Our Services.
At the Ashford Agency, the first thing we do is listen. You tell us where it hurts. Together, we take a deep dive, figure out the solution, and get to work. You receive expert consulting tailored to your specific goals and needs. So you can move your organization forward and have peace of mind.
Leadership Solutions
No leader should have to go it alone. That’s why we help leaders hone their organization’s vision and mission, structure their organization accordingly, determine the critical actions that will propel them forward, and tell their story in a way that draws people in and drives them to action.
Most vision and mission statements are vague, boring, and eminently forgettable.
Why? Because most leaders and organizations struggle to sharply define their mission, and thus cannot effectively communicate it.
What is the result? Nobody remembers the vision or mission statements, and if they’ve forgotten the vision and mission statements, they’ve forgotten the vision and mission.
That’s why we help leaders cast a vision that excites and unites a team; craft a mission statement that is crisp, inspiring, and memorable; structure the organization accordingly; and determine the guiding principles and critical actions that will propel the organization forward.
Thought Leadership
You became the leader of a values-driven organization because you have something to say. Something valuable. That's why we help you find and fine-tune your message. So you can get the attention of your target publics through book publishing, article writing, podcasting, social media, radio, or television.
We ghostwrite books, articles, and speeches, drawing upon your ideas and writing in your voice. So that your distinctive contribution comes through "loud and clear."
We build custom social media strategies, tailored to your industry. So that your platform is elevated and your organization benefits.
We advise you regarding radio, television, and podcast opportunities. So that you receive free publicity by barely lifting a finger.
Marketing & Visibility Solutions
No nonprofit organization should suffer from low visibility when it offers such high value. That’s why we help leaders raise their organization’s visibility, enhance the website messaging, increase the subscription list, elevate the website traffic, and motivate people to act.
With regard to your website, remember that no hammer is more powerful, no scalpel more precise, than a well-spoken word. We help you employ words that will inspire, inform, and spur people to action.
With regard to email campaigns, consider that, when it comes to brand awareness and sales, email is king. We help you build subscription lists and email campaigns that drive revenue and motivate people to act.
With regard to building your subscription base, we help write lead generators (e.g. e-books) that sizzle. When your lead generator offers value to the reader's life, they are more than happy to subscribe to your website in exchange for free access.
Brand Storytelling
Most marketing dollars are wasted because words--rather than logos or images--move people to action. That’s why we help leaders and organizations clarify their message. So that your audience will listen. The human brain wants clarity rather than confusion. And story is the best way to formulate information so that people can understand, remember, and repeat it.
The human brain is structured for story. Consider that people are up to 22 times more likely to remember information conveyed by narrative. Stories trigger good feelings in our brain (releasing dopamine and endorphins); speak to gut, instinct, and emotion (the real factors in decision-making), and have the power to influence people, transfer values, and drive action.
Because of this fact, we help organizations connect their story with their audience, answering the audience's three pressing questions: What do you offer? How will it make my life better? What do I need do next? In this way, you reach out, grab them by the hand, and draw them in.
Faith & Values Solutions
No leader should have to fly solo into the headwinds of our secular context. That’s why we help leaders build effective strategies to achieve long-term cultural influence, communicate successfully with regard to hot-button issues, and create simple but effective crisis communication plans.
The healthiest faith-based and values-driven organizations align their organizations with certain convictions, organize their efforts around those convictions, and communicate those convictions in a clear and compelling manner. We help you build simple, effective storylines and scripts that propel your leadership, marketing, and fundraising efforts.
Sadly, in our nation's polarized public square, no conviction goes unchallenged, and no good deed goes unpunished. For that reason, your organization could experience a sudden challenge regarding faith or values. We help you build a simple, effective crisis management plan so you will be fully prepared, ahead of time, for unexpected challenges.
Content Creation
Many organizations are not readily able to create all the content necessary for success. That's why we provide full-service writing and editing for websites, print books, e-books, lead generators, press releases, public talks, white papers, and other material.
​
With regard to book publishing, we will help you publish a "calling card" book that positions you as a thought leader in your industry, expands the organization's public visibility, and drives people to action.
​
With regard to web publishing, we write script that sizzles, and spurs people to action, whether in the form of e-books, articles, or e-newsletters.
​
With regard to media outlets, we compose opinion pieces and press releases that capture the public imagination, represent the organization well, and save it from easy "hits."
What Our Clients Say
Heath Placek (Executive Director, Guided Impact Foundation)
“At a crucial inflection point for our organization, The Ashford Agency helped us develop an intelligent, aggressive, and efficient messaging strategy for our donor development efforts."