lobbying

In order to assert themselves long term in the political field and to make optimal use of their opportunities for action, organisations and enterprises must establish a strategic dialogue with the relevant stakeholders and decision-makers, be it on a local, national or European level. We advise and support our clients at all stages of this process, ranging from the identification of the relevant decision-makers and stakeholders to establishing contacts and building enduring and resilient relationships.

Contact Management
Effective public affairs strategies require direct communication with political decision-makers about the position of a firm or organisation on a particular political, legislative or administrative project. A comprehensive stakeholder-analysis and the creation of a database comprising the decision-makers relevant to our client form the basis for all further activities in the area of contact management.

We support our clients in the initiation and maintenance of contacts, hold exploratory talks with select political decision-makers and organise and run meetings with the relevant political figures. This also includes meeting preparation and follow up as well as consulting on strategic positioning in each context.

Stakeholder Management
In the area of stakeholder management, miller and meier consulting support its clients in identifying and networking with the relevant national and international stakeholders in politics, business, civil society, academia and the media. We coordinate, administrate and moderate the work of the core team of networkers and draft accompanying reports and analyses. We conduct professional contact management and bring together decision-makers from politics, business and civil society to develop strategies and suggestions.

Forming Alliances
In order to position themselves successfully vis-à-vis their competitors, firms, trade and industry associations and NGOs must form alliances with like-minded institutions in specific fields, in order to increase the chances of achieving their desired goals.

miller and meier consulting offer their clients support making and coordinating alliances which specifically match their needs. We have extensive experience with respect to both ad hoc alliances relating to a few specific issue areas or projects as well as with more long-term, structured alliances.  We identify suitable partners, support the contact-making process and project work and also support the client positioning itself in the political arena.

Agenda Management
Issues of public debate are not rigid and unchangeable. They are subject to the constant dynamic of argumentation and attention. The positioning and advancement of specific issues in the political arena thus requires extensive experience and expertise.

We plan and direct communication of our clients’ issues on the political agenda. We bring issues into public focus in order to make specific positions visible to relevant addressees (agenda setting), build up issues gradually through diverse activities and publications (agenda building) and allow established or current issues to be taken up (agenda surfing). We include all important media in our communications strategy at every stage of this process.

Crisis Communications
Given the large number of decision-makers and stakeholders in politics, business and society who contribute to political policy, unexpected changes of course and crisis-laden developments cannot be avoided.

Through controlled and strategic agenda management, miller and meier consulting guarantees a fast and controlled reaction to events. In an unexpected crisis situation, this preserves client credibility, ensures the maximum number of options for action and opens up opportunities to draw new possibilities from them. We already take elements of crisis communication into account when devising the individual communications strategy for our clients’ issues, thus assuring their ability to respond rapidly, even under time pressure.