From worrying about each other to believing in each other
Drinking water
It seems so obvious
Drinking water. You turn on the tap and it flows. Clean, safe, always available. For most people in the Netherlands, that feels like a fact of life.
But for Vitens, the largest drinking water company in the Netherlands, it is a daily responsibility that is getting tougher. Climate change is putting pressure on the availability of drinking water. The urgency is growing. And yet: how do you tell a story about something people take for granted?
Vitens was looking for a positioning that is right for this day and age. A story that internally gives direction to 1,900 employees, and externally involves people in the value of something they use every day consciously or unconsciously.
Urgency and desire
Together with a diverse team from within the organization, we went outside. Not to analyze, but to experience. What is going on with people? What do they need? What makes drinking water more than a product, and Vitens more than a utility?
From those insights, we continued to build on Vitens' story. A positioning that connects urgency and desire. One that touches, motivates and involves people. In a positive way. An inviting story about what is possible together.
The result: a clear positioning model that guides communications, expressions and culture, from the inside out.
Formulate role sharply
“Drinking water is so taken for granted that people hardly ever think about it. Fresh Forward helped us translate that sense of urgency into a positive direction that truly engages our colleagues and customers.” Marieke Stenfert – Reputation Manager, Vitens
Insight that set everything in motion
Urgency alone does not move people. Desire does.
The tipping point in this process was the linking of two forces: the urgency around drinking water and the shared desire to take care of it together. Not as a task, but as meaning. Drinking water is a fundamental source of life. For hygiene, health and connection. Activating that awareness makes all the difference.
Ready to bring your story into focus?
Every organization has a story that deserves to be told. We help you find it, sharpen it and put it in motion. Contact me to find out what we can do for your organization.
Contact me.
Claire
