The Art & Science of Delivering Success at the Polls ACCT Leadership Congress October 18, 2019
Presenters: MaryAnn Ferrigan Dr. Tom Quinn Paul Hanley Chair, Board of Trustees President Managing Director Kirtland Community College Kirtland Community College Beyond Your Base maryann.ferrigan@kirtland.edu tom.quinn@kirtland.edu phanley@beyondyourbase.com
Kirtland at a Glance ▪ Largest taxing district in Michigan ▪ Area the size of Connecticut ▪ Students from 171 zip codes ▪ Service area includes two taxing districts ▪ About 92,000 residents
2014 Bond Election: New Health Sciences Center (Roscommon County)
2018 Mill Levy Election: Continued Funding of M-TEC & University Center (Otsego County)
It’s an aging electorate. Roscommon County – All Registered Voters: 63% - 55+ Years Old
And fiscally conservative. Really conservative.
“ The greatest compliment that was ever paid me was when one asked me what I thought, and attended to my answer.” Henry David Thoreau
Four-Phase Taxpayer-Focused Approach Adoption of Ballot Question Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Phase 4 Needs Community Opinion Campaign Assessment Outreach Research Your topic of Business presentation www.futurebusiness.com
Four-Phase Taxpayer-Focused Approach Paid for by Campaign Committee Adoption of Ballot Question Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Phase 4 Needs Community Opinion Campaign Assessment Outreach Research Your topic of Business presentation www.futurebusiness.com
Four-Phase Taxpayer-Focused Approach • Determine Timing (When should we be on the ballot?) Phase 1 Needs Assessment Your topic of Business presentation www.futurebusiness.com
Low Turnout vs. High Turnout How bad are Competing tax the voter measures? demographics? ? ? ? Board Is it urgent? Elections? What does the Current PR problems? polling indicate?
Four-Phase Taxpayer-Focused Approach • Determine Timing • Key Influencer Database • Proposal (Plan A & B) Phase 1 • Financing Plan • Preliminary Messaging Needs • Recruit Task Force Assessment Your topic of Business presentation www.futurebusiness.com
Four-Phase Taxpayer-Focused Approach Id Ideall lly, Ta Task sk For orce ce De Defin ines s Wha hat t t to Sha o Share re & & Te Test st Phase 1 Needs Assessment Your topic of Business presentation www.futurebusiness.com
Kirtland’s “Phase One” Timing (2018 Gubernatorial) • No board seats up • Higher turnout • Tax measures expiring (“urgency”) • No competing tax measures • No PR issues
Proposal: • New mill levy to replace two levies expiring • Keep M-TEC/UC fully operational • 10-year sunset • Does not go into effect until existing levies expire
Preliminary Messaging: • Benefits military & veterans • Protect dual-enrollment • Economic boom requires trained • Reduce cost of college workforce • Retain young people • Lower tax rate
Four-Phase Taxpayer-Focused Approach “The Listening Tour” Phase 1 Phase 2 Needs Community Assessment Outreach Your topic of Business presentation www.futurebusiness.com
Listening Tour Targets ✓ Civic organizations ✓ Business organizations ✓ Municipalities / Government agencies ✓ Non-profits ✓ Political parties ✓ Likely opposition ✓ Other
Listening Tour Facilitators ✓ College President ✓ Paid Facilitator (Trusted Local) ✓ Others
Listening Tour Questions Script the conversations: ✓ What do you want from your college? ✓ What are your desires? ✓ What are your concerns?
