Driving a Ballot Reform Measure to Success
Yes on 129: Make it Simple, Arizona:
Driving a ballot reform measure to success
Overview
Proposition 129: Make it Simple, Arizona was a ballot measure in 2022 that aimed to ensure all future ballot measures in Arizona would consist of a single subject. Pac/West Strategies was retained by the Yes on 129 coalition to conduct public opinion polling, and subsequently build a marketing campaign to grow support for the proposition.
Multi-subject ballot measures can be used by lawmakers to bait voters into voting for policies which may be unpopular by packaging them into measures containing more favorable policies. A strong coalition led by Arizona Farm Bureau, Arizona Pork Council, the Arizona Chamber of Commerce, and National Pork Producers Council, came together to run the yes campaign—Make it Simple, Arizona—to support Proposition 129.
Our Work
Pac/West Strategies worked to bring in a team uniquely suited to tackle the challenges of pushing a ballot measure over the finish line with less than three months of runway. In mid-September, a ballot measure committee was formed to advocate for the passage of Proposition 129.
Pac/West Strategies conducted public opinion research to establish a baseline of support and used those findings to inform the subsequent media outreach campaign. The campaign included the construction of media infrastructure (website, social media) and the execution of message dissemination (digital ad spends, broadcast media buys). From there, the campaign launched external infrastructure, including:
- Flagship website for news and donations
- Portfolio of social media accounts
- Digital advertising campaigns
- Broadcast media buys
The advertising campaign was managed by the Pac/West Strategies communications team, and all aspects of the project, from initial strategy to content creation to media buys, were completed in-house at Pac/West Strategies. The campaign proved successful, with Proposition 129 passing comfortably—55% Yes to 45% No.
Social media post for voter outreach
30 Sec Video Advertisement
Digital advertisement for voter outreach
Defeating a Harmful Tax Reform Ballot Measure
Know the Consequences: No on CI-121:
Defeating a harmful tax reform ballot measure
Overview
Know the Consequences: No on CI-121 was an opposition campaign formed in response to CI-121, a citizen-led ballot initiative aimed to cap property taxes for homeowners in Montana. While the intent of CI-121 was to reduce tax burdens on homeowners’, the impacts of such a policy would have had crippling effects on Montana’s economy for years to come.
The Montana Federation of Public Employees (MFPE) and Montana Association of REALTORS (MAR) anchored a coalition of organizations against CI-121 and retained Pac/West Strategies and its signature collection expert, Black Diamond Outreach (BDO), for oversight and implementation of the opposition campaign.
Our Work
Pac/West Strategies worked with stakeholders to incorporate ideas and align objectives to inform the development of the opposition campaign, which was coined Know the Consequences: No on CI-121. The coalition, led by Pac/West Stratgies, moved quickly to erect campaign infrastructure and establish the campaign’s Executive and Steering Committees. Pac/West Strategies then deployed an action plan to prevent CI-121 from qualifying for the ballot, known as Phase 1: Decline to Sign, which consisted of:
- Developing necessary communications tools, including a website and social media
- Deploying robust multi-channel outreach campaign to Montanans about the dangers of CI-121
- Tracking opposition activities towards qualifying CI-121 for the ballot
- Forecasting strategy for potential Phase 2: Fall Campaign, if necessary
The success of the Phase 1 action plan was palpable. The coalition to oppose CI-121 grew, and public sentiment against the proposed measure followed suit. Deterred by the tremendous wave of public opposition, CI-121 proponents opted not to mobilize paid circulators. Their website and social media presence dropped off throughout the spring, and the signature collection deadline came and went without incident.
The Know the Consequences campaign declared victory in June prior to the November election, and CI-121 proponent Matthew Monforton admitted defeat shortly thereafter. By keeping CI-121 from qualifying for the ballot, Pac/West Strategies delivered a win ahead of schedule and saved the Know the Consequences Coalition hundreds of thousands in potential spending on a fall voter outreach campaign.
Front and back side of rack card
Social media post for CI-121 voter outreach
Digital advertisement
Creating Strong Positions for an Oil & Natural Gas Operator
Bayswater:
Positioning a Small Oil & Natural Gas Operator
Overview
Bayswater Exploration & Production (Bayswater) is a Colorado-based oil and natural gas development company operating primarily in Colorado and Texas. Over the years, Pac/West Strategies’ role and work with the Bayswater team has grown to encompass strategic communications including public relations, media relations, website management crisis communications, and, most recently, managing the composition and launch of their inaugural Sustainability Report. Beyond strategic communications, our team also provides Bayswater with government affairs and stakeholder relations services, including policy analysis, elected official outreach, and community relations strategy.
