Building Support for a High-Stakes Merger

The Challenge:
In a difficult economy, two giants of the airline industry announce plans to merge. Under fire from consumer groups, one of the entities turns to Hilltop to convert existing local support for the merger into Congressional support.

The Hilltop Solution:
Partnering with the airline’s government relations team, Hilltop develops a strategic plan to gather a critical mass of support for the merger. Hilltop’s bipartisan national network identifies stakeholders who support the merger and organizes them to act. Our network recruits a diverse range of voices including state elected officials, small business leaders, chambers of commerce, and labor leaders to communicate their support to Washington. Unlike grassroots campaigns that favor quantity over quality, Hilltop’s grasstops campaigns are multi-dimensional. Our campaigns rely on a combination of phone calls, letters-to-the-editor, intercepts, op-eds, and letters to Congress to communicate support.

The Result:
Using its national network, Hilltop recruits hundreds of influential voices to urge Congress to support the merger. Congress ultimately decides not to interfere and the merger is given the green light by the Justice Department.