Public Policy

Solving client challenges and supporting their growth

Clients turn to us for support on threats or challenges they face or to help maximise opportunities with a political, policy or regulatory dimension. Our Public Policy team helps clients build relationships, reputation and influence in the political and public policy arena, including the news media.

Our advice, insights and actions influence clients’ operating environments and help shape their strategies and decisions.

We apply our experience and knowledge to offer solutions to a wide range of scenarios and questions that confront our clients, including:

How do we secure market access in a particular geography or sector?
What do we need to do to secure regulatory approval?
How can we protect or increase our market share in light of changing regulations, policies or technologies?
In the current legislative and policy landscape, how do we launch a new product or service into this market? And what do we need to change to make that happen?
How can we influence the direction of policy and thinking on the issues and in the geographies that impact our business?
How can we elevate an issue or a solution up the political agenda?
How do we secure favourable outcomes on specific decisions such as securing planning permission or meeting our statutory obligations?
How do we keep track of relevant policy and legislative developments that affect our business?
How do we better understand the views, perceptions and priorities of decision makers and their influencers?
Can we amend or fend off new legislation and regulations? Could we help secure new legislation to enable our product or service offer?
What public funding or investment can we access and how do we do this?
How might we increase our success in winning public sector contracts?
How do we anticipate and mitigate external shocks or macro issues that will affect our organisation such as Brexit, climate change or cybersecurity threats?
How do we gather allies to advance similar goals?

Our services

Competition policy and economic regulation
Grass roots and grass tops mobilisation
Lobbying, government relations and public affairs
Market access / political & regulatory due diligence
Political reputation management
Stakeholder insight and engagement
Trade association / coalition creation and management
Training for Parliamentary and other hearings

Competition policy and economic regulation

Overview

Competition and economic regulators act with a degree of independence, but based on input from competitors, suppliers and customers of those being scrutinised, and no regulator is free from the impact of political opinion or comment. We help you influence those views and opinions.

Grass roots and grass tops mobilisation

Overview

Local interaction to drive community based pressure on politicians or to motivate local political figures to act in support of your objectives.

Lobbying, government relations and public affairs

Overview

Direct and indirect interaction with government, political institutions and decision-makers to achieve a defined policy or legislative outcome or as part of wider communications strategy

Market access / political & regulatory due diligence

Overview

Identification and management of existing and future political and regulatory risk, including competitors’ actions, to support investors’ and market entrants’ commercial decisions

Political reputation management

Overview

All companies and organisations have a political brand: the instinctive reaction of politicians and their advisers when they come across the company or organisation. We help you create your political brand, and manage it when it is under attack or threat.

Stakeholder insight and engagement

Overview

Direct or indirect interaction with a broad range of individuals, organisations, affected parties, commercial concerns and policy makers to learn about stakeholders’ views and to influence them.

Trade association / coalition creation and management

Overview

From identification of organisations and stakeholders with shared objectives across sectors and industries to full-service day-to-day secretariat management.

Training for Parliamentary and other hearings

Overview

Comprehensive programme to prepare witnesses for their appearance before political hearings, including analysis of politicians’ motivations, messaging and role play practice.

We combine deep understanding of our clients’ specific objectives with rigorous analysis of their specific communications environment and apply our sector knowledge and political expertise to develop the appropriate strategy, tactics and delivery plan to meet their goals. Strategy development, review and counsel are a fundamental part of our ongoing service to clients.

We have a wide range of skills and services at our disposal and the ability to advise on the most effective approach for each client and their objectives.

Our work

We successfully advise clients ranging from global businesses, disruptive innovators and entrepreneurs, trade associations, universities, social enterprises, trust and foundations and charities.

Here is a selection of some of our recent work, or view more of our work here.

Co-op

CO-OP – How do we gain stakeholder and residential support for planning applications?

Autogas Ltd

AUTOGAS LTD – How did we change London government’s perceptions of alternative fuel, persuading policymakers of its effectiveness as an air quality solution?

World First

How do we promote your fast-growth brand?

Medway Council

How do we engage with high level government bodies to rule out controversial proposals?

Our news and insights

Process, Prorogation, Parliament and the Politics of it all…

A sneak peek at the new European Commission

Brexit: An Update from Ireland

The Johnson Government’s policy priorities

People

Our consultants have experience of working at local, regional and national government levels; within the institutions of the EU and intergovernmental agencies such as the UN; and for the media and NGOs. They have held senior positions in political parties and political campaigns, stood for election, worked for think tanks, on in-house teams, in single issue campaign groups and in trade associations. Our team includes former political reporters, broadcast journalists and producers on flagship programmes and publications in news, current and foreign affairs for the BBC, the Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, the International Herald Tribune and Dow Jones Newswires.