Brand Authority Through Mission-Aligned Storytelling

Union Station Homeless Services, the San Gabriel Valley's largest social service agency, needed to expand their influence beyond regional service provision to become a national voice in homelessness advocacy. The organization needed a strategy that educated the public, dismantled myths, and elevated their CEO as a national thought leader — without compromising their 97% housing retention credibility.

The Challenge

🎯 Content Strategy Development

I collaborated with Union Station's communications team to develop "Changing the Narrative," a podcast strategy designed to transform organizational positioning from local service provider to national advocacy platform. The strategy centered on authentic storytelling that would resonate with multiple stakeholder groups.

Audience Segmentation & Messaging Architecture

  • Primary Audience: Policy makers, nonprofit leaders, housing advocates

  • Secondary Audience: Community members, potential donors, other service providers

  • Core Message: "Together, we can be the solution we want to see in our communities"

  • Supporting Themes: Housing First effectiveness, lived experience expertise, community collaboration

Multi-Platform Integration Strategy

I helped design a comprehensive content ecosystem leveraging podcast as anchor content with social media amplification, email marketing to subscribers, and board network activation through strategic toolkits.

Key Insight

Cause-driven content succeeds when it prioritizes community voice, aligns with organizational values, and builds sustainable systems that expand influence without compromising mission.

📈 Implementation & Results

Content Production Excellence

  • Format Development: Interview-based episodes featuring national experts and lived experience voices

  • Guest Strategy: Secured high-profile guests including executives from National Alliance to End Homelessness, RAND Corporation, and U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness

  • Content Calendar: Structured season arcs around key advocacy themes

Measurable Performance Outcomes

  • Top 50% performance on Buzzsprout platform

  • 70% of listeners outside regional area across 379 cities in 14 countries

  • Successful national advertising campaign driving significant traffic to Season 2 launch

  • High email engagement rates exceeding industry standards

Strategic Business Impact

  • National Recognition: Union Station invited to speak at National Alliance to End Homelessness Conference

  • Media Authority: Selected as official spokesperson for City of Pasadena during Annual Point in Time Homeless Count

  • Thought Leadership: CEO positioned as national expert in homelessness advocacy

🤝 Cross-Functional Collaboration

Stakeholder Integration 

I worked across multiple organizational functions to ensure content alignment:

  • Lived Expertise Advisory Panel (LEAP): Integrated community voices to guide guest selection and advocacy priorities

  • Development Team: Aligned content with fundraising objectives and donor engagement

  • Communications Department: Coordinated social media, email marketing, and promotional strategies

Community-Centered Approach

The strategy prioritized authentic representation by featuring staff with lived experience, including former clients who became organizational leaders. This approach reinforced the organization's values while creating compelling, credible content.

Innovation & Impact

Mission-Revenue Alignment

We maintained editorial independence by rejecting advertising or sponsorships, reinforcing organizational credibility while enabling mission-focused messaging that resonated with target audiences.

Amplification Through Strategic Partnerships

I contributed to creating promotional toolkits for guests and board members, allowing organic network expansion through existing relationships rather than additional media spend.

Brand Positioning Transformation

The podcast successfully repositioned Union Station from regional service provider to national thought leader, evidenced by speaking invitations at the National Alliance to End Homelessness Conference and selection as official media spokesperson for the City of Pasadena during the Annual Point in Time Homeless Count.

Sustainable Content Model

By building in-house production capabilities, we created a scalable content strategy that aligned with nonprofit budget constraints while maintaining professional quality that attracted high-profile guests and generated national attention.

Mission-driven organizations can leverage authentic storytelling to build national authority and influence policy conversations. The success came from aligning content strategy with organizational values, prioritizing community voices, and maintaining consistent quality while scaling impact beyond traditional geographic boundaries.

Key Takeaways

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