Since its founding in 1837, Mount Holyoke College has inspired generations of students and alums to break through barriers and make change for all. Today, Mount Holyoke identified an opportunity to translate the spirit of their founding mission in a way that was responsive to the quickly evolving higher education landscape.
Key Deliverables
We began with a comprehensive review of Mount Holyoke’s communications, market research, peers and social media. Through research and interviews with more than 130 stakeholders, we identified one of the College’s defining strengths: its ability to create meaningful connections — between people, disciplines and ideas. From interdisciplinary learning to opportunities for students to link academic study with real-world impact, these connections defined core aspects of the Mount Holyoke experience and community.
Building on these insights, we developed a new brand strategy and messaging toolkit to translate findings into actionable guidance for communications. Training sessions across departments and offices helped campus communicators apply the messaging consistently and confidently in their own work. We then partnered with the Mount Holyoke team to bring the strategy to life across channels — most notably through the College’s rebuilt website, including the home page and top-level landing pages.
Additive also supported a mission statement refresh, expressing a bold commitment to all students marginalized in higher education due to gender. This work included guidance on implementing the new language, from channel strategy to audience engagement.
In addition to the refreshed website, Mount Holyoke has continued to tailor and implement the new messaging across channels, including admissions content.
In 2024, Mount Holyoke also partnered with Additive to support the development and activation of the College’s strategic plan. Together, we helped shape a compelling theme — MHC Forward — and strategic framework grounded in Mount Holyoke’s mission and values, We then created a design style and launch collateral to energize the campus community around a shared vision for the future. The plan was met with enthusiasm and has already guided early wins from expanded faculty to historic fundraising.
