students rafting

Voice and Tone

Our voice and tone build from our brand personalities to encompass the words we choose, the stories we tell, and the emotional connection we create. Combined with our visual elements, our language shapes a creative expression that鈥檚 authentic to WCU.

Best Practices

Help your readers feel more connected to our story by creating smart, compelling content. Here are a few tips to keep in mind, no matter what you鈥檙e writing.

Speak naturally.

Seems easy enough, but in academia, it鈥檚
especially important to remember that we
could be talking to people of any background.
People who use contractions and sentence
fragments (when appropriate), and probably
don鈥檛 know all of our insider acronyms.
Once you鈥檙e finished writing, read your copy
aloud to make sure it sounds natural and
conversational, not stuffy and formal.

Break it down.

Readers have increasingly short attention
spans, and in our communications, we
want to make every word count. Make
your communications more digestible by
employing bullet points, infographics, and
clear content hierarchies with headlines,
subheads and body copy. 

Spark action.

Everything we create has a purpose, and the
potential to drive further engagement. On
every piece, make sure to include a call to
action to tell your reader what to do next,
whether it鈥檚 attending an event, signing up
for a newsletter or applying for a program.

Keep it focused.

When you try to say everything all at once,
you鈥檙e likely to confuse your reader and
overwhelm them with information. With
the exception of multi-page pieces like
viewbooks and newsletters, make sure
each communication is focused on a single
message. That way, the message much
more likely to be heard, understood and
remembered. 

Show and tell.

Your messages will be more powerful when
you can back them up with proof. For
example, if you鈥檙e writing about how planned
gifts will make a monumental difference, give
specifics about what the funds will be used
for and describe the impact on current and
future students. 

  

 

Headline Constructions

Think of headlines like a handshake: they鈥檙e the first impression you make, so you really need to make them count. Instead of using headlines simply as labels, use them to grab your reader鈥檚 attention and make them want to read more. To help you create messages that are fresh and compelling, we鈥檝e created the following frameworks that will help you write strong and effective headlines. These constructions are neither comprehensive nor restrictive; rather they鈥檙e an easy way to get started using the Western Carolina brand voice.

[Action]. [Action].
Live Western

Think big. Dream bold.
Live Western


Chase adventure. Find purpose.
Live Western


Wonder why. Wander out.
Live Western

As the signature headline for the brand,
this construction can be flexed to focus
on academics, adventure or community,
based on the action chosen. 滨迟鈥檚 a simple,
straightforward way to illustrate all the
different ways to live Western.

[Verb] your
own [noun].

Blaze your own trail.


Shape your own future.


Carve your own path.


Choose your own destiny.

Evoking the sense of adventure innate
to the Western Carolina community, this
construction places exploration in the
forefront. It also offers a nod to the curiosity
and individuality that leads our students to
think outside the box and experiment with
fresh perspectives.

Live [descriptor].
Live [descriptor]. Live Western

Live courageously.
Live boundlessly.
Live Western

 


Live adventurously.
Live naturally.
Live Western

If you want to go deeper into what it
means to live Western, this construction
is for you. But 鈥� spoiler alert 鈥� there鈥檚
no one way to live Western, so this
headline offers maximum flexibility. 

 

Storytelling

While headlines make a great first impression, it鈥檚 important to infuse our story into our deeper communications, too. When writing stories or crafting content, keep these brand themes in mind to stay true to the Western Carolina story, and accurately describe what it means to live Western 鈥� all the time.

Courageous Exploration

At Western, we boldly seek answers that others haven鈥檛. We think outside of the box and 补谤别苍鈥檛 afraid of the path less traveled. When the going gets tough, we work harder. When faced with a roadblock, we invent a new road. And we don鈥檛 let the idea of hard work or difficult questions deter us from creating the bright, beneficial future we鈥檙e striving for.

Meaningful Connections

We do our best work when we work together. At Western, our community bonds push each of us further, encourage us to be better, and offer us a shoulder to lean on when our exploration takes its toll. 滨迟鈥檚 a place of support and selflessness, where every milestone is achieved side by side. 

Deep Learning

If learning is the point, the student experience at Western is the path. Our students come here to receive an education, but get so much more: a curriculum that inspires critical thinking, deep introspection, and a fully developed sense of self. We go beyond books and binders to tap into fundamental questions, providing clarity on both the world around us and what lives within us. 

 Blazing a Trail

Fearless. Curious. Adventurous. These are words we use often to describe what it means to live Western, and our community exemplifies these traits every day. At WCU, we 补谤别苍鈥檛 satisfied by 飞丑补迟鈥檚 been done. We always seek a new route. We always ask why. We always examine how it could be done better, faster or smarter. 奥别鈥檙别 pioneers inside the classroom and up in the mountains, excited to see what awaits us just beyond the next curve.