hi all
Economic Times Report
Yesterday's and today's ET have carried a big story on how Narendra Modi engaged an International Lobby firm APCO to get more investment. This news item has sent out a strong message on the future trends of Public Relations / lobbying.
Discussion in our group 10 years back
Exactly 10 years back on 2nd December 2002, I triggered a debate in Image Management group and prpoint group on how at that time Pakistan Government engaged a lobby firm. At that time, we debated whether the non performance of military Government can be whitewashed by engaging a lobby firm. At that time, i had quoted a media report that Pakistan Government engaged a lobby firm on payment of US $1,80,000 per annum. Please see the link for reference.
Since Image Management group is an international group with global members, some of the PR experts from US shared some interesting information at that time, privately. While, Pakistan and China engaged lobby firms in US to project their countries, India never cared for such image building. It even got reflected at that time in US media. While Pakistan's charges against India was well covered in US media, Vajpayee's counter charges did not get due attention. (Both Indian PM and Pak President were in US on the same day).
Later, I also discussed with some of the senior bureaucrats of Indian Govt., who stated that Indian Foreign Service officials never allowed any PR/Lobby agency to work for Indian Government. Since these bureaucrats took upon the PR role themselves, they could not handle professionally. Later I also shared such information in the groups in early 2000.
At that time, I also advocated that Indian Government should engage professional agencies to project the image outside India.
Ten years later...
Now, after 10 years, I find that one of the State Governments has engaged a global Lobby firm APCO to project the State Government outside the country and to attract more investors. ET also reports that Gujarat has hired them at a cost of US$25,000 per month. ET also reports that Gujarat got the benefit of global investments, in the Vibrant Gujarat Campaign.
Probably this is the first of its kind in India that a State Government engages a lobby / PR firm. A couple of years back, when Nira Radia started this type of lobbying, because of her unprofessional approach, the whole industry got a bad name.
Is it the beginning of a new trend?
On seeing the success story of Gujarat, the other State Governments may also be willing to engage lobby firms. I feel this may set a new trend in India. Probably, the PR industry is getting another space in India to operate. The new opportunity of 'lobbying' may bring in new challenges and risks both inside and outside the country.
Indian PR firms are yet to get core competency in this type of new opportunities. Instead of leaving the ground to one or two MNC companies, the top PR Agencies in India like Adfactors, Perfect Relations, Genesis, GRI and others also may develop the core competency in this type of 'Lobbying' with suitable partnership in American and European countries.
More transparency needed
Already, debates are going on in India that Wallmart has spent huge money illegally in India to get an entry. It is time that the Government also enacted some laws recognising the Lobbying function to bring in more transparency, and to prevent bribery.
We have covered about Public Affairs and Lobbying in October 2010 issue of ezine PreSense. You may download the ezine from:
I invite members to share their views. If some members do not want to share the views openly in the group with their name, they may contact me over phone / mail and give me their input. I will share with other members, without revealing the identity.
Srinivasan
Moderator
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Please visit http://www.prpoint.com (for useful PR resource materials) and http://www.primepointfoundation.org (non profit trust for promotion of PR)and http://www.imageaudit.com (about Image Audit)and http://www.indiavision2020.org (on India Vision)
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