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HOW CASTLE HELPED BRICKS FOR THE BLIND EARN NATIONAL PRESS & SCALE AWARENESS

Bricks for the Blind (BFTB) is a nonprofit organization bringing the joy of LEGO® building to the blind and visually impaired community. Founded by Matthew Shifrin, a 28-year-old blind entrepreneur, BFTB creates step-by-step, text-based instructions for LEGO sets ranging from 100 to 4,000 pieces. These instructions empower builders of all ages and skill levels to experience the independence, creativity, and satisfaction that come with building.

THE SITUATION

Reaching the Blind & Visually Impaired Community at Scale

Shifrin launched BFTB in spring 2024. From the outset, the product was strong, supported by a dedicated volunteer network and part-time staff producing all instructions in-house, free of charge. However, a strong product alone does not build a brand. BFTB had a loyal but modest user base and lacked the visibility needed to reach the audiences who would benefit most: blind individuals, their families, and broader accessibility communities.

Prior to engaging Castle, BFTB had little to no media presence and a minimal social footprint. Its story, and the founder behind it, had yet to be told at scale.

That’s where Castle came in.

OUR APPROACH

Founder-Led Storytelling & Positioning

Castle’s strategy centered on a core insight: Matthew Shifrin’s story is the brand.

We positioned Matthew as both founder and thought leader, translating his lived experience, innovation, and passion into a narrative that could resonate across local, national, and digital platforms. The result was a story that was not only compelling but inherently shareable.

Through a sustained blend of media relations and social media strategy, Castle focused on three objectives: 1. introduce Matthew and BFTB to new audiences, 2. establish the organization as a credible voice in accessibility and nonprofit innovation, and 3. build consistent, compounding visibility over time.

THE IMPACT: MEDIA COVERAGE

Securing National Press for a Niche Nonprofit

From virtually zero media presence, BFTB has achieved significant national and international visibility driven entirely by earned media.

Coverage includes placements with the Associated Press, The Washington Post, USA Today, The Independent, Chicago Tribune, Entrepreneur, NPR (Here & Now and All Things Considered), CNN, ABC News, CBS News, and many more. Through strategic, targeted outreach to nationally syndicated outlets, we’ve exponentially increased both the volume of coverage and the organization’s overall visibility.

What began as a niche nonprofit in Newton, MA, has evolved into a nationally recognized organization driving blindness and disability awareness, with Matthew’s personal story at its center.

Locally, BFTB has become a consistent presence across Greater Boston media, including WBZ, Boston 25, NBC10 Boston, WHDH, WBUR, GBH, Boston Business Journal, Newton Beacon, Wicked Local, and Boston.com. Matthew is now a recurring voice on GBH’s The Culture Show and a regular contributor to podcasts focused on accessibility and disability awareness.

MEDIA COVERAGE HIGHLIGHTS

545+
PRINT ARTICLES GLOBALLY
447+
BROADCAST SEGMENTS WORLDWIDE
4B+
ESTIMATED AUDIENCE REACH

SAMPLE MEDIA COVERAGE

How a blind man made it possible for others with low vision to build Lego sets
Love of Lego inspired blind man to make the sets more accessible
Bricks for the Blind adapts 470+ Lego sets for blind builders
Blind man helps others with low vision to build Lego sets -
Meet the Newton man adapting Legos for blind fans
Newton-based Bricks for the Blind helps people without sight enjoy Legos
Boston nonprofit helps visually impaired people enjoy building LEGOS
Blind Newton man creates organization for the visually impaired to build with Legos
People with low vision can now build Lego sets thanks to this man
SEE THE GOOD: Newton native creates custom Lego instructions for blind builders
A Newton, Mass., man is adapting Legos for blind fans
Newton Nonprofit Bricks For The Blind Helps Those Without Sight Build Legos
Matthew Shifrin, The Culture Show

THE IMPACT: QUALITATIVE

Sustained Brand Visibility Across Marketing Channels

Before August 2025, Bricks for the Blind’s growth was steady but limited, with modest website traffic, minimal spikes, and a relatively small, organic user base.

