When PR People Gaze Inward

The Hatcher Group is fortunate to count many good writers and messengers among our staff. We regularly collaborate with our mission-driven clients to “dig deep” and develop organizational identity and messaging documents that include mission and values statements, elevator speeches, and more.

So it was an unusual challenge when we turned our gaze inward to develop our organization’s first-ever mission and vision statements. Just as we do with our clients, we applied a thoughtful process – research and discovery, brainstorming, multiple red-line drafts, and even a few virtual sticky notes (!) to develop our mission and vision.

Since they took the Hatcher reigns in 2019, Amy Buckley and Amy Fahnestock have hit the ground running. As they built on a nearly 20-year legacy, Amy and Amy brought in fresh ideas and new talent to meet the ever-evolving needs of our clients and respond to changes in the marketplace. Throughout this period of change and growth, Hatcher’s goal stood firm – provide excellent marketing and communications support on behalf of those working to improve the lives of others. While Hatcher has always been focused on driving social change, articulating a mission and vision solidifies our commitment to this work. They serve as the foundation upon which Hatcher will grow. They act as our true north as we make decisions and strategize. And they motivate and inspire us during challenging and uncertain times.

Our priority in development was that our mission and vision were anchored in our firm’s culture and identity. We launched a series of exercises to gather input from the entire firm, including focus groups that allowed our team to share thoughtfully about who Hatcher is and the world we are striving to build. We put together a smaller team who put on their creative hats and dove into drafting the statements. They turned to other leaders in the field as well as our own clients and their peers to draw inspiration from their mission and vision statements. They brainstormed, crafted, and refined our mission and vision, gathering feedback from the entire firm before we arrived at the final iteration. We think the statements capture the heart of who we are and remind us why our work is important. We are thrilled to share them with you today:

Our Mission

We educate and motivate people – through powerful marketing and communications – to build movements and create a better world.

Our Vision

Our vision is of a just and sustainable world, with healthy and thriving communities that leave no one behind. We see our clients moving mountains to make the world a better place, and we aim to be by their side.

Who We Are

We are hard-working and visionary strategists with big hearts who delight in the power of communications and good ideas. Our award-winning team includes persuasive storytellers, digital media mavens, savvy public relations pros, accomplished multimedia designers, creative visual artists, clever event planners, and compassionate policy advocates.

Our proud commitment to building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace not only drives our organizational culture, it’s the special sauce that allows us to deliver exceptional work.

Whether gazing inward, or helping our client in rebranding, updating messaging, or establishing new core value propositions, Hatcher is passionate about building the foundation that organizations will use to create a better world.

By Andrea Ruggirello, Senior Associate and Dawn Stoltzfus, Senior Vice President