Situation
A growing number of mortgage foreclosures in 2007 pressured policymakers to protect homeowners and the financial markets. A financial interest grew concerned that a government bail-out of sub-prime mortgages would impact its investment and wanted to prevent a taxpayer-funded bailout.

Solution
We developed and executed a successful coalition-based outreach and multi-media campaign opposing a government bailout of the mortgage market. We led an integrated lobbying and public advocacy campaign through early 2008 that used a variety of cutting-edge communications and outreach tools to proactively shape the debate and rapidly respond to breaking news and legislative developments, federally and in the states.

Our “No Bailout” message resonated with policymakers, and, as proposals were put forth, the White House, cabinet officials, and key legislators repeatedly emphasized that they were not bailouts and did not entail any expenditure of public funds. Despite enormous pressure for the government to intervene in the mortgage market, no bailout or stimulus package took practical effect during the time the client was concerned about being negatively impacted. The message we shaped continues to resonate to this day. Click here for an example of the communications platform we created and some of the work we did on this issue.

Services

Situation
When a leading retailer faced a business-altering state legislative threat, they asked us to develop and execute the grasstops outreach, paid earned media, and issue-based communications strategy to successfully defeat the measure.

Solution
To meet this challenge, we facilitated the formation of a statewide coalition of business associations and bolstered their efforts through targeted outreach to over 40 local businesses and organizations across the state.

Services

Situation
A Fortune 5 company needed to build its reputation and demonstrate its ongoing actions to be a good neighbor in a local area where it does business.

Solution
We built, host and maintain a website to increase awareness of the company’s presence and local impact. The site features information local stakeholders can use, including community affairs outreach work, much of which was the result of our local outreach and communications efforts to help enhance the company’s reputation and goodwill. We also produced a video that featured local community leaders discussing the company’s involvement in the region.

Services

The Challenge
The world’s leading spirits, wine and beer company needed to develop a tool that would be a global resource for all interested parties to share programs designed to fight alcohol misuse and to promote responsible drinking worldwide.

The Solution
Working together with our client, we identified a need for a truly comprehensive website that could be considered “best in class” in providing a forum for consumers and other stakeholders to access and share timely, useful information on responsible drinking. The result of this year-long effort is the award-winning DrinkIQ.com, a global website that provides relevant alcohol facts and statistics, highlights local programs related to alcohol and responsible drinking, provides timely news pieces and links to other websites, incorporates expert advice on related issues, and offers tools and resources to keep stakeholders up-to-date on the latest issues and resources surrounding drinking responsibly. DrinkIQ.com incorporates the latest cutting edge technology and social media applications to foster a community and ongoing positive dialogue about this critical issue. The site features a “Responsibility Channel” where all interested stakeholders can share, in multimedia formats, effective programs and tools designed to fight alcohol misuse and help individuals make responsible choices about drinking.The site will offer content in more than 14 languages and reach 28 countries worldwide.

We worked with the client to:

Services

Situation
In concert with The Clinton Foundation and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, Mars, Inc. developed a plan to market a healthy line of snack foods for schools to respond to public policy issues surrounding nutrition and health and children's marketing.

Solution
As part of a long-running strategy to help the company define its reputation among state lawmakers and position itself as a thoughtful, responsible partner in deliberating the issues and finding workable solutions, we

Services