Challenge

Life for Ukrainians changed dramatically when Russia invaded Ukraine over two years ago. Following the invasion, Ukraine had bipartisan support in Congress, with immediate aid being sent to help defeat Russia and Putin’s authoritarian regime. However, as the war persisted, there was a growing number of Republican Members of Congress opposing continued aid. Polls showed support for Ukraine dwindling among Republican primary voters heading into the GOP presidential primary election with the top two contenders voicing opposition for additional aid. Support for Ukraine took another hit when U.S. Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy was ousted from his position, sending the chamber into chaos. The newly installed House Speaker, Mike Johnson, was reluctant to provide additional aid with the constant threat of also being ousted by his Republican conference members if he brought a Ukraine aid package to the floor. Near the end of 2023, securing significant aid for Ukraine seemed nearly impossible given the division and dysfunction in the Republican conference in the U.S. House of Representatives. Against this backdrop, we partnered with Razom For Ukraine in the fall of 2023 to mobilize a high-stakes pressure campaign we internally called “Operation Reagan,” named after the former president whose doctrine was “Peace Through Strength.”

Solution

With the focus of our effort aimed at persuading Republican Members of Congress, we launched a multi-prong approach targeting D.C. and GOP primary voters back home, with a particular focus on Christian and military veteran voting blocs. According to survey research conducted in October 2023, support for continued Ukraine aid declined with a majority of Republican voters. However, a few messages tested in survey research showed that Trump and Republican primary voters could be persuaded to support additional Ukraine aid. We utilized these findings to develop a research-tested message for our campaign to persuade Republican lawmakers and position support for Ukraine as the foundation of the Reagan Doctrine, which preached “Peace Through Strength” and called for supporting freedom for all people around the world. We presented this as America’s moral obligation as we stand by our allies in times of religious persecution.

We launched an integrated campaign of earned media, television, digital advertising and influencer mobilization. We enlisted high-profile spokespeople, including Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, General Phillip Breedlove, U.S. veterans, Ukrainian religious leaders, such as Ukraine’s top Catholic patriarch, and pro-Ukraine Republican voters in targeted districts to convey our message and leverage their voice, launching an aggressive earned media campaign that secured coverage in high-profile Beltway and right-of-center outlets, such as Fox News, National Review, Daily Caller, The Wall Street Journal, and Newsmax, POLITICO and The Hill, while utilizing grassroots voices in targeted districts to secure local media coverage. To amplify our efforts, we launched a testimonial ad campaign on cable television and connected television (CTV) on FOX News and Newsmax, as well as right-of-center digital media platforms, featuring real voices of pro-Ukraine Republican voters, military veterans, and religious leaders in D.C. and districts of House Republicans on the fence.

After Speaker Johnson’s election, we adjusted our campaign’s focus in the GOP-led House of Representatives. We recruited U.S. and Ukrainian religious leaders to educate Members of Congress on Russia’s persecution of Christians in Ukraine through an integrated effort of heavy earned media and a testimonial ad campaign. While saturating FOX News and Newsmax in targeted districts with our cable television advertising, we also deployed Christian radio spots and Razom purchased targeted billboards reinforcing the connection between supporting Ukraine and upholding Christian principles.

Results

Thanks to our integrated campaign of heavy earned media, targeted advertising and grassroots mobilization, President Biden signed a $60 billion aid package for Ukraine on April 24, 2024. By deploying a carefully crafted, campaign in targeted Republican House districts including Louisiana, the effort successfully influenced numerous GOPers — who were initially hesitant on the issue resulting in a change in their stance and the aid package being brought to the House floor. In a short period of time, our efforts resulted in more than 1,500 earned media hits, with a combined national publicity value of over $149.3 million, according to Critical Mention, while simultaneously changing the narrative in key markets by framing Ukrainian aid as a Christian imperative. The campaign’s effectiveness was widely recognized in political circles, earning praise for its smart, localized approach that combined moral advocacy with political pressure.

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