Have you ever contributed to an NC State scholarship fund? If you’re about to say no, don’t be so sure. The correct answer might surprise you.
Did you pick up a new Adidas polo from Wolfpack Outfitters before the last day of class this spring? You may have enabled a senior who was studying for their final exam in Talley Student Union to graduate debt-free.
Ever bought a Block S flag for your front porch from Raleigh’s Red and White Shop? Your Pack loyalty may have ensured that a first-generation student could feel that same pride in place as they walked across the stage at convocation.
Were you able to snag one of the highly coveted NC State mugs from Starbucks when they debuted in 2024? You — yes, you — have helped someone Think and Do.
Super Sales
Many shoppers don’t realize it when they’re approaching a cash register with their chosen item(s), but they’re just moments away from supporting a member of the Wolfpack. That’s because the sale of licensed NC State products provides critical funding for scholarships across campus. From hats to decals to water bottles and more, if an object represents the university, and has been officially licensed by NC State, the purchase will help students learn, grow and succeed.
In a world awash with companies and organizations that claim a “portion” of their proceeds will go to X, Y or Z, it’s reasonable to wonder how much of your money actually goes toward supporting NC State students. The extraordinary answer: 95% of the annual net revenue from the sale of NC State licensed merchandise is dedicated to ensuring scholarship recipients can get the most out of their time on campus.
Chris Boyer leads NC State’s Office of Strategic Brand Management. A member of the University Communications and Marketing team, he and his colleagues work to ensure NC State is recognized in its rightful place among the nation’s elite institutions by elevating the brand in the public eye.
“The Office of Strategic Brand Management plays a vital role in how we tell the NC State story,” said Lisa Marie L. Ferrell, the university’s chief communications and marketing officer. “Chris Boyer and his team turn our Think and Do spirit into items that promote the Wolfpack and raise scholarships for students.”
Think of strategic brand management as “E pluribus unum Wolfpack” — out of the many ways the university benefits our state, nation and world, a primary goal is for everyone to have a strong recognition and unifying affinity when they hear “NC State.” These efforts include partnerships with retailers and organizations, trademark licensing, strategic co-branding with companies such as Coca-Cola and PNC Bank, and even ensuring that NC State’s colleges and programs are communicating about the Wolfpack in a consistent manner.
“It’s arguable that one of the most valuable assets the university has — any university, maybe any public institution or company — is its brand: what people think and feel about the university, what their impressions of it are and what their interactions with it are like,” Boyer said.
The sale of officially licensed NC State products takes that concept and puts it into action. The more positive publicity the Wolfpack receives, the more students apply for admission to NC State. Then, as more products are sold, more scholarship funding is available to those incoming students.
All of this benefits the employees of the products’ producers, too, because companies licensed by NC State are required to follow fair labor practices.
“Our strongest licensing, retail and brand partnerships are built on shared values and a commitment to an integrated approach to problem-solving,” Boyer said. “By associating the NC State brand with mission-aligned companies and products, inclusive of many in North Carolina, that demonstrate the power of sustainable business practices and give back to our students, we’re showing the state, nation and world the strength and importance of our Wolfpack.”
It’s not just the purchase price of the individual items that makes a difference at NC State, though. The actual licensing of the university’s trademark for use on all kinds of products and brand collaborations accounts for a large percentage of the money the Office of Strategic Brand Management raises in a given fiscal year. Licensing revenue often comes in for scholarship funding before the products ever hit the shelves, when the purchases made by Wolfpack fans lift NC State brand impact and value to even greater heights.
A prime example of that came in the last fiscal year.
“Our office generated approximately $3.3 million in overall revenues in fiscal year 2025, with the lion’s share coming from our trademark licensing royalties,” Boyer said. “For context, in our office’s first year, fiscal year 2020, we generated just over $1.8 million in overall revenues. So, we have almost doubled our annual revenues, which is no small feat in our business and is especially gratifying because of how NC State puts it to use.”
No small feat, indeed, especially considering the economic conditions of 2025. Never more critical, either, since the average financial gap for NC State undergraduates in need now stands at more than $20,000. Trademark licensing royalties help alleviate this by supporting NC State student scholarships in the areas of need, merit, study abroad, athletics and other strategic areas, such as providing expenses for one Wilson College of Textiles student to attend New York Fashion Week (NYFW) each spring and fall semester.
Fashion design student Sophia Stacy was one of the latter recipients. Stacy landed a spot in the audience of NYFW shows last fall through U of NYFW. This program provides college students from across the U.S. with insights into the fashion world via panels with working professionals from all sectors of the industry, a tour of Champion headquarters and more.
Stacy’s attendance marked the realization of a goal she made for herself as a high school senior.
“I was so excited at the prospect of participating in something as incredible as NYFW through my future university,” Stacy said. “NYFW is such a significant event in the fashion industry that I knew attending U of NYFW would provide me with invaluable experience and connections that could help launch my career in the fashion world.”
Another student who has benefited from the sale of officially licensed NC State products is Christopher Oates, a Park Scholar double majoring in environmental sciences and biological and agricultural engineering. A study-abroad scholarship allowed him to spend a summer doing coursework in Rome.
“I chose to study abroad because I wanted to gain greater cultural awareness of the world around me while also learning more about the field of science and engineering that I wish to go into after graduation,” Oates said. “Scholarship funds made this experience possible. Having to worry less about the costs of the trip made planning and preparation much easier, and it made my time abroad even more enjoyable.”
These are just a few examples of the difference made by the Office of Strategic Brand Management’s efforts — and why the team is so determined to ensure that the money raised from NC State product sales benefits students, not an unlicensed third party.
Wolfpack Wins
NC State’s use of its trademark licensing program to fund scholarships has made a dramatic impact on students’ lives while making a deep impression on the collegiate licensing world as a whole.
For instance, the Office of Strategic Brand Management’s hard work and the Wolfpack community’s brand loyalty propelled NC State to a particularly big win in 2023. The university was chosen as International Collegiate Licensing Association’s annual Synergy Award recipient — the highest honor in the collegiate trademark licensing industry. But the positive results didn’t stop with awards.
“In 2025, we once again ranked #28 among Collegiate Licensing Company’s (CLC) 700-plus university clients in royalties generated through our CLC trademark licensing agreements, up eight spots from the year before our office was created,” Boyer said. “We will allocate more than $2.4 million to Scholarships and Financial Aid in support of NC State students, which is another all-time high and the first time over $2 million.”
Speaking of winning: Athletics victories are incredibly useful for increasing brand awareness.
Surveys have shown that big wins, especially national championships, lead to higher applications for the team’s university because they put the institution on potential students’ radars in a way that nothing else will. In NC State’s case, wins also lead to increased product sales.
So, buy a new “Go Pack!” foam finger and get out to a sporting event this year to cheer on NC State’s talented and hardworking athletes. Or add a new Tuffy magnet to your refrigerator. Or fetch an honorary NC State diploma for your dog. (It’s a real thing.) Just make sure whatever you’re purchasing is officially licensed by NC State.
However you show your love for the Wolfpack, you’re helping it grow through the compounding impact of philanthropy. Even if you didn’t “Think” your simple purchase could “Do” all of that.
For more information on how NC State works to strategically steward, elevate and monetize the university’s brand, visit go.ncsu.edu/wolfpackbranding. If you’d like to learn more about partnering with NC State to officially license a product, click here.
This post was originally published in Giving News.
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