We know storytelling.
We will guide you through the process of creating an organizational narrative filled with brand stories, strong themes, and cohesive visuals that speak to your core audiences. On top of that, we are experts at telling stories that raise money, spark action, and bring about awareness for your organization.
Do you have a brand narrative?
A brand narrative is a collection of messages (i.e., stories) representing the central beliefs your nonprofit or association needs to communicate. Determining this narrative won’t happen overnight, and it requires in-depth research to understand your organizational goals and your audience’s needs and preferences.
How is this different from storytelling?
The ideas of brand narrative and nonprofit storytelling overlap. However, the brand narrative is all-encompassing – it’s the collection of smaller stories and how they come together to fit the organization’s overall heart and mission. Some stories will only hit on one theme of the overall narrative, and others will align with all the central ideas. Your organization needs both types of stories to be effective.
We help you tell the right stories at the right time, teach you how to create and evoke emotional responses, and show you how stories should come together to emphasize your brand narrative.
Through our brand and storytelling workshop, we’ll work collaboratively with you to answer these questions:
- Who is your key audience for this story?
- What do we want people to know?
- What do they already know?
- What stance are we taking on this topic? (i.e., why is your take on this unique and different from other organizations doing similar work?)
- How do we want people to feel?
Every interaction, every message, and thing your organization puts into the world shapes your brand. Our brand experts will help your organization rediscover its authentic identity. We’ll start with the Brand Workshop — which consists of research, meetings, and exercises — that uncovers the most powerful way to position yourself in the world. Then we’ll put it into concrete words and images you can actually use.
We will also help you define the visual lens through which you should tell your story.
From the smallest identity challenges to global campaign efforts, our team begins the Brand Strategy process with a Storytelling Framework based on Joseph Campbell’s interpretation of the Hero’s Journey. Rather than repeat that branding process, we’ll begin by gaining a solid understanding of where you were, where you are, and where you’d like to be. We will refine our process based on what we learn.
We’ll help you select representative visual imagery that tells your brand story and a framework for future imagery. If you’re looking for a new look for your brand, we’ll create a new visual identity for you, as well as voice and tone guidelines.
How do narrative and storytelling help my organization raise more money and reach new audiences?
Having a defined narrative allows you to create stories that speak to key audiences in a particular way. Through those stories, you will make necessary emotional connections that help drive your mission and highlight your current campaign’s importance.
Nailing the emotional response your stories evoke is key to gaining more donations and growing your donor list. It requires a delicate balance. You have to write with just the right amount of heartbreak, urgency, and hope to pull it off.
What’s next?
Reach out to us, and we’ll work with you on defining your brand narrative, authentic, moving stories, and action-oriented messaging. We will guide you through a writing workshop to show you how to write the core content that meets your audience’s needs and the “connective tissue” content that helps relate all of this messaging to your brand narrative.