Messaging on a Mission

Using video has always been a powerful tool for sharing compelling messages. Since the advent of camera phones, short-form social media apps like Tik Tok, and a global pandemic that kept people inside, it's gotten even more powerful. In the episode, we speak with Tyler Pyburn, co-founder of 5 Tool Productions, a video and content marketing company about what's most important in using video to craft compelling stories, what most folks get wrong, and how to get the most out of the content you create.

Tyler Pyburn. Tyler Pyburn is a co-owner of 5 Tool Productions. A team of creative storytellers that uses video to inspire, disrupt and create lasting impact for brands and organizations.

He's a former sports anchor that traded in the news desk for the corporate world which brought him to the realization that brands have more untold stories than anyone.

Tyler has BA in Television from Curry College.

• Always start with your end audience in mind. What is it that they want to hear and learn?
• Focus on exciting, engaging, and educating them.
• Unsure of how to create the content? Sit down and interview your subjects.
• Keep it simple.
• Always grab your audience right away. Competition for eyeballs is fierce.
• Don't talk at them, talk to them, talk with them. Try to talk to them as if you were sitting across from them at a bar and simply explaining something that happens that day.
• In 2020, the word was "pivot." In 2021, it's "hybrid."
• Create content for its primary purpose then find other places in your marketing efforts to put it to work too.
• Video cannot make you thinner or more tan.

Tyler Pyburn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerpyburn/

[email protected]

5toolproductions.com

Samples:

Spaulding Rehab, Story of strength

Spaulding Rehab, Coming back from Covid

Joe Andruzzi Foundation, The Weinstein Family

Boston University 1839 Society

Stories—personal, memorable, and moving—have the capacity to change people's minds, touch their hearts, and excite their brains. But what makes for a good story? This episode features Sophie Wadsworth, who coaches leaders to be better storytellers. She and host Douglas Spencer look at what a good story requires and how to find it within yourself or others. Douglas also takes a stab at storytelling himself.

Key Takeaways:

Stories have to have relatability, conflict or tension, and resolution or change.

They should also have specificity and detail about you—the speaker or writer. Stories that capture how you feel will connect with the audience.

More detail the better, because listeners have not experienced the story. You already have. It's important to share those details.

Vulnerability in storytelling creates both connection and credibility. Start with finding a safe space to explore and share.

Everyone has a story to tell. Even the most simple stories can help you connect with others.

Anything eccentric or strange, actually maybe relatable.

Jot down anecdotes and stories as they happen and save them for future use!

Stories help you affect change while simply being yourself.

"We're so complex; we're mysteries to ourselves; we're difficult to each other. And then storytelling reminds us we're all the same." Brad Pitt

Sophie Wadsworth is an executive coach, writer, and nonprofit consultant. She has a passion for helping mission-focused leaders tell their personal and organizational stories. Sophie has worked as an adjunct professor of English and, for over fifteen years, served as a nonprofit executive and public speaker.

Drawing on her leadership and storytelling expertise, she coaches leaders to develop their stories and craft inspiring communications for keynote audiences, community stakeholders, and prospective funders. Clients who work with her come away feeling confident in their ability to deliver a presentation that inspires and changes hearts and minds.

Sophie is the author of a collection of poems, Letters from Siberia, and was recently chosen as a storyteller for WGBH's Stories from the Stage, an award-winning WORLD channel series.

She has a bachelor of arts in history (with honors) from Trinity College-Hartford and a master of arts in English from The University of New Mexico. Sophie lives with her family in Greater Boston and counts her ten-year-old son as one of her best storytelling mentors.

Sophie Wadsworth

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophie-wadsworth-99368073/

[email protected]

Graphic design plays an integral role in any messaging strategy—but many organizations continue to get it wrong. Kim Vanni, Senior Art Director for Spencer Brenneman, joins this episode of Messaging on a Mission to talk through the best ways to ensure that graphic design supports your work in the most effective way possible.

Design is like a puzzle, made up of various pieces, like the organization's mission, its audience, and what it's trying to accomplish.

