It all started a few months ago, when two other volunteers and I from Florida were invited to Washington, D.C. for a session with the Aga Khan Foundation staff to reveal its new brand messages. What I found in the training was beyond what I had expected. This was not just a marketing message about the Foundation’s work; this was a carefully crafted framework with core messages, tag line, call-to-action, mission statement, and clear presentation of the Foundation’s values, all rolled in one. I made up my mind then: my mission as the sole media volunteer for Florida would be to ensure that this message resonated with the media who covered our Aga Khan Foundation Walk – Orlando, and translate my personal experience with the Foundation to the larger Florida community, so the public could grasp the Foundation’s universal values.
Developing a Clear Narrative
The secret lay in how this messaging was developed. The Foundation leaders worked with a consulting team to capture the Foundation’s essence: grounded in words such as partner, communities, futures, build, cycle, investments, permanent, institutions, civil society, quality, humanity, and together. They used these words to craft core messages, such as, “partnering with communities,” “fostering a strong civil society,” “improving the quality of life,” “shared humanity,” “together we are stronger,” etc. The final touch, both elegant and powerful, involved combining these messages into one potent narrative — a narrative that resonates with different audiences and provides a clear and precise view of the Aga Khan Foundation.
The reason I give the anatomy of the message above is because it becomes important in how we use it; how ALL of us who support the Foundation can use it to spread awareness. With the bones of the narrative, we each can develop a personal version reflecting our own experience. So, here is my narrative:
“The Aga Khan Foundation partners with communities around the world to build better futures together. We do this by making long-term investments, by building quality and permanent institutions, and fostering a strong local civil society to improve the quality of life for all, regardless of gender, race, origin, or religion. Because we believe in shared humanity, and together we are stronger.”
The Walk Experience and the Message
Of course, a strong, inspirational message is the beginning. Then, you need to make sure it addresses your audience. This is where my function as the media volunteer came into play. I set in motion what I call the “media methodology”: Two weeks before the Walk, I sent the pre-walk press release to the 35 media outlets that I have on file, with a personalized follow-up. Then came the real push. On the Friday, Saturday, and the day of the Walk, a barrage of phone calls to the news-desk to the mainstream media (TV, radio, & some publications) was unleashed, to the point where we heard some of the media say, “Yes, yes, we are on our way!”
Then came Walk day, and the moment of truth was here. Every volunteer helping to organize the Walk was instructed that if they saw a reporter’s TV camera they should immediately “call or text Shaun Ajani on his cell.”
The clock ticked. I was getting nervous. Then, at high noon, minutes before our ribbon cutting, my phone sprang to life! I started getting reports of a cameraman from CBS, a crew from FOX News, one from NBC News, a photojournalist from News 13. At first, I thought that it was just one crew and the volunteers were confused. I started running toward the indicated location and was surprised to find, at various locations on the way, all of these networks! They wanted to speak with a representative of the Walk.
For me, these interviews would be the test of how the Foundation’s message would resonate with the media (from my years of experience as media lead, you can tell from their expressions as they interview) and how they passed the message to the general public.
The Challenge and Success
The challenge in presenting the Foundation’s work in international development to local audiences in America is always to “speak locally”, while keeping our incredible work in Asia and Africa in focus. Using the narrative I could do this by saying that we all have a purpose in life, and keeping in mind our shared destinies, we can be stronger together. The first clue about how effective the narrative was came in comments made by the TV crews. They said things like, “This is an amazing organization” and “I did not know something like this existed.” Others said, “Thank you for letting us know” and “We are definitely coming next year.” (I liked this one the best!)
Following these responses came the actual footage that was broadcast to the public in Orlando. The TV anchors’ introduction and reactions after the footage aired said it all. The general consensus was, “What a great message!”
I don’t wish to discount the success of other media messaging that we used. For example, our Regional Volunteer Chairman Karim Veerjee and I were invited to radio shows and write-ups by the print media. And past years’ messages for the Aga Khan Foundation Walk have also been great. But the new message transcends boundaries and cuts through the noise to reach people’s hearts and minds, so they recognize the Foundation’s aims in the context of universal values. The best part is this: Anyone, regardless of age, education, and experience can adapt the message for their personal narrative to raise funds and awareness for the Aga Khan Foundation.
Shaun Ajani is the volunteer media lead in the Florida region for the Aga Khan Foundation.