Our team built a clear, fact-based narrative that explained the history, the digital pivot, and the commitments ahead in plain English. We equipped leadership with media training, message maps, and Q&A documents to handle difficult questions transparently and within legal guardrails. Stakeholder-specific communications were drafted for members, employees, community leaders, and local officials, each emphasizing safety of deposits, service continuity, and expanded access initiatives. On the media side, we prioritized proactive engagement with key local outlets to ensure accurate, balanced coverage and offered on-the-record context at critical moments. National outreach was intentionally restrained; we remained responsive to inbound requests with vetted statements. In parallel, owned channels carried authoritative updates, and social listening informed rapid clarifications to keep conversation grounded in facts.

Results

The program achieved neutral, fact-based local coverage, limited national pickup (including a measured Morningstar mention), and minimal member and social media reaction — signals that trust was preserved and messaging landed as intended. Internally, aligned talking points improved confidence and reduced rumor risk. Externally, Citadel maintained credibility through a high-risk period and set a forward-looking framework to communicate access, inclusion, and community investment across its footprint.