In 2010 Rasky Baerlein was hired by the Massachusetts Beer Wholesalers, Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of Massachusetts, and the Massachusetts Package Store Association to repeal the state sales tax on alcohol, which was passed into law in 2009 by the Massachusetts state legislature to deal with growing structural deficits in the state budget. Opponents of the new sales tax saw this new tax as a serious detriment to their businesses both in state, and in particular, their competition against the state of neighboring New Hampshire, which has no sales tax on any product and was advertising heavily that Massachusetts consumers should travel to New Hampshire to buy alcohol. In addition, tax cutting activist Carla Howell had put Question 3 (Q3) on the ballot to reduce the sales tax from 6.25% to 3%, which posed a considerable challenge.

Client:

"Yes on 1" 2010

Practices:

Trade Associations/Coalitions

Expertise:

Ballot Campaign Management

Our Work

Rasky Baerlein immediately began in-depth research on the existing political climate as well as extensive message testing through focus group of our target audiences. We developed a strategic approach to target and engage voters who oppose the larger tax cut (Q3), but favor a smaller tax cut (Q1) that included:

  • Developing key messaging based on research that resonated with our target audiences including a “double tax” argument.
  • Using humorous TV/radio ads to separate our campaign from the rest of the negative advertising.
  • Media outreach to towns with large Independent voting blocks and to NH border towns with a focus on the alcohol tax impacting local businesses.
  • Developing and executing a social media effort to drive buzz about the key messages as well as the humorous advertisements.
  • Executing a direct mail campaign to nearly 500,000 households of Independent voters.
  • Conducting an advertising blitz during the two weeks leading up to Election Day.

On November 2, 2010, Q1 won by 52%-48%, an 88,000 vote margin. Q3 lost, 57%-40%. In addition, Democrats won every statewide and congressional election and most of those Democrats had advocated a “No” vote on Q1, making our victory even more remarkable.