ADVOCACY
Protect Juneau’s Future
Defeating A Cruise Tourism Ballot Initiative
Introduction - The Why
In spring 2024, Juneau faced a pivotal decision about its economic future. With just over 31,000 residents, the capital city depends heavily on cruise tourism, which brings hundreds of thousands of visitors each summer and generates millions in tax revenue. But concerns about overcrowding fueled a citizen-led ballot initiative, Proposition 2, which sought to impose strict visitor limits. If passed, the measure threatened to strip millions in revenue from local government, jeopardize funding for schools and services, and put hundreds of jobs at risk.
Protect Juneau’s Future (PJF), a coalition of community leaders, formed to oppose Proposition 2. Blueprint, a Thompson Company, was hired to design and execute a winning campaign.
The Approach
The campaign began with in-depth polling, sentiment analysis, and audience research. Early findings showed a toss-up race, with voters split down the middle. Research revealed middle-aged voters, parents concerned about education funding, small business owners, and moderates wary of extreme measures were most open to campaign messaging.
The solution was a coalition-led, community-first strategy that acknowledged residents’ concerns while making the case for thoughtful reforms rather than reactionary policies. PJF built a broad alliance of retailers, labor unions, artists, educators, and hospitality leaders, who became the campaign’s authentic and trusted voices.
A phased rollout moved voters from awareness to persuasion to turnout, layering testimonial storytelling, public forums, geo-targeted digital ads, direct mail, grassroots organizing, and earned media to maximize credibility and impact.
Tactics & Execution
Testimonial storytelling: Real Juneau voices—including longshoremen, parents, educators, and artists—were featured in videos, mailers, ads, and digital content.
Community engagement: Residents were given tools to tell their own stories, generating more than a dozen op-eds and letters to the editor.
Grassroots activation: Local businesses displayed campaign materials, and labor unions mobilized canvassing and sign-waving efforts.
Paid media: Digital, streaming, radio, print, and mail campaigns reached more than 7,000 voters, with ads optimized continuously for performance.
Owned channels: A campaign website, email, and social media presence mobilized turnout and grassroots donations, reinforcing authenticity.
Results & Conclusion
In just three months, Protect Juneau’s Future transformed a deadlocked issue into a decisive victory. Proposition 2 was defeated by a commanding 61%–39% margin, protecting jobs, preserving critical tax revenue, and maintaining Juneau’s economic lifeline.
Digital tactics generated nearly 6 million impressions with standout engagement (average 3.5 minutes on the testimonial page).
Ads converted at just $5.26 per action, highly efficient for a small media market.
The campaign raised $456,488 in grassroots funding, primarily from Juneau residents and small businesses, cementing its community-first identity.
The impact extended beyond Election Day. By 2025, a similar ballot initiative failed to garner enough voter support even to qualify for the ballot, reflecting how the campaign reshaped public understanding of tourism’s role in Southeast Alaska.
