Overview

An international multilateral organization sought to enhance its profile in Washington as well as throughout the United States more broadly. Although the organization has been on the international stage for more than a century and impacts economies throughout the world, there had been little knowledge of the organization within the U.S., and less interest in engagement.

Challenges

In addition to the challenge of communicating effectively in a policy community crowded with voices, it had become clear that the organization's area of focus was not a priority for either the new administration or for Congress. Because its vision for the global economy was not viewed as relevant, Blue Star Strategies' mission was to convince a new administration and a new Congress otherwise, and to engage them on specific policy areas.

Strategic Recommendations

Blue Star Strategies implemented an engagement strategy with the goal of creating a dialogue centered around the organization's global economic relevance. The first step in this strategy has been to target public policy institutions and non-governmental organizations in order to find areas of common ground. Once significant traction on matters of global economic public policy had been achieved, we leveraged it in Congress for an expansive outreach effort on both sides of the aisle. The key to the effective implementation of these recommendations was the organization's steady leadership—its strategic patience allowed the plan to unfold and build upon itself each year, and the organization began to gain momentum among Washington's economic elite opinion leaders and decision-makers.

Program Highlights

Highlights of our strategy included the U.S. government's agreement to fund several poverty alleviation programs, allocating millions of dollars to help eradicate child labor and the trafficking of children. In addition, the U.S. State Department agreed to accept the organization's more expansive understanding of labor rights and protections at work. The organization went on to play a pivotal role in the G-20 process, providing critical analysis on labor trends and best practices regarding employment, worker training, and job creation.

Results

Having laid a foundation in the lead up to the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, the organization was perfectly positioned to provide its technical expertise and policy advice to a new administration beginning in 2009. In the wake of the new political climate brought on by that election, the network of supporters built up over the years called on our client for its leadership. The organization's profile was at its height, its reputation had been rebuilt, and its essential role in international economics was reaffirmed with a seat at the G-20 table.