Florida is evolving at breakneck speed – fueled by new people, businesses, and investment. With that growth comes an array of challenges, everything from transit and infrastructure needs, to creating the capacity for future growth through creative zoning and development.
From the Panhandle to the Keys, Florida’s public and private sectors are working together to unlock solutions and that collaboration typically involves public affairs campaigns aimed at educating communities, influencing opinion, and shaping policy.
For companies, organizations, and municipalities navigating high stakes issues – think voter referendums, land use changes, and development proposals – Florida’s growth means the alignment between public affairs and communications is more important than ever before. At Schwartz Media Strategies, our public affairs team has seen firsthand how integrated communications can move major initiatives forward.
Over the years, we have led public affairs campaigns in support of transformative projects including the $6 billion, 27-acre Miami Worldcenter development, Terra and Turnberry’s Grand Hyatt Miami Beach Convention Center hotel, Gencom and Hyatt’s mixed-use Miami Riverbridge development, and BH3 Management and Merrimac Ventures’ Watson Harbour in Miami.
Each of these campaigns succeeded because our team developed a clear strategy for keeping key decisionmakers informed, while building trust with the public across a range of channels – from earned editorial coverage and community events, to paid advertising and social media content.
No two campaigns are identical, but we’ve identified five best practices that these winning initiatives have in common:
- Align strategies early. Communications, legal, and public affairs teams should collaborate long before issues become public, and everyone involved should be clear on timing, message, and tactics.
- No surprises. Sensitive matters increasingly unfold in the media and online, so the communications team must be fully briefed on what’s public information and where potential pitfalls lie. The revelation of a single public document – say, a public hearing agenda item – could render the best laid plans useless if the team is unprepared.
- Maintain message discipline. The most effective public affairs campaigns are those where public benefits are clear and compelling, and where challenges and risks are well accounted for. Once those factors are identified, consistent messaging builds credibility with stakeholders.
- Prepare for rapid response. Public affairs is fraught with reputational risk, so a central goal of any campaign is protecting the parties involved. That’s only possible if there’s a clear protocol in place for managing media inquiries and navigating crises, beginning with establishing a central clearinghouse for fielding media inquiries in real time.
- Focus on building and preserving trust. A client may lose a referendum one year, then go on to do business in that same community multiple times over the next decade. Always prioritize humility and transparency with an eye toward the next deal or vote.
The line between public affairs and public relations is becoming blurred and, in many cases, it’s non-existent. Organizations that understand this convergence will be best positioned to build support, manage risk, and advance meaningful change.
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