A massive social welfare firm recently found itself in the crosshairs of public opinion. Trust is practically vaporized, and their reputation is hanging on a thread.

The good image of the brand must be rebuilt. Accountability, transparency, and openness to investigation by the firm have all been meticulously laid out. But these efforts are only half the battle.

I was brought in to help them regain visibility and trust, not with a PR spin, but with the truth.

And if it does not go well, what’s at stake? The beneficiaries.

The public mistrust for the firm means mistrust on the firm’s products, which in not only would stop revenues but also stop the support it gives to millions (yes, millions!) of underprivileged folks counting on aid. Caseworkers were whispering about layoffs. The very reason why the firm was established in the first place.

The Firm’s Playbook

Glossy TV ads, CEO soundbites, high-profile interviews.

The campaign aimed to reach lots of paid media: national TV, radio, outdoor, web, social, you name it. This has always worked for the firm. These were catalyst to their survival from another hurricane some 15-20 years ago.

Oh, did I mention budget? Their budget was big! They know it’s serious and expensive.

But this time, it was a different game. Their traditional methods especially ads placements were out of the question. And with the nature of this crisis, this would also come across as inauthentic. The public will not be buying the old-school tactics anymore. They wanted raw, real, and transparent.

The challenge was clear: communicate their value that hits home with a skeptical audience.

From the Ground Up

Needing a game-changer, the script was flipped.

No suits, no studio lights. It was the turn of the heart of the firm: caseworkers, volunteers, and beneficiaries. The one’s on ground take centerstage.

They were encouraged to share their experiences straight to social media. And taking it to socials they did—unfiltered Instagram Stories, quick posts, no PR polish. A volunteer shared a food drive clip. Others simply shared Instagram stories documenting their time at the mobile clinics. Giving outsiders unfiltered glimpses of the real work happening on the ground, from the people on the ground.

Raw, messy, and real user-generated content doing its thing.

The firm followed suit. Ditching the glossy commercials and exec interviews for stories featuring volunteers and staff working tirelessly on the ground. One showed a caseworker sorting aid at 2 a.m., coffee in hand. Another had a volunteer hugging a grateful client. These weren’t defenses; they were proof. Allowing the public to see the human side of the firm’s efforts.

Why It Worked

Real voices hit harder than ads. This is social proof at work.

When a caseworker’s post went viral, it wasn’t just a story—it was trust rebuilt. The unpolished clips branded the firm as human, not a faceless giant. (Read: Crisis communication). Social media users usually love the raw posts. Hence the algorithm pushing them to thousands. Within weeks, the public sentiment shifted.

This shift in communication strategy aimed to rebuild trust by highlighting the impact of the firm’s work, instead on going on the defensive with the exec interviews. It makes the audience see real people delivering and receiving support, from the people they can relate to.

Here’s the kicker: staff felt seen too. Sharing their work eased fears of cuts, boosting morale. Beneficiaries, once skeptical, started posting thanks. It wasn’t perfect, but it was progress.

The Win That Kept Going

While the specific details of the campaign’s success cannot be disclosed due to this somebody’s NDA, it’s safe to say that the firm weathered the storm and emerged stronger.

The firm is now safe from the worst case scenario - being dissolved.

Trust wasn’t fully back, but it was climbing. The campaign’s stories—caseworkers, kids, volunteers—became the firm’s new norm. This approach is now reflective of the firm’s vision and mission. They didn’t need million-dollar ads anymore; real voices carried the weight. And the budget? Slashed, with better results.

This wasn’t just a save, it was a shift. The firm learned to let stakeholders lead. Now, their posts reflect the mission: help people, show it unedited.

📌 Mentioned Elsewhere