A FRESH PERSPECTIVE
A Clearer Story, a Stronger Presence
When you know your place, organisation or business well, it can be difficult to judge how well you are explaining it to others. Perhaps your website and messages no longer reflect what you offer, or people are not responding as you had hoped. An outside perspective can help you understand what is missing, what deserves more attention and what could be expressed differently.
I help you identify what makes it distinctive and why it matters, and bring that together into a story that people can understand and relate to. Creative strategy considers who you want to connect with and how to tell that story through words, images and your website. It gives you a clearer direction for how to communicate, so people understand what you offer, why it matters to them and why they might visit, support or work with you.
WHO IT’S FOR
When Your Story Needs Clarity
Who This Helps
I work with places, conservation organisations, lodges, independent businesses and other organisations with something meaningful to communicate.
You may be starting something new, bringing several activities together or reconsidering a story that no longer reflects what you offer.
What We Establish
The work gives you a clearer account of what you offer, who needs to understand it and why it matters to them. We identify the evidence behind your story and consider how language, imagery, website content and other materials should express it.
We then set practical priorities, taking account of your team, resources and the work already in place.
PROCESS
How We Approach Your Story
We follow these three stages, whether you need a focused review or a broader creative strategy plan. The depth of the work and what you receive depend on the option we agree.
01Begin With Discovery
We explore the character, purpose and values of your place, organisation or business. I ask questions about its people, what it offers and who you want to connect with. We then agree what needs attention, what I will provide, the fees and timing.
02Find the Story
I review the agreed material and speak with the people involved. We clarify what makes your place, organisation or business distinctive and how to express it. A review focuses on positioning and messages; a plan also develops the wider creative direction.
03 Agree Next Steps
I bring the findings into a written review or plan, with recommendations suited to the assignment. Together, we agree what needs attention first, what your team can put into practice and where further support would be useful. Any additional work is agreed separately.
Ways to Work Together
Positioning & Message Review
You may know what your place, organisation or business offers, but struggle to explain what makes it worth choosing or supporting.
This focused review helps clarify its value and the messages that explain it. You receive a positioning summary, a central message and supporting points, with practical recommendations for using them.
Creative Strategy Plan
You may need a clearer story and a plan for how it should come across through your website, photographs and other materials.
This broader assignment brings the story, messages and visual direction together. You receive a written strategy and practical priorities to guide your team or specialists in putting it into use.
Not sure which would suit your situation?
The review can stand on its own if you need clearer positioning and messages. If you also need direction for your story, images, website and other communications, the plan includes the positioning work needed. You can begin with either option, or build on a review later.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Understanding the Service
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In my work, creative strategy means clarifying what you want people to understand about your place, organisation or business, and how best to express it. Storytelling brings together its character, purpose, people and experiences into a story others can understand and relate to. Together, they provide direction for the words, images and materials you use to explain what you offer and why it matters to the people you want to connect with.
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Marketing strategy looks more broadly at how you attract and retain customers, including your offer, pricing and the ways people find and buy from you. My focus is on how your place, organisation or business is understood, and the story, words and images that help communicate its value. This can give you and your marketing team a clearer basis for planning communications and campaigns.
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There is an overlap, particularly when we consider what your organisation or business stands for, what makes it distinctive and how you want people to understand it. My particular focus is on bringing that understanding into a clear story, with direction for the words, images and materials used to tell it. If you already have a brand strategy, we can use that as our starting point.
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It can help when your place, organisation or business has more to offer than its current presentation suggests. Perhaps the messages feel disconnected, different people describe it differently, or you are unsure what deserves most attention. You may also be starting something new and want a clear story before investing in content or design. An outside perspective can help you understand what needs attention and where changes would be useful.
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No. The Positioning & Message Review is a complete assignment on its own. It helps clarify what your organisation or place offers, why it matters and how to explain it. That may be all you need.
The Creative Strategy Plan includes the positioning and message work needed, then develops the wider story, visual direction and practical priorities for your website and other communications. You can begin directly with the plan. If we have already completed a review together, we build on those findings and agree what further work is needed.
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Depending on what we agree, you will receive a focused review with recommendations or a broader creative strategy plan. This can set out the story of your place, organisation or business, who it needs to speak to, the messages to emphasise and guidance for words and images. It also identifies practical priorities for you and your team. Any writing, photography, design or website production is agreed separately.
PERSONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC STUDY
Looking Closely at a Place
In my personal study of Arniston, I use photographs and writing to explore the village’s character and everyday life. It reflects how I approach creative strategy and storytelling: understanding what makes a place distinctive, then choosing the details, words and images that help others see it more clearly.
Home Blues — Arniston / WaenhuiskransStart With a Conversation
Tell me about your place, organisation or business, what you want people to understand and where you would value an outside perspective. We can discuss whether a focused review or a broader creative strategy plan would be useful.