Brand Messaging
When writing or speaking on behalf of Bentley, it's important to do so with a unified, consistent voice. While we tailor our content and tone to each audience, we are consistent with how we reference our values and touch upon our positioning and pillars - the things that make Bentley special and distinct in the marketplace. Brand voice is another way to differentiate Bentley from our competitors and help us tell our story in an engaging way to all audiences.
Within this site and in our brand and messaging guidelines, you will discover more about Bentley's brand messaging platform, see examples of how the brand voice adapts to various audiences and begin to understand how to write and speak in our brand voice when crafting your own materials.
Brand Pillars
Who We Are
FORCES OF POSITIVE CHANGE
Bentley University has a clarity of purpose and believes in having a positive impact. Being both dynamic and proactive demonstrates Bentley’s unwavering commitment to making a tangible difference. The successful business leaders of tomorrow will be expected to deliver real-time value in the marketplace as well as lasting positive outcomes for society. We are a community who will drive that positive impact – and the future of business.
What We Do
UNPARALLELED IMPACT
Bentley University understands impact – it’s woven into everything we do. Since our founding days, this institution has maintained a resolute, comprehensive and sustained commitment to success and outcomes. It’s our core competence – and core promise. Students, faculty and staff come to Bentley with life-changing aspirations, and achieve their goals here
How We Do It
HOLISTIC BUSINESS EDUCATION
In a world marked by seismic change and grand challenges, Bentley University cultivates an environment that fosters ethical and moral principles, nurturing the development of well-rounded leaders poised to make an impact on the world stage. We deliver a highly innovative, technology-infused, future-focused business education and scholarship. With multidisciplinary academic programs, corporate collaborations and real-world partnerships, Bentley educates the head and heart with the best of business and arts and sciences – and prepares the leaders of tomorrow to meet any challenge the global economy may bring.
Elevator Pitch
Bentley University believes good business can impact more than just the bottom line – it can change the world.
Bentley is a community of future business leaders who will deliver value in the marketplace and lasting positive effects for society. We’re focused on impact, outcomes and success. Our students are highly sought after; our faculty are applying innovative research to real-world problems; and our alumni are leading organizations around the world. Bentley educates the head and the heart with a highly innovative, technology-infused, future-focused education that integrates the best of business and arts and sciences. We prepare the leaders of tomorrow to meet any challenge the global economy may bring.
Brand Tone
Innovative | Driven | Passionate | Purposeful | Focused | Agile
General Copywriting Advice
When writing or speaking on behalf of Bentley, it's important to do so with a unified, consistent voice. While we tailor our content and tone to each audience, we reference a singular set of values, positioning statement and pillars - the things that make Bentley special and distinct in the marketplace.
Here is some general copywriting advice that will help you engage your audience and compel them to take action.
1. Be clear.
2. Be concise.
3. Talk like a person, not an institution.
4. Don’t use superfluous language.
5. Don’t use pretentious words like “superfluous.”
6. Be anything except boring.
Writing Headlines and Subject Lines
Above all else, our headlines and subject lines must hook the reader. Because if we don’t have their attention, it doesn’t matter what we say.
We have created 3 different structures that we think will help you craft compelling headlines and subject lines. Expand the sections below to read more and see examples of each.
One way to structure engaging headlines is to use the phrase “good business” in a sentence related to a specific topic about Bentley. By giving the phrase context, you can play off the triple meaning of the idea and create thought-provoking statements.
- Sending your kids to Bentley is a good business decision.
- Hiring Bentley students is just good business.
- Master good business.
Since “good business” has many defining qualities, one way to structure smart headlines is to juxtapose two seemingly unrelated ideas together. This shows the depth and breadth of the brand in a unique and ownable way to Bentley.
- Where purpose meets profit.
- Where mission meets margin.
- Where analytics meets ethics.
Not all great headlines come from a preordained structured. Sometimes, the best way to write is to think creatively. You can twist a classic expression to change the meaning. You can use wordplay. You can think big. You can do anything. (And generally, people love a good pun.)
- Think outside the stocks.
- Where leaders come to learn.
- Accounting for change.
DO's and DON'Ts
| DO Be interesting EX: Where leaders come to learn. Be smart EX: Think outside the stocks. Be authentic EX: Where purpose meets profit. Be relatable EX: Staying connected with your falcon family is just good business. | DON’T Be snarky EX: Going to any other school is bad business. Be self-deprecating EX: Even our liberal arts majors get jobs. Be negative EX: Going to Bentley is a vow to never live in your parent’s basement. Be boring EX: Bentley University means good business. |
Messaging by Audience
These are the key audiences who need to understand our brand, what it represents and what it can mean for them. For more details on how to relate Bentley's brand messaging to each audience, refer to the Brand Messaging Guidelines.
- Current Undergraduate Students
- Current Graduate Students
- Faculty and Staff
- Alumni (most recent 10 years, 10 years+)
- Donors, Prospective Donors
- Broad External Audiences (Waltham, Peer Institutions, Conference Competitors)
- Recruiters
- Prospective Undergraduate Students
- Prospective Undergraduate Parents
- Guidance Counselors
- Prospective Graduate Students
- Prospective Executive and Professional Education Students
