Challenge
Red Banyan was engaged by a city in South Carolina after reporters from USA Today and the local newspaper began investigating a multi-part series examining the city’s rapid growth, affordable housing shortage, and the impact of neighborhood redevelopment on the city’s long-time Black residents. The reporting team requested interviews with the City Manager and Mayor, signaling that the city’s leadership and development decisions would be placed under national scrutiny ahead of publication.
Action
Red Banyan built a comprehensive media strategy to prepare the Mayor’s office for the story’s release. The team developed core messaging and talking points anchored around the city’s ongoing investment in affordable housing and neighborhood stabilization, drawing on data from the City’s Housing Fund and the broader “Neighborhoods First” initiatives. Red Banyan also identified trusted local voices who could speak credibly to the city’s community-development efforts.
Ahead of and throughout the reporting process, Red Banyan communicated directly with the investigative team, helping the Mayor’s office anticipate lines of questioning and respond with substantiated, on-the-record information about the city’s affordable housing investments. The team also prepared a response framework — including a tiered set of statements — so the city could react quickly and appropriately regardless of the story’s ultimate tone.
Impact
Red Banyan helped the City navigate this high-stakes media moment and ensure its perspective and actions — including its investment in affordable housing and its neighborhood stabilization strategy — were represented directly in the resulting media coverage, rather than being defined solely by outside critics. The Mayor’s office entered a high-profile national story fully prepared, with proactive talking points, vetted third-party validators, and a monitoring plan in place to respond swiftly to any public reaction following publication.