Category: Blog Post

Mostly recently with PM Liz Truss, Vaughan will build out UK public affairs  and campaigns offerings

WASHINGTON, DC —   Bullpen Strategy Group (BSG) today announced the hire of Nick Vaughan, who will launch the London-based public affairs team focusing on public affairs, international political consulting, political risk management, and campaigns. He was most recently Head of Operations on UK Prime Minster Liz Truss’s leadership campaign.  BSG is a public affairs and strategic advisory with offices in Washington, DC, London, and Dallas. The London office already has research and media monitoring operations.  “I could not be more excited to have Nick join the BSG team,” said BSG CEO Joe Pounder. “Nick brings extensive government and private sector experience, including working for Prime Ministers and with major global companies. Fresh off the Truss campaign, he is eager to hit the ground running.”   Based with our team in the UK, Nick Vaughan is a public affairs, policy, and campaigns specialist with over 15 years experience of working in consultancy and in-house. He was previously Special Advisor to the Prime Minister Boris Johnson having worked on successive General Elections which saw wins for the Conservatives in 2015, 2017 and 2019.   Nick also has long-standing policy expertise having set up public affairs operations at The Football Association and BT Openreach – where he rolled out a number of award-winning political outreach programmes. Having held senior roles at leading consultancies MHP Communications and Teneo Strategy, he has advised business leaders at numerous FTSE250 companies across multiple sectors – including financial services, utilities, food and drink – and infrastructure. He began his career working the European Parliament for a Conservative MEP. He is a graduate of the University of Essex. To learn more about our UK communications practice, do get in contact with Nick at nvaughan@bullpenstrategy.co.uk.

Advertising, whether on television, radio, direct mail, or online, is one of the most effective ways to reach a consumer. After reviewing thousands of political ads over the years, I’ve learned what makes a good, effective, and legal ad. These lessons apply beyond the political space. Regardless of your goal, it can be tough to stand out in a saturated market. Whether you’re trying to get someone to vote, buy your product, or take action, here’s what I suggest. 

You need to view each person watching the ad as a potential consumer. The opening of an ad is something that must be right in order to catch the viewer’s eye. In the political space, this is accomplished through an effective one-liner from the candidate, a line that reflects unfavorably on the opponent, or an eye- and ear-catching news report. Music in the background is important, but it can’t be so loud that it overwhelms the ad.

Knowing your audience is key to effectively capturing them. Create ads the target audience will like. If you’re from Illinois, you might prefer a different ad than someone in Wyoming. This can be accomplished through an ad with a singular, defining message with which you want the viewer to walk away. Overcomplicating is your enemy – keep it simple.

Use the resources around you. For example, if you’re a trade association interested in knowing what a candidate has said, Bullpen Strategy Group can use our monitoring and research teams to find elements to use that will improve your ad. This can be a clip from an old local news report that backs up and strengthens the message, or a news article that verifies the claims made in the ad. Good research makes good ads.

Above all, the ad must be legally compliant adhering to federal and state requirements. It’s easy to get so carried away in the messaging and development of an ad that some things fall through the cracks. It’s required that ads sponsored by groups or politicians have an onscreen 4-second disclaimer at the end, such as “Paid for by…” Each state has different laws with disclaimers, so be sure that you’re familiar with the state’s specific requirements. Federal races, such as U.S. Senate campaigns, have their own sets of rules that must be followed. If you’re using stock footage in an ad, make sure it’s all fully licensed, including music. Avoid easy pitfalls like a shot of a car with a Virginia Tech bumper sticker in an ad for a congressional seat that includes the University of Virginia.

There’s so much more to advertising, but if you stick to the general advice provided above, you’ll be well on your way to making an effective ad.

Jay Boyd is a Senior Director at Bullpen Strategy Group. He previously spent his career in political consulting & media, as well as campaigns.

In 2019, we launched Bullpen Strategy Group (BSG) with the mission of providing comprehensive strategic advisory services to help clients meet their daily challenges, grow, and manage risk. I am immensely proud of where BSG is today, the team we have built, and the more than 60 clients we work with every month. Of those clients who started with us in September 2019, 87% continue to be clients today. Over the course of the last three years, we’ve gone beyond traditional public affairs to launch new technology tools, expand our practice areas, weather global uncertainty, and grow even faster than we could have predicted.

I’m proud of the work we’ve done internally too. Today, we have a team of nearly 40 professionals in three locations across two continents. We’ve developed a “pathway to partnership,” laying out a track for anyone from associate on up to become a partner. We’ve put a focus on always learning through regular staff seminars, Lunch N’ Learns, and trainings.

