Services

Crosslink Strategy Group is founded on the modern day reality that political power is derived in the home states and districts of federal and state officials. Crosslink, fully understanding this based on extensive political campaign experience, leverages this reality for their clients by identifying, recruiting and educating the appropriate forces in the home states and districts and transforms those resources into persuasive communication.

Crosslink Strategy Group offers traditional grassroots lobbying services as well as unique grasstops services, such as "surgical" in-state lobbying, political intelligence collection and "Media Where it Matters". Crosslink Strategy Group features the most current and extensive national network of top-notch field operatives in the industry and, due to the “boutique” nature of the firm, Crosslink's clients receive unparalleled personal service from its principals.
Below is a sample and brief description of some of Crosslink’s services:

• Grasstops and Grassroots Advocacy
• Advocacy and Lobbying
• Education and Research
• Growing your PAC and Grassroots Participation

Grasstops and Grassroots Advocacy

• Grasstops – The most effective issue campaigns combine high-volume, traditional grassroots tactics such as phones, petitions and e-mails, with highly-personal communication such as grasstops letters and face-to-face meetings. Grasstops communication, for instance, could originate from: Republican/Democrat party officials, personal friends, neighbors, former staff members, long-time campaign volunteers or significant donors. The communication from these individuals is highly persuasive because they don’t necessarily have a vested interest in the issue; their chief concern is the official’s political well-being and future. This personalized communication often has the added dividend of yielding unvarnished intelligence.

• In-state coalition building – Crosslink can develop extensive in-state coalitions in any state on just about any issue. In-state coalition members would include recognized local community, civic, business and ethnic leaders. The coalition leadership would call, write and meet with the targeted official, but they would also complement on-going earned media efforts by conducting press conferences, signing op-eds and serving as local, credible spokespeople.

• Media Where it Matters - Too often Washington-based public relations and public affairs firms rely on inside the beltway media to influence decision-makers. Crosslink Strategy Group will focus on conducting earned media “where it matters” – in the home states and districts of federal legislators. Crosslink possesses the capability to conduct bus tours and press conferences and recruit relevant, credible third parties to sign and submit op-eds and letters to the editor in local papers. Crosslink also takes advantage of electronic media, trade group press, web alerts, and weekly press to get the right messages out at the right times.

o 3rd Party and Expert Identification and Mobilization: Through its vast and current network of experienced field operatives in all 50 states, Crosslink can complement public affairs efforts by quickly identifying and mobilizing relevant, credible third-party and expert spokespersons in any on just about any issue. These spokespersons can sign op-eds, appear at and participate in press conferences, and generally be made available for media interviews or quotes.
o Radio Tours: Throughout most campaigns, we recommend a constant emphasis on the coordination of radio tours. The main focus of these tours is to outreach to key news stations to further our client’s message. Key local radio stations and hosts will be identified and once scheduled, an appropriate spokesperson would be interviewed and field questions from the listening area.
o Speaking Tours: Crosslink field operatives can also arrange various speaking tours. These tours involve a company/association official traveling and participating in a series of in state radio interviews, opinion leader briefings and meetings, newspaper and print interviews, and editorial board meetings.
o Talk Radio Intercepts: Crosslink can monitor talk radio appearances by target policy makers and identify credible individuals to phone the radio program to inquire and advocate on the issue.

• Online Advocacy and Web-based grassroots – In today’s fast-paced world of instantaneous communication, it’s important that clients add an online or web-based component to their issue campaigns. Like traditional phone or petition campaigns, web-based grassroots communication has the ability, through volume, to demonstrate breadth of support for or opposition to an issue. Crosslink offers a full suite of online advocacy services including: website development, targeted outbound e-mail communication to opinion-leaders, and online campaigns in conjunction with traditional mail, phone, and paid media communications.

