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What We Do

The ultimate brand ambassadors

University Marketing & Communications (UMAC) is the University of Washington’s central branding, marketing and communications office. Based within University Advancement, UMAC brings together talented staff from across a range of marketing and communications disciplines to carry out integrated efforts in support of the UW’s highest priorities.

Questions? Contact mktg@uw.edu.

Strategic goals

  • Demonstrate the UW’s positive impact at scale
  • Attract and develop Washington’s and the world’s most promising students
  • Grow public and private support for the UW’s shared vision
  • Attract, retain and inspire diverse, world-class faculty and staff

Expressing the brand

At the center of our work is the Boundless brand, reflecting the optimistic spirit and extensive positive impact of the University on our students’ lives and on communities near and far. The foundation of the Boundless brand is the brand pyramid. It serves as an internal guide for UMAC and for faculty, staff, students and leaders across the University for how they represent the UW in their marketing and communications.  

Meet the brand

A team of brand leaders

UMAC is home to staff with extensive expertise covering every modern marketing and communications discipline. We are organized into five groups: Branding & Marketing, Communications, Creative, Digital Strategy, and Finance & Operations. UMAC also has several joint reporting relationships with communicators and leaders in units ranging from the College of Arts & Sciences to the Office of Admissions. Together with partners across the UW, we advance the University’s priorities every day – from feature stories on student achievements and news articles highlighting world-changing research, to marketing to prospective students and connecting with donors and stakeholders, to UW Current, the UW’s flagship e-mail newsletter, and signature events, such as the Annual Recognition Gala. We’re also responsible for presidential communications, internal communications including UW Today and UW Insider, the management of the University’s sponsorships and trademarks, and more. 

Meet our team

How can we help you achieve your goals

UMAC is a strategic partner for leaders, marketing and communications professionals, faculty, staff, and more. That starts with providing brand leadership across the University through the Boundless brand, as well as through the wealth of branded templates, guides, message themes and other resources. We also have several areas where we provide direct support to campus, college, school and unit leaders and their marketing and communications teams, including: 

  • Brand identity and unit logo/mark development and approval 
  • Promoting selected stories through centrally managed channels  
  • Guidance and consultations, including on advertising, e-mail, event, social media and web strategies 
  • Licensing of UW trademarks and management of UW sponsorships  
  • An extensive database of university-wide photo and video assets 
  • Media relations support, including strategic research, news releases and pitches 
  • Guidance on crisis communications support and issues management  
  • Media trainings for leadership and faculty 
  • Brand alignment funding for specific projects requested through the University Advancement budget process 
  • Sharing public opinion research findings 

UMAC is not currently equipped to provide day-to-day marketing and communications support to units, however we can help connect you with trusted vendors for specific projects. We maintain lists of freelancers and contractors, as well as communications and marketing firms who are already in the UW procurement system, which provides maximum efficiency. Contact mktg@uw.edu with information about your needs and we can help connect you. 

Stay connected

The Marketing & Communications Roundtable meets several times a year and is open to all staff at the UW who have marketing, communications or branding responsibilities. Meanwhile, the Marketing & Communications Executive Council (MCEC) brings together campus, college, school and major unit marcomm leaders on a monthly basis to coordinate our work and share information. For more information about these groups – or about the resources that UMAC can provide – please contact the Office of the Vice President for Marketing & Communications at vpmc@uw.edu.  

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