MURRAY OVERVIEW

This is an overview provided by Mike Cowen of the strengths and weaknesses of Murray's recent successful Local Option campaign. The information may be useful for any community planning future campaigns. Mike can be reached at (270) 759-1600, ext. 102
RESTAURANT REFERENDUM 2000
KEYS TO OUR SUCCESS
  1. SIGNATURES ON PETITIONS
    a. Focus - Students in Fraternity and Sororities
    b. Focus - University Faculty
    c. Focus - Hospital Staff
    d. Focus - Restaurant Patrons
    e. Focus - Industry Employees
    f. Spoke at Civic Organization
  2. HIRED EXPERIENCED POLITICAL CONSULTANT/PR FIRM
    a. Controlled Timing of Media Campaign
    b. Directed Strategy RE: Election Date, Tone of Campaign
    c. Wrote Advertising Copy: Newspapers, Radio
    d. Publicity (Letters to Editors & Advertising). Started slowly and built to climax during week of election
  3. RAN A PROFESSIONAL CAMPAIGN
    a. Kept our information factual (vs. theirs being emotional)
    b. We matched volumes of letters to the editor and advertising
    c. Kept personalities out of campaign so little permanent damage was done to supporters of either side
    d. Our facts were stronger than theirs
    e. We were able to counter their claims in a professional, truthful fashion
  4. EXCELLENT RESEARCH
    a. Knew what opposition had done in 85 and 88 campaigns and prepared to offset their issues
    b. Knew what State Temperance Organization was doing in other cities and responded to it as well
    c. Had access to Letters to the Editor and Ads from cities around KY and TN that were or had been fighting a similar battle
    d. Countered their Statistics and Claims with strong data from reliable sources and published sources to prove credibility
    e. Knew what points we needed to make and backed them up with provable data based on the experience of other communities with similar demographics and cultures.
    f. Facts were presented at key times to reduce impact of their data
  5. HAD ENOUGH ORGANIZATION AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO MOUNT AN EFFECTIVE CAMPAIGN
    a. Small group that worked hard and got key jobs done on time
    b. Enough money to pay consultant and advertising
  6. KEPT STUDENTS INVOLVED AND INTERESTED
    a. Many articles in student newspaper
    b. Student debate on issue
    c. Student government involvement throughout campaign
    d. Huge student turnout
  7. ALLOWED COMMUNITY TO VOTE FOR US BY GIVING THEM MANY REASONS TO SUPPORT US
    a. Huge community voter registration and turn out
  8. HAD POSITIVE NEWSPAPER, RADIO, TV SUPPORT FOR US
    a. Balance of letters to editor
    b. Other news regarding issue positive
    c. Support of editor and publisher
    d. Other media positive
  9. OUT AUTOMATED PHONE CAMPAIGN WAS POSITIVE AND REMINDED PEOPLE TO VOTE
  10. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION AND ISSUE GOT RECORD VOTERS OUT
  11. THEIR LEADERSHIP WAS WEAKER THAN OURS
    a. Key leader kept out of campaign
    b. They could not overcome our strategies
    c. Their public support was limited and not well known to community
    d. Their financing was too low
  12. WE HAD GOOD POST ELECTION PUBLICITY. OPPOSITION'S WAS NEGATIVE.
WEAKNESSES IN OUR CAMPAIGN
  1. Our organization was too small to do in-depth work
    a. Had 4-1/2 people doing most of the work
    b. "Get Out the Vote" Campaign could have been stronger
  2. Fundraising was slow and weak
    a. Only raised 50% of planned goal
    b. Had to reduce advertising to 50% of plan
    c. Most of money came from Campaign
    d. Still paying debts 60 days out of Campaign
    e. Community support was anonymous and too low
    f. Key beneficiaries of issue would not contribute at all - liquor distributors, restaurants, major landowners, university and major industries
  3. Didn't have enough support of University
    RE: Research and letters to editor
  4. Local businesses scared off by opposition threat of boycott. We never had a counter strategy to get their public support.
  5. Local civic leaders and organizations count not publicly support us either. They feared loss of business and/or members over this issue. Never had a srong enough strategy to get their support.