case stories

Explore our latest work at the intersection of story, innovation and impact.

Articulating the impact of health innovation
Health | Innovate UK

After a decade of investment in health innovation, Innovate UK wanted to demonstrate how its funding was contributing to the UK’s position as a Life Sciences superpower. We identified its strongest stories of impact, making sure they reflected diverse therapy areas, innovators and regions. The stories set the template for how Innovate UK’s Health team could share impact and were translated into ministerial papers, presentations and website case studies, and our coaching gave them insights into how to adapt these stories for different audiences.

Launching a new programme to tackle Antimicrobial Resitance
Health | PACE

Innovate UK, Medicines Discovery Catapult and LifeArc joined forces to launch a programme that would mobilise the health community and accelerate the discovery of therapeutics and diagnostics that could help solve Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). By mapping the narrative landscape and creating values-based personas, we could see that our story needed to be rooted in opportunities rather than challenges. Our strategy-as-story brought together the need to accelerate discovery while still ensuring the careful rigour expected in scientific research. We developed the name and brand – PACE (Pathways to Antimicrobial Clinical Efficacy) – and wrote the content for the programme website. Our story playbook and stakeholder engagement strategy meant that all three partners were aligned in their messaging and communications.

Accessing funding with compelling impact stories
Health | Digital Health Technology Catalyst

With the government’s Autumn Spending Review approaching, Digital Health Technology Catalyst (DHTC) wanted to show how this small fund had delivered big impact. We worked with the Innovation Leads to identify the most influential stakeholders and decision makers, and determine which messages would encourage them to invest further in the programme. Our strategy-as-story centered around digital innovation for recovery – recovery of the economy, our health system, and patients. We identifed 25 of DHTC’s most successful company stories and showed how they had improved UK productivity, unlocked investment, and supported patient outcomes. DHTC was successful in securing a second round of funding and the team say they now feel more confident in sharing the impact of their work.

Uniting Nations to reposition nature in storytelling
Multi-system | UNDP

In our four year relationship with UNDP so far, we have worked closely with them to:-

  • Define new narratives for the Human Development Report
  • Position green recovery communications during the Covid pandemic
  • Craft a narrative and values shift strategy for Nature Pledge
  • Re-examine the definition of human development
Pitching to win series a investment
Food | Arborea

Arborea’s pitch “Industrializing Photosynthesis to Expand the World’s Food Supply” was overly scientific for investors.

Knowing that both customers and investors were under pressure to become more sustainable in-line with ESG commitments, we developed a compelling “Food without the footprint” proposition that we brought to life through a new pitch deck, brand film and website.

SIMPLIFYING COMPLEX SCIENCE TO SECURE a £450K GRANT
Food | Hydrolize

After being awarded £50k by the Water Discovery Challenge, Hydrolize was given a 1-in-10 opportunity to pitch for £450k to fund a groundbreaking pilot with Welsh Water. The competition required a 3 minute video which translated complex science into a story that appealed to a broad panel of judges. Through discussion with Cardiff University scientists, we grasped the science and wrote and produced a film that demonstrated the benefit of the technology engagingly, without diluting the science.

Hydrolize won the funding.

INCREASING DIGITAL INCLUSION AMONG PRISONERS
Education | Coracle

Change the Coracle copy to: With an ambition to double the number of secure laptops it had in UK prisons, Coracle needed to crystalise its story for growth. We worked with its founder to design a single-minded strategy-as-story with digital literacy at its heart. We activated the story as a new brand and website, and our story playbook and coaching helped this small team become stronger storytellers so they could go out and share it with stakeholders with renewed confidence. As a result, the team secured new contracts with the Ministry of Justice and HMPPS and increased their footprint from 50 to 90 prisons, and from 1,000 to 2,500 laptops. We continue to work with the team on how they can share the social impact of their work and bring more people with them on their mission to tackle digital exclusion.

Turning allyship into story to help employers close skills gaps
Education | Enginuity Group

Based on the depth of our client and industry knowledge, we are trusted as an outsourced marketing department. Charged with maximising the reach and clarity of their storytelling, we defined and delivered a multi-channel strategy encompassing website content, social media, advertising, events, email and press. As the industry continues to undergo rapid technological, cultural and financial transformation, we continue to work closely with Enginuity and EAL to turn their long-term strategy into story.

Demonstrating the impact of a global skills movement
Education | WorldSkills

As the world’s biggest organisation dedicated to developing youth skills, WorldSkills wanted to capture the real-world impact of its work. We spearheaded a global impact survey of its 80+ members. But when the research revealed gaps in the data, we helped WorldSkills find and share stories of impact. Over the last three years, we have been elevating the stories that show how WorldSkills has attracted more young people to skills than ever before, and how it is helping shape national and international strategies for Vocational Education and Training by working with educators, industries and policymakers. We have led the creative development of three global campaigns around impact and regularly work with Members and stakeholders to embed impact messaging in their marketing and communications. We continue to act as strategic consultants to WorldSkills’ board and secretariat, exploring how we can further embed impact into the organisation’s roadmap.

Connecting adult learning to government strategy
Education | Scotland's Learning Partnership

Scotland’s Learning Partnership saw time and again the benefit of Community-Based Adult Learning for some of Scotland’s most marginalised people. Despite this, the education charity struggled to articulate the value of adult learning to key decision makers in Scottish government and acorss local authoritise. We helped SLP design a new story that aligned to the Scottish government’s strategy for a Wellbeing Economy and showed how Community-Based Adult Learning led to happier, healthier and more productive citizens. We mobilised their learners and providers through a storytelling workshop and now 50 advocates say they feel clearer and more confident in talking about the social impact of Scotland’s Learning Partnership.

A new paradigm of sustainable investment beyond ESG
Legal & finance | The Good Investors

While they pushed the boundaries of how people saw sustainable investment, TGI required true agency to take their audience of family offices and Foundations on a learning journey that ultimately got them to commit to a new concept of systemic investing. Storytelling, delivered through succinct new pitch materials, revealed how their £35m pilot funded transformative solutions in order to target the root causes of systems failure.

Storifying a mission to mobilise lawyers
Legal & finance | The Chancery Lane Project

To launch successfully, The Chancery Lane Project needed to get lawyers and law firms on board and provide them with the legal tools and storytelling confidence to change minds – and thus laws – in support of Net Zero. To maximise the championing and use of new clauses, we proposed each clause be given a sense of individual ownership and an accompanying story from an individual perspective. The stories gave lawyers the meaningful context to help justify the use of each clause if disagreement arose.

A unifying narrative and digital story catalogue
Manufacturing | Transforming Construction

To transform the sector’s approach to net zero construction – shifting from short-term cheapness to long-term value – we created a single, unifying narrative about the government’s industrial strategy to bring together public and private stakeholders. The creation of a digital story catalogue showcased project impact before data was available, fast-tracking trust, collaboration and investment in innovation.

Story skills to launch a new net zero strategy
Manufacturing | Black & Veatch

Working with communications, sales and sustainability directors at Black & Veatch, we designed a new story and empowered their global sales force with new storytelling skills in an internal launch of a net zero strategy. The new story-led new approach enabled the sales force to engage government, city and corporate customers of major sustainable infrastructure projects, positioning customers as heroes of their own journeys of change.

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