The messaging strategy doesn't just apply words, talking points, to a voice. How a brand actually looks is integral to the messaging strategy.

Less is more. Find the one piece of content that is crucial for people to take away with them. The more information there is, the less people will absorb.

There's so much visual stimulation now that design needs white space that gives your audience some room to breathe.

Branding does not equal your logo.

Ask of your design, "How is it fulfilling your message? How do you think your audience is going to see it?"

Kim Vanni the Senior Art Director at Spencer Brenneman. Brilliantly both left- and right-brained and, coupled with her years of experience, she delivers visual elements in line with the strategy's end goals.

For more than a decade, Kim worked in a variety of roles within Thomson Financial and Thomson Reuters, from serving as a one-woman design powerhouse to supervising a team of creatives and marketers based in both the U.S. and U.K.

Specialties include complete brand visual identity solutions, print and digital design, photography direction, and editing. In addition to working with Spencer Brenneman, Kim shares her skills and expertise with a number of non-profit organizations and local/town governments.

She has a bachelor of arts from the University of Houston.

Kim Vanni, [email protected]

In 2019, foundations contributed $75 billion to the philanthropic ecosystem, making them a crucial player in affecting positive change. How they talk about their work is therefore incredibly important. In this episode of Messaging on a Mission, we talk about the challenges and opportunities foundations have for their messaging strategies.

A lack of focus is one of the most significant challenges foundations face

It's more than just writing checks. The best foundations are also partners with their beneficiaries

The most significant mistake foundations make in their messaging is over-thinking the stories they have to tell.

What's well known to the foundation may not be well-known to the rest of the world, which is why they may have more stories to tell than they realize.

For your message to resonate, it is best to present in the context of existing conversations if possible, e.g., the pandemic, the political landscape, or racial equality.

Non-profits should craft Foundation-specific messages when looking for partnerships.

Matt Wilder is a communications and media strategist with a passion for telling great stories. With deep roots in the education, government, and non-profit sectors, Matt has crafted and executed communications plans that educated and inspired stakeholders and also moved constituencies to rewrite the narrative, challenge the status quo and move forward together.

Notably, Matt recently led the communications efforts for the historic 'Yes on 3' campaign, which successfully upheld the Massachusetts law protecting transgender people from discrimination in public places, the first-ever statewide vote on transgender rights in United States history.

Before creating his consultancy, Matt served as chief of staff and communications director to the Massachusetts secretary of education in the administration of Governor Deval Patrick. Before state service, Matt served in the administration of Boston Mayor Thomas Menino as the chief spokesperson for the Boston Public Schools and as an advisor to Superintendent Carol Johnson.

Prior to his public service, Matt was a television news producer at Boston's acclaimed ABC affiliate, WCVB-TV, Channel 5. He is a graduate of Suffolk University in Boston.

https://wilderstrategies.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-wilder-9360517/

https://twitter.com/MWilderBoston

Remember the black-tie gala? There's a part of those evenings that can either be painful or hugely entertaining, productive, and moving. Michael Tate, auctioneer and fundraising consultant has mastered how to do the latter. In this episode, we learn about how and why auctioneers must communicate—on the fly—on three different levels: strategically (who is the organization and what is their overall message); emotionally (how's the room feeling, are they getting it?); and tactically (who's raising their hand to give money!).

A San Francisco resident since 1998, Michael is an inspired and inspiring auctioneer with a demeanor that endears him to a wide array of audiences. He is unabashedly passionate in his commitment to helping nonprofits achieve their goals. For nearly a decade, he has worked with more than fifty local, national, and international nonprofit organizations to maximize their gala fundraising efforts.

He has a bachelor of arts from Brown University and a law degree from the University of Virginia.

Michael Tate:

[email protected]

www.facebook.com/michaeltateauctions

San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus:

www.sfgmc.org/

From Baby Boomers to Gen Xers, Millennials to Gen Zs, there are a lot of different generations consuming a lot of different messages? But, does messaging to different age groups require different approaches? This episode of Messaging on a Mission features master communicator, Guy Felixbrodt, who doesn't seem to think so. He believes that to keep the message consistent, you should turn to emotion. Talk to people based on how the message will make them feel.

