PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Businesses and governments alike are finding it more complicated than ever to anticipate change, keep in step with society’s evolving expectations and priorities, and effectively offer services or products to their most important audiences or customers. In many cases, this requires fresh insight and new ideas. This is often best achieved when receiving input from both inside an organization and also from bold thinkers and seasoned advisors brought in from outside.

Focusing on the Issues that Matter Most.

We provide public affairs counsel and support to many of the country's largest private and public organizations, helping them navigate challenging landscapes and operating environments. Specializing in complex issues, we deliver measurable results through organizing methods and communication strategies.

  • Today, it is easier than ever to stoke fear, panic, hysteria, and outrage. Journalists at the most trusted media outlets can still produce lopsided stories devoid of science, nuance, or the unintended consequences of irrational policy. Summit develops and executes communications strategies that bolster consumer trust in client brands and engages newsrooms with the right information.

  • We specialize in developing and executing strategic influencer campaigns to amplify client visibility across target digital platforms. Our approach combines audience research, targeted creator recruitment, and values-based storytelling to build trust and drive engagement, especially around utility, environmental, higher education, and public health topics. We manage end-to-end execution, including contract negotiation, content review, paid amplification, and performance reporting. We deliver authentic and impactful campaigns by pairing local nano- and micro-influencers with compelling narratives and measurable KPIs.

  • Summit has political and policy veterans, with deep business, government, and media engagement backgrounds, ready to advise clients on addressing the issues that matter most.

  • The dynamics of political influence are constantly evolving, and successful businesses need to be prepared to engage in political and issue advocacy at the local, state, and federal levels. The Summit team offers veteran state and federal policy advocates who are ready to help our clients navigate today's political and issue landscape.

  • Every organization is vulnerable to crisis. Anticipating and preparing for potential crisis scenarios allows for greater focus on recovery and restoration of stakeholder trust if a crisis does occur. Our experts help clients anticipate, prepare, respond, and recover from any crisis. Ask us how our crisis hygiene protocols could help your business or organization.

  • Understanding who your stakeholders are and what they are thinking is critical for running your business or organization effectively. The varied stakeholders in a political or policy situation require nuanced and strategic messaging. The team at Summit are experts at understanding and crafting specific messages for unique audiences.

  • We know that effective grassroots-organizing and fieldwork ultimately results in civic action, and we advocate on behalf of our clients with action in mind. We help clients build and/or expand their participation in public policy activities. 

  • While nothing takes the place of knocking on doors and sitting face-to face at a table, digital presence and strategy is now carefully integrated into all of our principal areas of expertise including corporate reputation, public affairs, ESG and sustainability. Digital-first communications is now fundamental to how individuals, companies, and governments engage with priority stakeholders. Whether through website optimization, social media content, promoted campaigns, email marketing, or influencer engagement, our team is experienced in sharing our clients’ messages to the audiences that matter most. Our team is ready to integrate and execute digital strategies to drive your business goals.

  • Summit's team of experienced communications and consumer brand experts specializes in crafting engaging and impactful public education campaigns that drive consumer action. We excel at simplifying complex issues, challenging assumptions, and creating compelling narratives that resonate with diverse audiences. Our goal is to empower consumers to make informed decisions and take meaningful action.

We excel at creating campaigns to secure votes, manage media presence, or sway public opinion. Our approach involves real engagement with "boots on the ground."

Our expertise lies in moving people from awareness to concern to active engagement. We communicate through media or directly with key stakeholders to shift them from complacency to advocacy, enabling you to move from defense to a winning strategy. Our services include media engagement, strategic issues management, political and issue advocacy, crisis preparedness and response, stakeholder engagement, and grassroots organizing.