Our Work
Bayswater is an industry leader in their commitment to sustainable energy production. Since 2016, our team has worked closely with Bayswater leadership to address their government affairs, strategic communications, and community outreach needs, ensuring their external communications and outreach activities effectively represent the exemplary work Bayswater does sustainably producing a domestic energy product.
Pac/West Strategies’ work with Bayswater initially began by providing government affairs expertise to assess and help Bayswater navigate the tumultuous political landscape. As our business relationship progressed, our team’s role with Bayswater has evolved to encompass their government affairs, strategic communications, and community outreach needs.
The first major external communications service provided by the Pac/West Strategies team was the development and management of a new company website. Since then, and working closely with Bayswater leadership, our team has designed and produced a suite of company collateral, assisted with press releases and placement of positive stories in local newspapers, crisis communications as needed, and, in 2021, managed the drafting, construction, and roll out of Bayswater’s inaugural Sustainability Report.
Aligned with our diverse external communications services, Pac/West Strategies also manages Bayswater’s community outreach efforts. Our team works with Bayswater to orchestrate meaningful engagement through diverse avenues with local stakeholders in the communities where Bayswater operates. We assisted with focusing Bayswater’s philanthropic efforts in the communities where they operate and/or causes their employees are passionate about, including launching a match program for Bayswater employees in 2021.
Cover page of the Bayswater 2020 Sustainability Report. Please click here to read the full report.
Promotional video for Bayswater developed by the Pac/West Strategies team. Click here to visit the Bayswater website where the promo video is featured on the homepage.
Increasing Awareness for the New Mexico Agriculture Industry
New Mexico Agriculture:
Increasing Awareness for the New Mexico Agriculture Industry
Overview
Strategic Communications
Campaign Management
New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau (NMFLB) saw the need to increase awareness and favorability of agriculture in the state. They turned to Pac/West Strategies to develop and implement a statewide messaging program focused on increasing awareness and understanding of the New Mexico agriculture industry. To accomplish this, Pac/West Strategies successfully established the brand, New Mexico Agriculture, a statewide brand that captures their diverse agriculture network and strategically presents it to our target audience. It has since been sustained through proactive messaging, digital engagement, and targeted outreach.
The Campaign
From the beginning of the New Mexico Agriculture program, our aim has been to increase awareness among New Mexicans about their state’s agriculture industry. Through increased awareness and understanding of issues facing the industry, public support of agriculture has continued to increase among our target audience.
As with all our projects, New Mexico Agriculture began with research. Working closely with NMFLB leadership, Pac/West Strategies commissioned a public opinion survey that determined there was need for statewide broad-based messaging regarding New Mexico’s agriculture industry. Armed with information, including key messages on different aspects of the industry, the Pac/West Strategies team went to work and developed New Mexico Agriculture as the brand for a statewide, targeted comprehensive messaging program.
This program has been all-encompassing, primarily focusing on digital advertising through social media as well as targeted event outreach throughout the state. In addition, New Mexico Agriculture has a fully maintained, up-to-date website. Based on our success so far, the scope of work is expanding to include television advertising.
An ongoing public outreach and messaging campaign is a proven way to drive awareness and understanding on complex issues, such as agriculture. This sustained, multi-year messaging program has seen tremendous reach across New Mexico and continues to help shape a positive narrative around the local agriculture industry.
Driving the Western Media Conversation on Pesticides
CropLife America:
Driving the Western Media Conversation on Pesticides
Overview
Strategic Communications
CropLife America, a national trade association, was seeking to counteract misinformation and misperceptions regarding pesticides through media outreach. CropLife America retained Pac/West Strategies to promote their messages in western states by identifying relevant news stories, building relationships with reporters and pitching positive news stories.
Our Work
Our plan of action began with a full assessment of the media landscape throughout the key western states—Colorado, Oregon, and Washington. To do this, Pac/West Strategies first identified existing media relationships and coverage gaps before working to forge new relationships with reporters.
With a news cycle dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic as the project was commencing, working to identify and address media opportunities proved to be a challenging task, but not an insurmountable one. Amidst this challenge, Pac/West Strategies continued to work collaboratively with CropLife America’s Communications Department to discuss media relations strategy.
For more than two years, our team has helped CropLife America drive the conversation by securing earned media stories in all three states, drafting op-ed stories, bridging gaps and making connections between industry experts and reporters. The partnership between CropLife America and Pac/West Strategies is ongoing as our team continues proactively tracking public opinion and trends to increase their organizations messaging.
