The Importance of Strategic Communication to Improve Brand Recognition

Political strategist and Iowa resident Craig Schoenfeld has worked in public relations for the last eight years. Craig Schoenfeld is president of CR3 Connect, a Des Moines, Iowa-based company that is the state’s leading advocacy and lobbying firm.

One of the company’s missions is to assist clients with strategic planning. Strategic communication refers to the way a company carefully crafts a message to the public that aligns with the brand’s identity and goals. Employees are also part of this relationship and receive messages from the organization.

Strategic communication is an integral part of public relations, some describe as a mash-up between public relations and marketing. Public relations rely on building relationships with the public, but strategic communications go further in that it focuses on the company’s values and goals over the short, mid, and long-term.

Strategic communication also allows organizations to manage issues before a crisis occurs. In a nutshell, the organization is always monitoring the environment, analyzing new events, and preparing for threats.

 

Iowa Legislature Has a Full Slate of Issues to Resolve

Based in Iowa, Craig Schoenfeld is a results-focused political strategist who guides CR3connect and emphasizes innovative pathways for issues and campaigns. Craig Schoenfeld is also the executive director of the Iowa Growth Project, a nonpartisan nonprofit that educates the electorate on issues of tax infrastructure, economy, and job growth.

As reported in The Gazette, the Iowa Legislature has signed a number of pieces of legislation into law through mid-2020. These include a 2.3-percent increase in state aid to 327 K-12 school districts across the state and $21 million in additional flood recovery assistance.

Still up for a vote is a statute that would give medical providers and companies “immunity protection” in COVID-19 lawsuits. Also to be decided is whether workforce incentives related to Expand Future Ready Iowa should be funded and whether incentives for broadband Internet service in rural areas should be expanded.

Another matter is a tax exemption of 2 cents per gallon in E15 fuel blends. This fuel contains 85 percent gasoline and 15 percent ethanol and provides cleaner engine combustion. 

Fellowshipping through Life Groups at Lutheran Church of Hope

Iowa resident Craig Schoenfeld has spent most of his career in politics, campaigning, and public affairs. Outside of his career, Craig Schoenfeld is an active member of his church, the Lutheran Church of Hope in West Des Moines, Iowa, an organization whose sole purpose is to spread the teachings of Christ.

As a part of this mission, the Lutheran Church of Hope also provides churchgoers the opportunity to fellowship through a number of life group platforms. Life groups provide churchgoers with the opportunity to meet, pray, and connect through Christ-centered relationships, but it differs from attending church because the groups are much smaller. Of the five life groups, three classes teach participants the basics of life groups. Group Launch is a class that assists participants with starting a life group.

Church members can also participate in the Alpha, Apprentice Series, and Core groups. Designed for new members or those returning after a long while, the Alpha course is a 10-week class that provides church members with a way to connect with one another and the chance to continue meeting after the class has ended.

The Apprentice Series is broken up into three parts; participants are placed in small groups to pray, read, discuss, and engage in spiritual exercises. After joining the Alpha or Apprentice Series, church members can join the Core life group, which is focused on the individual exploring their identity in Christ.

Iowa's Primary Highlights Increased Political Engagement

The recipient of a bachelor's degree in communications and political science from the University of Wisconsin, Craig Schoenfeld is a Clive, Iowa-based political strategist who serves as president at CR3connect. In this role, Craig Schoenfeld leverages more than 15 years of experience in Iowa politics to lead lobbying efforts and direct political campaigns.

Iowa's primary election took place in early June and featured several promising signs for increased political engagement in the state. Approximately 522,207 ballots were cast, which broke the previous record of 449,490 established in 1994. This represented a 24 percent voter turnout and was in large part due to a substantial surge in mail-in ballots due to the COVID-19 global pandemic.

In addition to a high voter turnout, the primary is noteworthy due to its female presence. Women are running against each other as Democratic and Republican candidates in three of the state's five congressional races, while only one of those five races is without a woman candidate. Of the 150 seats in the state's legislature, only 44 are occupied by women.