Branding and Writing for Places

A BRAND IS A BREATHING THING, VIBRATING WITH PERSONALITY AND ENERGY. LIKE A HUMAN, IT’S LAYERED WITH STORIES. AN EXPERIENCE FOR STARVING SENSES AND A VEHICLE FOR CONNECTION. A REFLECTION OF WHO ITS AUDIENCES WANT TO BE OR MAYBE ALREADY ARE. A BRAND IS A WORLD. A JOURNEY TO EMBARK ON.

THE BEST OF THESE BRAND WORLDS CONJURE FEELINGS THAT INSPIRE DEEPER EXPLORATION — A PURCHASE, A BOOKING, A SUBSCRIBE. THEY’RE FRECKLED WITH WONDER AND JOY — EMOTIVE LANGUAGE, UNEXPECTED MOMENTS, MEMORABLE NARRATIVES. THEY ATTRACT.

THESE WORLDS DON’T SIMPLY APPEAR. THEY’RE SHAPED FROM STRATEGY, AND CONTINUALLY BUILT UPON WITH STORIES.

invite them in to explore and feel

CULTIVATE LOYALTY AND INSPIRE SALES WITH BOLD, CREATIVE STRATEGY AND EMOTIVE STORYTELLING.

Hi. I’m Sandra O’Connell, aka Studio Telltale. I’m a story strategist and brand writer with a 20-year career in marketing and storytelling.

I help brands…

define a memorable position within their markets
structure compelling worlds for audiences to wander through
remodel worlds that have stopped growing — with fresh, strategic thinking
identify stories and bring them to life in ways that resonate
create a strategic brand foundation to guide visual creative teams
speak directly to audiences, turning them into a community of fans
feel heard through cohesive messaging and language
arouse big, beautiful emotions — because people are drawn to things that feel good*

world building

STRATEGY

Brand Strategy

Naming

Verbal Identity

Voice Guide

Messaging Framework

Content Strategy

Editorial Direction

Brand Audit

WRITING

Copywriting:

Websites

Landing Pages

Product Descriptions

Packaging

Email Marketing

Content Writing:

Newsletters

Brand Magazines

Short Film Scripts

Other Wordy Things

the “studio”

I’m not a studio in the traditional agency sense — a bunch of creatives buzzing in a brick-walled, downtown loft. It’s just me here. And my imagination.

My studio is more akin to a whimsical shed at the edge of an overgrown garden (think: wildflowers and long grasses), or a book-lined nook tucked away in a brownstone that, if you crane your neck up, you can see through a window from the sidewalk of a West Village street.

*P.S.

“65% of people would like brands to wow them with spectacular advertising and marketing, and 61% want brands to help them feel intense emotions. In fact, almost twice as many people say they are likely to buy from brands that bring them a sense of joy (49%), or those that surprise and delight them (45%), than from brands that just do what they say they will (26%). Yet few brands are tapping into this desire: 70% of people say they can’t remember the last time a brand did anything that excited them.”
— The Age of Re-enchantment, Wunderman Thompson Intelligence, 2023

world building

STRATEGY

WRITING

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