Look Ahead Strategies is a highly specialized, full-service communications and research firm serving political, policy, and issue advocacy clients. Look Ahead’s experienced professionals have worked on more than 500 political campaigns, issue advocacy efforts, and policy debates across the United States.
Our Services
Strategic Communications
Breaking through today’s competitive media landscape requires an agile communications support system to deliver persuasive messages to targeted audiences. Look Ahead’s experienced communicators are equipped with the tools, knowledge, and tactics needed to build entire communications systems, craft messages, drive narratives, create headlines, respond rapidly, and shape the public debate every day. Our strategic communications services include:
- Communications general consulting
- Building communications infrastructure
- Data-driven audience engagement
- Media relations and story pitching
- Writing
Rapid Response & Crisis Management
Look Ahead specializes in providing aggressive rapid response and crisis management services that are seamlessly integrated into our clients’ existing organizational structure. Our team will work hand in glove with an existing communications apparatus to identify earned media opportunities in real time and leverage them to advance their strategic objectives.
- Risk identification and mitigation
- Craft responses to incoming media requests
- Set the record straight
- Monitor public sentiments
- Create compelling messaging
- Media training for surrogates
Strategic Research
Arming our clients with data-driven research is critical to achieving their objectives. Look Ahead can compile comprehensive research reports on candidates, organizations, and issues, which can then be utilized for earned media, paid campaigns, digital content, and grassroots advocacy.
- Candidate Research: Whether our clients need an expedited dive to identify a candidate’s key vulnerabilities or a full 90-day report, Look Ahead will deliver a quality research product tailored to their needs.
- Candidate Research Data Book: Streamline the process of conducting research, testing potential messages, and approving content for paid advertising with the Look Ahead candidate research data book. In addition to identifying vulnerabilities, Look Ahead will partner with a reputable polling firm to assess which messages resonate best with voters in a particular state or district.
Issue Briefs, Lobbying Matrices & Public Records
- Congressional Issue Briefing Reports: Understanding the landscape of where Congress stands on a particular issue – or a set of issues – is often an arduous, time-consuming process. We simplify that process by collaborating with our clients to develop policy matrixes, which can be overlayed onto sitting members of Congress profiles to give them crucial insights on how to spend their time and resources most effectively.
- FOIA/Public Records: Look Ahead can develop a campaign of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and state records requests focused on obtaining communications, documentation, schedules, and other public records that advance our clients’ missions.
- Lobbying Matrix: Before launching a lobbying campaign, it is critical to develop profiles on targets, their background, and clearly define why it’s important. Look Ahead can streamline this process by building a comprehensive lobbying campaign matrix and work with our clients to accomplish their strategic goals.
Content Consulting
A successful campaign and advocacy effort needs great content, whether it’s for TV, digital ads, social media, radio, direct mail, communications, fundraising (small-dollar online and major donor) or door knocking. Look Ahead will work with your organization and vendors to create the compelling, modern content necessary to drive persuasive messages. Our capable content specialists are skilled in condensing complicated messages and conveying them in a visually appealing and easily digestible format to ensure a steady stream of compelling content.
Media Monitoring
Look Ahead offers always-on media monitoring services to provide “eyes and ears” on the public policy debate on a daily basis, giving our clients total informational awareness about their key issue targets and allowing them to quickly respond to events and news in real-time. Look Ahead’s unique console-based dashboard serves as a hub for news articles, tweets, and other commentary relevant to our clients’ objectives, and enables authorized users to log in and view all of this content in one convenient location.
General Consulting
Look Ahead can take point in overall project management coordinating efforts, working with various vendor teams to create an effective campaign or issue advocacy team. Winning is about ensuring that all tracks of your effort complement each other. This takes seeing the whole playing field, whether it’s a C3, C4, C6, campaign, or Super PAC.
FOIA/Public Records
Look Ahead can develop a campaign of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), state, and local records requests focused on obtaining communications, documentation, schedules, and other public records that advance our clients’ missions.
- Submitting requests for public records
- Assisting with FOIA, state, and local records appeals
- Resolving FOIA, state, and local records disputes
Media Training and Booking
The experienced team at Look Ahead Strategies has prepped elected officials, political candidates, and other leaders for TV interviews, speeches, Congressional hearings, press conferences, and more. We’ve secured thousands of national and local print interviews and booked our clients on broadcast, digital, podcast, and radio programs.
- Media training programs are tailored to your specific needs, whether you’re a spokesperson, public figure, or part of a communications team. These programs are led by seasoned media professionals who have extensive experience in journalism, public relations, and broadcast media. Their expertise ensures that you receive cutting-edge guidance and practical insights to enhance your media presence and performance.
- Our established network encompasses a wide range of media channels, including television, radio, print, podcasts, and more. With our extensive reach, we can help you identify the most suitable media outlets for your target audience, ensuring your message reaches the right people at the right time.
- Our team of experts will work closely with you to understand your campaign objectives and target demographics. Leveraging market research and industry insights, we will develop a strategic media plan tailored to your specific needs, maximizing the impact of your earned media efforts.
Digital Services
Your digital communications, outreach, and advocacy are often the first point of contact a target audience has with your organization. Look Ahead Strategies’ digital team combines the precision of political campaign digital efforts with content-centric strategies to cut through the noise and shape your narrative.
Social Media Management
LAS Digital offers full-service social media management for multiple channels, including development of content calendars to ensure your accounts are generating engagement and getting more followers.
- Launch and maintain social media profiles on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
- Develop content calendars to maximize channel growth and audience reach.
Paid Media Advertising
Policy changes from Facebook, Google, Twitter, and other platforms are drastically reducing your ability to use paid advertising for issue advocacy. Yet it’s more critical than ever before to reach your target audiences with these channels. LAS Digital can ensure you are compliant with every advertising platform and work to quickly launch an advertising campaign to help put you in a position to win in the policy battle arena.
Email Marketing
Anyone can send out an email, but you need experts to ensure your message gets delivered first and then acted upon. LAS Digital starts with the three fundamentals of email deliverability: infrastructure, authentication, and reputation so your communications don’t end up in spam.
- Next, we focus on creating email content that is optimized for action and achieving your organization’s goals.
- Correctly set up your email marketing program according to industry best practices to ensure deliverability and inbox placement.
- Manage email marketing programs that drive actions like fundraising, advocacy, or content sharing.
Donor Investment Advisory
About Us
Kyle Reliford
Managing Director
Hooff Cooksey
Senior Vice President
Hooff Cooksey is a Senior Vice President at Look Ahead Strategies and has worked in the political and public affairs spaces for over a decade. During that time, he served in advisory and managerial roles for top tier presidential, gubernatorial, Senate, and House races across the country. In 2018, Hooff managed Governor Kim Reynolds’ successful bid for Governor of Iowa, making her the first female elected to the position. Hooff also advised a number of Senate battleground campaigns while at the NRSC before forming his own firm with a focus on political, independent expenditure, and public affairs projects. Hooff is a native of Alexandria, VA and received his B.S. from The University of Texas at Austin. He is an Officer in the United States Navy Reserves.
Chris Martin
Vice President
Robert Buckley
Vice President
Julia Portela
Vice President
Joe Gierut
Vice President
Jared Wheeler
Vice President
