Studio Ess
Become the obvious choice.
Positioning & brand strategy for nonprofits and philanthropies.
Too many excellent organizations think good work simply speaks for itself. It doesn’t. No matter how impactful your work, to a funder or partner, you are still one of many: similar organizations pursuing overlapping goals, swimming in a swamp of sameness.
Your audiences need a reason to choose you.
Let’s give them one.
What is positioning?
Positioning tells them why you.
Positioning helps you articulate what makes you unique and indispensable. It’s a powerful tool for nonprofits and philanthropies
to communicate your distinct value and confidently answer why a funder, supporter, collaborator, or talented hire should choose you.
When your distinctness becomes clear, the value of your work becomes apparent. You are no longer vague and interchangeable.
You are sharp, with distinct qualities and strengths. You are no longer just generally respected, you are specifically valued.
Common misconceptions
I get it. Positioning comes with a lot of baggage. Unlike mission, vision, or theories of change (if you’re into that kind of thing), positioning feels like a squarely commercial thing, for companies chasing profit. But don’t let these misguided assumptions fool you.
Positioning is a vanity exercise.
Positioning helps you understand the world around you, your audiences and what they care about, who else is influencing and moving the issues you care about. It offers a macro perspective on your work and is the ultimate act of de-centering.
Positioning is competitive, not collaborative.
When you get clear about where your own strengths start and end, where you offer the most value, you make it easier for like-minded organizations to figure out their own lanes and collaborate with you in non-competitive, non-redundant, and effective ways.
Positioning is not aligned with nonprofit values.
Positioning is simply clarity of purpose. What does this work actually require from all the people involved and how can you show up to actually move your mission forward.
SERVICES
From one of many,
to a position you can own.
Whether you're finding your footing, facing a critical decision, or leading your organization through big change, Studio Ess offers three distinct levels of strategic support to help you uncover your positioning and communicate it to the people who matter to you.
START SMALL
For small, growing organiza-tions who need
a sharp, minimum viable positioning and messaging platform fast.
Clarify
2-4 weeks
GO DEEPER
For orgs preparing for a pivotal moment (fundraising, strategic plan, next-level visibility), this helps you sharpen what you have and close the gaps so that you can maximize the moment and show up with confidence.
Strengthen
8-12 weeks
LEAD BIG CHANGE
For organizations navigating big change (in strategy, leadership, or scale), who want a trusted partner through it. This flagship engagement blends custom workshops, stakeholder insight, and change management strategy to help your positioning and brand strategy take root internally and drive sustainable, long-term change.
Leap
6-12 months
Ready to become the obvious choice?
Ess Press: Latest Insights
Ess Press: Latest Insights
The Power of a Big Idea: Your Narrative IP
Nonprofits spend too much time overcommunicating and underinspiring. In order to right this balance, they need to develop narrative IP: an ownable, repeatable story that sits at the heart of your brand and can drive everything from your strategy to your storytelling.
Read more.
Clarity of Purpose: A Compass in a Storm
When the world gets noisy, clarity of purpose is your compass. Your purpose is not just a branding exercise, its a strategic anchor that helps leaders make decisions, stay grounded, and lead with conviction through uncertainty.
Brand Storytelling In An Era of New Power
In a world where power is shifting from old players to new ones, how we tell stories matters more than ever. What does it means to build a brand in the era of new power? Why does your storytelling strategy need to evolve to meet the moment?
Bold
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Clarifying
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Consequential
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Bold · Clarifying · Consequential ·
ABOUT ME
Leading brand strategist for nonprofits & philanthropies
Hi, I’m Sruthi and I’m the “ess” in Studio Ess.
For over 9 years, I built and led the strategy practice from the ground-up at a social impact branding studio called Hyperakt. In my time there, I led rebrands for iconic organizations like Ford Foundation, Vera Institute of Justice, NYCLU, DonorsChoose, and more.
I’ve worked alongside teams big and small, one-on-one with communications directors, and side-by-side with executive leaders.
I’m a mother to three mischievous and beautiful daughters, co-surfer of life’s ups and downs with my husband, proud and messy homecook, and urban bike evangelist.
Brands I’ve partnered with
In my former role as Senior Director of Strategy at Hyperakt, I had the privilege of working with incredible nonprofit organizations, helping many of them navigate the complex and high-stakes process of finding and claiming their place in the world.
Ad Council
Amnesty International USA
Center for Urban Pedagogy
Civilla
DonorsChoose
Ford Foundation
Girls Who Code
Google
Hoover Institution
NewSchools Venture Fund
NYC Department of Health
NYCLU
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Skoll Foundation
Supermajority
Vera Institute of Justice
West Wing Writers
Don’t take my word for it. See what others have said.Danielle Toussaint, Chief Communications Officer
“Sruthi is the mastermind to help any organization grow their impact in ways that are resonant and relevant.”
Scott Hechinger, Founder & Executive Director
“By the first call, she had already wrapped her head around the concept we had been working on for nearly a year and understood it in a way that was profound. She is calm, good humored, confident, and authoritative.”
Let’s work together.
Whether you’re ready to start your positioning journey or unsure if it’s even right for you, let’s chat.