The Challenge

While Communia’s mission resonated deeply with its growing community, the brand faced challenges common to early-stage, purpose-driven platforms:

• Founder Visibility — Olivia’s personal story was powerful, but not yet widely known outside the community

   

• Credibility at Scale — Elevating Communia’s mission in trusted media environments rather than social-only spaces

   

• Issue-Driven Storytelling — Addressing online harassment, women’s safety, and digital wellbeing without sounding reactive or sensational

   

The goal was to position Communia as part of a larger cultural conversation — and Olivia DeRamus as a thoughtful, credible voice on women’s online experiences.

Objectives

• Secure earned media coverage highlighting Communia’s mission and origin story

   

• Position Olivia DeRamus as a founder and expert voice on online harassment, women’s safety, and digital community building

   

• Build third-party credibility through founder interviews and expert commentary

   

• Increase awareness of Communia among women seeking safer online spaces

   

The PR Strategy

The Sprout PR implemented a founder-led earned media strategy centred on authenticity, lived experience, and issue-driven thought leadership.

Key initiatives included:

• Positioning Olivia DeRamus as a founder-expert drawing from personal experience with online abuse and digital harm

   

• Securing interview opportunities that allowed Olivia to share Communia’s origin story in her own words

   

• Placing expert commentary in relevant outlets covering women’s issues, mental health, and online culture

   

• Framing Communia as a proactive solution — not just a reaction to social media toxicity

   

• Ensuring all messaging remained empathetic, empowering, and community-first

   

This approach allowed Communia to show up in media conversations as a safe, credible alternative to traditional social platforms.

Prominent Earned Media Coverage

As part of the campaign, The Sprout PR secured founder interviews and expert commentary that highlighted both Olivia’s story and Communia’s mission.

Notable placements included:

Coverage reinforced Communia’s positioning as a founder-led platform rooted in empathy, resilience, and community care.

Impact

Through earned media and founder storytelling, Communia achieved:

• Increased visibility for its mission beyond owned and social channels

   

• Stronger credibility through third-party founder features

   

• Elevated awareness of online harassment as a real issue affecting women

   

• Clear positioning of Olivia DeRamus as a thoughtful voice on digital safety and community building

   

• Greater resonance with women seeking meaningful, supportive online connections

   

Rather than focusing on platform mechanics, the campaign centred on human experience — building trust through authenticity.

Why It Worked

The campaign succeeded because it didn’t separate the founder from the mission. By allowing Olivia DeRamus to speak candidly about her experiences and the need for safer spaces, Communia’s story felt real, necessary, and timely — exactly what editors and readers respond to.

Conclusion

This case study highlights how founder-led PR can elevate a purpose-driven brand into broader cultural conversations. By positioning Olivia DeRamus as both a founder and advocate, The Sprout PR helped Communia gain visibility, credibility, and momentum as a platform redefining what online community can look like for women.