Think and Do
NC State’s brand can be expressed using a single three-word phrase. Here’s our short guide to doing that well.
Mindset and Mission
Think and Do is NC State’s brand mantra: the phrase we repeat — or repeatedly evoke — across all our marketing. It’s an expression of the university’s mindset and our ongoing mission to empower people in North Carolina and beyond.
We encourage every unit at NC State to talk about how you Think and Do on behalf of the university. Whenever you use our brand mantra, it’s important not to dilute or undermine its meaning. Below, you’ll find guidelines to using or alluding to the phrase in support of a more cohesive NC State brand.
Brand Platform
Concept and Execution
Think and Do expresses a key truth about NC State: We pair the intellectual riches of a public university with tangible results for people and communities. Put simply, we always match thought with action. Our good ideas go to work.
The three words of our brand mantra also form an imperative sentence. They command our audience to both think — dream, plan, conceive — and do — take action, follow through, execute. Both verbs are vital: Thinking without doing is fruitless; doing without thinking is reckless. Their combination is essential to success.
Below are some rules and guidelines when using our brand mantra.
- Think and Do is a distinct, fixed construction. Do not alter or toy with any of the three words. Do not append other words or phrases. Do not replace the word “and” with an ampersand (&) or plus symbol (+). Even tiny tweaks risk muddying the mantra’s impact.
- Think and Do is not a tagline — but it can serve as one. You are welcome to use the brand mantra as a closing element in advertising deliverables. It’s just not required.
- Think and Do should be styled in title case. Even in running copy, capitalize both verbs: Think and Do. This helps to show the mantra is an intentional phrase. You can use all caps (THINK AND DO) when the mantra stands alone, such as on a banner or T-shirt. Avoid using scare quotes (“Think and Do”).
- Think and Do can be used as an adjectival phrase. You can refer to “NC State’s Think and Do approach,” for example, or “the Wolfpack’s Think and Do attitude.” Keep the capitals when doing this, and never hyphenate the phrase.
Inspiration and Expression
While the use of Think and Do is governed by clear rules, we encourage you to find other ways to imply or play with the ideas expressed by our mantra. We recommend a holistic approach to brand expression that draws on the strengths of your unit.
The NC State brand platform often uses language that alludes to Think and Do: The university serves to “inspire and empower” people, for example, while our community “seeks out problems and solves them.” In both cases, we pair an intellectual word or phrase with a practical one. The section headings on this page also serve as examples.
