Ballast Research is now Penta. We are the world’s first comprehensive stakeholder solutions firm.

Learn More

Assessing Grassroots Effectiveness

The Ask:

A Fortune 50 client sought to understand whether its grassroots fly-in strategy was providing value to policymakers.

Our Process:

Ballast interviewed policymakers who participated in a series of fly-ins organized by the client. Ballast tested whether these policymakers found this engagement to be memorable, useful, and a constructive use of their time and attention.

Our Findings:

Interviews with policymakers on the fly-in list revealed that some found the engagements were impactful, with the client’s ability to mobilize local constituents as one of their strongest advocacy assets.

However, a number of key policymakers did not remember having participated in a fly-in with the client. These policymakers had a more disparate understanding of the client’s goals and priorities.

The Solution

Ballast worked with the client to develop content designed for lasting impact among policymakers, including a comprehensive look at all economic and philanthropic benefits the clients brought to each district. Additionally, Ballast created a more regular cadence for engagement among key policymakers in order to foster deeper and less “ask-oriented” connections. Finally, Ballast supplemented these strategies with consistent engagement from C-suite executives, designed to provide a more universal view of the client’s goals and impact.