Alan Hardacre

Engaging with extreme politicians: The dilemma for companies & associations In last month’s European Parliament elections far-right groups gained unprecedented representation. For businesses and Associations engaging in the EU, this development poses a dilemma: how to engage with these new stakeholders. At a Best in Brussels event in June @MarkDober showed survey results that suggested …

The Internal Side of Public Affairs (15): Engaging with extreme politicians: The dilemma for companies & associations Read More »

Protecting and Enhancing Trade Association Value In today’s dynamic and competitive business environment, members of trade associations frequently face the (internal) question: “What value does our trade association bring, and why do I pay so much?” This question is asked of almost every Public Affairs Director I know, often several times a year! This then …

The Internal Side of Public Affairs (14): Protecting and Enhancing Trade Association Value Read More »

The Power of Vision and Mission Statements in Public Affairs I will start this post with a disclaimer – in that I was a relatively late convert to the value of a solid vision and mission statement for a public affairs team and/or function. If you do this exercise seriously and cut beyond corporate fluff …

The Internal Side of Public Affairs (13): The Power of Vision and Mission Statements in Public Affairs Read More »

What is Value in Public Affairs Work and How to Find it? In recent weeks, including on the second Internal Side of Public Affairs webinar discussion, the issue of identifying-delivering-showcasing value has come up repeatedly. This theme cross-cuts many of my posts – but here I want to look at the core question in more …

The Internal Side of Public Affairs (12): What is Value in Public Affairs Work and How to Find it? Read More »

Why Reporting Lines Matter: Direct or Indirect Reporting Lines? This is an issue that has come up several times in my career. Which is better or how do you make both reporting lines work? To start with let’s be clear that the structure of reporting lines can significantly impact the effectiveness of every aspect of …

The Internal Side of Public Affairs (11): Why Reporting Lines Matter: Direct or Indirect Reporting Lines? Read More »

Public Affairs and adjacent functions: Friends or foes? To be successful Public Affairs needs to be a lynchpin function that connects various other functions within a business. It needs to get information, understand and then ensure alignment and synergy across many different parts of an organization – meaning it needs to work with many parts …

The Internal Side of Public Affairs (10): Public Affairs and adjacent functions: Friends or foes? Read More »

Breaking the Silence: Why Failure Needs to Take Center Stage in Public Affairs Failure is often the elephant in the room in public affairs work. Failure in public affairs is not just a possibility; it’s an inevitability. In a landscape as dynamic and multifaceted as public affairs, where competing interests collide and priorities shift constantly, …

The Internal Side of Public Affairs (9): Breaking the Silence: Why Failure Needs to Take Center Stage in Public Affairs Read More »

Chat GPT and Public Affairs Are you wondering exactly what Artificial Intelligence can do to support your Public Affairs work? Most people are these days. Are you also getting slightly tired of the constant messaging and noise around this (I appreciate the irony that I am now writing about this…)? Most people are these days. …

The Internal Side of Public Affairs (8): Chat GPT and Public Affairs Read More »

Measuring Public Affairs Success: Key Metrics and Limitations After speaking at three events in one week on this subject I wanted to share some reflections – given how important this topic is. As Public Affairs professionals, demonstrating the impact of our work is essential for guiding strategic decision-making and showcasing value to our organizations. It …

The Internal Side of Public Affairs (7): Measuring Public Affairs Success: Key Metrics and Limitations Read More »

Why all Public Affairs teams need an internal role In the dynamic world of Public Affairs, where external activities often take the spotlight, it’s easy to overlook the vital internal support that keeps the engine running smoothly. As someone deeply committed to effective public affairs team dynamics, I can’t stress enough the importance of having …

The Internal Side of Public Affairs (6): Why all Public Affairs teams need an internal role Read More »