How Stanford Medicine Sounds

Stanford Medicine brand voice

Brand voice is the manner and style in which we write and speak as Stanford Medicine. Applying our brand voice across all Stanford Medicine experiences brings our personality to life through words in a way that is consistent, differentiated, and uniquely authentic to our brand.

Stanford Medicine brand personality & messaging pillars

Brand Personality

Our brand voice is rooted in Stanford Medicine’s personality attributes: visionary, human, and collaborative.

Think of these three descriptors as our “who.” If Stanford Medicine were a person, this is how we would want people to describe us. Our personality informs not only how we see ourselves internally, but also how we speak to all audiences.

Visionary

At Stanford Medicine, we have an unquenchable thirst for invention and an insatiable appetite for discovering what’s next. We’re driven to explore the unexplored… and to make the impossible possible.

Sounds: Driven, inventive, future-focused

Human

At Stanford Medicine, ours is a welcoming home where people of all backgrounds are nurtured and supported with open arms and open minds. We never forget that behind every innovation is a real life in need of healing.

Sounds: Welcoming, approachable, sincere

Collaborative

At Stanford Medicine, we purposefully promote open collaboration between our research, educational, and clinical institutions. Together we empower people around the world with the long-term advancements and everyday care they need to thrive.

Sounds: Empowering, inclusive, optimistic

Messaging Pillars

If voice is “how” we sound, messaging is “what” we say. Leveraging our Stanford Medicine personality attributes, we’ve identified key messaging pillars and messaging objectives, along with an example core message to help guide you when you are creating content.

How to convey a visionary message

Pillar

Accelerating discovery and invention

Messaging objectives

  • Emphasize our leadership position as a pioneer in biomedicine
  • Amplify the positive impact our innovations have on global health care

Core message

As pioneers of the biomedical revolution, we’re translating Silicon Valley’s spirit of invention into the breakthrough technologies and groundbreaking treatments that are rapidly redefining the future of health care.

Applying our voice

Guide your content creation with these actionable writing tactics that embody each personality attribute.

Tactics: How to convey our visionary tone

Challenge the status quo

Pose provocative “What if?” and “Why not?” questions. Answer them with definitive, declarative statements.

Focus on the future

Put the present in context of the future by talking about how what we’re working on today will help create a healthier tomorrow for communities around the world.

Take credit

Our achievements are impressive. Don’t bury them. Celebrate them! Pepper your content with matter-of-fact proof points from our long track record of “firsts.”

Example: Our visionary tone in application

Before

“By enhancing our strengths and achieving our goals, we will amplify our preeminence and remain uniquely positioned to lead the biomedical revolution in Precision Health.”

After

“Preventing disease before it strikes. Curing it decisively when it does. At Stanford Medicine, we’re leading the biomedical revolution to realize our ultimate goal: precise health and wellness for all of humanity. That’s the power of Precision Health.”

Word bank

Power words that reflect our personality give strength and variety to our brand voice. We created this library of “in-voice” words to include throughout your materials.

Visionary power words

Advance
Accelerate
Breakthrough
Discover
Disrupt
Embark
Envision
Groundbreaking
Innovate
Lead
Pioneer
Realize
Redefine
Revolutionary
Transform

Human power words

Caring
Community
Compassionate
Embrace
Empower
Family
Heal
Humanity
Nurture
Personalized
Respect
Share
Soothe
Together
Understand

Collaborative power words

Align
Amplify
Collective
Diverse
Expand
Harness
Inclusive
Integrate
Magnify
Open
Partner
Purposeful
Reinforce
Strengthen
Support

Questions about the Stanford School of Medicine brand? Email us: sombranding@stanford.edu