In an increasingly competitive and globalized economy, companies are looking abroad for new markets and opportunities. This year alone we have seen how breaking political developments at home and abroad, from the passage of free trade agreements, to wholesale societal and governmental changes, to the birth of a new nation, can change the investment environment and create promising possibilities overnight. With the right positioning and shrewd government relations, nimble organizations that are primed to seize the initiative can gain a competitive advantage.
Charting a winning course for foreign clients in the international media often feels like navigating a safe path through a minefield – and in fact when I was a reporter for The Washington Post, I gained some experience with that in Afghanistan, Kosovo, Nagorno-Karabakh and elsewhere. In theory, the press objectives of a sovereign entity are similar to those of private and domestic clients – manage a crisis, communicate a message, build relationships, establish and elevate a brand.
Imagine if a working group of four federal agencies issued a set of “voluntary” guidelines that could drastically change how your industry does business. Surely, you’d want to know how to gain a seat at the policymaking table.