When a Community Only Knows Part of the Story

How BDI helped Union Gospel Mission Twin Cities reach new audiences and expand public understanding of their work through a strategic brand awareness campaign. 

The Challenge

Most Rescue Missions have heard some version of this during a tour: “I had no idea you did all this!” It is a revealing moment, and often a sign that the community knows only one part of the organization’s story.

Union Gospel Mission Twin Cities (UGMTC) was facing that same challenge. Many people knew the Mission for meals, shelter and its Thanksgiving outreach. But they didn’t understand the full scope of its work or its role in helping people move beyond homelessness.

UGMTC needed to reach new audiences, shift public perception and build greater awareness before those audiences could be invited into deeper engagement and future generosity.

Audience Research

BDI began with audience research and social listening to understand what people already believed about homelessness, how they viewed UGMTC and where perceptions needed to change.

The research revealed an opportunity to challenge common assumptions about homelessness while presenting a more complete picture of UGMTC’s services, impact and role in the Twin Cities community.

The Solution

BDI created Interrupt Homelessness, a brand awareness campaign designed to challenge assumptions and tell a more complete story of the Mission.

The integrated campaign combined research-backed messaging with a bold creative platform across digital and traditional media. Each element was designed to build trust, increase relevance and invite supporters to reconsider both homelessness and the Mission’s role in the community. 

By increasing understanding and reaching new audiences, the campaign expanded awareness for the Mission, creating a stronger foundation for future advocacy, volunteering, engagement and generosity.

The Results

Interrupt Homelessness helped UGMTC reach new audiences, strengthen community awareness and create meaningful engagement across the Twin Cities.

This campaign successfully introduced Union Gospel Mission Twin Cities to a substantially larger audience, encouraged people to explore the organization’s work and strengthened public understanding of its role in addressing homelessness.

By helping more people see the full scope of the Mission, Interrupt Homelessness created a stronger starting point for future community involvement, donor engagement and long-term generosity.