Four ways to work together
One through-line: story
W. Clair Communications offers four core service areas — each built around our belief that authentic, strategic storytelling is the most powerful tool an organization has.
Engagements range from targeted project work to embedded fractional leadership. Every engagement is led personally by William “Skip” Hidlay.
Brand Strategy & Positioning
The problem:
Your brand exists. But does it mean anything? Most organizations have a logo, a tagline, and a set of values on a poster somewhere. What they don’t have is a clear and compelling story that employees believe, customers remember, and competitors can’t replicate.
What W. Clair does:
Skip builds brand strategy from the ground up — or finds the truth buried inside brands that have lost their way. That means master brand architecture, messaging frameworks that hold up under pressure, positioning that is differentiated because it is specific, and storytelling platforms that amplify every piece of content.
What you receive:
- Leadership consulting and guidance
- Master brand narrative and messaging framework
- Competitive brand positioning strategy
- Brand storytelling platforms and content architecture
- Multichannel campaign strategy (paid, earned, shared, and owned)
Content & Storytelling
The problem:
Your content calendar is full. Your content isn’t performing. The difference between content that builds a brand and content that fills a feed is the same as it has always been: stories that inspire, engage, and are remembered.
What W. Clair does:
Skip’s journalism experience means he approaches brand content the way a great reporter approaches a story — by asking what is true, what is interesting and why should anyone care? The result is fact-based storytelling that engages, inspires, and creates impact.
What you receive:
- Original reporting, writing, photography, and videography direction
- Brand journalism and thought leadership programs
- Executive communications and speech writing
- Patient, customer, and expertise story plans
- Annual reports, impact reports, and branded editorial
Organizational Design & Leadership
The problem:
The strategy is good. The team isn’t executing it. Maybe the structure is wrong. Maybe the talent is misaligned. Maybe the culture has quietly calcified into something that rewards the wrong things. Whatever the cause, the gap between your brand’s potential and its performance is a leadership problem — and it requires a leadership solution.
What W. Clair does:
Skip brings what he calls “human archeology” to organizational transformation — a disciplined process of understanding what an organization’s people are capable of, where there is hidden talent and skills that are being underutilized or overlooked, and how to realign structure, culture, and leadership to unlock improved performance. He has done this for teams as small as 6 and as large as 250.
What you receive:
- Talent assessment and redeployment strategy
- Department restructuring and redesign plans
- Coaching-model leadership programs
- Culture change and psychological safety frameworks
- Agency selection, management, and optimization
Fractional CCMO / Advisory Services
The problem:
You need a Chief Communications and Marketing Officer. You need someone senior enough to sit in the room, make the decisions, and be accountable for the results. But you’re not ready — or it doesn’t make sense — to hire one full-time.
What W. Clair does:
Skip operates as a true fractional executive — not an outside advisor who reviews a deck once a month, but an embedded leader who attends your meetings, manages your vendors, aligns your team, and drives your strategy. He brings the full depth of a C-suite career to your organization at a fraction of the cost.
What you receive:
- Embedded fractional Chief Communications & Marketing Officer
- Ongoing strategic advisory retainer options
- CEO/CMO communications coaching
- Board-level communications counsel
- Crisis communications preparedness and response
How We Work Together
What an engagement looks like:
Every engagement starts with a conversation. Not a discovery call with a 47-slide onboarding deck. A real conversation, guided by genuine curiosity about your organization, and your challenges.
From there, Skip proposes an engagement structure tailored to your situation — whether that’s a focused project, an ongoing retainer, or a fractional leadership arrangement. Work is always led personally by Skip, supported by his AI-powered operating model, and a trusted network of senior specialists available for added scale.