Our Services

Government Affairs

• Develop strategies to accomplish public policy goals

• Direct lobbying to meet client legislative and executive branch objectives

• Formulating public policy objectives

• Monitoring, tracking, and drafting legislation

• Augmenting existing government relations or sales program

• Creating and managing a new state government relations function

• Federal and state support services for government affairs professionals

• Identifying and monitoring key state and federal issues

• Preparing clients for formal testimony and public presentations

• Relationship-building meetings with state and national political leaders

• Auditing the effectiveness of an existing state government relations structure and strategies

​

Business Development

• Identifying new partners and markets

• Facilitating business opportunities

• Fostering positive business relations

• Establishing strategic alliances and joint ventures

• Providing access to capital funding sources

• Competitive intelligence

​

Government Procurement

As government agencies seek newer and better ways to deliver services, the opportunities for companies to do business with the government continue to grow. However, government procurement is a complicated maze, and selling to the government is very different from selling to a private business. As a result, many times a competent salesperson will simply run into a roadblock either getting in the door, obtaining an accurate read on where a purchasing decision is headed, or get blindsided with a legislative or regulatory issue that impacts a potential sale.

​

At Ashland Consulting Group, we complement your sales force to enhance its effectiveness. We develop a positive identity and reputation to differentiate your company and products. Companies learn to understand who is buying their product and how to implement the strategy needed to effectively reach key decision-makers within the government agency.

​

Public Affairs

Lobbying does not occur in a vacuum. Media attention is often required to gain attention on an issue, product, or new business. Therefore it is important to examine all current and potential media issues that could impact a company's goals or business interests. Our analysis examines legislative opportunities and threats, impediments, public policy options, and current market position. A communications plan is then designed outlining specific steps and objectives.

​

We have extensive experience in advising clients on establishing or revamping their corporate identity through earned and paid media. The ability to get a client's issue positively covered helps them succeed in today's turbulent and cluttered media environment.

Whether the goal is influencing important decision-makers or developing new markets, we serve as a business-to-media intermediary for clients interested in specific markets or targeted industries. 

​

Public affairs services include:

• Strategies to accomplish community goals and raise the public profile

• Corporate stakeholder strategies

• Education programs on politics and citizenship

• Building a national identity with key public policy groups

• Expertise on political contributions and compliance

• Strategies for effective participation in the political process

• Crisis communications

• Corporate reputation management

​

Regulatory Affairs

Our regulatory experts continuously monitor the evolving marketplace and travel the country to keep abreast of trends, information, and key players. This exceptional resource allows us to provide clients with the competitive advantage needed in today's fast-paced and complex marketplace. Our services include:

• Regulatory monitoring

• Providing representation during administrative hearings

• Expediting state and federal licensing and permitting

• Preparing project applications and bids

• Securing government grants

​

Grassroots/Grasstops

Contact by people, groups, or associations in a legislator's district is an integral and vital part of a legislative campaign. Elected officials pay more attention when people "back home" contact them. We can help your company make its’ grassroots program truly successful. Our services include:

• Building coalitions and alliances

• Providing targeted introductions to state and national political leaders

• Training constituents for grassroots mobilization

• Executive visibility programs designed to build one-to-one relationships between clients and local opinion leaders, including the media

• Employee communication campaigns to get the message to the "front line"—employees, distributors and other business alliances—effectively

• Training association members or employees in all areas of grassroots

• Mobilizing opinion leaders

• Ballot initiatives

• Issue advocacy

​

Communications

• Comprehensive internal/external communications programs

• Media relations, including news releases, TV and radio ads, and promotional materials

• Writing news releases, Op-Eds, letters to the editor, brochures or other promotional materials

• Arranging editorial board meetings

• Pitching news stories

• Creating media and opinion leader presence to boost public affairs goals

• Message development for positioning on public or internal issues

• Earned media strategies for proactive agendas or in response to current events

• Corporate branding campaigns

• Crisis communications training and planning

• Event planning and management

• Issues management

​

Political Consulting

We provide a full range of affordable political consulting services to candidates of both parties. Our principals have a track record of turning first-time candidates into viable candidates. We compress the learning curve of first-time candidates through years of experience. Services include:

• Campaign management/general consulting

• Message development and debate prep

• Media relations and earned media

• Advertising, including direct mail, TV and radio ads

• Fundraising

​

Strategic Alliances

Ashland Consulting Group maintains a number of alliances and partnerships that add value to our clients. These include:

• National and international legislative and executive agency lobbyists and business development professionals

• Public opinion research firms

• Creative media consultants

• Public relations firms

• Fundraising experts

​

​