Lead Together - The EMU Brand

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Brand Basics 

The information below is the technical and intellectual background for the brand. It is NOT intended to be used verbatim statements about "Lead Together" or who EMU seeks to be. Our mission, vision, values, key verse, identity statement and life together statement are our stated goals and values. To review these you can download the EMU Statements document on the left. 

BRAND POSITION (How EMU is unique)

EMU activates the teachings of Jesus by recognizing, respecting, and understanding diverse viewpoints. This is especially important in an increasingly polarized world. Our students come to us with curious minds to challenge and compassionate hearts to nurture. At EMU, they find an empowering community guided by our faith, values, and personalized mentoring. Students encounter a life-changing experience filled with cross-cultural engagement and high-impact experiential learning. Our sought-after graduates emerge as real-world problem solvers and bridge-building leaders in their careers and communities.

BRAND PURPOSE (Why EMU is unique)

Our purpose is to live out the values of our faith to inspire and prepare the next generation of bridge-building leaders.

BRAND EXPRESSION (How we talk about our uniqueness)

Our voice reflects our spirit of reconciliation – it is open-minded and open-hearted. We honor diversity of thought as we live out the values of our faith. We are joyful, welcoming and optimistic – we encourage and celebrate our community and the achievements of its members, in school and in the world. And we invite others to join us.

Brand Storylines - How do I talk about EMU?

EMU has a story to tell about who we are and how we care for our students. Lead Together is more than just two words. It is undergirded by our experiences, life together, faith and goals as an institution. The following can help you as faculty and staff understand the three main storylines we have identified that help to tell the EMU story. There are also some prompts to help you think about how your experiences, faith and values fit into these storylines. 

  • Unique academic experience

    The EMU experience is unique. Faculty and staff have a passion for mentoring students, caring for them, listening and helping them succeed. “Learn Together” means that faculty and staff are open to learning something new and being challenged by students. While we seek to challenge students to think in new ways, see the world differently and grow in empathy, understanding and practice, we also know that we still have things to learn and sometimes our best teachers are our students. Our ideas are challenged and our worlds are expanded because we learn together. 

    Three main aspects are: 

    • Intensive mentoring- faculty and staff pay close attention to the lives of students and aim to help them overcome challenges and succeed
    • Cross-cultural experience- More than study abroad, cross-cultural experience gets students in touch with the culture and people of a region, to build empathy and a greater understanding of how actions and choices affect the larger world.
    • Hands-on learning- We are committed to giving students experiences in their field of study through internships, research, and job shadowing. We encourage student clubs that are connected to majors and give students leadership experiences outside the classroom. 

    How can you talk about the unique academic experience at EMU?

    • Think of a time when you were challenged or your thinking was expanded because of an interaction with a student.
    • Make a list of students with which you have connect. How have you celebrated the accomplishments of your students? How have you listened to students? How have you supported them when they need extra help? 
    • Think of a cross-cultural experience you have had (at home or abroad) how has that shaped who you are? Or think of students who have been changed because of what they experienced on cross-cultural. 
    • How do you support or encourage students to get experience in their intended field of study? 
    • How do you make connections between academic disciplines and the “real world”? 
  • Active faith

    At EMU faith is not just a set of beliefs or doctrines we subscribe to or words we say at particular times. It is a way of living and acting in the world. The life and teachings of Jesus encourage us to use our gifts to care for each other and the planet. We seek to follow Jesus’ call to be compassionate witnesses to truth, justice and peace by putting our values into action. Our faith encourages us to continuously seek spiritual growth, discovering more about ourselves and how we model our lives after Jesus.  Our values encourage us to serve others, including our students, communities and the world. We believe that every person deserves to be treated with dignity and so we strive to make the systems of the world better for everyone.

    The three main aspects of active faith are:

    • Spiritual growth and discovery
    • Service to our communities and the world
    • Commitment to the idea that every person deserves dignity

    How can you talk about active faith at EMU?

    • In what ways do you practice spiritual growth, and continue to discover more about your faith and how that impacts your life?
    • What gifts or calling to do you put into action in the world?
    • How do you see your work as service?
    • In what ways do you seek to recognize and respect the image of God in others?
  • Spirit of reconciliation

    The world needs people who can work together. EMU’s programs develop empathy and listening skills to create leaders who are self-aware and aware of their impact on the world. This awareness results in leadership that is able to take into account the opinions of others and find common ground. It is open to the exploration of different viewpoints and a broader understandings of faith. Reconciliation extends to the human impact on our environment and the world around us. We aim to find ways to live that find balance between human needs and environmental sustainability. 

    Three main aspects of the spirit of reconciliation are: 

    • Sustainability
    • Broad Faith Community
    • Openness to Exploration of different viewpoints

    How can you talk about the spirit of reconciliation at EMU?

    • In what ways are you challenged to expand your thinking because of your interactions with others at EMU? 
    • How do you contribute to sustainability and conservation efforts? 
    • In what ways are you inspired to change thinking or actions because of something you have experienced at EMU? 

Putting it all together - Our brand promise

Download an 11x17 brand promise poster

One way we have put all the storylines together is with the brand promise. 

At EMU, we believe in and celebrate the power of community as we learn in classrooms, across campus and around the globe. We begin to see the possibilities together. We honor our differences and care for each other. We listen, explore and create. Together, our ideas are transformed, our assumptions tested, our values strengthened, our faith activated and our lives enriched. At EMU, leaders are developed, mentored, supported and challenged to make the world a better place TOGETHER.

Tagline

The primary EMU tagline is “Lead Together” and incorporates the above elements in messaging and storytelling. The standard combination for general use should always be “Lead Together” however, the tagline is also modular and the “Together” can be combined with other words to tell the EMU story. The first word should always be a present-tense verb.

Some suggestions:

  • Learn Together
  • Create Together
  • Compete Together
  • Achieve Together
  • Pray Together
  • Explore Together
  • Serve Together
  • Grow Together
  • Transform Together