Keystage Housing.

The Brief

Keystage Housing is a UK-based charity providing supported accommodation for individuals facing homelessness. Despite their life-changing work, Keystage struggled with low awareness online, an outdated digital presence and growing community concerns around the locations of their housing projects. The charity needed a communications overhaul to better reflect its mission, engage key stakeholders and respond effectively to local opposition and stigma.

Keystage engaged us to support with a broad and ambitious brief:
● Rebrand the organisation to reflect its values and social impact
● Design a new, user-friendly website
● Write all content for the site, including service information and human-focused stories
● Lead proactive and crisis media relations
● Support engagement with local MPs and community leaders to improve public understanding and political support

Approach

Marketing Harmony began with an in-depth brand discovery process, involving workshops with staff and service users to understand Keystage’s values, challenges and audience needs. The insights shaped a thoughtful rebrand, including a new visual identity, messaging framework and tone of voice that was professional, compassionate and accessible for all audiences.

The new website placed people at its heart and featured real-life stories from guests and staff, easy-to-navigate service pages, and clear calls to action for funders, volunteers, and referral agencies. All content was written by Marketing Harmony, ensuring consistency in voice and alignment with the refreshed brand.

To reposition Keystage in the public eye, Marketing Harmony led on media relations. We developed press releases, securing positive news coverage, and writing thought leadership articles. When local concerns emerged about new housing placements, we implemented a crisis communications plan, including Q&As and statements that addressed issues with transparency and empathy. We also advised on radio interviews as well as frontline community briefings.

Recognising the importance of political advocacy, Marketing Harmony also worked closely with Keystage to engage with local MPs. This included advising on site visits, preparing tailored briefing materials for council meetings and aligning messaging with local policy priorities to build credibility and support.

The result?

The transformation was both immediate and lasting. Keystage’s new brand and website received good feedback from service users, partners, and the wider public. The human-first content strategy helped reframe perceptions of homelessness, which allowed for a deeper understanding and increased empathy, helping to reduce the resistance from communities near the housing projects. Media relations balanced damage control and proactive storytelling, and political engagement allowed Keystage to gain stronger support from local MPs.

Marketing Harmony’s integrated approach helped Keystage Housing become a confident, credible voice in the homelessness sector in and around Hertfordshire, strengthening its reputation, deepening trust with communities, and continuing to transform lives for the better.