Subtlety is on Your IdeaList
A Great Idea: Brand Communications
Your creative partner to grow, empower, and activate advocates through award-winning strategy, design, and development.
Sometimes it’s the small things that say something BIG! Read more in this month’s IdeaList!
STATEMENTS THROUGH SUBTLETY
Much of the discourse on actor Cate Blanchett’s dress at this year’s Cannes Film Festival has been whether or not it signaled a stance on the current Israel-Palestine conflict. Nevertheless, the manner in which she presented her dress is a masterclass in situational awareness and delivering subtlety to communicate something. In a reported pale pink (reading white on camera) and black gown, Blanchett walked and posed for photos as she lifted her hem to reveal the green lining, a color combination that–along with the red carpet–matches the flag of Palestine. Similarly, the late artist Felix Gonzalez-Torres’ 1991 piece, “Untitled” (the above right billboard), enters and occupies the public consciousness by straddling the liminal space between art and advertising. In a time when public consciousness about AIDS was still marginal, Gonzalez-Torres’ haunting portrait of loss due to AIDS is wildly subtle, yet deeply profound. For communications, having a keen sense of context (i.e. red carpet) for displaying subtlety (i.e. color combination) can be a potent strategy to employ what serves your messaging needs (e.g., solidarity).
HARM-REDUCTIVE COMMUNICATIONS
Communications–both internal and external–can often inadvertently perpetuate stigma, shame, and exclusion, particularly when addressing sensitive topics such as public health issues or social disparities. Learning and adopting harm reduction approaches, organizations emphasize meeting individuals where they are, acknowledging their autonomy, and prioritizing harm minimization. For nonprofits that support at-risk communities, harm-reductive communications can play a role in reducing unnecessary loss of life through clear articulation that help, support, and guidance are available to those in need.
领英推荐
To learn more about integrating harm reduction into your communications strategy, download the “Redefining Communication: Integrating Harm Reduction Approaches into Nonprofit Messaging” white paper here!
“[AGI] took our ideas, listened carefully to our concerns, and made something that truly represents the event, our community, and our brand.”
—Leslie Loyd, President & COO, A Simple Gesture
Need help with event branding? We have you covered!