To those on the outside, government relations is perceived as a synonym for lobbying, which, in turn, is viewed as advocacy (or, in some cases, something less legitimate). Let’s forget for a moment that the field encompasses a variety of activities. The fact is, describing government relations processes as “advocacy” does little to highlight the ongoing communication strategies employed in relationship building.

Lester Milbrath, dubbed the “father of lobbying research”, once said that lobbying is “totally a communication process”. The same can be said of other government relations activities. Increasingly, integrated government and public relations campaigns are revealing just how central the communication component is. And yet, when it comes to these functions, confusion abounds.

This blog post will explore public and government relations roles, how they’re evolving, and what practitioners working on integrated campaigns can do to achieve positive outcomes for clients.

What’s in a Name?

Government relations, lobbying,...