Align for success. Win today's most important victories.
one step beyond is an agency for strategic communications, campaigning and hope-based narratives.
We partner with progressive organisations and companies from across all sectors and help them find new ways to increase their reach and impact. Our strategic work follows an integrated approach, placing the relationships with audiences at the heart of organisations and campaigns.
Services
We support you in moments of change and opportunity. Our work is rooted in our extensive experience in successfully working together with changemakers from civil-society, businesses and institutions. Our approach builds on our expertise in managing social change for global human rights organisations and our pioneering work in hope-based communications. We enjoy working with people all over the world and offer our services in both English and German.
Consulting
STRATEGY: Together we develop successful strategies. They are the heart of communication, with which you can convince more people in a targeted manner.
NARRATIVE AND STORYTELLING: Together we develop convincing narratives and stories. You show what you stand for and strengthen your ideas.
CAMPAIGNS AND ENGAGEMENT: We develop successful campaign strategies and support you in building an active supporter base.
OSB Academy
We provide practical, interactive training and further education for teams and individuals. We teach theoretical content, show practical examples and allow participants to apply what they have learned directly in their own context.
We adapt our workshops and training courses to the needs of our customers. We work together to develop concrete ideas and results that can be incorporated directly into future work.
One Step Beyond developed and delivered a high-quality communications session for the ODIHR's 2022 Advocacy School on Gender and Politics training which targeted civil society representatives from the OSCE region. It was a great pleasure to work with Philip on this session!
Sara Haapalainen
Gender Adviser, OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR)
What others say about us
I know Gesine and Philip from my time at Amnesty International, when they were responsible for some of the most innovative communications campaigns in the whole Amnesty movement. I consider them key allies to my own hopes of building a strong cohort of narrative leaders in Europe, and can see them becoming really important and influential figures in the European progressive scene.
Thomas Coombes
Founder Hope-Based Communications
Gesine and Philip from one step beyond have taken us a big step forward on our journey towards Doctors Without Borders' integrated communications across departments.
Jannik Rust
Head of Communications and Engagement, Doctors Without Borders Germany
Our clients and partners
About us
Gesine Schmidt-Schmiedbauer and Philip Doyle are friends who share a common purpose rooted in human rights. This shared passion drives their efforts to support leaders and changemakers in effectively communicating what they stand for, with the aim of making a positive impact on people and the planet.
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Whilst working together at Amnesty International Austria, their strategic approach to communication and campaigning was instrumental in transforming the organisation into a more inclusive and rapidly growing movement.
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They founded one step beyond in 2022 to help organisations elevate their communication and campaigning efforts to a more impactful and strategic level. At the same time, they support purpose-led businesses that benefit from engaging narratives, movement thinking and a campaigning mindset.
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As part of a global network of certified hope-based communication specialists, they are dedicated to advancing the field of narrative practice across Europe and globally.
They are forward-looking people with a hopeful mindset. Get in touch!