The Power of History
Rostra Consulting is a strategic communications agency that uses expert storytelling, film and historical narrative to change minds, build trust, and move audiences to action.
History is the most persuasive story we have
Facts and figures inform. Corporate messaging is discounted on sight. But a well-told historical story bypasses scepticism entirely — audiences absorb the message because they're absorbed in the story.
Narrative transportation
Audiences absorbed in a story process the message with lowered critical resistance — they're following the narrative, not fending off a pitch.
Borrowed authority
An independent historian's credibility transfers to the message in a way no corporate or government voice can replicate alone.
Emotional resonance
Human stories from the past create empathy and identification that statistics and slogans rarely achieve.
Shareability & legacy
Books, film and lectures keep circulating — and working — long after a conventional campaign has ended.
Conventional messaging is losing the room
Two ways to land the same message.
Conventional Campaigns
- Press release + spokesperson, easily tuned out
- Perceived as marketing — trust discounted on sight
- Message forgotten within days
- Talent has no independent credibility
- Single format, single moment, short shelf-life
History-Led Storytelling
- Independent expert, filmed on location — feels earned, not sold
- Audience absorbed in narrative before they notice the message
- Story and message both remembered for years
- Presenter credibility transfers to the client's message
- One story, many formats — film, book, social, live events
Strategic communications, delivered by genuine historical expertise
Rostra Consulting brings together strategic communications and narrative design with a roster of on-screen historians, presenters and production talent — one team, one point of contact, from message strategy to camera-ready delivery.
Strategic communications & narrative design
- 35-year career across journalism, PR and public affairs, including the BBC and Sky News
- Direct experience advising governments on counter-extremism messaging
- Message architecture, audience strategy and campaign planning
- Author-level command of historical subject matter — eight published books, including an authoritative trilogy on the Knights Templar
On-screen historians, presenters & talent
- Established roster of professional historians and on-screen presenters
- Screen-tested talent experienced in broadcast documentary, corporate film and live events
- Specialists spanning ancient, medieval, early modern and modern history
- Production relationships covering filming, studio and live broadcast delivery
How a campaign comes together
Five steps from client objective to measured impact.
Insight & Diagnosis
Define the audience, the barrier, and what needs to change.
Narrative Design
Identify the historical story that carries the message honestly.
Expert & Talent Match
Pair the story with the right on-screen historian or presenter.
Multi-format Production
Film, write and record across the formats the audience uses.
Distribution & Measurement
Release, amplify and track shift in attitude and behaviour.
One story, delivered everywhere it needs to land
Documentary & branded film
Long-form and branded video shot on location with expert presenters.
Social-first video series
Short-form cuts built natively for the platforms target audiences use.
Books & long-form publishing
Authored books and white papers that anchor authority over the long term.
Live events & keynote lectures
In-person and streamed lectures for staff, stakeholders or the public.
Podcasts & audio series
Conversational formats that build familiarity and repeat engagement.
Editorial & op-ed placement
Bylined pieces that place the expert — and the message — in the press.
Built for the audiences that matter most
Government
Countering extremism and building resilience through independent, trusted storytelling.
Explore Government →Corporate
Brand heritage that drives sales — history gives provenance no advertising claim can buy.
Explore Corporate →Youth & Public
Engaging audiences who tune out everything else, in the formats they actually use.
Explore Youth & Public →A partnership built on genuine track record
Decades of strategic communications experience, matched with a deep bench of historical talent — all under one roof.
A staged way to start
Designed to prove impact before scaling investment.
Discovery
Audience and message diagnosis. Identify the historical story and the right expert voice.
2–3 weeks
Pilot Campaign
One flagship format — film, lecture or article series — produced and tested with the target audience.
6–8 weeks
Full Programme
Multi-format rollout across content types, with distribution, amplification and measurement built in.
Ongoing
Let's put history to work for your audience
Whether the goal is countering extremism, building a brand, or engaging a generation that tunes out everything else — the story has already happened. We just need to tell it well.