Ruth Braunstein
Launching a leading sociologist’s next chapter
An award-winning sociologist currently at Johns Hopkins University’s SNF Agora Institute, Ruth Braunstein studies how religion, politics, and money shape American democracy.
Ahead of a new book and podcast release, I helped her develop her digital brand and build a platform that could reach audiences beyond academia.
Skills & Specialties
Content Strategy & Editorial Direction · Digital Strategy · Social Media
Unifying layers of expertise into a cohesive thought leadership brand
Opportunity
Ruth Braunstein was preparing to release two major projects at once: My Tax Dollars, an academic book on the moral politics of taxpaying, and When the Wolves Came, a documentary podcast about evangelicals resisting Christian nationalism aimed at a broader public. Both spoke to the larger questions at the heart of her work, but she didn’t have the right place to promote them or unify them.
An old CV website wasn’t going to have the right impact.
She needed a digital identity that could present complex ideas clearly, connect the different strands of her work, and welcome readers far beyond academia.
Work
During an early conversation, Ruth casually remarked, “Democracy is hard” — and a lightbulb went off for me. That phrase would be the foundation for her new brand.
I helped her build Democracy Is Hard from the ground up by:
Designing and building the Substack as its primary home
Shaping the editorial point of view, structure, and format
Hiring and directing a designer to create the logo and visual identity
Creating visual assets and translating Substack essays into social-friendly formats
Designing a modern website to house her work and accolades
Guiding her LinkedIn strategy to reach both academic and general audiences
Impact
Ruth now has a unified digital presence that makes her work clearer and more accessible to a wider audience.
Democracy Is Hard continues to grow and has been recommended by respected voices including Jemar Tisby, Jim Wallis, and Kristin Kobes Du Mez, helping her reach new readers beyond academic circles.
The platform also mobilized supporters to vote for When the Wolves Came in the Signal Awards, contributing to the podcast’s Gold win. The podcast was also named among the 20 best podcasts of the year by The Atlantic.