Sam Houston State University

Building a purpose-driven and impactful brand.

Sam Houston State University had a strong legacy but an outdated brand system. In a competitive Texas higher ed market, their story, rooted in grit, self-reliance, and service, wasn’t breaking through.

Services

The Opportunity

With a new CMO in place and a restructured marketing team, SHSU needed a unifying idea to rally the campus, resonate with first-gen and mission-driven students, and signal to the state that SHSU’s impact reaches far beyond the classroom.

The timeline was tight: the brand had to be ready to roll out before the next admissions cycle, with tools in place for immediate recruitment impact.

Our experience with SimpsonScarborough has been transformative. We now have a brand platform that reflects who we are, honors our history, and positions SHSU for a bold future.

Jeff Harris
Chief Marketing Officer, SHSU

The Insight

SHSU doesn’t just prepare students for careers. It prepares them to lead lives of purpose.

From students to alums to faculty, we heard the same thing: people come to SHSU to make something of themselves, not for prestige, but for impact. They’re first-gen, they’re driven, they want to serve their communities, and change what is possible for the next generation. SHSU is about service. It’s about rising to greater for yourself, your family, and your future.

That insight became the heartbeat of the brand.

The Solution

We hit the ground running with campus immersion: two days of deep listening with students, alumni, staff, faculty, and leadership. While stakeholder interviews shaped the brand strategy, we moved in parallel with creative discovery and early production planning.

Our focus? Clarify the brand’s positioning, craft a distinct and flexible visual identity, and launch the first brand expression with urgency and intention.

Scenes from our 2024 photoshoot.

This brand work is more than a refresh. It positions us to lead with clarity and confidence in a rapidly evolving higher education landscape.

David P. Glaser, MBA, Maj Gen (Ret)
Chief Strategy Officer

The SHSU brand will strengthen how we connect with students, parents, and industry partners, showing that SHSU is a trusted place for opportunity, innovation, and success now and in the years ahead.

Heather Thielemann, EdD
Sr. VP for Strategic Enrollment and Innovation/CIO

Throughout the process, SimpsonScarborough felt like part of our team: open, honest, and adaptable. This initiative wouldn’t have been successful without their partnership.

Russell Martinez, MPS
Assistant Vice President for Marketing and Branding

Redesigned admissions viewbook to launch the brand.

The Results

The brand performance numbers are still to come, but the momentum is real. There’s an incredible amount of work already in motion, laying the foundation for a cohesive, mission-driven brand built to grow with SHSU and reflect the lives it helps transform. And the new shsu.edu just launched in Fall 2025, extending the brand even further into the digital experience.