MEDIA RELATIONS

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Terrell Strategies looks for the WIN in every project we take on, and won't take on a project unless we believe we can win. Below is an example of our success in creating and executing successful media relations strategies.

Outspent 80 to 1, how did an underfunded coalition of property owners and citizen activists defeat a massive parcel tax hike (Measure I in 2008) supported by the Mayor and the complete Long Beach, CA city establishment?

Two words: Earned Media.

Earned media is that publicity  that is free, as opposed to paid advertising, and comes with the power of legitimacy exactly because it wasn't paid for.

With less than a shoe string budget (we were only able to purchase yard signs and a "mailer" that we didn't have the money to mail), we were forced to force our way into the headlines any way we can.

The first major breakthrough was a front page story on the local newspaper, the Press-Telegram, which ran an aobe-the-fold headline stating "Measure has friends, foes." This narrative was opposite the narrative that most tax measures work hard to avoid. From there, it was up to us to create media opportunities.

Create a new "No on Measure I" website? There was a story. Get the small, local Republican Party to oppose the measure? That was another story. We even staged a precinct walk and rally in order to get more free media.

In the end, Measure I lost with only 52% (it needed 67%), even though three other tax increase measures on the same ballot passed handily.