Case Study

The Conference Board of Canada

The Conference Board of Canada (CBOC) is the nation’s leading research organization.

The future of research

Since 1954, it has conducted rigorous analysis of complex social, industrial and environmental challenges. Its methods are sound and its conclusions are defensible.

Digital-first distribution

CBOC made the strategic decision to expand its communications products beyond long-form reports available as downloadable PDFs. The offerings include a broad range of digital-first media, including blog posts, podcasts, video interviews and more. The rationale was to provide more choice for decision-makers. Output formats don’t overlap in word count, audience, or intended impact. The organization’s first step was to develop an updated brand voice. It established specific values to impart across every touchpoint: Curious. Collaborative. Professional. Visionary.

The leadership team then had the opportunity to train its researchers in writing tactics specific to the brand voice and digital media more broadly. Stiff was contracted to develop a one-day curriculum that would complement the researchers’ academic writing backgrounds.

The changing landscape of writing

We built training modules according to our proprietary writing training system, Backdraft. We introduced the modules by examining the concept of writing itself. Writing is not a talent bestowed from the cosmic ether. Writing is a skill just like carpentry or needlepoint. It can be learned, practiced and perfected.

Learn how to write for digital. Participants learn the principles and techniques that are fundamental to writing for digital media, including the importance of concision, audience awareness and simple sentence structures, and the need to use plain language.

Vary the rhythm. Participants learn how and when to deploy sentences of five words or fewer in their copy, and the particular effects of these short sentences in the beginning, middle and end of paragraphs.

Purge jargon. Participants will learn how to recognize jargon and purge it from their writing.Copy becomes more precise and easier to understand as a result.

Prefer Anglo-Saxon words. Participants will learn to identify the long, Latin-based words they use most frequently, and understand how Anglo-Saxon based synonyms make writing clearer and easier to read.

Be brief. Participants will learn to identify seven common habits that add nothing but length and complexity to sentences. They will discover how to repair these weaknesses and, as a result, reduce length and tighten the focus and energy of their prose.

Structure reports to be read. Participants will learn key principles of report writing and presentation, including how to structure documents for three discrete types of readers (i.e., the full reader, the five-minute reader and the two-minute reader).

Discussion is everything

All participants were fiercely engaged with the subject matter. They discovered their own writing personalities through a short quiz, then debated the credibility of the results.

Much of our training focused on eliminating jargon and preferring plain language. We wanted to make the researchers comfortable with distilling their methodologies and conclusions into key findings that the average Canadian could absorb easily. These lessons prompted lively discussion and led to more questions about CBOC strategy: Does the report know it’s a report? Does the document speak about itself? Must an executive summary be repetitious simply because that’s the way it’s always been done?

Outcomes show progress

We learned that participants feel committed to existing formats and styles for their work. They have extensive experience writing comprehensive reports that follow a traditional model of problem, methodology and findings. Participants think the validity of their conclusions should always be as defensible as possible, which comes from a “show your work” mentality. Such thinking can lead to redundant, obvious or immaterial content that acts as a safeguard.

Purging jargon proved a somewhat challenging tactic. Several participants questioned whether writing for a grade seven or eight reading level would be possible given the complexity of their subject matter. It was a valid concern; much of the research builds on extensive bodies of work that may be unfamiliar to a layman. We assuaged that concern by discussing the mechanics of reading level difficulty: passive voice, adverbs, complex phrasing and inverted dependent clauses. Stripping these features from all writing lowers the reading level without diminishing the intelligence of the thinking.

After training, CBOC leadership set about implementing mandatory practices. Reviewing all content for readability and grade level became part of the editorial process. Most fundamentally, researchers are working to ensure that not even a single sentence is repeated across any two products. Methodologies must now appear in appendices rather than the body of the communications product. This approach shows that CBOC will now identify specific audiences, what information they seek and how best to provide it.

CBOC has expressed its desire to have Stiff continue training on these remaining questions. Our work with them continues.

Case Study

David C. Onley Initiative (Carleton)

Closing the employment gap for students and graduates with disabilities.

In challenge lies opportunity

Ontario is home to nearly 50,000 post-secondary students with visible and non-visible disabilities.

