FENTON FUNDAMENTALS: COMMUNICATIONS NEWS AND TIPS

Our nonprofit clients consistently voice the frustration of not having enough resources to effectively frame their issue or debate. Framing, or setting the tone and boundaries for how we discuss or address a topic, is crucial for nonprofits to succeed in their efforts, but doing so can be costly.

Below we'll discuss cost-effective ways to lead the dialogue on your issue and push it to the forefront of public and influencer agendas.

Click here for more information on our services.

You'll Find Below:

1. Osama Wants You to Invade Iraq

Picture Osama bin Laden in Uncle Sam's familiar recruitment pose, pointing his finger and saying, "I Want You...To Invade Iraq." He says it will help him recruit new terrorists and gain access to Pakistan's nuclear weapons.

That's just what a Fenton ad for TomPaine.com said, which ran on the New York Times' op-ed page. The ad was part of a larger campaign that a group of foundations has hired Fenton to conduct against unilateral US action against Iraq.

The one ad placement had a large ripple effect, including:

Non-profits often dismiss advertising as too costly, but running an ad in key publications and markets can be one of the most cost-effective communications tools for framing an issue. Ads allow control of your message, the use of memorable visual images and the appearance of a much larger campaign.

For example, a quarter-page NY Times ad on the Op-ed page can cost as little as $23,000. You can also run NYT ads on "stand-by"-where the ad runs during a particular week or month-for 54 percent LESS than if you pinpoint the run date.

So when you want to sound off on a tight budget, consider cost-effective advertising. If you strategize the right time, concept and design, your ad could win the day.




2. The West Coast's Best Kept Advertising Secret

How do you grab the attention of every lawmaker in Sacramento and 180,000 west coast readers for under $20,000? Take out an ad in the west coast edition of the New York Times.

Few public interest advocates know that an ad in the Times' west coast edition costs $16,500 -a fraction of the price of a full-page ad in the SF Chronicle or LA Times. You're also guaranteed to reach decision makers who read the Gray Lady daily.

Fenton recently recommended placing a west coast NYT ad to the San Francisco-based non-profit Vote Solar Initiative - with victorious results.

A bright spot during last year's California energy crisis was a law, good for one year, that enabled homeowners, businesses and local governments to purchase solar energy systems and plug them right into the state's energy grid (allowing them to sell surplus power back to the system). With the law set for reauthorization in September, Big Utility waged a massive lobbying effort to stop the bill.

The battle was on to influence legislators in Sacramento. One week before the vote, Vote Solar took out a full-page, west coast NYT ad with the headline, "Don't Let the Lights Go Out on Solar Energy in California," placed Op-eds in three major CA dailies, and sent out an email signed by Bonnie Raitt and Robert Redford. The ad and other efforts drove thousands of people to the Vote Solar Web site, where they could email targeted legislators.

Thanks to this grassroots, low-budget campaign, Big Utility was soundly defeated, the law went back on the books, and Californians get what they've always wanted: more sun.








3. Amber Alerts and the Op-Ed Option

Ever heard of the Amber Alert? Probably so, considering the media frenzy that followed the last minute rescues of abducted children this summer in CA. These emergency alerts-broadcasted on radio and TV when a child is kidnapped-have been instrumental in bringing home 31 children safely across the country.

But before these media events, the public knew little about the alerts or the efforts to get them in place by child find organizations like the Polly Klaas Foundation. The CA-based nonprofit wanted the governor to make good on his plans to implement a statewide Amber Plan as well as to motivate other states to do so.

Fenton developed a CA-focused strategy to pressure the governor and a national campaign. Central to this strategy was the placement of "Op-eds" (opposite the editorial page) in major newspapers. Op-eds are effective because they:

Fenton wrote and placed the first Polly Klaas Op-ed in The Sacramento Bee, which hit Governor Davis in his backyard and sparked a series of letters-to-the-editor from concerned citizens. Soon after, the governor enlisted the foundation's help in making the statewide Amber Plan a reality.

For the national campaign, Fenton wrote and placed an Op-ed in USA Today. Coverage in America's second most read newspaper catapulted the campaign into the national spotlight, and governors in non-Amber states quickly heard from their constituents. Since the piece ran in August, 14 more states have implemented statewide alert systems.

Now the foundation is targeting newspapers in non-Amber states with tailored Op-eds.

Keys to effective Op-eds:

  • Submit 1-2 weeks ahead of time, and keep it between 500-600 words
  • Tie the piece to an event (hot news story, anniversary, legislative votes)
  • Make only 1-2 points, and state clearly how to take action (attend a rally, contact an elected official, boycotts)
  • Attribute the "byline" to a high profile (or at least local) "signer"
  • Use stats, facts and anecdotes to validate your position in a compelling way
  • Make it local. How does this specifically affect that paper's readers?






4. Swordfish to Chefs: Thank You

The New York Times reported recently that swordfish populations in the North Atlantic have currently recovered to 90 percent of what is considered a healthy level.

We can thank leading chefs, Sea Web, NRDC, Environmental Media Services and Fenton Communications for the rebound. And therein lies the story of a cost-effective campaign.

We were hired to dramatize the issue of declining marine fisheries. We recommended organizing top chefs to refuse to serve swordfish (at that point in great decline) until the government created plans to save the species. At the time, only baby swordfish were being caught before they could reproduce, and the population was crashing.

The "Give Swordfish a Break" campaign took a market approach. Top chefs joined the campaign to not serve the fish, along with cruise lines and airlines. Swordfish fell of the list of the most ordered seafood, and prices dropped dramatically.

This pressure on the Clinton Administration led to strict quotas, international action and protection of swordfish nursery grounds off the U.S. coast.

We're now working for the National Environmental Trust to save the Chilean Sea Bass, using a similar approach with leading chefs. Hopefully, soon it will recover as swimmingly as swordfish.






5. Parents of Poisoned Children Demand Safe Meat

Safe Tables Our Priority (STOP) was formed by parents of children killed or injured by E-coli bacteria in meat. STOP hired Fenton to hold the Bush Administration and USDA accountable for Americaıs largest E-coli and listeria outbreaks. With media coverage overwhelmingly focused on a sniper in DC and war on the horizon, Fenton recommended a media strategy centered on personal stories.

Discussing an issue and its implications through a real story and real characters is both compelling for journalists and far more memorable and persuasive than spouting stats or policy facts.

STOP had one victimıs family and a recovering E-coli victim explain the human cost of bureaucratic inaction. STOP and their guests spent two days meeting with reporters and telling their story at a press conference calling on Bush to implement stalled regulations.

The children's dramatic stories moved the issue of contaminated meat and weak government regulation to the front burner of national news. Coverage included the New York Times, ABC's World News Tonight and the Associated Press, and the USDA implemented stricter bacteria standards within three hours of the news conference.