SERVICES / NARRATIVE INTELLIGENCE INTERVIEWS

Know what people really think before you decide what comes next.

We conduct in-depth interviews with your stakeholders, customers, clients, critics and advocates to uncover what they think, what they’re saying and what your organization needs to know.

DISCUSS THE WORK →

SERVICES / NARRATIVE INTELLIGENCE INTERVIEWS

Know what people really think before you decide what comes next.

We conduct in-depth interviews with your stakeholders, customers, clients, critics and advocates to uncover what they think, what they’re saying and what your organization needs to know.

DISCUSS THE WORK →

SERVICES / NARRATIVE INTELLIGENCE INTERVIEWS

Know what people really think before you decide what comes next.

We conduct in-depth interviews with your stakeholders, customers, clients, critics and advocates to uncover what they think, what they’re saying and what your organization needs to know.

DISCUSS THE WORK →

THE PROBLEM WE SOLVE

Organizations often try to shape the narrative before they’ve really listened.

What leadership believes is happening is not always what stakeholders experience.

What people say in a survey is not always what they will tell a skilled interviewer.

And what gets repeated inside an organization is not always the story shaping it outside.

BENEATH THE ANSWER

We listen for what people say. And for what their answers reveal.

THE STORY THEY TELL
What people believe has happened.

THE LANGUAGE THEY REPEAT
The words and phrases that reveal how they make sense of it.

THE TENSION UNDERNEATH IT
Where beliefs, expectations and experiences collide.

WHAT THEY AVOID
The subjects people circle, soften or struggle to articulate.

THE PATTERN ACROSS INTERVIEWS
What becomes visible only after listening to many people closely.

WHO WE LISTEN TO

The organization looks different depending on where you’re standing.

Customers & Clients
What they value, what frustrates them and how they describe the relationship.

Employees & Internal Stakeholders
What people inside the organization believe, repeat and avoid saying out loud.

Leadership
How decision-makers understand the institution’s priorities and narrative.

Partners & Allies
What trusted external stakeholders see that leadership may not.

Critics & Skeptics
The objections and vulnerabilities supportive audiences may never surface.

Advocates & Community Voices
The language, stories and motivations that create genuine affinity.

WHO THIS IS FOR

For organizations making decisions that depend on understanding what people really think.

Corporate Communications Teams — major messaging, repositioning or reputation work.

Foundations & Nonprofits — understanding grantees, partners, communities and stakeholders.

Associations — listening to members before changing priorities or communications.

Public Affairs & Government — understanding perceptions and tensions around public-facing work.

Brands & Leadership Teams — repositioning, transformation, leadership change or strategic decisions.

Agencies — adding senior qualitative interviewing and narrative analysis to client strategy.

One interview is a story. Twenty interviews can reveal a system.

“They say they want innovation, but nobody wants to be the first one to take the risk.”

Repeated language → Shared belief → Contradiction → Narrative opportunity

WHAT YOU RECEIVE

You leave with a clearer picture of what people think — and what to do with it.

Depending on scope, engagements may also include stakeholder maps, interview guides, executive readouts and findings presentations.

THE NARRATIVE INTELLIGENCE BRIEF

A concise strategic document bringing together

◦ Recurring themes

◦ Shared language
◦ Contradictions

◦ Emotional drivers

◦ Reputational risks

◦ Narrative opportunities

◦ Strategic implications

◦ Recommended next moves

THE NARRATIVE INTELLIGENCE BRIEF

A concise strategic document bringing together

◦ Recurring themes

◦ Shared language
◦ Contradictions

◦ Emotional drivers

◦ Reputational risks

◦ Narrative opportunities

◦ Strategic implications

◦ Recommended next moves

HOW THE WORK UNFOLDS

01 — DEFINE
What does the organization genuinely need to understand?

02 — LISTEN
Conduct rigorous one-on-one conversations designed to get beyond rehearsed answers.

03 — INTERPRET
Find the recurring language, beliefs, contradictions and tensions.

04 — TRANSLATE
Turn what we learned into strategic implications and recommendations.

The value of the interview depends on who is asking the questions.

Thousands of interviews taught Shannon that the prepared answer is rarely the whole answer. As an interviewer, journalist and narrative strategist, he listens for what people say — and what they cannot quite say yet.

Reporting from a traveling press pool with Joe Biden.

ENGAGEMENT OPTIONS

The scope depends on what you need to understand, who we need to hear from, and the decisions the findings need to inform.

01 — NARRATIVE INTELLIGENCE DIAGNOSTIC

GET ORIENTED

From $2,500

BEST FOR

For organizations that need a focused senior read on a specific narrative, stakeholder question or emerging issue. Best for: a defined question where you need more than assumptions, but not a full stakeholder study.

