This document outlines a strategic visual storytelling approach for Harvard Medical School (HMS). It discusses establishing a visual identity through core elements like mission, attributes, and imagery. Maintaining authenticity, relevance, and emotion in visuals is key. Consistency is achieved through similar styles and filters. Applying these principles resulted in significant growth for HMS's social media presence.

1. STRATEGIC VISUAL STORYTELLING
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MORE THAN JUST A PRETTY PICTURE:
Jay Shemenski, Digital Manager @HarvardMed | @jshemenski
jason_shemenski@hms.harvard.edu

2. IMAGES ARE THE
NEW HEADLINES
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3. THE HMS CASE STUDY
• An elite and inaccessible institution
• Small and mostly indoor campus
• Content not consumer friendly or consumer
focused
• A small team with time and bandwidth
constraints
• No established visual identity
THE CHALLENGES
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4. GOAL
• Create a compelling visual identity that aligns with the HMS brand to build a deeper
connection with current and new audiences.
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5. 5 KEYS TO A VISUAL STRATEGY
IDENTITY AUTHENTICITY
RELEVANCY EMOTION
1
CONSISTENCY
2
3 4
5
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6. ESTABLISHING
IDENTITY
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7. CORE
ELEMENTS
Mission & Value
Attributes
Narrative
Images
Copy
Voice
Design
Look & Feel
ESTABLISHING YOUR VISUAL
IDENTITY AND STORY
APPLICATION
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8. IDENTIFYING VALUE
WHO ARE YOU?
1 2 3
WHAT MAKES
YOU, YOU?
WHAT MAKES
YOU STAND OUT?
A one sentence summary that
establishes who you are and
your value.
What are the key elements
that create your value.
What differentiates you from
competitors in your market.
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9. THE HMS VALUES
WHO IS HMS?
1 2 3
WHAT MAKES
HMS, HMS?
WHAT MAKES
HMS STAND OUT?
The leading institution for
biomedical research and medical
education in the world.
The faculty, staff, students,
alumni — the HMS
community.
History, recognition, reputation, and
prestige.
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10. INSPIRATIONAL
We provide a goal, share
success stories, embody
an aspirational ideal, and
look to empower our
audience.
INFLUENTIAL
We provide thought
leadership and
discoveries that can’t
be found anywhere
else.
ESTABLISHING THE HMS ATTRIBUTES
SERIOUS
We maintain a
demeanor to match
our reputation.
AUTHENTIC
ACCESSIBLE
We share our
community and allow
people to see what
life is like at HMS.
We’re true to our
brand identity,
qualities, and self.
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11. VALUE + ATTRIBUTES
= NARRATIVE
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12. HOW TO KEEP IMAGES ON BRAND
• What does an image say and what is the story it tells?
• Do the answers fit within your value and attributes?
QUESTIONS TO ASK
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13. MAINTAINING
AUTHENTICITY
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14. MAINTAINING AUTHENTICITY
Your value and attributes are a
filter to run all of your selected
images through to maintain
authenticity.
STAY TRUE TO YOUR
IDENTITY AND STORY
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15. MAINTAINING AUTHENTICITY
Using UGC as long as it fits within brand
parameters is a good way of establishing
authenticity.
USER GENERATED CONTENT (UGC)
EMBRACING IMPERFECTIONS
Imperfections in photographs make images
more relatable.
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16. CREATING
RELEVANCY
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17. WHAT DOES THE AUDIENCE WANT TO SEE?
1. The ideal selves they would like
to become
2. The selves that they could
become
3. The selves they are afraid of
becoming
Adapted from “Possible Selves” by
Hazel Markus and Paula
Nurius
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18. CREATING RELEVANCY
Aim to align your visual identity
with how people see themselves
or want to see themselves —
consciously or subconsciously —
while staying true to your
attributes.
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19. CREATING RELEVANCY
• People use your brand to
identify and say something
about themselves.
• Help people reach an ideal or
better themselves, if possible.
YOU AREN’T THE HERO OF
THE STORY
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20. AN EXAMPLE FROM HMS
1,084 likes and 94 comments
RESULTS
AUDIENCE KEYS
• Inspirational
• Accessible
• Authentic
ATTRIBUTES
The image is the
embodiment of what our
audience is looking to
achieve.
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21. EVOKING EMOTION
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22. EVOKING EMOTION
• Use images that viewers can identify with and that tap into universal human
experiences.
• Utilize a variety of brand attributes and emotions.
• Images that evoke an emotion without showing it explicitly create a deeper
connection.
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23. EVOKING EMOTION
Which of these
performed the best?
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24. EVOKING EMOTION
Which of these
performed the best?
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25. BUILDING
CONSISTENCY
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26. BUILDING CONSISTENCY
The coffee table book approach
• A person should be able to understand your
brand’s values, identity, and story without words.
• Images should have a similar look and feel.
Mastering filters, editing, and colors creates an
identifiable style.
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27. FINAL CHECKLIST
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28. FINAL CHECKLIST WHEN SELECTING IMAGES
• Does the image fulfill the brand identity and story?
• Does the image embody the brand attributes?
• Is the image authentic?
• Does the image mean something to, connect with, or help the audience?
• Does the image evoke emotion?
• Does the image fit the brand style?
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29. ADDITIONAL TAKEAWAY
TEST, REFINE, TEST
See what is creating the most engagement and try new things. This process will
help inform your strategy — and may even cause you to rethink your brand or
audience.
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30. HMS RESULTS
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31. RESULTS
• 100% growth in followers over 4 months, on pace for 400% growth over 8
months
• 1,442% growth in engagements over 4 months, on pace for 845% growth
over 8 months
• Largest medical school Instagram profile
• >5% engagement rate per post
• ‘Photo of the Week’ posts are among the highest viewed on other channels
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32. THANKS!
Jay Shemenski, Digital Manager @HarvardMed | @jshemenski |
jason_shemenski@hms.harvard.edu
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