THE CHALLENGE
• JAN 7, 2004 - President Bush proposes a new temporary worker program to address the millions of undocumented men and women who have entered the U.S. illegally. He does not outline his solution to securing the U.S. borders and mentions "border security" only one time in his 22-minute speech. The President's plan does not get support from conservatives in Congress and immigration reform remains stalled in Congress with no consensus on a solution.
• OCT 1, 2004 - Jim Gilchrist organizes the Minuteman Project. He begins a grassroots effort to set up citizen checkpoints along the U.S. southern border to enforce current U.S. immigration laws and make citizen arrests of people trying to enter the U.S. illegally from Mexico. By the summer of 2005, Gilchrist's group has focused national attention on border security issues but been unable to generate a willingness from Congress to address the issue except for the support of a handful of Congressmen.
• LATE AUG, 2005 - Let Freedom Ring, Inc. launches a project called "WeNeedAFence.com" to address border security issues by advocating the need to build an Israeli-like, state-of-the-art security fence along the entire 2,000 mile U.S. southern border. The aim of this effort is to help control the unchecked illegal migration coming through Mexico while Congress overhauls current U.S. immigration laws.
THE MEDIA STRATEGY
• Target decision makers on Capitol Hill with a 30-second TV spot;
• Reframe the debate on illegal immigration to focus on the need for tighter border security measures;
• Underscore the potential national security threat due to lax enforcement of current immigration laws;
• Drive viewers to the client's Web site for in-depth information by highlightling the following: 1) A number of "special-interest aliens" from countries that sponsor terrorism have been apprehended along the Mexican border trying to enter the U.S. illegally; and, 2) An unsecured southern border provides potential terrorists a point of entry into the U.S. leaving the country vulnerable to another terrorist attack.
• SEP 30 - "EASY COVER" debuts on Lou Dobbs Tonight/CNN. The segment is called "Broken Borders" and features an interview with Colin Hanna, president of WeNeedAFence.com.
• OCT 3 - Cable media begins to run in the DC and Phil., PA.
• SHIRLEY & BANISTER PUBLIC AFFAIRS garners earned media that includes: Fox & Friends, Hannity & Colmes, The Shepard Smith Report, MSNBC "The Situation" with Tucker Carlson, MSNBC Heartland, and a number of radio talk shows. "EASY COVER" is frequently selected to be included as part of TV interview segments.
• JAN 7, 2004 - President Bush proposes a new temporary worker program to address the millions of undocumented men and women who have entered the U.S. illegally. He does not outline his solution to securing the U.S. borders and mentions "border security" only one time in his 22-minute speech. The President's plan does not get support from conservatives in Congress and immigration reform remains stalled in Congress with no consensus on a solution.
• OCT 1, 2004 - Jim Gilchrist organizes the Minuteman Project. He begins a grassroots effort to set up citizen checkpoints along the U.S. southern border to enforce current U.S. immigration laws and make citizen arrests of people trying to enter the U.S. illegally from Mexico. By the summer of 2005, Gilchrist's group has focused national attention on border security issues but been unable to generate a willingness from Congress to address the issue except for the support of a handful of Congressmen.
• LATE AUG, 2005 - Let Freedom Ring, Inc. launches a project called "WeNeedAFence.com" to address border security issues by advocating the need to build an Israeli-like, state-of-the-art security fence along the entire 2,000 mile U.S. southern border. The aim of this effort is to help control the unchecked illegal migration coming through Mexico while Congress overhauls current U.S. immigration laws.
THE MEDIA STRATEGY
• Target decision makers on Capitol Hill with a 30-second TV spot;
• Reframe the debate on illegal immigration to focus on the need for tighter border security measures;
• Underscore the potential national security threat due to lax enforcement of current immigration laws;
• Drive viewers to the client's Web site for in-depth information by highlightling the following: 1) A number of "special-interest aliens" from countries that sponsor terrorism have been apprehended along the Mexican border trying to enter the U.S. illegally; and, 2) An unsecured southern border provides potential terrorists a point of entry into the U.S. leaving the country vulnerable to another terrorist attack.
• SEP 30 - "EASY COVER" debuts on Lou Dobbs Tonight/CNN. The segment is called "Broken Borders" and features an interview with Colin Hanna, president of WeNeedAFence.com.
• OCT 3 - Cable media begins to run in the DC and Phil., PA.
• SHIRLEY & BANISTER PUBLIC AFFAIRS garners earned media that includes: Fox & Friends, Hannity & Colmes, The Shepard Smith Report, MSNBC "The Situation" with Tucker Carlson, MSNBC Heartland, and a number of radio talk shows. "EASY COVER" is frequently selected to be included as part of TV interview segments.