FleishmanHillard Thought Leadership

Making the government relations grade

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Sharon Ruwart tells PublicAffairsAsia that good government relations in China needs connectivity, creativity and measurable goals  

Sharon Ruwart

What are the fundamental ingredients for success for a central government relations campaign in mainland China?

As with any other business strategy, successful central government campaigns in China need:

• Connectivity to business objectives (financial and reputational);
• Short- and long-term targets, defined and measurable;
• People and structure – capable and experienced senior China GR professionals

Besides those “basics,” you also need a compelling story of why your company is in China, that goes beyond “to source X” or “to sell Y”. Take time internally to craft a narrative that ideally touches on your company’s history and heritage in a way that resonates with China’s own aspirations, priorities and values.

The story must, of course, center on a mutually beneficial partnership with China. Make sure the story is fully shared internally, and repeated by all company representatives in a consistent way externally.

If the story really “connects” your central government stakeholders to the company in a deeper way, you have a strong foundation for a sustainable business whatever short-term policy or regulatory hiccups may (will) occur.

China’s stakeholder landscape has changed rapidly. How significant is it to blend your GA with broader corporate communications?

Since social media has created a “flat” information world, whatever you say to government must be consistent with messages to consumers, advertisers, trade partners, etc. That goes also for communications outside China. Gone are the days where you can have, for example, one consumer-returns policy for Europe and a different one for China.

It follows, then, that not only must government relations activity be integrated with corporate communications in the China unit, but also globally. China GR and comms heads should be part of your company’s global functional communities so that they can “tune” global messages to the Chinese audience while maintaining consistency.

China approaches a transition. Is this an opportunity for MNCs to enhance their engagement with government?

MNCs in China for longer than, say, five years will have already experienced transitions – key stakeholders are reassigned different jobs, new policies are introduced in the Five-Year Plans. A company’s GR staff should already be equipped to continue the patient process of getting to know new faces at various levels, re-introducing the company’s story, and keeping the business alerted to “weak signals” that may presage policy shifts. This is the time-consuming but invaluable “art” of government relations.  An experienced GR team will continually assess the implications, as they emerge, of this particular top-level transition.

Comparing GA in China to the West, what are the critical differences between the two?

I think the differences between GR in “China” and the “West” are assumed more than true. In Beijing as in Brussels or Washington, the same public affairs principles apply: Know the key stakeholders and build long-term relationships. You must deeply understand the policy environment to anticipate changes. You must also proactively propose solutions that meet the government’s needs and yours. You also need to work with industry groups and multilateral platforms. Communicate your company’s contributions and commitment. It is also important to share information and insights broadly within the business; and don’t keep them locked up inside the GR function.

MNCs that fall prey to the “China is different” mythology fail to insist that the company’s China GR approach meets the same standards – sound strategy, defined deliverables, alignment with business objectives – required  of any other function in any other market. This limits the positive contributions that GR can deliver to a China-based business.

Sharon Ruwart is Staff Officer, Asia Pacific Public Affairs for Mars Incorporated

business business strategy China Environment Government Partnership Public affairs PublicAffairsAsia Social Media sustainable

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