Corporate
This is the heart of all storytelling. This is who you are. And the stories can be told through many formats. Your website is the most obvious medium for storytelling today. I’ve also helped companies tell corporate stories through magazines, email newsletters, event marketing, and videos spread through social media. The best option for you? That depends - on budget, the demographics of your intended audience, your budget, your timing, and your overall goals. However it’s delivered, your story needs to be service focused, and it needs to show why you’re here. I love helping companies find this story.
Your Story: Website Focus
Strategy: Explain what makes Lucas Horsfall an interesting and important accounting firm. When I met one of the partners of Lucas Horsfall, a Pasadena-based accounting firm, I heard him talk about how special his employees were. He spoke about his desire to give smart, young accountants the ability to do great work, and to treat them well so they would want to continue working with the firm and its clients. We met a few times, and this is all he talked about; he didn’t talk about accounting. That’s the base of the company’s story.
Creative: The firm needed a new website, and I suggested we focus it around telling the actual Lucas Horsfall story - the story of people. All the partners at this firm felt strongly about their people. That included clients too. Clients often became personal friends, and I wanted the new website to show and tell the story of people. I photographed the entire staff, plus several of the firm’s clients at work. And I wrote all new copy for the website, working with a separate web agency to design the site itself.
Distribution: Websites are vital, of course, but they can be islands if not promoted. I suggested that Lucas Horsfall do two things to promote this new site. One, get employees more active on LinkedIn - some already were, and others needed to increase activity. Two, remain active in local networking events and use those opportunities to continue talking about people.
Be The Media You Want to Read
Strategy: It’s fairly simple now for brands to be publishers. That’s powerful. With a sales-focused partner, HansenHouse co-created MMA Business magazine as a branding and advocacy tool for a Minnesota-based company. “MMA” is mixed-martial arts, and the Minnesota company created flooring and related products for businesses in the martial arts. This trade magazine would tell good business stories, helping grow the industry and, in turn, the opportunities for the company.
Creative: I focused the magazine’s editorial on trade magazine essentials with subtle splashes of brand promotion. I’m a skeptical reader, and I assumed that our audience would be equally wary. This magazine had to be an authentic trade publication, not a glossy promotional piece. We used industry experts as columnists and sources, even competitors. And we were a presence at industry events, helping build the case for a business-focused media outlet in a wild-child industry.
Distribution: Traditional trade-media distribution with free subscriptions upon request. We knew we had to get the magazine in the hands of business owners quickly; we didn’t have time or budget for a heavy magazine marketing effort. Yes, print and mail has costs, but that was our “investment” in what was essentially a long-range marketing piece.
More Corporate Storytelling Opportunities
Crisis Communication. Your company can’t prevent a crisis, but it can prepare for one. In fact, it must prepare. When the media calls, who speaks for your company and who doesn’t? And what do and don’t they say? Crisis communication is vital. With experience on both the media and corporate sides, I can help you here.
Brand Guidelines. Are your brand guidelines established and easy to use? I’ve helped create and manage brand guidelines; these documents keep agencies and partners informed on best practices for logos, colors and brand identities.
Sales Meetings. Are your executives coached on presentation skills? Are the speeches written in clear, personal and brand-focused style?