DDA Strategic Narrative
The Decorators & Designers Association of Canada came to us with a rich 25-year history of representing professionals in their industry.
They were a passionate group with a clear internal identity. When a volunteer met a prospective member, it was highly likely they would join the association. Similarly, their office was easily able to persuade potential stakeholders over the phone. The benefits of membership were evident through conversation. However, when it came to promoting their nonprofit digitally and in print, the appeal was not the same.
To bring DDA’s text more inline with their talk, we conducted a full narrative review project.
History & Data
We were lucky. The association had a wealth of stakeholder surveys, detailed member data, industry benchmarks and committed volunteers to engage with. There was something missing, though: information on their early history. So, we dug into their data to find some of their founding directors.
After interviewing two members of the first board, we uncovered a lot. The amazing picture above of early members in the mid-90s included, but there was much more. Our interviews continued by engaging with key volunteers from every stage of DDA’s evolution all the way up to the present. From here, we were able to build a timeline of the association’s storied history.
Writing new and impactful copy is an essential part of our storytelling service. To do this, we help build the narrative from the inside out. Through our process, you may even learn something about your cause that you didn’t expect to.
Survey Data
Member Data
Having a thorough understanding of both qualitative and quantitative data is essential to crafting the right story for your cause.
DDA’s wealth of data (surveys, industry benchmarking, member historical data, strategic plan and key board meeting minutes) were reviewed in detail.
Analysis
After interviewing several DDA volunteers from various stages of their evolution and reviewing the plethora of information we had collected, there was a clear picture of who the association in front of us was. Using that understanding, we got to reviewing all of their website copy, videos, social media and print materials to familiarize ourselves with the story that was currently being told.
From here, we got to work on crafting the new DDA narrative.
The Creative Process
This is where the magic happens. All of our work up until this point gets boiled into a creative stew and we add our secret ingredients to professional strategic writing success.
DDA benefitted in a variety of ways.
The Final Report
The final report brought the Decorators & Designers Association a variety of strategic storytelling tools, including:
Three core focuses for their internal and external storytelling endeavours.
A summary of all of our essential and interesting findings.
Elevator pitches to use with potential stakeholders.
A timeline of their association’s evolution (for internal use).
Overhauled web copy for their About page.
A rollout plan and timeline, including directives for their staff.
A deeper understanding of who they are, and how to keep telling their story with impact.