Current Beacons
Brand objective
Align around a “one Valpo” message that can flex for all.
Share the refreshed brand message and encourage their participation and ambassadorship.
01 — Strategy
Strategy
A light for the mission, not a campaign tagline. Use it so every piece tells one Valpo story.
What this strategy is
Without a beacon, Valpo’s essence is hard to find. The strategy lights the mission and core values so we can express them to different audiences, in a market that is loud.
The strategy is
- A hierarchy of ideas that tell an unapologetic story authentic to Valpo.
- Frameworks that align stakeholders across the community.
- A blueprint for anyone who markets or communicates for the University.
The strategy is not
- An outward campaign expression, like a market headline, tagline, or slogan.
- A place to say everything Valpo is and does.
- Static. It should move when the market or the University does.
Five parts, every time
The story is recognizably ours when each part shows up. Drop one and the piece loses consistency.
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Audiences
Whom are we for?
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Essence
What are we all about?
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Positioning
What do we stand for?
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Messages
What do we offer and why does it matter?
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Personality
How do we look, sound, and feel?
Audiences
One community, many generations. Communications stay relevant from future Beacons to our greatest supporters. Each audience has a brand objective, then a job to do with it.
Prospective Beacons
Brand objective
Show relevance to drive interest and differentiate Valpo from competitors.
Distill our messages to authentically reach each distinct segment.
Prospective Supporters
Brand objective
Raise awareness to improve our reputation.
Lay groundwork for new partners to enter the fold and help push Valpo forward.
Prospective students first
We speak to many stakeholders. Prospective students are the priority audience. Know who they are and what they need.
Prospective undergraduate students
Who they are
- High school students
- First-generation students
- Students from underrepresented populations
- Access College for Success students
- Bloom Scholars
- Transfer students
- Continuing education students
- SAGE (Senior Adult Growth through Education) students
What they care about
- Career preparation
- Quality of faculty
- Affordability
- An education for a vocation, not only a job
- Employability
Prospective graduate students
Who they are
- Working adults
- Online and hybrid students
- Career up-skillers
- SAGE students
What they care about
- Affordability
- Flexibility
- Upward mobility, in career and life
- Program reputation
Brand essence
Discover Joy
The essence is the pilot light. It keeps materials consistent and decisions true to our principles.
At our core, Valpo facilitates fulfilling connections that shape servant leaders so they can discover a deeper understanding in their lives, discover their vocation to lead and make a difference, discover fulfillment in serving others, and discover joy in the success of others.
Positioning
Positioning is what we want the most important audiences to remember. It is not the offer, and it is not the expression of the offer.
Discover Joy
- Who
- Humble and curious servant leaders come to Valparaiso University
- What
- to explore themselves, their vocation, and their place in the world
- How
- through a multifaceted journey of academic and spiritual awakening
- Why
- to discover joy through making a positive impact on society.
Messages
Organize key messages in a hierarchy so the story stays clear. The core value proposition is the promise. Attributes are what we offer. Benefits are why that offer matters. Supporting points prove the level above them. Lead with the promise, then pick the proof that fits the audience.
Core value proposition
Discover joy through serving and leading for the good of society.
An interdisciplinary journey of academic and personal awakening.
Valpo offers… so you can…
Attribute
Benefit
Education grounded in Lutheran tradition
Become a servant leader in your life and community
A caring and connected campus culture
Find belonging by embracing differences
Interdisciplinary academics that add depth to learning
Learn to adapt in your life and vocation
High-touch faculty and student support services
Graduate empowered for success and happiness
Dedication to scholarship, freedom, and faith
Learn to lead and serve with humility
Service opportunities, including an engaged FSL community
Realize your potential to be a beacon for others
Hands-on research with faculty
Apply what excites you to solving real-world problems
Career-ready programs in the liberal arts and sciences
Find your calling and lead with intention
Christ College’s dialectic-focused curriculum
Discover what you value and your purpose in society
Hispanic-serving institution initiatives
Serve as a catalyst for community and philanthropy
Valpo Success Initiative (Bloom and Access)
Succeed at Valpo through alternate paths
Premier programs in engineering, business, and nursing
Enter your vocation or graduate school with an edge
Valpo Core and foundational courses
Tackle diverse issues as a writer, speaker, and thinker
Division I athletics, esports, and extracurriculars
Grow as a generous individual and altruistic leader
Learning centers and academic institutes
Benefit and grow as a scholar and citizen
Experiential learning opportunities
Guide and be guided by transcendent experiences
Highlighted rows are the lead messages. The rest are supporting proof.
Personality
The traits you love in this community are the brand’s personality. They guide voice and visuals. Used consistently, they build recognition, trust, and feeling.
- Inquisitive
- We seek the truth. We ask questions. We question answers.
- Ethical
- We work for the cause, not the applause. Because we care.
- Humble
- We see humility as a beacon that shines, always — through all of us.
- Compassionate
- Our differences, similarities, and hardships are vehicles for connection.
- Faithful
- Regardless of faith, we loyally serve others, and that creates joy.
- Active
- We seek many diverse interests, and we connect the dots.