Workflow Examples
Real-world scenarios with step-by-step workflows and time estimates.
Scenario 1: Crisis Communications (48 Hours)
Situation: A product safety issue has gone public. Media are calling. Stakeholders want answers. You need a coherent communications strategy by Monday morning.
Total time: 8-10 hours (split across Saturday/Sunday)
Saturday Morning (4 hours)
| Time | Task | Tool | Key Actions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9:00-9:30 | Gather context | Files | Collect incident report, media coverage so far, stakeholder map, legal guidance on what can be said. Convert to PDF if needed. |
| 9:30-10:30 | Challenge diagnosis | The Story | Upload all docs. Key question: is this a reputation problem, a trust problem, or a licence-to-operate problem? Define the sector messaging convention for crisis response (deny, deflect, or own). Lock & Continue. |
| 10:30-11:30 | Stakeholder mapping | The Audience | Map stakeholders by urgency: who can do the most damage fastest? Regulators, affected customers, employees, media, investors. Define the core stakeholder tension. Lock & Continue. |
| 11:30-12:30 | Message positioning | The Message | Position the response. Critical: what are we explicitly NOT claiming? What are we NOT saying? Force exclusions. Lock & Continue. |
| 12:30-1:00 | Break | - | Step away from screen. The next phase needs fresh eyes and clear judgment. |
Saturday Afternoon (4 hours)
| Time | Task | Tool | Key Actions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1:00-2:00 | Synthesise direction | The Plan | Review inherited context. AI generates one-page communications brief. Edit for clarity and legal compliance. Lock & Continue. |
| 2:00-3:30 | Narrative framework | The Frame | Generate narrative territories. Review Territory Perception Map. In crisis: favour Believability over Stretch. Choose the territory that the organisation can sustain under scrutiny. Check Comms Readiness score. Fix red flags. |
| 3:30-4:00 | Save & review | All tools | Save project. Export Frame to PPTX. Review cascade for coherence: does each step follow logically from the last? |
| 4:00-5:00 | Refine in PowerPoint | PowerPoint | Open PPTX export. Develop stakeholder-specific messaging from the framework. Draft holding statements. This is where your crisis experience shows. |
Sunday (2-3 hours for channel planning)
| Time | Task | Tool | Key Actions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10:00-10:30 | Channel brief | The Channel | Use the narrative framework as input. Define which channels reach which stakeholders: owned for employees, earned for media, paid if regulator requires public notice. |
| 10:30-11:00 | Generate content concepts | The Channel | Generate channel-specific content approaches. For crisis: prioritise clarity and honesty over creativity. |
| 11:00-12:00 | Stakeholder briefing packs | The Channel + PPTX | Export. Develop separate briefing documents for each priority stakeholder group. Tailor message emphasis per audience. |
| 12:00-1:00 | Final assembly | PowerPoint | Combine strategy deck + stakeholder briefing packs. Add decision tree: "If X happens, we say Y." Rehearse with team. |
Sunday night: Rest. You have a coherent crisis communications strategy built in 10 hours that addresses the real challenge, not just the media noise.
Pro tip: Save before Saturday night. If new information emerges Sunday morning, you can reload and adjust the cascade rather than starting over.
Scenario 2: Product Launch Communications (Thin Brief)
Situation: Client brief says "We're launching a new product and need comms support." That is it. No stakeholder map, no messaging hierarchy, no channel plan.
Total time: 2 hours to build something defensible
| Time | Task | Tool | Key Actions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0:00-0:20 | Research phase | Google + Landscape | Find 3 competitor launches in the sector. Screenshot their press releases, media coverage, social content. Google "[sector] launch communications". Save what you find as notes. |
| 0:20-0:50 | Challenge diagnosis | The Story | Enter thin brief. Upload competitor screenshots. Add notes in "Additional Context". AI will suggest reframes. Edit the one that identifies the real communications challenge: is this a crowded market problem, a credibility problem, or a relevance problem? Define sector messaging conventions for launches. |
| 0:50-1:20 | Stakeholder mapping | The Audience | Generate stakeholder groups. For a launch: who needs to hear first? Trade press, existing customers, channel partners, investors? Define the tension: what do these stakeholders believe about the sector that this launch could challenge? Be transparent: flag this as hypothesis, not validated research. |
| 1:20-1:50 | Message architecture | The Message | Map competitor messaging. Find the narrative white space. Write a message position with exclusions: "We are NOT claiming [what everyone else claims]". |
| 1:50-2:00 | Package for client | Export | Export Message to DOCX. Present as: "Here's our strategic hypothesis for launch communications. We recommend stakeholder research to validate the message position before going live." |
Outcome: You have turned "we need comms support" into a structured launch communications hypothesis with stakeholder priorities, message positioning, and clear exclusions. Client sees strategic thinking, not order-taking.
