COVID Pivot Strategy: From Onsite Programming to International Impact

COVID Pivot Strategy: From Onsite Programming to International Impact

by Melinda Folse Case Studies

From Shutdown to Surge: Pandemic Pivot Drives Record Engagement

Summary:
I led a multi-channel messaging strategy during the COVID-19 shutdown that transformed a complex, multi-tiered, public-facing entity into a digital engagement, support, education, and entertainment platform, expanding its reach to national and international audiences with exponentially increased web traffic and online engagement.

Challenge / Need:
When the pandemic halted all in-person programming, the organization faced a sudden gap in public engagement, education, and service delivery. Leadership needed a fast and comprehensive plan to transition everything online—while maintaining accessibility across generations.

Strategic Approach:
I assessed the existing communications landscape and developed a two-phase strategy: (1) immediate digital reformatting of core services and (2) proactive educational content to guide users through the transition.

Execution:
I wrote and managed a comprehensive content rollout—email campaigns, website updates, social posts, educational materials, and public service videos. These were crafted in multigenerational voices, bridging gaps between tech-fluent users and older or underserved audiences.

Results:
The organization saw record-breaking digital traffic and a sharp rise in community engagement. Their content was shared widely and reached national and international followers—far beyond its original local footprint.

Internal Communications Manifesto: Rebuilding Trust from the Inside Out

Internal Communications Manifesto: Rebuilding Trust from the Inside Out

by Melinda Folse Case Studies

Bridging the Leadership Divide: Communications Strategy to Rebuild Internal Trust

Summary:
Tasked with working with senior management and the internal communications team of a major health network to restore transparency and credibility during an internal culture crisis, I developed a comprehensive internal communications strategy to reconnect and restore transparency and trust between executive leadership and clinicians and staff.

Challenge / Need:
Amid downsizing and morale erosion, middle managers and frontline staff felt disconnected and disillusioned. Leadership acknowledged the problem but lacked a structured way to reestablish trust and convey long-term transparency.

Strategic Approach:
I created a multi-phase internal communications blueprint that began with discovery interviews and audience segmentation, leading to a robust messaging strategy backed by voice-aligned templates and feedback mechanisms.

Execution:
I delivered a full internal communications toolkit: talking points, email campaigns, a manifesto aligning values with transparency goals, and a set of measurement tools to track engagement and sentiment. The plan included a brand voice elaborative and implementation guides.

Results:
The strategy was enthusiastically approved by executive leadership and prepared for rollout—before it was halted by an ironic, sudden mass layoff that confirmed the very staff concerns we aimed to address. Even in suspension, the blueprint was seen as a valuable framework for future use.

Health & Safety Smear Campaign Response

Health & Safety Smear Campaign Response

by Melinda Folse Case Studies

Crisis Messaging Strategy That Rebuilt Credibility and Protected Leadership

Context

After a serious health and safety incident triggered an online firestorm of misinformation, I partnered with executive leadership to develop and execute a voice-forward crisis response strategy. The incident—amplified by digital word-of-mouth and weaponized social channels—escalated quickly into a reputational threat across multiple audiences.

Challenge

Anonymous individuals and online groups launched a coordinated smear campaign via social media, third-party review platforms, and a targeted paid ad initiative designed to misrepresent the facts. False claims questioning the organization’s safety protocols and leadership competence spread rapidly, triggering concern among stakeholders and internal unrest. The situation demanded swift, credible, and emotionally intelligent communications to contain the damage and preserve trust.

This crisis involved genuine health-related risk, making fact-based clarity, legal precision, and empathetic tone non-negotiable.

Strategic Role & Approach

Collaborating with senior leadership and legal counsel, I built a messaging framework that balanced legal precision with human-centered clarity. I guided tone and content across platforms, ensuring our response acknowledged public concern while correcting the record without escalating hostilities.

Key responsibilities included:
  • Rapid synthesis of complex health and safety data
  • Strategic ghostwriting of internal updates, leadership messages, and public statements
  • Legal vetting and alignment with risk management priorities
  • Cross-platform publishing strategy (email, social, web, and press)
  • Execution of voice-forward messaging under pressure
Execution

I led the creation of a full communications suite tailored to three distinct audiences:

  • Public messaging to neutralize misinformation
  • Stakeholder communication to reaffirm credibility and transparency
  • Internal updates to anchor team morale and reinforce leadership alignment

The messaging cadence was carefully timed to avoid escalation while positioning leadership as informed, proactive, and responsible.

Outcomes
  • The smear campaign lost momentum within days
  • Misinformation was publicly corrected and replaced by balanced commentary
  • The organization’s response was professionally recognized for its tone, structure, and clarity
  • Stakeholder confidence was restored through clear, consistent updates
  • Internal trust rebounded as the team felt aligned with transparent leadership
  • The organization implemented new protocols to elevate future readiness and public-facing accountability

 

Protest Preparedness & Onsite Media Strategy

Protest Preparedness & Onsite Media Strategy

by Melinda Folse Case Studies

Turning Tension Into Trust: Coordinated Response Plan Neutralizes High-Stakes Public Threat

Summary:
In a volatile public environment, I collaborated with senior leadership and security teams of a large public-facing non-profit organization to develop and implement a comprehensive messaging, security, and media communications strategy for an organization under protest threat.

