---
title: Press Kits, Embargos, and Branding Best Practices
description: Learn the essential rules for Military Friendly® Schools branding. This guide covers press embargoes, logo usage requirements, and mandatory intellectual property rules to protect your institution’s designation.
---
[Skip to content](https://account.militaryfriendly.com/knowledgebase/press-kits-embargos-and-branding-best-practices#main-content)
English
Show submenu for translations
- [Schools Survey Guide](https://www.militaryfriendly.com/survey-schools-guide/)
- [Company Survey Guide](https://www.militaryfriendly.com/mfcguide/)
Open main navigation
Close main navigation
- [Schools Survey Guide](https://www.militaryfriendly.com/survey-schools-guide/)
- [Company Survey Guide](https://www.militaryfriendly.com/mfcguide/)
- English
Show submenu for translations
- Contact us
Contact us
How can we help you?
- There are no suggestions because the search field is empty.
1. [Military Friendly Surveys](https://account.militaryfriendly.com/knowledgebase?hsLang=en)
2. [Support](https://account.militaryfriendly.com/knowledgebase/support?hsLang=en)
3. [Military Friendly Schools](https://account.militaryfriendly.com/knowledgebase/support?hsLang=en#military-friendly-schools)
# Press Kits, Embargos, and Branding Best Practices
## Earning a Military Friendly® designation is a testament to your institution’s commitment to the military community. To protect the integrity of this "Gold Standard," all designated schools must adhere to specific rules regarding how and when they announce their award.
#### 1. Understanding the Press Embargo
The "Embargo" is a strict period during which your designation is confirmed but cannot yet be made public.
- **The Rule:** You may not release any materials, social media posts, or official announcements regarding your new designation until the official public release date and time.
- **Purpose:** The embargo ensures a coordinated national announcement, maximizing the impact for all awarded institutions.
- **Verification:** Your school’s updated profile will typically go live on [MilitaryFriendly.com](https://www.militaryfriendly.com/) shortly before the embargo lifts, allowing you to verify your links in private.
- For specific dates visit the boilerplate or guide [here.](https://account.militaryfriendly.com/hubfs/Membership%20Documents/2026-2027%20MFS%20Boilerplate.pdf?hsLang=en)
#### 2. Using the Press Release Template
A standard [Press Kit](https://account.militaryfriendly.com/hubfs/Membership%20Documents/2026-2027%20MFS%20Boilerplate.pdf?hsLang=en) and boilerplate verbiage are provided to help your marketing team.
- **Mandatory Links:** All press releases must include a live link to either your specific institution’s profile or the full list of [Military Friendly® Schools](https://www.militaryfriendly.com/survey-schools-guide/).
- **Standard Verbiage:** Use the provided boilerplate to describe the Military Friendly® program to ensure the methodology and standards are described accurately to the public.
- **Customization:** While templates are provided as a guideline, your institution is responsible for ensuring any custom content complies with the official [Terms of Use](https://www.militaryfriendly.com/survey-schools-guide/).
#### 3. Logo Usage & Intellectual Property (IP)
The Military Friendly® marks are protected trademarks. Misuse can result in the revocation of your designation.
- **The Year is Mandatory:** All public use of logos **must contain the year of designation**. Using outdated logos or generic marks without a year is a violation of the licensing agreement.
- **Trademark Symbol:** Any mention of the term “Military Friendly®” in text must include the registered trademark symbol.
- **Digital Hyperlinks:** If your membership level allows for a digital logo, the image must be a "live" link that leads directly back to your school’s profile on [MilitaryFriendly.com](https://www.militaryfriendly.com/).
- **No Alterations:** You may not crop, stretch, or change the colors of the official seal.
#### 4. Membership Levels & Access
Access to branding assets is determined by your [Membership Level](https://www.militaryfriendly.com/survey-schools-guide/):
- **Basic Users:** Authorized for "Naming Rights" only (text use). You are not permitted to use the official logo marks.
- **Level 1-5 Members:** Have access to high-resolution logos, EPS files, and personalized assets via the [Arrows platform](https://www.militaryfriendly.com/survey-schools-guide/).
- **Authorized Contacts:** Only the primary survey taker or designated [Profile Manager](https://www.militaryfriendly.com/survey-schools-guide/) has direct access to download these assets.
#### 5. Best Practices for Recruitment
- **Highlight Specific Awards:** If you earned a **Top 10, Gold, Silver, or Bronze** status, emphasize this in your recruitment materials to show your school’s performance relative to the [6 Metrical Benchmarks](https://www.militaryfriendly.com/survey-schools-guide/).
- **Update Your Profile:** Ensure your [Online Profile Manager](https://www.militaryfriendly.com/survey-schools-guide/) has logged in to the portal to claim your account and update your school's description and contact links before the results go public.
- **Social Media:** Use the designated hashtags provided in your press kit to join the national conversation when the embargo lifts.
---
### **Compliance Warning**
Military Friendly® utilizes third-party monitoring to ensure brand integrity. Any violations of these terms—including premature announcements or improper logo usage—may result in the immediate **revocation of your designation status** and loss of logo usage permissions.
- [FAQs](https://account.militaryfriendly.com/knowledgebase/faqs?hsLang=en)
- [Reporting Metrics](https://account.militaryfriendly.com/knowledgebase/reporting-metrics?hsLang=en#main-content)
- [Military Friendly Schools](https://account.militaryfriendly.com/knowledgebase/reporting-metrics?hsLang=en#military-friendly-schools)
- [General](https://account.militaryfriendly.com/knowledgebase/general?hsLang=en#main-content)
- [Military Friendly® Schools survey](https://account.militaryfriendly.com/knowledgebase/general?hsLang=en#military-friendly-schools-survey)
- [Support](https://account.militaryfriendly.com/knowledgebase/support?hsLang=en#main-content)
- [Military Friendly Schools](https://account.militaryfriendly.com/knowledgebase/support?hsLang=en#military-friendly-schools)
- [Schools Survey Guide](https://www.militaryfriendly.com/survey-schools-guide/)
- [Company Survey Guide](https://www.militaryfriendly.com/mfcguide/)
[](http://www.Militaryfriendly.com)
[mailto:email@email.com](mailto:email@email.com)
Copyright © 2026, Military Friendly®