Generations of blue-collar workers have called western Pennsylvania home. The coal mined from its hills and the steel forged in its mills literally built this nation. The wages earned from work helped to sustain families and built strong communities.

Yes as the world changed, some saw traditional industries as relics to be left in the past.

The advent of shale gas and the downstream petrochemical benefits create family-sustaining jobs, and provide new opportunities for workers who otherwise would be left behind.

However, so-called environmental groups are leading the fight to kill energy and manufacturing jobs in southwestern Pennsylvania. Some politicians have chosen to join that fight at the expense of their long-time allies working in the building trades and manufacturing. And blue-collar workers have felt abandoned as groups promote a future economic vision of the region that does not include them. Simply put, they were under attack, and no one was there to defend the.

Facing annihilation, nontraditional allies saw the need to work together. Recognizing they had no organization advocating for their interests, members of industry and the building trades turned to ColdSpark to help chart the path forward.

We were engaged to help form a new entity. Our award-winning design team developed the name, branding and all collateral materials associated with the creation of Pittsburgh Works Together.

The Goals:

• Galvanize public support by educating the public and combating misinformation in public discourse
• Become a fact-based resource for information
• Serve as a respected voice framing the debate

After conducting quantitative and qualitative research with a respected national polling firm, we coordinated the development of a campaign plan for Pittsburgh Works’ first year.

The organization officially launched at a press event that included more than 500 attendees and sent a strong message to the community that this was an organization with staying power.

We deployed a communications plan which included the launch of a network television buy with a commericial introducing Pittsburgh Works Together. We also worked to place op-eds in key markets.

In an effort to help guide our state policy makers to enact pro-jobs legislation, Pittsburgh Works Together launched the Get to Work and Build it Here Plan. With our guidance, this plan was able to garner significant coverage and resulted in legislative action.

• Branding
• Media Relations
• Public Affairs
• Polling and Research

• Coalition Building
• Strategic Consulting 
• Event Management

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