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PUBLIC AFFAIRS
The City of
Dallas, Texas asked Focus Communications to develop and implement a public
relations strategy to convince the city's African-American voters to approve
a large bond issue. The agency created and executed a plan that included
media relations, advertising and community relations.
MEDIA RELATIONS
Focus developed media kits of information targeted to African-American media.
Each kit contained news releases and backgrounders explaining and promoting
the benefits of the scheduled bond election to the African-American
community. The kit also contained endorsements of the bond proposal from key
African-American community and business leaders, and elected officials. As a
result, editors and publishers unanimously endorsed the bond election.
ADVERTISING
A series of newspaper advertisements were developed and placed. The ads
described how bond election funds would be spent in
the African-American communities, i.e., for improvement and expansion of
select organizations and to establish flood plans in targeted communities.
Focus also developed and placed radio advertisements featuring city officials
and leaders supporting the bond issue.
COMMUNITY RELATIONS
To establish a base of support within the African-American community, agency
representatives met with key African-American civic and professional
organizations, and was successful in obtaining endorsements from these
groups, as well as from African-American elected officials and precinct
chairpersons. Among the groups endorsing the bond election were the Black
Women Attorneys, J.L. Turner Legal Society, Progressive Voters League, Dallas
Urban League, and the NAACP.
RESULTS
All 11 bond propositions passed by a wide margin in every African-American
precinct, and achieved unprecedented African-American community involvement
in a political campaign.
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