In summer 2024, Ascent Strategic Communications was engaged by technologist and entrepreneur Andy Wightwick to answer one complex question: Who is Andy Wightwick?
Despite a decades-long career marked by technical innovation, public sector impact, and entrepreneurial leadership, Andy’s story had never been fully told. Known for his humility, much of his success had gone undocumented. Ascent’s Brand Positioning Program was tasked with articulating Andy’s personal and professional identity, establishing his thought leadership platform, and shaping a narrative that would define not just his past, but his future legacy, too.
The assignment was deeply personal and strategically ambitious. Andy wanted to consolidate how he was perceived by peers, clients, and mentees, and use that definition to build a long-term platform that could inspire, educate, and empower future generations to build the world around them. How? Through technology.
Ascent led Andy through its signature Brand Positioning Program, a three-part process encompassing Benchmark Analysis & Discovery, Content Strategy, Engagement Strategy, which was followed by the Execution of the engagement strategy and ongoing engagement. The goal: define Andy’s brand, establish core messaging, and build a plan to amplify it.
We began with qualitative and quantitative research by interviewing and surveying colleagues, clients, family, and friends to understand Andy’s reputation and impact. The findings revealed a one-of-a-kind profile: a technologist with empathy, a leader who listens, and a builder who teaches.
Despite operating in a crowded tech space, Andy’s motivations stood apart. While others focused on profit, Andy wanted to shape a more accessible future through technology. He didn’t want to be the loudest voice. He simply wanted to make the most impact.
The challenge was clarity. Andy’s contributions spanned education, entrepreneurship, public sector innovation, and leadership. His personal life as a father, neighbor, and mentor was inseparable from his professional identity. Together, we built a content strategy that acknowledged this multidimensionality, defined a brand architecture, and distilled his voice into something consistent and actionable. Deliverables included:
We captured his story through narrative arcs: the student who learned through failure, the technologist who built solutions for the public good, and the mentor who makes technology approachable for the next generation. These insights became the foundation for all future communications.
With the verbal brand narrative established, our next step was to bring the brand to life through typography, color, and brand elements. We did this by creating a logo system that’s responsive and works across multiple platforms including digital and physical. A solid logo system will work with a brand even as it grows and shifts over time.
First, we selected a font face with weight and futuristic features to reflect the story, voice and represent the overall brand integrity. Essentially, it was important to visually represent the client as a leader in technology and capture this not only through the typography used throughout the logo system, but also expressed by the color choices, icons and brand imagery to create and establish the brand guidelines.
Finally, we established brand application examples that paved the way for brand execution and engagement. This included mockups of website application and social media platforms to provide a visual context of what the brand could become beyond the planning and strategy phases.
With Andy’s brand now clearly defined, we created an actionable plan to bring it to life. We identified key audiences, students, peers, clients, family, and industry thought leaders, and mapped the right message to the right platform. The strategy emphasized content that is:
Tactics included:
Once Andy’s brand was strategically positioned for success, it was time to develop his digital presence. In late 2024, Ascent partnered with an Atlanta-based web design firm to develop two innovative sites:
Ascent led the development of detailed site maps for both domains, outlining the website structure and messaging that aligned with the brand’s identity. During this project, we worked ensured that Andy’s vision was captured in every aspect of the development.
Milestones that Matter:
Ascent supports Andy’s emergence as a LinkedIn thought leader with authentic and impactful content.
As a result of Ascent Strategic Communications work, Andy successfully launched his websites – officially closing the door on his “quiet success” and stepping into the spotlight with an established digital presence. In the first month, the sites gained a combined 644% increase in visitors and almost 2,000 impressions on LinkedIn.
Since launching, Andy has been able to expand his network – fostering potential speaking engagements for events and podcasts, and has a platform to share his passion of empowering minds across all generations to shape a more positive and inclusive digital world through technology.
Ascent is proud to bring stories like Andy’s to life, we look forward to continuing to support him through this new chapter.
If this case study peaked your interest, we encourage you to connect with Andy through his website or LinkedIn!