Listening Tour To-Do’s ✓ Listen carefully ✓ Find common concerns, stories ✓ Identify what resonates ✓ Listen for great phrases (future messaging) ✓ Identify negative comments/concerns
Listening Tour Benefits ✓ Refine your proposal ✓ Improve your messaging ✓ Build trust ✓ Enhance community ownership ✓ Develop super-advocates ✓ Test strengths and weaknesses of proposal
Letter to Key Influencers + Larger Attachment Letter to Registered Voters + Smaller Attachment 1 2 3 4
Q&A Newsletter Your topic of Business presentation www.futurebusiness.com
✓ ✓ Open Houses Webinars ✓ ✓ Tours Telephone Town Hall ✓ ✓ Video Tours Coffees
SOCIAL MEDIA ON MULTIPLE PLATFORMS Website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Other DESKTOP LAPTOP TABLET MOBILE Your topic of Business presentation www.futurebusiness.com
Proposal Specific & General Brand Building DESKTOP LAPTOP TABLET MOBILE Your topic of Business presentation www.futurebusiness.com
Four-Phase Taxpayer-Focused Approach • Mail Survey Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 • Phone Poll (or Hybrid Poll) Needs Community Opinion Assessment Outreach Research Your topic of Business presentation www.futurebusiness.com
Mail Survey ✓ Half info/half questions ✓ Highest readership ✓ General undertone of electorate ✓ Often 8-15% too friendly ✓ May be your only option
✓ Random stratified sample And finally, ✓ Likely voters only a scientific phone poll ✓ Perfect replacement (if enough likely voters) ✓ Min. 300 completed surveys (+/- 5.66%)
Why poll? Still the best tool to determine: ✓ Level of support for funding proposal ✓ Support for each element of proposal ✓ Trust of institution ✓ Tax sensitivity ✓ Arguments that resonate for and against the measure
The future of polling? -Hybrid polls (phone+email) -Text message polls
✓ Task sk Force ce Revie iews s the M Mail il Su Survey, Phone P Poll ll, Other ✓ Ta Task sk For orce ce Pre repa pare res R s Recomme commend ndati tions ons
80% of 80% of th the e way way th there! ere! Adoption of Ballot Question Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Needs Community Opinion Assessment Outreach Research Your topic of Business presentation www.futurebusiness.com
Don’t skip this. Adoption of Ballot Question Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Phase 4 Needs Community Opinion Campaign Assessment Outreach Research Your topic of Business presentation www.futurebusiness.com
The Campaign (an essential last step)
Start With: Plan, Timeline & Budget Often $2 - $4 Per Likely Voter
Common First-Tier Strategies/Tools ✓ Fundraising Letters ✓ Lit Drops (Door Hangers) ✓ Signature Cards/Envelopes ✓ Facebook Advertising/Boosts ✓ Direct Mailers ✓ Digital Media ✓ Q&A Handouts/Palm Cards ✓ Website & Facebook Page ✓ Yard Signs/Banners ✓ Signage for Retail ✓ Print Ads ✓ Community Events ✓ Presentations
No Need to Guess on “Messaging” Su Surv rvey ey-Tes Tested ted Mes essaging aging
Digital Media: A Campaign Essential ✓ Instagram vs. Facebook ✓ “Organic” Social media vs. Facebook ads ✓ YouTube videos: - Share on Facebook - Advertise/Boost on Facebook and YouTube ✓ Role of the website
Social Media Action Steps ✓ Identify “Social Media Basecamp” ✓ Appoint Ambassadors with large following on Facebook/Instagram ✓ Register domain names (.com, .org, etc.) ✓ Make weekly assignments from Basecamp ✓ Helpers/speakers submit info to Basecamp: Photos, stories, positive information (and concerns)
Planning Your Media Posts ✓ Posts are pre-planned (part of calendar) ✓ Each time Basecamp posts, ambassadors should share ✓ Spontaneous content sent back to Basecamp ✓ Allocation funds to “boost”
Planning Your Media Posts (cont.) ✓ Monitor negative posts and questions ▪ “One” response only ✓ Create video content (somewhat polished)
Image Ad 2 9/21/18 Reach 12,188 Frequency 2.8 Impressions 34,089 Clicks to website 396 Post shares 20 Post reactions 107 Post engagement 231
56% Support (2014 Bond Measure)
66% Support (2018 Mill Levy)
It’s about respecting your local taxpayers… ✓ Commit to listening. Truly listening. ✓ Make it the community’s plan. Not staff’s plan. Not the board’s plan. ✓ Focus on building long-term trust. It’s not about a one-off victory.
Q&A Paul Hanley Dr. Tom Quinn Managing Director President Kirtland Community College Beyond Your Base phanley@beyondyourbase.com tom.quinn@kirtland.edu
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