Strategic communications consultant
Still image from Seeds In Our Pockets, a recent creative collaboration with renowned illustrator Majid Adin for a major philanthropic donor.
How can communication create positive change for people and the planet?
This is the question many of my clients grapple with. I help charities and companies find their answer using my experience of communicating about the burning issues of our time for complex global organisations. From climate change, sustainability, diversity and young people's futures to education, migration and mental health, I know that social impact starts with three key ingredients: collaboration, strategy and relatable storytelling - often grounded in the hope-based communications method.
"From our global strategy to our global campaign, Kristin helped us distill complex, jargon-filled messages into simple yet powerful communications. She is an exceptional writer and a pleasure to work with."
Katrina Kyselytzia, Global Head of Corporate Communications, Save the Children International
What I do
As a consultant, I lead communications projects for purpose-led organisations. I am a creative thinker, good with words, highly organised, and a firm believer in strategy as the starting point for success.
My clients range from small charities and big NGOs to companies, creative agencies and the United Nations. I am currently also an Associate Partner at Norwegian communications agency Sannum & Bergestuen.
My briefs vary from research, analysis and testing through to polished strategy, and from delivering brand positioning, narratives and creative concepts to digital content for specific channels and audiences.
As a trained journalist with an interest in progressive political communication, I produce messaging and copywriting for websites/SEO, video scripts, employee branding campaigns and corporate donor strategies.
And because I've learned that strong teamwork is key to external impact, I also lead internal communications processes, write learning resources, toolkits and communications guidelines, hold talks and run workshops to help teams worldwide find their shared focus and voice.
"Kristin very quickly understood our business. She masterfully transformed our ideas into a clear brand positioning, messaging and tone of voice guide.
We're delighted with how she executed the brand."
Emily Cummin
Founder & CEO
Six projects I'm proud of
Generating hope with
Save the Children
In collaboration with internal leaders and young people, I created the strategic narrative, campaign name and market-specific messaging for Generation Hope, Save the Children's new global climate & equality campaign.
I also wrote a summary of Save's 2022-25 global strategy for donors, described by International Board Chair Angela Ahrendts as ‘the best thing I have read’ from the charity.
Internal comms @ UNHCR
I won a competitive pitch with UK creative agency Chaos Design for an ambitious UN Refugee Agency internal communications project in 2021. I have since led 3 popular Masterclasses, written several strategic toolkits, and developed creative concepts and narratives for 3 successful employee engagement campaigns about emotional health, risk management and the launch of a new work performance approach.
Creative donor
impact reporting
I recently directed and wrote the script for Seeds in Our Pockets, an animation created with Majid Adin (of Rocket Man video fame) and Rise With Us. Our goal is to show a major philanthropic funder how their long-term investment will sustain and build grassroots social justice movements.
This follows the success of Stories of Resilience, another innovative donor impact reporting project that I led alongside people with lived experience of migration.
Sustainable travel
after Covid-19
I articulated four solution-focused brand pillars for the post-Covid relaunch of UK non-profit travel agency Key Travel, planned out its new website structure with the Head of Marketing, and wrote all webcopy for SEO with a focus on safety, savings, simplicity and sustainability.
Brand & social
for veterinarians
I developed a new, linked brand positioning for post-graduate veterinary education providers Improve International and ISVPS.
I also delivered an audience-focused social media strategy that boosted ISVPS' Instagram following 12-fold from 2021 to 2023.
Changing migration
narratives with the UN
I was invited by the UN's Human Rights office to lead two creative communications workshops with civil society organisations in South Africa in late 2022. Together we piloted a new training module on changing narratives about migration, using the hope-based communications method.
Participants' feedback was overwhelmingly positive, and publication is planned for early 2023.
Other collaborators include:
Equidem, Freedom from Torture, Healthily Toned, Hertie School for Executive Education,
International IDEA, Migration Exchange, The Norwegian Human Rights Fund, Norwegian Helsinki Committee, Refugee Action, Refugees Welcome Italy, SOS Children's Villages UK & global, Sannum & Bergestuen, Strategic Legal Fund, Terre des Hommes International, Untangle Grief, Under One Sky, Women for Refugee Women.
What people say
Innovative & inspiring
"Kristin was way ahead of her time in pushing for a more positive approach to human rights communications.
She is behind some of Amnesty's most innovative and inspiring recent stories."
Thomas Coombes
Head of Brand, Amnesty International and Founder of Hope-based Communications
Strategic & creative
“Kristin has that wonderful combination of being both strategic and creative,
and she's a huge problem solver. I loved working with her and can recommend her highly as an experienced comms partner.”
Clare Donald
Chief Production Officer, Ogilvy UK
Relatable storytelling
"Kristin creates clear, relatable storytelling. She has been integral to delivering thought leadership content and supporting us throughout COVID-19 with responsive, helpful communications."
Katie Hungerford
Head of Marketing
Key Travel
Hope is a strategy for change
Hope-based communications began as an innovative response to the fear, anger and polarisation being stirred up by authoritarian populists globally.
It is tempting to just keep on reacting to all the messages and stories we disagree with. But that often isn't very strategic. Hope-based comms offers a simple, 5-shift approach for changing the conversation - and the overall narrative - based on insights from neuroscience and psychology.
The method has evolved into a pragmatic way to win support for campaigns and policies by showing how they will benefit people and the planet. By placing communication at the heart of social change, framed around our own values and solutions, we can set a fresh agenda and win hearts and minds.
I often use this method for my projects and workshops, as part of a global network of fellow hope-based practitioners.
The 5 simple shifts of hope-based communications
About me
I grew up in Norway and moved to London, UK to study communications and do an MA in International Journalism. Little did I know I'd end up staying for decades.
After working as a Press Officer at Amnesty's International Secretariat, I became a journalist and magazine editor for Save the Children UK. I later freelanced for charities and companies before returning to Amnesty, where I edited the global supporter magazine and blog.
In a new role as Global Creative Manager I led on digital, audience-focused storytelling projects, and devised Amnesty's communications strategy for the 2016 global refugee campaign. I also collaborated with leading strategic communications experts and global creative agencies on award-winning human rights campaigns.
I became a consultant in 2019 before moving back to Oslo, where I continue to work with clients in Norway, UK, the EU and worldwide.
Want to collaborate?
I work with leaders and teams worldwide and can travel. As a Norwegian Brit I am fully fluent in both languages, and have good working Spanish.
Just drop me an email or call for an informal chat. I can then develop a quick proposal based on your needs, and we'll go from there.
