Strategy Behind the Story
Behind every finished piece of communication is a set of decisions — about audience, structure, credibility, and purpose.
The case studies below trace how selected projects moved from context and research to narrative architecture, stakeholder collaboration, and final execution.
They represent three core areas of my communications practice:
• Institutional communications
• Community and civic storytelling
• Cultural and creative writing
Together they demonstrate how strategy and narrative work together to build clarity, trust, and meaningful engagement.
Institutional Communications Case Studies
Strategic communications for universities and public-serving institutions requires translating complex programs, partnerships, and research into clear narratives for diverse audiences.
These case studies highlight work across higher education marketing, healthcare communications, recruitment storytelling, and institutional messaging.
Case Studies
UC San Diego Health — Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Landing Page
Capability: UX Writing and Clinical Information Architecture
Designing a web experience that clarifies residency training pathways while serving applicants, faculty, and referring clinicians.
UC San Diego Health — Executive & Department Communications
Capability: Leadership Messaging and Institutional Voice
Developing executive communications that align departmental priorities with academic medical center strategy.
UC San Diego Health — Donor Advancement Copy
Capability: Philanthropic Storytelling and Research Translation
Communicating clinical impact and research priorities to donor audiences.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University — Student & Parent Enrollment Guide
Capability: Admissions Information Architecture
Structuring a comprehensive guide to help prospective students and families navigate the admissions process.
Embry-Riddle — Engineering Careers & Salaries After Graduation (SEO Article)
Capability: Data-Driven Recruitment Storytelling
Combining labor market research with alumni narratives to clarify engineering career pathways.
Embry-Riddle — Digital Storytelling Feature
Capability: Human-Centered STEM Narrative
Profile storytelling that humanizes high-achievement students while highlighting institutional research impact.
Embry-Riddle — National Gay Pilots Association Paid Advertisement
Capability: Strategic Messaging for Values-Aligned Audiences
Designing a concise campaign that communicates institutional excellence without relying on performative diversity messaging.
Embry-Riddle — ROTC Recruitment Brochure
Capability: Information Architecture for Multi-Branch Military Partnerships
Developing a 16-page recruitment resource across Air Force, Army, and Naval ROTC programs.
Embry-Riddle — Charter School Partnership Outreach Campaign
Capability: Institutional Relationship Strategy
Positioning the university as an academic partner for high-performing charter school networks.
Community Journalism & Civic Storytelling
Community reporting requires curiosity, ethical listening, and narrative framing that respects lived experience while illuminating broader social systems.
These projects focus on local journalism, community storytelling, and audience engagement strategies.
Case Studies
Mission-Driven Reporting — Underrepresented Community Voices
Capability: Inclusive Community Storytelling
Humanizing stories that explore addiction recovery, body-positivity movements, and grassroots arts spaces.
Farm-to-Table Journalism Series
Capability: Systems Reporting Across Diverse Stakeholders
An 11-part reporting series exploring regional food systems through chefs, farmers, activists, and community organizers.
SoldFast Social Media Strategy
Capability: Audience Segmentation and Platform Messaging
Developing differentiated messaging for multiple real-estate companies operating within a competitive niche market.
Cultural & Creative Communications
These projects explore how narrative structure can interpret art, sound, and cultural ideas through essays, criticism, and creative nonfiction.
The work reflects a humanities-driven approach to storytelling that blends analysis, narrative voice, and experimental form.
Case Studies
Cultural Criticism — Scholarly Articles
Capability: Analytical Cultural Interpretation
Long-form criticism examining contemporary art and sound culture, including essays on Lorem and Melting Landscapes.
Narrative Nonfiction — Creative Cultural Essays
Capability: Experimental Essay Architecture
Hybrid essays exploring music, literature, and artistic philosophy, including features on Lorem, Ursula K. Le Guin, and other artists.
Caramuru Album Liner Notes
Capability: Creative Narrative Translation
Writing that interprets musical composition and artistic intent through narrative form.
Platform Strategy
This website itself is a communications project.
In addition to client and publication work, I designed and structured this platform to demonstrate how narrative strategy, information architecture, and personal branding intersect in a professional portfolio environment.
Case Studies
Designing the “What’s Your Story?” Website
Building a narrative-driven portfolio platform that integrates journalism, institutional communications, and cultural writing.
Resume Architecture & Narrative Indexing
Designing a structured resume system and content index that helps hiring managers navigate complex professional experience quickly.
Todd B. Gruel 