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MOLLY SHAPIRO
QUALITY. CREATIVITY. STYLE.
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MOLLY SHAPIRO
QUALITY. CREATIVITY. STYLE.
ABOUT
Molly Shapiro is an award-winning writer and editor based in Seattle, working with organizations all over the world to help them achieve their marketing and communications goals. Her client list is long and varied, from major philanthropies like the Gates Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to smaller nonprofits like Environmental Working Group and Malaria No More.
She’s equally experienced in the corporate world, writing for high-tech giants like Microsoft and Intel and global brands like Starbucks and Dow Jones. She has ghostwritten for politicians, celebrities, and world leaders; conducted interviews with people from the rural Kenyan countryside to the mountains of Northern Pakistan; and created transformative brand campaigns, product launches, and websites. Molly is the author of "Eternal City," winner of the Willa Cather Fiction Prize, and "Point, Click, Love," published by Ballantine and given a spot on Target's "Emerging Authors" shelf. She earned her B.A. in semiotics from Brown University and her M.F.A. in creative writing from Columbia University.
SERVICES
MARKETING
Whether it’s a catchy tagline, a compelling customer story, or an in-depth whitepaper, all types of marketing content should begin with a clear strategy and goal and be executed with precision and imagination.
COMMUNICATIONS
Top-quality communications require rigor and resourcefulness—rigor to make sure every missive is on message, resourcefulness to find ingenious ways to make those missives heard.
ONLINE
Being clear and succinct is important for all types of writing, but it’s essential online. My extensive experience in digital communication gives my clients a leg up as they try to break through the noise.
FUNDRAISING
Getting people to part with their money is no easy task. I work to grab readers’ attention from the first sentence of a fundraising email or landing page, so they’re ready to click “Give Now” before they even reach the end.
GHOSTWRITING
When a U.S. senator, CEO, or foreign dignitary entrusts me with writing an email or op-ed in their name, I use my ear for dialogue to ensure the copy captures their voice and personality.
CREATIVE
My background in fiction and screenwriting adds depth, emotion, and excitement to my corporate and nonprofit work. I use my storytelling skills in everything I write, whether it’s a press release, case study, or organizational history.
TESTIMONIALS
SAMPLES
SCRIPTWRITING
I began my career working as a screenwriter for Vanguard Films in New York. I was commissioned to write three screenplays, including “The Bob Marley Story,” which garnered the interest of Rita Marley, brought me to Jamaica for research and interviews with Marley’s friends and family, and led to talks with a major studio. Since then, I’ve used my experience in the film business to write scripts for companies and nonprofit organizations. For the Gates Foundation’s Global Libraries program, I was asked to conduct site visits for the winners of the annual Access to Learning Award, which recognizes organizations working to increase digital inclusion. During the summers of 2010, 2011, and 2012, I traveled to Greece, Kenya, and the Dominican Republic to do in-person interviews and research, then produced a variety of materials showcasing the winners, including slideshow scripts.
DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS
I’ve worked for several digital marketing firms, including New Blue Interactive and Anne Lewis Strategies, writing hundreds of appeals on behalf of elected officials, political candidates, and nonprofit organizations to help them raise money, gather grassroots supporters, and achieve their policy goals. I ghostwrote for Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Cory Booker, Representatives Jared Huffman and Joaquin Castro, activists Bonnie Raitt and Erin Brockovich, and many others. I also raised money for organizations such as the National Parks Conservation Association, Environmental Working Group, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, and the National Stroke Association.
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CASE STUDIES
All companies and nonprofits have a story to tell. Case studies are an excellent way for organizations to introduce people to what they do and highlight their successes. Promethean, an interactive technology company, wanted to highlight how schools, districts, and companies all over the world use interactive flat panel displays to streamline workflows, make lessons and presentations more engaging, and boost efficiencies. Service Management Group (SMG), a leading customer experience research firm that typically works with multinational corporations, wanted to showcase its pro-bono work for the Kansas City Zoo and describe how its innovative research techniques helped the struggling zoo attract more visitors and get back into the black.
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ORGANIZATIONAL HISTORIES
Writing a book-length history of a company, organization, family or individual is a challenging but deeply rewarding experience. It requires intensive interviews over many hours, sometimes with as many as 20 to 30 different people. Working with Trudi Galblum Communications, I wrote a corporate history of Health Midwest, a major player in the Kansas City health care market in the 1990s, and a history of Menorah Medical Center, founded in 1931 as the first Jewish hospital in Kansas City. Together we also wrote several histories of prominent Kansas City families and individuals.
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CONTENT MARKETING
PicMonkey leaned heavily on content marketing as a way to increase brand awareness, entice visitors to its site with valuable articles and how-to’s, and promote its online photo editing and design services. I was tasked with writing in-depth, well-researched pieces that addressed topics important to entrepreneurs and small-business owners, DIY designers and creators, and anyone wanting to improve their lives and their photos with an easy-to-use design app. I wrote about hundreds of different subjects, including creating eye-catching social media posts, using email marketing to win new customers, highlighting the newest design trends, creating a great profile pic, and designing the perfect resume to land a dream job.
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BRANDING AND CAMPAIGNS
Promethean, the #1 global leader in interactive flat panel displays, dominated the education technology market and was expanding into the corporate space, but its brand was dated and inconsistent, and its website was overly technical and dry. I helped lead the team to create a new brand and corporate website. The result was a sleek, modern, and sophisticated brand that exuded passion and innovation, and a website that drew visitors in and reflected the company’s decades-long success. After that initial transformation, I went on to create campaigns for a variety of new product launches—from taglines to advertisements to social content—that were in keeping with Promethean’s revitalized identity. They included “Learning, transformed” for the company’s newest flagship panel; “For the new way we work” for its entry into the corporate market; and “Everything you need, all in one place” for the launch of a new software offering.
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THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Thought leadership pieces require a ghostwriter to not only capture the unique voice of the author, but convey their expertise with confidence and authority. I’ve been asked to write on behalf of philanthropic leaders, corporate CEOs, international heads of state, and popular athletes. For the Gates Foundation, I wrote on behalf of Bill Gates, Sr., and several of its presidents and program heads on a variety of subjects, including libraries, global development, agriculture, and health care. For Speak up Africa, I wrote op-eds about malaria, sanitation, and neglected tropical diseases on behalf of organizational leaders, a world-renown soccer star, and the first lady of Niger, among others.
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ARTICLES AND BLOGS
Over the years, I’ve written articles and blog posts about many subjects and issues, from finance to farming, gender equality to sustainability, sanitation to education. I’m often asked to do on-site or online interviews, sometimes with the help of translators. I’m expected to grasp new concepts quickly, research when needed, and write about complex subjects with clarity and precision. For the Central Asia Institute, an organization that helps women and girls in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Tajikistan get access to education, I wrote for and edited the annual Journey of Hope magazine. For Vestergaard, I wrote a series of blog posts about the company’s efforts to combat malaria with bed nets. And as the author of a novel about love in the digital age, I wrote several articles about online dating, publishing, and writing.
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SELECTED CLIENTS
