The South Carolina General Assembly in May overrode Governor Mark Sanford’s veto of legislation to increase the state’s lowest-in-the-nation cigarette tax by 50 cents. At the heart of this victory was an extensive, multi-faceted communications campaign.
In June, Midlands’ public relations professionals gathered at the Capital City Club to hear from a seasoned PR professional about the multi-year campaign. Kelly Davis, founder and president of Davis Public Relations and Marketing in Columbia, provided communications strategies and tactics that were essential to changing opinions, gaining media attention and ultimately helping pass the cigarette tax. Leading the effort was the South Carolina Tobacco Collaborative, with Davis at the heart of the campaign that included innovative media relations and public policy strategies, extensive research and polling, grassroots strategies and powerful messaging. One tactic even involved young advocates hosting their own press conference to discuss reasons the tax needed to be increased.
The cigarette tax campaign was awarded Best in Show at the 2009 Mercury Awards and has been honored with many other accolades. Join the Midlands Chapter July 13 for another great luncheon at the Capital City Club. Visit www.scprsa.org for more information.
- Julie Scott, Midlands Regional Director
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment