Objective

• To secure statewide media attention for the California Fisheries Coalition, a group of 14,000+ family owned, fishing based businesses
• Direct messages to influence a key group of decision makers and California general public
• Help publicize facts regarding imprudent actions currently hurting the ocean’s health

Method

• Personalized the fishermen’s situation
• Targeted influential media to reach key decision makers
• Used highly credible spokespersons who had first-hand experiences with poorly thought out processes and unbalanced regulations
• Helped spokespersons address problems being ignored by the current leadership and highlight what must be done to ensure environmental success
• Given the sensitive nature of environmental protection issues, we focused on something about which all Californians could agree: using sound science to consider all aspects of ocean protection for the benefit of all

Results

• 40 different print and broadcast media outlets
• 6 San Diego TV stations covered the initial meeting in September, including affiliates for ABC, NBC, CBS and Univision
• Secured coverage throughout California for the Coalition and its spokespersons, with an emphasis on the southern half of the state
• 6 large stories in major papers including The San Diego Union-Tribune & The Los Angeles Business Journal
• Opinion pieces and editorials secured in more than a dozen major papers, including:
  • The Ventura County Star
  • The Torrance Daily Breeze
  • The Long Beach Press-Telegram
  • The Napa Valley Register
  • The San Diego Business Journal
  • The San Luis Obispo Tribune
  • The Santa Cruz Sentinel