Your Email Strategy is About to Take a Hit

Email is dead, Long live email. We’ve all seen the obituaries for email, yet with each advocacy effort, campaign cycle and PAC fundraising request, email has proven crucial to educating, engaging and empowering stakeholders. That said, Apple is about to change email forever. With the release of iOS, iPadOS & macOS this fall, major changes are coming that will change how you track, segment and execute your email strategy. We’re joined this week by Brian Sisolak, VP, Technology Services at Trilogy Interactive. He walks us thru the evolution of email strategy over the last few years, tactics that have worked & how he’s preparing for the impending iOS release and the new pre-fetching of images as a standard.

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Building a Successful Advocacy Coalition

There are some legislative battles where working together to elevate constituent voices means more than just leveraging your own database. Building a successful coalition could be the difference between winning and losing. This week, we’re joined by Bethany Dame, Assistant Vice President, Political Engagement & Grassroots at the American Property Casualty Insurance Association as she walks us thru the what, why & how of advocacy coalitions.
From a checklist of how to get started to the dos & don’ts of messaging, pitfalls and more, we hit on all aspects of coalition building giving you the background you need when joining forces with another group. It’s a fantastic episode from an expert who’s put together dozens of coalitions across the country to push her efforts forward.

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Shining a Spotlight on Mental Health

2020 was for many a difficult year. COVID-19 put a spotlight not only on physical well-being but on mental health as well. This week, we’re joined by Hannah Wesolowski, Director, Field Advocacy at the National Alliance on Mental Illness. An industry veteran, Hannah guides us through her team’s work over the past 12 months and how their “No Wrong Door” mantra fits into their all-encompassing advocacy strategy. More to the point, Hannah’s team regularly steps back from the limelight, preparing and providing content for their state affiliates, the public as well as elected officials to drive education and engagement on behalf of mental health. From pre-written social media posts to easily shared imagery to activating on GOTV and state-by-state bills, NAMI leaves no stone unturned as they push for greater understanding, destigmatization and more.

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A Chaotic Start to 2021

This week we’re joined by return guest Kristin Brackemeyer, head of PAC and Government Relations and Nick DeSarno, co-host of AHD and head of Digital & Policy Communications both at the Public Affairs Council. Only weeks into a chaotic 2021, hot off the Advocacy Conference and only days away from the PAC Conference, we dive into a number of topics, from how various groups are addressing the events of Jan 6 to approaching political contributions and from promoting civics through their advocacy program to building capacity so they can engage on bills today and into the future. It’s a great episode from two professionals who handle the industry’s questions on a daily basis. Remember, it’s always about policy, not politics.

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Advocating for Aisles 2 – 11: How a Rebranding Unified a Voice for an Industry

This week we’re joined by Katie McBreen, VP, Communications & Strategy for the Consumer Brands Association. In this episode, we dive into the branding of advocacy efforts and associations, the ability to create & convey an easily understandable message, and what that means for your effort as a whole. Finally, she walks us through what should be table-stakes for associations and how she messages out their new purpose, asks and results to legislators, members and the public at large.

If you’re working on your brand, your messaging or even how to best convey your results to legislators, this is an episode you won’t want to miss. It’s another week and another great episode with strategies you can start putting in place today.

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External Forces Reshaping Advocacy in the New Congress

Nathan Gonzales, Editor and Publisher of Inside Elections, joins us this week as we dive into the results of Election 2020 and how they may bear out for advocacy professionals. In an in-depth discussion, we talk through everything from the makeup of the 117th Congress, to the outgoing President’s potential effect on legislation, new Members who may have an impact on the issues that may come up early in 2021, and everything in between.

It’s a great episode that sets the stage for how advocacy professionals should prepare for a new Congress. Walking the halls early in session isn’t an option, so how do you meet the new Members and forge relationships in the time of COVID? At the same time, how can advocacy professionals best approach the new Congress to have their issues heard and bills passed? There’s plenty here for everyone to learn more about the election, the 117th Congress, and how – as a PAC and advocacy professional – you can get ahead in 2021.

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Think, Feel, Do: A Framework for Building Relationships & Driving Change

This week we’re joined by Christopher Masak, Senior Associate Director at Alzheimer’s Association as we dive into the basics of building relationships and driving engagement with both advocates & elected officials. From what to do and steps you should take when your legislation is under consideration to how to engage with new legislators, Chris takes us through how Alzheimer’s Association embraces change and works hard AFTER their bill passes, thanking advocates and officials alike before starting the hard work of ensuring implementation also goes their way. Add in a great discussion on how smaller associations can have a BIG impact and really drive home their messaging with the Think, Feel, Do framework, and it’s a great episode for advocacy groups of all sizes.

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GOTV & Building Member Value in 2020 & Beyond

This week we’re joined by Dorian Wanzer, Advocacy Manager, Global Government Relations at International Paper to take an in-depth look at the organization’s GOTV program. From getting the CEO involved to staying out of partisan politics, we walk thru how important it is to get-out-the-vote, where to get started, best practices, pitfalls to avoid and more. With state and federal elections every year, GOTV isn’t just something to dabble in, it’s another opportunity to reach out to your membership, build member value, and drive engagement both this year and in the years to come.

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Advocacy’s Digital (R)evolution

This week, we’re joined by Nick DeSarno from the Public Affairs Council. While his official title says digital & policy communications, those who know Nick know he has an insight into advocacy like very few others. This week we’re concentrating on Advocacy’s Digital Revolution. Over the past 4 months, groups have had to pivot away from their comfort zones. For many, that meant diving into virtual events, fly-ins, trainings, stakeholder management/CRM, podcasts, videos and more for the first time. So what’s been working? What’s fallen flat? And where should you get started? Listen in and get moving on advocacy’s digital revolution.

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Personalizing Advocacy to Move the Dial

This episode we’re joined by David Lusk, Founder of Key Advocacy, as he walks us through how successful organizations are surveying, cultivating and empowering advocates to “Extend the Enterprise.” We know there’s no one-size-fits-all message for your advocates, so why are so many groups employing that same failed strategy when talking to legislators. Successful groups are evaluating the decision-maker & picking the right messengers with the right message to get the commitment (vote/sponsorship/etc) they need. If you’re not segmenting the offices you’re talking to and personalizing the message that resonates with that legislator, there’s so much more you could be doing. Listen in as we break things down and give you the tools you need to get started today.

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