Narrative, Messaging and Argumentation
NewMessage architecture, framing, argumentation, tone and voice, and story formats for campaigns.
Message architecture
Building structured, coherent message systems that hold across audiences and channels.
Message house
The foundational framework for building a structured campaign message hierarchy.
Main message and central claim
Crafting the single defining claim that anchors all campaign communications.
Emotional rationale
Identifying the values and emotional drivers that make audiences care.
Proof points and supporting claims
Building the evidence architecture that makes the central claim credible.
Call to action
Designing asks that convert audience engagement into campaign action.
Message hierarchy across audiences
Adapting the message house for different audience segments without losing coherence.
Localisation and adaptation
Translating messages across languages, cultures, and local contexts.
Campaign narrative
The overarching story a campaign tells across its communications — the human situation, tension, choice and evidence that hold individual messages together into one coherent arc.
Framing
Setting the interpretive context that shapes how audiences understand issues.
Issue framing
Positioning issues in ways that favour your campaign's interpretation.
Reframing opponent narratives
Disrupting opponent frames and establishing your own interpretive lens.
Values-based framing
Anchoring policy arguments in widely held values rather than technicalities.
Metaphor and analogy in political communication
Using figurative language to make complex issues accessible and memorable.
Argumentation
Building logical, evidenced, persuasive arguments for policy and campaign use.
Argument structure and logic
Designing arguments that are internally coherent and resistant to attack.
Using evidence in political communication
Selecting, citing, and communicating evidence for non-specialist audiences.
Rebuttal and inoculation
Pre-empting and neutralising attacks before they land.
Debate and live argumentation
Argumentation techniques for structured debates and media appearances.
Tone, voice and language
Defining and maintaining a consistent, authentic campaign voice.
Brand voice and tone of voice
Defining the character and register of your campaign's communications.
Plain language and accessibility
Writing for comprehension across reading levels and backgrounds.
Language sensitivity and inclusivity
Choosing language that reaches without alienating.
Multilingual voice consistency
Maintaining tone and character across translations.
Story formats
Format-specific guidance for producing impactful campaign content.
Short-form story formats
Producing compelling campaign stories in 60–90 second formats.
Long-form narrative and documentary
Developing extended stories for video, audio, and written formats.
Data storytelling
Making data-driven arguments emotionally engaging and visually compelling.
articles in this pillar
From Control to Collaboration
Influence is moving away from broad, institutional messaging and toward small, trusted expert communities.
Only Humans Can Make It Meaningful
What policy audiences respond to now is not volume but interpretation.
Storytelling Is Like a Hammer
Passionate, purposeful storytelling is still under-used in the EU bubble.
Advocacy Goes Optimistic
In a city filled with fearmongers and anxious public officials, advocates succeed in promoting a message of optimism and positivity to advance change and progressive policies for people and planet.
Simple, Positive, Human Comms Beats Polish and Perfection
We connect with people and with solutions rather than overly complex, anonymous walls of text.
How to Tell Better Stories About Europe Without Slipping Into Spin
Use storytelling to make European issues clearer, more human and more memorable, while keeping the evidence, dignity and democratic purpose intact.
How to Build a Message House for an EU Public Affairs Campaign
A structured, five-layer framework for creating campaign messages that hold across audiences, channels, and member states — before a single piece of content is produced.