A couple years after Keap’s rebrand, the world changed. COVID hit, and suddenly small business owners—the people at the heart of Keap’s mission—were facing impossible choices. Many were barely holding on. And while competitors were pushing discounts and features, what was really needed wasn’t a product pitch—it was solidarity. The brand needed to show up—not as a vendor, but as someone who understood what it felt like to fight through the uncertainty.

Approach

We didn’t want to do another hollow “We’re here for you” campaign. We wanted to reflect back what entrepreneurs were actually living through—and celebrate the grit it takes to keep going when the world stops.

That became the foundation for Big Grit—a storytelling campaign focused on real Keap customers who had navigated real hardship. We filmed on location with a remote filming kit shipped to our customers, capturing unscripted interviews and documentary-style portraits of small business owners keeping their businesses alive through ingenuity, sacrifice, and belief.

Every story was edited with care. No gloss. No fluff. Just truth and resilience. And the message was simple: you’re not alone in this.

Outcome

Big Grit struck a chord. Customers saw themselves in the work. Sales and success teams used the stories in outreach. Internally, the campaign gave the entire company a reason to believe again—at a time when belief was in short supply.

Clear thinking

In crisis, people remember who showed up with empathy—not just features. Big Grit reminded Keap’s audience (and its own team) that perseverance isn’t just a mindset—it’s a shared experience worth honoring.