Messaging
Our messaging lays the foundation for the way we talk about Cal Poly. It explains who we are and what makes us different. No matter who or what we’re writing about, our voice should stay true to the spirit of our brand narrative and our brand personality.
Our Tone and Style
Our brand narrative should be used as a guide for tone and style. Individual lines shouldn’t be copied and used directly. Instead, mirror how the language gets to the point and uses a confident, active tone to describe Learn by Doing.
Narrative Example
At Cal Poly, we believe that experience is essential — that whatever you’re learning, you learn it best when you do it for yourself. For more than a century, we’ve made this the center of everything we do.
This is a place for people who are ready to dive in head first and put knowledge into action. For those who come together from all different backgrounds to relentlessly pursue better solutions, across disciplines and boundaries. For those who know that if you want to build a better world tomorrow, you have to put in the work today.
This is Learn by Doing, and it’s what makes us ready, day one, to take on whatever comes next — from everyday challenges to the world’s most pressing problems. Cal Poly inspires us to imagine a brighter future for California, our nation and our world, and Learn by Doing empowers us to make that future a reality.
Brand Language and Messages
You should leverage at least one of these key messages in every piece of communication you create, from press releases to feature stories to social media posts. By looking at the diverse stories of people in the Cal Poly community through the lens of these core truths and enduring messages, our storytelling can more clearly illuminate the value of our university.
Learn by Doing
Learn by Doing stories should emphasize that experience is our curriculum and is the defining experience of our university. Use your stories to showcase and celebrate the Learn by Doing process through initial curiosity, teamwork, resilience through failure, and impact on the problem and the people solving the problem. Put the students in the driver’s seat and show how they sharpen important skills for the real world.
Learn by Doing Example
Learn by Doing means that we don’t see a difference between the education we provide and the “real world.” Here, experiences are part of the curriculum. That’s because knowledge is inextricably linked to the world around us. To learn is to do. To do is to learn. At Cal Poly, each fuels the other.
Ready Day One
Ready Day One should only be used when describing or showing the work of our students, faculty, staff and/or alumni and not in the products or services we offer. It should be described as the ultimate result of a Cal Poly education — a lifelong state of readiness for the real world. Readiness should be portrayed as more than a mindset, it is a tangible, marketable skill and an earned expertise. It requires that we excel at more than one thing and embrace diverse perspectives along the way. The state of readiness endures in our alumni community, driving innovation, resourcefulness and confidence.
Ready Day One Example
From their first moments on campus, Cal Poly students are ready to dive in to their education, headfirst and hands-on. It’s this eagerness to immediately contribute, combined with Learn by Doing, that prepares graduates for anything and primes them for excellence, both personally and professionally.
Impact on California, Our Nation and Our World
Cal Poly’s impact can be felt throughout California and beyond. Our innovative approach prepares our students to tackle anything and everything in the wider world. It’s part of our partnership with the state of California: as they invest in Cal Poly, we educate Californians and help solve the state's most critical challenges. Because of our central location, we can and do get involved in the state’s most important industries — and our students, faculty and graduates play integral roles.
California Impact Example
Cal Poly is focused on solving problems in California because what’s discovered here goes on to solve the world’s problems. California taxpayers invest in Cal Poly and its people; we return the favor by educating its people and tackling its problems. Our central location gives us access to opportunities across the state, so we can play a role in nearly every industry that shapes life here. Wherever you are in California, you find Cal Poly students, faculty and graduates shaping the future.
FORMATTING
When writing out Learn by Doing, use an uppercase L and D. Don’t use hyphens, quotation marks or italics, and avoid other Learn by phrases, such as Learn by Winning or Learn by Innovating, etc.