Corporate Counterstrategies against Campaigners

    Losing control of the media arena as result of the activities of a pressure group has become a
    nightmare scenario for the modern multinational enterprise. This creates a big market for PR-companies
    that are hired to change the worst scenario into a business opportunity.

      What are the modern times strategies of present day companies?
      How do they respond to pressure groups or future campaigns?

    These questions were discussed at the Next 5 Minutes Conference, in Amsterdam, March 1999.
    The Art of Campaigning was one of the main themes during this three day tactical media event.
    This website includes an extended report on the Counterstrategy Panel.
    After the N5M a network was founded to exchange information on corporate counterstrategies.
    First a mailinglist was set up to put a spotlight on the public relation industry: the Pandora Project.
    Now, autumn 2000, this crew is working on a guide-book for activists on corporate intelligence
    and PR-strategies of multinationals against their critics, to be published by the end of next year.

    Report on the N5M Counterstrategy Panel.
    Read the full text presentations here!

      The Counter-strategies of Corporations against Campaigns.
      Eveline Lubbers introduces the N5M-discussion. Three main strategies can be distinguished: Openness and co-optation, Aggressive PR, using legal threats, front groups, and so called 'green-wash' tactics and Monitoring and intelligence.
          Eveline Lubbers (NL), monitoring police and secret services since the eighties, supporting social activist groups against oppressive surveillance tactics of authorities. Recently she specialized in corporate intelligence and PR-strategies of multinationals against their critics- including net-activists.

      Internet activism vs. “Dialogue PR”
      Andy Rowell quotes PR strategists from the early sixties urging companies to ally themselves with ‘moderate’ green partners to put public protest against environmentally destructive products to rest. The bottom-line is divide and rule by classifying your critics in four categories: Radicals, Opportunists, Idealists and Realists.

          Andy Rowell (UK), the author of 'Green Backlash, Global Subversion of the Environmental Movement' is one of the very few people in the UK who tracks companies and their PR behaviour. He has been a leading dissident against the consensus that campaigners should sit down and dialogue with TNCs: The Dangers of Co-optation with Corporations.

      Spectacular PR failure & Monsanto’s  Intimidation
      Helen Holder outlines how Monsanto’s European PR effort is a good example of becoming a spectacular failure in public health and environmental campaigns. Monsanto PR executives have grossly underestimated the European resistance against the introduction of genetically engineered products.

          Helen Holder (UK), working for the Monsanto Round Up campaign, a project of ASeed-Europe based in Amsterdam; previously working for Pharmaceutical Marketing Consultancy is now specializing in marketing strategies.

      Astroturf meets Grass Roots
      Claudia Peter tackles a special form of countercampaining called astroturf. She dismantles so-called environmental organisations who present themselves as concerned citizens, while carrying out corporate agendas and using slogans like 'Windmills, nein danke!' Sounds familiar? It's not a coincidence.

          Claudia Peter (G), author of 'Deckmantel Ökologie' (1995), about AstroTurf strategies in Germany is researching lobbying strategies at a local level in Germany and at a high-level in Brussels. N5M interview with her.

      Violence against campaigners
      Sheila O'Donnell investigates cases of activists being harassed, threatened and killed. Some companies hire security agencies to set up those who dare to criticise them. Wackenhut went after oil-activists in Canada.

          Sheila O’Donnell (USA) is not your typical private investigator. She's non-violent, progressive, and lacks a law enforcement background, but she has all the hallmarks of a good detective: tenacity, toughness of character, and unflinching willingness to engage difficult problems head on. The Green Private Investigator.

      Engineering of Consent.
      Judith Richter's inspiring suggestions on unveiling hidden PR practices, exposing transnational companies and developing clever strategies for campaigners. Excerpts from a briefing paper on the Nestlé Counterstrategy against babymilk-campaigners, paper published by The Cornerhouse, March 1998

          Judith Richter (G) unfortunately was not able to be present IRL at the N5M-conference. She did her MA thesis on the history of corporate PR and she supports the International Babyfood Action Network.

      Big Brother Ltd Inc. Proudly Presents: A Corporate Counterstrategy Near You.
      Extended report on the paneldiscussion during the Next 5 Minutes Conference.
      Exclusively including many links supporting the talks of the speakers. By Josselien Janssens.

          Josselien Janssens (NL) co-produced the Counterstrategies forum at the n5m conference. She was a Greenpeace researcher on the 'Green Backlash' project (London 1994-1996), and is currently working for Greenpeace International on the Climate Campaign.


    Further reports elsewhere...
    (but do come back here!)

      N5M-special van Ravage in Dutch
      met inleidende stukken die mensen naar de N5M moesten lokken, waaronder de Nederlandse versie van het introductiestuk over Counterstrategies: Tegenstrategiën, bedrijven wapenen zich tegen actiecampagnes.
      In het daaropvolgende nummer van actieblad Ravage ook een verslag van de conferentie.
      Ook in het Nederlands: een stukje in de DDS-krant.


      Gegenstrategien gegen Online-Aktivismus in German.
      Die heuer zum dritten Mal veranstaltete Konferenz »Next Five Minutes« (Amsterdam, 12. bis 14. März) widmete sich in einem ihrer zahlreichen Panels erstmals auch den Medienstrategien der »Gegenseite«. Diskutiert wurden jene Taktiken, die verstärkt gegen KritikerInnen von Großkonzernen und entsprechende Kampagnen zum Einsatz kommen. Springer (Austria), by Josselien Janssens.

      There is even a report in Italian
      Le contro strategie delle multinazionali Attivismo su Internet.

      The Art of Campaigning
      At the N5M-webjournal there are several impressions of the panel, some even with pictures!
      Click on The Art of Campaigning and you'll find your way.

      Grassroots Political Activism Online
      Amongst other interesting pieces, again the report on the N5M panel in Issue Five of Cybersociology Magazine, a multi-disciplinary, non-profit webzine which takes a critical look at cyberculture, cyberspace, online communities, and life online. Joint Issue With Crash Media. Published Online 01 April, 1999

      Evel