When the Vermont General Assembly passed a first-in-the-nation marriage equality law, KSE worked with the supporters to marshal support inside and out of the Statehouse. We advised the leaders of the campaign on the politics and policy of the issue, designed paid TV/Radio/Print/Web advertising and led the web strategy. By deploying all these tools in a highly-disciplined, coordinated campaign, the marriage equality message was communicated with overwhelming force and led to passage of the law.
Making Clients Smart About Internet Policy
The Internet Alliance (IA) was created by e-commerce companies a decade ago to manage legislation in the states. The Internet spawned an entire new body of law and industry needed help designing and implementing a 50-state program. The IA turned to KSE to develop its advocacy program and to design and manage a comprehensive database of all legislation pending in the states. Today FOCUS manages all aspects of the association’s state legislative program and the day-to-day interactions between members, their lobbyists and state officials.
KSE FOCUS tracks and reports on transaction taxes in the 50 states for a world wide leader in the development and deployment of tax compliance software. Tax changes in the states are very difficult to follow because revenue forecasts and states’ needs change regularly. Tax law is often made in the dead of night in a conference committee at the end of a long, difficult legislative session. FOCUS uses a combination of electronic and human resources to keep abreast of these changes all of which are maintained on a Website created for the client that contains a searchable database. The most important changes are analyzed in a narrative weekly report posted on the client’s Website.
KSE implemented a strategy to enact a Vermont dealer bill of rights, arguably the most important bill to pass in 25 years for Vermont’s 88 automobile, motor home and motorcycle dealers, along with their estimated 3,000 employees. Despite strong protests from national automobile and motor home manufacturers, KSE’s Vermont team won the support of eight legislative committees and the governor’s office to get this complex, 50-page new law enacted in one year.
Putting the Growth in Solar Energy
When a small-Vermont-based solar energy company wanted to move from its living room to the big-time, they called KSE. We helped the founders come up with a new name and brand identity, a new logo, a website. Using its political and policy experience, KSE helped the CEO develop industry relationships, secure speaking engagements and media placement that helped him become a key leader in the fast-growing industry. When it came to launch the company brand in the California market, KSE conceived, designed and placed the advertising campaign that has made the company a truly national brand.