Communications fosters knowledge. Knowledge creates power. In the context of national, state or local public affairs, power can affect change, alter perceptions, advance an initiative or stop it in its tracks.

Widmeyer, ranked #6 among O’Dwyer’s Public Relations’ top 44 environmental and public affairs firms, understands how to create powerful communications programs and leverage them for our clients’ benefit.  We help clients engage clearly and effectively when public opinion, law or regulation is at stake.

We call what we do Power Public Affairs, a focused, effective practice group built on three “engines” that drive the U.S. on a daily basis: Energy, Environment and the Economy.  We define these core issues broadly, in much the same way they impact the country:

• Energy: including work with utilities, transportation providers and other major consumers of energy – our experience includes Consumers United for Rail Equity, a major Northeast public utility, UPS and others
• Environment: including work on climate change, sustainability, water and resource use, and other complex issues related to the natural world  – our experience includes U.S. Climate Action Partnership, a major beverage company, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and others
• Economy: including work for corporations, unions, manufacturers, associations, non-governmental organizations and other advocates engaged in economic development, finance, trade, economic policy and related issues – our experience includes Association of American Publishers, National Association for the Self-Employed, the National Center on Education and the Economy, the Middle East Investment Initiative and others

We help companies, associations, coalitions and organizations communicate about these core issues in a 21^st century context that includes a solid grounding in research, use of the latest digital communication tools and a fundamental understanding of the ways in which these core issues impact – and are impacted by – the world around us.

We provide efficient, effective communications advice and counsel that delivers results. We’re ready to help you harness the power of these engines for your organization.

Client Portfolio

Association of American Publishers
Widmeyer is helping the Higher Education division of the Association of American Publishers reshape the conversation on the cost of course materials.  This public information campaign is aimed at educating elected officials and policy makers, as well as college and university administrators and faculty about what publishers are doing to improve student retention and pass rates, lower the cost per pupil for instruction and reduce student costs for course materials.  In addition, we’re promoting the publishers’ efforts to provide specialized textbooks to help disabled students succeed in college.

Consumers United for Rail Equity
We worked to help captive rail shippers change federal law and policy to require railroads to provide more competitive and reliable service. This public affairs campaign focused on targeted geographies as well as trade publications. Our challenge was to develop a nimble communications strategy that could adapt to a changing political landscape and ensure the voice of rail customers was heard by Members of the U.S. Congress.  Read more here.

National Association for the Self-Employed
We are giving the nation’s self-employed and micro-businesses a voice in the health care reform debate. This public affairs campaign is focused on targeted geographies and national and local broadcast news outlets. Our challenge is to move the policy goals of the nation’s smallest businesses up the priority list of Congressional leaders. These efforts have resulted in media coverage in key states, including public radio stories in North Dakota and Wyoming, as well as a guest blog post in New Mexico.

Shell Chemicals
We served as Shell Chemicals’ thought partner on issues impacting the chemical industry in North America. We distilled complex regulatory and legislative issues into a weekly report to keep the company aware of developments and trends and provide them with a clear understanding of their policy environment. Our analysis provided company executives with a concise summary of developments, as well as the broader context of why those developments were worth watching.

USCAP
We helped position the U.S. Climate Action Partnership (USCAP) as a thought leader on cap-and-trade as a means to curb greenhouse gas emissions in the crowded climate change policy and public opinion arena. Our comprehensive communications and public affairs plan included key themes and messages related to the diverse nature of the coalition, its ability to work together on a consensus basis and the importance of the detailed legislative proposal it was able to deliver because of this diversity.  These efforts not only resulted in significant media coverage of USCAP’s efforts, but also in the use of USCAP’s policy remedy as the basis of legislation introduced by House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman and approved by the House of Representatives in June 2009.

Additional Representative Clients
American Federation of Teachers
Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law
Coalition for Student Loan Reform
Center for Civic Education
Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning
Coca-Cola
College Board
Committee for Economic Development
Corporation for Enterprise Development
Fannie Mae
Inova Health System
JPMorgan Chase, Chase Card Services
Kids in the Know Coalition
MedStar Health/Washington Hospital Center
Middle East Investment Initiative
National Center on Education and the Economy
National Immigration Forum
Nurse Alliance of SEIU
The Pew Charitable Trust
United Brotherhood of Carpenters