PORTFOLIO
The case studies below offer a glimpse into my ability to help businesses, NGOs, and trade associations navigate complex advocacy challenges and use integrated communications strategies to amplify their voice and expand their influence.
U.S. WHEAT ASSOCIATES
In May 2013, unapproved genetically modified wheat was found in the commercial supply chain, grinding global trade to a halt. In response, the U.S. wheat industry turned to me to lead the crisis response strategy to reassure regulators, commodity markets and the media that American wheat was safe for consumption.
MEDIA RELATIONS
REGULATORY STRATEGY
STAKEHOLDER RELATIONS
The wheat industry unprepared for a crisis of this size and scope. When media inquiries came from journalists across the U.S. and around the world, I led the media relations and message development to ensure our message supported our crisis response strategy.
Using my experience from a similar incident in the rice industry when I worked for Bayer CropScience, I led the wheat industry's dialogue with U.S. federal regulatory authorities and foreign authorities in critical export markets around the world.
Almost immediately after the discovery, stakeholders in the wheat supply chain began to panic with concern over the safety of their wheat supplies. In response, I developed and led the stakeholder relations strategy that offered the reassurance needed to maintain positive professional and business ties throughout the industry.
COALITION TOÂ PROTECT AMERICA'S HEALTH CARE
When the American Hospital Association and Federation of American Hospitals came together to guard against medicare cuts, they turned to me to build and lead an advocacy coalition to influence Congress and force policy change.
DIGITAL GRASSROOTS
ADVERTISING
CREATIVE CONTENT
I led the team that used email and social media outreach to build a community of over 1 million supporters across the country. By giving them a voice and digital tools for engagement, we mobilized this digital army to pressure Congress to protect health care by passing a legislative solution to the medicare reimbursement formula for hospitals.
To compliment the grassroots pressure we put on Congress, I led an out-of-home and television advertising campaign aimed at targeted members of Congress in their home districts and states. Designed using a whip list from the lobbying team, this effort was a masterclass in how to combine advocacy, content, and advertising to influence votes and create a winning majority in Congress.
I led the creative team developing content for the Hospital Heroes campaign, where everyday hospital workers were presented as heroes that deserve our support. Inspiring videos, digital ads, social media graphics and other content from the campaign created emotional resonance for our advocacy position and led to improved message recall and engagement.
BAYER
GLOBAL PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT RELATIONS
While working on the U.S. and European Public and Government Affairs teams in Washington, D.C. and Brussels, Belgium, I led advocacy campaigns for Bayer CropScience focused on international trade, taxes, and regulatory and market acceptance of agricultural biotechnology.
INTERNATIONAL TRADE
COALITION MANAGEMENT
I led the company's international advocacy campaigns to influence authorities in the United States, European Union, and markets around the world to eliminate trade barriers on agricultural chemicals and seeds and expand market access for Bayer's product portfolio. In additional, I served as the company's lead negotiator with the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative on a dispute settlement case against the European Union that affected Bayer's product pipeline.
LEGISLATIVE STRATEGY
REGULATORY ADVOCACY
I served as a lead liaison to Bayer's domestic and international trade associations, including CropLife America, CropLife International, BIO, EuropaBio, the International Seed Federation and others in Washington and Brussels. Working closely with association staff and representatives from other member companies on a wide range of initiatives gave me a deep understanding of how to manage diverse interests in a coalition and motivate action in an environment that is slow to move.
I developed and executed an expansive legislative strategy to reduce tariffs on Bayer's raw material imports into the United States. The campaign reduced Bayer's tax bill to the U.S. Government by $62 million over three years - turning the Bayer Washington office from a sunk cost for the company into a significant revenue driver - and earning myself the company's highest award for the most successful project of 2006.
When the European regulatory approvals for Bayer's products were delayed, I led the advocacy strategy that generated the political pressure necessary to force the European Commission to grant the approval of 13 new agricultural seed products, which opened the European market to our sales team and eased the flow of international trade in rice, soybeans, corn and canola.
MCDONALD'S USA
When McDonald's USA wanted to improve their brand reputation, I led a creative advocacy campaign that repositioned the Golden Arches as leaders in sustainable sourcing and improved customer experience. The project included experiential marketing, digital advertisements and social media videos, and a thought leadership campaign aimed at supply chain stakeholders.
MCDELIVERY LAUNCH: SOUTHÂ FLORIDA
When McDonald's selected South Florida as the first market in the country to launch McDelivery, I led the team that produced live social and experiential marketing using integrations with the Miami Heat to generate interest in excitement in the new service.
