Capital Public Affairs, Inc.

Case Studies

Building Coalitions

Grassroots: Opposition into Support

Shopping Center Remodel

A Plan for Independent Power

Opinion Research \ Polling

How We've Helped

Building Coalitions: Mayors, Labor Unions, Legislators and the Public Utilities Commission

Background:  One of the country’s leading telecomm companies wanted to invest $1.5 billion in building a fiber-optic network to bring increased cable choice and competition to hundreds of municipalities in New Jersey.  However, state law at the time restricted consumer choice to local municipalities, forcing consumers to accept whatever their elected officials chose for them. Before anyone would start laying expensive cable, state law and the minds of hundreds of Mayors and local elected officials had to be changed before the legislature and ultimately the Governor and the Public Utilities Commission  would get to review it.

Actions:  Capital Public Affairs first assessed the depth and breadth of the opposition, then we developed a plan to comprehensively address state and local concerns of control and consumer choice.  Not only did we have to convince the Governor and the legislature that independent consumer choice was vital, but we had to convince the Mayors and the New Jersey League of Municipalities that towns will benefit more by having its residents decide who their provider should be. We personally met with all 120 legislators and every Mayor in Verizon’s franchise area.

We also determined that another important factor would be to create a coalition with the labor unions in New Jersey. Why the unions? Because passage of this legislation would create almost 1,000 new jobs and also keep their current members employed. We had to “organize” organized labor and develop a message and an outreach plan for them with regular follow-up.

The last important factor was to convince the cable regulatory agency, New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, that increased consumer choice was in the best interest of the residents of this state.  We presented them with expert testimony and current studies showing that competition in the cable TV market was expected to result in more than $200 million a year in consumer savings, as well as more choices and improved services.

Results:  Less than a year after of putting the plan into action, the legislature overwhelmingly passed the legislation and the Governor signed the bill into law.  As a result of this enhanced “rapid” deployment of the Capital Public Affairs team, our client expects to have its industry-leading video network available to three and-a-half million more residents by the end of 2008, well ahead of competition. Hundreds of jobs were created, and numerous competing or support companies  have subsequently entered the market giving real choice and savings to consumers and a huge advantage to our clients.

Turning Grassroots opposition into Grassroots support

BACKGROUND: A major US retailer wanted to construct  a large store near a small town in a suburban/rural area. The plan met with strong initial opposition by town official; residents feared the “big box” would continue to erode the charm of their town and wreak havoc on local traffic. Opponents were strong and organized.

ACTIONS: The first step was to initiate a comprehensive public outreach campaign. This campaign included: Identification of supporters and use of these supporters for letter writing campaigns, speaking at public meetings and attendance at rallies. We used local and regional media for letters to the editor, editorial board meetings, location tours and one-on-one interviews. Crucial to our plan was the support of local public officials, especially those who initially expressed concern about the project. We met with them regularly and prior to any action taken by our client. We showed them extensive statistics from traffic engineers and examples from the openings of other stores in similar market areas. We also met regularly with state Department of Transportation and Department of Environmental Protection officials to show them how our plans were in compliance with their requirements.

RESULTS: After a rigorous 2-year campaign that featured constant communication between our supporters, nearby residents, the media and local officials, construction of the new store began. Local officials were now completely behind the project and even appeared at the ground-breaking.

A Shopping Center Remodeling Demands Full-Time Public Relations

BACKGROUND: The large grocery chain was looking to renovate many of its older stores, one in particular needed special attention. The store was to remain open during the renovation and expansion even though it would mean several months of inconvenience for shoppers. Accordingly, the store was quite concerned that these once loyal customers  might not return after reconstruction. The grocer needed to make established customers comfortable with their plans, willing to tolerate the inconvenience and also excited about the prospects of a new store.

ACTIONS: Capital Public Affairs launched a full-scale public information campaign. We began with letters explaining the store’s plans and inviting individuals to call us or meet us to address concerns. We sent the letters to nearby residents and followed them up with door-to-door canvassing. We set up a toll-free telephone line where callers could leave questions or concerns, along with a contact number and we would return their calls with answers as soon as possible. The phone line was effective because of our consistent, prompt response. Even before the renovations began and then throughout the construction, we published a two-page newsletter that showed colorful graphic schematics of what the new store would look like. We emphasized the new additions and continued to invite customers and area residents to contact us with their concerns.

To keep current shoppers coming to our store while the work was being done, we enlisted escorts to safely carry customers’ bags to their vehicles away from construction equipment and debris.  With community philanthropy, we also reached out while the work was being done. We supported this large Jewish community in constructing a new synagogue. During Hanukkah we also created a large festival of light display and celebration for the community at the supermarket.

RESULTS: This new grocery store is now the cornerstone of the modernized shopping center and is enjoying its largest customer base ever. Post-construction interviews with shoppers showed that the company’s outreach efforts during reconstruction was greatly appreciated and a key factor in their loyalty to the store.

A Seven-Year Plan for Independent Power

Background

A large national independent power company wanted to develop two coal-fired cogeneration power plants in New Jersey.   Because New Jersey is a densely populated state with strict environmental regulations, this presented a very difficult challenge and required a long-range plan.

The independent power company identified two locations in southern New Jersey to construct their plants.  The first location was next to an existing chemical complex which bordered on a small community.  The second location was about 12 miles north of the first location also next to an existing chemical complex.

Action
Capital Public Affairs worked with the company’s development team on all phases of the project and put in place a public affairs strategic plan, which included state and local government relations, community outreach, and public relations.

