Storytelling

A good story combines emotional resonance, authenticity, and strategic alignment with our brand's values and institutional goals. Here are just a few things that make a story compelling and effective:

• Relatable characters: People connect with stories through characters who resonate with them, whether they see themselves in the character, aspire to be like them, or are overcoming challenges similar to their own.
• Emotional impact: Emotional engagement drives decision-making, etches memories, strengthens loyalty, and deepens relationships.
• Authenticity: Audiences can detect insincerity, and trust is critical in building a strong brand. People are more likely to share and champion stories they find credible and meaningful.
• Alignment with brand strategy: Stories should reinforce what our brand stands for and highlight our distinctive positioning.
• Visual and sensory appeal: Visuals communicate emotion in a glance. A good story fosters ample opportunity for primary or supporting visual content.

Marketing Communications (MarCom) has established an iterative storytelling process that allows us to produce quality content in quantity, allowing for niche storytelling with broad emotional resonance and brand-building capacity. Our staff brings story ideas to an internal editorial board that chooses which to pursue based on quality, medium, opportunity for engagement, institutional priorities, and audience needs.

We produce stories in many forms—in writing, photo, video, or native social formats—and distribute them in various ways based on audience priorities and medium. Content that performs well in its initial release may be expanded upon for more in-depth outlets.

MarCom has established a “beat system” to ensure representation of all schools and areas of focus in our storytelling efforts. Staff who are assigned a beat are the liaison to that school or theme, bringing ideas from that area to the editorial meetings and sharing produced content with the stakeholders.

Current beat assignments: