Maintaining NSU’s brand voice, or tone, is as important as using the correct school colors or logo. The spirit of The NSU Edge — giving our populations a competitive advantage — should shine through in everything we write, even though we might not use those exact words. In many cases our writing will invoke our brand campaign — Be a Shark — but will be supported by proof points that show how The NSU Edge helps in preparing people to dominate.

NSU’s shark voice is how our writing sounds inside someone’s head when they’re reading it. It is:

  • Confident but not condescending
  • Direct but not dictatorial
  • Smart but not smug
  • Conversational but not sloppy
Here are some choice words that fit with our brand promise.
  • Sharp
  • Adaptable
  • Edgy
  • Inspired
  • Recognized
  • Engaged
  • Clear
  • Quick
  • Refined
  • Taut
  • Dominant
  • Forward
  • Effortless
  • Appealing
  • Agile
  • Apex
  • Intelligent
  • Empowered
  • Forefront
  • Connected
  • Bold
  • Fast
  • Honed
  • Boundless
  • Lean
  • Competitive
  • Insightful
  • Upbeat

Go ahead and use contractions. Use short, declarative sentences. Be direct. When it’s appropriate, have fun. (That said, you should avoid shark puns.)

Good writing (at NSU or anywhere else for that matter) doesn’t rely on clichés and trite phrases. It isn’t flowery and it isn’t complicated. Make your writing simple and precise. You can’t go wrong.

Like a swimming shark, there should be no wasted motion. Get to the point, cut needless words, and delete unnecessary information. As a writer, your job is to make content understandable. Short words, short sentences, and short paragraphs make copy easier to read and comprehend.

Being a university, NSU should sound intelligent, but we don’t have to sound overly intellectual. Academic and medical papers that are being peer reviewed have their own guidelines issued by the journal or professional society to which they are being submitted. Otherwise, all NSU-produced copy should be easy to read and use the active voice.

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