The SUU Brand
At Southern Utah University, our brand is more than just a tagline - it's the heart of who we are and how we connect with our community. A unified voice and visual identity are vital to our success. This guide, curated by the SUU Marketing Communication Office, offers tools for representing SUU's distinctive story and values. Explore and join us as brand champions, soaring together.
On this page:
SUU's Visual Identity
For visual elements like SUU's logo, fonts, colors, and photography guidelines, please visit the Visual Identity page. While the brand page covers our foundational messaging and personality, the Visual Identity page is your go-to resource for style details that ensure a consistent, recognizable look across all materials. There, you'll find everything you need to visually represent SUU with accuracy and cohesion.
Our Purpose
We build meaningful relationships with students both in and out of the classroom. These authentic connections empower students to achieve more than they thought possible. Having supportive mentors and a career-focused education builds confidence and momentum setting students up for rewarding personal and professional lives.
What is a brand?
- The experience we create
- The personality we convey
- The message we deliver
- The identity we express
- The promise we make to our audiences
- The essence of our organization
Brand Narrative
At Southern Utah University, this is where you soar! This is where you realize your potential with personalized guidance from faculty, staff, peer mentors, and friends who believe in you. Even when the journey seems uncertain, you'll face challenges with confidence, knowing you have a supportive community cheering you on. This is where every project, course, and obstacle becomes an opportunity to achieve more than you thought possible. With hands-on, career-focused learning, you gain practical experience that sets you apart. In an atmosphere charged with ambition and possibility, those simple notes of encouragement and moments of genuine care make all the difference. Here, you don't just fly—you soar.
What is a narrative?
Our brand narrative is the foundation of SUU’s story, capturing who we are, why we matter, and why our audiences should care. It reflects a proud, distinct SUU personality that connects emotionally, inspires our messaging, and sets clear expectations for what we stand for. This narrative elevates our strengths and provides context for our journey, forming an authentic and unique story that’s all our own. It should act as a gut-check for any marketing materials produced for the University, ensuring the deeper motivation of your audience and the tone of voice aligns with the brand.
Brand Pillars
Our brand pillars were drafted and refined based on audience insights and in concert with the university’s strategic plan.
These pillars are meant as a guide for how to articulate to our audiences what it means to soar and why that is important. They help us craft communications that deepen awareness, change perceptions, and move our audiences from feelings to action.
Personality
Validating & Challenging
This is where we see the best in our students, motivating them to soar beyond expectations–theirs and ours. These genuine, deep connections energize students to push the boundaries and realize their potential.
Always
- Use down-to-earth language
- Genuine
- Friendly
- Encouraging
- Unpretentious
Never
- Dismissive
- Patronizing
- Underestimating a student's capabilities
Networked & Empowering
From the moment students start their SUU journey, we begin connecting them to the right people, the right knowledge, the right resources, creating an atmosphere charged with opportunity. And that extends to the world beyond the classroom and campus, linking their talents and goals to our successful alumni and the world of work. Our graduates are proud and confident knowing their degree has value in the marketplace.
Always
- Use stories to inspire
- Motivate
- Uplift
- Illustrate the transformative experience at SUU to help students succeed
Never
- Indifferent
- Ignoring a students need for support
- Overpromise or exaggerate outcomes
- Lacking authenticity
Purpose-Driven, Value-Minded & Industrious
Our institutional character is rooted in SUU’s origin story—our willingness to “go back up the mountain”—and the resourceful, pragmatic culture of the Beehive State. We believe that affordability is an essential element of a transformative education—and fundamental to providing everyone momentum toward a better tomorrow.
Always
- Help students move forward
- Be clear
- Relatable
- Emphasize the practical benefits and accessibility of SUU
- Dependable and trustworthy for the 99%
Never
- Apathetic
- Complacent
- Losing sight of our mission
- Stuck in our ways
- Assume students are higher ed experts
- Use exclusionary, elitist language or actions
Campaign Style
The campaign style captures the memorable moments that define the SUU experience—whether through purposeful learning, meaningful connections, or a sense of place and tradition. At SUU, growth happens in moments of challenge and triumph, with mentors and a community always supporting students. This visual guide reflects SUU’s spirit, weaving nostalgia and connection into designs that celebrate the people, places, and stories shaping each Thunderbird's journey. When building visual materials, follow the steps outlined below.
STEP #1: Moments Of Purpose
To create a strong impact, the core moment of the SUU experience should occupy 60% of the visual space in every campaign message. Begin by telling a story that resonates with your audience, selecting from different types of memorable SUU moments to best connect with viewers. This includes moments like bonding, novelty, reflection, inspiration, tenacity, and accomplishment.
STEP #2: Connection With People
Show the context of SUU’s support system on the periphery of each visual, illustrating the connections that helped students reach success and make lasting memories. While students never soar alone, support is shown in unique ways, with connection moments taking up 20% of the visual space. Build on the core moment by featuring photography (e.g., Polaroids, photo strips), personal notes, or artifacts like ticket stubs, patches, or small mementos, to represent relationships and meaningful experiences shared along the journey.
STEP #3: Nostalgia For Place
Every campaign message should enhance the lore and legacy of SUU, evoking memories of significant moments and the places where they occurred. The SUU logo and tagline should be prominently featured in the campaign, alongside representations of campus landmarks, traditions, and values. This visual storytelling should draw from personal experiences and meaningful objects, reinforcing authenticity. The remaining 20% of the visual content should focus on these elements, creating a connection to the rich experiences that define SUU's community and culture.
Consider downloading this guide for our Brand Design as a quick reference -