State Innovation Exchange (SiX)
Supporting Legislators on the Frontlines of Defending Abortion
When the Supreme Court prepared to overturn Roe v. Wade, the State Innovation Exchange (SiX) turned to Fenton to amplify the voices of its Reproductive Freedom Leadership Council — the nation’s largest network of pro-choice state legislators. Fenton built and executed a cross-state communications strategy to ensure legislators’ voices broke through at a critical moment in history.
The results were powerful: more than 120 press hits across local, national, and affinity outlets, from MSNBC and NBC News to New York Magazine, helping to position legislators as a leading force in the national conversation on abortion rights.
What We Did
- Strategic Communications Planning
- Cross-State Messaging Framework Development
- Rapid Response Media Outreach
- Proactive Press Engagement and Story Placement
- Multimedia Storytelling
- Thought Leadership Positioning
- National and Local Media Amplification
CHALLENGE
Ahead of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the State Innovation Exchange’s Reproductive Freedom Leadership Council — the largest network of state legislators committed to protecting abortion rights — came to Fenton to raise the voices of legislators in key states where the threats were most dire.
APPROACH
Fenton worked with legislators across state lines to lift up one crucial message: reproductive freedom is a fundamental right, and state legislators who care about progressive change won’t stop until this right is protected. Through a cross-state messaging framework, rapid response outreach, and proactive media outreach, we created new opportunities for legislators to generate pressure on extremist lawmakers. We also created Fractured, a 5-part, first-of-its-kind docuseries spotlighting legislators in action during one of the most impactful periods in recent American history.
IMPACT
Fenton began our work with SiX securing an exclusive story in NBC News to raise attention to the largest showing of state legislators ever in support of legal abortion. Fenton secured over 120 press hits in top-tier local, national, and affinity media outlets, from MSNBC’s Ali Velshi to the Zerlina Maxwell Show, to NBC News Mississippi and CBS News in Texas. In 2023, Fenton ensured the voices of three Michigan state legislators were front and center in a New York Magazine feature: Abortion Wins Elections.
