There is power in alliances. As a bipartisan firm, Prism Group knows all too well the value of uniting diverse interest groups to work toward a common goal. With this, we afford our clients unique opportunities to combine and leverage efforts and resources from varied sources. It is no surprise that we pride ourselves in conceptualizing, designing, activating, launching, and managing some of the most effective and efficient advocacy coalitions in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
The power of deploying coalitions as conduit for political engagement and as a useful tool to generate positive outcomes is strong. In fact, it’s what we’re known for when we seek to deliver the best for our clients. There are just some moments in which collaborative partnerships are more beneficial than standard advocacy efforts alone. In the government affairs world, being successful in pushing for issues sometimes goes beyond securing meetings with key policymakers. Often, it takes organizations with shared interests in either the specific or general outcome working alongside each other to achieve substantial policy changes.
One size does not fit all. Every coalition is unique and building and managing a coalition of any size is time-consuming and requires a balancing act. Prism Group’s modus operandi includes having a dedicated coalitions management team that members can trust and rely upon which enables members to benefit from the services of the firm’s government relations professionals (even if they aren’t month to month clients). Maintaining a cooperative and engaging environment for a coalition requires delicacy and diplomacy, which our team is expert in.
Prism Group utilizes these best practices when delivering top tier outcomes for our coalitions:
Maintain a dedicated coalitions management team: Our team of coalition professionals includes a coalition director, communications, and government affairs professionals.
Define and set clear objectives: While we respect the diverse perspectives of all members, we always start by setting a clear framework of what the policy goals of the coalition will be. Conversations with coalition members are consistently productive because we find the common ground that makes each organization choose to join the partnership.
Build an appropriate membership base: Depending on the objectives, among other factors, we focus on recruiting organizations that would bring unique elements to the group while staying persistent on the primary goal of the coalition.
Ensure communication is frequent between our team and coalition members: We prioritize both internal and external communications through newsletters, weekly email updates, virtual and in-person membership meetings, press releases, and social media.
Identify key stakeholders: With every effort, we work to ensure we’re targeting meaningful audiences including policymakers, media partners, the public, opponents, or other allied organizations. Our team handles, with careful consideration, the vetting of all potential and reputable allies.
Provide communications, legislative and regulatory affairs support: We are proactive about staying in front of legislation of interest to our members and are constantly adapting our strategies to be successful. Using the firm’s existing infrastructure and leveraging those of coalition members, we offer regular communications planning and public relations support.
Prism Group will continue to lead coalitions and help our members’ relevant legislative issues cut through the noise, in fact, if you ask members of our team, you will find that we have a great deal of fun doing so. Whether we’re building coalitions with corporations and sovereign governments, non-profits, or trade associations (or all of the above), we’re ready for the next one.