Success in public relations, policy, and political campaigns all rely on accurately reading the terrain and plotting a course. Staying aware of news media and policy trends – and using that to make preparations – is as critical as it is time-consuming. Moreover, because of the wealth of information, anyone can feel as if they are lagging too many steps behind.
As popularly put, the struggle is all too real. How will you pay for your campaign? How will you organize your supporters? What is the right way to communicate your message? What kind of data matters in your decisions, and which sources can you trust? How will you handle all the factors you know about, let alone the ones you don’t? Most importantly, how will you find the time to address these issues while you focus on the hardest, most challenging aspects of promoting your cause or maintaining the bottom line? Even the biggest battleships in these industries can feel like tugboats in a churning, unforgiving tempest.
Toot-toot?
Consultants exist to help make sense of it all and keep you afloat. Through research, analysis, and experience, we can provide the clarity and direction necessary to navigate the obstacles and pitfalls. We can help you to create and sustain the coalitions and base of support you require. We can back you up on the legwork for your project. We work by your side or on your behalf, utilizing tested strategies and tactics designed with your specific success in mind.
Whatever the issue, our role as consultants is to keep you ahead of the competition.
Even the biggest battleships need help now and again.
Many clients seek us out directly for help weathering the storm. They saw a need in their campaign or organization and called us in, but you also might be surprised how often people discover they have a need simply by having a casual conversation with us. They discover a key component of their campaign is lacking, or that their messaging is littered with the wrong kind of dog-whistles, or recent information reveals there are more obstacles in their way than previously thought. Regardless, they rely on us to help move them along.
Just as frequently, it comes to light that a client knows someone else struggling to stay afloat, and the referral is easy. They trust us to help their friends and partners because we complemented their work or brought them success. From doctors to farmers to stay-at-home moms, we’ve helped clients in all walks of life meet their goals and achieve positions as effective public servants or accomplished advocates.
A common misconception is that consultants exist to tell people what they’re doing wrong and collect a fee. Grassroots Midwest prefers boots on the ground and building relationships that matter. A working partnership is enjoyable and good for business. Our clients work with us because we tailor our services to their needs and ambitions. We believe that success has to be mutual, or not at all.
When you bring us in, we’re crewing the ship along with you. We exist to patch holes, right the vessel, and keep it on course. We want you to make it safely through to the other side. We’re not just worried about this one storm, but each and every one to come. There will be more and, when you ask, we’ll be there.
About the author: Steve Heikkinen serves as the Communications and Marketing Strategist for Grassroots Midwest, Michigan’s only bipartisan political advocacy firm.