Gaining attention in a cacophony of sound

22 September, 2010

You only have to pick up the newspaper to known that Government is constantly being harangued by individuals, businesses, community groups and others to look after their special interests.

At the start of our establishment as a unique consultancy offering government relations and other services, we had a client desperate to see a Minister. Our client’s view was that he held a proposal of State significance, which the Government really had no choice but to support.

The meeting was duly arranged and our client put forward their case. At the end of the meeting the Minister asked our company’s Government Relations Director Terry Cuddy to stay behind. Once the client left, Terry was told the Government had done its research and that for the financial year they already had 1,560 proposals in front of them. If the State was to proceed with all of them it would cost a whopping $38 billion. The entire State Government revenue for that year was $34 billion.

There was no chance of the Government doubling taxes, just to get the projects going. Those proposals that got support were the ones that closely aligned with the objectives of the Government.

Most companies/organisations understand that they have to align their proposals with these objectives, and pitch their projects in a way that meets these objectives. Some are often puzzled when they do not succeed, even though they believe they tick all the boxes. It is at this point they come to Government relations/lobbying firms seeking the silver bullet solution.

The days of just having a discrete word into the appropriate person’s ear are gone. The public rightly expects Government to act fairly and transparently.  Governments these days actually do take these responsibilities seriously. However, as stated above, given the high number of worthy proposals and limited resources Government does prioritise according to its agenda. The goal of a good Government relations firm is to understand the agenda, and work to get their client’s issue/proposal onto the priority list.

Getting an issue/proposal on the priority list involves utilising the understanding of government agendas and seeking champions within any level of government.

Ensuring this, along with assisting out clients by getting their communications pitch right, and articulating a clear desired outcome, is a tough job – but someone has to do it – and luckily we love it.