The Challenge
TWR, a global Christian media organisation, had been grappling with a unique brand identity crisis resulting from 20 years of global expansion. Operating in more than 190 countries, the organisation was struggling to maintain a coherent and unified brand image, with different logos and divergent communication strategies adopted in different regions.
This fragmentation diluted the organisation’s core message and hindered effective communication with its broad audience base. Their core strapline ‘Speaking Hope to the World’ was losing its resonance, and they were struggling to adapt to the rapidly evolving digital platforms and engage with the younger demographics.
TWR needed a more cohesive and relatable branding and communications strategy to maintain relevance and bolster connections with new donors and volunteers. The challenge was not to put yet another level of complexity on the origanisation but to unify the essence of the brand, aligning every part of their vast network to a shared mission that all teams could get behind.
The Approach
To address this multifaceted challenge, We Do Stories assisted TWR in establishing their brand story. We posed crucial questions that compelled introspection and reevaluation of what was working and what required a revamp. This process laid the foundation for redefining their key brand messaging and position.
Recognising the need for unity amidst diversity, we facilitated strategy meetings and discussions across TWR’s departments, brands, and countries, fostering a shared vision and purpose. This facilitated a mutual understanding, helping TWR define a unique selling point that resonated with every part of their organisation.
Acknowledging the power of human-centric stories, We Do Stories conceptualised the WeAreTWR campaign. This strategy aimed to provide a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the brand and tell human interest stories, allowing the audience to form a deeper, more personal connection with the brand. Through training and resourcing we equipped TWR’s team with the tools to implement this storytelling strategy, strengthening their ability to engage audiences and articulate their brand story compellingly.
To address TWR’s struggle with digital platforms, we provided rigorous social media, digital strategy and content marketing training to their team. This targeted training aimed at enhancing their digital presence, fostering more engagement, and tailoring their messaging to suit different channels.
Further, We Do Stories’ founders, Joel and Anne, were invited as keynote speakers at TWR’s stakeholder event in Eastern Europe, a significant gathering attended by internal and external teams from over 50 countries. Here, we shared insights on brand storytelling and strategic audience engagement, reinforcing the importance of cohesive, relatable content.
We Do Stories took a leading role in the inception and execution of the ‘Speaking into the Silence’ campaign. We developed a campaign that leveraged the unique aspects of TWR’s mission and work both past, present and into the future. Our team created compelling and resonant content that was disseminated across TWR’s multiple channels, including social media, live events, email newsletters, and their website, amplifying their mission of hope and understanding.
The Results
The numbers speak for themselves: TWR recorded more donors, donations, and staff applications than at any other time in their 60+ year history. This increase represented millions in additional revenue.
This growth, unmatched in TWR’s history, marked a significant milestone and stood as proof of the transformative power of effective storytelling and strategic communication.
Subsequent to our strategic interventions, TWR’s social media team witnessed an exceptional upswing in their social engagement. Their platforms garnered more interaction than they had achieved over the previous four years, signifying a considerable shift in their digital outreach capabilities.
A key part of this transformation was the shift in TWR’s brand position from ‘Speaking Hope to the World’ to ‘Hope knows no barriers.’ This subtle yet profound change was instrumental in highlighting TWR’s mission-oriented approach, steering their communication focus from merely the means (radio and technology) to the ultimate purpose – positively impacting lives.
We guided TWR in redefining their communication strategy with an emphasis on simplifying calls to action. This streamlined messaging significantly enhanced their audience’s understanding of the organization’s mission and their part in it.
An important component of our strategy was fostering a unified brand narrative that echoed across all TWR’s operations. This consistent narrative became the foundation of TWR’s communication, solidifying their brand identity and facilitating a stronger connection with their global audience.
The strategic communication overhaul effectively broadened TWR’s reach and fortified their relationship with their audience, fostering a shared sense of purpose and community.
TWR’s Global Marketing Operations Director, Shawn Boyd, applauded the transformation: “I have absolute confidence in We Do Stories… they helped increase our level of confidence to solve our own problems. By the end of 2020, we had more donors, more donations, and more staff applications than at any other time in our entire history. I’m looking forward to when I get to hire them again to take us to the next step.”
We Do Stories is proud to have contributed to TWR’s global mission. For a transformative journey for your brand, reach out to us for a discovery meeting. Let us help you redefine your brand story and make a lasting impact.
I have had the pleasure of working directly with We Do Stories on a number of projects, and also invited them to spend some days training my team in developing story branding. I am profoundly impressed with their abilities, guidance, and selflessness to see TWR tell our story well. The visionary approach they take to their company and the creative process, they apply to every project.
Shawn Boyd – Global Marketing Operations Director
