Case Study: How NBA-CLS Used Video Storytelling to Kick Off Black History Month and Reconnect to Legacy
Black History Month isn’t just a moment on the calendar. For organizations rooted in service and community, it’s an opportunity to do something deeper: Honor legacy, elevate lived experience, and remind people what the mission has always been.
This year, NBA-CLS approached Black History Month with a clear communications goal: ground the organization in legacy and make that legacy feel present, personal, and alive. At Align Communications, we helped bring that goal to life through a video-first storytelling approach designed to spark connection, increase engagement, and create a stronger emotional bridge between the organization’s history and its future.
The communications challenge: legacy can’t feel like a document
Many legacy-forward organizations have a common challenge: their history is powerful, but their communications can unintentionally present it as static.
It often lives in: written timelines, formal statements, PDF programs or web pages people respect… but their communications don’t deeply feel.
And while “words on paper” are still important (especially in legal and professional communities), today’s audiences respond to communications that are more human, more immediate, more visible and easier to share.
That’s where video becomes a strategic advantage.
Why video, and why now?
Video isn’t simply a trend. It’s become one of the most effective ways to communicate credibility and emotion at the same time.
Consider the market signals:
91% of businesses use video as a marketing tool, and 93% of video marketers say video is an important part of their strategy.
On LinkedIn specifically (where professional communities like NBA-CLS build influence), LinkedIn’s own research highlights that video engagement growth is outpacing other formats.
In that same report, LinkedIn notes video viewership surged (+36% in 2024) and cites platform data showing video performance has become a major driver of reach and engagement.
And here’s the strategic “why” that matters most for executive storytelling: “People connect with people.”
LinkedIn Creative Labs’ research found that videos featuring a “Human Touch” (real people and authentic stories) can drive meaningful engagement uplifts — including a 78% increase in engagement for videos featuring authentic expressions of emotion.
When your goal is to communicate legacy, emotion isn’t optional…it’s the point.
The approach: “Legacy, visible.”
For NBA-CLS’s Black History Month kickoff, we designed a video storytelling approach anchored in one principle:
If you want people to remember the legacy, they need to see it.
So instead of leading with a written statement alone, we built a narrative structure that allowed the audience to experience legacy through voice, face, tone and presence. Because story isn’t just what you say — it’s how it lands.
The strategy: a video-first framework built for engagement and shareability
Here’s the simplified framework we used (and that other organizations can replicate):
1) Start with one clear story, not five competing messages
Black History Month content can easily become a series of disconnected posts.
So we aligned NBA-CLS around a single message: This is who we’ve been. This is what we’ve carried. This is what we’re building next.
Video became the “anchor asset,” and all other content supported it.
2) Lead with human presence — not only logos, titles, and formality
Executives and leaders often believe credibility comes from polish. But in practice, credibility often comes from visibility.
LinkedIn’s report found that when executive experts are visible in video, it can drive a 53% lift in engagement, reinforcing the value of leadership presence.
3) Design for the platform (especially LinkedIn)
Professional audiences scroll fast and decide quickly. Video needs to earn attention early.
The LinkedIn Creative Labs report emphasizes that video performance is tied not just to having video, but to making creative choices that stop the scroll and deliver impact.
4) Repurpose intentionally
We treat video as a content engine, not a one-and-done asset.
From one hero video, you can produce:
short cutdowns (15–30s)
quote clips
still frames + captions
a written companion post (for the “words on paper” audience)
internal newsletter embed
event screen roll-in / opener
website feature
This is how you honor both communication preferences:
the audience that needs words
and the audience that needs presence
The leadership insight: why executives default to “paper” (and what to do about it)
In many professional organizations, leaders are trained to communicate in formats that feel controlled: Video can feel vulnerable because it introduces what written text removes: But that’s also why it works.
Video communicates social presence — a sense that someone is there with you. Research on video-mediated communication has found that shared video experiences can foster stronger social connection and bonds.
That matters because modern communications isn’t just about distributing information. It’s about building belief. And belief is built faster when audiences can see the people behind the mission.
What this case study shows: video isn’t “extra” — it’s strategy
NBA-CLS’s Black History Month kickoff wasn’t about chasing a trend. It was about using the most effective medium available to deliver a message that required emotion, respect, and resonance.
A simple executive-ready checklist: how to start using video without overcomplicating it
If you’re leading an organization and want video to become a core part of your communications strategy, start here:
Choose one moment that deserves visibility (heritage month, milestone, mission win, community story)
Put one real person on camera (leader, member, community voice)
Write three bullets, not a script (keep it human)
Record in a real setting (office, event, community space - context builds credibility)
Make one “hero” video + three short clips
Pair with a written post for stakeholders who prefer text
Track simple metrics: views, watch time, shares, saves, comments, click-throughs
Closing: legacy should be felt, not filed away
Black History Month communications are strongest when they’re more than performative content. They’re strongest when they tell the truth (clearly and visibly ) about the people, the work, and the legacy that built the organization.
NBA-CLS chose to lead with story, voice, and presence.
And that’s the kind of communications strategy that doesn’t just inform. It connects.
