Situation
Navigators Global was retained in 2011 to revive an insurance industry building code coalition that had struggled to gain traction in Washington over the years
Strategy
Working with our client, the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies, Navigators Global refocused and rebranded the coalition under the name the “BuildStrong Coalition.” Navigators Global directed the coalition to adopt the Safe Building Code Incentive Act as its signature legislative priority and to position the bill as a free market solution to the increasing federal costs of natural disasters. With its new name and signature legislation, the BuildStrong Coalition then launched an aggressive issue advocacy campaign to elevate the profile of the coalition in Washington.
Under Navigators’ direct management, the BuildStrong Coalition placed over 25 news stories and editorials on the Safe Building Code Incentive Act in publications around the country, including The Wall Street Journal, Roll Call, The Hill, Politico and Detroit Free Press. We created a dedicated Facebook page with over 12,000 “Likes” and launched a high-impact website, BuildStrongAmerica.com, to provide a virtual campaign headquarters for all interested parties to obtain information on the issue. We then launched an aggressive outreach campaign to educate policymakers on Capitol Hill about the benefits of strong building codes by hosting policy forums with key members of Congress and placing witnesses to testify about the Safe Building Code Incentive Act before key committees of jurisdiction.
Outcome
Under the leadership of Navigators Global, the BuildStrong Coalition significantly grew its budget and membership over the next three years. Additionally, the Safe Building Code Incentive Act has finished the last two Congresses with the most cosponsors of any other disaster mitigation legislation in its respective category. The BuildStrong Coalition continues to be the “go-to” organization for mitigation and building code policy at the federal level today.
