The first step to achieving the impact you want to have is understanding what your audience cares about and values most in their lives. This insight will enable you to tailor your communications in a way that resonates, increases engagement, and drives stronger results.

Case Study: In multiple countries, national legislation and good practice is violated in the marketing of breast-milk substitute (BMS) products. Yet, little is understood about how this is achieved from an influence perspective. Gerry led the design of a global study to gather data directly from thousands of pregnant women, mothers of young children, and health workers — using surveys, interviews and observational online and offline methods. This research mapped and generated deep insights about audience exposure, interpretation and behavioural impact. 

Make sure you have robust evidence to inform your audience engagement strategy. Gathering data and insights broadly and deeply will strengthen your credibility and ensures that decisions and recommendations are grounded in facts rather than assumptions.

Case Study: Public diplomacy is a key tool in the arsenal of geopolitics. To understand how to optimise data and research in Public Diplomacy, Gerry was commissioned to conduct a study that synthesised empirical insights from interviews with key stakeholders and case studies across 17 countries to map how leading public diplomacy actors measure and learn from their work, providing an evidence base to strengthen research and evaluation practices in the field. The methodology — using primary data, cross-national comparison, and detailed case analysis — exemplifies the value of gathering robust evidence" to inform more targeted public diplomacy strategies.

Test your creative ideas and concepts with the audiences you want to reach. This will ensure that your content captures your audience’s attention, inspires them to maintains engagement, and increases the impact of your communications.

Case Study: Understanding how cultural and creative approaches have been used at major global summits and events is invaluable in order to drive engagement, dialogue and advocacy around key issues. Gerry co-led a study to provide a robust evidence base for designing campaigns that reach and influence target audiences at global gatherings. The research highlighted the importance of emotional resonance, cultural relevance, and contextual adaptation in developing content and partnerships that capture attention, foster dialogue, and build awareness to optimise reach and impact. 

Identify where your communications should be focused and optimised. Building your reach will expand visibility and influence, opening the door to greater opportunities, networks, connections, and impact.

Case Study: Leveraging the collective impact of human rights organisations online is imperative to optimise resistance to regressive national policies. Gerry designed and delivered an audit of the digital assets of 20 human rights organisations in order to increase their reach and resonance with disparate audiences in the lead up to a national election. This resulted in a more coherent, consistent and values-aligned audience engagement strategy for the individual organisations and for the sector as a whole. 

Build an impact measurement plan from the beginning. This will provides clear insight into what’s working and what needs improvement, enabling smarter decisions and more effective results.

Case Study: Shifting norms and practices related to gender, health and climate change is a long term, multi-faceted process. Popular culture, including entertainment programming, music, celebrities and theatre, are important levers to introduce new ways of thinking and behaving. Gerry has designed and delivered multiple studies to capture the evidence of how communication programme interventions have contributed to individual and collective change. Insights from these studies have informed how strategies need to adapt in order to achieve the most targeted impact.