STATE OF PLAY
A leading life sciences organization encountered a core communication issue: senior policymakers lacked a clear, consistent understanding of what biotech entails or of the team’s vision for the future. Although biotech was widely associated with innovation, perceptions were scattered and occasionally marred by negative views and misunderstandings. For a successful advocacy campaign, the organization required a more focused and distinctive narrative—one capable of crossing partisan boundaries and enduring scrutiny from seasoned policy audiences.
ACTION
Narrative Insights designed a targeted qualitative research program to pressure-test early creative concepts, developed in partnership with a creative agency, among elite federal policy audiences. This included in-person focus groups with Democratic and Republican policy influencers in Washington, D.C, enabling real-time evaluation of messaging, tone, and visual storytelling.
The research surfaced a critical strategic insight: while the organization and its work in biotech were viewed as innovative and essential, it lacked a distinct identity and awareness of its tangible value. In testing campaign concepts, audiences from both parties responded positively to narratives centered on patient impact, progress, and the role of emerging science.
Narrative translated these findings into a refined messaging framework, working closely with the creative partner to align campaign concepts around clearer differentiation, simplified explanations of biotech’s role, and a stronger emphasis on human and economic outcomes.
IMPACT
The research allowed the Narrative team to create a campaign based on proven, bipartisan messaging. By explaining how biotech is different from other industry sectors and highlighting its contributions, the campaign built a more trustworthy and engaging story for policy audiences and laid the groundwork for future outreach. This effort provided a solid strategic basis for federal advocacy, minimizing messaging risks and giving stakeholders a clearer, more convincing story to communicate in a complex policy setting.
