Trust in business is at an all-time low but interest in public policy is at all-time high. We don’t trust drug companies, for instance, or insurance companies or healthcare providers—but we can’t get enough of discussion about healthcare reform.
Associations can be a major force in providing trusted sources of information while advancing their own advocacy agendas. Earlier this year, PhRMA, the trade association representing the pharmaceutical industry, formed a partnership with Americans for Stable Quality Care (ASQC), a coalition that includes Families USA, the Service Employees International Union, the AMA and the Federation of American Hospitals. The idea is to extend PhRMA’s reach to new audiences and make their voice louder in DC on the healthcare debate.
Coalitions make a stronger case in Congress and turn consumers on to issues that often seem too complex and far away for them to be involved.
Healthcare is the hot topic of the moment. But what about sustainability, food and consumer product safety, building codes—the sort of close-to-home issues that get law makers’ attention only when they involve the voices of a lot of voters? One-off lobbying is as mistrusted as many corporations these days. Forming coalitions can elevate the message and help associations do the work their members pay them to do.
