Three Dog Night famously taught us that “one is the loneliest number.” But in an over-saturated, over-stimulated, over-complicated world, there’s something rather alluring—and tremendously powerful—about the simplicity of “one.” Particularly in the world of marketing, distilling something that’s inherently complex and multi-faceted into a singular, iconic image can help you gain mindshare among your target audiences.

So here’s an exercise to try with your team:

• If you were meeting with a prospective student (or member, or donor or parent) and could tell only one story about your organization or institution—a story that in some way illustrates your mission, character, values and/or personality—what story would it be, and why?

• Likewise, if you had to select one photograph—and one photograph only—that captures the fundamental spirit of your organization or institution, what photo would it be, and why?

• And lastly, if you had to select one person—perhaps an outstanding alum, a beloved faculty member or an exemplary student—to represent something essential about your organization or institution, who would it be, and why? 

To help facilitate conversation, we’ve created a worksheet version of this exercise, downloadable here, which you can print out and distribute among your team members.

When you’re done, be sure to let us know what you came up with. The one poster with the most captivating submission wins $100.00.