What Makes USN Different?
University School of Nashville
Challenge
For parents in the Nashville area who are wishing to send their children to independent schools, they’re not short on options. Each school has their strengths, but none of them are comparable to University School. With a rich history that has roots in the civil rights movement and a heavy educational influence from its collegiate neighbor, Vanderbilt University, USN needed something to stand out from the myriad other private schools in the region.
Approach
I worked closely with leadership at USN to develop a strategically crafted campaign of content that would give prospective families deep and engaging insight into who the school was whether they were just browsing or almost committed.
Outcome
Since rolling out their new admissions collection, the school has maximized enrollment capacity and made their mark as a distinct and unique institution of the city. Alumni were invited back to the school for the premiere of the newly branded content and even more, the work went on to win multiple Telly Awards for writing and creative direction in addition to winning multiple Parthenon Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Public Relations.
2023 Public Relations Society of America Parthenon Awards, Geodis Park
Forget Me Not
Eastern European Mission
Challenge
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February of 2022, EEM has jumped into the fray offering Bibles and humanitarian aid to those affected by Putin’s invasion. Shortly after war broke out in Israel and the Gaza strip in 2023, EEM feared that the world’s attention would be drawn away from those in Ukraine who were in desperate need of help.
Approach
EEM needed something distinct, arresting, and shareable. In honor of Ukraine, I branded the visual direction with a yellow backdrop and several thousand blue flowers resembling Forget-Me-Nots that we shipped over from the Middle East. I had the message, a passage of hope from Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, read by the wife of a Ukrainian soldier who was still fighting on the front of the invasion. Lastly, it was only fitting that the melody of the Ukrainian national anthem play behind the contrasting sounds of war and hope.
Outcome
New audiences shared EEM’s content many thousands of times over on YouTube and other social channels, creating a record number of unique views they had not seen prior. Since I began partnering with them on this and other seasonal campaigns, they have exceeded fundraising goals in each and every one.
Extraordinary Care
TriStar Centennial Women’s Hospital
Challenge
If there’s one thing Nashville is known for in addition to education, its healthcare. With so many options for birth and delivery, health systems are vying for doctors and their expecting patients. TriStar Centennial Women’s Hospital made a substantial investment in its facilities to attract more attention and compete with other marquee names in the area.
Approach
With such a large investment in their labor and delivery space, they needed content that would entice their audiences with warm and inviting imagery, soft overtones, and a feeling of confidence that they will receive the best care possible for their growing family.
Outcome
With new facilities and new branded content to match, TriStar Centennial became a premiere choice for growing families. Content that was pushed out via online channels garnered attention and engagement from new untapped audiences and their facility investment has been a differentiator to their proposition thanks to the media attention they’ve received from this campaign.
What I Loved About Harding
Harding Academy
Challenge
Harding Academy is a K-8 independent school in the Belle Meade neighborhood of Nashville, TN. They came to me with a retention challenge: families were moving their kids to other K-12 schools before completing the Harding experience by finishing their 8th grade year there.
Approach
I pitched the idea of a social campaign that would highlight Harding lifers and 8th grade graduates reflecting on why they were happy they stuck with Harding throughout the entire experience. The videos had to be fun, colorful, and should have an air of playfulness. I added props and confetti canons for a nod to the tradition of celebrating graduation.
Outcome
I directed Harding leadership to release a new piece each week on all social platforms ahead of admissions season. Each of 24 pieces was shared over the course of several months and the campaign was met with engagement and an outpouring of positive responses. Among alumni, it rekindled pride for their time there. As for retention, enrollment at Harding has maximized enrollment capacity.
Connecting Abundance with Need
Dispensary of Hope
Challenge
Millions of individuals across the country are without the necessary means to afford the medication they desperately need to maintain their basic health. Dispensary of Hope, formed by Ascension Health, is a national non-profit that collects surplus medication from pharmaceutical manufacturers and takes care to deliver and dispense these critical medications to those who wouldn’t otherwise be able to access them. For these people, even a few dollars for a generic medication might make a difference in being able to eat or pay rent.
DOH was interested in getting more pharmaceutical manufacturers on board with the goal of expanding their model and impacting a greater number of people in need.
Approach
One glaring issue in DOH’s communication approach is that there was no representation of the individuals that they were helping. The lives that they and their pharmaceutical partners were impacting had no representation or portrayal anywhere internally or externally within the organizations. The solution was to venture out and collect raw commentary and still portraits from the people whose lives were actually being impacted.
Outcome
There is little more powerful than a human story told simply and honestly. DOH was able to more effectively make their case because they were equipped with the why behind what they did. They used this campaign content to get in the doors of Mylan (Now Upjohn) and Amneal Pharmaceuticals, among others. Thanks to these efforts and the tireless work done by leadership at DOH, entirely new populations of people across the country have access to critical medications.