A health care organization was facing legislative challenges that threatened to limit patients’ access to certain types of medical care.

Confusion and imprecise media attention were clouding the issues and disrupting efforts to educate public decision-makers.

The group needed to raise awareness among affected patients and get them to speak out about how they were personally affected.

DDC Advocacy's Response: Use Compelling Individual Stories to Bring the Issue back into Focus

With a cacophony of voices already trying to get attention on the issue, the client needed some way to shift the focus back to individual patients.

DDC Advocacy recognized that many of the organization’s advocates had compelling personal stories to tell about why they cared about the issue, and we saw an opportunity for them to speak in a way that would be heard on Capitol Hill. 

By drawing out real stories from real people, DDC Advocacy helped the client demonstrate the issue’s human impact in a way that could not be ignored.

Finding the Most Committed Advocates

Through one-on-one outreach, DDC Advocacy engaged advocates across the country whose lives had been touched by the issue.     

• Sharing Personal Stories—Advocates related personal experiences that motivated them to support the issue.
  
  
• Getting More Involved—Many advocates played a more active role in the issue by communicating with Congress and the media, and spreading the message to friends and family.