Advocacy and Lobbying

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• “Surgical lobbying” and Business Development through Government Relations – Crosslink’s utilizes its national field network of key political operatives to advocate and conduct in-state or “surgical” lobbying. Crosslink’s clients can also utilize this service as a way to expand market share – business development through government relations. This service is especially smart strategy when a company is seeking to expand into the state government sector or targeted local markets. Crosslink has the national network of political operatives to get our clients in front of the appropriate decision makers.

o As part of its in-state lobbying services, Crosslink can coordinate a Virtual War Room during key periods of legislative activity including:
o Hearings: Our operatives can coordinate with local opinion leaders to provide oral and written testimony.
o Markup: Key amendment language can be delivered by opinion leaders.
o Votes: From the subcommittee level through Conference, we can influence all key votes as well as provide hourly intelligence reports

• State/District Office Meetings – There are few communication tactics more persuasive or compelling than a face-to-face meeting in the home state or district of elected officials. Crosslink Strategy Group can arrange formal or informal meetings between their clients and the targeted official back home. Crosslink’s respected field operatives who have a personal and/or political relationship with the official will often serve as the brokers to facilitate the meeting and get it started with the right “tone”.

• Recess Schedule – Crosslink’s field operatives take advantage of Congressional recesses to turn up pressure on a Member. While they are in their district/state, our operatives can coordinate presence at all Town Hall meetings and other public events.

Education and Research

• Political Intelligence Collection and Analysis – With any campaign, research is conducted to determine the most effective strategy, messages and tactics. Likewise, corporations and associations should collect and analyze political intelligence prior to developing messages, selecting targets or deciding on communication tactics. Crosslink offers political intelligence collection and analysis of potential targets and their “hot buttons”. This information gathered back in the home state or district of an elected official is particularly valuable for getting unvarnished intelligence that an official simply won’t tell vested interests in Washington. Collecting this intelligence from key political supporters and conducting smart analyses of that information often leads to cost savings and other efficiencies.

• Targeted Education Program -- Crosslink’s targeted education program ensures that our clients’ key messages get delivered directly to decision makers. Targeted US Senators, House Members, Governors, state and local officials and other opinion leaders receive a repetitive “drumbeat” of high-quality, informational material containing positive messages. In providing a repetitive series of high-quality educational information for opinion leaders, Crosslink’s clients build a relationship in which the decision-makers and their staff ask the clients for additional information when they have questions. Steady, positive communication with opinion leaders – even when a specific issue is not being considered for public policy action – will help position the material as factual background rather than political propaganda.

Growing Your PAC and Grassroots Operation

1. Increase your PAC fundraising:

a. We can show you how to increase the number of contributors – and the size of the contributions – to your PAC. We’ll work with you to set up donor programs and write fundraising letters. And we’ll make sure you’re in compliance with campaign finance laws.

2. Preparation of Grassroots and Grasstops Manuals:
Let us integrate information regarding key issues facing your association and members into an easy-to-read manual, including examples. This manual will include the following:

a. How to set up a plant tour for elected officials, including sample press releases to increase media coverage;
b. Providing sample letters and e-mail communications to elected officials regarding key issues;
c. Providing sample phone scripts for your members regarding key issues;
d. Increasing employee contact with elected officials -- building a team spirit -- and helping your executives about how to be a good political role model for employees (importance of voting, communicating with elected officials, PAC participation, etc.);
e. We’ll teach how to host a fundraiser in your home (for executives) for elected officials and candidates;
f. Provide proven tips to maximize one-on-one meetings with elected officials and staff: facts about the company/organizaiton, number of jobs provided in the community, and proposed legislative impact on industry and families.

3. Set up training programs:

a. We will coordinate with you and your staff to set up training programs to promote importance of grassroots (and grasstops) lobbying (including role playing).
b. We will train your members about everything they need to know about volunteering on a political campaign and thereby increase their visibility in the community, including how to raise money for candidates via events and finance committee participation.

4. Implement a follow-up program:

a. After your program is launched, we’ll coordinate with your staff to continue personal contact with individual members: encouraging and initiating grassroots action; facilitating plant tours; promoting PAC participation.