VOICE
The people of MIT Sloan do world-changing work every day and our messaging reflects that.
We are MIT’s School of Management, leading the way toward an ambitious vision of what a business school should be. Our brand voice confidently expresses this differentiation.
Therefore our brand voice is:
ACTIVE
We don’t just think, we do. Strong, tangible verbs drive our messaging to reflect that.
INVITING
We communicate directly to people. We invite readers to lean closer, learn, and contribute.
PROUD
We confidently own our achievements. Anything less is a disservice to the impact of our work.
LEAN
We write clearly and concisely. Straightforward language is both smart and accessible.
Our taglines empower you with multiple options that embody the MIT Sloan brand voice — use the one that works best for each communication.
IDEAS MADE TO MATTER
Ideas Made to Matter is our school-wide, umbrella tagline. It describes the work of our whole community, from faculty to students to alumni: working on meaningful ideas and making them matter in the world. Ideas Made To Matter is also our thought leadership platform that brings these stories to life across the school’s digital properties.
A few guiding principles on usage:
- Ideas Made To Matter should never be altered.
- Ideas Made To Matter should stand alone.
- Consider using the tagline for PPT cover slides, environmental designs, or as a graphic element locked up with logo on reports
INVENT WITH INTENT
BECOME SMARTER TOGETHER
MAKE IDEAS MATTER
POWER IMPACT
BUILD A SMARTER FUTURE
LEAD WITH PURPOSE
UNLOCK COMPLEX CHALLENGES
These taglines complement Ideas Made To Matter: they are the active embodiments of this school-level uniting message (including its verb-driven cousin, Make Ideas Matter).
As you craft messaging in MIT Sloan’s brand voice, strive to keep your writing active, inviting, proud, and lean. Here are some tips on how to do that:
- Lead with verbs.
- Use the second person to speak directly to readers in marketing materials.
- Avoid the passive voice.
- Cut unnecessary words and keep sentences and paragraphs concise.
- Don’t be afraid to make strong claims — just make sure to back them up with evidence.
- Always consider: Who is my audience? How can I tailor my message to connect with them? What action does this message aim to drive?