Strategic Communications
Day of Giving 2026
Directed creative strategy for the college's 2026 Day of Giving — donor participation and total raised grew dramatically year over year.
Results
- $3.37M raised
- 297 gifts
- 57.5K reach
- 17.1% engagement
Portfolio · 2008 — PresentSpring Hope, NC
A multidisciplinary communications practice — building brands worth believing in across strategy, social, and the lens.
Strategic Communications
Content & brand strategy, integrated campaigns, and cross-functional leadership for higher education and mission-driven organizations.
01 — Impact Gallery
Ten years of results, not just pretty pictures.
A holistic approach to omnichannel storytelling that builds community at every step.
Editorial
Designlife Magazine
A regular contributor to the editorial content and photography for Designlife Magazine — the College of Design's flagship publication, reaching an annual circulation of around 8,000 readers.
View all issues
Results
- 8,000 annual readers
- Regular contributor
- Editorial writing
- Photography
Strategic Communications
Color With the Pack
Founded and lead an annual on-campus activation supporting Day of Giving awareness — a community mural, interactive stations, and games.
Results
- Campus-wide activation
- Community mural
- Interactive stations
- Man-on-the-street content
Photo / Video
A Gift in Oak
A story and film connecting College of Design students with international partners in Nagoya — crafting a gift in oak that bridges Raleigh and Japan.
Read the storyResults
- Raleigh → Nagoya
- International partnership
- Student collaboration
- Story + film
By the Numbers — Audience GrowthAs of August 2026
Six years of compounding audience growth.
A unified editorial and campaign calendar across four platforms — translating four academic departments' priorities into measurable, sustained growth since 2020.
19,645
Total followers
Across Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn & Threads
1.28M+
Annual impressions
Combined page & profile impressions, past 12 months
319K
Organic IG reach
Instagram profile reach in the past year
1,744
New followers
Gained across channels in the past 12 months
Follower growth by platform
LinkedIn610 → 4,227
7× growth
Instagram5,122 → 9,204
+80%
Facebook3,532 → 4,691
+33%
Threads— → 1,523
New channel
Where the audience is
Over a third of the Facebook audience is in Raleigh — the community the college actually serves — with meaningful international reach reflecting the design program's global draw.
Top cities
RaleighCaryDurhamCharlotteNew YorkGreensboro
Video Reel — NC State CreativesFull playlist
Short-form stories, student voices.
A series conceived, produced, and directed for the NC State College of Design — spotlighting what makes students tick. Eighteen episodes and counting.
Now playing
Lira and Maryam
4:15
Episode 1 of 18. Select another below.
Live Feed — Editorial LogSynced
NC State College of DesignSep 16, 2026
The Crossover at The Corner
From a 64th-scale model to a full-scale gathering space in just 11 weeks, NC State College of Design students brought The Crossover to life on Centennial Campus, learning firsthand how design, construction and collaboration come together in the real world.
Read at NC State
Jul 21, 2026
Re:purposed Explores the Future of Industrial Design
A new documentary, re:purposed — the evolution of industrial design, explores how the field is moving beyond mass production toward collaboration, empathy, systems thinking and sustainability. Co-produced by NC State College of Design department head Audrey Barnes and filmmaker J
Jun 23, 2026
Designing Together: Inside the First GXD+ID Joint Studio with Lenovo
In a new sponsored studio from Lenovo, students from industrial design and graphic & experience design came together to work as unified, holistic design teams. The studio asks a fundamental question: what happens when hardware and software designers learn to think and build toget
Jun 19, 2026
A Laboratory of Wonder and Care: Exploring the Future of Ceramic 3D Printing
Inside the College of Design’s Digital Clay Lab, Ph.D. student Maryam Badiei and instructor Lira Gomes are exploring how ceramic 3D printing can bridge ancient materials and emerging technologies. Through research, experimentation and collaboration, they’re uncovering new possibi
02 — About
Max Cohen
Communications & Visual Storytelling
Strategy that ships, craft that lands.
I am a strategic communications and brand leader with 10+ years of experience building content strategy, creative production, and integrated campaigns for higher education and mission-driven organizations. I combine hands-on creative execution with campaign-level strategic thinking, and apply business and organizational strategy to institutional storytelling. I develop campaigns from concept through measurable results, align cross-functional stakeholders, and build the creative infrastructure — workflows, standards, and mentorship — that lets a small team punch above its size.