Following Castle’s engagement, that trajectory changed rapidly. Average daily website traffic climbed to a higher, sustained baseline, and major national media placements drove sharp single-day spikes—demonstrating the power of earned media to expand reach at scale.

Increased visibility translated directly into action. Instruction downloads surpassed 5,400 total events across more than 2,400 users, with engagement evolving from sporadic activity into a consistent, compounding pattern. Users are not only discovering the platform but also returning, building, and deepening their connection to the mission.

Beyond digital metrics, this momentum has unlocked real-world opportunities. Matthew Shifrin has seen a meaningful increase in speaking engagements, workshops, and partnership conversations as awareness continues to grow.

In less than a year, Bricks for the Blind evolved from a niche nonprofit with limited visibility into a nationally recognized organization with growing demand, engagement, and influence.

QUALITATIVE HIGHLIGHTS

300–500+
average daily website visits (up from 100–200)
150–250%
lift in baseline engagement
~2,000
website visits per day (during major national media placements)

THE IMPACT: SOCIAL MEDIA

Organic Impressions, Engagement, & Audience Growth

From a limited, static social presence, BFTB evolved into a high-performing, multi-platform content ecosystem driven entirely by organic strategy. With no prior video use and no LinkedIn presence, social channels were reimagined to prioritize dynamic storytelling, timely content, and integration with PR efforts. The priority platforms for this portion of the engagement were Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

The introduction of short-form video transformed performance, particularly on Instagram, where Reels drove a 133% increase in impressions and an 84% increase in engagements per post, making it the primary engine for reach and audience growth. At the same time, content strategy expanded to include distinct buckets such as education, events, testimonials, media amplification, and user-generated content, creating a more balanced and scalable ecosystem.

Across platforms, human-centered storytelling consistently drove the highest engagement. Event-driven posts, testimonials, and UGC outperformed static promotional content, often achieving engagement rates of 10–20% at peak. Social also played a critical role in extending the impact of earned media, amplifying press coverage, and aligning closely with PR efforts. Media-driven posts achieved some of the highest engagement rates, exceeding 13% on LinkedIn and 9–11% on Instagram, reinforcing the value of aligning social with PR efforts.

Each platform served a distinct role:

  • Instagram: primary growth and discovery engine
  • Facebook: consistent community engagement
  • LinkedIn: credibility and media amplification

Together, these efforts transformed BFTB’s social presence from a static channel into a dynamic extension of its broader communications strategy, supporting sustained audience growth, deeper engagement, and increased visibility alongside national media momentum.

SOCIAL MEDIA GROWTH HIGHLIGHTS

30K+
organic impressions across Instagram, Facebook, & LinkedIn
1.8K+
engagements across Instagram, Facebook, & LinkedIn
71%
total audience growth
6%
Engagement rate on Instagram (exceeding 1–4% benchmark)
5.27%
engagement rate on Facebook (within 2–8% benchmark)
8.5%
average engagement rate on LinkedIn (within 3–10% benchmark)

THE TAKEAWAY

Bricks for the Blind didn’t need to be reinvented, it just needed a bigger stage. Castle took a mission-driven organization with a remarkable founder and built the infrastructure to tell that story consistently and at scale. The result is a brand that is no longer a secret, one that is reaching the people it was built for while earning the attention of major media and industry partners along the way.

TESTIMONIALS

WHAT OUR CLIENT SAID

Working with The Castle Group has been amazing! I run a social impact nonprofit, and their commitment to, and passion for, spreading the word about what we do is unmatched. Their media training is very thorough, and the team has been able to get us some incredible press/media opportunities. The team is very responsive, enthusiastic, and a pleasure to work with. I hope we’ll continue working together for years to come.

Matthew Shifrin

Founder and CEO

MORE CASE STUDIES

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