How We Work

The Method Behind the Story

Every brand has a truth worth telling—but not every brand knows how to tell it clearly, consistently, or in a compelling way. True Story Strategy uses an approach that mirrors how great stories unfold: with intention, structure, and room for discovery.

Think of it as acting for brands, done as an ensemble. We collaborate with your team to dig into your given circumstances, clarify your objective, identify what's at stake, and craft a through-line that keeps your story authentic and enduring.

our process

Your story starts right here—a one-hour discovery call focused on your brand’s status quo, pain points and goals, meant to align on your needs.

True Story provides a scope of work, and you provide the green light. From here, the method begins. We complete a full brand audit, including an industry overview and breakdown of your competitors.

The cast joins the production in a kickoff call. Brand teams and stakeholders get a walkthrough of brand audit findings and then establish project goals,

Our progressive chapter-based approach follows a classic story structure, with each chapter building on the last. Discovery reveals insights, and insights become a cohesive narrative that guides every decision, brief, and creative expression.

CREATING YOUR STORY, ONE CHAPTER AT A TIME

OUR APPROACH, BY THE BOOK

Prologue

What we do

Evaluate the status quo of your brand and how you show up, including pain points and goals, aligning on your wants and needs.

What you get

A 90-minute clarity session and brand audit, identifying gaps and opportunities to shape next steps.

The outcome

A detailed portrait of your brand in its current state, including your story, positioning, audience, category, competition, messaging, channels, identity, experience, creative briefing process, and executional readiness.

Deliverables

Written Snapshot of Your Brand — Includes who you serve, the problems you solve, points of differentiation, and your strategic priorities, plus an industry and competitor overview
Recommendation and SOW

Chapter 1 — Position: Define Your Brand's Truth

What we do

Align your team on what's real, defensible, and meaningful about your brand—so you can move faster with shared focus.

What you get

Clarity on your brand, audience priorities, and proof points. If it isn't provable or emotionally resonant, it isn't your brand's truth.

The outcome

A focused, confident foundation that anchors your business, your story, and every decision to come.

Deliverables

Brand Positioning One-Pager (Truth, pillars, audiences)
TrueThread™ Statement — The single connecting idea that ties your brand's truth to every expression

Chapter 2 — Insight: Uncover What Matters Most

What we do

Test your truth against culture, category, and consumers to ensure it's not only clear, but credible and human.

What you get

A bridge between what your brand wants to say and what people actually respond to. We identify the emotional drivers that turn functional benefits into genuine connection—because every story that stands out starts with what's true and what's felt.

The outcome

An insight-rich, validated foundation that anchors how to speak, show up, and compete—grounded in evidence and human truth.

Deliverables

Audience Insight Map (Truths, triggers, tensions)
Competitor Scan (Sameness vs. whitespace)
Voice Guide (Words to own, words to retire, tone guidance)
Refined TrueThread™ (Validated and distilled)

Chapter 3 — Strategy: Turn Clarity Into Direction

What we do

Bridge the business and creative worlds by translating your newly uncovered truths into a working framework that unites brand strategy and creative execution.

What you get

One clear direction that connects your TrueThread™ and audience insights into every brief and decision. If it doesn't ladder up to the TrueThread™, it isn't on brand.

The outcome

Brand leaders brief faster. Creative teams concept smarter. Every dollar strengthens the same story instead of funding rework.

Deliverables

Strategic Narrative Framework (TrueThread™ → promise → proof → audience lens)
Messaging Hierarchy (Short, medium, and long formats)
Modular Creative Brief Framework (Brand → campaign → deliverable)

Chapter 4 — Story: Bring Your Brand to Life

What we do

Turn your framework into words, examples, and creative choices that your audience can actually feel, so your story endures through every expression of the brand.

What you get

Strategy translated into storylines, tone, and campaigns that express your brand's truth with consistency and creativity. We partner closely with creative teams to bring the TrueThread™ to life across channels, because consistency isn't sameness, it's coherence that builds recognition and trust.

The outcome

Ideas that land faster, resonate deeper, and sound unmistakably like your brand.

Deliverables

Messaging Matrix (Storylines + proofs + CTAs)
Voice & Tone Guidelines (Examples by channel)
Activation Guardrails (Voice, imagery, claim integrity, channel standards)
Story Deck + Onboarding Module (For internal rollout)

Chapter 5 — Your Brief: Campaign Brief Architecture System (OPTIONAL ADD-ON)

Most creative problems aren't creative problems—they're briefing problems. A clear, insight-driven brief gives creatives room to think bigger, not narrower. The better the brief, the better the outcome.

What we do

Build a briefing and evaluation system that aligns brand and creative teams, turning your TrueThread™ into a clear campaign direction (not a campaign idea.) Give brand leaders the clarity to brief with confidence, and creative teams the freedom to develop their strongest on-brand concepts.

What you get

A sharp, insight-driven briefing system and an evaluation framework that reduces guesswork and contradictory feedback, helping creative teams deliver stronger ideas earlier. Brand leaders become better equipped to communicate what they need and WHY, without becoming overly prescriptive.

The outcome

Brand teams brief with clarity and confidence. Creative teams get a clear "why" and the freedom to develop stronger ideas. Feedback becomes more consistent, alignment gets faster, and campaigns hit the mark with fewer revisions because everyone is working from the same story and the same definition of "on-brand."

