Revamping United Way Bay Area's Public Image
Focus Areas: Poverty, Economic Justice, Housing, Hunger, Workforce, Philanthropy, Policy Advocacy
EMC Communications' messaging chops and PR strategy are heads and shoulders above anyone else. We love working with your team to elevate our mission and voice in order to mobilize the Bay Area to assist people living in poverty and to dismantle the root causes of poverty.
Opportunity
In 2021, United Way Bay Area, a 100-year-old nonprofit organization, was under new leadership for the first time in a generation. The board of directors set a new strategic path for the organization to pursue housing justice in the region and elevate its voice as a policy advocate, while continuing to mobilize the Bay Area to assist people living in poverty. To achieve this, the organization partnered with EMC Communications to develop fresh messaging and a new earned media and thought leadership strategy to align its voice with the issues of today.
EMC Communications provides comprehensive communications support to United Way Bay Area, developing media strategies to promote key organization initiatives, crafting messages, and managing media relations to bolster awareness and support fundraising and policy advocacy goals. EMC Communications played a crucial role in promoting United Way Bay Area’s reputation as a leader confronting poverty in the Bay Area.
Results so far
- 150 media placements across local, national, and philanthropy trade media, reaching over 23.4 million people last year
- 25 radio appearances (KQED and KCBS)
- 60 TV segments (local and national broadcasts: NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox, Telemundo, Univision)
- 3 op-eds (San Francisco Chronicle, San Jose Mercury News, and Alliance Magazine)
- 1 Letter to the Editor (The New York Times).
Earned Media Summary
EMC’s media relations efforts secured coverage in local and national outlets like KTVU, KCBS, The New York Times, Forbes, Inside Philanthropy, and Alliance magazine. This coverage raised public awareness of social justice issues, highlighted United Way Bay Area’s poverty-fighting programs and Housing Justice grants, and positioned the organization as a leading voice for social justice and poverty alleviation. EMC’s partnership with United Way Bay Area helped amplify their message, engage new audiences, and increase their impact in the community
Conclusion
EMC Communications successfully built awareness, trust, and affinity for United Way Bay Area among its target audiences by targeting a mix of national, regional, and local outlets across broadcast television, radio, print, and podcasts. From informational to persuasive coverage, EMC saturated the local media market with United Way Bay Area’s voice as a trusted source for timely information and a thought leader with solutions to the most pressing issues affecting the community. EMC Communications strengthened United Way Bay Area’s positive name recognition, trust, and affinity with its target audiences.
