Grasping at straws…searching for an angle…a big so what?
That was my reaction to an article titled “For Insider Player, DC Contacts Pay Off” written by Serge Kovaleski in the Metro section of the Washington Post on Sunday, February 13th.
Kovaleski writes about Max Brown, former legal counsel and deputy chief of staff to DC mayor Anthony Williams, who now runs a lobbying and public relations firm called Group 360. Not surprising (except to Kovaleski and the editors at the Washington Post) is the fact the Group 360’s client base consists of companies that have business interests with the District government and the DC government itself, specifically its Office of the Chief Technology Officer and Department of Consumer & Regulatory Affairs.
In an attempt to caste a shadow of impropriety on Brown and the District of Columbia, the articles wanders through a series of corporate contracts Group 360 ****s for lobbying services, as well as the fees the firm has been paid by the DC government for marketing/public relations work.
To Kovaleski’s credit to provide a fair and balanced article he does include a couple of relevant facts in the article that discount the validity of his reporting. For instance, Kovaleski acknowledges that “District law does not prohibit individuals from lobbying the DC government while also receiving contracts from the city…”
In regard to a DC government contract Group 360 received that prequalifies the firm to bid on a list of projects without having to go through the usual bureaucratic procedures, Kovaleski reports that 11 other companies also received a similar prequalification.
My takeaway from this article is that Max Brown is someone who successfully built deep, long-standing relationships with decision-makers in the DC government and is now leveraging those connections in a legal, appropriate way in his consulting practice.
Don’t we all do this to some extent? Strategic Communications Group (Strategic) certainly does. In fact, we’ve productized the value of our market connections via the Strategic Network of Relationships®.
I believe in two things: 1) the world works on relationships; and 2) people do business with companies they know and trust. Our mission at Strategic – like Max Brown’s at Group 360 – is to help our clients promote their interests through PR/communications counsel and access to our industry connections.
February 14, 2005, 4:05 pm
What’s the story?
Posted by jeffM
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February 7, 2005, 2:14 pm
Edelman Speaks
Do you remember when it was all the rage to be a first mover?
Most companies soon learned that while a first mover advantage can help build market awareness, it rarely translates into sales. It’s the market followers that typically benefit from the path blazed by an industry pioneer.
Consider Google. They didn’t invent the online advertising market. Rather, they perfected the technology and the business model at just the right time, based on lessons learned from the industry’s first movers. Google recently reported quarterly revenue of $1.032 billion with income topping $300 million.
Four years ago Strategic Communications Group (Strategic) became the first public relations firm to productize its full suite of industry connections to provide measurable value to its clients. Branded the Strategic Network of Relationships®, it is the foundation of the agency’s business development offering and helps us more directly contribute to our clients’ sales, profitability, and corporate and/or product valuation goals.
And it’s more than a six degrees of Kevin Bacon type offering like LinkedIn and Friendster. In addition to facilitating one-on-one introductions with executives who can make a buy from, partner with, work for or invest in decision, we provide market intelligence and counsel designed to make the connection result in business value and return.
We have felt first mover pains. It took longer than expected to convince our clients to view us as more than their PR service provider. We’ve come up short on new business pitches even though Strategic’s Network of Relationships gave us a compelling differentiation. And I’ve had many respected business executives tell me that what companies want is someone to help them with their PR.
Most recently, Richard Edelman, president and CEO of the world’s largest independent public relations firm, sent me an Email explaining the right model for a PR agency is to be “of counsel, not middle men.”
That may work for Edelman as they manage communications globally for their Fortune 500 clients. But, the clients we are most successful representing demand more from their communications partner.
A firm that merely provides counsel and tactical execution is a public relations service provider. Contribute to your client’s sales, profitability and valuation in a measurable way and you are a true business partner.
Most companies soon learned that while a first mover advantage can help build market awareness, it rarely translates into sales. It’s the market followers that typically benefit from the path blazed by an industry pioneer.
