David Williams


frank



A gathering for social change comunicators



CALLING ALL DO-GOODERS



In it's simplest form, frank is the heart and soul behind social change communications. It's a meeting place for people from across the world — people dedicated to connecting and growing the field of public interest communications.


I was part of the team that helped make frank a reality in 2013, working not only to establish the frank brand but also to promote and host the first ever frank gathering. Interested in what it was all about? The video below offers a short, yet sweet summary of the event and the future of frank.



MAking a name for ourselves



My involvement with frank began when I joined the team as lead copywriter. Working alongside the core project team and under the direction of our creative director, I was in charge of establishing and refining frank's brand messaging. And because the brand didn't yet exist, that meant building a voice and personality from the ground up.


It became clear through interviews and research that the messaging had two main requirements:

  1. It had to come across as approachable, yet informed — especially because it would speak to a number of inherently divisive topics.
  2. It needed to harken back to the man whose namesake gave rise to social change communications: Frank Karel.

The messaging you see on the site today remains true to the messaging I developed three years ago.



Along with establishing the frank brand, I also helped launch the entire conference. That meant planning out every aspect of the gathering, from guiding the creative direction of the frank website to planning a conference that would actually make a difference in the lives of everyone who attended it. And with that, it meant finding a way to fill 256 seats at our first-ever gathering.


The plan involved sending "frank boxes" to key influencers in the industry. These boxes contained a primary invite with an additional 25 invitations that they could then hand out personally. The catch: these people would become a part of their "team" throughout the gathering. Each of the 25 invites had a unique role and description, along with a bag of hand-selected candy to fit the personality of the role.


All in all, the gathering saw attendance from more than 250 people and launched an annual tradition that turned Gainesville into what social change communicators now call "Changeville." Call it cheesy if you will, but it's a title well earned.


David Williams


Atlanta, GA