To promote energy production, Novak has helped clients become part of the local conversation, focusing on social networks, recruiting individual citizens as advocates, and activating the right networks for issues and events.Through Novak’s deep local connections throughout Pennsylvania, clients in energy-related industries have connected with farmers, sportsmen, small business owners, locally elected officials, real estate professionals, and others in over 200 communities. In forums and meetings suited to the targeted audience, these clients have listened and responded to the concerns of constituencies and established relationships through a sustaining and productive dialogue about the industry, its intentions, and its long-term effects.In addition, local residents attending county fairs, community events, RV Shows and even NASCAR races have become engaged on national and state energy issues as part of a citizenship advocacy network. This network cares about keeping energy production domestic and building energy jobs. They are an army of influence that can be activated quickly and efficiently through the web and social media to talk about issues and get noticed.
In America, approximately 3 million children have food allergies. So when a non-profit organization’s efforts to educate Congressmen in Washington, D.C., of the need for more federal funding for research to find a cure for food allergies, they came to Novak Strategic Advisors.NSA activated a network that started at the kitchen table and was fueled by heart. Moms, their children, school nurses, and teachers held meetings, wrote letters and contacted their local media. Articles were written, local resolutions were passed, and the key congressmen took notice of the activities in their home districts where distractions are fewer and constituent’s concerns are amplified outside of the echo chamber of Washington, D.C. As a result, the message was heard loud and clear and more federal funding was appropriated to find a cure for food allergies.
Main Street stores are required to apply state taxes to their sales. It only makes sense that internet based stores do the same. In order to help educate state House, Senate, and Congressional leaders on taxation fairness, a client representing small retailers turned to Novak Strategic Advisors to find and unite over 750 Main Street businesses across Pennsylvania to take their case to state leaders and craft legislation to require the collection of the tax at all points of sale. Novak’s field team marched door-to-door, bringing together flower shop owners, jewelers, independent book stores and independent sporting goods stores to a level taxation playing field through media stories and contact with their legislators. As a result, the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue has issued a call for internet-based retailers to register for state tax identification numbers to allow for better collection of taxes on internet sales.
In 2009, legislation threatened to force workers to openly sign union election cards in front of organizers and colleagues, taking away the right to a federally-supervised private ballot election and potentially subjecting non-union supporting workers to harassment and intimidation. The national effort to stop the legislation took center stage in Pennsylvania with a focus of then-U.S. Senator Arlen Specter. Novak Strategic Advisors was brought in by the national effort for their expertise in running Pennsylvania campaigns and their networked infrastructure throughout the state. They arranged for targeted Pennsylvania-based town hall meetings, which included featured speaker Mitt Romney, and generated media attention as they highlighted both the card check’s potential effect on employers and the views of non-union workers.
It surprises many to know that the tobacco industry is still supported, by and large, by the family farm. In response to the heavily funded anti-smoking lobby, Novak Strategic Advisors devised a campaign that persuaded typically private and unassuming Amish and Mennonite farmers to talk publicly about their quiet and highly productive farming communities. Their efforts helped educate the public and key decision makers about a lifestyle cultivated for generations and the modern-day threats to that tradition, including heavy taxation and regulation of tobacco products.
A potential hostile takeover of Delta Airlines jeopardized Pennsylvania’s local service and access to national airport connections. In addition, consumer choices would have been limited, and the price of air travel would have increased. Novak Strategic Advisors was called in to unite Pennsylvania’s nine regional airports, two major airline hubs, and their local communities to preserve business travel as it exists today. Capitalizing on the themes of competitiveness and the need to grow business, this campaign applied public pressure through media events, news stories, and editorial comment. The takeover did not take place.
In some of Pennsylvania’s municipalities, antiquated anti-liquor statutes are still in effect, often to the detriment of the restaurant and tourist industry, as well as the tax base in those communities. Since 2007, Novak Strategic Advisors has successfully run four liquor referendum projects across Pennsylvania.In 2009, Novak Strategic Advisors coordinated efforts in West Lampeter Township, Lancaster County, and Warrington Township, York County, to educate voters on a ballot referendum building and working with broad-based coalitions. The team was able to identify the issues, target a specific message, and communicate to key constituencies to successfully pass the question on both ballots.
