Lobbying Strategy Flashcards
Lobbying as a communication process
Lobbying can be seen as a communication process:
- a messenger (an interest group) conveys a message (technical/legal/expert, political knowledge) to a receiver (policy-makers)
- through a channel (inside/outside) within a given context
- and with a certain intended effect (influence on agenda setting, technical aspects, …)
Information: channel: inside and outside
Inside tactics:
- face-to-face (preferred)
- open consultation (preferred)
- write letter (preferred by EP, Council)
- write email (okay for Council)
- phone call (good for EP)
- > more frequently used, more expedient (time factor)
Outside tactics:
- media campaign (okay for EC, Council)
- public event (best for EC, EP)
- > raising an issue, stand out from crowd
-> several channels used to transport the same message
Information: type of information provided by IGs
Feasibility of implementation:
- professional associations
- public authorities
- trade unions
Economic impact:
- companies
Social impact:
- NGOs
Technical information:
- consultancies
Public opinion, legal information:
- not particular for one IG type
Common inside tactics means used by IGs
- Companies: open consultation, email
- Consultancies: face-to-face meeting, email
- NGOs: open consultation, email
- Professional associations: open consultation, email
- Public authorities: face-to-face meeting, open consultation, email
- Trade unions: open consultation, email
(open consultation = formal consultation procedure of EU Commission)
(email = email with position paper, report, …)
Common outside tactics means used by IGs
- Companies: public event
- Consultancies: public event
- NGOs: public event
- Professional associations: N/A
- Public authorities: public event
- Trade unions: media campaign
Usual assumption of lobbying through media
Assumption that outside strategies aim to influence public opinion (framing) / agenda setting process, usually done by those who do not have access to inside channels
- > however, also those with inside channel access use outside channels
- > insiders use outside information, too
Risk of media strategies
No control what happens after e.g. an interview was given
-> dangerous
Media, relationships and targeting messages
- media work can be used to establish and maintain relationships with decision-makers
- targeting messages towards specific audience helps managing the inside lobbying process
Social Media
- each social media platform has its own ‘audience’, capabilities and limits
Use of social media
In general, use of social media is not different to normal media usage:
- advocating a cause
- maintain an organisation (e.g. recruiting new members)
- educational purposes (information provision)
- engaging with media
- mobilising citizens
Social media a ‘weapon’ of the poor?
- low barrier for groups to raise their voice
- groups without large financial means can make their views known to a large audience
- social media use requires skills (campaign design, data analytics, …), favouring resource rich groups
Empirical findings of social media usage
- staff uses social media
- business groups are more engaged than individual firms
- government/citizens/worker interests have about the same social media channels as firms, but use them more frequent
- business groups use social media more than citizen/worker groups
Importance of social media for interaction with EU institutions, public image
- very important for shaping debates and images
Framing
Process where interest groups strategically emphasize certain aspects of an issue while omitting other in their lobbying communications
-> selection of most appropriate frame
Strategic frame selection
- frame partly defined by type of interest group (business groups: economic aspects, environmental groups: environmental aspects, …)
- frames are flexible (e.g. policy makers vs. general public) -> consistency is challenging
