By William J. Morley
Members of Congress and senior White House officials are routinely bombarded by thousands of special interests seeking attention, access and, ultimately, support for every
conceivable cause and constituency. Many of the requests are routed to staff or declined altogether. The overwhelming perception is that only large organizations making
significant campaign contributions truly have access. If you are not a Fortune 100 company with vast resources at your disposal, you may be asking yourself, "How do I compete
with that?" The key is creating relevance.
Former Speaker of the House Thomas "Tip" O'Neill used to say that "all politics is local." And the reality is that public officials, especially members of Congress, are always
particularly concerned about the next election and, therefore, they want to know what their constituents back home think on an issue. That is why it is so important to craft an
integrated advocacy campaign, utilizing grassroots/public affairs strategies along with direct lobbying, to create a local focus. A locally oriented and integrated advocacy
campaign creates relevance for your cause. With relevance comes access, and ultimately, support.
Historically, when organizations wanted to impact public policy they would hire a "wired" lobbying firm. Now, with the ever-increasing scrutiny of public officials, coupled
with the exploding number of competing interests, such a strategy is far less effective. However, if a group can garner strong public support for its position in the local media,
it cannot be ignored. It demonstrates to a policymaker that it can influence and mobilize a significant number of constituents on a particular issue. That group then is one that
is worth recognizing and supporting. It has successfully shown its relevance. But how can organizations that may not immediately have "inside the beltway access" create
relevance? Integrated advocacy programs are the key.
Ingredients for a well-rounded advocacy campaign
Each campaign is different, depending on the issue, the target audience you are trying to influence, the amount of time available, allies and adversaries, and a host of other
factors. However, broadly speaking, organizations wishing to impact public policy will achieve greater success if they utilize public affairs strategies to buttress their
traditional government relations efforts.
Public affairs: Mobilizing local support is a crucial component of the program. Depending on the issue, these local individuals and groups can include representatives from all
economic and political sectors. In fact, the more varied the background of the supporters, the easier it is to demonstrate broad support. Organizing these disparate groups into a
coalition and then running the advocacy program on their behalf is an effective means of amplifying the message. Because perception is so often reality, with coalitions the total
is often greater than the sum of its parts.
Once identified, supporters can participate in the advocacy campaign in a number of ways, including letter writing campaigns, petition drives, speaking at public meetings or
hearings, and participating in rallies and one-on-one meetings with their elected officials. Because they are local constituents, these supporters are crucial to the overall drive
to create awareness and support for the cause.
Public relations: In Washington, the media is an effective means of "directly" communicating with public officials as they monitor the media constantly. Because most people
believe what they see, hear and read from the media, its coverage of an issue is crucial to attracting additional support, isolating opponents and ultimately, to the success of
your cause. Tools that can be utilized include opinion-editorials, letters to the editor, editorial board meetings to secure positive editorials and articles and direct outreach
to reporters.
The targets: When designing advocacy campaigns, it also is important to target those members of Congress or Administration officials who are best able to impact public policy
on your behalf. Usually, it is not necessary to reach every member of Congress or Administration official. And, as a practical matter, it is virtually impossible to do so. Rather,
influence those who can best advance your cause.
Knowing the key players is crucial. It helps you maintain a focused and efficient campaign and maximizes your likelihood of success. Once those key players are on board, or
supportive, you can work on expanding the circle of support to other government officials or their staff.
Taken together, public affairs, public relations and direct lobbying form the basis for a strong advocacy campaign that can help organizations meet their public policy goals.
This multi-pronged approach is far more effective than traditional lobbying tactics because it connects the issue directly to a policymaker's constituents, thus significantly
increasing its overall relevance. And with relevance comes access and action.
Contact: William J. Morley is a senior vice president and the managing director of MWW Group's Washington, D.C., office. He can be reached at [email protected].