Noble Strategic Partners

Effort to Highlight Support for U.S. Troops and Their Mission

Challenge:

After learning that Cindy Sheehan - a mother who had lost her son in Iraq - was planning an anti-war rally at President Bush’s Crawford ranch, a group of military families and supporters of U.S. troops and the War on Terror quickly organized and headed to Crawford, Texas.

As a compelling and sympathetic figure with credibility as a soldier’s parent, Sheehan had the potential to alter public opinion of the war if she was allowed to entirely dominate the news coverage of her anti-war events. The public had to be reminded that scores of other military families, including those who had themselves lost loved ones, remained steadfastly committed to the war in Iraq.

Strategy:

These military families needed an organized structure and a strategic approach to effectively deliver their message of the importance of supporting our troops and allowing them to complete their mission in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Our team established local, state and national organizational structures to assist in building and sustaining grass tops and grassroots support for the effort.  We also created and implemented a comprehensive media relations strategy to position the coalition as the central catalyst and driving force for national efforts in support of our troops and the War on Terror.

Noble Strategic recruited military family members, military experts, veterans, third-party allies and everyday Americans in each city of Sheehan’s national bus tour. By educating these supporters and engaging them in counterdemonstrations, coalition activities, radio interviews, blogs, news conferences and other media efforts in each city of the tour, we were able to effectively turn the attention of the media and the public to the successes of the War and support for U.S. troops.

Result:

Our firm played a key role in building the only multi-state organizational structure that bracketed nearly every city of Sheehan’s bus tour with a message of support for our troops and their mission overseas. By framing the issue in terms that resonated with the American public and ensuring that our client’s side of the issue was heard through credible third-party voices, we were able to take control of the debate and successfully change the story from one woman’s captivating narrative to a two-sided debate on national security.

Our efforts resulted in a steady stream of national and local media coverage in each city of Sheehan’s bus tour. The coalition sponsored “Support Our Troops” events in 30 cities across 22 states over a 25 day period beginning August 30, 2005 and culminating with events featuring 44 military families in Washington D.C. The organization we created is still active and thriving with thousands of members across the U.S.

 

Services Performed