PUBLIC OPINION REPORT

Washington Public Affairs Campaigns;

Beltway Elites on the Ingredients for

Success and Failure

DATA SUMMARY

StrategyOne’s research posed two (2) basic questions:

1. “Aside from political donations, when an interest group decides to run an integrated public

affairs campaign in Washington, which THREE of the following things do you think are the

most important ingredients in a successful public affairs campaign inside the beltway?”

Total

Building strong grassroots support outside the beltway 45%

Building a large and diverse coalition of like minded groups inside the beltway 31%

Developing messaging, framing the issue to their advantage, and owning

the vocabulary used to discuss the issue

30%

Having a strong government relations or lobbying team 29%

Having a well designed, data-driven strategy 27%

Having a strong media relations team 25%

Developing studies that support their goals 23%

Having a compelling or well-known spokesperson 17%

Targeted advertising 15%

2. “And which ONE of these is typically the reason why a public affairs campaign fails?”

Total

Poor message development 24%

Limited grassroots support outside the beltway 13%

Not developing studies that support their goals 10%

A poorly designed, intuition based strategy 12%

A weak government relations or lobbying team 9%

A small and narrow coalition of like minded groups inside the beltway 9%

A weak media relations team 8%

Minimal or poorly executed advertising 5%

A poor spokesperson 4%

STRATEGYONE’S BELTWAY BAROMETER

StrategyOne launched its newest research product, the Beltway

Barometer, in July 2008. Through StrategyOne’s Beltway Barometer

clients gain (1) a better understanding of the elite opinion landscape

on their issue, (2) quantitative benchmark data that can be repeated

periodically to track an issue or a campaign’s progress over time, (3)

the opportunity to test messaging and issue framing, and (4) data that

can be compared with national general consumer research to identify

areas of agreement and disconnect between elite and

popular opinion.

Beltway Barometer data has been featured in The Washington Post

Magazine, in which futurists’ predictions about Washington in 2025

were tested among Washington elites and reported in the August 31,

2008 edition.

PAGE ONE

What are the winning ingredients to a public affairs campaign in Washington? Practitioners may have

assumptions that they apply to specifi c situations, but there simply isn’t much data on what tools

are considered more useful than others and what missing or poorly executed tools ensure defeat.

Until now.

Using the Beltway Barometer, StrategyOne’s proprietary survey research instrument among

Washington elites, we now have a better understanding of which public affairs tools lead to

success and the reasons why these campaigns fall fl at.

The Sample: Washington Elites

The sample for this survey is a full-spectrum array of Washington infl uencers:

• 1200 elite respondents from metro Washington’s most affl uent zip codes surveyed

via home phone;

• Working or having worked in the White House, Congress, Supreme Court, Pentagon,

a federal agency, a think tank, trade association, non-profi t association, NGO, media,

lobbying fi rm, Washington law fi rm, PAC, political consulting fi rm, paid member of a

campaign staff, national political party (DNC, DSCC, DCCC, RNC, RSCC, NRCC) or

public relations fi rm;

• With at least a college degree (the majority have advanced degrees) and earning at least

$50,000 (the median bracket is $100,000-$149,000);

• Split by Presidential vote (600 Republicans and 600 Democrats)

The Questions

Our research posed two (2) basic questions:

1. “Aside from political donations, when an interest group decides to run an integrated public

affairs campaign in Washington, which THREE of the following things do you think are the

most important ingredients in a successful public affairs campaign inside the beltway?”

2. “And which ONE of these is typically the reason why a public affairs campaign fails?”

In each instance a robust list of options was presented to respondents ranging

from grassroots to targeted advertising.

WASHINGTON PUBLIC AFFAIRS CAMPAIGNS;BELTWAY ELITES ON THE INGREDIENTS FOR SUCCESS AND FAILURE

BY: ROBERT MORAN

PUBLIC AFFAIRS CAMPAIGNS

PAGE TWO

PAGE THREE

People + Message + Lobbying Firepower

The data is clear that the bulk of Washington elites view public affairs success as the strate-

gic use of three basic tools – people power (grassroots and a diverse Washington coalition),

a message that advantageously frames the issue, and a strong government relations team.

In short, the recipe for success is engaged citizens singing together from the same song

sheet supported by lobbyists who amplify the tune on Capitol Hill.

Total Democrat Republican

Building strong grassroots support outside the beltway 45% 47% 43%

Building a large and diverse coalition of like minded groups inside

the beltway

31% 33% 28%

Developing messaging, framing the issue to their advantage, and

owning the vocabulary used to discuss the issue

30% 30% 31%

Having a strong government relations or lobbying team 29% 26% 31%

Having a well designed, data-driven strategy 27% 30% 23%

Having a strong media relations team 25% 23% 28%

Developing studies that support their goals 23% 25% 21%

Having a compelling or well-known spokesperson 17% 15% 19%

Targeted advertising 15% 13% 17%

Washington opinion elites chose “building strong grassroots support outside the Beltway”

as the most important ingredient for success. More than anything else, beltway elites be-

lieve that success in Washington begins by mobilizing people outside it.

After “building strong grassroots support outside the beltway” (45%), “building a large and

diverse coalition of like minded groups inside the beltway” (31%) was the second most

frequently chosen tool.

Based on this research, it is clear that Washington elites believe that public affairs success

begins with grassroots support and builds strength in Washington through a diverse array

of coalition partners - an outside-in approach.

