taglines require approval from the University of Cincinnati’s Brand Review Committee and may additionally require Trademark and Licensing review and approval. 

UC does not utilize a tagline at the institutional level; instead, UC utilizes slogans. The University defines a slogan as a short, memorable catchphrase associated with a specific product, program, service, campaign, or endeavor used in advertising. Slogans have definitive timelines, typically 1–2 years. Slogans are intentionally designed to change based on a specific audience or even a specific user’s journey. This model provides us with the flexibility needed for our diverse audience mix.