Writing on Brand

Our mission is to serve as Colorado鈥檚 leading public research university.听Our vision is to transform lives for a sustainable world. Our brand brings that to life. When we communicate with clarity and consistency, we build trust and deepen connection. This is your guide to doing both.

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Brand Positioning听

CU Boulder is one of a kind, and our communication proudly declares what makes us stand out:

  • This is the only place that empowers people to Be Boulder. And a Buff.
  • Colorado鈥檚 leading public research university, transforming lives since 1876.
  • A strong return on investment for the state of Colorado and all Coloradans.
  • A destination of choice for students, faculty and staff.

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Value Proposition Statement

What makes us CU Boulder?

The 91制片厂国产AV is Colorado鈥檚 leading public research university, transforming lives since 1876. CU Boulder is a destination of choice for students, faculty and staff; in fact, it is the only place where you can Be Boulder鈥攁nd a Buff. As the flagship university of our state, we have proudly served Coloradans since our state was founded. And we provide a strong return on investment by aligning our efforts to achieve research excellence, global sustainability impact and the success of all Buffs.

A print ad featuring an image that blends a historic Old Main photo with a recent photo. The spread includes the value proposition statement, the CU Boulder lockup, and the Ralphie mark.

Key Messages

  • CU Boulder is transforming lives through comprehensive research and creative work. We鈥檙e making big progress in areas we鈥檙e known for鈥攍ike aerospace, sustainability, biosciences and quantum research. And we鈥檙e also shining in the arts and humanities, social sciences, law, music, education, communications, engineering and new fields like artificial intelligence.
  • In 2024, CU Boulder started 35 new companies based on university research 鈥攖he second-highest number ever recorded in the country.
  • For 75 years, our faculty and students have been creating technologies for the U.S. Space Program and training future space explorers.
  • Our researchers study what causes disease and long-term pain so they can create treatments that are more effective and accessible.
  • In the Western U.S. and around the world, CU Boulder research teams are preparing communities and their water systems for droughts.
  • We want to help every community enjoy access to clean air, fresh water, abundant food and a vibrant natural environment鈥攖he necessities for building a happy, healthy life.
  • We鈥檙e conducting earth sciences and sustainability research that creates solutions to some of the biggest issues that humanity faces.
  • We鈥檙e incorporating sustainability into our curriculum to prepare students to create lasting positive impacts in their communities.
  • We鈥檙e decarbonizing our campus because we know impact is greatest when we all participate.
  • We鈥檙e teaming up with local communities to prove that being sustainable has practical benefits and creates a stronger economy.
  • More students than ever before are finding the support they need to stay in college and graduate, no matter their background. We鈥檙e working hard to make sure everyone continues to have the same opportunities to reach their goals.
  • We are creating a welcoming campus where students, faculty and staff feel supported and connected.
  • We鈥檙e setting new goals to reduce our total cost of attendance, invest in new housing in and around Boulder and enhance belonging on campus.
  • We鈥檙e improving learning and career opportunities through professional development, support services and hands-on experiences in research and creative work.
  • We鈥檙e working to hire and keep talented staff and faculty by offering competitive pay, strong support and clear paths to success. And we鈥檙e measuring that success more effectively.
  • CU Boulder is transforming how we operate to better and more effectively deliver on our mission.
  • We鈥檙e building on a nearly 100-year academic tradition of collaborating between units to develop exciting new classes, research projects and learning opportunities.
  • Our campus will continue to work together to transform the lives of people in Colorado while giving our students, faculty and staff the best experience possible.
  • We鈥檙e working across campus to deepen our collaboration and align campus resources to improve outcomes and sustain our mission long term.

Audiences

CU Boulder鈥檚 primary audiences include current students, employees, donors, industry partners, supporters and alumni. These audiences stay top of mind in all of our messaging. Our secondary audiences are people interacting with CU Boulder who we want to be more engaged, including prospective members of our community.听

Voice and Tone

Brand Personality

Our brand personality embodies the values of our community. These eight characteristics inform how we speak to audiences.

Bold

Authentic and respectful

Proud of what Buffs accomplish

Self-aware, honest and determined

Clear and to the point

Conversational through noninstitutional language

Inspirational

Supportive, informative and consistent

Brand Language

Be statements are inspirational, supportive and succinct statements that you can use to explain what it means to 鈥淏e Boulder.鈥 Be statements resonate most with the learner audience, but you can use them for all audiences.

Examples:

  • Be adventurous.
  • Be impactful.
  • Be curious.
  • Be supported.
  • Be daring.
  • Be balanced.
  • Be thoughtful.
  • Be inspired.
  • Be sustainable.
A CU Boulder produced admissions brochure that includes a Be statement.

Buff statements are self-selected by current and engaged Buff audiences as they find, develop and thrive within their CU Boulder communities. There are two types of Buff statements: the individual Buff statement and the collective Buff statement.

  1. Example: I am a space Buff.

Use individual Buff statements for interest fields鈥攏ot for colleges, schools, programs or units. Precede 鈥淏uff鈥 in the sample statement with a noun that represents your audience鈥檚 interest, field of study or research.

  1. Example: Arts Buffs

Use the collective identity for communications that have no individual tie to a person, but instead have a tie to a group from a college, school, program or team. The collective identity can also represent CU Boulder鈥檚 contribution to society, such as 鈥淚nnovative Buffs鈥 or 鈥淓ntrepreneur Buffs.鈥澨

CU Boulder produced stickers that include Buff statements, like "I am a grad school Buff."

At CU Boulder, our goal is to always present a consistent and high standard of writing that reflects the university鈥檚 standard of excellence. Our editorial style guide provides university-specific information for communicators, such as how to abbreviate major fields of study and how to create a welcoming environment through your word choices.听

Editorial Style Guide