Your company
is doing remarkable work. Your content doesn’t show it.
Signal is a strategic storytelling partnership for growth-stage founders and institutional leaders who need more than videos — they need a narrative system that builds trust, drives revenue, and compounds over time.
The problem no one talks about
The problem no one talks about
The problem no one talks about
You’re a growth-stage founder or institutional leader doing genuinely important work, but:
Your brand story is invisible.
You know it exists — the ethos, the mission, the reason you started — but it’s trapped inside your head and your hallway conversations. Nothing external captures it.
You’ve tried content before.
You hired a videographer. You got a nice video. It sat on your website. Nothing changed. Because a video without strategy is decoration, not infrastructure.
You’re stuck in the vendor cycle.
RFPs, one-off projects, scope documents, revision rounds. Every engagement starts from zero. Nothing compounds.
Meanwhile, your competitors
With weaker offerings but stronger narratives are winning the deals, the press, the talent, and the trust you deserve.
Your brand story is invisible.
You know it exists — the ethos, the mission, the reason you started — but it’s trapped inside your head and your hallway conversations. Nothing external captures it.
You’ve tried content before.
You hired a videographer. You got a nice video. It sat on your website. Nothing changed. Because a video without strategy is decoration, not infrastructure.
You’re stuck in the vendor cycle.
RFPs, one-off projects, scope documents, revision rounds. Every engagement starts from zero. Nothing compounds.
Meanwhile, your competitors
With weaker offerings but stronger narratives are winning the deals, the press, the talent, and the trust you deserve.
Your brand story is invisible.
You know it exists — the ethos, the mission, the reason you started — but it’s trapped inside your head and your hallway conversations. Nothing external captures it.
You’ve tried content before.
You hired a videographer. You got a nice video. It sat on your website. Nothing changed. Because a video without strategy is decoration, not infrastructure.
You’re stuck in the vendor cycle.
RFPs, one-off projects, scope documents, revision rounds. Every engagement starts from zero. Nothing compounds.
Meanwhile, your competitors
With weaker offerings but stronger narratives are winning the deals, the press, the talent, and the trust you deserve.
The gap between what you do and how the market perceives you is the most expensive problem in your business. And it widens every month you don’t solve it.
Before
Content feels transactional.
Every project starts from scratch.
Your team dreads the “we need a video” conversation.
You explain your value in every pitch because nothing pre-frames it.
Revenue grows linearly — one client at a time, one project at a time.
Before
Content feels transactional.
Every project starts from scratch.
Your team dreads the “we need a video” conversation.
You explain your value in every pitch because nothing pre-frames it.
Revenue grows linearly — one client at a time, one project at a time.
Before
Content feels transactional.
Every project starts from scratch.
Your team dreads the “we need a video” conversation.
You explain your value in every pitch because nothing pre-frames it.
Revenue grows linearly — one client at a time, one project at a time.
After
A narrative system that works while you don’t.
Prospects arrive pre-sold because your story did the selling.
Trust compounds across every touchpoint — your website, your social, your pitch rooms, your recruiting.
One strategic engagement produces 12+ months of content.
You stop being a “well-kept secret” and start being the obvious choice.
After
A narrative system that works while you don’t.
Prospects arrive pre-sold because your story did the selling.
Trust compounds across every touchpoint — your website, your social, your pitch rooms, your recruiting.
One strategic engagement produces 12+ months of content.
You stop being a “well-kept secret” and start being the obvious choice.
After
A narrative system that works while you don’t.
Prospects arrive pre-sold because your story did the selling.
Trust compounds across every touchpoint — your website, your social, your pitch rooms, your recruiting.
One strategic engagement produces 12+ months of content.
You stop being a “well-kept secret” and start being the obvious choice.
That’s not a creative project. That’s a Signal.
What we build
What we build
What we build
Strategic storytelling partnerships that compound.
Strategic storytelling partnerships that compound.