CPA surveyed both communities to determine the best messages to convey regarding each proposed plant.  The survey research indicated that both communities were generally supportive of power plants, but each community had specific concerns about traffic, environmental controls, and other community benefits associated with large industrial projects.  CPA factored these concerns into a community outreach plan.  In addition, CPA provided the company with a detailed chart for each proposed plant identifying all local and state elected officials in each community.  CPA developed talking points and presentation materials on the benefits of the project for the company to use when their executives met with the government officials.

One unique feature of this project was the local specialist. CPA advised the company to retain full-time community affairs specialists to be located in storefront offices in both towns.  The specialist was the public “face” for the projects and lived in the community and was available to answer questions and address community groups.  The specialist was also the liaison between the company and the trade unions who were being hired to construct the power plants.

With an eye toward hiring local firms with strong community ties, CPA also advised the company about which law firms, engineering firms, and other professionals to hire. CPA advised the company about how to approach the local planning and zoning boards in each community in order to get their approvals to construct the power plants.  In addition, CPA wrote testimony and other fact sheets and handouts for the company’s executives to use when appearing before these boards.

CPA and the local public relations specialist also served as the spokespersons for the project and regularly briefed the local and state media about the plants and the progress of the construction.  Both plants used state-of-the-art environmental technology and the company wanted to insure that local and state public officials and regulators were aware of the investment in the technology and its benefits to the state environmentally.

CPA was instrumental in gaining substantial media attention about this technology and the press coverage greatly aided the public’s eventual acceptance of the new power plants as neighbors in their communities.

CPA worked with the company to arrange meetings with all of the appropriate state government officials and regulators, including the governor and his senior staff and cabinet commissioners.  In fact, the governor took an active role in advancing the approvals necessary for the construction of the power plants.  And, the governor later attended both groundbreakings and the dedications of each plant after their completion.  CPA arranged for plant visits and tours for government officials and community leaders.  CPA also wrote a construction update newsletter which was distributed to a wide variety of public officials and community leaders.

CPA advised the company’s executives about state legislation which helped to advance the cogeneration business in New Jersey.  Several bills and regulations were approved by the Legislature and state Department of Environmental Regulation during the construction phase of the power plants.  CPA also worked on legislative testimony for the company’s executives when they appeared before legislative committees for hearings on the proposed legislation.  CPA arranged other briefings and meetings for the company’s executives with key policy makers in the governor’s administration, as well as the state’s leading business and labor organizations.

Results 
After seven years, CPA wrote a final public affairs follow-up report for the company to use after the power plants were completed.  The plan included dedication ceremonies for each plant, a large reception and picnic for each community.  The governor, senior state officials, legislators, local elected officials, and other key policy makers attended each ceremony.  The receptions were fully covered by the local media.  The final follow up was very important for the company because it wanted to show each community that the company was going to be a good corporate neighbor and partner.

The company’s two plants continue to operate successfully in the state and have since been recognized nationally for their commitment to the environment and have been designated by the Federal EPA as the standard for new coal-fired cogeneration power plants in the nation.

Opinion Research

One of the factors that sets us apart from other firms is our appreciation of how public opinion polling can serve as a key tool to help serve our clients’ goals.

For instance, we were hired by a major residential developer to help them get an approval to build new single family homes in a town in a South Jersey municipality.  But the client was skittish about polling, having paid a well-known pollster and commentator a fortune to help gain approvals in another town.  They were rejected in that town, and didn’t see the value in survey research.

We told them that’s because they asked the wrong questions.  We reviewed the survey they had commissioned and were less than impressed by the poll or the analysis.  It was all wrong, and the advice to the client, to emphasize certain amenities the development would offer, could almost be considered polling malpractice.

We conducting polling for the developer and took a decidedly different approach.  We identified the issues of importance to local residents, and tested some ideas that might make them more amenable to the developer AND the development.

We discovered that the residents were concerned with rising crime and rising unemployment, among other issues.  We transitioned our numbers seamlessly to a public relations campaign, where the developer was re-positioned as a “good neighbor” who offered impact fees that included funding for new police officers and tax-free improvements in the town. In addition, we made it clear that the developer could provide much needed jobs.

Rather than emphasizing the development or the amenities of the homes, we learned what makes residents tick.  We got into their hearts and minds and discovered the messages that matter most to them.

The result: approval for the development, and a satisfied client.

Polling

Our client, a major casino-hotel, was interested in growing their market share.  They contacted us and expressed their desire, but they lacked a roadmap.  They knew that part of the strategy involved taking an inventory of their product, but they were unsure what else they ought to know.

We counseled a detailed understanding of the entire market.  We knew that new promotions or communications strategies don’t occur in a vacuum.  Often, there are competing messages that are reaching the desired customer, and there is value in knowing how different customers process competing messages as they decide where to dine, where to play, and where to sleep.

We constructed a large survey that enabled us to place our client’s positioning versus their competitors across a wide spectrum of attributes and services.  We learned a lot about our clients, but also about their competitors, and where the market was being under - and over-served.

We used a sophisticated analytical technique commonly known as a market segmentation analysis, where we identified common elements among different customer subgroups, and the messages and strategies that would appeal to each of these groups.

The result was a targeted effort that emphasized different elements of the casino experience.  These complimented each other, and were held together under one common umbrella theme.

The result: at a time when casino revenues have slowed, our client continues to thrive.

News .