If you’re ready for a fresh look at your marketing and communications efforts, I can help you do that. I have worked in many different industries, including community foundations, non-profits, universities, community colleges, financial planning, technology and church-related organizations. In each case, I look at the organization through the lens of someone who is completely unfamiliar with them, attempting to identify what is missing from an organization’s communications. Read on for case studies.
Case Study 1 – Local Awareness for Law Firm
In 2009, I began working with a law firm that needed assistance creating local awareness for the attorneys in the firm and an overall brand for the firm. I started my work with an assessment of current marketing, including a review of the firm’s web site, logo, printed materials and advertising. I hired a graphic designer to create a logo for the firm, along with colors, fonts and consistent styling for stationery and all materials.
I also wrote a tagline for the firm, and worked with the firm’s 20-some attorneys to create a brand that everyone would embrace and use consistently. I guided the firm through creating a web site, photos of each attorney, written biographies for each attorney, both small and more substantial printed brochures, a social media presence for the firm, introduced two new blogs and created ads. I have continued to work with individual attorneys, helping each create the presence needed to attract clients.
I have delved deeply into marketing that applies only to law firms, such as Avvo, Best Lawyers, Martindale-Hubbell, Kentucky Bar Association and American Bar Association. After nearly 10 years with the firm, I know the voices of individual attorneys and can reflect the presence the firm wants to have publicly. I’ve helped the firm tell the story of its deep commitment to the community and excellent acumen in law.
Case Study 2 – Press Coverage for SkillsUSA Conference
Each June, I work with SkillsUSA National Skills and Leadership Conference, which is held in Louisville, Kentucky. The national event brings 18,000 students, teachers and advisors to Louisville to compete in trade skills. My task each year is to get local media to come out to the event and report on it. During 2018, every major TV channel, public radio, online and area print media all attended to report on various aspects of the event with overwhelmingly positive coverage.
This resulted in 58 media stories and mentions, including interviews on morning programs at local TV stations and much more.
Case Study 3 – Communications Strategy for Church Group
A church group in Texas asked me to consult with them as they brought a new communications director on board. The two prior communications directors had not performed as expected, and it was my task to ensure that the organization had a strategy that would work for the entire team, and that everyone understood what a communications person should be doing with their time. I met with the leadership team for two days to talk through issues the organization was facing, how the organization could work together to create a plan, and helped start a communications strategy that the new communications director could execute.
I also spent a day with the communications director discussing how to implement the plan, and what she needed in ongoing support. I continue to have a role as a coach with the organization.
Case Study 4 – Communication Strategy for Large Non-Profit
A large non-profit organization hired me to work with one part of the foundation to assist with communications needs. The first question I asked is, “What is the biggest problem you have?” The answer was, “No one knows we’re here.” We began to work to create a plan that would help boost the profile of this part of the foundation and help tell their story. We started with new branding and identity. We then worked to create new ads, a case statement, videos and much more.
This segment of the foundation is now up substantially in gifts and the profile of the organization and its leaders is much higher.
Case Study 5 – Press Releases for Non-Profit
A non-profit organization was struggling with a particularly difficult tenant who somehow always seemed to twist any story on our organization into a negative. We knew that a big decision was going to be made shortly, and that there was every chance that the tenant would once again twist the story negatively. I wrote two press releases for the client: one for each scenario, and once the decision was made, we released the proper press release and became the organization that was shaping the story.
This was followed by an editorial that I assisted the President of the Board in writing. I sent the op-ed to the largest daily newspaper in the area, and we were able to get our message out to all 250,000 subscribers, and several other media outlets followed up with us and did stories, as well. At that point, we became the authors of the story, which clearly pointed to the tenant as the reason the partnership did not succeed.
