what’s your story?

We’re a diverse team of Emmy award-winning filmmakers, photographers, editors, designers, strategists and technologists. We feed off one another’s unique talents to create powerful brand stories through strategic marketing, branding and Precision Storytelling. The goal isn’t simply to drive a transaction. It’s to create a story people see themselves in and choose to make their own. Whatever form it takes, your story will connect emotionally with your audience through a voice that is compelling, honest, authentic and unmistakably yours.

the story (phase 1)

establish the characters, define the hero’s journey

the story

The Insight: Students don’t want to choose between a successful future and a life that matters. Each institution offers a distinct path to both.

The Human Truth: I want a future I can be proud of, and I need to believe this college can help me get there.

The Opportunity: Is not to make St. Ambrose and Mount Mercy sound bigger or more alike. It is to make each one unmistakable and magnetic.

St. Ambrose should own the story of becoming, showing how rigorous learning, close faculty relationships, exploration, and responsibility help students grow into capable, purposeful people setting out to better the world.

Mount Mercy should own ambition in service of others, turning the Sisters of Mercy legacy into a living story of students building professional expertise and using it to improve lives.

Both brands should share a commitment to preparation, purpose, belonging, and student success, but enter that territory through different emotional doors. These promises must then be proved through programs, student experiences, outcomes, cost clarity, and support. The goal is not simply more applications. It is clearer choice and a stronger fit. Find the right students, not just any students.

Our Recommendation: Build two unique brands around one shared foundation and two distinct stories: St. Ambrose is about who you can become and your impact on the world. Mount Mercy is about what your ambition can make possible for others.

the process (phase 1)

The Base process wheel: Baseline, Immersion, Synthesis, Positioning, Integration, Execution and Evaluation around a center reading Base: Brand, Analysis, Strategy, Execution

Base Process

  • Baseline: initial discovery, build internal brand team, establish clear objectives and expected outcomes
  • Immersion: conduct market research to understand the market, dive deep into the products (i.e. academic programs, campus experience), understand the audiences and what motivates them and to influence their choices, pressure test the Human Truth
  • Synthesis: pull out the DNA from the research and begin the process of creating two magnetic brands
  • Positioning: create a distinct brand positioning for each university, allowing each to claim a unique spot in the market where the brand can thrive, grow, and stay relevant as the market shifts and changes
  • Integration: creative process begins, starting with brand visualization, story creation, and development of an integrated communication plan
  • Execution: creative campaigns are produced and launched, the media plan is executed across the market
  • Evaluation: analytics review, refinements to the messaging and placements

the product (phase 2)

tell the story of the new brand through the three academic degree levels

the product

  • Undergraduate Degree
  • Master’s Degree
  • Doctoral & Advanced Degree

The Strategic Shift: Bring each university’s distinct, new brand story to life through the academic experience, demonstrating how its programs, learning environments, and educational pathways reinforce what makes the institution unique.

The Opportunity: Translate each university's new, unique brand positioning into distinct academic narratives that connect with students at every degree level.

the programs (phase 3)

bring the new brand to life through the lens of specific academic programs

the programs

The Program Connection: Take each university's distinct brand story one step deeper, translating its positioning into program-specific narratives that demonstrate how its unique strengths come to life within individual fields of study.

The Opportunity: Build targeted stories around priority academic programs, connecting each program's differentiators, student experiences, and career pathways back to the larger institutional brand.

St. Ambrose

  • Bachelor of Science in Nursing
  • Bachelor of Art in Graphic Design
  • Master of Social Work
  • Doctor of Physical Therapy

Mount Mercy University

  • Bachelor of Science in Nursing
  • Bachelor of Business Administration in Management
  • Master of Art in Marriage and Family Therapy
  • Doctor of Nursing Practice

the programs (phase 4)

expanding academic programs and experiences

product development

Evaluate existing programs for growth and expansion while identifying new academic offerings that meet market needs, strengthen the student journey, and build on each institution's unique strengths.

Key Drivers of Product Development

  • Student Demand: Evolving needs, interests, and learning preferences, including online education
  • Workforce Development: Regional talent gaps and emerging industry needs
  • Existing Program Strengths: High-interest programs with opportunities for expansion and innovation
  • Emerging Trends: New technologies, industries, and fields of study, including AI