Guy Felixbrodt is a social entrepreneur, educator, and juggler of many trades, literally. Guy believes deeply that volunteering and giving back is the only way to address privilege and make the world a better place, which is why he loves sharing about it. Guy lives in New York State and has worked with teenagers almost all his life. He's an avid nature lover, earther, TriArtist, and has published a Hebrew book of poetry.

Talk to a 3-year-old the same way you would talk to an 83-year-old.

To keep the message consistent, you should turn to emotion. Talk to people based on how the message will make them feel.

J-Teen Leadership: https://jteenleadership.org/

Guy Felixbrodt

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebodymc/

Email: [email protected]

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/TheBodymc-952700674908959

Market research provides a critical foundation for any messaging strategy. So often, we all assume that we know what our constituents are thinking based on our years of experience. Often, we are mistaken. That's where market research comes in.

Nothing beats market research for getting actionable data. Data that inform how you decide to present yourself to the world. As with most things, market research can be as straightforward or as complex as you like. If the thought of a full-on market research study overwhelms you, don't worry. You're not alone.

This episode focuses on market research. In it you'll hear from Matthew O'Sullivan, an expert on the subject, on the best uses of both qualitative and quantitative research. Plus, you'll hear from Tom King, the Executive Director of the Massachusetts Children's Alliance. He will share with you the real-world impact that research has had on his organization's work and its message.

Tom King

Since 2006, Tom King has served as the executive director of the Massachusetts Children's Alliance. Tom got his passion for the CAC movement when he served as the child forensic interviewer for Hampden County District Attorney back in 1997. Tom holds a certificate from the Institute for Nonprofit Management & Leadership at the Boston University School of Management, in addition to a Master of Social Work degree from the Smith College School of Social Work, and a BA in Psychology from the College of the Holy Cross.

Matthew O'Sullivan

Matthew O'Sullivan is a marketing research consultant with 18 years of experience working in industries as diverse as consumer goods, financial services, communications, logistics and technology, with particular experience in business-to-business research.

His particular specialty is research design, and fashioning questions in such a way as to gain maximum insight from customers' valuable time. Matthew's most recent agency role was as Research Director at GfK in London, where he managed research accounts for large global companies in financial services.

He holds a master's degree from Oxford University and an undergraduate degree from Cambridge University.

• Qualitative research is exploratory and is best for when you really want to gather views in people's own words.
• Quantitative research is used when you want to apply a numerical value to people's views.
• The fundamental question when deciding between qualitative and quantitative is "How are you going to collect the data?
• Mistake number one is forgetting the questions need to be unambiguous.
• Market research can also invigorate staff and drive important discussions.

Massachusetts Children's Alliance

• machildrensalliance.org
• facebook.com/machildrensalliance
• twitter.com/maca_news

Matthew O'Sullivan

• linkedin.com/in/matthew-o-sullivan-306a8b38/

One of the many challenges facing any media outlet is keeping up with the constantly changing media landscape in the United States. Broadcasters, or as they're called now, legacy media, have had a tough time, in general, trying to stay ahead of the trends. Layer on top of that the competition they face from one another, regardless of geography, and you have a unique messaging challenge. In order to differentiate itself from other outlets and non-traditional media, learn how Northern California Public Media found a way to differentiate itself using content—specifically in the form of the Center for Environmental Reporting.

Darren LaShelle is an Emmy award-winning Executive Producer for the science and technology TV series "Plugged-In." He has written and produced documentaries, studio-based and magazine series, commercials, public service announcements, promotional material, and news production.

Currently, he is the President & CEO for Northern California Public Media in the San Francisco Bay Area. Darren also acts as Executive Producer for all media projects developed within the organization. As well, he is the Executive Producer of a number of nationally broadcast documentary programs on public television. At California Public Media, he oversees TV programs and series, radio news and productions, Web site design and implementation, and organizational marketing.

