Alumni Clubs Michigan Ross Brand and Style Guide

Updated by the Office of Marketing and Communications
Source: Michigan Ross Brand Style Guide

Our brand – to paraphrase David Ogilvy – is the intangible sum of all that people see, hear and experience about our school, students, graduates, faculty, and communications efforts. It serves to attract prospective students, increase our global reputation, and cement our leadership.

We make our brand stronger when we consistently use a common set of expressions – visually, written, and verbally – in all that we do as members of the community of the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business.

Our official name is the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. That is certain. But it is not realistic to use this official name in every instance. What follows makes it clear what to use and when.
 

Editorial Style Guide

Marketing & Editorial Contexts

In certain situations, it is not realistic to use our official name and identity mark. In order to ensure that our school is recognized and enhanced globally, however, we must preserve elements of who we are – Ross – and the globally recognized academic institution of which we are part – Michigan.

The second reference thereafter should be Michigan Ross. For additional references, it is acceptable to use either Michigan Ross or Ross.

Specific examples are as follows:

Marketing Copy:

First Reference: University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business

  • Example: The University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business today announced a redesigned Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) curriculum to meet the changing needs and interests of undergraduate students.

Second Reference: Michigan Ross

  • Example: Michigan Ross, one of the top-ranked BBA programs in the nation, is leading a transformation in how undergraduate business education is delivered through a new curriculum called MERGE (Multidisciplinary Exploration and Rigorous Guided Education).

Additional References: Michigan Ross, or Ross

  • Example: Centered on the Ross mission to develop leaders who make a positive difference in the world, Ross BBAs will benefit from integrative and guided learning that challenges students to consider the fundamental role of business in society. The new BBA curriculum will launch this fall.

News Releases:

Headline: Michigan Ross

First reference in copy: the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business

Second reference: Michigan Ross

Additional references: Michigan Ross or Ross

First quote: “This is the best business school in the world,” said Alison Davis-Blake, dean of the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business.

Second quote: “And our action-based learning experiences are one of the things that make it such a great school,” said Valerie Suslow, senior associate dean of MBA programs for Michigan Ross.

About Michigan Ross: The Stephen. M Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan is ……….

Blog Posts:

Michigan Ross for the headline, first reference, and quotes.

Michigan Ross and Ross are used interchangeably for additional references.

Social Media:

Michigan Ross

@MichiganRoss

#MichiganRoss

In-Person Communication:

When communicating in person, it is ideal to first say University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, depending on the audience or setting, and then use Michigan Ross or Ross.

Note: in some cases, using the official, full name of the school (Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan) on the first reference is a good choice when one is looking to add formality to the occasion.

How to Refer to Our Community:

We go to school, work, study, and are part of the community at Michigan Ross.

After all, we are all ambassadors of the brand.
 

Our Marketing Brand

Our brand goes beyond a single mark. It is the presence by which we are recognized in physical and digital space.

Our brand is made up of active images, full fields of color, boundaryless graphics, and generous white space that serves to frame important content and increase legibility.

Typefaces: Content is represented by selected typefaces: the Verlag family speaks our narratives, League Gothic our emphatic headlines, and Chronicle is used for special narrative passages. We use Univers to pair text with our mark, Michigan Ross.

Colors: We are committed to the prominent use of the University of Michigan’s colors — PMS 282 blue, and PMS 7406 maize. Our designers have developed a palette of secondary accents that serve to supplement our core brand colors.

Our Mark: In order to ensure that our school is recognized and enhanced globally, we represent ourselves as who we are – Ross – and the globally recognized academic institution of which we are part – Michigan.
 

Our Marketing Mark: 

This matches the construct common among our peers (Chicago Booth, NYU Stern, Berkeley Haas, MIT Sloan, etc.).

When this usage is required:

  • In our URL: michiganross.umich.edu
  • Throughout our website
  • In viewbooks, brochures, pamphlets, etc.
  • Throughout Dividend magazine
  • Internal environmental and way-finding graphics
  • Promotional materials