Critical: Be transparent about what is validated vs hypothesised. Comms Readiness Check will flag "Evidence Base" as red. That is honest. Tell client: "This is our hypothesis. Here is what we need to research to validate it."
Scenario 3: Stakeholder Content by End of Day
Situation: It is 2pm. Client needs 3 content concept options for an investor communications campaign by 5pm.
Total time: 45 minutes
| Time | Task | Tool | Key Actions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2:00-2:10 | Landscape check | The Channel | Use "Check Recent Social Ads" feature. Enter 2-3 peer organisations. Review what they are running. Note themes and formats to differentiate from. |
| 2:10-2:20 | Brief setup | The Channel | Enter organisation name, narrative territory (use existing communications framework), communication objective. Add constraints in "Additional Context": tone, regulatory requirements, spokesperson availability. |
| 2:20-2:25 | Format selection | The Channel | Choose format based on stakeholder and channel. LinkedIn article for investors. Short-form video for broader stakeholders. Multi-platform if targeting across channels. |
| 2:25-2:30 | Creative direction | The Channel | Set sliders based on organisation tone. Add executional considerations: "Must avoid sector clichés", "Target is institutional investors not retail". |
| 2:30-2:35 | Generate concepts | The Channel | Click SPARK button. Review 3 concepts. If first batch is good, proceed. If off-brand, adjust sliders and Regenerate All. |
| 2:35-2:45 | Export & refine | The Channel + PPTX | Export to PowerPoint. Add client branding. Quick polish on copy. Save. |
2:45pm: Email client: "Three content concept directions attached. Happy to generate variations on your preferred direction."
Speed secret: The first 3 concepts are usually 80% there. Do not overthink. Export, refine in PowerPoint, send. If client wants changes, use Vary This for quick iterations.
Scenario 4: Corporate Reputation Rebuild
Situation: Post-scandal or post-merger. The organisation needs a long-term communications strategy, not a crisis response. Multiple stakeholder groups with conflicting needs. Board wants a plan within a week.
Total time: 60-90 minutes for strategic framework, then refinement
| Time | Task | Tool | Key Actions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0:00-0:10 | Diagnose the real challenge | Notes | What actually happened? What do stakeholders believe? What is the gap between internal narrative and external perception? Write down the uncomfortable truth the organisation has not acknowledged. |
| 0:10-0:30 | Run full Story | The Story | Upload all available context: media coverage, stakeholder feedback, internal communications, board briefing. The key question: is this a credibility problem, a relevance problem, or a legitimacy problem? Define the sector convention for post-crisis messaging. |
| 0:30-0:50 | Map conflicting stakeholders | The Audience | This is where reputation rebuilds get complex. Employees need reassurance. Investors need a recovery timeline. Media want accountability. Regulators want compliance evidence. You cannot give all groups what they want simultaneously. Define the priority and the tension. |
| 0:50-1:10 | Message architecture with exclusions | The Message + Plan | Position the long-term narrative. Critical exclusions: what is the organisation explicitly NOT going to claim? "We are not claiming the problem is behind us. We are not claiming quick recovery." Lock the direction. |
| 1:10-1:30 | Narrative framework | The Frame | Generate territories. For reputation rebuild: the Sweet Spot on the perception map is usually low Stretch, high Believability. Show the board options across the spectrum with clear trade-offs. |
Outcome: You have a structured communications framework with honest trade-offs visible on the Territory Perception Map. The board can see why "bold recovery narrative" is high-risk and why "patient, evidence-led rebuild" is defensible.
