BulletProofBlog the blog on crisis communications

The New York Times Magazine recently published a story about Humane Society President Wayne Pacelle that any corporate communications professional facing pressure from interest groups should read. The piece opens at the abandoned grounds of the Westland/Hallmark Meat Company in Chino California and recounts how a Humane Society undercover investigator surreptitiously taped so-called "downer" cattle wobbling and flopping on their way to the slaughterhouse.

The ghoulish video was quickly posted on YouTube and Internet blogs around the world, ultimately leading to the largest beef recall in American history and the bankruptcy of Westland/Hallmark.

The Humane Society' s outing of Westland/Hallmark was successful on its own - even though many companies have since learned to combat such tactics by posting signs that expressly prohibit unauthorized photography and videotaping on company property. But Pacelle and the Humane Society have stayed ahead of the game by applying a political strategy that has broader implications for businesses, large and small.

On Tuesday, Californians overwhelmingly approved Proposition 2 - a measure that mandates better treatment for farm and slaughter animals across the state. It passed thanks largely to the Humane Society' s efforts to build on public support gained during the Westland/Hallmark episode.

By employing ballot initiatives, public interest groups like the Humane Society are leapfrogging the circuitous and often costly legislative and regulatory processes - and in the process, they are neutralizing the sophisticated public affairs and lobbying techniques of the corporations that sometimes land in their crosshairs. Most important, they' re being patient, targeting one influential state at a time, banking on the likelihood that the reforms will be contagious.

Ballot initiatives in other states threaten massive repercussions for business as well. For example, a measure in Arizona would have resulted in the revocation of the business license of any employer who knowingly employs illegal immigrants had it passed.

If companies and trade associations hope to keep up with the innovative tactics of NGOs and public interest groups, their communications strategies must evolve to include effective Internet blogging, online videos, and viral efforts that blend digital media tactics with state and federal public affairs strategy. That' s how they' ll reach the greatest number people and ensure that the grassroots take precedence over the grasstops when the power shifts to the ballot box.