The Virginia Tech brand
This is our moment.
We have a bold new vision. Now we have a brand to match.
How did we get here? That’s what this page will tell you. We’ll share the in-depth and intentional process that led us here today. We’ll share the foundational messaging on which we will build our brand. We’ll share the bold story that we will tell to the world. And we’ll call on you to tell that story in a way that only Hokies can.
Responsive Vertical Timeline
Discovery
More than 100 interviews representing students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members. Stakeholder survey, marketing and communications review, research & document evaluation, competitor & peer audit.
August-December 2016Strategy
Collaborative work sessions to develop a unique and authentic strategic platform. Engaged steering committee, conducted strategy workshops with communicators, developed brand positioning framework, value proposition, and messaging.
January 2017Creative concepts
Collaborative work sessions to develop a differentiating verbal and visual brand. Established creative direction for photography and video.
February 2017Concept testing
Testing the creative work to finalize a cohesive system, which includes messaging, voice and tone, conveying the value proposition, personality, visual elements of Virginia Tech.
March 2017Documentation
Building the brand tool kit. Creating guidelines, brand book, and developing digital brand center.
April 2017Socialization
Engaging with leadership, stakeholders, and university communicators.
May 2017Release
Launching the brand to the world.
September 2017Training
Training university communicators.
Fall 2017What is a brand?
A brand is the total experience we create for all of our audiences.
It’s a statement that asks every Hokie to courageously answer the call — to help bring our mission to life on campus, in our communities, and in every corner of the globe.
Building on greatness
We have a strong history that embodies our land-grant mission. Our history is a source of pride and a driving force for who we are and what we want to achieve. Our new brand helps us build on that foundation to propel us into the future, creating the comprehensive land-grant university of tomorrow.
Defining our message
Our story is multifaceted and everchanging, yet it’s important that we all have a unified understanding of what we do, how we do it, and why we do it. These are the most critical parts of our brand story.
What we do
We reimagine the roles of education and technology.
We foster a transdisciplinary approach that integrates technology in all spheres of inquiry.
How we do it
We push the boundaries of knowledge and support people in their quests to go beyond limits.
We are VT-shaped, focused, and tenacious.
Why we do it
We are a force for positive change.
We are driven to serve ( Ut Prosim ).
Organizing our message
Our brand is built around a core value proposition — a statement that combines what we do and why it matters in a way that sets us apart from other universities. We support this idea with three brand pillars — research, culture, and learning — that show how we live out our value proposition.
Our brand platform
To understand what it truly means to be a Hokie, we included voices from across the Virginia Tech community. We used that inspiration to build on our messaging to create a story that is authentic to who we are and reflects where we are going.
CLAIM YOUR ROLE
THIS PHRASE IS THE SPIRIT OF OUR BRAND
It’s a statement that asks every Hokie to courageously answer the call — to help bring our mission to life on campus, in our communities, and in every corner of the globe.
Reaching our audiences
As we launch this platform, we’ve made sure that it’s flexible enough to resonate with our key audiences. Each of the statements shown here represents the sentiment of Claim Your Role, but in different words. “Claim Your Role” is not a tagline; rather, it’s a continual theme that should be present in all of our communications.
FACULTY & STAFF
Inspire students to find their role.
PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS
Your role awaits. Claim it.
CURRENT STUDENTS
Explore your role.
ALUMNI
Your role as a Hokie is lifelong.
DONORS
Declare your role.
GENERAL PUBLIC
Virginia Tech is ready.
Photo Sprint
Composing our voice
Our brand personality sets the tone for our brand voice. The voice leans on authentic traits (earnest, tenacious, and proud) as well as aspirational traits (inclusive, courageous, and adaptable). To ensure that our aspirational traits become a natural extension of our brand, we’ll emphasize them in the way we communicate.
Emphasize that we are...
INCLUSIVE
We deliberately ensure that everyone in our community feels welcome and valued.
COURAGEOUS
We will break new ground and blaze new trails to improve the world. We’re not afraid to disrupt the status quo to advance society.
ADAPTABLE
In a rapidly changing world, we have the flexibility to embrace new ideas and change our approach.
Remember that we are...
EARNEST
We have a sincere work ethic and a genuine passion to serve in profound and meaningful ways.
TENACIOUS
Hokies get it done. We’ve got the perseverance and resolve to push past any obstacle.
PROUD
We truly love being Hokies, and we’re always excited to share our spirit and devotion with the world.
Crafting our look
Our visual language includes a set of flexible graphic elements that reflect who we are and distinguish us from our competitors.
Primary color palette
Chicago Maroon
Burnt Orange
Yardline White
Hokie Stone
Secondary color palette
Pylon
Purple
Boundless
Pink
Virginia
Sunset
Triumphant
Yellow
Sustainable
Teal
Vibrant
Turquoise
Land-Grant
Grey
Skipper
Smoke
Burnt Orange
Web
Cadet
Blue
Bringing our brand to life
Our brand will come to life in many ways, from on-campus displays to digital expressions, from commercials and magazines to admissions books and donor materials.
With meaning and intention, our brand will shape every experience that we create.
Evolving the university logo
As Virginia Tech reimagines its role as a global land-grant university, we have reimagined the visual representation of the university. By aligning our institutional and athletic identities, we have created a bold, simple, and recognizable logo that strengthens our overall brand.
NEW LOGO
Increasingly, the Virginia Tech community thrives at the intersections of academic disciplines. In the university mark, linking the letters with a fluid line visually depicts the bridging of boundaries. Spelled out in our preferred font, the letters of “Virginia Tech” mirror the curve between the V and T, thus tying together the shape and the words.
FORMER LOGO
The former university logo and tagline, “Invent the Future,” will be retired. The logo will move to our vintage collection, where it will be deployed for specific purposes.
Standing on tradition
Some elements of our brand will never change. Our traditions define us, now and in the future.
OUR NAME
We are, and always will be, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, commonly known as Virginia Tech.
OUR COLORS
Chicago maroon and burnt orange are our colors, even as the secondary color palette begins to show a touch of eccentricity.
OUR MOTTO
Our motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), is the cornerstone of who we are and why we do what we do. It is the very bedrock of our brand.
ATHLETICS LOGO
Student-athletes will continue to wear the “flying VT” with pride.
HOKIEBIRD
The HokieBird will always have a roost in Blacksburg, even as we become a truly global land-grant university.