Everyone wants to have a better message. Here are five suggestions to make sure you have one:

• Authenticity: Is my message genuine? If it’s not real, credible, defensible and something that people would actually say, it probably lacks authenticity and should be abandoned as corporate speak that wouldn’t interest anyone. A test: would I say it that way with my neighbor or someone at a social event or college reunion?
• Context: Does my message explain something and answer the question why? It needs to explain the reasons for your being, doing, thinking. A test: would someone either nod or scratch their head after hearing a short version of your story?
• Clarity: Is my message easy to understand? It needs to be direct, concise and compelling. A test: after you have shared your message with someone, could they easily share it with someone else?
• Plain English: Is my message wrapped in confusing corporate speak? It needs to reflect how real people actually talk, not sound like it was written for a brochure or a script. A test: would I be embarrassed to tell it to my kids and would they look at me funny?
• WIFM: Does my message deliver a conclusive benefit or impact to someone. It needs to answer their question: what’s in it for me (WIFM)?

The Sheffield Institute has recently released two new Industry Insiders episodes.

Bart Zehren shares insights and advice on marketing research with prospective professionals.

Wendy Serafin, principle owner of Nifares Group, discusses how to be successful in a changing public relations landscape.

Award-winning agency expands video production capabilities to offer organizations more engaging ways to tell their story

DOWNERS GROVE, IL., June 29, 2010- Sheffield Marketing Partners (Sheffield), a boutique agency that specializes in message and content development, announced that it has launched a new extension of its brand, Navigant Films, to address the growing demand for short-form video. The unit will be headed by Matt Cornelison, Sheffield’s veteran film maker and producer. The agency recently received three awards for its work in short-form online video production and has produced more than 250 short-form videos since 2007.

“Visual storytelling is a unique art form that’s in high demand,” said Joseph McCormack, Managing Director and Founder of Sheffield. “Over the years, we have perfected the craft of producing powerful stories through online video that capture the essence of an organization’s message. The name Navigant reflects our role in leading organizations to tell their stories with a clear direction and compelling storyline.”

Extending the Sheffield Brand

Navigant Films will operate from Sheffield’s headquarters in suburban Chicago. Navigant will offer a variety of video production services for corporate and non-profit clients interested in creating video trailers, customer success stories, online ads, highlight reels, Web-based video channels and short-form documentaries aimed at a specific audience. Navigant will leverage its expanding capabilities in 3-D animation and motion graphics, and its recognized expertise in narrative development.

The short-form category has grown in recent years with the rapid expansion of high-speed broadband Internet connectivity, new delivery channels such as YouTube, Facebook, and Vimeo, and mobile devices like smartphones, laptops, net books and tablets. Increasingly, organizations are embracing video as a primary online communications tool to keep their audiences engaged.

“Many viewers struggle to make a connection to today’s typical corporate video,” added Matt Cornelison, production manager at Sheffield. “The mission of Navigant Films is to produce more engaging, short-form videos that create stronger and lasting impressions with audiences.”

Industry Recognition

Sheffield’s video work recently received recognition. “I Am Lexington”, a five-minute marketing video that recounts the stories of students and alumnae of Lexington College in Chicago, won both the Platinum Hermes Creative Award and the Award of Distinction for the 16th Annual Communicator Awards. Sheffield produced this short-form video as a part of a re-branding campaign designed to increase brand awareness and enrollment in the hospitality management college.

Sheffield also received the Gold Hermes Creative Award for producing a high-impact online video called “The VSAT Advantage” for Herndon, VA-based satellite technology leader iDirect. The video combined professional acting talent with motion graphics to create a dynamic educational sales tool.

About Navigant Films

Navigant Films is a subsidiary of Sheffield Marketing Partners that crafts short-form videos for a variety of corporate and non-profit clients that are high impact and tell a powerful story. Navigant is staffed by an executive producer, director, writers and post-production editors and animators.

About Sheffield Marketing Partners

Sheffield Marketing Partners helps businesses and organizations create stories worth telling. Founded in 2006, Sheffield is a boutique agency that specializes in message and content development and offers a range of capabilities including narrative mapping, marketing campaigns, design, animation and online video production. Sheffield is located in Downers Grove, IL. More information can be found at www.sheffieldcompany.com or by calling 630-310-5190.