Message Development & Strategic Planning:   Think Then Speak

A successful communications effort always requires more thinking than speaking.

Message development is the most important aspect of any strategy.  Your key message must be simple and concise -- then and only then can you develop a strategic plan to deliver the message. 

At the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Karen Hinton tackled one of the most difficult problems facing any federal agency:  the public’s lack of faith in its work. Market research revealed a commonly held identification of HUD with deteriorating, high-rise public housing when, in fact, the agency offered a multitude of quality housing and community services for a range of people.

The challenge was to put a new face on the agency to demonstrate the breadth and impact of its services.  Working with over 25 HUD employees and consultants, Hinton oversaw a media and marketing campaign, known inside the agency as the “From Worst To First” effort.

The message behind the strategy was simple:  Yes, HUD had made mistakes in the past, but it was on the road to recovery, moving from one of the worst federal agencies to one of the best. 

This message became the theme behind a $50 million television advertising campaign about HUD’s housing programs and an extensive media outreach plan that generated hundreds of national print, television and radio placements over a three-year period.

Media Relations:  Pitching Points

While Hinton Communications has extensive contacts among national, regional and local media, knowing reporters personally is only half the battle.  We also must “pitch or sale” them successfully on your story and message. 

This ability requires an understanding of what reporters want and how they use information.  The pitch must be compelling, unique and, most importantly, to the point.  We pitch the big idea quickly and concisely to grab the journalist’s attention. 

Hinton Communications’ success in placing articles and news shows with mainstream and trade media, including print, television and radio, is best demonstrated through recent results:

Wall Street Journal, front page, 07/22/06, New Headache for Homeowners:  Inflated Appraisals; Client: National Community Reinvestment Coalition

USA Today, Money section, 03/28/06, Analysts Stick to their Guns as CEOs File Suits; Client:  Gradient Analytics

CNN/Lou Dobbs Tonight, 01/25/06, U.S. Mayors’ Winter Meeting / Results of Regional Economic Study; Client: U.S. Conference of Mayors

Washington Post, front page, 06/05/06, Medical Privacy Law Nets No Fine, Lax Enforcement Puts Patients’ Files At Risk, Critics Say; Client:  Patient Privacy Rights

New York Times, Joe Nocera column, 06/10/06, New Crusade for Master of      Overstock; Client:  Gradient Analytics

Media Training:  Designed for You

Our media training does not come in a packet with dos and don’ts and a video of bloopers.  It is designed specifically with an individual in mind – the person who will be talking to the news media about a specific issue.  We build on the strengths and weaknesses of each client.  Some people already have excellent media skills and only need clarity on message development and practice delivering the message.  Others need more assistance.  Based on the client’s experience, we design a series of steps that the client can take to prepare for media interviews.  The steps range from background on how journalists work and what they generally are looking for to preparation for specific interviews with detailed talking points.

Event Planning:   Everything Matters   

Large-scale events can get out of control quickly, especially if the event planner neglects the small details early on and does not understand how they can contribute to the overall feel of the event. 

Our philosophy about events is “Everything Matters” -- from the type of dining silverware and linen chosen for the event to the delivery of the important messages to the event audience.

One of Hinton Communication’s most challenging events was a four-day conference to bring together seven high-ranking Chinese government officials with their counterparts in the U.S. government to discuss community and economic development policy.  The conference included three days of travel to Los Angeles, Chicago and Toledo and ended with a day-long meeting in Washington, D.C., that featured a roundtable discussion with Chinese officials, the U.S. Secretary of Housing and the Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce.  In the evening, over 100 government dignitaries attended a dinner and gift exchange in the Library of Congress to honor the Chinese dignitaries.

Despite initial unfamiliarity with Chinese culture and issues, Hinton Communications learned quickly by drawing upon the skilled resources available to the firm from various connections with federal agencies and, as a result, successfully coordinated every detail of the conference:  translations for both informal and formal discussions, travel schedules, housing tours, smaller meetings in the three cities, transportation plans, hotel reservations, invitations, issue policy papers, conference topics, media request, staging, catering and gift exchanges.

More recently, Hinton Communications coordinated a two-day housing summit for The National Association of Realtors – managing the program schedule; briefing speakers; designing banners and signage; advancing political officials; handling the invitation and respond systems; arranging dinners and receptions, among many other duties.  The client viewed the summit as a success because Hinton Communications “placed a high value on each individual participant’s experience at the summit.” 

This special attention to detail always distinguishes your typical Washington, D.C. event from one that will be remembered and modeled by others.

Development & Fundraising:   3Rs – Relevance, Results, Relationships  

By mid-2001, one of the nation’s premier educational nonprofits needed to find new ways to raise funds.  Like many nonprofits, it had become too dependent upon long-time donors who were ready to shift their funding priorities.

Hinton Communications developed a fundraising program for New American Schools that helped solve its financial concerns. The fundraising strategy focused on what Hinton Communications calls the three Rs of fundraising:  relevance, results and relationships. 

Before any meeting with a foundation or government official or individual, New American Schools and Hinton Communications together answered these three questions:  How is New American School relevant to the potential donor?  What are the results that the potential donor is looking for?  And, how does New American Schools develop and keep a relationship with the donor?  Hinton Communications then put into place a number of tactics that convinced foundations, individuals and eventually Congress to support the organization with money:

• One-on-one meetings with targeted, individually-designed messages for foundations, individuals and government officials;

• Dozens of tours of schools where New American Schools had made a significant difference in student performance;

• Testimonials of students, parents, teachers and school administrators that demonstrated the impact of New American Schools;

• Enlistment of influential individuals and/or organizations that could help convince the donor that New American Schools was worthy of funding.

Within 18 months, New American Schools raised $11 million in foundation grants and began to build an individual donor program.  With Hinton Communications’ marketing and advocacy guidance, New American Schools also won an unprecedented $300 million in funding to implement educational strategies nationwide and a direct $7 million grant to NAS through President Bush’s “No Child Left Behind” Act.