GREATER BOSTON REAL ESTATE BOARD
Shaping Public Opinion to Shape a Key Outcome

A single policy issue threatened to seriously alter the way the GBREB's members did business. Though voters passed a statewide ballot question in the past, the Organization's position had come under political attack, threatening to impose a severe limitation on members' free-market rights. Only a "no" vote in the City Council could block the initiative from going on to the Legislature and then becoming law, but speaking out on the highly divisive issue threatened to ignite a powder keg of controversy that could do lasting damage to the Organization's reputation.

It was determined that instead of shying away from the problem, the Organization's CEO should be positioned as the face of the industry and the issue in the weeks leading up to the Council vote. A multimedia blitz was planned and an exhaustive push undertaken for coverage on radio talk shows, television programs, and in print articles. A light was shined on individual members, offering the perspective of "real business people" on the issue. Statements, opinion pieces, and testimony were crafted that took a broad, historic look at the issue and ensured that the validity of the Organization's position came across.

The media blitz resulted in widespread airplay and significant feature print coverage, ensuring that the Organization's voice and position were conveyed and that the issues were not oversimplified or misunderstood. The resulting wave of coverage resulted in a palpable change in the climate surrounding the issue. City Councilors voted to defeat the proposal. This result exceeded the Organization's expectations: They had imagined that they would have to continue the fight before the Legislature. Instead, the petition was dead and their free-market rights preserved, allowing them to get back to business.

This case history describes a program created by the principals and senior staff of Solomon McCown & Company while we were members of a prior agency co-founded and managed by Helene Solomon.