Using video has always been a powerful tool for sharing compelling messages. Since the advent of camera phones, short-form social media apps like Tik Tok, and a global pandemic that kept people inside, it’s gotten even more powerful. In the episode, we speak with Tyler Pyburn, co-founder of 5 Tool Productions, a video and content marketing company about what’s most important in using video to craft compelling stories, what most folks get wrong, and how to get the most out of the content you crea...
Jul 28, 2021•30 min•Ep. 16
Stories—personal, memorable, and moving—have the capacity to change people’s minds, touch their hearts, and excite their brains. But what makes for a good story? This episode features Sophie Wadsworth, who coaches leaders to be better storytellers. She and host Douglas Spencer look at what a good story requires and how to find it within yourself or others. Douglas also takes a stab at storytelling himself. Key Takeaways: Stories have to have relatability, conflict or tension, and resolution or c...
Jul 14, 2021•32 min•Ep. 15
Graphic design plays an integral role in any messaging strategy—but many organizations continue to get it wrong. Kim Vanni, Senior Art Director for Spencer Brenneman, joins this episode of Messaging on a Mission to talk through the best ways to ensure that graphic design supports your work in the most effective way possible. Key Takeaways: Design is like a puzzle, made up of various pieces, like the organization’s mission, its audience, and what it’s trying to accomplish. The messaging strategy ...
Jun 30, 2021•30 min•Ep. 14
In 2019, foundations contributed $75 billion to the philanthropic ecosystem, making them a crucial player in affecting positive change. How they talk about their work is therefore incredibly important. In this episode of Messaging on a Mission, we talk about the challenges and opportunities foundations have for their messaging strategies. Key Takeaways: A lack of focus is one of the most significant challenges foundations face It’s more than just writing checks. The best foundations are also par...
Jun 16, 2021•23 min•Ep. 13
Remember the black-tie gala? There’s a part of those evenings that can either be painful or hugely entertaining, productive, and moving. Michael Tate, auctioneer and fundraising consultant has mastered how to do the latter. In this episode, we learn about how and why auctioneers must communicate—on the fly—on three different levels: strategically (who is the organization and what is their overall message); emotionally (how’s the room feeling, are they getting it?); and tactically (who’s raising ...
Jun 02, 2021•29 min
From Baby Boomers to Gen Xers, Millennials to Gen Zs, there are a lot of different generations consuming a lot of different messages? But, does messaging to different age groups require different approaches? This episode of Messaging on a Mission features master communicator, Guy Felixbrodt, who doesn’t seem to think so. He believes that to keep the message consistent, you should turn to emotion. Talk to people based on how the message will make them feel. Episode Guest(s): Guy Felixbrodt is a s...
May 19, 2021•33 min•Ep. 11
Market research provides a critical foundation for any messaging strategy. So often, we all assume that we know what our constituents are thinking based on our years of experience. Often, we are mistaken. That’s where market research comes in. Nothing beats market research for getting actionable data. Data that inform how you decide to present yourself to the world. As with most things, market research can be as straightforward or as complex as you like. If the thought of a full-on market resear...
May 05, 2021•36 min•Ep. 10
One of the many challenges facing any media outlet is keeping up with the constantly changing media landscape in the United States. Broadcasters, or as they’re called now, legacy media, have had a tough time, in general, trying to stay ahead of the trends. Layer on top of that the competition they face from one another, regardless of geography, and you have a unique messaging challenge. In order to differentiate itself from other outlets and non-traditional media, learn how Northern California P...
Apr 15, 2021•32 min•Ep. 9
If it hasn’t happened to you in your career, it probably will. It, of course, is a rebrand. Whether you were on the wrong side of a trademark challenge, you were part of two or more organizations coming together, or you’re starting an organization from scratch, you’ll need to understand and manage brand implementation. Otherwise, it will manage you. In this episode of Messaging on a Mission, Douglas Spencer talks with Darren Horwitz, Founder of TenTen, a brand implementation firm that helps orga...
Apr 01, 2021•35 min•Ep. 8
Intellectual property—trademarks, copyrights, patents, etc.—is a topic most organizations don’t think about enough. That’s especially true for mission-driven organizations. But as we’ll learn in this episode, intellectual property should very much be a concern of mission-driven organizations. Episode Guest(s): Stacey C. Kalamaras is the Founding Partner of Kalamaras Law Office, LLC and is a seasoned trademark, copyright, and advertising attorney with nearly 30 years of branding experience. She h...
Mar 18, 2021•23 min•Ep. 7
For years, with members all around the globe, the MIT Alumni Association produced events both big and small to keep alumni connected to their alma mater. In this episode, we hear from Jamie Brogioli, Director of Alumni and Friends Engagement for the MIT Alumni Association. He walks us through all the stop-on-a-dime twists and turns of shifting a global event program online. Episode Guest(s): Jamie Brogioli is the Director of Alumni and Friends Engagement at the MIT Alumni Association. He oversee...
Mar 04, 2021•29 min•Ep. 6
There’s one thing we all had to do in some form or another in 2020—pivot! Nowhere is that more clear than when it comes to holding events, especially when those events are a significant driver of income for your organization. No one did that better than the New England Innocence Project. Led by their Director of Development and Communications, Jordan Salvatoriello, with the help of Liz Page and her team at Liz Page Associates, the 2020 event exceeded both their goals for the event and the amount...
Mar 04, 2021•35 min•Ep. 5
When we think about messaging, we typically think of what we say about our work to the outside world. Although that’s important to be sure, some would argue that what we say internally is just as, if not more, important. In this episode of Messaging on a Mission we hear from Phil Finch, a former VP of communications at a large not-for-profit, Sharon McIntosh, a world-renowned expert in internal communications, and Sara Jackson, executive director of Internal Comms Pro. Key Takeaways Experience -...
Feb 18, 2021•39 min•Ep. 4
Alison Rogers is the Founder and CEO of USEFULL, a safe and convenient, app-based, reusable cup and container system based in Boston. She founded USEFULL to solve her own personal dilemma—she loved to-go food and drink (doesn’t it always taste better when someone else makes it?!) but felt guilty by the trail of waste this habit creates. And yes, she has a cabinet full of reusables at home but always forgot them or found lugging them inconvenient. Alison is a lover of the outdoors at the core, as...
Feb 04, 2021•23 min•Ep. 3
From tackling pandemic-induced changes in their offering to addressing the changing demographics of their constituents, The Trustees of Reservations has had their fair share of messaging challenges. Hear their Chief Marketing Officer, Matt Montgomery, talk us through them all. Founded by landscape architect Charles Eliot in 1891, The Trustees of Reservations has, for more than 125 years, been a catalyst for important ideas, endeavors, and progress in Massachusetts. They care for more than 100 sp...
Jan 21, 2021•37 min•Ep. 2
Grace Moreno has over 20 years of experience leading state and national not-for-profit organizations. Within those ten years, Grace has been a change-maker in politics, health, housing, civic education, and economic development. She has served in previous roles as Vice President of Community Programs at The Community Builders, Inc. and Vice President for Operations and Finance at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the US Senate, among others. Currently, Grace is the CEO and Executive Director o...
Jan 06, 2021•27 min•Ep. 1
Messaging on a Mission is hosted by Douglas Spencer, the President of Spencer Brenneman. Each episode, Douglas will talk to leaders of nonprofits, social enterprises, associations—any organization working to affect positive change. We’ll learn about their journeys and the messages they’re using to thrive.
Jan 05, 2021•2 min
