Make the complex, compelling
I help organizations doing complex work build communications strategies that get people to keep believing in them.
Brand, communications, and content strategy consulting
Social change is messy business. Progress isn’t linear. Results rarely happen overnight. So how do you tell your story when the algorithm wants just the opposite?
E.T. Communications builds communications strategies for organizations that need to bring both supporters and skeptics along on their journey. I work with non-profits, philanthropic foundations, and team up with a close-knit of designers, developers, and strategists to get the job done well (my own website not included).
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Starting with strategy means arriving at a strong understanding of what you stand for, the “why” behind your work, and the people who can enable the change you seek.
Developing a communications strategy involves:
Stakeholder consultations
Audience research and feedback loops
Collaborator and competitor analysis
Theory of change development
Team capacity assessment
World-building
Voice and tone guidelines
Measuring what matters
To make sure our strategy doesn’t immediately start collecting dust, I’ll support your team to operationalize and build its muscle for the new ways of doing things.
Every team’s needs are different, but I find typically involves:
Setting content strategy, governance, and workflows - whether for a website, social media, or across all channels
Voice and tone coaching and training
Developing (or updating) the content style guide
Tech stack audit and refinement
Establish and track feedback loops with audiences and staff
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Give your team the gift of strategic support that can hit the ground running.
You have a strategy in place, but need a workhorse to help your team out when stakes are high.
I’ll function as an embedded member of your communications team. Set me to work producing content, adapting it across channels, developing social media content or drafting email newsletters.
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Your web developer’s project manager won’t look after your stakeholders or internal timelines. Your team can, but are already squeezing this in project in on top of their existing priorities.
A Creative Project Manager (sometimes called an Integrated Producer) represents your best interests and keeps your team on track, in a collaborative way. I’ve managed online, physical and in-person projects, including:
Website redesigns, like for Vancouver Foundation and Neighbourhood Small Grants
Print publications, like the 2025 Vancouver Foundation Magazine
Donor engagement campaigns and events
PR campaigns and activations
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Make your website refresh count.
Writing one webpage is straightforward. But managing content for 100 pages that all need to work in tandem, both on the website and behind the scenes, can be a real hair-on-fire moment for lean teams.
Content strategy refers to way we manage your website’s content, and includes:
An ownership and management workflow for your team
A suite of brand photos for the website
An easy-to-use system for managing all your assets.
Web copywriting at this scale means being more than a standout writer.
Careful planning ensures that there’s a part of your website for each audience segment.
Understanding your internal priorities means we can offer collaborative solutions when other teams challenge the new website structure.
Documentation and workflows ensures your team knows when content next need to be updated, which pages that content lives, and where to get the information from.
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Give me a long grantee report and an hour with the project lead, and I’ll find the big story your readers will care about.
I’ll find vivid details in data points, cultural significance from how activities were conducted, and ask the questions that get artists to analyze their work and scientists to feel their impact.
Check out my writing style in Writing.
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Your staff care about your mission, and what you have to say. But how you say it can have a big impact on culture. If you’re trying to move your organization towards a warmer, and more approachable voice that still means business, let’s work together to strike your new balance. You may be looking to:
Develop your capacity for internal communications writing
Revise your employee handbook and onboarding materials to build trust with new employees from day one
Rollout a sensitive announcement
Create new internal policies for busy staff with a wide range of literacy levels
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Get a second set of experienced eyes on your long-form writing. I am familiar with Canadian Press and AP style, and am trained to edit for plain language and current web content accessibility guidelines.
Client Testimonials
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Esther's dedication, attention to detail, and proficiency make them an invaluable asset to any team. Their consistent delivery of high-quality work showcases their expertise in writing, structuring, and editing. It's been a pleasure partnering with Esther, and I am confident in their ability to excel in any project they take on.
Danielle Etienne
Founder, Le Code Switch -
Along with being very responsive and receptive to feedback, the suggestions Esther provides to improve a piece of writing always show a great deal of empathy for our target audience, an understanding of our brand voice, and a commitment to our overarching goals for the future of our marketing content.
Sarah McKelvey
Senior Copywriter, Vancity Credit Union -
Great writing isn’t just about being a great writer. It’s about immersing yourself in a subject, collaborating with clients and thoughtfully distilling information into succinct messages that resonate with audiences. Writing for the web is very nuanced, and Esther gets it. They understand how to approach even sensitive topics with skill and care.
Lisa Eaton
Director of Operations, Affinity Bridge -
Esther was instrumental in ensuring our magazine was produced and delivered on time. Their exceptional project management kept every detail on track, including liaising with writers and managing deadlines. They also understand the importance of our donor relationships, reflected in their approach and in the stories they helped develop. That level of insight is rare. We are so glad we chose Esther to support us with our projects!
Peggy Lam
Senior Manager of Strategic Communications, Vancouver Foundation
Started by Esther Tung
I've always been someone who just can’t wait to see things happen. But working for one of Canada’s biggest foundations for years, I cultivated patience as I saw a similar pattern unfold around how lasting change happened.
Change excites people. The moment passes. People forget. But they can be activated again. First they do something small. Then they change their minds. Their lives. Then they change things within their sphere of influence — at work, with their kids, where they give.
Thousands of little changes later, you get a sort of new system in beta mode. The core is there. Then comes a moment of sweeping change. A policy changes, a protest rises, a power falls. And the new system moves in.
Complex change is about preparing for that moment. Not one viral campaign or one great story, but about setting people up for the change you seek.
And so hello, I’m Esther Tung. The impatient founder of E.T. Communications, deeply committed to the patient work of keeping up momentum and morale in between big wins.