Case Study:

Public Affairs/Government Relations  

The situation
Health care reform had created an uproar in Kentucky. Insurance companies had fled the state, and the public was venting its anger at the newly elected governor.

The strategy
Three goals drove our strategy:

1. To diffuse the public’s anger and deflect it away from the governor;
2. to inform and educate the legislature and key lobbying groups about the complex issues;
3. to gain the confidence of legislators and eventually effect legislative change by successfully negotiating compromises among various factions.

The execution

• Rose organized a series of public forums across the state to allow local citizens to speak their minds to state officials (to diffuse the anger and direct it away from the governor).
• Newspaper ads, radio commercials and press releases promoted the forums and the fact that state officials were listening to citizens.
• Interviews with key state officials were arranged with major newspapers, TV and radio across the state.   
• One-on-one meetings were scheduled with influential legislators in every region.
• A 40-page ”Market Report on Health Insurance” was written and distributed at legislative hearings, and testimony was prepared for legislative hearings.
• Numerous press conferences were held involving key state officials, including the governor.
• Intense negotiations were conducted with lobbying groups and disparate interested parties to reach compromises.

The results

• Respect escalated dramatically for the key state official on health care.
• New legislation was successfully passed.
• Crisis in health-care coverage eased.
• Issue was removed from governor’s hot plate, and his performance ratings increased.