Communications Plan Pro Hands-Free Cell Phones Christine ...

Communications Plan

Pro Hands-Free Cell Phones

Christine Beckwith

SB 860

March 22, 2010





I. Goal



1. To reframe the opposition's control frame with a control frame supporting the

hands-free bill.

2. To create a freedom frame that supports the hands-free bill.





II. Objectives

1. Communicate to the public and legislators the link between banning cell phone use

and drivers having more control over their lives and their families’ lives while

driving.

2. Explain that drivers on cell phones are taking away drivers’ ability to be free of

potentially lethal accidents.



III. Messages



Objective 1:

1. Allowing drivers to use cell phones while driving is like playing Russian

Roulette; isn’t it time we stopped wagering our lives and took control?

2. With so much out of our control, don’t you want to have a say in whether other

drivers can endanger your life and your family’s?



Objective 2:

1. Doesn’t your family deserve to be free from reckless and potentially lethal drivers

on cell phones?

2. Dissenters of the hands-free bill want to keep drivers shackled to their fear of other

drivers on cell phones.



IV. Target Audience



Members Joint Committee on Transportation

o Baddour: Chair (Senate)

 First Essex: Haverhill, Newburyport, Amesbury, Merrimac, Methuen, North

Andover, Salisbury

 Sons of Italy; Methuen Historical Society

 Male, Democrat



o Wagner: Chair (House)

 Eight Hampden: Chicopee

 Chicopee Boys and Girls Club; Elks

 Male, Democrat



o Flanagan: Vice-Chair (Senate)

 Worcester and Middlesex: Fitchburg, Gardner, Leominster, Bolton, Clinton,

Lancaster, Lunenburg, Sterling, Westminster, Ashby, Townsend

 Boys and Girls Club of North Central Massachusetts, Project Apples, Spanish

American Center, Montachusett Addiction Council, Junior Achievement of

Central Massachusetts, Leominster Education Foundation

 Female, Democrat



o Sciortino, Jr.: Vice-Chair (House)

 Thirty-fourth Middlesex: Medford, Somerville,

 Progressive Democrats of Somerville; Sierra Club; Massachusetts Chapter

National Organization for Women; National Gay and Lesbian Task Force;

Medford Democratic City Committee, (Vice Chair)

 Male, Democrat



V. Communication Channels

A. Television Channels

 WBZ (TV4, Boston)

 WWLP (22 News, Western Mass)

 WHDH (7 News, Boston area)

 NECN (New England Cable News, Channel 6)



B. Local Access Channels

 SCAT (Somerville, Channel 13)

 WCCA (Worcester, Channel 13)

 BNN (Boston, Comcast 9, RCN 15)

 FATV (Fitchburg, Channel 9)

 LATV (Leominster, Channel 9)

 WGBY (Public Television for Western New England)



B. Radio

 WBZ News Radio 1030 AM, Boston

 WTAG 94.9 FM, Worcester

 WGBH 89.7 FM, Boston

 WBUR 90.9 FM, Boston

 WFCR 88.5 FM, Western Massachusetts

 WCCM 1110 AM, Methuen



C. Newspapers

 Chicopee Herald Weekly- Chicopee, Rep. Wagner

 Worcester Telegram& Gazette- Worcester, Senator Flanagan

 Eagle Tribune- North Andover, Senator Baddour

 Medford Daily Mercury- Medford, Rep. Sciortini, Jr.

D. Magazines/Websites

 The Worcester Magazine

 Wickedlocal.com/Medford

 The Somerville News blog:

http://somervillenews.typepad.com/the_somerville_news/lyrical_so

merville/

 Link on Hands-free info site: http://handsfreeinfo.com/



F. Coalitions

 Worcester Community Action Council

 Community Action, Inc.- Haverhill

 Valley Opportunity Council, Inc- Holyoke (Serving Chicopee)

 Community Action Agency of Somerville, Inc.



G. Canvassing

 Telephone

 Door-to-door



H. Flyers

 Grocery stores

 Laundromats

 Libraries

 Community centers



VI. Activities

 Pay for 30 second radio spots on local radio stations

 Contact community coalitions to help with telephone and door-to-

door canvassing, putting up flyers at local informational centers,

and writing letters to the editor

 Press release for a press conference with victims of accidents

caused by drivers using cell phones

 Editorial board meetings at newspapers and magazines

 Identify individuals who are also members of the following

organizations to talk to the committee members: Sons of Italy,

Elks, Spanish American Center, Sierra Club

 Contact the Hands-free Info site to include information on the

pending bill

 Pay for 30 second television spots on local news channels with

victim’s pictures

 Legislative drop in with fact-sheets

 Commission local cartoonist to create satirical cartoon about the

problem

VII. Materials

 Letters to the editor

 Press releases

 Radio and television spots

 Fact sheets

 T-shirts for canvassers

 Op-eds

 Cartoon

 Canvassing scripts

 Flyers

 Media kits