CASE STUDY
Ending the Developmental Disabilities Services Waitlist
The Legislature appropriated funds to end the wait! We reversed online sentiment, turned naysayers into advocates and built momentum for the legislative investment the agency desperately needed.
Oklahoma Human Services
Oklahoma Human Services is a state agency that helps more than one million Oklahomans each year across a wide range of services including food assistance, child support, child care, reporting abuse, disabilities services and caretaker needs among others.
The Ask
Candor and Oklahoma Human Services embarked upon a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to end the 13-year waitlist for Developmental Disabilities Services (DDS) for more than 5,100 Oklahomans.
Candor was retained to manage messaging for a $30 million legislative budget request and related waitlist communications.
The Campaign
To combat negative public sentiment, we emphasized Oklahoma Human Services’ new leadership team, communicated proactively and focused on radical transparency by literally sharing the strategy for ending the wait.
Candor launched a multi-pronged campaign about efforts to end the wait by leveraging earned media, email marketing, social media advertising and video content.
Ending the Wait
The biggest indicator of success was the Legislature appropriated funds to end the wait!
We reversed online sentiment, turned naysayers into advocates and built momentum for the legislative investment the agency desperately needed.
