Red Gate Communications, Inc. is an independent, non-partisan, issues-focused public relations/affairs consulting firm representing a broad spectrum of corporate, non-profit, government and political clients. The firm's principal Fiona Hutton maintains extensive relationships in California Republican and Democratic circles, as well as in the business, environmental, water, education, women’s, land-use, healthcare, labor and media communities. Red Gate Communications is a certified Women Business Enterprise (“DBE/WBE”) working at the crossroads of business, media and government.

Since opening its doors in 2001, Red Gate Communications has quickly become recognized -- and sought after -- as one of California’s leading public relations/affairs consulting practices. With extensive experience in strategic communications and planning, media relations, coalition-building, issues/crisis management, and ballot measure campaigns, Red Gate Communications serves a broad spectrum of high-profile clients, managing public perceptions in challenging business, regulatory, political and legislative environments. Red Gate Communications’ mandate is to provide smart strategic counsel, unparalleled client service and the delivery of desired, measurable results.

Message Development
As strategic advisors, we are strongly committed to fully understanding and
engaging in our clients' business and their needs, audiences, issues and
expectations. Every successful public relations/affairs program is
predicated on creating effective, concise and targeted messaging. Often
working in collaboration with public opinion research firms, we work with
our clients to carefully capture and define core messages for key audiences,
including the media, public officials and other constituencies and interest
groups.

Media Relations
Red Gate Communications designs and implements proactive, client-specific media relations programs by establishing productive, on-going relationships with the news media, managing challenging, controversial and crisis situations, leveraging issues and identities, and ultimately achieving prominent placement in international, national and regional news outlets. We believe that we best serve our clients’ needs by objectively evaluating an organization’s goals and associated news value, developing persuasive messaging, assisting and “coaching” executives and spokespeople to effectively communicate, and strategically disseminating the message to the appropriate news outlets.

Ms. Hutton has extensive experience with international, national, state and local news media, including print, television and radio reporters and editors, often serving as an official spokesperson on behalf of their clients.

Coalition Building & Outreach
Successful promotion of a project, program, policy or ballot initiative often requires engaging the public and core constituencies and ultimately mobilizing their support. By conducting intensive outreach programs to targeted stakeholder groups (such as regulatory bodies, environmental organizations, business and civic groups, industry associations, community-based and consumer organizations, elected officials), educating these groups and building strong coalitions, Red Gate Communications has been able to effectively generate and mobilize substantial opinion-leader and public support for corporate business strategies, organizational projects and statewide and regional political campaigns.

Government Relations
A non-partisan public affairs firm, Red Gate Communications has a unique, multi-faceted understanding of California government and its complex and ever-changing political landscape. The development of sound public affairs strategies incorporates public policy analysis, outreach to federal, state and local legislators and regulatory bodies, and legislative analysis and monitoring, and targeted political and philanthropic contributions. Our reach stretches from the Governor’s “horseshoe” to local city council chambers, leveraging relationships and sensibilities across the political aisle.

Crisis Management
Controversial litigation, corporate bankruptcies, job site accidents, angry activists and land-use disputes all require sound judgment, a cool head and a balanced and integrated approach within targeted audiences. Red Gate Communications has managed a variety of crisis communications situations in the public and private sectors, including corporate bankruptcies and reorganizations, land-use and environmental challenges, corporate espionage and controversial international political/business partnerships, tackling complex issues and balancing varying messages for varying and, often, competing audiences.

Investor Relations
Smart management and smart companies integrate their financial communications with their broader corporate communications efforts, recognizing a consistent message should be delivered not only to employees, customers and the media, but also to Wall Street. Red Gate Communications’ principals have had the hands-on experience of managing investor relations divisions for publicly traded companies, managing analyst, institutional and retail shareholder communications and targeting, road show and investor conference planning and presentations, quarterly/annual reporting, annual shareholder meetings, speech writing and Securities and Exchange Commission compliance.

Paid Media & Collateral Development
Red Gate Communications understands the power of the written word -- and a single image. We help clients to convey a message, build a brand and promote a product or project through both written and visual communication. Red Gate Communications has successfully supervised the development and production of company and organizational marketing and collateral materials, such as web sites, brochures, direct mail, print and electronic advertising, videos, speeches, presentations, annual reports and other financial-related materials.