Our Work
CHALLENGE
Three credit unions. Three distinct member identities. Three separate employee cultures. All three had to vote yes for Canada’s largest-ever credit union merger to happen—and any one of them could have killed it.
WHAT WE FOUND—AND WHAT WE DID
The risk was identity—asking people to give up something local and trusted for something bigger and unknown. We built the case around what wouldn’t change: their values, their ownership, their voice with a shared vision for the future. Then we aligned the narrative across every internal and external channel, making sure every member and employee heard the same honest story in the right way at the right time.
RESULT
Yes votes of 78% to 91% across all three organizations. The successful creation of a $38.6B national credit union—the largest merger in Canadian credit union history.
CHALLENGE
Two credit unions with different histories, different members, and one question that had to be answered the same way by both: is this merger worth it for me?
WHAT WE FOUND—AND WHAT WE DID
The barrier wasn’t opposition—it was unfamiliarity. Members didn’t know enough about what the combined organization would stand for, or what it would mean for them specifically. We built a narrative that connected the merger’s purpose directly to member outcomes—not institutional ambition, but tangible benefit—then delivered it consistently across every internal and external channel until the answer to that question was clear.
RESULT
85% of members voted yes. The successful creation of Alberta’s largest credit union.
CHALLENGE
When two well-known food brands decided to share the same leadership, each company’s workforce needed to understand what was changing and what wasn’t before the rumour mill got there first.
WHAT WE FOUND—AND WHAT WE DID
Leadership consolidations fail communicatively for one reason: the people most affected hear about it the wrong way at the wrong time. We worked with leadership to build a narrative that was honest about the strategic logic and clear about what it meant for people day to day. Then we controlled the sequencing carefully—internal audiences first, stakeholders second, external channels third—so that by the time the story was public, it was already understood by the people it mattered most to.
RESULT
Employee alignment held across both organizations. Stakeholder confidence wasn’t disrupted. The business continued without interruption—and the transition landed as a considered strategic move rather than an unsettling surprise.
CHALLENGE
How to retire beloved fundraising events—without losing the donors who built their giving identity around it.
WHAT WE FOUND—AND WHAT WE DID
The risk wasn’t the decision itself but how donors would feel about it. Our supporters were emotionally invested in the event. Tell the wrong story and a necessary change becomes a betrayal. We worked with leadership to establish a narrative that was transparent about what was ending and honest about why, while making clear that the mission—and the community around it—wasn’t going anywhere. Then we sequenced the rollout carefully, making sure every audience heard it the right way at the right time.
RESULT
Donor trust held. Fundraising momentum continued uninterrupted. And an organization that could have faced a damaging public moment came through it with its community intact and its supporters clear on what came next.
CHALLENGE
A long-standing CEO was departing. CARE Canada needed to control the narrative before uncertainty filled the silence—and before donors, partners, and employees drew their own conclusions.
WHAT WE FOUND—AND WHAT WE DID
Leadership transitions create uncertainty when people don’t understand what is changing, what is staying the same, and who is leading the process. We created a clear transition narrative, then sequenced the rollout deliberately—employees first, donors and partners second, public third—so every audience heard the right story from the right source before the wrong one reached them.
RESULT
A transition seen as a thoughtful, well-planned evolution rather than a disruptive leadership change. Employee, donor, and partner confidence remained strong, external response was positive, and CARE Canada maintained focus on its mission and operations.
Talk to us about what you need to make happen.
Perhaps there’s a problem you’ve been sitting on for a while—or an ambition you’re not sure how to make happen. Bring us either. We’ll give you an honest assessment.
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