Modern business reality suggest that the IMAGE of a company is much more important that a product of its activity. Commercial organizations are fully aware that the conquest of loyality of information society is a first priority. Anyone who gets control under a potential buyer’s mind will not have any problems in the market. In fact, INFORMATIONAL ENVIRONMENT is regarded as the main AREA OF COMPETITION.
If you are entirely aware of the power of information, then you should engage the support of professionals, those who are able to make everyone believe even in absolute nonsense – “AMERICA IS THE MOTHERLAND OF MARTIANS!”
As practice demonstrates, the creation of the image is justified by ANY MEANS and it is real. Image makers have diverse arsenal of tools to deal with competitors and shaping consumer opinion. In particular: the detection of harmful/deadly substances in the products of competitors, involvement of competitors in criminal gangs, allegations in violation of manufacturing technology and even accusation of the executives of being gays. This is not an exhaustive list. All this nonsense and actually illegal activities are lavishly paid by the customers. The cruelty of the distributed information by image-makers depends onthe size of CUSTOMER’S PURSE. Absolutely common practice today is “Black-PR”.
Let us to introduce Ketchum PR-agency.
Ketchum is one of the world’s leading PR-agencies. Founded in 1923 in Pittsburgh (USA) it has 74 regional offices and 56 affiliated companies in 70 countries worldwide. The main areas of work are brand marketing, corporate PR, healthcare and technology. It is a part of the transnational corporation “Omnicom Group Inc.”, which is specialized on advertising, marketing and corporate communications. The corporation is headed by Rob Flaherty (CEO, President) and Ray Kotcher (the Head of the Board).
Ketchum is one of the leading PR-agencies that cooperate with official Moscow and Gazprom.
recommendations on various areas of international and U.S. economic policies that affect the bilateral Russian-U.S. relations; monitoring and reporting on legislative changes in Congress in similar areas. The estimated amount of contracts (according to correspondence between R. Jones and R. Kocher): in 2009 – $35K per month; in 2013 – $20K per month; in November 2013/October2014 – $15K per month.
Venable – since 2010 provide consultancy to Gazprom Exports under Ketchum intermediary (particularly in the field of energy policy). Many lawyers employed by the company were the members of the U.S. Congress in the past. The Head of Venable is W. Nordwind; the responsible partner in Ketchum is K. Jivon. Contractual fees amount at $28K per month.
MaslanskyLuntz& Partners – specializes in the use of language as an instrument for fostering of the desired political results. Known as “Maslansky& Partners” after the co-founder Frank Luntz had leaved the company in 2008. He denies any cooperation with the Russian side and has a negative attitude towards Putin and possible cooperation of its former company with Russia. In the second half of 2013 Ketchum transferred to “Maslansky& Partners” more than $138K.
Ipsos – specializes in pools, as well as collaborating with Reuters in work on some materials. It received from Ketchum $92K for the work done in the second half of 2013.
Funding
According to the latest Foreign Agents Registration Act Ketchum received more than $1.5 million from Russia during June-November of 2013 (but money was received not directly from Russia, but from an affiliated company in the UK called Ketchum Limited for “covering the costs of providing services in the interests of the Russian Federation”), as well as $3.7 million from Gazprom export.
Respectively, the agency does not receive money officially from Russian budget and the Kremlin officially denies the widespread reports in the media about transferring $23 million to Ketchum between 2006 and 2012 from the state budget. However the Putin’s press-secretary DmitriyPeskov confirmed that cooperation with Ketchum continue indirectly: according to him, the company provide services to the one of commercial banks (according to some sources the funds are transferred through the “EurofmanceMosnarhank” ($359’000 in the first half of 2012), which aims to increase the investment attractiveness and the government “under this non-budgetary contract sometimes use the help to its work from Ketchum agency”. However, Peskov refused to comment the payments for PR-services made by Gazprom amounted at $17 million (between 2006 and 2012) calling it as “internal matters that the company has as an independent organization”.
Nevertheless, according to Angus Roxburgh1 – advising of Russia during resonant events (the murder of Anna Politkovskaya journalist, poisoning and killing of Alexander Litvinenko in 2006, and the invasion of the Russian Federation on the territory of Georgia in 2008) was bringing “Ketchum” about $1 million per month.
Alston & Bird LLP – a legal consultancy headed by Robert Jones. According to official documents it started to provide the services to the Russian Federation in 2009 (the contract was awarded via Ketchum). Among these services: gathering the information and making.
