brand marketing and strategic communications
for purpose-driven enterprises and non-profits
break through
credit @oliviasavilekatz
"Clancey helps teams, leaders, and organizations find their voice."
Throughout my marketing and advertising career, I have helped Fortune 500 companies like Kraft, Columbia, and Starbucks build their brands through the power of creative storytelling and strategic communications.
@72andSunny
But after a decade helping big companies, I realized that I wanted to serve purpose-driven companies and non-profits doing meaningful work in the world.
So, I founded Whōlsym.
To date, I've worked with enterprises fighting for plastic-free oceans, sustainable agriculture, and youth STEM education. I've even had the honor of helping the United Nations advance its peace-keeping mission across our planet.
But whether I'm working on behalf of an international organization or a small business, my goal remains the same: to help my partners translate their work into resonant storytelling that inspires people to take note and take action.
To learn more about how I approach this work, explore below.
Great work deserves great storytelling.
When you lead a purpose-driven enterprise, you're usually so focused on making an impact through the work itself that things like marketing, advertising, and public relations tend to fall by the wayside.
While sometimes an organization lacks the resources to invest in professional communications, in my experience that's not why most purpose-driven enterprises stumble at storytelling. Instead, they get tripped up by two common stumbling blocks: excessive humility and the subconscious belief that good work sells itself. So, let's take a quick look at both.
While humility is a beautiful thing, when a purpose-driven enterprise is too humble, they never fully communicate why their work matters. Whether they fear looking self-congratulatory or simply don't know how to tell their story well, they never make a truly convincing case for why people should care. And because of this, they end up ceding their rightful place in the public sphere to lesser organizations with louder voices. And that's the opposite of what we want!
As I've discovered, this hesitance to share an organization's story is often rooted in the second cardinal sin of the purpose-driven enterprise: the mistaken belief that good work sells itself. As this thinking goes, if you're giving the world something it truly needs, you shouldn't have to invest in marketing and storytelling because people and word of mouth will do the work for you.
While there is truth to this view, it fails to account for how noisy our world is and how distracted people are. Because even if audiences will love what you're doing and tell everyone they know about it, they still have to learn about it. And this means you must find a way to get their attention and make the most of it.
And that's where storytelling comes in.
From high-level strategy to creative storytelling, I support my clients across a wide array of essential functions. These include, but are not limited to:
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narrative development
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executive vision & voice
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brand positioning & naming
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creative campaigns & messaging
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speech & script-writing
SERVICES
Monthly retainers starting as low as 2K/month.
Project and hourly-based work also available.
Why work with me?
The short answer is: because I have a proven track record of helping purpose-driven enterprises translate their work into resonant messaging and storytelling. But if you prefer the longer answer, it comes down to expertise, versatility, and flexible terms that ensure you get the support you need at a level of investment you can afford.
With a background spanning marketing, advertising, public relations, and digital strategy, I help my partners level up their communications across the board. Whether you need help defining a high-level narrative, developing a core brand language, or creating compelling content, I'm able to dive in and help wherever the need is greatest.
Lastly, while I've been fortunate to work for large brands, I currently offer monthly retainers that start as low as 2k/month. This means you can get the marketing support you need at a level of investment you can afford. So, if you're doing good work in the world and need help telling your story, please don't hesitate to get in touch. Schedule your complimentary 30 minute call today.
I look forward to hearing from you.
A key part of my exploratory process includes learning from team members about their work and weaving these insights into the organization's storytelling.
I work closely with leaders to clarify their vision and understand the trajectory they envision for their enterprise.
Clancey gives my team the confidence to be bold.
Andrew Smith, Supply NY
get the ball rolling.
If your enterprise is looking for a versatile partner who can help you sharpen your vision and elevate your storytelling, I invite you to schedule a free exploratory call.
I look forward to hearing from you and learning about your work!
(For all other inquiries and solicitations, please email hello@wholsym.com)