AI is getting smarter… in no small part because humans keep using it. Ask ChatGPT to create a vision statement or messaging for an orchestra, a university, an independent school, or a for-profit business, and you’ll get a response back in seconds. You can even ask for it to be tuned for different generations, or voices, as below:
It’s not a bad read. But if you were the marketing director of Captain’s Quarters—or any school, for that matter—you might find that your competitors are using similar language (albeit maybe a little less Captain Hook). That means your target audiences won’t learn what sets you apart—and, importantly, why they should engage, enroll, or support you.
Fortunately, you’re not a bot, and you can do better because you’re immersed in your enterprise, you know your audiences, and you work in a way AI simply can’t. Below are some tips to make your communications authentic, specific, and differentiated—so they resonate with your audiences, inspire action, and sound like a real person wrote them.
Give clichés the heave-ho
Did some of the words above look familiar? Maybe “vibrant learning experience,” “marries challenging academics with hands-on exploration,” talk of “courage,” “curiosity,” “teamwork,” and “problem-solving skills”? For an arts organization, you might expect to see “innovation,” “diversity,” “artistic excellence,” and “community impact.”
That doesn’t mean these words are off limits, per se, but it’s your job to use them in ways that are specific to you and, ideally, unexpected. Consider distinctive juxtapositions, rhythms, and connections you can make.
What else do you provide your constituents that sets you apart? What are your signature programs or unique attributes? Your high-level messaging needs to be concise, but it’s worth making space for the qualities and offerings that differentiate you. If everyone is promoting talented musicians and a diverse repertoire, or gifted faculty who truly know your child, why should people engage with you, and not a competitor? Be as specific as possible: what is it about your guest artists, a great series, or your venue that’s a draw; what about your curriculum, extracurriculars, and student life are a standout? Consider talking with or surveying your constituents to learn more about what they value.
Wesleyan University
Our admissions work with Wesleyan University focused on what we called, “dynamic intersections”: the oft-unexpected combinations of attributes, actions, and affinities that make each Wesleyan student’s path unique to them.
The big idea was that Wesleyan students embrace the opportunity to try new things—and + more, not or—add new experiences… and learn from both failure and success along the way.
A viewbook spread on academics features an undeclared student who was pursuing a deeply personal research mission—proving the point that “undeclared” doesn’t mean “unfocused.”
A viewbook spread on the arts celebrates trying new-to-you disciplines—and how a shared artistic passion can help students build relationships and understand one another more deeply.
Hartford Symphony Orchestra
Our messaging for Hartford Symphony Orchestra challenged outdated expectations around the experience of orchestral performance—with a cheeky wink for good measure.
“Led by our dynamic music director Carolyn Kuan, the HSO transcends the expectations of a typical classical orchestra. We perform in a wide variety of styles, and collaborate with artists from rising pianists to aerialists and breakdancers—all to put a new spin on concerts (sometimes, literally). We’re not your grandmother’s orchestra… but she’ll enjoy the show.”
Balance your institutional voice with external, first-person voices
Just like AI can’t know what’s unique about you, it can’t write real first-person testimonials. Institutional writing and direct quotes are symbiotic—the former gives context to individual voices, and those voices prove the claims of your institutional writing. For example, if you say your students go on to achieve great success, your alumni can speak to the impact of their education.
Olin College of Engineering
Humans take center stage in our collaborative reimagining of Olin College’s website. The staff, faculty, students, and alumni are living out a new model of engineering education that focuses on “engineering for everyone”: transforming the definition of what engineering is, how engineering is taught, and what an engineer looks like. These short profiles give users a glimpse into what that looks like in the day-to-day lives of community members.
Curtis Institute of Music
At Curtis Institute of Music, the world’s most talented young musicians develop into exceptional artists and creators. The students and alumni are proof of the value of Curtis’ approach—which makes their voices essential to telling the Curtis story.
“Since I came to Curtis Institute of Music from China when I was 15, the school has been my musical home. Curtis’ intense focus on artistry, on awakening insatiable curiosity—and the encouragement to take risks—helped me become the musician and person I am today.”
—Yuja Wang, ’08, international piano soloist
Focus on experience and outcomes… not just adjectives
You’re not just an [insert adjective, adjective, and adjective here] kind of organization. You inspire people to feel, think, and act in ways that add value to their lives. Use active language—think lively verbs—to convey what you do. Don’t just repeat your mission—effective messaging is not just about you, and what drives you, it’s about your constituents. Focus on their experience and how you benefit them—so you can create externally focused messaging that connects.
MIT Introduction to Technology, Engineering, and Science (MITES)
Our messaging for the MITES program at MIT—a pioneering program that provides cost-free, transformative STEM experiences to pre-college students from underserved and underrepresented backgrounds—focuses on the impact their programs have on students as individuals.
Lyric Opera of Chicago
For our clients at Lyric Opera of Chicago, it was critical to elevate the power of opera to intellectually and emotionally transport audiences—giving them both insight into, and respite from, the stresses and challenges of everyday life.
“Lyric Opera of Chicago amazes, replenishes, inspires, and engages audiences with must-see, must-hear live experiences. Through the timeless power of voice, acting that brings characters to life in triumph and tragedy, the splendor of a great orchestra and chorus, theater, dance, design—and through truly magical stagecraft—Lyric immerses audiences in worlds both familiar and unexpected, leaving everyone thinking and feeling differently when the curtain comes down.”
Un-bot yourself
As people who look constantly at college viewbooks, subscription brochures, websites, and fundraising materials, we might be extra sensitive to words we see over and over again (we’re looking at you, “experiential”). While it’s not always easy to avoid them—and AI can certainly spin a basic, readable message—you can communicate so much more effectively because you’re a human connecting with other humans.
You also know your organization and your audiences deeply: who you are, what sets you apart, who you engage and what they care about, how you benefit your constituents—and why your work matters.
So, as they say at Captain’s Quarters Academy, go forth, mateys… and start writing messages that are compelling, true to you, and actually get results!