Contact: Harriet Laird

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Mississippi State’s “We Ring True” branding initiative has received yet another ringing endorsement—this time, an international 2020 Circle of Excellence Award from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education.

Mississippi State has earned the Gold Award for the “We Ring True” TV advertisement produced in 2019, which highlights the university’s inclusive, connected campus environment that nurtures student achievement, growth and an empowering sense of community. MSU is among a distinctive group of CASE winners from institutions in 28 countries.

“When we launched our new branding initiative in 2015, we were determined to build public awareness about MSU’s research leadership and the many ways our students are driven to make a difference,” said MSU President Mark E. Keenum. “By tapping into our unique strengths, the ‘We Ring True’ initiative continues to be a powerful platform to tell our stories and show students that MSU is a place where they can thrive and succeed.”

CASE is a nonprofit association dedicated to educational advancement. Each year its prestigious Circle of Excellence international awards program honors “superior accomplishments that have lasting impact, demonstrate the highest level of professionalism and deliver exceptional results.”

The CASE international competition judges credited the entry by Mississippi’s leading research university for its effective use of detailed research to appeal to specific audiences, especially prospective students.

“The quality of [MSU’s] entry is marked by…the depth of insight undertaken to understand the audience prior to developing the storyboard for the video,” wrote judges in MSU’s award analysis. “This is the only entry that indicated that research had been undertaken to understand the needs and motivations of the target market. The objectives were clearly articulated and measured, and the results impressive.”

MSU’s Office of Public Affairs has garnered more than two dozen awards for the “We Ring True” initiative since its launch. Several performance metrics, including increased student enrollment for five consecutive years, demonstrate in tangible ways that the initiative has made a positive impact.

In addition to rising enrollment, MSU continues to be ranked among the National Science Foundation’s Top 100 research universities and the best in Mississippi. MSU’s research leadership is recognized in a broad range of fields, including automotive design, supercomputing, unmanned aerial systems, cybersecurity and global hunger-fighting efforts.

From rocket scientists and robot designers to community planners and ocean guardians, Mississippi State students are leading the way to the future through hands-on research opportunities.

In recent years, Mississippi State added two historic milestones to its growing list of accomplishments. In 2017, MSU became one of only six universities in the nation to house a presidential library with the opening of the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library and Williams Collection of Lincolniana. Last year, the Phi Beta Kappa Society installed a new chapter at MSU and inducted  the university’s first class of students for their extraordinary academic achievement in the arts and sciences.

“This award from CASE speaks so well of the outstanding team of professionals we have in MSU’s Office of Public Affairs,” said Sid Salter, chief communications officer and director of the Office of Public Affairs. “We are grateful for the consistent support we receive from the university’s leadership that enables us to do our important work to advance the university.”