Why is it called the Kitchen Table Strategy™?
Because the best strategic conversations happen when people are willing to sit down, talk honestly and figure out what's really going on.
The Kitchen Table Strategy™ is built on the belief that clarity comes from conversation before solutions.
The best strategies don't come from a proposal. They come from a conversation.
Is Wille Strategic Communications a marketing agency?
No.
The focus is on strategic communications, organizational clarity and positioning before tactical marketing execution begins.
Traditional marketing firms often focus on campaigns, content production, advertising or ongoing promotional activity. This work happens earlier in the process by helping organizations identify where communication and understanding are breaking down.
How is this different from different from traditional marketing or branding firms?
Most marketing and branding firms focus on increasing visibility and external promotion. The focus here is helping organizations become more clearly understood.
That means evaluating how an organization’s work, value and positioning are currently being experienced externally and identifying where communication may be fragmented, inconsistent or no longer aligned strategically.
The work is less about creating more noise and more about creating greater clarity.
What is a communications diagnostic?
A communications diagnostic is a structured evaluation of how an organization is currently communicating internally and externally and where understanding may be breaking down.
The process looks at things like messaging consistency, leadership alignment, organizational voice, stakeholder understanding, communication priorities and how strategic goals are translating operationally.
The goal is to identify the gaps between what an organization intends to communicate and what audiences are actually experiencing.
What happens after the Kitchen Table Strategy™ process?
The Kitchen Table Strategy™ process helps organizations develop a clearer strategic communications foundation, including positioning, messaging, organizational voice and communication priorities.
From there, organizations may choose to implement the work internally, work with existing partners or bring in outside specialists for areas like social media, design, web development or content production.
Ongoing involvement is available to help ensure implementation stays connected to the original strategic direction.
Do you manage social media?
No. The focus is not on day-to-day social media management or high-volume content production.
Instead, the focuses on helping organizations clarify the strategic foundation underneath their communications so that social media, websites, campaigns and other communication efforts operate from a more consistent and aligned framework.
When implementation support is needed, collaboration with trusted trusted creative, digital and communications partners can be part of the solution depending on the organization’s needs.
What kinds of organizations benefit most from this work?
Wille Strategic Communications works best with mission-driven organizations that are doing meaningful work but struggling to ensure that work is being clearly understood externally.
Organizations tend to benefit most when they are open to honest strategic conversations and willing to evaluate how their communication is currently functioning across leadership, staff and external audiences.
What does “translation problem” mean?
A translation problem happens when there is a gap between the work an organization is doing internally and how that work is being understood externally.
Often, organizations become so immersed in their own language, priorities and operations that they stop noticing where understanding is beginning to break down for donors, members, clients, stakeholders or the broader public.
The result is usually not a lack of effort. It is a lack of clarity and alignment.
What if we already have a strategic plan?
That is often a strong starting point.
Many organizations already have strategic plans outlining their priorities and long-term goals. The assessment helps evaluate whether those priorities are being communicated clearly and consistently across the organization and externally.
The goal is to help ensure communication supports the broader direction the organization is trying to move toward.
Can you work with our existing communications or marketing partners?
Absolutely.
The approach is designed to work collaboratively alongside internal teams and external partners. Because the focus is on strategic communications alignment and organizational clarity, it can often help strengthen the effectiveness of existing marketing, creative or communications efforts by ensuring everyone is working from a more consistent strategic foundation.
How does the process start?
It starts with a conversation. No pitch, no assumptions. Just an honest look at where things stand and whether there is a fit.