If you want government support for your industry, your organisation, or your business, the time to engage politicians is right now. And we can help you.
There’s a lot of opportunity to be found in building strong relationships with politicians.
On this page we will share some quick tips to get started.
First things first, what even is government relations?
For brands and businesses, government relations is the bridge between corporate goals and public policy. It’s about influencing legislation, navigating regulations and building relationships with policymakers to create a business-friendly environment. Whether it’s securing funding, shaping industry rules, or managing risks, smart government engagement helps businesses thrive while staying ahead of policy changes.
In practice, government relations for brands and businesses involves engaging with policymakers to influence legislation and regulations that impact the industry. This could mean meeting with MPs and ministers or supporting policy proposals, drafting submissions or participating in consultations.
You’re probably familiar with some of the big public consultations that have happened recently, like the ACCC supermarkets inquiry. We’ve helped clients big and small have their say on big policy agendas that will impact them and their customers.
Good government relations is about staying proactive, building trust with decision-makers, and ensuring policies support business growth.
Why even engage with politicians?
So many reasons!
1 – even if you do nothing but get on their radar, you’ve started building a relationship that can position your brand as one they go to in order to understand industry, helping you boost your brand credibility
2 – politicians do a lot of announcements and photo opps. Your facility could be a great backdrop, or a perfect case study. It’s a great way to get wide exposure for your brand
3 – ensuring politicians understand what you do, what your industry does, the impact on the local region and the wider economy makes it easier for them to support decisions that are good for you
Not every business needs a formal government relations program, but every business should be aware of how government policies impact their operations. For some, minimal engagement, like staying informed on regulations, is enough. For others, especially those in highly regulated industries a structured government relations strategy is more important.
A few signs that your business might benefit from a government relations program:
- You operate in a regulated industry (e.g., energy, finance, agrifood, manufacturing).
- Policy changes could directly impact revenue or operations – for example, there’s lots of talk right now about sovereign capability and Australian manufacturing.
- Changing public perceptions could impact business or your social licence to operate, or your industry is complex and hard to properly understand.
How do we engage?
How to know what to talk about?
Think about the topics that your brand is an expert on, that politicians will care about. What can you talk about. Capability in manufacturing, the innovation agenda, jobs and skills, sustainability and cost of living are all high on the agenda.
An in-house advocacy committee can be a great place to start – gather diverse experts from different parts of your organisation to identify your key challenges and match them up with interested politicians and relevant inquiries. Develop just three or four top priority areas to focus on.
We’ve worked with clients to help establish advocacy committees. Talk to us if you want to know more about how HC can help guide your government relations.