Media Opportunity: UB leaders available to discuss new brand and identity

Who:  Nancy Paton, vice president for communications, and Allen Greene, director of athletics, will be available to discuss the university’s new brand and identity strategy launched today.

When and Where: Today, April 12, 2 p.m.; 5th Floor, Capen Hall, UB North Campus.

Why:  “Our alumni, students, faculty and staff have all expressed a strong desire for the university to be much bolder in telling the world about what a great university UB is,” said President Satish K. Tripathi. “Today, we embark on a new university-wide effort to do just that.

The new strategy features two key components, both of which resulted from a yearlong process involving the expertise and input of thousands of alumni, students, faculty, staff, prospective students and community members.

The first component is a brand framework that conveys UB’s distinctiveness. Based around a concept called “Here is How,” it presents UB as an extraordinary university in an extraordinary city — an institution that represents not only a place, but also a unique way of getting things done.

Just as important as the “Here is How” framework, the new identity and branding initiative is focused on clearing up longtime confusion about the university’s name, Paton said. For what may be the first time in UB’s history, all of the university’s schools and units will be aligned under one official name: the “University at Buffalo,” with the interlocking UB as the official university logo. UB’s affiliation with the State University of New York will continue to be a major part of the university’s name, particularly for international markets where the SUNY name is widely known and valued.