He has a Bachelor of Arts in Radio/TV from Marietta College.

Differentiation lets you tell a more compelling, cohesive story

Differentiation lets you simplify your message

It's important to keep in mind where and how your audience is consuming your content

https://norcalpublicmedia.org/

https://www.youtube.com/user/KRCBtv

https://www.linkedin.com/company/krcb-television/

https://www.facebook.com/NorCalPublicMedia

https://marietta.edu

If you have guests you would like to suggest, email us at [email protected] or leave us a message at +1-774-214-9933.

If it hasn't happened to you in your career, it probably will. It, of course, is a rebrand. Whether you were on the wrong side of a trademark challenge, you were part of two or more organizations coming together, or you're starting an organization from scratch, you'll need to understand and manage brand implementation. Otherwise, it will manage you.

In this episode of Messaging on a Mission, Douglas Spencer talks with Darren Horwitz, Founder of TenTen, a brand implementation firm that helps organizations plan, build, and manage change. The pair have known each other for quite a while so brace yourself for a fun conversation.

Episode Guest(s):

Darren Horwitz is the Founder of TenTen, a brand implementation firm that helps organizations plan, build and manage change. Darren sees implementation planning and brand governance as the key to optimizing any brand, and he has more than two decades' worth of experience doing it.

Prior to founding TenTen, Darren served as Senior Director of Implementation for FutureBrand, where he built the implementation and brand governance concepts that helped some of FutureBrand's largest clients—including American Airlines, Cadillac, Exelon, Pitney Bowes, and USAA—to both deploy and govern their brands at scale.

Previously, as Director of Brand Management Systems for Interbrand, Darren helped clients such as Humana, Thomson Reuters, Towers Watson, Wrigley, and MWV. In 2005, Darren was also a founding partner at Pixeljockey LLC, a brand identity production agency.

Key Takeaways:

1. Start talking about implementation early on
2. Prioritize what needs to be done now…and what can wait
3. Creatively engage your employees at launch
4. DIY some of the work in-house...but not all of it
5. Think of rebranding as a long-term investment
6. Use a framework of know, believe, live, and advocate!

TenTen.works

Stanford Social Innovation Review

Recovery and growth for social enterprises in a post Covid-19 world: what you need to do

Intellectual property—trademarks, copyrights, patents, etc.—is a topic most organizations don't think about enough. That's especially true for mission-driven organizations. But as we'll learn in this episode, intellectual property should very much be a concern of mission-driven organizations.

Episode Guest(s):

Stacey C. Kalamaras is the Founding Partner of Kalamaras Law Office, LLC and is a seasoned trademark, copyright, and advertising attorney with nearly 30 years of branding experience. She helps startup and emerging businesses creatively identify, register, protect and commercialize their brands both in the U.S. and abroad, having worked for some of the world's most beloved brands in more than 150 countries for clients in diverse industries. Prior to going to law school, Stacey was a brand manager and advertising director for the consumer-packaged goods industry. These valuable business experiences give Stacey unique insight into understanding her clients' business needs to provide more practical, legal advice. For the past two years, Stacey has been recognized by her peers as a Super Lawyer® for her outstanding knowledge and services in intellectual property law and is a frequent speaker and writer on a variety of trademark topics.

Key Takeaways:

• There are three types of intellectual property: trademarks to project brands, patents to protect ideas, and copyrights to protect words.
• The messaging is just as important as the underlying cause.
• It's important to work with a qualified IP attorney to make sure that you're protecting your organization's brand.
• Even if your work is localized to a certain geography. There's more to it than that. There are considerations for where you advertising your services, where you collect donations or rally volunteers.
• Trademark protection ensures that people know how to find you and that there is no confusion with other organizations.
• When you own a trademark, you have an affirmative duty to police it.
• Useful Links:

Kalamaras Law Office:

www.klolegal.com

[email protected]

https://www.linkedin.com/in/staceykalamaras/

https://www.instagram.com/legalklo/