INCLUDES

Kickoff / strategy session · stakeholder recommendation · review of existing research and materials · up to 5 interviews · initial pattern & language analysis · concise Narrative Intelligence brief · executive readout

01 — NARRATIVE INTELLIGENCE DIAGNOSTIC

GET ORIENTED

From $2,500

BEST FOR

Organizations that need a fast senior read on a focused narrative or stakeholder question.

INCLUDES

Kickoff / strategy session · stakeholder recommendation · review of existing research and materials · up to 3 interviews · initial themes · concise findings memo · executive debrief

02 — STAKEHOLDER INTELLIGENCE STUDY

LISTEN + FIND THE PATTERNS

From $10,000

BEST FOR

For organizations that need to understand how a meaningful group of stakeholders actually see an issue, organization, decision or opportunity. Best for: brand shifts, stakeholder strategy, reputation questions, leadership transitions, program decisions, communications strategy or moments of uncertainty.

INCLUDES

Interview strategy · stakeholder mapping · custom interview guide · approximately 8–15 interviews · interview synthesis & qualitative analysis · recurring themes · contradictions, tensions, emotional drivers · perception & reputation signals · language analysis · narrative tensions · emotional drivers · strategic implications · Narrative Intelligence Brief · executive readout · recommended actions

02 — NARRATIVE INTELLIGENCE INTERVIEWS

LISTEN + FIND THE PATTERNS

From $10,000

BEST FOR

Organizations that need a deeper qualitative understanding of how key stakeholders see them.

INCLUDES

Interview strategy · stakeholder mapping · custom interview guide · approximately 8–12 interviews · interview synthesis · recurring themes · language analysis · narrative tensions · emotional drivers · strategic implications · Narrative Intelligence Brief · executive readout

03 — NARRATIVE INTELLIGENCE + STRATEGY

LISTEN + TURN IT INTO ACTION

From $30,000

BEST FOR

For organizations facing consequential decisions where stakeholder intelligence needs to directly inform narrative, positioning and strategy. Best for: complex reputational environments, major initiatives, organizational change, leadership positioning, public-facing strategy or decisions involving multiple stakeholder groups.

INCLUDES

Everything in the Stakeholder Intelligence Study, plus: expanded stakeholder/interview pool · multiple audience or constituency groups · deeper narrative and perception analysis · language & message implications · narrative opportunity map · recommended messaging / language · strategic narrative recommendations · senior leadership workshop · final strategy presentation · follow-up advisory session

03 — NARRATIVE INTELLIGENCE + STRATEGY

LISTEN + TURN IT INTO ACTION

From $30,000

BEST FOR

INCLUDES

Your questions, answered.

FAQ

Who do you interview?

Are these interviews confidential?

How are these different from surveys or focus groups?

Do you recruit the interview participants?

Do we receive transcripts?

Can you use the findings to develop messaging or narrative strategy?

Need to know what people really think? Let’s go ask them.

DISCUSS THE WORK →

Higher Glyphs Content Group

Narrative · Media · Interviews

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Podcast & Video Show Strategy & Development

Narrative Intelligence Interviews

Executive Media Training

Company

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Washington, D.C. / Working nationally

Know what people really think before you decide what comes next.

Know what people really think before you decide what comes next.

Know what people really think before you decide what comes next.

Organizations often try to shape the narrative before they’ve really listened.

Organizations often try to shape the narrative before they’ve really listened.

Organizations often try to shape the narrative before they’ve really listened.

We listen for what people say. And for what their answers reveal.

We listen for what people say. And for what their answers reveal.

The organization looks different depending on where you’re standing.

The organization looks different depending on where you’re standing.

For organizations making decisions that depend on understanding what people really think.

One interview is a story. Twenty interviews can reveal a system.

One interview is a story. Twenty interviews can reveal a system.

You leave with a clearer picture of what people think — and what to do with it.

You leave with a clearer picture of what people think — and what to do with it.

The value of the interview depends on who is asking the questions.

The value of the interview depends on who is asking the questions.

ENGAGEMENT OPTIONSThe scope depends on what you need to understand, who we need to hear from, and the decisions the findings need to inform.

GET ORIENTED

GET ORIENTED

LISTEN + FIND THE PATTERNS

BEST FOR

LISTEN + FIND THE PATTERNS

BEST FOR

LISTEN + TURN IT INTO ACTION

BEST FOR

LISTEN + TURN IT INTO ACTION

BEST FOR

Your questions, answered.

Your questions, answered.

Need to know what people really think? Let’s go ask them.

Need to know what people really think? Let’s go ask them.

ENGAGEMENT OPTIONS

The scope depends on what you need to understand, who we need to hear from, and the decisions the findings need to inform.