Community Corporation of Santa Monica
Message Development for an Affordable Housing Leader
Media strategy, message development and public affairs support.
Situation
Community Corporation of Santa Monica is one of Southern California’s largest and most innovative non-profit developers of affordable housing. Despite its 30-year track record of creating properties that change lives and improve neighborhoods, the organization’s transformative work was often misunderstood and mischaracterized by Santa Monica residents and unknown in the broader region. Community Corp.’s Board sought to undertake a major public repositioning that would better convey the organization’s story to its neighbors — and make the case for affordable housing in Santa Monica and beyond.
Approach
Miller Ink led Community Corp. in a rebranding and message development process. We reimagined the organization’s tagline, logo, and website — and launched a new media and public engagement strategy designed to emphasize Community Corp.’s central contribution in making Santa Monica an inclusive, caring, and environmentally sustainable city.
Impact
Community Corp. became the leader of a wide-ranging local coalition to advocate for affordable housing and related social justice issues, successfully passing a new measure to fund affordable housing in Santa Monica. Community Corp. organized a new column, “Westside Together,” in the Santa Monica Daily Press, which created an unprecedented opportunity for it and likeminded community organizations to bring visibility to the power of their social justice work for local residents. At the same time, we built active Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts for the organization, establishing Community Corp. as a unifying center for those who support affordable housing.
