FROM CONTROVERSY TO CONSENSUS
Mobilizing digital support to reinstate critical funding for Miami’s 10-mile linear park and urban trail.
Project Snapshot
Client
The Underline
The Underline
IndustryNon-Profit / Urban Infrastructure
Services ProvidedCrisis Management, Google Ad Grant Management, Content Creation
Key ResultsFunding Reinstated & 10% Follower Growth
The Challenge
A Vision at Risk
As Phase 2 of construction began, The Underline faced a perfect storm. Local officials and community members raised sharp concerns about construction impacts, leading the City of Miami Commission to threaten a complete funding freeze.
Simultaneously, the organization lost its internal digital marketer, leaving a communications vacuum just as public scrutiny peaked. They needed an immediate strategy to:
Address valid community concerns transparently.
Mobilize supporters to advocate for funding reinstatement.
Continue driving attendance and donations despite the political noise.
Key Obstacles:
- ✕Hazardous Urban Intersections: Navigating over 30 high-traffic intersections across a 10-mile corridor presented significant safety risks. Creating safe, intuitive crossings for pedestrians and cyclists in a county with high accident rates required revolutionary redesigns of traditional traffic flow.
- ✕Existing Infrastructure Constraints: Building beneath the elevated Metrorail guideway meant working within narrow, pre-determined footprints. Designers had to account for low-clearance areas, massive concrete columns, and the need to maintain access for transit maintenance and emergency vehicles.
- ✕Harsh Environmental Conditions: The site suffered from the “Urban Heat Island” effect, localized flooding, and poor soil quality. Transforming “leftover” industrial land into a resilient green space required extensive native plantings to manage stormwater and light-colored materials to reduce surface temperatures.
The Strategy
The “Voices of Value” Campaign
We countered the political narrative with human stories. We produced video testimonials featuring diverse stakeholders—residents, business owners, and cyclists—explaining why The Underline was essential to their daily lives. These “Storytelling Videos” were strategically released to coincide with Commission meetings, flooding the digital space with positive sentiment.
Real-Time Crisis Monitoring
We didn’t just post; we listened. During Commission meetings, we performed live social sentiment monitoring, allowing us to adjust our messaging in real-time to address the specific concerns raised by officials on the dais. This agility ensured our supporters were armed with facts, not rhetoric.
Data-Driven Recruitment
We didn’t just post for engagement; we posted for enrollment. By tracking user journeys, we identified that social media was often the “last stop” before an application. We optimized content to answer specific prospective student anxieties (e.g., “What is dorm life really like?”), directly influencing the decision-making process for over 900 applicants.
The Results
100%
Funding Reinstated
$10,000
Monthly Ad Budget
10%
Follower Growth
Paving the Way Forward
The campaign turned the tide. By amplifying the voices of the community and maintaining a steady stream of educational content (construction updates, event photos), Ingage helped The Underline secure its financial future. The project has since continued its expansion, transforming the land below the Metrorail into a world-class public art destination.
Featured Coverage:
- The New York Times
- Miami Herald
- Forbes
- WLRN
Visual Proof / Media Gallery
Client Testimonial
“Ingage stepped in during a critical transition and didn’t miss a beat. Their ability to manage the political sensitivity of our funding battle while simultaneously driving attendance to our events was exactly the dual-track strategy we needed.”
— The Underline Leadership
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