Ever stood in front of a crowd where everyone needs something different from you? That's essentially what large institutions face every day with their branding.
University of California, Santa Cruz isn't just talking to one audience—they're juggling conversations with:
Each group approaches the university with different needs, expectations, and past experiences. A prospective student wants to know about campus life and academic opportunities, while donors care about impact and legacy. Faculty need different information than local community members.
Most institutions fall into one of two traps when facing this challenge:
Neither approach works. The first creates noise; the second creates blind spots.
For UCSC, we took a different approach. Instead of trying to speak directly to each audience's specific concerns, we identified the core values that connect all these different stakeholders to the university.
We created simple, clear messaging that highlights what makes UCSC unique—focusing specifically on the diverse voices of students and professors that make up the campus community.
By spotlighting real stories from the UCSC community, we created content that resonated across audience boundaries. A local community member might not care about the same details as an alumnus, but both can connect with authentic stories about innovation, discovery, and growth.
This approach led to higher engagement across all audience segments compared to previous, more targeted campaigns. Why? Because authentic human stories transcend audience categories while still delivering the core message of what makes UCSC special.
When your brand speaks to multiple audiences, don't fracture your voice trying to be all things to all people. Instead:
What multiple audiences does your brand speak to? How do you maintain a consistent voice while addressing their diverse needs?