Challenge / Need:
The organization was targeted by hostile protestors threatening disruption of family- and child-centered public programs. Leadership needed a comprehensive, real-time plan to ensure safety, deliver consistent messaging, and preserve credibility across law enforcement, media, and the public.

Strategic Approach:
I facilitated a fast-turnaround messaging and security planning process—aligning executives, internal staff, and law enforcement in coordinated preparation. This included risk assessment, development of staff talking points, and scenario planning.

Execution:
I led communication efforts in collaboration with leadership, police, and Homeland Security—creating talking points, staff briefings, press response templates, and safety protocols. I remained on site through the execution window to provide adaptive messaging guidance as situations evolved.

Results:
The protest was de-escalated peacefully, media coverage was accurate and constructive, and the organization’s trust with the community was preserved. Senior leadership praised the operation as a model for future communications under duress.

Story-Driven Capital Campaign Aligns Stakeholders & Sparks Giving

Story-Driven Capital Campaign Aligns Stakeholders & Sparks Giving

by Melinda Folse Case Studies

Summary:
I developed a strategic storytelling content plan for a $15 million, two-year capital campaign for a $10.6 million non-profit organization aligned with its long-term strategic plan—bridging the voice of executive leadership with the framework of an external fundraising firm to drive donor confidence and results.

Challenge / Need:
The leadership team was struggling to articulate a unified vision that resonated with diverse donor profiles. Messaging needed to reflect internal values, external fundraising strategy, and individualized appeal.

Strategic Approach:
I collaborated closely with senior leadership and the outside campaign firm to identify narrative anchors and shape messaging pillars for every communication touchpoint.

Execution:
I wrote and managed the production of a comprehensive suite of content assets—comprising written, visual, and video content. These included donor-facing letters, board materials, personalized appeals, and internal guidance tools to help leaders and spokespeople stay aligned on tone and message.

Results:
The resulting materials created a cohesive, emotionally resonant appeal. Executive leaders reported feeling “seen” in the final content, and donor engagement improved noticeably throughout the campaign period. Upon the vote of the trustees, the project was subsequently phased, and this campaign for Phase I was fully funded and completed.

Case Study: A Couple’s Perspective on Glioblastoma

Case Study: A Couple’s Perspective on Glioblastoma

by Melinda Folse Case Studies

Bridging the Gap: Melding the Clinical and Human Sides of a Terminal Glioblastoma Diagnosis

Summary:
As co-author of It All Belongs: Love, Loss, and Learning to Live Again, a narrative nonfiction book about a couple’s journey with glioblastoma multiforme, I helped transform a deeply personal medical journey—backed by rigorous clinical research—into a clear, compassionate, and accessible narrative for patients, families, and caregivers.

Challenge / Need:
Glioblastoma is a rare and devastating diagnosis, and the couple at the heart of this story wanted to share their experience with honesty, hope, and clarity to help others navigate a confusing and frightening medical landscape.

Strategic Approach:
Working closely with the client and his late wife as co-narrators through extensive personal interviews and their detailed journals, I synthesized their lived experiences with clinical data and physician-sourced information they obtained from The James Cancer Center at Ohio State University Medical Center. My role was to transform it all into a readable, emotionally engaging, and medically accurate story.

Execution:
I structured the book as a dual POV journey, interweaving treatment paths, emotional beats, and technical details in a way that made complex science and terminology approachable for lay readers—without diluting accuracy or agency—earning an Independent Publishers Book Awards Gold medal, Outstanding Book Award, “Most Original Concept.”

Results:
An award-winning book that continues to resonate with readers facing similar diagnoses. It All Belongs has been embraced by caregivers, support groups, oncology networks, and hospice workers as a resource for both emotional and practical guidance.

Winner of 2025 Illuminations Book Award for Christian Literature Gold Medal, Biography/Memoir – Inspiration
Winner of 2024 Nautilus Book Award, Silver medal, Death & Dying, Grief & Loss
Winner of 2024 Independent Publishers Book Awards Gold medal, Outstanding Book Award, “Most Original Concept”
Case Study: Sarcoma Survivor Story

Case Study: Sarcoma Survivor Story

by Melinda Folse Case Studies

Living Hope: Telling the Story of an Against-All-Odds Cancer Survival with Credibility and Care

Summary:
For a forthcoming collaborative memoir about a remarkable cancer journey and against-all-odds sarcoma survival, I wove medical and technical insights from some of the country’s leading oncology experts with personal reflections and anecdotes from multiple other perspectives to craft an accessible and inspiring story for general audiences of hope in the face of unthinkable fear.

Challenge / Need:
Sarcoma is a complex, lesser-known cancer with survival odds that are nothing short of frightening. To tell this patient’s story with medical fidelity and emotional resonance, I needed to weave together clinical nuance and compelling personal reflections from the human journey without compromising accuracy, to arrive at a captivating and engaging story of hope that encourages others faced with a challenging diagnosis.

