Research and strategic consulting

While we certainly "make things"—branding systems, websites, brochures, for example—we are often first engaged to evolve the communication strategies that will help you to achieve your short- and long-term goals—strategies that inform the "making." (Without strategic underpinnings, a new website or brochure might "look good," but might also underserve you and your constituents.)

Forming a strategy involves looking both inward and outward. Inward to learn about your goals, vision, history, capabilities, resources, personality, possible differentiators, and current communications. Outward to learn about the competitive landscape, your positioning in that landscape, misconceptions, and the expectations and information needs of the different groups to which you need to communicate.

We're then able to offer you informed counsel—and to collaborate to define a program that maps to your needs, opportunities, schedules, and resources. Writing a program together gets key people involved in the process, provides a framework for decision-making and discussion, and raises a project above the level of personal likes and dislikes—to what works.

Of course, consulting, like the creation of print and digital materials, is scalable—to be in line with your needs, opportunities, and resources.