Signal isn’t a production company. We don’t respond to briefs. We don’t bid on RFPs. We don’t deliver “content.”
We install narrative systems — ongoing strategic partnerships where we embed with your team, uncover the invisible ethos of your business, and architect a story infrastructure that drives measurable results across your entire funnel: awareness, trust, thought leadership, recruiting, and revenue.
Signal isn’t a production company. We don’t respond to briefs. We don’t bid on RFPs. We don’t deliver “content.”
We install narrative systems — ongoing strategic partnerships where we embed with your team, uncover the invisible ethos of your business, and architect a story infrastructure that drives measurable results across your entire funnel: awareness, trust, thought leadership, recruiting, and revenue.
Meet your signal architect
Meet your signal architect
Most storytellers started with a camera.
Most storytellers started with a camera.
Meet your signal architect
Meet your signal architect
Most storytellers started with a camera.
Most storytellers started with a camera.
Ben
started with
a question.
Ben started with
a question.
Ben Stauffer didn’t grow up on film sets. He studied computer science, played college hockey, and spent years inside the post-production studios and ad agencies that serve the biggest brands in the Midwest. That unconventional path gave him something most filmmakers don’t have: a builder’s brain wired for creative output.
When he apprenticed under Greg Gorman — one of Hollywood’s most iconic photographers — he didn’t just learn lighting. He learned how to read a room. How to make a CEO as comfortable as a colleague. How to find the one moment of truth in a three-hour conversation that becomes the story everyone remembers.
Ben Stauffer didn’t grow up on film sets. He studied computer science, played college hockey, and spent years inside the post-production studios and ad agencies that serve the biggest brands in the Midwest. That unconventional path gave him something most filmmakers don’t have: a builder’s brain wired for creative output.
When he apprenticed under Greg Gorman — one of Hollywood’s most iconic photographers — he didn’t just learn lighting. He learned how to read a room. How to make a CEO as comfortable as a colleague. How to find the one moment of truth in a three-hour conversation that becomes the story everyone remembers.
Ben Stauffer didn’t grow up on film sets. He studied computer science, played college hockey, and spent years inside the post-production studios and ad agencies that serve the biggest brands in the Midwest. That unconventional path gave him something most filmmakers don’t have: a builder’s brain wired for creative output.
When he apprenticed under Greg Gorman — one of Hollywood’s most iconic photographers — he didn’t just learn lighting. He learned how to read a room. How to make a CEO as comfortable as a colleague. How to find the one moment of truth in a three-hour conversation that becomes the story everyone remembers.
Ben Stauffer didn’t grow up on film sets. He studied computer science, played college hockey, and spent years inside the post-production studios and ad agencies that serve the biggest brands in the Midwest. That unconventional path gave him something most filmmakers don’t have: a builder’s brain wired for creative output.
When he apprenticed under Greg Gorman — one of Hollywood’s most iconic photographers — he didn’t just learn lighting. He learned how to read a room. How to make a CEO as comfortable as a colleague. How to find the one moment of truth in a three-hour conversation that becomes the story everyone remembers.
Emmy-winning methodology. Science-backed storytelling framework.
Clients across healthcare, finance, tech, and culture.
Emmy-winning methodology. Science-backed storytelling framework. Clients across healthcare, finance, tech, and culture.
The signal in action
The signal in action
The signal in action
Case Studies
01
Challenge
“Speak Up for Science” campaign.
What We Built
Four subjects. Zero B-roll. Interview-driven storytelling with AI-generated visual treatments and curated music.
Result
Client response: speechless. Outcome: renewed for additional series.
01
Challenge
“Speak Up for Science” campaign.
What We Built
Four subjects. Zero B-roll. Interview-driven storytelling with AI-generated visual treatments and curated music.
Result
Client response: speechless. Outcome: renewed for additional series.
01
Challenge
“Speak Up for Science” campaign.
