Strategic Storytelling in Action: How Butler Grad Students Are Powering Real-World Impact Through Communication Campaigns

What happens when graduate students are given real-world communications challenges from real organizations? At Butler University, the answer is simple: they deliver results that surprise, impress, and inspire.

As part of a CapSource-powered experiential learning engagement, Butler’s strategic communications graduate students took on semester-long consulting projects for four diverse organizations. The outcome? Professional-grade strategic campaigns that each client could take and run with immediately.

Every Move Matters: Revitalizing a Mission-Driven Movement

The Head & Neck Cancer Alliance (HNCA) had been running its annual Move-A-Thon with purpose and heart—but participation and digital buzz were lagging. Butler students reframed the campaign through a strategy dubbed Every Move Matters.

Their approach activated key publics:

• Emotional storytelling centered on survivors, families, retirees, and college students.
• Targeted toolkits for student ambassadors and athletic teams to drive engagement.
• Earned media focus with an emphasis on shareable stories and hashtags.
• A digital experience audit and timeline to optimize engagement year-round.

Clients were struck by the campaign’s sophistication and practical value:

“I wasn’t expecting this. You’ve given us things we can run with right away.”

The Queen’s Move: Repositioning a Startup Ecosystem

The Fourth Effect needed help expanding its membership base and articulating its platform value. The Butler team delivered a comprehensive communications and content strategy, under the bold theme Build Smarter, Scale Faster.

Their deliverables included:

• Segmented personas (founders, executives, investors) with tailored messaging.
• SEO-driven website strategy and lead-gen content hub proposal.
• Brand storytelling frameworks with emotional resonance and call-to-action pathways.
• Marketing assets and performance dashboards for ongoing iteration.

Client response?

“We’ve never been able to describe ourselves this way. ‘Operating system for governance’—that’s brilliant.”

Cultural Luxury with a Modern Voice: Storytelling for Mikimoto

How does a historic Japanese luxury brand connect with modern U.S. consumers? Students working with Mikimoto were challenged to develop persona-based PR and storytelling strategies that modernize the brand’s voice without losing its heritage.

Key project outputs included:

• Three buyer personas, from the businesswoman to the Gen Z fashionista.
• Narrative frameworks that reflect empowerment, celebration, and cultural heritage.
• PR playbooks, pitch angles, and influencer collaboration ideas.
• Cost-conscious event strategies to blend physical and digital brand experiences.

The result: a roadmap for Mikimoto to balance prestige with accessibility and relevance across platforms.

From Marketplace to Movement: Brand Messaging for Packaged Sustainable

Packaged Sustainable, a dynamic platform for sustainable packaging suppliers and eco-conscious brands, needed sharper messaging to differentiate from “greenwashing” competitors.

The Butler team delivered:

• Audience research that clarified pain points and motivators.
• Messaging architecture for both suppliers and brands.
• Digital marketing channel strategy, including SEO and storytelling recommendations.
• Clear implementation roadmap with timelines and success metrics.

Their strategy emphasized values-aligned messaging to drive trust, conversions, and site traffic. 

Why It Matters

From audience segmentation and behavior-driven messaging to digital content strategies and practical outreach guides, these students produced more than just campaigns—they delivered strategic blueprints for action.

Their secret? Deep listening, research-backed creativity, and the ability to translate insights into impact.

Jordan Levy, founder of CapSource, echoed the sentiment:

“My bar for Butler students is already high. And yet, they still exceeded expectations.”

Ready to Engage Student Talent?

Butler’s grad students proved that when given real clients and real challenges, they deliver real results. Interested in engaging student talent for a high-impact project? Learn more at CapSource.io and start shaping the future—one campaign at a time.