When these students graduate, they are often at a disadvantage—overshadowed by myth and overlooked by employers. This problem persists even though these students and graduates are educated, skilled and qualified—just like their peers who do not have disabilities.

In 2018, the city’s four major universities and colleges—Carleton University, University of Ottawa, Algonquin College and La Cité—came together under the lead of Carleton’s David C. Onley Initiative (DCOI) to inspire nation-wide inclusive hiring. The DCOI launched a competitive bid in 2018 to find a communications agency partner capable of helping the team achieve its public awareness objectives. Stiff’s winning bid convinced the DCOI that we were the right choice to craft a communications campaign that would engage employers and hiring managers, equip them with knowledge and tools to make tangible changes to recruitment and hiring practices—and ultimately, weave inclusion into the fabric of employment in Ottawa.

An informed approach

Research and analysis

Stiff makes strategic recommendations based on bulletproof research and analysis. For the DCOI, our researchers engaged with stakeholders, employers and students, delved into online resources and analyzed materials provided by the partner schools. We aggregated our research in a 36-page report with 12 overarching findings to inform strategic planning. We conducted a detailed environmental scan that examined the current market, including 61 employers, 73 local organizations, communications channels and networking groups. We also performed four separate risk assessments to address potential campaign hurdles identified by employers, students, and advocates of those with disabilities and critical disabilities.

Establishing target audiences

Our research helped us identify our main audience as employers in three groups:

Employers who are receptive to hiring students with disabilities but are unsure how to do so.
Employers who are reluctant to hire students with disabilities but could become willing to do so.
Employers who are highly reluctant to hire students with disabilities but whose attitudes we could begin to change.

Secondary target audiences include the regional public and post-secondary students, who could help us take advantage of the inclusive networks that already exist within Ottawa’s post-secondary institutions, building the confidence of students with disabilities.

We did not envision a campaign that would be an exercise in diplomacy; it would be a call to action.

Putting the research to work

The key to our strategy would be two hooks—both crisp, creative expressions that would connect with audiences and make employers in Ottawa consciously representative of the inclusive character of our city.

The first key was the visual brand—a brand that resonated not only with audiences, but also the four post-secondary institutions partnering in the initiative. Our design team zeroed in on a simple five-colour palette inspired by the Hilroy exercise books—or “scribblers”—most Canadians grew up with. This academic familiarity connected with audiences at a fundamental level and confirmed their common experience. The pastel palette was intentionally soft to ensure a gentle sensitivity to the look and feel of the brand, which is never harsh or abrupt.

Given that our audience included people with disabilities, the brand would also need to comply with Web Check Accessibility Guidelines. For example, this involved ensuring that image contrast was discernable for people with low vision, as well as building in alternative text for screen-reading apps.

Turning disability on its head

The second key to our strategy would be a compelling text-based expression. We wanted an expression that would turn disability on its head. It would have to focus on what people can do, as opposed to what they may be limited in doing. It needed to be adaptable and easy to understand, something people could take ownership of. The idea had to be empowering and unapologetic, express urgency and optimism. The idea needed to catapult a campaign to the level of a movement. We created it.

AbleTo presented three impressive strengths:

A powerful story. The AbleTo story is about the potential of employers make their workplaces more inclusive by hiring students and graduates with disabilities. The story also focuses on the personal, academic and professional achievements of those students and graduates.

Flexibility to connect with likeminded people on multiple platforms. Campaign platforms include social media, a campaign website, traditional media such as print and radio, and employment or recruitment events.

A clear call to action. Our campaign asks all audiences to join a movement. For employers and hiring managers, this means committing to change and pledging what they are AbleTo do in their workplaces to help close the employment gap. For students, educators, service providers and members of the public, their pledge of what they are AbleTo do could mean spreading our campaign’s message, or supporting a friend or family member who is living with a disability.

Executing the strategy

We began rolling out a fully integrated campaign in a phased, two-year approach. In year one, we took major steps to deliver education to and build awareness among employers.

