December 15, 2025 Marketing and Communications Update

Howdy,

As 2025 comes to a close, we can reflect on a year of incredible momentum for the Texas A&M University brand. The success of our brand launch is a direct result of our partnership. Together, our marketing and communications community made Texas A&M’s story impossible to ignore, reaching new audiences and demonstrating our impact on a national scale.

This sets the stage for 2026, when we will tell the story of our 150-year-old public research university built to serve. We will do so at a time when attention is scarce, trust in higher education is fragile and expectations are higher than ever. The new resources in this email, including the Brand Impact Report and content packages for Aggieland Saturday and the Brands That Matter recognition, are designed to help us meet this moment with confidence and clarity. Thank you for your partnership in showing the world how we stand together as a force for good.

As we head into the holiday season, please take this time to rest and recharge. The work ahead in 2026 is significant. We look forward to returning with renewed energy, ready to meet the moment and make our 150th year our most impactful yet.

Content Packages

Aggieland Saturday

Aggieland Saturday is more than our largest open house. It is our university’s front door and a critical opportunity to introduce our brand to new and vital audiences: thousands of prospective students and their families. This event is our first chance to make a lasting impact, showing them what it means to be part of a welcoming, spirited community and a global force for good. It is our time to demonstrate how we can activate our brand in harmony, standing together to create an unforgettable, unified experience for every visitor.

To help you prepare, we have created a new Aggieland Saturday content package. This resource is designed to help you communicate in a consistent, compelling and on-brand way, with creative assets and messaging guidance tailored for this unique event. By using these tools, we can ensure every interaction feels inspiring and authentically Aggie, reflecting the character and values that define us. Let’s work together to show every visitor that they can find their home and purpose here at Texas A&M.

Aggieland Saturday Content Package

Brand Impact Report

Texas A&M’s national presence transformed this year, from insular to impossible to ignore. Through strategic storytelling, record-breaking digital campaigns and high-profile media placements, the university’s voice grew louder, clearer and more impactful in every channel that matters. Our content connected, our audiences expanded and our story reached millions, keeping Texas A&M prominently positioned in the national conversation.

This transformation is a direct result of our collective efforts, and this impact report serves as a thank you to the entire marketing and communications community for your continued trust and partnership. Our success is rooted in the collaboration and commitment from every college, school, unit and division. Together, we are sharing the story of how Texas A&M is a force for good for state, the nation and beyond.

2025 Brand Impact Report

Brands That Matter

As we have previously announced, Texas A&M was named to Fast Company’s 2025 Brands That Matter list, making us the only university in the nation to be included. This award honors organizations for their ability to connect with audiences and affirms our work to show what it means to be an Aggie: leading with character and serving with compassion.

This recognition is a powerful reflection of the work we have done together to bring our brand to life. Alongside each of you, we’ve told meaningful stories that demonstrate how Texas A&M is working to build a brighter, safer world.

Now, we invite you to celebrate this moment with us and help broadcast this accomplishment in a way that resonates with your respective audiences. We prepared a content package to equip your teams to highlight how your faculty, staff, students and former students are a force for good in our state, nation and world.

• First post: Monday, Dec. 15, 2025
• Second post: Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026

By amplifying this news and continuing to tell the stories rooted in our brand, we collectively strengthen our national reputation. Thank you for your partnership and commitment to telling the Texas A&M story.

Brands That Matter Content Package

Community Resources Available to You

University Calendar Platform Updates

On Oct. 30, LiveWhale – the official university calendar platform – underwent a fairly extensive upgrade to align the public-facing appearance of the calendar with our new brand platform. Your partnership as avid users helped move forward the timely completion of needed refinements as the team worked with the vendor to address unexpected bugs. As you continue to create events and utilize the updated fields and sorting features, please reach out to the team via email at digitalexperience@tamu.edu if you have any questions or need additional support.

Design Counsel

Design Counsel is a collaborative space for Texas A&M’s visual storytellers to connect, share ideas and shape the future of creativity and collaboration across the university. Each meeting explores a different topic related to marketing and communications.

Join us in the new year on Jan. 14! We’ll be diving into 150th anniversary projects and discussing what’s ahead. Sign up using the link below!

If you have any questions, please contact Emme Benefield at emcmurray05@tamu.edu or reach out via Slack or Teams.

Register for upcoming meetings

Aggie UX Open Office Hours

The Division of Marketing and Communications Web team hosts virtual office hours every Thursday from 10-11 a.m. This is a great opportunity to get support with Aggie UX, AUX Cascade themes or any other web-related questions. Drop in for help, guidance or a quick chat about anything related to web or Aggie UX design system tools.

When: Thursdays, 10-11 a.m.
Join Zoom Meeting | Meeting ID: 995 7531 4621| Passcode: 646167

We look forward to seeing you there! Other practical advice for creating web content, applying best practices and using the Aggie UX design system is available on the MarComm site. Be sure to sign up for Aggie UX-specific communications by joining the Aggie UX email list.

Research Communicators Network

The Divisions of Research and Marketing and Communications co-host a biweekly meeting for communicators to connect, share updates and collaborate around promoting Texas A&M’s research enterprise. These meetings are a valuable opportunity for everyone who attends, and we encourage you to send a representative if you do not have someone already participating from your unit, college or school.

When: Every other Tuesday, 10 a.m.

This informal virtual gathering is open to all communicators supporting research initiatives and researchers themselves. It’s a chance to ask questions, get feedback and align on research messaging across the university.

Contact Tim Doty, Assistant Vice President for National Media and Public Relations, or Rusty Cawley, Director of Research Communications, to be added to the calendar invitation.