EMA’s “Cap That Tax” Campaign Featured in PRWeek

11.21.2011

SYRACUSE, NY — A successful public information campaign launched by The New York State Association of REALTORS (NYSAR) and Eric Mower and Associates has been profiled in PRWeek. The “Cap That Tax” campaign aimed to increase public understanding and support for the heavily debated property tax cap in New York State.

When NYSAR engaged EMA, the idea of capping local property taxes in New York State had been discussed for 30 years, but never enacted. PRWeek highlighted the campaign’s strategy, tactics and results to show how it helped rally public support for an annual property tax cap of 2 percent.

EMA built the campaign around a game-show theme called “Cap That Tax.” Digital strategies anchored the public information campaign, including an interactive online game allowed visitors to test their property-tax knowledge and learn more about the issue. A microsite featured a fact sheet, videos with real N.Y. property owners and an online advocacy tool that allowed people to write to state officials in support of the cap. Facebook and Twitter were utilized to provide content and enable supporters to share it.

TV and radio ads featuring a host who tested contestants’ knowledge of N.Y. property taxes helped raise awareness and educate New Yorkers about the fact that their property taxes are nearly 80 percent higher than the national average.

As part of the campaign, EMA issued news releases and organized a statewide editorial board tour with NYSAR leaders and members to drive home the issue’s importance.

In just two months, more than 5,100 tax-cap support letters were sent to every member of the N.Y. Legislature. In June 2011, the New York State Senate and Assembly passed the property tax cap legislation, and in July 2011, N.Y. Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed it into law.

Read the PRWeek story as it appears in the November print issue here.