Narrative
& Positioning
We define where your organisation can win and what it should be known for. Turning complex capability into a clear story that leaders, partners and funders can actually get behind.
Most organisations do more than they’re known for.
The challenge is making what they do matter – to their teams and to the outside world.
They do a lot, often very well, but ask ten people what they’re known for, and you’ll get ten different answers. And that’s where things start to drift.
Because if it’s not clear, it doesn’t matter, at least not to the people you need.
Positioning is about making a choice. Narrative is how that choice becomes understood, remembered, and repeated.
“Firehaus took a research-led approach and brought all our stakeholders with them, on a path to brand differentiation. BNU is different, and thanks to our collaboration with Firehaus, we’ve been able to sharpen our focus on distinctiveness that makes a difference.”
Damien Page, Vice Chancellor, BNU
“For a sector that is mired in brands that look way too similar, the Firehaus work set us beautifully on our way to a more distinctive and relevant positioning.”
Will Arnold-Baker, Director of Brand, Communications and Marketing, BNU
How it works in practice
At Buckinghamshire New University, the issue wasn’t a lack of purpose. It was about making that purpose clear enough to matter consistently.
Starting with a shared language
We always begin here.
Because before you define a position, people need to agree on what one actually is.
At BNU, we brought together 20 stakeholders – the Navigators – for our What is a Position? workshop.
Moving past sector clichés, creating a shared way of thinking and making the rest of the process faster – and far more focused.
Mapping the real world
A position doesn’t exist on a slide. It lives in people’s heads, shaped by what they care about and who they compare you to.
So we mapped BNU’s position using research and our proprietary Distinctiveness vs Demand framework, looking at:
What people actually care about
Where BNU could genuinely stand out
What it could credibly deliver
Because not every good idea is worth building a position around. Only the ones that can truly matter.
Finding the language that sticks
This is where it either lands – or doesn’t.
The difference between a good position and a great one is the language people remember, believe and repeat.
We developed multiple narrative routes and tested them with staff and students – not to validate a pre-baked idea, but to shape something that felt true, motivating and usable.
Language that doesn’t just sound good, but makes the position matter in practice.
The outcome
We brought everything together through our Brand Haus model – connecting the position to the behaviours needed to make it real.
Not just a statement, a system.
The result was a position BNU could stand behind and one that could be understood, used and believed across the organisation and beyond.
Because when it’s clear, it starts to matter more.
“Firehaus have provided us with strong foundations on which to construct a new brand narrative.”
Louise Harvey, Chief Impact Officer, BNU
At a glance:
Clarify what you stand for
Align leadership around a shared position
Identify where you can genuinely stand out
Shape a clear, motivating narrative
Embed it so it’s used consistently