Consider Google. They didn’t invent the online advertising market. Rather, they perfected the technology and the business model at just the right time, based on lessons learned from the industry’s first movers. Google recently reported quarterly revenue of $1.032 billion with income topping $300 million.
Four years ago Strategic Communications Group (Strategic) became the first public relations firm to productize its full suite of industry connections to provide measurable value to its clients. Branded the Strategic Network of Relationships®, it is the foundation of the agency’s business development offering and helps us more directly contribute to our clients’ sales, profitability, and corporate and/or product valuation goals.
And it’s more than a six degrees of Kevin Bacon type offering like LinkedIn and Friendster. In addition to facilitating one-on-one introductions with executives who can make a buy from, partner with, work for or invest in decision, we provide market intelligence and counsel designed to make the connection result in business value and return.
We have felt first mover pains. It took longer than expected to convince our clients to view us as more than their PR service provider. We’ve come up short on new business pitches even though Strategic’s Network of Relationships gave us a compelling differentiation. And I’ve had many respected business executives tell me that what companies want is someone to help them with their PR.
Most recently, Richard Edelman, president and CEO of the world’s largest independent public relations firm, sent me an Email explaining the right model for a PR agency is to be “of counsel, not middle men.”
That may work for Edelman as they manage communications globally for their Fortune 500 clients. But, the clients we are most successful representing demand more from their communications partner.
A firm that merely provides counsel and tactical execution is a public relations service provider. Contribute to your client’s sales, profitability and valuation in a measurable way and you are a true business partner.
Posted by jeffM
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January 31, 2005, 3:07 pm
Bush's PR Spend Unjustly Criticized
A new report by the minority staff of the House Government Reform Committee criticized the Bush Administration for spending more than $88M in government-funded public relations contracts in 2004, a 128 percent increase from 2000.
The authors of the report wrote, "This rapid rise in public relations spending at a time of growing budget deficits raises questions about the priorities of the administration.”
The report was requested by Henry Waxman (D-California), Nancy Pelosi (D-California), among others. Waxman has also commissioned the Government Accountability Office to further investigate public relations contracts.
There is no doubt much needs to be corrected about how government agencies utilize public relations to communicate, educate and inform key constituents. For instance, the recent controversy surrounding the Department of Education’s payments to pundit Armstrong Williams through PR consultancy Ketchum has reinforced the bitter reaction that results from a lack of disclosure of the source of information.
However, the House Government Reform Committee gets it way wrong by suggesting PR spending is not a good investment by our government. At a time when the current Administration has implemented new foreign policies resulting in ongoing military conflict in the Middle East, as well as introducing goals for a dramatic overhaul to Social Security more communications is needed, not less.
Yes…the messaging and communications by our government must be accurate, fair and comprehensive -- even when the news isn’t so great. These are the foundation principles of ethical public relations and put into action will stimulate debate in the US and abroad.
(Please note, Strategic does not currently provide public relations services to any government agency, but has done so in the past.)
The authors of the report wrote, "This rapid rise in public relations spending at a time of growing budget deficits raises questions about the priorities of the administration.”
The report was requested by Henry Waxman (D-California), Nancy Pelosi (D-California), among others. Waxman has also commissioned the Government Accountability Office to further investigate public relations contracts.
There is no doubt much needs to be corrected about how government agencies utilize public relations to communicate, educate and inform key constituents. For instance, the recent controversy surrounding the Department of Education’s payments to pundit Armstrong Williams through PR consultancy Ketchum has reinforced the bitter reaction that results from a lack of disclosure of the source of information.
However, the House Government Reform Committee gets it way wrong by suggesting PR spending is not a good investment by our government. At a time when the current Administration has implemented new foreign policies resulting in ongoing military conflict in the Middle East, as well as introducing goals for a dramatic overhaul to Social Security more communications is needed, not less.
Yes…the messaging and communications by our government must be accurate, fair and comprehensive -- even when the news isn’t so great. These are the foundation principles of ethical public relations and put into action will stimulate debate in the US and abroad.
(Please note, Strategic does not currently provide public relations services to any government agency, but has done so in the past.)
