Penn State’s brand is the essence of who we are and everything we do to fulfill our mission of research, education, and service. The Brand Book is our “brand source of truth” — and the Office of Strategic Communications, in collaboration with unit representatives, spearheads the associated University Brand Review (UBR) process and guidelines, outlined below.

Our Guidelines

The new University Brand Review (UBR) process leverages toolkits and best practices designed to empower University communicators to serve as brand stewards, who are charged with upholding brand, editorial, and accessibility standards within their units. These updated guidelines replace the previous University Editor (U.Ed.) process and address branding and editorial standards in all current formats (e.g., print, web, digital, social, etc.). They also provide more clarity about the review process.

What are UBR numbers, and why are they needed?

  • Marketing and communications materials need to be reviewed and assigned a UBR number to certify they are in compliance with Penn State’s policies, most notably accessibility and brand guidelines.
  • UBR numbers indicate content has been reviewed and approved to be in compliance with Penn State policies and guidelines.

What materials need to be reviewed AND have an assigned UBR number displayed?

  • Campaign emails (including, but not limited to, Admissions, Alumni, New Student Orientation)
  • Brochures
  • Flyers and postcards
  • Posters (these do not include faculty and student research posters)
  • Catalogs and handbooks
  • Schedules of events
  • Booklets and view books
  • Programs
  • Annual reports, newsletters, and magazines
  • And other similar materials (when in doubt, have the material reviewed)

What materials need to be reviewed but do NOT require the assigned UBR number to be displayed?

  • Paid Advertising (both external and internal)
  • Billboards
  • Internal Penn State resources (e.g., banners, stall stories, Parents & Families Guides)
  • Websites representing official Penn State units
  • Digital signage
  • Videos
  • Invitations
  • Temporary signage

What materials do not need to be reviewed?

  • Classroom instructional materials
  • Scholarly journals
  • Faculty papers and reports
  • Internal memorandum
  • Forms
  • Non-Penn State promotional material

NOTE: Social media, promotional merchandise (e.g., t-shirts, stickers, swag, etc.), and news releases do not need to be reviewed as part of the UBR process, but still must comply with other appropriate Penn State policies and guidelines.

For questions about UBRs, please contact Strategic Planning and Communications at [email protected].