After grassroots and a diverse coalition, Washington elites focus on mastering the mes-

sage. The third tool chosen in this research was “developing messaging, framing the issue

to their advantage, and owning the vocabulary used to discuss the issue.” Here it is inter-

esting to note the professional groups that chose message development at higher than the

average rate of 30%. They are: political consultants (47%), campaign professionals (46%),

those who currently or have ever worked in Congress (43%), Washington lawyers, and

trade association personnel (43%) – all individuals that know the value of a strong message.

The fourth ranked item was “having a strong government relations or lobbying team.”

Interestingly, lobbyists themselves placed their role behind grassroots and Washington

coalitions in importance, and as a group ranked message development just below lobby-

ing. Political consultants, those who work or have worked in Congress, and trade associa-

tion personnel rated government relations as much more important than the average.

Rounding out the top fi ve was “a well designed, data driven strategy.” Here it is important

for any public affairs campaign to build their strategy on a realistic assessment of the land-

scape and their most effective issue framing and messaging research. All too often practi-

tioners, distracted by the newest tactical fad, jump to tactics before fi nalizing the strategy.

But, as Sun Tzu noted, “Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics

without strategy is the noise before defeat.”

Congress Lobbyists PoliticosTrade

Association NGO Media

Building strong grassroots support outside the beltway

48% 52% 44% 50% 41% 49%

Building a large and diverse coalition of like

minded groups inside the beltway

35% 43% 34% 34% 24% 33%

Developing messaging, framing

the issue to their advantage, and owning the

vocabulary used to discuss the issue

43% 39% 42% 43% 37% 31%

Having a strong government relations or

lobbying team

42% 41% 39% 31% 29% 30%

Having a well designed, data-driven strategy 22% 22% 23% 23% 33% 27%

Having a strong media relations team 26% 19% 22% 26% 27% 28%

Developing studies that support their goals 20% 26% 19% 27% 20% 19%

Having a compelling or well-known spokesperson 10% 10% 13% 12% 20% 16%

Targeted advertising 11% 9% 12% 7% 10% 16%

PAGE FOUR

PUBLIC AFFAIRS CAMPAIGNS

PAGE FIVE

Campaign Failure Points

While elites identify the fi rst ingredient to public affairs success as grassroots, they identify

the primary ingredient to failure as poor message development. After all, a campaign may

be able to mobilize grassroots support and build a diverse coalition, but if it delivers a poor,

mixed or nonexistent message, the organizational advantage is wasted.

As the results below show, across the board, Washington elites believe the primary failure

point in public affairs campaigns is poor message development. Campaigns that don’t

hone their message and develop an advantageous vocabulary will fi nd themselves on the

losing end of most Washington struggles. Here focus groups, polling and dial testing are

invaluable.

Which ONE of these is typically the reason

why a public affairs campaign fails? Congress Lobbyists PoliticosTrade

Association NGO Media

Poor message development 27% 33% 28% 33% 22% 18%

Limited grassroots support outside

the beltway

20% 16% 12% 16% 12% 16%

A poorly designed, intuition

based strategy

8% 9% 10% 13% 16% 14%

Not developing studies that support

their goals

6% 8% 11% 12% 10% 12%

A weak government relations or

lobbying team

14% 12% 11% 10% 8% 9%

A small and narrow coalition of like

minded groups inside the beltway

7% 9% 10% 5% 10% 10%

A weak media relations team 5% 4% 4% 4% 8% 6%

Minimal or poorly executed advertising 2% 1% 6% 2% 2% 7%

A poor spokesperson 2% 3% 4% 2% 4% 1%

Conclusions

1. Master the message, frame the issue, and own the vocabulary of the debate. Focus groups,

survey research utilizing head-to-head message development and dial testing are invaluable

in building a message that hits its mark. But, it requires message discipline to take and own

the terms of the debate.

2. Washington coalitions are also crucial. Use these as a force multiplier and avoid the urge

to go solo.

3. Mobilize outside the Beltway. There is no substitute for strong grassroots. As a factor in

public affairs success, current and former lobbyists place grassroots engagement above even

their own function. This speaks volumes.

4. Retain the best government relations counsel possible. The data is very clear on this.

Among current and former Congressional staff, powerful government relations was essentially

tied with message development for the second greatest factor in public affairs success.

5. Develop a well designed, data-driven strategy. Avoid the pitfall of substituting a multitude of

tactics for a cohesive strategic whole.

6. Beware of synthetic substitutes for grassroots development and Washington coalition building.

Methodology

During the winter of 2009 StrategyOne conducted 1200 telephone surveys among Washington,

DC elites using the Beltway Barometer, its proprietary research tool. All participants in this

survey live in the Washington metropolitan area and work or have worked in Congress, an

Administration, the Judicial branch, a federal agency, the Pentagon, a trade association, a PAC,

political consulting, a lobbying fi rm, the media or a multi-lateral NGO. All participants hold at

least a four year college degree. The survey was fi elded evenly among Democrats and Republicans.

PAGE SIX

PUBLIC AFFAIRS CAMPAIGNS

Robert Moran leads StrategyOne’s primary research division in Washington.

He can be reached at robert.moran@strategyone.net or 202.326.1772.

StrategyOne is a full service, strategic consulting fi rm that employs opinion research

and advanced analytics to craft evidence based communications strategies for its clients.

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offers its clients service on a global scale and with a global perspective.

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