What We Built
Four subjects. Zero B-roll. Interview-driven storytelling with AI-generated visual treatments and curated music.
Result
Client response: speechless. Outcome: renewed for additional series.
01
Challenge
“Speak Up for Science” campaign.
What We Built
Four subjects. Zero B-roll. Interview-driven storytelling with AI-generated visual treatments and curated music.
Result
Client response: speechless. Outcome: renewed for additional series.
02
Challenge
Lease financing company with startup clients doing extraordinary work and no content to show for it.
What We Built
Signal built a founder success story series.
Result
That became their primary trust-building and sales enablement tool.
02
Challenge
Lease financing company with startup clients doing extraordinary work and no content to show for it.
What We Built
Signal built a founder success story series.
Result
That became their primary trust-building and sales enablement tool.
02
Challenge
Lease financing company with startup clients doing extraordinary work and no content to show for it.
What We Built
Signal built a founder success story series.
Result
That became their primary trust-building and sales enablement tool.
02
Challenge
Lease financing company with startup clients doing extraordinary work and no content to show for it.
What We Built
Signal built a founder success story series.
Result
That became their primary trust-building and sales enablement tool.
03
Challenge
Will be updated
What We Built
Will be updated
Result
Will be updated
03
Challenge
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What We Built
Will be updated
Result
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03
Challenge
Will be updated
What We Built
Will be updated
Result
Will be updated
03
Challenge
Will be updated
What We Built
Will be updated
Result
Will be updated
The process
The process
The process
Intentional. Efficient. Designed to respect your time.
Phase 1
Discovery
A focused strategic conversation where we map your business landscape, identify the invisible ethos, and define the narrative that moves the needle. You talk. We listen with a framework. This is where most of the magic happens.
Phase 1
Discovery
A focused strategic conversation where we map your business landscape, identify the invisible ethos, and define the narrative that moves the needle. You talk. We listen with a framework. This is where most of the magic happens.
Phase 1
Discovery
A focused strategic conversation where we map your business landscape, identify the invisible ethos, and define the narrative that moves the needle. You talk. We listen with a framework. This is where most of the magic happens.
Phase 2
Architecture
We design the story system — which stories to tell, in what format, on what timeline, and to what audience. You approve a plan, not a vague proposal. Every piece has a purpose and a measurable connection to your goals.
Phase 2
Architecture
We design the story system — which stories to tell, in what format, on what timeline, and to what audience. You approve a plan, not a vague proposal. Every piece has a purpose and a measurable connection to your goals.
Phase 2
Architecture
We design the story system — which stories to tell, in what format, on what timeline, and to what audience. You approve a plan, not a vague proposal. Every piece has a purpose and a measurable connection to your goals.
Phase 3
Production
Lean, efficient, high-impact shoots. We handle everything — pre-production, direction, capture, post. Your time commitment: minimal. Your output: maximum. One filming engagement typically yields months of content across multiple formats.
Phase 3
Production
Lean, efficient, high-impact shoots. We handle everything — pre-production, direction, capture, post. Your time commitment: minimal. Your output: maximum. One filming engagement typically yields months of content across multiple formats.
Phase 3
Production
Lean, efficient, high-impact shoots. We handle everything — pre-production, direction, capture, post. Your time commitment: minimal. Your output: maximum. One filming engagement typically yields months of content across multiple formats.
Phase 4
Partnership
Ongoing strategy, content planning, and production. Regular check-ins. Proactive recommendations. We don’t wait for you to ask — we bring solutions before you know you need them.
Phase 4
Partnership
Ongoing strategy, content planning, and production. Regular check-ins. Proactive recommendations. We don’t wait for you to ask — we bring solutions before you know you need them.
Phase 4
Partnership
Ongoing strategy, content planning, and production. Regular check-ins. Proactive recommendations. We don’t wait for you to ask — we bring solutions before you know you need them.