10+
Years in communications
2×
Audience growth since 2020
1.28M
Annual impressions
$3.37M
Raised, Day of Giving 2026
Strategy & Leadership
Content & Brand StrategyCampaign DevelopmentCross-Functional CollaborationTeam Workflow DesignMentorship & TrainingPerformance Analytics
Creative Production
PhotographyVideographyDrone OperationPremiere ProLightroomPhotoshopInDesign
Communication
Editorial & Long-Form WritingCopywritingBrand Voice Development
Platforms & Tools
InstagramLinkedInFacebookXTikTokYouTubeMailchimpMeta Business SuiteWordPressAdobe Creative Suite
Education
- NC State UniversityMaster of Business Administration (part-time) · 2025–Present
- NC State UniversityB.A., Communication (Public Relations) · 2015–2018
- Wake Technical Community College2013–2015
- Hallmark Institute of PhotographyTrade Certification, Photography · 2007–2008
Services
Strategic communications & social media services.
A connected practice across strategy, social, production, and editorial — so a single creative thread runs from campaign premise to finished work.
Editorial Writing
Long-form writing, copywriting, and editorial contributions for institutional publications, including regular work for Designlife Magazine and recruitment storytelling.
- Feature articles
- Copywriting
- Interviews & profiles
- Editorial photography
Photo & Video Production
Commercial photography, videography, and drone operation from concept and stakeholder interviews through editing and distribution — built in Premiere Pro, Lightroom, and the full Adobe Creative Suite.
- Photography
- Videography
- Drone operation
- Editing & delivery
Social Media Management
Cross-platform content planning and community growth across Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, X, TikTok, and YouTube — blending paid and organic tactics to grow audiences and sustain engagement.
- Platform strategy
- Content production
- Community management
- Paid + organic reporting
Content & Brand Strategy
Translate institutional priorities into an integrated editorial and campaign calendar, with a defined brand voice, visual standards, and measurable goals that align cross-functional stakeholders.
- Editorial calendar
- Brand voice & style guide
- Campaign briefs
- Performance dashboards
04 — Experience
2019 – Present
Digital Content & Social Media Specialist
NC State College of Design — Raleigh, NC
- Own cross-platform content strategy (Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, X, YouTube) for the College of Design, translating priorities from four academic departments and college leadership into a unified editorial and campaign calendar.
- Grew the college's combined social audience more than 2× since 2020 (9,749 → 19,645 followers), including 7× growth on LinkedIn and 80% growth on Instagram — driving 1.28M+ combined impressions and 319,494 organic Instagram profile reach in the past year.
- Conceived, produced, and directed NC State Creatives, a short-form video series spotlighting student voices to support recruitment and retention.
- Directed creative strategy for the 2026 Day of Giving campaign — 57,578 reach and a 17.1% engagement rate on Instagram; donor participation grew to 297 gifts and total raised grew to $3.37M (up from $193,688 the prior year).
- Supervise and train PEP-funded student content creators, setting workflows, editorial voice standards, and quality expectations.
- Serve as primary photographer and video producer, running the full creative pipeline from concept and stakeholder interviews through production, editing, and distribution.
2008 – 2019
Founder — Photography, Video & Communications Consulting
Cohen Studios — Raleigh, NC
- Built and ran an independent creative consultancy serving clients across dozens of industries — owning business development, client strategy, and creative delivery end to end.
- Delivered commercial photography and video production for enterprise clients including Cree Lighting, Wolfspeed, and Lenovo.
- Managed social media strategy and content for small-business clients across construction and hospitality.
2018
Marketing & Communications Intern
Cree Lighting — Durham, NC
- Wrote, edited, and distributed a weekly internal newsletter to improve internal communications.
- Designed executive-facing presentations and developed a concept and wireframe for a mobile-first internal news platform.
2016 – 2019
Marketing & Communications Volunteer
Wake Education Partnership — Raleigh, NC
- Produced video, photo, and design collateral for digital and print marketing campaigns.
- Collaborated with the Marketing Advisory Board on campaign strategy and organized school funding data to support outreach.
2011 – 2013
Product Photographer
The Upper Deck Company — Durham, NC
- Photographed high-value sports memorabilia for web and archival use; maintained image and workflow systems.
05 — Contact
© 2026 Max Cohen — Strategic Communications & Visual StorytellingSpring Hope, NC · Available for select projects
More from the feed — produced for the College of Design.