Transcript Communicating Policy priorities

COMMUNICATING POLICY PRIORITIES
2016 ASSOCIATION OF CHAMBER OF
COMMERCE EXECUTIVES CONVENTION
JUSTIN GROENERT
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC POLICY
SOUTHWEST INDIANA CHAMBER
“If you aren’t telling your story, someone is
making one up about you.” – Kyle Sexton
WHO TO TARGET
Within your membership, who is interested in public policy?
• Send policy priorities to all new members
• Segment communication to members based on interests
• Members of public policy committees
• Create a list of “advocates” (anyone who expresses interest in
policy work but isn’t on committee)
WHO TO TARGET
Within your community, who should you target?
Coalitions matter!
• Build relationships with groups that have similar priorities on
a specific issue
• Regional or state chamber partners
-Metro chamber alliance, transportation alliance
WHO TO TARGET: LEGISLATORS
WHO TO TARGET?
• Legislators who can influence policy
– This builds credibility for you to your members
– Build relationships with more than just your local delegation
(governor, legislative leadership)
– Helps provide opportunities for interaction
– When your members know you have these relationships, they will see
the value when “called to action.”
COMMUNICATION PLATFORMS
How should you communicate with your members?
• Communication calendar
• Public policy surveys
• Policy priorities/legislative agenda/score cards
• E-mail updates, blogs, social media
COMMUNICATION PLATFORMS
As a communications professional, what do you need to know?
• Your chamber’s public policy priorities
• Issues your city council, school board, and state legislature are
working on
• Events and speakers coming to your chamber
NEUMED PROJECT
• Downtown Medical
Education campus
• Sought $ 25.2 million in
2015 state budget
• Worked with IU, USI, Ivy
Tech, Economic
Development Coalition,
City of Evansville
NEUMED PROJECT
• Dedicated web page
– Call to action
– Specific details about project
– Legislator contact info
– Pre-drafted letters of support
NEUMED PROJECT
• Successfully delivered over
100 letters of support to
legislators
• Lead two trips to state
house
• Totaled 40 members to
directly advocate for project
• Nonprofit advocacy group created in October 2013
• Southwest Indiana Chamber, Kyndle, Mayors of both
Evansville, Ind. And Henderson, Ky.
• Petition signature drive secured over 5,000 signatures
– website petitions, emails, signature drive
• Competition with board members
– Signatures collected were reported to staff and used for benchmarking
purposes
Indiana Governor Mike Pence and Kentucky Governor Matt
Bevin signing a Memorandum of Understanding on the
Interstate 69 bridge project in Henderson, Ky. on June 29, 2016
• Be a resource for your members
• Who has a political action committee?
• Candidate endorsements
• Voter guides
• Be a trusted resource for your members
• Candidate interviews and questionnaires
• Forums and public policy events
• Voting locations and election dates
QUESTIONS
It strives to connect the way people live and work by promoting healthy, vibrant life opportunities
CONTACT ME
Justin Groenert
Director of Public Policy
Southwest Indiana Chamber
(812) 421-5888
[email protected]
@justingroenert