We created extensive out-of-home advertising
We identified and engaged potential AbleTo ambassadors
We built and deployed a dedicated AbleTo campaign website in both official languages
We created and distributed shareable graphics
We took control of all AbleTo campaign social channels to generate awareness and promote the website
We built a database of employers and influencers we can share best practices with
We coordinated all media relations

We have assessed the success of our communications based on a variety of engagement metrics, activities and media executed thus far. Highlights since launch include:

Twitter

A total of 768,400 impressions, with an average of eight retweets and 17 likes per day
A total of 523 link clicks, 551 retweets and 1,200 likes
A total of 191 new followers, an increase from 149 to 340

Facebook

An average organic post reach of 141, more than three times the average post reach of 41 before campaign launch
An average post reach of 9,084 per paid post
An increase of 34 new followers, from 85 to 119

An average of 2,500 post impressions per day
An average of 10 post engagements per day
An increase of 125 new followers, from 49 to 174

Results inform campaign in year two

As year two of the AbleTo campaign begins, it is fully informed by the results of year one.

Year two will remain digital-first and focus on these tasks to equip employers with the tools and knowledge they need to be more inclusive:

Expand our powerful story. Year two’s approach will feature more employers, growing our champion stories and ambassador network.

Augment platform from which to connect. We know from feedback and analytics that employers are keen to access tools and tips to support their actions. In response, we will further develop the AbleTo website to share more practical content.

Establish a clearer call to action. Year two will strive for a greater commitment to change, encouraging audiences to take action and pledge what they are AbleTo do to help close the employment gap.

Expand our audiences. Year-two’s primary base will include students and post-secondary institutions. Instagram will be a key broadcast channel on which to launch layered strategies to reach high-school and post-secondary students, graduates and alumni.

Use video. Year-two content will be led by video, which will guide all paid activity and set the tone online at events such as job fairs.

“Stiff’s strategic thinking, in-depth research and creativity has allowed us to create an impactful and attention-grabbing campaign.”
Julie Caldwell

Case Study

Lord Stanley’s Gift

Inside every slab of stone is a monument waiting to be unveiled. One must simply remove the excess.

The challenge

How do you brand an international art competition without hinting at a winning aesthetic? By inspiring the world’s greatest artists while capturing the hearts of a nation.

Over two decades, a group of celebrated hockey players and passionate fans came together with a single purpose: to create a national monument commemorating the gift of Lord Stanley of Preston to the people of Canada—the Stanley Cup, the championship trophy awarded annually to the winner of the National Hockey League playoffs.

A national art competition

Lord Stanley Memorial Monument Inc. (LSMMI), led by acclaimed Canadian architect Barry Padolsky, set out to design and erect a monument in downtown Ottawa to mark the 125th anniversary of the Stanley Cup in 2017.

LSMMI hired Stiff to develop, coordinate, implement and execute a complete, overarching communications strategy that ultimately included the Lord Stanley’s Gift visual brand, design competition website, monument website, media strategy and youth outreach plan. It was a strategy crafted to engage the world’s best artists, excite the Canadian public and educate young people.

A public art installation goes digital

We also were challenged to build a monument website that met the needs of the monument’s diverse partners. Canadian Heritage wanted the site to educate Canadians about the history of the Stanley Cup and its central place in the history of professional hockey. The City of Ottawa expected the website to excite the public and position the monument as part of Canada 150 celebrations. The National Hockey League and the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club needed the monument website to be an information resource and enhance the experience of people who visit the completed monument.

“This is serious business. A lot of people have dedicated their hearts to this.”
Lord Stanley’s Gift Board Member

Brand as blank slate

We created a visual identity that conveyed the historic significance of the Stanley Cup, respected the dignity of the office of Governor General that Lord Stanley held when he made his historic pledge, and inspired dozens of artists across Canada and around the world to exhibit creative and technical excellence on par with the athletic prowess of those who compete for the Stanley Cup. At the same time, we ensured the identity did not prejudice or influence the ideas and inclinations of prospective artists.

The visual brand and design competition website showcased the monument as an opportunity for artists and designers to engage their full arsenal of talents to create what promised to be a highly popular piece of public art. The visual brand in particular captures that once-in-a-generation opportunity and its inherent creative potential. It evokes the presence of the monument itself—a stark pillar of rough stone, a figurative blank canvas that hints at work that has yet to begin.