I don’t want anyone to feel like they have to hold my hand. You can trust me to get this done.
- Ben
Ways to work together
Ways to work together
Ways to work together
Story System
Foundational Story System
For leaders who need a narrative foundation and consistent content engine.
2 filming days/month.
1 hero story + 4 social clips.
Monthly strategy call.
Starting at
$7,500/mo
Foundational Story System
For leaders who need a narrative foundation and consistent content engine.
2 filming days/month.
1 hero story + 4 social clips.
Monthly strategy call.
Starting at
$7,500/mo
Foundational Story System
For leaders who need a narrative foundation and consistent content engine.
2 filming days/month.
1 hero story + 4 social clips.
Monthly strategy call.
Starting at
$7,500/mo
Foundational Story System
For leaders who need a narrative foundation and consistent content engine.
2 filming days/month.
1 hero story + 4 social clips.
Monthly strategy call.
Starting at
$7,500/mo
Strategic Story System
For brands ready to own their category through narrative.
4 filming days/month.
2 hero stories + 8 clips.
Bi-weekly strategy + quarterly planning.
Starting at
$12,500/mo
Strategic Story System
For brands ready to own their category through narrative.
4 filming days/month.
2 hero stories + 8 clips.
Bi-weekly strategy + quarterly planning.
Starting at
$12,500/mo
Strategic Story System
For brands ready to own their category through narrative.
4 filming days/month.
2 hero stories + 8 clips.
Bi-weekly strategy + quarterly planning.
Starting at
$12,500/mo
Strategic Story System
For brands ready to own their category through narrative.
4 filming days/month.
2 hero stories + 8 clips.
Bi-weekly strategy + quarterly planning.
Starting at
$12,500/mo
Enterprise Story System
For institutions and high-growth companies with complex, multi-audience narratives.
6+ filming days.
3+ hero stories + 12+ clips + animation.
Weekly strategy + dedicated channel.
Starting at
Custom
Enterprise Story System
For institutions and high-growth companies with complex, multi-audience narratives.
6+ filming days.
3+ hero stories + 12+ clips + animation.
Weekly strategy + dedicated channel.
Starting at
Custom
Enterprise Story System
For institutions and high-growth companies with complex, multi-audience narratives.
6+ filming days.
3+ hero stories + 12+ clips + animation.
Weekly strategy + dedicated channel.
Starting at
Custom
Enterprise Story System
For institutions and high-growth companies with complex, multi-audience narratives.
6+ filming days.
3+ hero stories + 12+ clips + animation.
Weekly strategy + dedicated channel.
Starting at
Custom
Every partnership begins with a conversation not a contract. If it’s not the right fit, we’ll tell you.
Common questions
Common questions
Common questions
Key questions to address
Key questions to address
What if we’ve tried video before and it didn’t work?
That’s because you hired production, not strategy. Signal starts with the business problem, not the camera.
We don’t have a huge budget.
Our foundational tier is designed for exactly this. And one strategic engagement replaces 6+ disconnected freelance projects.
How much of our time does this take?
Minimal. Discovery is 2-3 hours. Filming days are structured and efficient. Strategy calls are 30-60 minutes. We handle the rest.
Do you work outside Minnesota?
We work wherever the story is. Toronto, LA, East Coast — no borders.
What makes you different from other production companies?
We’re not a production company. We’re a strategic narrative partner who happens to produce. The strategy is the product. The content is the output.
Your story already exists. It’s time to give it a signal.
Your story already exists. It’s time to give it a signal.
One conversation. No pitch. No pressure. Just a strategic discussion about where your brand is and where it should be.
One conversation. No pitch. No pressure. Just a strategic discussion about where your brand is and where it should be.
signalcreative.com
Ben Stauffer
Minneapolis + Everywhere
signalcreative.com
Ben Stauffer
Minneapolis + Everywhere
signalcreative.com
Ben Stauffer
Minneapolis + Everywhere