Yes on 8 communications update
Last week, I wrote about the communications and PR behind California’s Proposition 8, but didn’t hear back from the Yes on Prop 8 side before publication. On Tuesday, I spoke to Frank Schubert, the president of Schubert Flint Public Affairs and campaign manager for Yes on 8 about the PR for that side of the campaign.
“The campaign was really designed to broaden the issue,” he said. “There were implications beyond [the couples involved in] same-sex marriages.” Yes on 8 focused on three areas in its messaging and advertisement: the impact same-sex marriage would have on churches and other religious charities; the conflicts that can exists when individuals would be forced to accept same-sex marriage, like in the case of doctors who do not want to perform artificial insemination for lesbian couples; and how same-sex marriage would be taught in schools.
The campaign also “had a very aggressive online presence,” Schubert said, with a presence on Facebook and MySpace, online advertisements, and Web site specifically for younger voters. “The grassroots component clearly was the difference-maker for us,” Schubert said, highlighting the volunteers who helped with the campaign.