In designing and building a website that ultimately satisfied the needs of these partners, we created three key sections:

Design competition website

Applicants (benchmark was 20)

12,000

Views over eight months

32%

Bounce rate

3 min

Average session duration

Monument website

4,400

Visitors

5,800

Sessions

22%

Bounce rate

Public Engagement

300

Attendance at competition launch

600

Attendance at monument unveiling

1,150

Finalist page visits

469

Students at interpretive panel design competition (benchmark was 400)

“This is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. And that’s a good thing.”
Barry Padlosky

Case Study

Veterans Affairs Canada

No jargon. No BS. Just clear thinking and straight talking.

The challenge

Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) needed to launch its highly anticipated Pension for Life program. We helped to make the announcement a success.

SITREP: A major announcement; a disconnected audience

In November 2017, Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) hired Stiff to deliver strategic communications advice and multiplatform content for a major policy announcement. Large amounts of technical information and research had to be presented to the Veteran community, media and Canadians.

The job wasn’t going to be easy. VAC’s Pension for Life (PFL) enacted sweeping changes to an important compensation program for ill or injured Veterans, many of whom had stopped listening to messages from the federal government department. What’s more, timing was tight. We had just five weeks to execute.

“I cannot overstate how valuable Stiff’s contributions have been. You pushed our thinking and really helped us to break our pattern of communicating.”
Amy Meunier, Director at VAC

Interview, interpret, analyze

The Stiff team conducted wide-ranging research and analysis before making strategic recommendations.

We interviewed key VAC leaders and frontline staff to understand the ins and outs of the PFL program. We then conducted off-the-record interviews with approximately 30 Veterans, still-serving Canadian Armed Forces members, military families, and Veteran support workers.

Based on this research, we reached an unexpected conclusion. While some Veterans focused on the monetary aspect, VAC’s lack of credibility with many ill or injured Veterans was actually due to frustrations over long processing wait times, inaccessible language, lack of transparency and hard-to-understand information.

No bells. No whistles. Just honest talk.

Our course of action, to borrow a military phrase, was clear. VAC’s messaging required a dramatic change in style, tone and content. It was the only way to give PFL its greatest chance of success.

We executed by delivering clear, truthful and reasoned explanations of the new option—free of complicated jargon and insincere hyperbole—that also anticipated and addressed challenges with processing wait times. Straight-talking Veterans deserved nothing less.

After action review

Website

Media coverage, and digital and sentiment metrics exceeded expectations

Mainstream media coverage was balanced and fact-based

Post-announcement unique webpage views jumped by 2,364%

Average time on the website session grew from 2 minutes to 8 minutes and 48 seconds

Social Media

8,421 social media referrals to microsite between December 19 and 31, 2017

23 Twitter posts garnered 86,540 impressions

Facebook accounts posted 32 times and reached a total of 852,869 people

Facebook had 22% negative reactions, 5% neutral reactions and 73% positive reactions

The Facebook Live event drew 78,037 live viewers (positive reaction of 50.5%), which grew to 356,728 viewers in the first 14 days (positive reaction of 71%)

The future of research

Since 1954, it has conducted rigorous analysis of complex social, industrial and environmental challenges. Its methods are sound and its conclusions are defensible.

Digital-first distribution

The changing landscape of writing

Purge jargon. Participants will learn how to recognize jargon and purge it from their writing.Copy becomes more precise and easier to understand as a result.

Discussion is everything

All participants were fiercely engaged with the subject matter. They discovered their own writing personalities through a short quiz, then debated the credibility of the results.

Outcomes show progress

CBOC has expressed its desire to have Stiff continue training on these remaining questions. Our work with them continues.

In challenge lies opportunity

Ontario is home to nearly 50,000 post-secondary students with visible and non-visible disabilities.

An informed approach

Research and analysis

Establishing target audiences

Our research helped us identify our main audience as employers in three groups:

Employers who are receptive to hiring students with disabilities but are unsure how to do so.
Employers who are reluctant to hire students with disabilities but could become willing to do so.
Employers who are highly reluctant to hire students with disabilities but whose attitudes we could begin to change.