Deliverables

Campaign Brief aligned to the TrueThread™ — objectives, insight, promise, essential guardrails (NOT campaign headlines)
Creative Evaluation Framework — criteria + scoring lens grounded in strategy, not taste
Brief Kickoff Session — set alignment, clarify the "musts," give creatives room to explore
One Round of Brief Refinement — tightening clarity and aligning stakeholders
Creative Review & Alignment Session — evaluating work against the framework, not personal preference
Executive Alignment Session (Optional) — streamlines approvals and prevents late-stage derailers

OUR APPROACH, BY THE BOOK

What we do: Evaluate the status quo of your brand and how you show up, including pain points and goals, aligning on your wants and needs.
What you get: A 90-minute clarity session and brand audit, identifying gaps and opportunities to shape next steps.
The outcome: A detailed portrait of your brand in its current state, including your story, positioning, audience, category, competition, messaging, channels, identity, experience, creative briefing process, and executional readiness.
Deliverables:
- Written Snapshot of Your Brand — Includes who you serve, the problems you solve, points of differentiation, and your strategic priorities, plus an industry and competitor overview
- Recommendation and SOW
What we do: Align your team on what's real, defensible, and meaningful about your brand—so you can move faster with shared focus.
What you get: Clarity on your brand, audience priorities, and proof points. If it isn't provable or emotionally resonant, it isn't your brand's truth.
The outcome: A focused, confident foundation that anchors your business, your story, and every decision to come.
Deliverables:
- Brand Positioning One-Pager (Truth, pillars, audiences)
- TrueThread™Statement — The single connecting idea that ties your brand's truth to every expression
What we do: Test your truth against culture, category, and consumers to ensure it's not only clear, but credible and human.
What you get: A bridge between what your brand wants to say and what people actually respond to. We identify the emotional drivers that turn functional benefits into genuine connection—because every story that stands out starts with what's true and what's felt.
The outcome: An insight-rich, validated foundation that anchors how to speak, show up, and compete—grounded in evidence and human truth.
Deliverables:
- Audience Insight Map (Truths, triggers, tensions)
- Competitor Scan (Sameness vs. whitespace)
- Voice Guide (Words to own, words to retire, tone guidance)
- Refined TrueThread™ (Validated and distilled)
What we do: Bridge the business and creative worlds by translating your newly uncovered truths into a working framework that unites brand strategy and creative execution.
What you get: One clear direction that connects your TrueThread™ and audience insights into every brief and decision. If it doesn't ladder up to the TrueThread™, it isn't on brand.
The outcome: Brand leaders brief faster. Creative teams concept smarter. Every dollar strengthens the same story instead of funding rework.
Deliverables:
- Strategic Narrative Framework (TrueThread™ → promise → proof → audience lens)
- Messaging Hierarchy (Short, medium, and long formats)
- Modular Creative Brief Framework (Brand → campaign → deliverable)
What we do: Turn your framework into words, examples, and creative choices that your audience can actually feel, so your story endures through every expression of the brand.
What you get: Strategy translated into storylines, tone, and campaigns that express your brand's truth with consistency and creativity. We partner closely with creative teams to bring the TrueThread™ to life across channels, because consistency isn't sameness, it's coherence that builds recognition and trust.
The outcome: Ideas that land faster, resonate deeper, and sound unmistakably like your brand.
Deliverables:
- Messaging Matrix (Storylines + proofs + CTAs)
- Voice & Tone Guidelines (Examples by channel)
- Activation Guardrails (Voice, imagery, claim integrity, channel standards)
- Story Deck + Onboarding Module (For internal rollout)
(OPTIONAL ADD-ON)
Most creative problems aren’t creative problems—they’re briefing problems. A clear, insight-driven brief gives creatives room to think bigger, not narrower. The better the brief, the better the outcome.
What we do: Build a briefing and evaluation system that aligns brand and creative teams, turning your TrueThread™ into a clear campaign direction (not a campaign idea.) Give brand leaders the clarity to brief with confidence, and creative teams the freedom to develop their strongest on-brand concepts.
What you get: A sharp, insight-driven briefing system and an evaluation framework that reduces guesswork and contradictory feedback, helping creative teams deliver stronger ideas earlier. Brand leaders become better equipped to communicate what they need and WHY, without becoming overly prescriptive.
The outcome: Brand teams brief with clarity and confidence. Creative teams get a clear “why” and the freedom to develop stronger ideas. Feedback becomes more consistent, alignment gets faster, and campaigns hit the mark with fewer revisions because everyone is working from the same story and the same definition of “on-brand.”
Deliverables:
- Campaign Brief aligned to the TrueThread™ —objectives, insight, promise, essential guardrails (NOT campaign headlines)
- Creative Evaluation Framework —criteria + scoring lens grounded in strategy, not taste
- Brief Kickoff Session —set alignment, clarify the “musts,” give creatives room to explore
- One Round of Brief Refinement —tightening clarity and aligning stakeholders
- Creative Review & Alignment Session —evaluating work against the framework, not personal preference
(Optional)Executive Alignment Session —streamlines approvals and prevents late-stage derailers