Xenophon Strategies

Successful Campaign Sends Air Transport Association Soaring

Xenophon News

Xenophon Strategies scored a major public affairs victory as part of the Stop Oil Speculation Now (SOS Now) campaign when President Barack Obama signed the most sweeping financial reform bill since the Great Depression last week.  Two years after the start of our campaign with the Air Transport Association (ATA), the President’s signature insured passage of the campaign’s number one goal: ending excessive oil speculation.
 
Economic analysis indicated that unregulated speculation added as much as $30 to $60 to a barrel of oil which was a major burden on the nation’s commercial air carriers, in addition to prices at the gas pump.  ATA spearheaded the SOS Now Coalition and brought together 85 businesses, associations, and labor groups united in support of lower oil prices. The coalition grew quickly through use of media relations, grassroots advocacy, advertising, digital engagement, coalition building, and Congressional outreach to influence target audiences.  
 
While the public was deeply concerned with skyrocketing gas prices the past two years, they were largely unaware of rampant speculation. Xenophon created an intense messaging strategy boost awareness of the issue:

• News media outreach - press conferences, media pitching and response, and op-ed development and placement.
• Grassroots advocacy - nearly 2 million letters sent to Congress asking them to stop excessive oil speculation.
• Online and Paid Media Placement  - Online and print ads targeting Capitol Hill and opinion leaders.  Google search and Facebook ads drove grassroots traffic to find out more information and to speak out on the issue.
• Digital media outreach - Facebook fan page spread information to more than 26,000 ‘fans.’  Millions of e-mails sent to Congressional representatives demanding action -- each message posted resulted in approximately 200 comments or “likes” per post.   

 The campaign became an overnight success when Members of Congress repeated SOS Now messages during floor debates and later passed this bill.  Though summertime can often be a quiet time in Washington, on July 15th, 2010 Congress successfully passed historic legislation — we’re happy to have played a part!

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