THESIS CONTENT CASE STUDIES
Ashley Hall School In House Marketing Support
ANNE T. WESTON, PhD, ’73
Head of School
Ashley Hall
I cannot tell you how much I value the working relationship we have with Thesis. They bring deep knowledge to their work, and they invest themselves fully in understanding our mission and “place” which is so important; they are able to help us build and curate content that is genuine, on-point, and powerful. Whenever I see Thesis on our campus, I know that something amazing is going to happen!
Challenge
The marketing team for the school of Ashley Hall was overloaded with communications requests with immediate deadlines.
Solution
Come up with a video strategy that would relieve day to day communications requests and provide a series of strategic videos for the school.
Strategy
We met with the head of school and all department heads and began to tackle the beast. We then divided and conquered their video needs. Working closely and collaboratively with the communications team to outline workload, we analyzed scope and priorities. We then organized, produced and delivered high quality films along with additional raw footage for their day to day use. We listened, supported and executed.
Result
Transformational results, measurable admissions increase, alumnae and parents engagement up, buzz built and continuing to build-BUT most important of all- the communications team is shining, having fun and showing off incredible pieces of the stellar work their colleagues do day in and day out. The communications department has grown and bolstered everyone within the school. We have been rehired year and after year. It never gets old helping talented people do their job well.
Paula Harrell
Director of Strategic Marketing & Communications
Ashley Hall
Thesis Content has been a creative partner with Ashley Hall for more than five years. Over this time, they have helped the school not only produce highly-polished videos, but encouraged the marketing team to think strategically and in new and different ways. This has resulted in successful video campaigns that have helped Ashley Hall admission and fundraising efforts hit and exceed goals as well as engage the alumnae community. They are one of the best video firms I’ve worked with and I trust Thesis explicitly with the Ashley Hall brand.”
ACR Sales Team Rebrand Video
Christopher Rowe
Vice President-Marketing
ACR
My organization, ACR, engaged Thesis to create videos of varying length to explain an extensive rebranding project the company undertook in 2023 and 2024. Our brand story is complex and the approach we took to rebranding involved an intricate, highly conceptual methodology called ‘brand arch-typing’. Thesis carefully listened to our story and developed the perfect approach to laying out our new narrative! Our videos have been incredibly well-received by employees within and across the organization, and by customers and business partners around the world. Thank you, Thesis for helping ACR tell its story!
Challenge
Over the past decade ACR has grown through a series of strategic acquisitions. They have brought multiple brands, legacies and companies together. Their marketing team has been working intentionally to build a cohesive brand and bring everyone together. It was necessary to tell a unified story internally to all the companies under the ACR umbrella to convey the shared complexities of sourcing, manufacturing and supply chain leadership together.
Solution
We were hired to produce a video, on a short timeline, for an internal sales team conference. The video needed to generate excitement and an understanding of the process of how the marketing team worked on the new brand and why it was beneficial to the new team as a whole.
Strategy
We took a thorough and strategic approach to documenting the rebrand by engaging with all the key stakeholders. By gathering insights from the marketing team, Private Equity investor representatives, advertising agency, and sales team members, we ensured that the story we told was rich with perspectives and details.
We let the process be what ACR needed it to be.
Result
The result was phenomenal. Standing ovations at the conference. Private Equity investors who work with many companies calling the video their new gold standard. Most importantly though the rebrand became everyone’s project and the marketing team got the support they needed. They now have a full band playing their song.
Jamestown, LP-Navy Yard Charleston-Dedicated to the Fleet
Thea Anderson
Marketing Manager
Jamestown-Navy Yard Charleston
Thesis demonstrated exceptional professionalism and foresight in managing and transforming two vastly different, large-scale projects for Jamestown. They skillfully took our lead, collaborated closely, and guided the process to deliver impactful and compelling content. Their efforts culminated in historically significant pieces featured on PBS. By earning the trust of and interviewing both senior Navy Yard employees and current entrepreneurs, Thesis adeptly captured the rich history of the Navy Yard Charleston while also presenting its current vibrancy and anticipated future.
Challenge
Jamestown, LP is a Real Estate Investment and Management Firm known for transformation of space and commitment to community. Before embarking on the redevelopment of a portion of the Navy Yard Charleston in North Charleston, SC they prioritized understanding and the need to document its rich history. This foundational step ensured that the redevelopment would respect and reflect the unique heritage of the place. This would require finding individuals who worked, were related to or were closely associated with the Navy Yard while it was in operation.
Solution
Navy Yard Charleston hired us to produce a collection of oral history videos capturing the undocumented history of Charleston’s Navy Base told through first-hand accounts. They wanted the films to be a collaborative partnership with Historic Charleston Foundation who would hold the films we created in their archives.
Strategy
This was a phenomenal endeavor. We worked closely with Navy Yard Charleston’s communications team and Historic Charleston’s archivist to determine how we needed to build the project out for all parties involved. To properly and respectfully capture the history we needed to team up with the City of North Charleston, the businesses on the Navy Yard property, individuals and their families who worked at the Navy Yard when it was an active base and local historians. A lot of truth-telling and trust-building occurred before a single camera was turned on. Together we kept the energy and conversation and communication flowing throughout the process.
