BRAND • MESSAGING • CREATIVE STRATEGY CONSULTING
Your brand’s story is everything.
If you need help telling yours, you’ve come to the right person.
I’m Tom Megginson, an Ottawa-based Creative Director with more than 25 years of ad agency experience.
I have developed dozens of strategies and campaigns for private, public, and not-for-profit clients, including professional associations. If you live in Canada, you’ve probably seen my work on TV, online, or on the streets. If you’re outside of Canada, you may have seen it on Ads Of The World.
I can help you tell your story consistently and effectively through digital, social, advertising, and other channels.
Contact me to talk about your communication needs, or just to connect! There’s no obligation, and I promise I won’t put you into a sales funnel.
Brand Strategy
BRAND Story • Brand Voice • BRAND STANDARDS • Naming
Brands are like people. They have friends, allies, enemies, and reputations that are in the hands of all three.
Your brand has a good story to tell. Are the right people hearing it, and is it effective?
Brand Storytelling may seem like a fad. It’s not. A brand’s story is how it relates to individuals on a human level, telling them what it is about and how it can improve their lives.
Whether consumers, members, clients, or even dependents, the people in your brand’s audience want to hear a story that is relevant, concise, and can make their lives better.
In my agency life, I’ve developed brand strategies for governments, not-for-profits, utilities, museums, technology startups, professional associations, commercial businesses, and more.
Tell me about your brand. I’ll tell you how I can help.
Messaging Strategy
Content Strategy • copywriting • Copy editing
GHOST WRITING • PROPOSALS • REPORTS
I’ve been a professional copywriter for 30 years, and before that was always a writer.
Here’s what I’ve learned: Creative writing and strategic messaging are not the same thing. When I write for a brand or on behalf of another person, I don’t approach it the way you would write a poem or an essay. It is a discipline that requires experience, insight, and skill.
My messaging strategies, and copy, connect your brand with audiences with an understanding of what both sides want out of the engagement.
Storytelling is interactive. To create strategic messaging that will win and keep your audience’s attention — and motivate them to take action — you need to see each interaction from both sides.
Working with agencies, I have developed detailed messaging strategies, along with customized content and copy, for national and regional clients in healthcare, public safety, automotive, professional services, technology, government and more.
I’d love to tell you how I’ve created similar messaging strategies and plans for others.
Creative Strategy
Direction • Briefs • Concepts • Collaboration • Campaigns
I’ve been a Creative Director for more than 20 years, both in ad agencies and on my own.
With my Copywriting background, I provide strategic Creative Direction and leadership to teams on agency and client sides. I can also create virtual agency teams for your campaigns, providing the brief, the leadership, and the quality assurance you’re looking for while working with other freelancers or in-house resources.
I can provide you with a creative strategy, creative briefs, concepts, execution, and feedback. If you need a full team, I can assemble and lead a team of experienced freelance professionals.
Work
Recent Projects
California Mental Health Services Authority (CalMHSA):
Take Action For Mental Health
I worked closely with Civilian (San Diego, California) to develop creative and messaging strategy, content and copy for a statewide mental health initiative. Included branding, digital advertising, and organic social.
takeaction4mh.com [external link]
Advanced Symbolics Inc. (ASI):
Brand Story and Website
I worked closely with the CEO of Advanced Symbolics, Inc. (ASI) to completely rewrite their brand story, based on repeated interviews and research, and apply it to a new website. I also sourced design and development services.
advancedsymbolics.com [external link]
QAARA Management Consulting:
International Nutrition Campaign
I worked with QAARA Management Consulting services (Kabul, Afghanistan) and Weinreich Communications (Jerusalem) to provide creative strategy, concepts, creative direction, and writing in English (for translation into local languages) for a government funded nutrition campaign.
Nosh-e-Jaan [Facebook video link]
Acart Communications:
Creative Director
From 2002-2020, I was a Creative Director (ACD until 2004) at Acart Communications, an Ottawa-based advertising agency. While there, I was lead creative and copywriter on dozens of national and regional campaigns for private, public, and not-for-profit clients.
Agency Portfolio [External link]
FULL-SERVICE Advertising
Advertising concepts and execution (all media), through a project-by-project coalition with my network of Designers, Art Directors, Digital Marketers, Producers, Photographers/Videographers, Illustrators, and more.
I’ll organize the team, brief them, and provide Creative Direction and Copy.
Freelance Agency Creative Director
I can be your agency’s Rōnin-style Creative Director. (Or in more western terms, your hired gun.) I can join you for strategy, ideation, pitches, and campaigns as-needed.
I have opinions, but I’m truly collaborative. I enjoy working with multidisciplinary teams in creative, strategy, media, and client services.
VIRTUAL IN-HOUSE COMMUNIcations
If you’re a smaller association or not-for-profit, or a start-up, I can provide you with the strategic guidance and high-quality content that would usually require a full-time senior salary.
The difference is, I can often deliver the same amount of work on a part-time contract or retainer.
Mentorship and training
I have trained three generations of Copywriters, as well as provided workshops on brand messaging for several corporate, government, and not-for-profit clients.
If you’re interested in one-on-one mentorship, or a customized live workshop, contact me to learn more.
General Writing and Social content
General writing and copyediting, from speeches and presentations to annual reports, case studies, press releases, and web and social content.
If it requires words, I can provide the right ones.
Ghostwriting and doctoring
I’ve ghostwritten articles and books for marketers, been a reader for other people’s publications, and even doctored independent movie scripts.
English adaptation/localization of French-language campaigns in “Rest of Canada.”
If it has to do with words or creativity, I can help!
My Story
I’m a Creative Director with a background in Copywriting.
I’ve written the strategies, developed concepts and copy, and overseen the production of many national advertising campaigns for clients in public, private, and not-for-profit sectors.
Visit my LinkedIn profile to see an overview of my experience, portfolio, and case studies.
You may also enjoy these articles I have written:
“Storytelling” isn’t a new thing. (It’s everything.)
The most powerful advertising tool you always had: Empathy
The Naming Game, Part 1: Are There Any Good Ones Left?
The Naming Game, Part 2: A Look Inside the Copywriter’s Bag of Tricks
How to communicate better in the Tower of (industry) Babel
I’ve been writing professionally since 1990, when I was still at Queen’s University. I started with local advertorials and entertainment journalism, did some international work from Italy, and began my agency life in Ottawa in 1995.
Over the past 25 years, I’ve worked at Acart Communications (my longest stint) as well as at Acme Advertising and The Bytown Group. I also developed a following as a social marketing blogger and subject matter expert.
I founded That’s a good story! as my professional consulting brand. Why the name? Because I’m a storyteller who, as an advertising creative and strategist, has always looked for the good in every client, product, and service I’ve worked with. By “good,” I mean how does this brand improve people’s lives? How does it increase their happiness, make things easier for them, or help provide them with a sense of confidence and self respect?
Let’s keep this conversation going. Drop me a line.
Design: Scott McMann