Have you ever had to spark a statewide movement around one of the biggest social issues facing us today?
We have, and we're poised to help you.
Despite being ranked as the leanest state in the country, obesity rates in Colorado continued to climb. In fact, Colorado’s current obesity rates would have made it the fattest state in the nation just fifteen years ago.
READ MORE.LiveWell Colorado Case Study
“Maren's ability to build a coalition of diverse stakeholders and create a unified voice around obesity was paramount to LiveWell Colorado's rapid success.”
Ned CalongePresident & CEO of The Colorado Trust and founding board chair of LiveWell Colorado
Effecting comprehensive policy and culture change around an issue like obesity is a big challenge, but that is precisely what Maren accomplished in her former role as President & CEO at LiveWell Colorado (LWC). Charged with building an organization that would set and align strategies, develop and promote key messages and serve as the unifying force among various constituencies, Maren turned a public health problem into a public advocacy campaign that quickly gained momentum.
LWC became known as an innovative model and credible thought leader both in Colorado and nationally. The first step was to develop a compelling and approachable brand for the issue that would engage people in a statewide movement to drive sustainable change. Utilizing earned, paid and social media, in conjunction with a robust website, strategic partnerships and community outreach efforts, LWC developed a successful culture change campaign that resonated with a wide spectrum of individuals as well as the community-at-large. In addition, LWC created and cultivated a multi-sector, statewide coalition which engaged diverse stakeholders – many from unexpected industries – to advance its mission with a collective voice.
Finally, coordinated grassroots and media advocacy supported public policy efforts at the local, state and federal levels, as well as organizational policies in schools and companies throughout the state. Under Maren’s visionary leadership, public awareness and will-building strategies were leveraged and maximized, resulting in the only statewide obesity prevention movement in the nation.
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Have you ever had to change a cultural norm that could literally save lives?
We have, and we're poised to help you.
Not that long ago it was common for small children to ride in cars without booster seats. Parents thought simply using a seat belt was safe and unfortunately, many children suffered serious injuries and often died as a result.
READ MORE.The Children’s Hospital Case Study
“Maren's strategic ability to develop and execute successful, multi-faceted advocacy campaigns is outstanding.”
Dori Biesterformer President and CEO, The Children's Hospital
As the VP of External Affairs at The Children’s Hospital (TCH), Maren developed and executed a statewide campaign to change behavior and make kids safer. This required educating parents, as well as the broader community, mobilizing constituencies, identifying key partners and advocating for public policy change.
Employing traditional earned and paid media methods, including securing editorial news coverage, placing print ads and pitching stories featuring families impacted by the use and nonuse of booster seats, the media advocacy effort amplified the public awareness and education campaign and supported the legislative advocacy effort. At the same time, various internal communication channels – newsletters, magazines, emails and forums – were utilized to engage stakeholders such as employees, board members and donors. And, more than 2,000 grassroots advocates throughout the state were armed with facts and key messages to extend influence and reach.
Finally, capitalizing on the power of community outreach, coordinated strategic partners hosted educational events, trainings and opportunities to distribute booster seats in communities where access was an issue. Kids in Colorado are much safer thanks to this successful integrated advocacy campaign.
Have you ever had to harness the voices and energy of 30,000 professionals into a coherent whole?
We have, and we're poised to help you.
Public education in Colorado faces many challenges; huge funding gaps, policy turmoil, classroom disruptions. At the center of our public education system, as it has been for over 100 years, is the Colorado Education Association (CEA).
READ MORE.Colorado Education Association Case Study
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Confronting and shaping the new world of public education, while honoring its past, has been among the main challenges facing CEA’s 30,000 members. And while members share a common love of education and our children, they experience the responsibilities of education in many different ways.
iQu serves as the agency of record for CEA, providing an extended range of strategic and communications services. But at the outset of 2014, with the implementation of statewide evaluations systems about to begin and the onset of more and more standardized testing, CEA leadership challenged iQu to respond with a new kind of campaign that would unite the concerns of CEA members with the priorities of parents and students.
The Free Our Teachers-Value Our Students campaign has received statewide recognition for its ‘cut-through-the-clutter’ messaging and visual impact. The campaign presents the frustrations many have with too much standardized testing and too little emphasis on letting teachers teach, using a humorous touch to drive home the message. The integrated campaign included a statewide media relations push, social media yielding nearly 10,000 active followers, outdoor billboards, two video spots, and engagement among a cohesive statewide network of members and educators. Additionally, the reach of this work has been extended through a partnership with Rocky Mountain PBS’ Super School News. The next phase of this campaign will focus on engaging parents and voters. Stay tuned.
“Simply put, the iQu team makes us better. They’re great partners – not only willing to serve, but also to challenge and help guide us.” Amy Baca-Oehlert, Vice President at CEA.
Have you ever had to conduct five simultaneous campaigns with one of the most controversial issues in recent memory – all in 14 weeks?
We have, and we're poised to help you.
In 2013, five Colorado municipalities faced proposed ballot measure bans on hydraulic fracturing. The bans posed an imminent economic threat to the targeted communities and an even greater challenge to the state’s energy industry.
READ MORE.Energy Interests Case Study
“The iQu team approached the difficult issue of hydraulic fracturing as if they were part of our community. By listening closely, they differentiated themselves from the typical consultant. The result was reflected both in the quality of their work and the success of our campaign.”
Jay HardyVice President of Governmental Relations & Corporate Communications at McWhinney and Steering Committee Member of the Loveland Energy Action Project
This had never happened before in Colorado – or anywhere else that we’re aware of. Five local ballot measures, dropped like an avalanche at virtually the same time, all aimed at making illegal the safe and proven practice of hydraulic fracturing. And in 2013, the frenzy of negative (and distorted) information around hydraulic fracturing was peaking.
Leading energy interests in Colorado selected iQu and several key Team+ members to implement campaigns opposing the bans. We endeavored to mount fiercely intense and honest campaigns that took the industry in a wholly different direction – acknowledge community concerns, present objective information and challenge every voter to understand the implications of the illegal bans.
Working at a massive level with iQu Team+ partners and connecting the varied assets of the state’s energy companies, we outperformed expectations in all our campaigns. Dozens of direct mail pieces, multiple video and radio ads, door-to-door canvassing operations and full-scale campaigns in four municipalities were just part of the effort iQu mustered.
Four of the measures went to the ballot, and all four passed. One, in Broomfield, has gained a small measure of mythical status based on being decided by 13 votes after a months-long recount battle managed by iQu. Through concerted effort the proposed Loveland 2013 measure was pushed to June 2014. With extra time and lessons learned, we prevailed in Loveland and the ban was defeated. Justice triumphed in three of the other communities as well, where the fracking bans were overturned by the courts this year. The battle, however, rages on and iQu is involved extensively in supporting responsible energy development in Colorado.