As great as the last three years have been, I am even more excited for what lies ahead for Bullpen Strategy Group and our great roster of clients. We will always ensure our growth means more quality services for our clients.

– Joe Pounder, CEO and Founder of BSG

“Bullpen Strategy Group has promoted Elizabeth Gibson and Jay Boyd to senior directors in the communications practice, Ali Hiestand to senior director and Garrett Scocos to senior associate in the research practice and Beth Hitchcock and Andrew Muchnick to senior directors in the media monitoring practice.”

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WASHINGTON, DC – Strategic advisory firm Bullpen Strategy Group (BSG) announced promotions in its Washington, D.C., and London offices.

“At Bullpen Strategy Group, we are committed to helping our team develop new skills and grow professionally,” said Joe Pounder, CEO of BSG. “These well-earned promotions are the result of hard work and consistently notching wins for clients. I’m excited to see everyone advance and continue to accomplish great things.”

In the London office, Rhiannon Glover is now a Senior Director in the Media Monitoring practice, where she will oversee UK-based monitoring.

In the DC office, Elizabeth Gibson and Jay Boyd are now Senior Directors in the Communications practice. Ali Hiestand is now a Senior Director and Garrett Scocos is a Senior Associate in the Research practice. Beth Hitchcock and Andrew Muchnick are now Senior Directors in the Media Monitoring practice.

BSG is actively recruiting for positions in DC and London. More information is available here.

Martin, formerly deputy executive director of America Rising PAC, recently joined Bullpen Strategy Group as vice president of communications. When he’s not working on corporate and advocacy clients, you might find the Florida native cheering on the Tampa Bay Lightning or his adopted home team, the Washington Capitals.

Starting out: “I wasn’t really interested in politics until college,” Martin said. In his junior year at the University of South Florida, he took a class on media and politics. “It was about how the media interacts with elected officials.” It covered ad making, direct mail and an internship with a campaign of your choice. Martin sought his with the 2012 Mitt Romney presidential campaign. “I walked into a field office,” he recalled, and began volunteering — making phone calls, knocking on doors. “And before I knew it, they offered me a job on the campaign.” He took six months off of college to work as a volunteer coordinator for the Romney campaign before heading back to campus. “There was something about the energy, the feeling of being on a team.”

Most unforgettable campaign moment: “Hearing a candidate I worked for reading remarks that I prepared for them for the first time during a campaign rally was just a thrilling experience,” he said. “It’s so humbling to feel like you’re part of something bigger than yourself. And to see your hard work pay off and see the words you’ve written down, communicated to voters.”

Biggest campaign regret: “The first couple of years in my career, there were a couple of really incredible job opportunities in D.C. and other states. But I stayed in Florida, and I do regret not leaving my comfort zone sooner to explore these opportunities,” he said. “But I think it worked out in the end. I just wish I had taken that leap of faith sooner and packed up my car and moved across the country, which I ended up doing in 2014. I moved to Wisconsin to work on a gubernatorial campaign.”

Unconventional wisdom: Grassroots audiences are “starving” for good political content to share with their social networks, Martin said, but “a lot of campaigns and issues advocacy groups and even corporations just don’t have the systems in place to push out that content on a daily basis.” They’re missing opportunities to identify “viral moments” to use in their fundraising or advocacy messaging, he adds. “The need for really compelling digital content is something that kind of goes by the wayside when everything else is going on.”

Announces New Partner, Promotions and Team Members

WASHINGTON, DC – Bullpen Strategy Group (BSG) today announced two promotions, including a new partner, and eight new hires, adding depth to its communications, research and media monitoring practices. BSG is a public affairs and strategic advisory firm that has grown to more than 40 employees with offices in Washington, DC, London and Dallas.

Christian Hertenstein has been promoted from Managing Director to Partner. He has been with BSG since its founding. Christian has deep public relations experience including time at Publicis’s MSL Group and Florida’s Wragg & Casas. He has counseled diplomatic missions, corporations, foundations and associations facing an array of regulatory and litigation issues. 

Michael Ahrens was promoted to Senior Vice President. He joined the firm in 2021 after over a decade of advising some of the nation’s top political and business leaders. Michael served as Communications Director for the Republican National Committee and as a campaign aide to U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio, Mitt Romney, and the Republican Governors Association. He also worked as a legislative aide to Sen. Roy Blunt and on the production teams at CBS News and Fox News.

“At Bullpen, we’re continuing to see our roster grow,” said CEO Joe Pounder. “I am excited to add Christian Hertenstein as a partner and to see our team advance and expand. We’re proud of our deep bench that brings results and drives value for clients every day.”

