Everyone has a story. But do you have a way to make it sing?
A closer look at the values, process & approach we bring to comms and community engagement collaborations with our partners at Evergreen Insights
Remember to always use all of your assets to tell your story. Credit: Unsplash
It’s never been easier for a single person to quickly communicate with hundreds to millions of other people without the need for massive infrastructure, resources, and access to the right gatekeepers in society (public and private alike). Smartphones and the AI revolution are now supercharging this trend and creating new tools that can be used for creating social good, profit, or chaos.
At the same time, study after study has shown that many Americans feel socially isolated. Trust in many traditional institutions in US society (from the media to the government) has plummeted, along with attention span, which recent research estimates can now be as short as under 90 seconds online. That makes it even more important than ever to make sure your organization has effective storytelling strategies to create meaningful, lasting connections with your key audiences. And having a strong foundation of values-based communications is crucial in making your communications count.
Valuing Communications + Making Values a Core of Your Communications Strategy
With cynicism toward US institutions at a historic high and society increasingly segmented into distinct ideological infospheres, building trust requires authentically living your values. This means consistently translating your values into your organizational voice—considering what is said, when and how it is communicated, and who delivers the message.
"Only 22% of U.S. adults said they trust the federal government to do the right thing just about always or most of the time." – The Pew Research Center
However, that doesn’t mean use your values in a way that lectures to your audience, as authentic communication should be a two-way street. Effectively communicating your values should always center you and your organization as an active part of the community you serve, represent, or protect. It also doesn't mean all of your communications need to have a specific “ask” or argument. However, they should make a clear point, be transparent about your beliefs, and illustrate why your audience should agree with and support you—demonstrating not just what you stand for, but how you can achieve meaningful results together.
That’s why, as the founder of a new start-up, I believe it is crucial to provide potential partners with a clear understanding of my approach to communications and community engagement support services at Evergreen Insights.
Our Values, Our Process (Collaborative. Thoughtful. Impact-driven.)
Rigid, off-the-shelf communication or engagement strategies are rarely effective, as no two partners or projects are exactly alike. However, it's also essential to have proven, standard approaches and systems in place to guide our efforts, ensure consistency, and measure impact. That's why I designed an approach for project management at Evergreen Insights that's flexible and responsive, while also grounded in a proven framework that centers people, context, and outcomes utilizing three main project phases:
Listening & learning;
Analysis & strategy development; and
Implementation, evaluation & adaptation.
Photo by Aarón Blanco Tejedor on Unsplash
Step I. Listening & Learning (i.e., understanding your story, community, and goals)
As noted above, one of our key values is that effective communication is a two-way street. That’s why we start all projects with curiosity, listening, and learning. In this initial phase, we take the time to get to know your organization, your team, and the communities you serve. Through conversations, background research, and stakeholder listening, we build a shared understanding of your mission, voice, values, and needs.
This could include:
Discovery interviews and listening sessions
Communications or community engagement audit
Audience/stakeholder mapping
Mixing the "art" and "science" of creating comms and community engagement that works. Credit: Unsplash
Step II. Analysis & Strategy Development (i.e., turning insights into thoughtful, actionable plans)
Our goal is to help partners bring their mission to life by inspiring action, engaging key audiences, and creating lasting impact. From what we’ve learned, as a next step, we partner with you to craft strategies tailored to your goals and grounded in real-world context. Whether you need a full communications plan, brand messaging guide, or campaign roadmap, we focus on clarity, alignment, and long-term impact.
This could include:
Communications, brand strategy, or narrative development
Crisis or issue-specific plans and messaging
Community engagement plans
Lights, cameras, communications. Evergreen Insights can aid comms strategy and execution. Credit: Unsplash
Step III. Project Implementation, evaluation & adaptation (i.e., bringing the plan to life—collaboratively and creatively + measuring what matters and evolving as we go)
This is where strategy meets storytelling and the “rubber meets the road,” (so to speak). As a final step, we work closely with your team to build and deliver communications that are compelling, consistent, and audience-focused. Our implementation style is collaborative—we can lead, support, or integrate with your internal team as needed.
What this can include:
Media outreach and content creation (press, digital, print)
Community engagement or advocacy campaign activities
Brand voice, narrative, or visual rollout support
We also integrate listening and learning into all stages of the process. That means that rather than just evaluating at the end of the project at each stage, we reflect during implementation on what’s working, what could be improved, and what’s next. Our goal is to integrate listening and learning throughout the project to help you adapt your strategies to meet real-world challenges as the unexpected arises. This process will also help strengthen your internal program evaluation systems.
What this can include:
Organic project impact assessment and feedback analysis
Media and engagement tracking systems development
Lessons learned analysis and next-step strategy + planning
Helping partners build comms and engagement that can grow is what we're all about. Credit: Unsplash
Meeting partners where they are
As a small, social-benefit communications and community engagement shop, our ultimate success is measured by our effectiveness in helping others create positive change. And whether we’re working with a partner to create the necessary strategies, tactics, and tools from scratch or building on an existing foundation, our goal is to meet you where you are and strengthen your capacity to connect meaningfully with the people who matter most.
Burt Edwards has worked for over 25 years with leading private, public, and nonprofit organizations to design and lead effective campaigns at the intersection of communications, advocacy, and community engagement. In his free time, he enjoys listening to comedy podcasts, cheering on the Mariners in their never-ending quest to (finally) make it to the World Series, and exploring new restaurants and coffee shops around the PNW.
