Reframing a National Debate

Developing a Powerful New Message on Reproductive Choice

The National Institute for Reproductive Health (NIRH) sought to reframe the contentious national debate about reproductive rights during the 2008 Presidential campaign. The organization's goal was to turn the tables on anti-choice candidates, who often put their pro-choice opponents on the defensive by framing the debate around narrow, hot-button issues.

Our message R&D team worked with NIRH to develop a new message, based on extensive public opinion research. The message focused on the consequences of overturning the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision and making abortion a crime.

The target audience of persuadable women was concered that, if abortion were a crime, women who had the procedure would be treated like criminals. To deliver that message, we designed and executed a fully integrated campaign aimed at political opinion leaders, national news media and women voters.

NIRH produced a Message Manual to help its national coalition of grassroots advocacy organizations spread the message across the country. An emotionally impactful TV spot showed women getting their mugshots taken. The ad won a prestigious Pollie award as the best issue ad by a national organization in the 2008 campaign.

A sophisticated online advertising and social media campaign utilized a brand channel on YouTube, a national conversation on the social network Gather.com, and ads on Facebook, MySpace, political websites and women’s blogs. The ads generated 37 million impressions and drove 29,000 people to the campaign website in just eight weeks.

Presidential candidates were pressed on the issue by journalists and voters on Meet the Press and the CNN/You Tube Presidential debate. Building on the success of this campaign, NIRH continued to use the new message in issue advocacy—and rolled out a new version of the award-winning ad in the 2010 election.

Services

• Research
• Branding and message development
• Audience targeting and grassroots organizing
• Online and TV ad campaigns
• Media relations
• Public relations

“Our work with Hattaway Communications is helping to reframe the national debate on an often polarizing and emotional topic.” – Mary Alice Carr, Vice President of Communications, NIRH

“In just a few months, NIRH shifted the national conversation on a high-profile issue.” – Michael Lenihan, advertising team