Business Storytelling Case Study
We all have stories we tell ourselves about who we are
This is a story of bringing a human centered mindset to a complex communications and branding problem
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Two branches of an international business support non profit intended to merge. Together they would represent radically diverse cultures, politics, geography and demographics.
In short, they asked: who are we?
POSSIBLE SOLUTION
Develop strategy for a unifying framework for branding and messaging across all service areas that support freedom for localization.
Gain a deeper understanding of the ecosystem of communication in each service area and how messaging would work within.
Using a human-centered design approach, we conducted user research, interviews, and industry analysis to guide the project. We then used evaluative user testing with podcasters to enhance product desirability and ease of use.
PROCESS + METHODS
I designed a mixed method study, to explore attitudes, perceptions and behaviors:
Develop primary and secondary research protocols
Semi-structured interviews with 15 stakeholders representing organization leadership, staff, board members and member businesses.
Two online surveys aimed at organization staff and member businesses
A brand audit of Org’s social media channels and website traffic patterns
An aspirational audit exploring brand and messaging elements from marketing campaigns the Org is inspired by competitor review, aspirational review
Brand audit - website analytics, user behavior
MY ROLE
Research lead, helping select and vet our team, designing research protocols, managing team members and project deliverables. I led and conducted all stakeholder interviews, and collaborated on employee and AB surveys, data science and web analytics, and other project aspects including aspirational, brand, and media audits.
I designed the study and methods, supervised a junior researcher Translated frameworks, insights to our project lead who has a background in communications and media.
OUR RESEARCH MOTHODS ARE DESIGNED TO
Both provide critical insights to the Org as a business and to help them better understand themselves, their strengths and weaknesses, where they can grow and how to get there. The research team undertook a mix of Qualitative and Quantitative research methods to gain both breadth and depth of perception, sentiment, messaging, communications, interaction strategies, stories and cultures for respective branches.
RESULTS
In all facets of our research and in our own observations, we found that the people of organization are the key ingredient to a successful unifying brand and messaging platform.
Their personal and professional stories, commitment to the principles and duty of supporting a safe business and consumer environment, and even smiling, friendly and warm Canadian faces should be woven throughout the two branches unified communication efforts.
Putting a new, fresh and true face on BBB should be a persistent tactic. In an exercise where we asked people to imagine BBB as a person that walked through the door, about half of respondents used words like “Older” and “Traditional.” While important to acknowledge this perception, those words simply don’t match the reality that we experienced in BBB Ottawa, shared staff, and leadership of either BBB.
In contrast, many others shared words like “Energetic” and “Positive” and “Forward-Facing” as well as “Authentic.” These words point to key themes that should be further memorialized and expressed in a brand ethos and carried through as the driving message. Drawing on the youthful staff of Ottawa and Edmonton to socialize this ethos will help further transform the former perceptions to the latter.