We did not envision a campaign that would be an exercise in diplomacy; it would be a call to action.

Putting the research to work

Turning disability on its head

AbleTo presented three impressive strengths:

Executing the strategy

We began rolling out a fully integrated campaign in a phased, two-year approach. In year one, we took major steps to deliver education to and build awareness among employers.

We created extensive out-of-home advertising
We identified and engaged potential AbleTo ambassadors
We built and deployed a dedicated AbleTo campaign website in both official languages
We created and distributed shareable graphics
We took control of all AbleTo campaign social channels to generate awareness and promote the website
We built a database of employers and influencers we can share best practices with
We coordinated all media relations

We have assessed the success of our communications based on a variety of engagement metrics, activities and media executed thus far. Highlights since launch include:

Twitter

A total of 768,400 impressions, with an average of eight retweets and 17 likes per day
A total of 523 link clicks, 551 retweets and 1,200 likes
A total of 191 new followers, an increase from 149 to 340

Facebook

An average organic post reach of 141, more than three times the average post reach of 41 before campaign launch
An average post reach of 9,084 per paid post
An increase of 34 new followers, from 85 to 119

An average of 2,500 post impressions per day
An average of 10 post engagements per day
An increase of 125 new followers, from 49 to 174

Results inform campaign in year two

As year two of the AbleTo campaign begins, it is fully informed by the results of year one.

Year two will remain digital-first and focus on these tasks to equip employers with the tools and knowledge they need to be more inclusive:

Expand our powerful story. Year two’s approach will feature more employers, growing our champion stories and ambassador network.

Use video. Year-two content will be led by video, which will guide all paid activity and set the tone online at events such as job fairs.

“Stiff’s strategic thinking, in-depth research and creativity has allowed us to create an impactful and attention-grabbing campaign.”
Julie Caldwell

The challenge

How do you brand an international art competition without hinting at a winning aesthetic? By inspiring the world’s greatest artists while capturing the hearts of a nation.

A national art competition

A public art installation goes digital

“This is serious business. A lot of people have dedicated their hearts to this.”
Lord Stanley’s Gift Board Member

Brand as blank slate

In designing and building a website that ultimately satisfied the needs of these partners, we created three key sections:

Design competition website

Applicants (benchmark was 20)

12,000

Views over eight months

32%

Bounce rate

3 min

Average session duration

Monument website

4,400

Visitors

5,800

Sessions

22%

Bounce rate

Public Engagement

300

Attendance at competition launch

600

Attendance at monument unveiling

1,150

Finalist page visits

469

Students at interpretive panel design competition (benchmark was 400)

“This is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. And that’s a good thing.”
Barry Padlosky

The challenge

Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) needed to launch its highly anticipated Pension for Life program. We helped to make the announcement a success.

SITREP: A major announcement; a disconnected audience

“I cannot overstate how valuable Stiff’s contributions have been. You pushed our thinking and really helped us to break our pattern of communicating.”
Amy Meunier, Director at VAC

Interview, interpret, analyze

The Stiff team conducted wide-ranging research and analysis before making strategic recommendations.

No bells. No whistles. Just honest talk.

Our course of action, to borrow a military phrase, was clear. VAC’s messaging required a dramatic change in style, tone and content. It was the only way to give PFL its greatest chance of success.

After action review

Website

Media coverage, and digital and sentiment metrics exceeded expectations

Mainstream media coverage was balanced and fact-based

Post-announcement unique webpage views jumped by 2,364%

Average time on the website session grew from 2 minutes to 8 minutes and 48 seconds

Social Media

8,421 social media referrals to microsite between December 19 and 31, 2017

23 Twitter posts garnered 86,540 impressions

Facebook accounts posted 32 times and reached a total of 852,869 people

Facebook had 22% negative reactions, 5% neutral reactions and 73% positive reactions

The Facebook Live event drew 78,037 live viewers (positive reaction of 50.5%), which grew to 356,728 viewers in the first 14 days (positive reaction of 71%)