Result
Amazing Success! All parties involved participated in a screening of the films in a venue on the Navy Yard. By painstakingly building trust with all parties the results are both moving and a “witness to history. “ Connections by all were made. Jamestown gained a deeper understanding of the history of the place, Historic Charleston Foundation built their archives of the Navy Yard for all of the community to access and the community is now significantly involved in the future of the Navy Yard.
Historic Charleston Foundation-Tangled Roots
WINSLOW HASTIE
PRESIDENT & CEO
HISTORIC CHARLESTON FOUNDATION
“For our Tangled Roots oral history video project, it was absolutely critical that we work with a company who would take the time to earn the respect of the people we were working with. Thesis Content has a well deserved reputation for forging authentic relationships and showing a keen interest in listening. The intense experiences that these civil rights leaders on Johns Island endured made the subject matter very raw and personal. They were able to navigate the project with such compassion and sensitivity and that is the only reason that we were able to capture these incredible stories.”
Challenge
Historic Charleston Foundation received a grant to capture the rich and extensive Civil Rights history of Johns Island, South Carolina. Educators and elders on the Island wanted students to know and take pride in the incredible and local civil rights history. At that point, the history was scattered in books, families, and one off oral histories. They needed to be pulled together in a cohesive and engaging way to captivate students.
Building trust within the community, especially when outsiders are involved, would be challenging and take time and strategy.
Solution
For years, attempts to tell this story often missed the mark, resulting in stalled projects. We recognized the need for a different approach. The stories were complex, sacred, and painful. We decided to let the community lead the project.
Strategy
By establishing a collaborative partnership in scope, production, and editing we allowed the community to guide us in documenting their own narratives. We approached the project with patience and care, ensuring that every detail was meticulously considered and nothing was taken for granted. This process was multi-level and multi-year, it took a significant time to gain their trust.
Result
By establishing a collaborative partnership in scope, production, and editing we allowed the community to guide us in documenting their own narratives. We approached the project with patience and care, ensuring that every detail was meticulously considered and nothing was taken for granted. This process was multi-level and multi-year, it took a significant time to gain their trust.
J. Herman Blake, Ph.D
Former Executive Director
Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission
Katherine and Elizabeth bring unique qualities to their work. Respect, sensitivity and high intellect are hallmarks of their approach. While listening carefully to clients, their thorough research and probing questions lead to profound understanding. The result is a visual production and narrative that reflects deep and intuitive wisdom. They are exceptional, they are extraordinary, they are excellent.
Cogswell Mayoral Campaign Digital Content
William Cogswell
Mayor
City of Charleston, SC
I have worked with Thesis from the very beginning and there is one simple reason that I keep coming back: they do incredible work in a professional manner and treat my success as their own. We have collaborated on multiple projects with complicated scopes that require a broad range of expertise and the Thesis team has never once disappointed me. I can say sincerely and with no exaggeration that I would not be where I am today without them, and cannot recommend them enough.
Challenge
South Carolina State Representative William Cogswell decided to run for Mayor of the City of Charleston. In the statehouse he served as a republican representative. Although the race is non-partisan there had not been a republican mayor in Charleston since 1877. He was also running against a two term incumbent. William called on us because he needed digital strategy and responsive content to run a different style of race. He also wanted someone who understood his style and voice. He had been a client of ours for years. Everyone around us thought we were crazy to take this on. Naturally, we collected ourselves and showed up.
Solution
We created an intensive digital strategy that enabled real time responses without media interference. We collaborated closely with a team of political strategists, fundraisers, and public relations experts. We also pulled together some experts to help assist with high level concepts and execution. This collective effort was marked by a spirit of creativity and teamwork.
Strategy
Daily, we faced challenges that were sometimes intense and nerve-wracking.Our approach was dynamic: we produced digital content, meticulously monitored performance metrics, and adjusted our strategies in real-time. Each obstacle was met with resilience and ingenuity, driving us to continuously refine our approach and generate new content. Through all the hurdles, our commitment never wavered, and we persevered to achieve our goals.
Result
Unprecedented. Our perseverance paid off, the morning after the election newspaper article headlines everywhere, including the New York Times and LA Times, read “Charleston Elects Republican Mayor for First Time since 1870’s.” More importantly though, we knew our work had transformed the narrative. Mayor
Ellie Tiller
E. Tiller Advisors
Principal/Founder
I have had the privilege of working with Elizabeth and Katherine for the past several years now and have loved watching their company and work evolve. Together, they are a dynamic and innovative team that has mastered the art of video production and communications to bring stories, missions and products to life. They have a unique ability to capture an audience and are always thinking outside of the box. Working on the Cogswell for Mayor Campaign with them was an incredible opportunity; their work made my job as a fundraiser that much easier. They are creative, fun and hard working which makes them ideal partners.
