It was the final round of a brand strategy workshop. The marketing team from a mid-sized nonprofit sat around a U-shaped table, debating (loudly) what their new website should look like.
“We need a big, bold donate button at the top!” one insisted.
“The hero image has to be a picture of our new building,” another pushed back.
“Let’s make sure the mission statement is front and center,” someone else said.
The tension rose as each defended their opinion, certain they were speaking for the “target audience.”
In the middle of the table sat an empty chair. No one noticed it at first.
About halfway through the discussion, the facilitator — a woman with a warm but steady voice — nodded toward the chair.
“I brought that chair for someone special,” she said. “It belongs to Maria.”
The room fell quiet.
She continued: “Maria is a single mom who works two jobs. She’s never heard of your organization, but last week she typed a desperate Google search at 11:47 p.m., looking for help for her son. If she were sitting here right now, what would she want your homepage to say? What would make her stay, trust and click?”
You could see the shift. The posture of the group changed. Instead of defending their own preferences, they began speaking from Maria’s point of view. Bold donate button? Sure, but only after they told a story that made her feel understood. Building photo? Maybe later. First, show the faces of people like her. Mission statement? Yes, but in plain language she’d immediately connect with.
That empty chair changed the whole conversation.
Here’s the point: Our paradigms shape how we communicate. When our paradigm is “what we think looks good,” our decisions serve us. When our paradigm shifts to “what the audience truly needs,” our decisions serve them.
Bark exist to help organizations make that shift so their communications connect, inspire and move people to action. If you’d like our help, let's talk.
