As comms leaders, we often hear the same excuse for stagnant campaigns: “The public just doesn’t care about this issue.” It’s what Antonia May Cross, Director of Communications and Campaigns at Revolving Doors, calls the “Cinderella Cause” mindset. In our latest podcast recording, Antonia challenged the idea that public apathy is an immovable object. Instead, she argues it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy that only strategic, evidence-based comms can break.

The Untraditional Path to the Boardroom

Antonia’s journey to becoming a Director is far from the “standard” PR trajectory. Expelled from school and having navigated homelessness and the justice system himself, her career began at a reception desk.

What changed? A CEO who saw potential and renamed her role to “Communications Coordinator,” and Antonia’s own relentless drive to bypass the degree requirement through high-impact internships. For those moving up the ladder, Antonia’s story is a masterclass in value-led career growth: if you don’t see a seat at the table, build your own table using practical results as your foundation.

Proving the Model: Optimism Over Stigma

We discussed two landmark campaigns that every comms professional should study:

1. The “Little City That Can” (Caring in Bristol) campaign avoided the “sad imagery” tropes of homelessness. By using optimistic animation and hyper-local window posters, they created a movement that felt like a community invitation rather than a plea for pity.
2. The Times Christmas Appeal (Switchback): Antonia didn’t just “send a press release.” She treated the media like an influential campaign. By partnering with the Times data team on prison recall statistics, she secured 12 high-value articles by matching stories to specific newspaper sections—even placing a chef’s story on the recipe page.

Leadership as Empowerment

For those moving into leadership, Antonia’s philosophy is refreshing: Build a team so autonomous that you become unnecessary.

She advocates for “strategic humility”—crediting the team for wins while providing the data-backed “guardrails” that allow them to pitch “crazy ideas.” In her view, the future of comms isn’t just about “doing the social media”; it’s about integrated, strategic action that drives the organisation’s business goals.

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🎧 Listen to the Full Episode

Ready to stop reacting to the news cycle and start leading the narrative? Antonia shares her full strategy for navigating “difficult” media landscapes and for building a career on your own terms.