In internal discussions, management uses different words than those on the website. The pitch to investors paints a vision of the future that goes beyond the mission statement on the homepage. During the onboarding of new employees, it becomes apparent that the story sounds slightly different from what is communicated externally. Old campaigns and content still refer to goals that are no longer relevant. The team is usually the first to notice: the explanations they give to customers no longer match what’s on paper.
Once the new direction is in place, the language to explain it is often still missing. We work with the organization to find that language: a positioning that makes it clear where the organization is headed, and words that the team itself uses. Then we ensure that this new direction is reflected in the website, sales materials, and pitch.
Existing customers hear that the organization is changing course, but they don’t see much of that reflected in the brand yet. New target audiences, on the other hand, see a brand that’s still clinging to its old image. On paper, the new direction may have been clear for a long time. But if only management is familiar with the words, it doesn’t yet constitute the organization’s story. The team itself has to explain the new direction using materials that aren’t yet tailored to it. As a result, different versions of the same story quickly emerge.