Key move: Reputation rebuilds fail when they promise too much too soon. The Comms Readiness Check will flag "Deliverability" as a risk if the strategy depends on operational changes that have not happened yet. That is the most useful output: it tells the board what must change before communications can work.
Scenario 5: Junior Comms Professional, First Solo Strategy
Situation: You are early in your PR or comms career. Senior strategist is busy. You are developing this communications strategy solo. Nervous.
Total time: 3-4 hours (first time), 90 min (after practice)
Preparation Phase (Before Brief Arrives)
- Watch all video walkthroughs (90 min total)
- Read Philosophy & Approach and Best Practices
- Study 3 case studies: Patagonia, Shell, Uber
- Run a practice project with a familiar organisation (pick one from the case studies) to learn the interface
Execution Phase (When Brief Arrives)
| Time | Task | Tool | Key Actions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hour 1 | Deep brief read | The Story | Read brief 3 times. Highlight what feels like symptom vs cause. Upload brief + any research. Let AI suggest reframes. Choose one that identifies the real communications challenge. Write sector messaging convention based on how the sector actually communicates. |
| Hour 2 | Stakeholder definition | The Audience | Generate stakeholder groups. Do not accept job titles as segments. "Media" is not a stakeholder group. Find the human tension. Example: not "journalists" but "Specialist reporters who have covered this sector for years and are sceptical of corporate claims." Customise if you know the client's stakeholders better than the AI does. |
| Hour 3 | Message positioning with exclusions | The Message | Map how peer organisations communicate. Find the narrative white space. Write message position. CRITICAL: make exclusions meaningful. Not "We are not going to be boring" but "We are not claiming the problem is solved. We are not targeting all stakeholders equally. We are not leading with corporate platitudes." |
| Hour 4 | Framework generation | The Plan + Frame | Synthesise the communications brief in The Plan. Move to The Frame. Generate narrative territories. Review Comms Readiness score. If 71%, that is fine. Fix the red flags. Do not aim for perfection. Aim for honest strategic assessment. |
Review Phase (Critical for Junior Professionals)
- Export everything to PPTX/DOCX
- Read through your Golden Thread: Challenge → Tension → Message → Direction → Framework
- Does each step logically follow from the last? If not, edit.
- Show senior strategist BEFORE client meeting (even just 15 minutes of review helps)
- Rehearse the narrative out loud (you will catch gaps in logic and awkward phrasing)
Confidence builder: You have used the same strategic discipline that senior comms strategists use. The tools forced you to diagnose the real challenge, map stakeholders by behaviour, commit to exclusions, and build a coherent framework. Your thinking is scaffolded, not automated. You did the strategic work.
Common Time Traps (And How to Avoid Them)
| Time Trap | Why It Happens | How to Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Spending 30+ min on Story problem reframe | Overthinking the perfect wording | AI gives 80% draft. Edit to 90% and move on. You can refine later. |
| Generating 10+ territories in The Frame | Wanting more options | 4-6 territories is enough. Too many options paralyse decision-making. Choose and commit. |
| Regenerating concepts 5+ times in The Channel | First batch did not feel perfect | First 3 concepts are usually 80% there. Export, refine in PowerPoint. Faster than endless regeneration. |
| Editing every AI suggestion to perfection in-tool | Perfectionism | Export early. Polish in Word/PowerPoint where you have more control and can add agency branding. |
| Reading all case studies before starting | Avoiding the actual work | Case studies are for learning, not procrastination. Read 1-2 max, then start your project. |
Quick Reference: Time Estimates
| Task | Tool(s) | First Time | After Practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full cascade | All 5 core tools | 3-4 hours | 90-120 min |
| Channel concepts only | The Channel | 45 min | 15-30 min |
| Competitive analysis | The Landscape | 30 min | 20 min |
| Project costing | The Estimator | 25 min | 15 min |
| Positioning alternatives | Message + Frame | 90 min | 60 min |
| Strategic platform only | The Frame | 45 min | 30 min |
For more detailed workflows, see Best Practices. For troubleshooting, see Common Issues.