State Voices
In the lead-up to the 2022 midterm elections, Fenton partnered with State Voices to tackle voter apathy, especially among BIPOC communities, amidst rising political violence and election denial. Fenton provided a comprehensive communications strategy, including message testing, earned media, thought leadership, social media, and paid tactics, ensuring coordinated efforts across 25 states. This strategy resulted in over 40 earned media stories, op-eds in major outlets like Essence and Ms. Magazine, and a multilingual digital toolkit reaching over 3,000 views. Fenton’s efforts helped galvanize voter engagement and secure State Voices’ visibility and influence during a critical election cycle.
What We Did
- Research and Discovery for Communications Strategy
- Message Testing and Messaging Development
- Integrated Communications Campaigns
- Earned Media Outreach and Story Placement
- Op-eds and Thought Leadership Strategy
- Media Training and Media Counseling
- Digital Communications Strategy and Toolkits
- Social Media Strategy and Content Development
- Stakeholder Engagement and Coalition Building
- Political and Issue-Based Advocacy
- Voter Mobilization and Get-Out-The-Vote Strategies
CHALLENGE
2022 was the first election since the slew of egregious anti-voting bills were passed in 2021. The future of our democracy, reproductive freedom and concerns over growing economic discord drove voters to the polls to make their voices heard. BIPOC voters especially were concerned with the future of our nation, with their needs too often going unmet at all levels of government. During midterm elections, voter turnout is typically depressed, and all signs pointed towards voter apathy. Alarm bells were also ringing about election deniers and political violence. Leading into the midterm elections, State Voices needed a partner to prepare its vast network across 25 states and eight emerging states for an uphill battle with a robust, surround-sound communications presence.
APPROACH
Through our engagement, Fenton sought to provide a fully integrated vision to achieve State Voices’ objectives. Fenton’s partnership with State Voices began with a research and discovery process to understand their external communications presence and followed our research by drafting nuanced messaging to ensure everyone was singing from the same songbook. We prepared an integrated communications proposal based on our findings that intertwined message testing with Lake Partners Research, earned media, thought leadership, social media, email and paid strategies and tactics to elevate State Voices during the election season. Executing this communications strategy, paired with nimbleness to the media market, was the foundation of our election season approach. Our target audiences were voters, the State Voices Affiliated Network, decision-makers and funders.
IMPACT
Through our surround-sound efforts leading up to the midterms, Fenton secured major wins for State Voices across mediums. Through a concerted and nimble earned media effort, Fenton coordinated and pitched over 40 earned media stories to national and local press. Fenton also placed timely and unique national op-eds penned by State Voices CEO, Alexis Anderson-Reed, at Essence, Philanthropy News Digest and Ms. Magazine. With our local partners in Alabama and Michigan, we stepped in to help media train and counsel their teams regularly to secure media opportunities. We also drafted numerous remarks for Alexis, including as she spoke to introduce Kerry Washington at When We All Vote’s Democracy Summit. Through digital communications, Fenton launched a digital media toolkit, providing local partners with the resources and content they needed throughout the election season. The multilingual toolkit reached over 400 people and had over 3,000 views from August through mid-November.
