NARRATIVES WITH PURPOSE

rlopezvazquez
Dec 21, 2023
2 min read

Updated: Jun 16, 2024

Researching to design the communication strategy of United Way Spain

CONTEXT

The project was framed as a strategic piece at the beginning of the Communication and Narrative Consultancy of the United Way Spain Foundation (UWE) to design its 2024 Plan.

Through exhaustive research, we set out to identify the general lines of communication, aligning its intrinsic value and potential with the demands of society.

TEAM

Pablo Dávila, in charge of the global project of Communication and Narrative Consultancy.

Raquel López Vázquez, Design Researcher.

RESEARCH

The process pursued three objectives:

To consolidate ideas
To discover new opportunities
To adjust the strategy, segmenting the different users.

It was designed in six weeks and divided into four phases: Design, Field, Analysis and Presentation.

Methodologically, we combined different approaches:

Desk Research to find the necessary information and inspiration, start asking questions and formulate initial hypothese.
Surveys to start taking the pulse of the workforce in terms of their assessment of ESG policies, corporate volunteering and the social impact strategies of their organizations.
Interviews with experts and people responsible for sustainability in order to go deeper into the health of organizational social commitment.
First-person observation to clarify and complete what we have learned.

SOLUTION DESIGN

Consolidate

Unlike other entities, UWE has a role. What we need is a couple of more UWE (UWE Partner Organization Manager).

UWE is where it needs to be: at the centre.
There is still a long way to go to unite strategy and purpose within organisations and UWE is a key partner.
Companies need help to translate the SDGs into action and UWE is an expert in this.
There is a demand for customisation of sustainability strategies and UWE designs ad-hoc projects.

Discover

It's not enough to change, you have to transform (Expert in Artistic and Social Projects and Activist)

ESG strategies must go further. From compliance to service.
Measuring the value of long-term impact is key.
It has to be on the agenda.
Take advantage of the prescriptive power of those who are already part of the UWE network.
But above all, it must be about regenerating social health and transformation, improving the lives of people and the community.

Adjust

I interviewed different Professional profiles, from different sectors and with different responsibilities within the ESG field, and identified four profiles of People:

Enthusiastic
Neutral
Activists
Scepticcal

And four Organizational profiles:

Traditional Conscientious
Traditional in Transition
Fourth Sector
Traditional Sceptics

Based on this segmentation, we designed the Strategic Lines of Communication inspired by five Design Principles:

🌱Transform and Impact.

We focus on short and long-term actions for social regeneration.

🌱Shared value

We highlight the importance of solidarity actions beyond superficial gestures.

🌱Facilitate

We help to activate the objectives in order to make them a reality.

🌱Bringing closer

We underline the importance of addressing universal problems, making them visible and taking action.

🌱Trust

We reinforce the concept of team.

Shared value is not on the margin of what companies do but at the center. It can give rise to the next major transformation of business thinking (Michael Porter)