At the grand opening of Ross Cathy’s Chick-fil-A in Columbus, Georgia, surrounded by fellow operators and supported by his father, Dan Cathy, and grandparents, Truett and Jeanette Cathy, the founders of Chick-fil-A. One of the greatest blessings of my career has been working with this remarkable family, a relationship I’m grateful to continue to this day.
One of the biggest misconceptions I see among creatives—photographers, videographers, writers, producers, and even agencies—is the difference between corporate communications and advertising/marketing. Both are vital, but they serve very different purposes inside a brand.
Advertising & Marketing: The External Voice
When they hear “brand communications,” most people immediately think of advertising and marketing. This is the external face of the company—campaigns, commercials, social media pushes, billboards, and ads designed to capture customers’ attention and drive sales. Their audience is the consumer.
Corporate Communications: The Internal Voice
On the other hand, corporate communications is about reaching the internal audience—the employees, operators, franchisees, and leadership who live and breathe the brand every day. It’s about building alignment, buy-in, and consistency across the organization so that everyone understands what the company is doing and why it’s doing it.
If your people don’t believe in the mission, it will be nearly impossible to communicate it authentically to customers.
My Example: The Daddy Daughter Date Night
In 2009, I worked on a project with Chick-fil-A when their intranet couldn’t even support video. Instead, I used SoundSlides (an audio slideshow tool) to tell the story of an Olathe, Kansas operator who hosted a Daddy Daughter Date Night for his customers. I didn’t just capture what he did—I showed why he did it. That story inspired other operators and employees to think about how they could connect more deeply with their communities. That’s the power of internal communications.
Here’s the original piece:
Another Example: Virtual Restaurant Tours
Another project involved creating 360-degree virtual tours of new restaurant designs. Instead of hundreds of operators trying to fly in and physically walk through a new build—which was disruptive and expensive—internal communications allowed us to share the experience digitally. This gave operators insights into best practices, design improvements, and what they could implement in their locations.
Why This Matters for Creatives
If you’re pitching yourself to a brand, remember: not all storytelling work is about selling directly to customers. Internal communications often need:
- Documentarians who can capture best practices and explain why they matter.
- Visual storytellers who can show employees and partners what “living the brand” looks like.
- Producers and writers who can translate company values into real-life stories.
- Creative agencies that understand that the audience is inside the brand, not outside.
Tips for Pitching Internal Communications Work
- Understand the Audience—Internal communications aren’t aimed at the public. Your work will help employees, franchisees, or stakeholders understand goals, culture, and best practices.
- Focus on the Why—Don’t just document events. Show the motivations, values, and outcomes behind them.
- Highlight Efficiency & Impact—Internal comms often saves time and resources. You add extra value if you can show how your work helps scale knowledge-sharing or reduce costs.
- Show Examples—Share how you’ve told stories that inspire action internally. My Daddy Daughter Date Night project worked not because it was flashy, but because it was meaningful.
- Position Yourself as a Bridge—A brand’s external message is only as strong as its internal alignment. Position your work as the glue that keeps people connected to the mission.
Final Thought
As creatives, it’s easy to chase the glamour of big advertising campaigns. But don’t overlook the power of corporate communications. If you can help a company win the hearts of its people, you’ll strengthen the foundation that makes all external marketing more authentic and effective.