Case Study for Financial Services
FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY CHALLENGE:
Changing the Dialogue to Defeat Harmful Legislation
Several financial service providers formed a coalition to combat federal and state legislation that would force the industry to raise fees, reduce product offerings and impede their ability to operate and grow their business. The coalition hired VOX to develop and implement a communications strategy to influence policymakers to oppose myriad state and federal legislative proposals.
VOX Solution:
Integrated Legislative Communications Campaign
VOX developed and implemented a highly coordinated communications campaign to support the coalition’s legislative goals and objectives – and provide concrete air cover for those elected officials who would support our position in spite of the populist sentiment building against any industry supporters. The key to our success was relentless communication of tested messages, both as a coalition and as individual coalition members. By creating this “echo chamber,” we began to see these messages resonate and be repeated by our key audiences – policymakers and the media. Tactical elements of the campaign included:
- Social and traditional media outreach: Ensured an assertive presence in both social and traditional media. Employed media rapid response system to quickly respond to inaccurate or misleading coverage to ensure balance.
- Spokesperson: Served as on-the-record spokesperson for the coalition – including appearances in print, radio, television and the blogosphere.
- Digital strategies: Creatively used digital strategies to communicate with the media, including a “virtual press conference” to release breaking news to an overwhelmed financial services press corps, and live tweeting from legislative events to media following our Twitter handle.
- Consumer grassroots: Recruited consumers to communicate their elected officials through letters, emails and phone calls.
- Website development : Developed multiple web sites to achieve various media, legislative and grassroots objectives.
- YouTube Videos: Created multiple YouTube videos to communicate messages virally and recruit grassroots opposition to legislation.
- Paid advertising: Used extensive paid media – television, radio, print, and online – to influence supporters and the media.
- Third party stakeholders: Encouraged stakeholder participation in the dialogue, through letters to the editor, op-eds, participation in editorial board meetings, and activity in online comments.
- Lobbying Support: Created electronic and hard copy lobbying materials for use by government relations staff to directly educate policymakers and prepared witnesses testifying in front of Congressional or state legislative committees.
RESULTS
Generated more than 100,000 emails, 3,200 phone calls and 89,000 postcards to targeted members of Congress in a four week period leading to a crucial vote.
Of the 430 editorials, columns and original reporting on a crucial legislative initiative, 30 percent supported our industry’s position – and only 20 percent supported our opponent’s position.
Developed strong relationships with financial services media through three year campaign.
