Direct Impact
Direct Impact is a "grassroots" communications organisation founded in 1988 which is a subsidiary of Burson-Marsteller.
Their website claims that they have a network of over 1,200 influential individuals who are ready to "convey your messages": "Tapping the local grapevine in every community across the country can be a daunting task. What's needed is access to a field network as powerful as ours with more than 1,200 field representatives covering every Designated Market Area in the nation, ready to engage their community in a moment's notice."
On its website, DI boats that "when major trade associations, industry groups, Fortune 50 corporations and government entities need sophisticated grassroots services, they turn to the industry's most effective grassroots provider, Direct Impact."[1]
Contents
Personnel
- Dennis Whitfield - Chairman
- Dave DenHerder - COO
- John Maheras - senior vice president
- Bill McIntyre, former senior executive
In September 2005, president & CEO Craig G. Veith left Direct Impact after three years, "to pursue other interests," according to PR Week. Instead of replacing him directly, the firm hired Whitfield (formerly of BKSH & Associates and the Ronald Reagan administration) and DenHerder (who "previously worked as a regional political director for the Bush 2004 campaign"). [2]
John Maheras was named senior vice president in August 2008. He previously served as director of government affairs for Altria Corporate Services. For "various units of the Altria corporate family, including Kraft Foods, Philip Morris USA and Miller Beer," Maheras "managed grasstops and grassroots programs; worked closely with national and state policy and business organizations and trade associations; orchestrated employee mobilizations; oversaw coalition development; and managed a charitable trust in support of Altria philanthropic priorities," according to the Holmes Report. Maheras also worked for the American Petroleum Institute and the National Republican Senatorial Committee. [1]
Clients
A "selected" client list (though it is not clear whether the clients are current or historical), accessed in December 2004, includes:
- Accenture
- Air Bag & Seat Belt Safety Campaign
- Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
- Air Quality Standards Coalition
- Allergan
- Alliance for Reasonable Regulation
- America's Promise
- American Apparel Manufacturers Association
- American Chemistry Council
- American Council of Life Insurers
- American Forest & Paper Association
- American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
- American Petroleum Institute
- American Shipbuilding Association
- American Trucking Association
- American Water Works, Inc.
- Americans for Computer Privacy
- Arlington International Raceway
- Association of American Railroads
- AstraZeneca
- Aventis
- Barona Indian Reservation
- Biotechnology Industry Organization
- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida
- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma
- Bluespan
- The Boeing Company
- BP America
- Bristol-Myers Squibb Company
- Bureau of Engraving & Printing
- The Business Roundtable
- Children's Educational Opportunity Foundation
- Children's Scholarship Fund
- Citigroup
- Citizens Against Unfair Health Care Taxes
- Coalition for Encryption Reform
- Coalition for Vehicle Choice
- Commonwealth Edison
- Corporation for Public Broadcasting
- DaimlerChrysler
- Delaware School Choice
- Detroit Edison Company
- Dow Chemical Company
- Dow Corning Corporation
- Eastman Chemical Company
- Edison Electric Institute
- Eli Lilly and Company
- Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
- Financial Crimes Enforcement Network
- Floridians for School Choice
- Food Marketing Institute
- Ginnie Mae
- GlaxoSmithKline
- Health Benefits Coalition
- Health Industry Group Purchasing Association
- Humana, Inc.
- Ingalls Shipbuilding
- Joe Robbie Stadium Corporation
- Johnson & Johnson
- Kansas City Southern Railways
- Kmart
- Koch Industries
- Lincoln Mercury
- Lockheed Martin
- Main Street Coalition
- Medtronic, Inc.
- Merck & Co.
- Microsoft
- Motorola
- National Association of Chain Drug Stores
- National Association of Convenience Stores
- National Association of Health Underwriters
- National Association of Psychiatric Health Systems
- National Association of Realtors
- National Federation of Independent Business
- National Oil Heat Research Alliance
- Newport News Shipbuilding
- New York State Electric & Gas
- North American Venture Capital Association
- Novartis
- Nuclear Energy Institute
- Office Depot
- PacifiCare Health Systems
- Pfizer, Inc.
- Pharmacy Care Alliance
- Recording Industry Association of America
- Sandia Pueblo
- SAP
- Schering-Plough
- Sempra Energy
- Singer Asset Finance
- Spirit of America
- Superfund Action Coalition
- Superfund Reform Now Coalition
- Textron, Inc.
- The U.S.-Canada Partnership for Growth
- U.S. Chamber of Commerce
- U.S. Department of the Treasury
- U.S. Internal Revenue Service
- U.S. Mint
- U.S. Steel
- United States Postal Service
- United Technologies
- United StatesTelecom Association
- UnitedHealth Group
- Wyeth[3]
Contact information
The Direct Impact Company
1029 North Royal Street
Suite 400
Alexandria, VA 22314
Phone:703-684-1245
Fax: 703-684-1249
Email: info At directimpact.com
Web: http://www.directimpact.com
SourceWatch resources
External links
References
- ↑ "Altria Veteran Maheras to Open Chicago Office for Direct Impact," Holmes Report (sub req'd), August 3, 2008.
Articles
- Mark Hand, "Direct Impact replaces departing CEO with two hires," PR Week (sub. req'd.), September 8, 2005.
- Jessica Holzer, "Grassroots campaigns poised to gain by ethics rule changes," The Hill, February 6, 2007.
