About five years ago, University Communications and Marketing (UCM) launched “The Power of Will” brand campaign, complete with a new look, new language, new giveaways, and new marketing materials. This year, UCM is launching a new brand campaign, “More Together.”
What is “More Together”? Who chose this? When do I use it? Why the update? How do I even begin using it? A change like this naturally comes with plenty of questions.
More Together didn’t happen overnight. In fact, UCM kicked this project off in fall 2025, with the majority of the work starting in February 2026, and completed in June. UCM partnered with Carnegie, a longtime marketing partner, to complete a benchmarked study on Miami positioning and market awareness amongst peer institutions.
Using the benchmarked research, the Creative and Content teams, along with a couple of freelancers who provided valuable outside expertise in copy and design, began brainstorming concepts for both voice and visuals. From February to May, the teams developed approximately 30 concepts. After many rounds of discussion, refinement, editing, and design, they narrowed the field to three.
Those three concepts were shared with internal focus groups that included students, deans, executives, staff, and faculty. The groups provided valuable feedback on each concept and helped identify one that wasn’t resonating as strongly as the other two. That concept was ultimately dropped from consideration.
UCM brought Carnegie back to test the two remaining concepts with external focus groups representing varied demographics and levels of familiarity with Miami.
Both concepts performed well, but More Together tested stronger overall. Based on the results, Creative Services and Content combined visual elements from both finalists with the More Together language to create the final concept.
Images feature multiple people connected by the frame. Bold red and graphic wedges signal Miami, while the language emphasizes connection, community, and support.
That answers the “who” question – now for the “what, when, where, why, and how” questions!
What: More Together communicates that students don’t have to navigate their Miami experience alone. It highlights a community where people support one another and where individual growth is strengthened by the people around us.
As the Content team summarized the concept:
“This concept turns high-pressure hustle culture on its head with two simple, ownable words that convey a powerful truth: The best version of you emerges because of the people around you.
More Together is a declaration that celebrates Miami students who collaborate, professors who advocate, and the community united by the belief that we are better, stronger, and more capable when we join together as one.”
Prospective and current students, alumni, parents, faculty, and staff resonated with the idea of people helping people and with themes of support and understanding.
Our goal is to share the strength of the community Miami builds around its students and show how their formative years are shaped not only by their own experiences, but also by the people who share those experiences with them.
When and Where: More Together can be implemented immediately. Be intentional about where and how you use the concept. Look for opportunities to communicate the support, connection, and sense of community students experience at Miami. Share the teacher-scholar model, the undergraduate research, horse therapy, or any of the many other unique aspects of our university that demonstrate what it means to accomplish more together.
Why: Brand concepts evolve over time. Audiences can become less responsive after seeing the same creative and messaging repeatedly — a phenomenon known as ad fatigue. Expectations, trends, and the ways people engage with institutions also change. Updating the brand concept helps Miami adapt to evolving trends, target new audiences/geographies, and improve messaging relevance.
How: UCM has created messaging guides that contain guidance on how to write in the More Together voice, along with our new visual elements. These guides will help you kickstart your materials in the new concept – but don’t mistake a new brand concept for a new Miami brand!
The Miami brand itself is not changing.
General materials — such as a flyer with information about a specific program — can continue to use the core Miami brand outlined in the Brand Guidelines. Continue using Miami’s established fonts, colors, and styles.
Some visual elements are changing as part of the new concept. The red wedge will be minimized and no longer a primary design element, and the red corner frame will no longer be used. Additional elements will change as well; refer to the main messaging guide for guidance.
Have questions about More Together, how to use it, or whether it’s right for your project? Reach out to [email protected] for support.