Talk:Dewey Square Group

Moved the following sections from the article page (question import, or outdated):

Driving public support for GM

In February 2009, the Detroit News reported that General Motors had hired DSG's Michael Whouley. "Whouley's addition comes as even some of the companies' allies in Washington have raised questions about GM's political and public relations strategy. . . . Last week, when GM CEO Rick Wagoner met with members of Congress, he did not mention that the company would ask for up to $16.6 billion in new federal aid, according to several sources familiar with the discussions. The size of the request surprised even some of the company's staunchest defenders. ... Whouley is widely considered to be one of the Democratic Party's best organizers of grass-roots campaigns, focusing on building field organizations and get-out-the-vote operations for election campaigns. His hiring is likely a signal that GM wants to increase efforts outside Washington to build political support."

Anti-People Meter People

In 2004, DSG was hired by Rupert Murdoch's Fox News Corp. to "campaign to block Nielsen Research from changing the TV ratings system," according to the National Journal (Sept 13, 2004). DSG worked with the Glover Park Group and Grassroots Enterprise, Inc. on the "lobbying, advertising and grassroots campaign designed to persuade black and Hispanic lawmakers to pressure Nielsen to scrap the new ratings system." DSG's Minyon Moore and Esther Aguilera "coordinated the Congressional Black Caucus and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, respectively," for the campaign against Nielsen's updating their handwritten media log system. The argument given was that "African-American and Latino viewers in New York would be undercounted by electronic People Meters," according to New York Daily News (Apr. 8, 2004). But Roll Call (Apr. 7, 2004) reported that News Corp. "fear[ed] the loss of millions of dollars in advertising revenue under the new ratings system." ("Nielsen," noted Roll Call, "counters that the new system increases ratings for black and Hispanic households.")

At a meeting of Black and Hispanic members of Congress organized by Moore, "Rick Ramirez of Fox Entertainment News told the minorities that the new system could cut in half minority ratings for some shows. The next day, the CHC wrote a letter to Nielsen to 'express our concerns about the potential impact that the implementation of Local People Meters would have on ratings for minority-focused television programs.' A day after the letter from the Hispanic lawmakers was delivered, 17 members of the CBC sent their own letter to Nielsen charging that the new ratings system would 'disproportionately undercount minority viewers' and lead to the 'wholesale cancellation of minority programming'," reported Roll Call.

In May 2005, Maria Cardona joined DSG and worked on the Don't Count Us Out campaign, along with the United Health Care, Countrywide Mortgage and Democratic National Committee accounts. Cardona, who previously worked with the New Democratic Network and Democratic National Committee, focuses on "Latino organizations and communities" ("People and Organizations," Campaigns & Elections, May 2005).

Shut up and drink soda

In late 2003, DSG's J. Patrick Baskette was "traveling with ( Coalition for a Healthy and Active America statewide coordinator Ana) Cruz in parts of Florida to promote the coalition and generate interest in its programs," according to the Orlando Business Journal (Nov. 14, 2003). The Journal wrote, "Although sodas are frequently identifled as a nutritional problem for youngsters, it was Coca-Cola Enterprises that provided the seed money for the group to come to Florida." According to the Lobbyist.info database, Baskette is DSG's lobbyist for Coca-Cola.

As such, the effort appears to be an obesity-related PR campaign. Far from suggesting that overweight children should drink less soda, Cruz told the Journal: "Each area of the country is different as far as its needs and the way you can plan effective programs for children." Baskette remarked, "There is no silver bullet solution to the problem of obesity. We want to provide as many solutions as possible to address this very serious problem."

Against amendments banning same-sex marriage

Also in 2004, the Washington Post (Jul, 26, 2004) reported that DSG was working for a new organization, the Campaign to Protect the Constitution (with funding from Human Rights Campaign), to organize "grass-roots efforts against constitutional amendments [banning same sex marriage] in key states."

For tort reform

Also in 2003, Business Week reported that DSG "is leading the grassroots mobilization in states such as Washington, Connecticut, Louisiana, Nevada, and Rhode Island, where there's a shot at swaying fence-sitting Dems" in favor of the Class Action Fairness Act, a bipartisan measure supporting limited tort reform.[1]

Miscellaneous

The Public Affairs Council website lists DSG as a past participant in its "National Grassroots Conference."[2]

DSG staffer Mary Anne Marsh has appeared on the Fox News show "The O'Reilly Factor" as a Fox News Political Consultant. Boston Magazine (May 2003) called Marsh a "Democratic political pundit with a hotshot national rep, this spin doctor gets quoted on issues in papers all over the country, and she's appeared on Fox News, CNN, NBC, and MSNBC."

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Also moved the following language from the "Clients" section (irrelevant):

According to the San Francisco Business Times, in 2003 DSG helped the San Francisco Unified School District "to overcome its self-esteem problems by telling its story."[3]

References

-- Rebekah Wilce, 22:32 CST, 15 February 2013.