ROOT CAUSE
Positioning an Organization on the National Stage

Root Cause, a Cambridge-based organization,
is a leader in knowledge sharing, consulting,
and network-building for social entrepreneurs.

The organization recognized that it was facing increasing competition as well as opportunities for growth and sought a communications strategy that would distinguish it from others in the field, enhance its reputation, and raise its visibility as an opinion leader in social innovation.

SM& tackled the challenge by first conducting a deep communications audit and messaging session, which identified the strengths and weaknesses of Root Cause’s current communications structure. Armed with this knowledge, SM& made strategic recommendations and developed a plan that would highlight Root Cause’s particularly unique activities: namely their work engaging elected officials educating philanthropic investors and coaching select social entrepreneurs. The next six months we created and executed an intensive thought leadership tour and event support around partnerships with the Federal Small Business Association’s Office of Advocacy and the Aspen Institute. We introduced founder and CEO Andrew Wolk to key reporters in national media, including the Wall Street Journal and Business Week, to influencers in social media such as those at Social Edge, as well as to important thought leaders across sectors, from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government’s Center for Public Leadership to CEOs for Cities, a national nonpartisan organization dedicated to innovating successful cities. Our thought leadership campaign resulted in the foundations for strong relationships in media and elsewhere. Combined with our nimble and persistent media outreach, Root Cause soon appeared in national, local, trade and online publications including the New York Times, Boston Globe, and the Chronicle of Philanthropy.