Strategic Approach:
I approached each interview with informed and structured curiosity to earn the trust of a diverse range of clinical sources, including some of MD Anderson’s top oncology experts, while guiding them toward story-centric, accessible explanations. I then layered the medical commentary into a narrative framework that centered on the patient’s lived experience, as well as reflections and observations from friends and family.

Execution:
After conducting more than 43 personal interviews, I created a structure for this story, then worked through it section by section to develop scenes, interspersing narrative with dialogue, laced with medical “explainers” grounded in the real words of surgeons, oncologists, and researchers. Each section was built to preserve both medical integrity and reader accessibility to engage non-medical readers, including patients, families, and survivors, in a page-turning story that weaves its lessons and insights into a compelling narrative of hope.

Results:
The manuscript is complete and now under review by both clinicians, the patient, and beta readers to verify its honesty, clarity, and compassion. The goal is for physicians interviewed to agree to continued collaboration, affirming their respect for how their voices were represented.

Case Study: Sleep Lab Community Rollout

Case Study: Sleep Lab Community Rollout

by Melinda Folse Case Studies

Headline:
Waking Up Awareness: Launching a New Clinical Capability Through Story

Summary:
To support the introduction of a new hospital-based sleep lab for a 365-bed local hospital, I developed a messaging strategy and crafted content to educate physicians, engage skeptics, and help prospective patients understand the profound personal impact of untreated sleep disorders.

Challenge / Need:
The leadership team needed to communicate the importance of sleep studies to a broad audience, including physicians who weren’t yet convinced of its value, staff unfamiliar with its clinical operations, and community members with limited awareness.

Strategic Approach:
I began by interviewing stakeholders from all sides: the trustees who supported the initiative, clinical specialists and early adopters, as well as patients and their families. I then used these insights to guide an overall messaging strategy that balanced reader accessibility with medical authority and scientific credibility.

Execution:
I developed campaign materials including patient brochures, clinician Q&As, internal comms for hospital staff, and articles for local press. The goal was to build momentum from the inside out, focusing first on education, then public trust.

Results:
The new sleep center opened to strong early demand and high patient satisfaction. Several physicians who were initially skeptical became champions of the program, citing the clarity of the messaging and the positive patient outcomes.

Case Study: Gamma Knife Technology Storytelling

Case Study: Gamma Knife Technology Storytelling

by Melinda Folse Case Studies

Humanizing a Radiosurgery Breakthrough

Summary:
Partnering with a regional hospital system health foundation, I combined physician insights, board-level vision, and patient and family interviews to craft a compelling brand narrative that promoted and affirmed its new Gamma Knife program.

Challenge / Need:
The foundation had invested in cutting-edge neurosurgical technology but needed a storytelling strategy to help the public, donors, and referring physicians understand the game-changing value of the Gamma Knife’s non-invasive capabilities.

Strategic Approach:
I interviewed stakeholders at every level—lead physicians, board trustees, donors, patients, and families—to shape a multi-perspective narrative that bridged science and emotion while building trust in both the new program and the overall health system brand.

Execution:
Using narrative profiles, core messaging, and scientific data, I crafted an accessible and emotionally resonant story that highlighted the personal stakes for a patient and his family, as well as the clinical promise of this technology. The article first appeared in the Foundation’s print magazine and was later excerpted and quoted in various other materials, drawing from a “vault” of snippets and pull quotes I created for a variety of strategic purposes.

Results:
The story garnered numerous positive comments and donor enthusiasm, strengthened internal alignment, and generated favorable local media coverage, which helped position this medical center as a top-tier option for treating challenging brain conditions.

Case Study: Legacy Med Tech | Locking Trocar

Case Study: Legacy Med Tech | Locking Trocar

by Melinda Folse Case Studies

From Concept to Care: Presenting a Surgical Breakthrough Device with Clinician and Patient Voice

Summary:
For the introduction of a revolutionary medical device for a mid-sized med-tech startup company, a locking trocar for laparoscopic OB/GYN surgery, I crafted a clinician- and patient-informed content strategy that helped build early adoption and brand trust.

Challenge / Need:
The sales team promoting the trocar needed compelling language to articulate the device’s novel benefits, helping to encourage buy-in from skeptical or cautious early-stage adopters. This need called for product description and brand storytelling that blended clinical credibility with human resonance.

Strategic Approach:
I immersed myself in the facts, observing a simulated surgical procedure and asking questions of the physicians, interviewing the design team, and gathering insights from both early adopters and potential resisters. I then mapped out messaging angles that aligned with physician priorities, patient outcomes, and innovation credibility.

Execution:
After establishing a cohesive content strategy based on goals, priorities, and gathered information, I crafted a clear, authoritative resource document from which to craft a variety of written materials showcasing clinical application, quoting early adopters, and connecting outcomes to patient benefits. The content was adaptable for professional presentations, educational materials, and a sales campaign targeting physician leadership.

Results:
The product achieved strong early market traction with written content that “spoke doctor” without overselling. Interviews were archived and strategically repurposed to build and enhance credibility in publications, advertising, and sales support pieces.