In addition, Chris Martin has joined BSG as Vice President in the communications practice. Chris previously served as the Deputy Executive Director of America Rising PAC, where he oversaw the organization’s earned media, rapid response, and political advocacy efforts. Prior to that, Chris worked on Capitol Hill as the Director of Rapid Response for the House Republican Conference, served as a Regional Press Secretary for the National Republican Congressional Committee and Communications Director for the Republican Party of Wisconsin.

Sara Willi is now a graphic designer for BSG, having previously worked as a website support manager for more than 200 clients at a full-service marketing agency. She brings a diverse background of design fields, which include graphic, web, user experience and user interaction design. 

Giancarlo Payamps comes to the research practice as a Senior Associate from a public affairs firm where he monitored trade and regulatory issues. Garrett Scocos also joined the research practice as an Associate where he conducts in-depth research and analysis for a wide variety of clients in multiple industries including finance, healthcare, and government. 

In the media monitoring practice, Kuljeet Singh, George Basile, and Jack Lubbock have joined as associates. Multilingual in English, Hindi, and Punjabi, Kuljeet joins BSG from a global nonprofit where he focused on nuclear nonproliferation. George brings nearly a decade of experience from campaigns, legislative offices, nonprofits and the private sector. Based in London, Jack provides strategic monitoring and analysis services for clients with a focus on the crypto and energy industries. 

“Jay Boyd is joining Bullpen Strategy Group as director in the strategic communications practice. He previously was a manager at FP1 Strategies.”

Also seen in POLITICO Influence.

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Adds Seven New Hires, Promotes Eight Firmwide In Last Five Months

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Bullpen Strategy Group (BSG) is excited to announce the expansion of its strategic communications, analysis, and media monitoring practices with new hires and promotions, including the addition of Michael Ahrens as Vice President. Firmwide, BSG recently added seven new hires and promoted eight team members. It has offices in Washington, London, and Dallas.

“Nearly two years ago, we launched Bullpen Strategy Group to provide clients with insights-driven strategies,” said BSG CEO Joe Pounder. “Today, we have grown to nearly three dozen strong, stretching from London to Washington to Dallas. This means we are better positioned than ever to help our clients meet their challenges, grow, and manage risk.”

“We believe that great communication starts with great research and monitoring, and at Bullpen, all of those teams are growing,” said BSG Partner Brian Rogers. “Our new lineup, alongside our existing team, is already hard at work racking up wins for clients.”

Michael Ahrens joins BSG in the strategic communications practice. Ahrens has more than 12 years of experience in strategic communications, research, and crisis management. He has advised some of the nation’s top political and business leaders, fought on the front lines of high-profile political and policy campaigns, as well as behind the scenes in the media, philanthropic and financial sectors. Most recently, Ahrens served as Communications Director for the Republican National Committee. His previous campaign experience includes roles for U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, the Republican Governors Association, and Gov. Mitt Romney. He also worked on Capitol Hill as a legislative aide to Sen. Roy Blunt and in New York on the production teams at CBS News and Fox News.

Elizabeth Gibson joins BSG as Director in the strategic communications practice. Gibson brings extensive writing and strategic communications experience to BSG from her time in the U.S. Senate, where she spent nearly five years working for U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, as well as serving as Speechwriter and Press Secretary for the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. Gibson most recently served as speechwriter to U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler of Georgia. She is a graduate of the University of Delaware.

Jay Boyd joins BSG as Director in the strategic communications practice. Jay joins BSG from FP1 where he was spent three years aiding dozens of winning clients and overseeing successful production of advertisements nationwide. Jay also worked in political media as a producer for Laura Ingraham and an associate at Fox News.

Olivia Perez-Cubas and Michael Zona have both been promoted to Senior Vice President in the strategic communications practice.

In the research and analysis practice, Joe Chaudoin has been promoted to Senior Vice President, and will lead a team that includes new additions Tom Mulkeen, who joins BSG as Senior Director, and Evan Allison, as a Senior Associate.

Other recent promotions include Pelham Groom, based in the London office, to Managing Director of Global Technology and Monitoring Operations. On the monitoring team, Beth Hitchcock and Andrew Muchnick are now Directors and Thomas Dee is a Senior Associate.

Rounding out the firm’s expansion is the addition of Erica Guyton, as Chief People Officer, bringing more than a decade of experience spearheading organizational development, growth, expansion, and improvement across diverse corporate platforms. Jessi Powell joins BSG as Senior Financial Operations Analyst. Full stack engineer Wesley Roberts has been promoted to Vice President at Bullpen Technology Group.

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From POLITICO Playbook: 

Elizabeth Gibson is now a director at Bullpen Strategy Group. She previously was a speechwriter for Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.).

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