Services

How we work

We run interdisciplinary, mission-based projects for our clients. For every engagement, we use every tool at our disposal to create the political conditions that will lead to the most favorable outcome. And we know what it takes – our founder literally wrote the book on it.

We’ve been Deputy Governors and Town Managers and we’ve worked at every level of government, from the NYC Council to the White House. We’ve led winning federal, state and local campaigns and we’ve successfully guided public-facing efforts for some of today’s most influential startups, companies and organizations across a range of industries.

We’re expensive. We’re intense. We don’t take that many clients so that we can take our clients’ work as seriously as you do. But if you really have a lot at stake, your odds of winning go way up when we’re involved.

Legislative and regulatory campaigns

The days of “making a call” to fix your policy issue are over. Companies now have two options: 1) wait for misguided regulations to come to you, or 2) proactively shape the regulations to give you an advantage over your competitors. We establish and run a full campaign to bring public pressure to bear on the most important decision makers so that our clients’ innovative approach is recognized - and not stymied by - local, state and federal regulators and lawmakers.

  • Earned media and proactive press coverage
  • Government relations
  • Grassroots and coalition building
  • Polling
  • Opposition research
Communications

Public perception is everything. Whether it’s increasing your political influence or growing your customer base, generating publicity in the right publications at the most opportune time is essential if you want to stand above the competition. The media gatekeepers keep changing, but just like our clients, we embrace the disruption. We meet your audience where they are. We have relationships with the top reporters and editors, TV and podcast hosts, and an array of conference producers to land the earned media you need to influence key stakeholders and shape public perception.

  • Public relations
  • Thought leadership
  • Crisis communications
  • Financial and M&A
  • Change management and internal communications
  • Conferences and event planning
  • Social, digital and design
Lobbying

We don’t schedule meetings for the sake of it. When we meet with government officials, it is to advance the issue our client cares about. But even before then, we create the climate and strategy ahead of time so that the cadence and purpose of each meeting fits in with the larger campaign to create the needed policy changes.

  • Federal and New York-Specific Teams
  • Relationship building
  • State engagement roadmapping
  • Legislation and rule drafting
  • Multi-state government relations management
  • Public procurement and MWBE/ SDVOB partnerships
  • Government sale planning & execution
Working with Tusk was indispensable during Lemonade’s early days. Their know-how and execution are paramount, and we’re proud they’ve joined our mission to reinvent insurance into a social good.
Daniel Schreiber, Cofounder & CEO of Lemonade
Creative and Paid Media

Winning on high-stakes issues requires creating an inescapable echo chamber where stakeholders are constantly hearing and internalizing your message. As a full-service media and creative agency, we harness cutting edge tactics to design and execute campaigns uniquely tailored to your story and goals. We leverage highly targeted digital and traditional paid media to engage critical audiences across all platforms, and constantly seek out new, unconventional, and efficient ways to boost your profile.

  • Design
  • Digital & Social
  • Concept Development
  • Campaign Planning & Media Buying (Digital + Traditional)
  • Analytics & Reporting
Latino Engagement

Despite the rapid growth and cultural impact of the diverse U.S. Latino population, companies have been unable to reach and activate this critical demographic as part of their consumer and public affairs objectives. Led by senior Biden White House alums Bernadette Carrillo and Cristóbal Alex, Tusk works with clients to build Latino outreach strategies to unlock new political and business opportunities.

Compromiso de la comunidad Latina A pesar del rápido crecimiento y el impacto cultural de la diversa población latina de EE.UU., las empresas han sido incapaces de alcanzar a este grupo demográfico crítico y activarlo como parte de sus objetivos de consumo y asuntos públicos. Dirigido por Bernadette Carrillo y Cristóbal Alex, alumnos de la administración del Presidente Biden, Tusk trabaja con sus clientes en la creación de estrategias de acercamiento a los latinos para realizar nuevas oportunidades políticas y empresariales.

  • Coalition mobilization // Movilización de coaliciones
  • Culturally-competent marketing and communications // Marketing y comunicación culturalmente competente
  • Sourcing Latino leadership for clients // Búsqueda de líderes latinos para clientes
  • Puerto Rico and Mexico business development // Desarrollo comercial en Puerto Rico y México
  • Procurement and contracting // Adquisiciones y contratación
Crypto and FinTech

For years, we have represented and invested in companies at the vanguard of digital currency, banking, and payments. As these industries mature and grow - and come under increasingly intense state and federal scrutiny - we have built a dedicated practice to shape the nascent regulatory landscape that is creating uncertainty. Tusk Strategies is also New York's only political, regulatory, and communication advisory firm specializing in blockchain and crypto technology, ensuring that our clients can build thriving operations in the state.

  • C-suite thought leadership
  • State and federal influence
  • BitLicense procurement
  • White paper and policy development