Gaining Attention

Within any sector, there could be dozens of organizations that generally have similar missions and names. This means that associations have an even greater imperative to be seen, differentiate, convey value, and lead on important issues.

Visual storytelling that showcases the humanity, success, and leadership of your organization is one way to get there. For the American Academy of Actuaries, we once designed a publication cover that featured the wonder of space exploration and the risk it poses for its industry. It’s a way to get readers to notice and want to learn more about a topic using a bold and unexpected visual design.

Fostering Connection Across Geographies and Cultures

Visual storytelling speaks a universal language that transcends cultural, linguistic, and geographical boundaries. Whether it’s an illustration, a graphic design, data visualization, or photo essay, visual narratives have the unparalleled ability to connect with diverse audiences on a deep and personal level.

Visual storytelling has the unique ability to foster empathy and understanding by allowing viewers to see the world through someone else’s eyes. For associations that serve a wide variety of constituencies—including international members—the universality of visual design can be unifying.

Memorability

Visual storytelling offers a solution to audiences’ fractured attention by engaging viewers in an immersive, more easily recalled experience. By combining compelling visuals with a strong narrative, we can create stories that resonate long after the screen fades to black. We did this when we worked with the National Electrical Contractors Association to capture its NECA word mark in the style of the iconic Philadelphia LOVE statue during a conference happening in the City of Brotherly Love.

Evoking Emotions

Great stories have the power to evoke a wide range of emotions—and visual storytelling amplifies this impact by leveraging multiple senses simultaneously. Through careful use of color and composition, we can transport audiences into the heart of the narrative, allowing them to experience the emotional journey of the subjects of your stories.

For associations, this might be achieved by tapping into the adventure of tackling new industry frontiers or in the human connection gained by professional networking and in-person conference experiences.

Conveying Complex Information

Associations are often charged with communicating highly technical and specialized information to their audiences. Images have the power to communicate complex ideas in a way that words alone cannot.

This could mean visualizing your global industry impact, your membership footprint, the annual industry data you collect and analyze, or other trend reports via infographics, column and area charts, bar graphs, and any number of ways to present data in effective and easy-to-understand ways.

Inspiring Action

Beyond creating interest, visual storytelling has the power to inspire real-world action and change. Highlighting important industry and societal issues can raise awareness, challenge perceptions, spark meaningful conversations—and engage current and prospective members and professionals.

There is no better time than now to evolve your visual storytelling strategy! The ROI will be high—our DNA says so.