Hofstra’s exciting new branding honors tradition and signals a promising future.
Since 1937, Hofstra has grown from a one-building institution with several hundred students to one boasting 13 schools and colleges, spread out over a 240-acre campus that is home to 10,000 students from across the country and around the world.
L ast fall, Hofstra President Susan Poser introduced the community to Hofstra 100, the 10-year strategic plan that will guide the University to its centennial. The plan outlines how the University will build upon the institutional strengths developed and cultivated over the previous 90 years to propel Hofstra to unprecedented heights.
To match the boldness and dynamism of Hofstra 100, the University wanted a bold brand identity that would honor Hofstra’s past and present, compete with peer schools with an eye toward a bright future.
MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE
Branding is far more than just logos and colors. It constitutes everything consumers perceive, understand, experience, and remember about a product, service, or institution. Strong branding tells a story, one that establishes an identity, defines values, and highlights distinguishing features. In a competitive sector such as higher education, where students can choose from thousands of universities, differentiation is paramount. “We needed not just a new look and feel, but a new way to tell our story,” said Terry Coniglio, Hofstra’s vice president for marketing and communications. “One that better describes this incredible upward trajectory Hofstra is on — that’s the impetus for this evolved brand.”
HOFSTRA’S CULTURAL ESSENCE
T he scale, scope, and singularity of a complete Hofstra rebrand would require outside expertise. MBLM, a global branding agency that has worked with companies and organizations such as the National Football League, American Airlines, and the United Nations, was chosen to work alongside Hofstra’s Division of Marketing and Communications (MarComm).
“Branding intuitions are some of the most complex and nuanced marketing challenges,” said Mario Natarelli, managing partner at MBLM. “Great brands always reflect great cultures, and the key to this is understanding and articulating that culture’s core essence.”
B elieving that no community knows Hofstra better than its own, the MarComm team began the rebranding process with a large-scale brand perception study. “We wanted to understand what our internal and external communities were thinking about Hofstra,” Coniglio said. “We wanted our decisions rooted in data and research, not just what we felt.”
Simultaneously, MBLM went to school educating themselves on the University’s past, present, and future. This encompassed a wide range of methodologies, including quantitative research, interviews, focus groups, web and social analytics, and campus tours.
“For our work to resonate, we undertake an exhaustive process of observing, listening, absorbing existing materials, and interviewing all the key stakeholders,” Natarelli said. “It also involves an almost archaeological pursuit and appreciation of the institution’s history. From its founding to the present, we study the phases of the brand’s evolution over time.”
From this research and Hofstra’s brand study, the teams distilled Hofstra’s unique and defining characteristics: the rich history; pride of belonging; breadth and quality of academic offerings; diverse student community; unique location; and natural, architectural, and sculptural treasures within campus.
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ATHLETICS
T he Hofstra Athletics Department is also getting a new look, one that amplifies the passion and drive that define the Pride. While aligned with the primary Hofstra brand, this extension is tailored specifically for Hofstra’s 17 NCAA Division I teams.
T he updated logo features the profiles of Kate and Willie with their eyes set straight ahead. The sleek, stylized design in Hofstra’s signature blue and gold reflects a contemporary aesthetic while honoring the tradition and spirit of the University’s athletic heritage.
SHAPING AN ICON
The centerpiece of Hofstra’s rebrand is the new, modernized logo. The shield shaped emblem features a bold, blue stylized “H” framed by curved gold elements. More than just a monogram, the new logo embodies the University by incorporating symbols that represent Hofstra’s storied past and bright future. “This mark reflects not just who we are, but where we want to go,” Hofstra President Susan Poser said.
C reating the logo was no easy task. MBLM presented roughly 200 different options, which were whittled down to five before two were chosen to workshop. “We did focus groups with those designs, and they weren’t landing enough with our audience,” Coniglio said. “I have always felt that this is not mine, this is Hofstra’s, and I wasn’t ever going to put anything out there that didn’t feel right for the Hofstra community.”
The team took the feedback and continued to evolve the work. “The process uncovered the gem that I think really encapsulates everything that is Hofstra,” Coniglio said. The final design is both simple and layered with many positive attributes and inspirations.
History and Distinction
Heraldic Shield
Tradition and Strength
Monogram
Knowledge and Guidance
O pen Book Repository of Wisdom
Mark of Legacy Torch
Tulip Emblem of Renewal
G uiding Beacon
W ings
A mbition and Potential
TAKE THE GLYPH QUIZ
Foundational to the University’s new visual branding are the glyphs. A family of unique yet cohesive symbols represent key aspects of Hofstra’s heritage, vibrant history, and distinctive environment. “ These are our DNA — no one else can copy them,” said Terry Coniglio, Hofstra’s vice president for marketing and communications. “They’re distinct to who we are and our collective experience.” Together, they serve as visual pillars of the brand, enhancing Hofstra’s story and reinforcing the brand in memorable and meaningful ways.
“ They also act as a bit of a scavenger hunt to find or recall where these items or landmarks are on campus. Some are obvious, like the Unispan, others are more subtle.”
HOFSTRA — THEN, NOW, AND TOMORROW
Hofstra’s refreshed branding honors the traditions that have shaped the University over the last 90 years, while simultaneously highlighting the bright future it’s building every day. It showcases the University’s forward-thinking mission with a fresh, cohesive aesthetic and momentumbuilding promise.
Hofstra’s new brand was unveiled at two events last spring. The first reveal was at the 29th annual Hofstra Gala on May 1. “Tonight is the culmination of an initiative to refresh the Hofstra brand to represent the future of the University,” said President Poser, who also credited MBLM. “They listened to our students, faculty, staff, and alumni, understood our dreams for Hofstra’s future, and turned that into a magnificent brand.”
Students got their first look a few days later during the “Be the Spark, Leave Your Mark” event. The celebration, which took place at the Sondra and David S. Mack Student Center, included giveaways, a photo booth, a sticker wall, and exclusive branded T-shirts, all to commemorate this milestone in Hofstra’s history.
The dynamic new branding is elevating the University’s website and admission materials and will continue to spread around campus over the coming months, enriching every aspect of the Hofstra experience. “We are also working on a major signage project,” Coniglio said. ”Over the academic year, you’re going to see all new signs and wayfinding on campus.”
“For institutions going through a rebranding,” Natarelli said, “think of it not as a change of symbol but as a symbol of change.”
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Issue No. 5 | Fall 2025
After a summer of renovations, the main dining room in the Mack Student Center officially reopened on September 2, the first day of fall classes. The upgrades include a tech-forward checkout, digital jukebox, marketplace with salad bar and grab-and-go items, and new furniture and seating arrangements.