Public Relations: The constructive cooperation with government is badly needed

Public Relations — that is, the relationship between companies and governments (national and local) and public institutions — faces a difficult situation.

- Henry J. Schumacher

Why? The term ‘lobbying’ has a poor reputation. It's sometimes associated with corruption, and political donations are rightly scrutinized. But there's no reason for shame. On the contrary: Engagement in political work is essential for companies. Public Relations is a critical success factor. And this engagement must not be limited to the large and rich companies. More efforts are needed to encourage medium-sized companies and even small companies via chambers of commerce or industry representations to get their interests and their contributions to the economy made known.

This trend has intensified noticeably: companies must navigate highly diverse government interventions depending on the region. The U.S., for instance, translates social policy values into strict anti-ESG (environmental, social, and governance) regulations. The EU first tightens CO? rules for the automotive industry—then loosens them again. And the Philippines needs that dialogue, given the political and regulatory changes.