Our brand strategy defines who we are and what we stand for. It is an authentic and aspirational foundation for how we differentiate ourselves in the market.
The Brand Purpose is not a tagline, but rather encapsulates the essence of the institution. The Brand Purpose is the compass point that all communication should ladder up to.
It is influenced and formed by the support pillars that provide the framing through which we can understand the essential truth.
Tone words inform our brand voice, and may be dialed up or down depending on the context of messaging. Taken together, the Brand Purpose, Pillars and Tone provide the road map for constructing the University of Oklahoma brand.
Big but small. Public meets private. The individual and the collective. Excellence in the classroom, in the lab, on the field, in the stands, across borders, beyond boundaries. The University of Oklahoma combines intimately personal with endless possibility. A tension that challenges us, empowers us—bridging differences and bringing minds together to create actionable discourse, spirited discovery and meaningful transformation. A shared legacy that we shape and evolve, together. Enriching impactful opportunity and limitless potential for our entire community.
“Collective Pursuit, Limitless Potential” is our Brand Purpose. It is the DNA of our brand, an internal blueprint that we can refer back to when examining our core values and what powers us forward.
Bringing together many perspectives
A community built on family and collaboration
Shared connection, sense of belonging, open invitation
Compassion, empathy, understanding
Individual growth while pursuing passions
Vastness that inspires possibilities
The courage to explore, innovate
Exposure to opportunity, the new, the familiar
Broadening minds, transforming potential
Advancing ourselves and our shared legacy of excellence
While “Collective Pursuit, Limitless Potential” is our north star, our Brand Pillars are our core beliefs and traits that define the who, what, where, how and why of our story. All of our messaging should reflect these values, and we encourage all new messaging to be reviewed against these pillars as a litmus test for brand consistency.
Our Enterprise
“For the benefit of the Citizen and the State”—from expanding perspectives to changing lives, we see possibility and transform potential for our students and society as a whole. In this place of individual and collective discovery, creativity and innovation, we better ourselves, our community and the world around us.
Our Location
This is a landscape that inspires opportunities and empowers experience. Where good will meets grit and a shared spirit of improvement combines our hospitality, humility and hard work. We believe in the power and responsibility of where we sit and what it means to take up space here, as we welcome all to have a seat at the table.
Our Culture & Community
There’s a “Sooner Magic” here you need to experience to understand—a palpable energy of excitement, limitless sense of possibility and deep connection of pride. Yours for the taking—but it takes a certain can-do attitude, resilience and perseverance to harness its full potential. You can find whatever you’re looking for at the University of Oklahoma—your passion, your path, yourself—and our faculty and staff empower you to do so.
Our Impact
We don’t rest on our laurels—we earn them, expand them, every day. As the state’s flagship institution and a beacon of discovery and discourse, we’re transforming the physical and mental health, educational attainment and economic well-being of our people and our state. Shaping the leaders that Oklahoma and the world desperately need, we challenge perspectives and empower possibilities as we honor and advance our legacy of excellence through brave innovation and a commitment to serve.
Tone words reflect the personality of our organization and how the brand feels, looks and sounds. The tone will shift depending on the audience, but all communications should use the following words as a guide.
We’re not afraid of hard work and the perseverance it takes to do things right, better or first.
There’s a welcoming sense of belonging here that invites everyone to feel like a valued, supported part of our story.
Certain in our conviction, sincere in our approach and relentless in our pursuit of expanding opportunities.
We are humble in the way we do what we do and dedicated to serving, as we use our roots to empower our trajectory.
With an enterprising spirit, the University of Oklahoma remains growth-minded, constantly looking forward to new and better ways to discover, create and innovate.
Our brand voice is what defines us when we speak. It’s the way we talk, the perspectives we take and the messages we set forth. Having a unified voice is what allows us to remain distinct and authentic as we communicate to any number of audiences.
