The world is a noisy place. Yet the key to being heard is not speaking louder, more frequently or with histrionics.
To ensure a message cuts through the clutter and is heard by the right audience, it must be clear, compelling and designed with that audience in mind. Whether an organization is seeking to advance or stop legislation or regulation, forge new strategic alliances or just enhance its visibility, a comprehensive communications plan must be part of any sound strategy.
FaegreBD Consulting delivers strategic communications consulting services to clients in the public, private and nonprofit sectors. From crafting and refining core messages and themes to designing and implementing multifaceted communications strategies and plans, our professionals provide clients with the tools needed to penetrate a noisy and crowded world, particularly in Washington, D.C.
Our team consists of seasoned strategic communications professionals. Members of our team have served as congressional press secretaries, managed regional and statewide political campaigns and worked as professional journalists and at public relations firms. We have the knowledge, skills and expertise to help manage your message and find your audience.
Specific service offering include:
Message Crafting and Refinement
With expertise in strategic communications, industries and sectors, our team distills complex topics into clear and compelling messages. We understand the minute details of our clients' business as well as how to extract the most salient points so key messages are delivered to targeted audiences. We then use a variety of tools to pressure test and hone the messages before putting them into play.
Strategic Communications Strategy and Plan Development
A comprehensive and informed plan focused on achieving overall goals and objectives is critical to successful communications. FaegreBD Consulting understands this fact and designs communications strategies and plans built upon core goals and objectives focused on the target audiences which need to be reached. Our plans include tactics throughout the communications spectrum as well as milestones to measure and gauge progress.
Media Engagement
Our team of veteran communicators crafts news releases and other content, develops creative media pitches, and engages with national, state, local and trade media on behalf of clients. We know what reporters want and don't want and work with clients to shape a story to maximize the likelihood of earned media coverage. We also prepare clients to interact with the news media, ranging from state and local media through the national press.
Crisis Communications & Rapid Response
When issues arise with the potential to portray clients in a negative light, we help navigate those critical first hours where every action is closely scrutinized and one misstep can have lasting ramifications. We develop initial public responses and work with clients and legal counsel to handle the news media so they can focus on core issues at hand. We also advise clients in advance of a crisis so that messages and crisis communications plans are ready to go if ever needed.
Op-Eds, Commentaries and Letters
Our team has authored and placed op-eds, commentaries and letters-to-the editor for clients in influential, market-leading publications throughout the nation. Such expressions can advance or defeat policy or other proposals, position the authors as thought leaders, and respond to inaccurate or incomplete news reports.
Website Development
A clean and vibrant website is necessary for any organization today. Our team works with clients to develop websites that fit the needs of the organization. With our design partners, we provide clients with customized websites that include the content and tools needed to advance the organization's goals and objectives.
Social Media
Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and other public platforms are designed to remain in touch with more than friends. These technologies are reshaping the foundational methods by which individuals chose to receive and process information, disrupting traditional content delivery platforms such as newspapers and news cycles. These electronic tools elevate direct communications activities and decrease the influence of traditional distributors or filters, but to be effective, clients must understand how they work and reach key audiences.
Coalition Development and Management
Many stakeholders and voices are often needed to advance public policy goals and objectives. FaegreBD Consulting has a long history of successful conceptualizing, designing and managing coalitions focused on an array of state and federal public policy issues. Our coalition management system ensures these complex and multi-stakeholder efforts run seamlessly. Coalitions managed by our team have achieved numerous public policy victories at all levels of government.
Visibility and Positioning
Our team recognizes that effective strategic communications goes beyond media and advertising. We work with clients to develop strategies and plans that include a range of activities to position the client before key audiences. Many times, this work intersects with a public policy initiative to position the client as a witness before a congressional hearing, participant in a congressional briefing and related events and activities. It also involves working with clients to maximize other communications channels, including newsletters, distribution lists, and outreach to other organizations and peer groups.