Non-Profit Organizations
Clarifying Mission and Vision for a Local Arts Organization See how extrovertic’s strategic process can drive consensus and momentum.
Challenge
After years of producing several signature events Ridgefield Park Arts Association (RPAA) found itself at an impasse about how to expand its programming and add to the cultural life of the community. With many differing opinions around which audiences to serve, the type of art programming and exhibits to offer, how could this diverse group reach a consensus about how to move forward?
Approach
To accommodate RPAA’s limited budget and short timeline, extrovertic created a streamlined process, incorporating Artificial Intelligence to reduce costs and shorten the timeline. Extrovertic conducted 11 interviews with RPAA board members and stakeholders to identify new ways forward, areas of commonality and disagreement and surface simmering issues. Extrovertic CEO then facilitated two well-received workshops to craft the RPAA’s vision and mission statements. At extrovertic’s suggestion RPAA board members solicited the input of the broader community.
Outcome
The draft RPAA vision and mission statements were enthusiastically received by the community and ratified by the RPAA board 4 months after the start of the project.
Charting a New Course for an Immigration Service Organization* See how Extrovertic can cut through the complexity and ambiguity to chart an effective new course.
Challenge
First Friends, an immigrant service organization that found itself needing to revamp its vision/mission/strategic plan when three out of the four New Jersey detention centers closed. With tremendous needs in the immigrant community, there were many ways for First Friends to make an impact, but the question was, how could First Friends provide a differentiating and unduplicated service?
Approach
Extrovertic founder and First Friends board member stepped in to develop and lead a strategic planning process. This included enlisting a steering committee, conducting stakeholder interviews, identifying strategic options along with their resource requirements and leading several consensus meetings. In the end, an operational plan was crafted around the desired option.
Outcome
First Friends has a new vision/mission/values and strategic plan that leverages its unique history as the first friend for many immigrants trapped in U.S. immigration proceedings while providing services to an expanded clientele in a larger geographic footprint.
*Work done as board member
Creating a Compelling Video During Pandemic Times See how Extrovertic’s creativity and nimbleness can result in compelling stories in the most constrained of times.
Challenge
Haitian Assets for Peace International (HAPI) needed a video to show at a virtual meeting of its major funder during the pandemic when domestic air travel was unwise and travel to Haiti became politically impossible. How could HAPI tell a compelling story that would encourage continued funding without the traditional videography that the funder had come to expect?
Approach
Extrovertic founder, Dorothy Wetzel, was able to turn a perceived disadvantage into a highly relevant pandemic format by leveraging the Zoom call. Working with a small cadre of volunteers and staff in three different locations (Haiti, Canada and USA), our founder edited together a video of real and simulated zoom calls along with her photography to create a compelling narrative of how the organization’s funding had made a significant difference in the lives of Haitian women.
Outcome
HAPI’S funder renewed funding at a higher level the following year.
For Profit Businesses
Creating strategies and stories for a brand marketing sustainability effort See how extrovertic leveraged storytelling as the leading edge for a major sustainability initiative.
Challenge
A global nutritional therapy company with a challenging public image wanted to incorporate sustainability into its brand marketing. The challenge was how could the organization start communicating about its commitment to sustainability when the major initiatives would take years to develop?
Approach
Working across functions and the globe, extrovertic identified immediate story-telling opportunities that wove sustainability into the company’s brand marketing efforts while crafting a longer-term strategy. Extrovertic nimble content creation team scanned the global organization, from the product development teams to the factories, to create multimedia stories that positioned the company as authentically committed sustainability. In addition, extrovertic delivered a best practice workshop for sustainability marketing to the organization’s marketing team. Click here for sample blog post and video.
Outcome
The success of the extrovertic multimedia storytelling effort emboldened the organization to commit extensive resources to its sustainability effort, including the addition of full-time personnel.
Entrepeneurial Organizations
Creating an accessible differentiation story in a high-tech categorySee how extrovertic can extract an understandable differentiator in a complex category.
Challenge
A small market research firm that was having difficulty succinctly communicating how it leveraged technology to provide superior insights for its customer base. The challenge was how to communicate their differential advantage simply enough for the C-suite buy-in?
Approach
Extrovertic worked one-on-one with the senior partner to crystallize the messaging on the website after the initial developer had turned in generic language that failed to capture the company’s unique offering. Then extrovertic mined popular culture to tell analogous stories that illuminated the differentiated offerings. For example, using the popular books Thinking Fast and Slow and Moneyball to drive home the company’s advantage. For blog posts, click here.
Outcome
The company was able to make significant inroads with C-Suite executives to adopt their services.
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