Green Bay Packers
Foley & Lardner was selected to work with the Green Bay Packers a full year before a stadium initiative was announced. During that initial year, Foley & Lardner helped the Packer team clearly define the initiative both from a public policy as well as a political perspective. The Foley & Lardner team advised the Packers on project design options, political strategies, and the most desirable and available forms of public and private financing.
In addition, and perhaps most importantly, the professionals in our Public Policy Practice conducted an extensive message development strategy for the Packer team. The message development work included conducting comprehensive polling and focus groups through which benchmarks of the Packers' level of community support could be determined and the most effective messages defined, setting the stage for the public campaign.
In early 2000, our attorneys designed and executed a rollout strategy for the project and built with the Packer team a grassroots support coalition. The Foley & Lardner team successfully lobbied the Packers' bill - the most controversial bill of the session – through the Wisconsin Legislature by April 2000. Soon thereafter, Foley & Lardner began building and managing the local referendum campaign in Brown County. The Foley & Lardner team managed all aspects of the referendum campaign: press relations, paid media production and placement, direct mail and grassroots mobilizing.
The referendum campaign culminated in a 53/47 percent victory on September 12, 2000. Currently, the Public Policy Practice continues to advise the Packers on political and public relations strategies related to the lease negotiations with the football district board and other matters.
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