MCCAFE POP-UP, NEW YORK
To raise awareness of the quality of McCafe's sustainable sourced coffee drinks, I led the strategy and execution of a pop-up McCafe store in New York City. My team built a coffee shop in Columbus Circle, surprised thousands of New Yorkers the with free coffee, and produced and video and social content that generated over 1 million impressions nation-wide.
SUSTAINABLE SUPPLY CHAIN CAMPAIGN
ADVERTISING
Led the creative direction of outdoor and in-store advertisements that promoted McDonald's sustainability initiatives. These screens, posters and standing banners were used in participating McDonald's restaurants and marketing regions across the United States.
STAKEHOLDER REPORTS
Led the content development and creative direction for the production of McDonald's beef and coffee sustainability reports. Working closely with McDonald's supply chain vendors and partners, I developed key messages and content for stakeholders, policymakers and investors to reframe their view of how McDonald's sources food from around the world.
INFOGRAPHICS
Led the creative direction for the production of infographics and social media graphics to promote McDonald's sustainable supply chains. Together, these infographics generated over 4 million impressions worldwide.
ASSOCIATION OF AMERICANÂ RAILROADS
When the Association of American Railroads needed digital support, they turned to me to lead the strategy for a website redesign and the development of a dedicated advocacy microsite.
INTEGRATED ADVOCACY CAMPAIGN
WEBSITE REDESIGN & DEVELOPMENT
I led the content strategy, creative direction, and digital development of a multi-channel advocacy campaign that described the economic and social impact of the freight rail industry on the United States. The campaign drove content across a dedicated digital microsite, native advertising, Capitol Hill reception and symposium, and other channels.
After years of struggling to make effective use of a custom CMS, AAR turned to me to lead the design and development of new, open source CMS website for the association. This process involved a massive content migration, customized technology solutions and a new digital advocacy strategy for the association.
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BAYER
MALARIA PREVENTION
When Bayer's Sub-Saharan Africa vector control business planned to introduce a new, specialized malaria bednet into a commoditized market, I led an influence campaign to establish its value and pave the way toward commercialization.
STAKEHOLDER RELATIONS
MESSAGE DEVELOPMENT & MARKETING
Served as the principal liaison between public and private aid organizations like Malaria No More, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and USAID and Bayer's business representatives in Johannesburg, South Africa and Nairobi, Kenya. Raised awareness of Bayer's product portfolio and innovation strategy to support the UN Millennium Development Goals related to malaria eradication.
Led the message development, marketing, and U.S. product launch and sales for LifeNet, Bayer's innovative mosquito bednet. In a commoditized market, I helped transform the understanding of a bednet's value to malaria prevention programs by focusing on LifeNet's long-term efficacy and innovative mosquito abatement properties.
TRUST FOR AMERICA'S HEALTH
It had been over 12 years since the Trust for America's Health redesigned their website when they asked me to create a new digital and content strategy.
DIGTIAL STRATEGY
CONTENT STRATEGY
Facing an endless sea of content and internal stakeholders holding a vested interest in almost all of it, I set out to make sense of their priorities and execute a new digital strategy that helped communicate them more clearly. The result, tfah.org, is a focused exposition of what matters most to TFAH and their digital audiences.
As an organization dedicated to sharing the detailed data about the nation's health, we faced the challenge communicating detailed and complex information in manner that their audience would be able to use and act upon. I developed a content strategy that extracted the most useful and sought after information and made it more accessible to the website users.
PROPANE EDUCATION AND RESEARCH COUNCIL
When the propane industry sought to gain more control over their digital communications, I led a digital strategy to eliminate unnecessary digital properties and focus outreach and resources on the digital tools their customers responded to.
DIGITAL STRATEGY
Guided by detailed analytic data, stakeholder surveys, interviews and market research, I led a team that delivered a digital strategy to transformed the Propane Education Research Council content strategy and digital outreach and eliminate unnecessary and confusing properties.
J.R. SIMPLOT
When the J.R. Simplot company needed strategic guidance on how to introduce a genetically modified potato into the commercial supply chain, they turned to me for regulatory guidance and media relations to ensure a smooth approval process.
REGULATORY ADVOCACY
Facing pressure from opponents to abandon GM technology that removes a carcinogen from potatoes, J.R. Simplot asked me to lead message development for their media relations team and to guide their approval dossier through USDA's bureaucracy.