Truman began with a simple frustration: too many brands were telling stories that did not ring true. Beautiful words. Big promises. Little proof. We wanted to offer an alternative.
In 2015, we started with true storytelling: helping brands build a credible story starting from who they really are. Not inventing what sounds good, but uncovering what is true. What do you stand for? What do you make true? Why should people believe you?
At first, the focus was often external: brand stories, campaigns, content and communication for the market. But the more we worked on credibility and authenticity, the clearer one thing became: the story can only ring true outside when it rings true inside.
A story only becomes credible when leaders carry it, teams understand it, employees recognise it and the organisation acts on it. So we increasingly began working from the inside out. We helped clients not only with their brand story, but also with aligning the organisation behind it.
Sometimes that meant helping leaders tell the story personally and credibly. Sometimes it meant equipping sales with one persuasive sales story. Sometimes it meant helping relationship managers explain complex change clearly to customers. Sometimes it meant mapping customer journeys to understand where doubt arises. And sometimes it meant developing behavioural principles, internal branding, tone of voice or internal activation, so the story was not merely told, but used and lived.
That foundation still shapes everything we do. Only the question has become bigger.
In a world in flux, credibility alone is no longer enough. Customers do not only want to know whether your story is true. Employees do not only want to hear what you stand for. Markets are not looking for more communication. People are looking for guidance.
That is why Truman has evolved from true storytelling to Narrative Design. We design narratives as strategic narrative systems: systems that help organisations make sharper choices, act more consistently on the inside and help customers understand sooner why they are the obvious choice. Better organisations. Stronger brands. Through narratives that work.
Truman is an English boy's name meaning 'the loyal one'.
That meaning suits us. We believe organisations become stronger when they stay true to what they genuinely choose. Not as a static ideal, but as a direction that evolves with the world around them. Staying true to yourself does not mean remaining who you were.
It means making a clear choice about the role you want to play in what is changing now.
That is where every good narrative begins.
'The collaboration was extremely pleasant and was immediately focused on trust. The ideology that Truman has in the field of storytelling and the associated credibility and authenticity matched perfectly.'
Truman was founded in 2015 by Amber Franssen and Paul Hillesum from one conviction: 'No more sugar-coated bullshit.' What began as True Storytelling grew into a distinctive way of working: designing narratives that help organisations provide guidance, ring true internally and earn preference externally. Amber and Paul bring two worlds together. Paul develops the strategic and narrative core: the direction, logic, language and method. Amber translates that core into imagery, design, film and experience. Together, they ensure a narrative is not only well conceived, but also credibly felt, told and lived. Years later, they do this with a talented team, each with their own strengths.
‘Their personal, down to earth, and honest approach makes Truman a great and reliable partner to work with. What you see is what you get.’
We dare to be different. Or rather, we dare to be ourselves. We believe that's where our strength lies. Everyone's quirks bring a unique and refreshing dynamic to our team. It enhances our ability to come up with creative and unique perspectives. It creates a positive and stimulating work environment where everyone is encouraged to let their own voice be heard and shine.
We're genuinely curious about our clients' businesses, and we ask a lot of questions. We want to know, understand, and learn. It allows us to delve deep into our clients' subject matter and understand the needs of their target audiences. We love exploring and discovering, and wonder is our fuel. This helps us create stories that are genuinely captivating and hit the mark.
Everything revolves around creativity for us. We use our creativity to bring narratives to life through language, imagery, behaviour, campaigns, content, platforms and assets. That is how we make complex ideas understandable, give brands their own character and build emotional connections with audiences.
Our creativity helps organisations stand out in a noisy world. Not by shouting louder, but by creating stories, concepts and experiences that stay with people, move them and give direction to what a brand means in the world.
We aim for top quality in everything we create. From strategic choices to creative concepts. From tone of voice to visual language. From campaign to content platform. From the smallest detail to the complete experience.
For us, quality means that everything works: the thought, the form, the execution and the coherence. We make choices carefully, pay attention to detail and always seek the best possible result within the agreed budget.
That is how we ensure narratives are not only well thought of, but powerfully executed. Recognisable, credible and distinctive. With work that stands out in a world full of branded content, but above all, work that makes an impact because every part of it rings true.
We infuse fun and enthusiasm into everything we do. We believe that having fun in our work leads to the best ideas, enjoyable collaborations, and outstanding results. It brings positive energy to our projects. We enjoy the journey as much as reaching the destination, and our clients feel it too.
