Berman and Company

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Berman and Company is a public affairs firm owned by lobbyist Rick Berman. Based in Washington, DC, Berman & Co. represents many clients in industry and politics. Berman and Company takes special pride in its "Relentless Creativity"[1]. Its motto is "The Power to Change Debate."

[edit] Operations

According to its website, Berman and Company is active in the following areas:

Research
- Commissioning research projects to academics at universities.
- Opposition research – "exposing the motives behind attacks on our clients."
- Legislative research
- Policy/industry research
Public Affairs
- Media
- The Internet
- Advertising
- Government Affairs – "influencing the legislative process"

Berman and Company created a number of subgroups, including

The Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF)
The The Center For Union Facts (CUF)

[edit] Awards and Quotes

In April 2005, Berman and Company received a Grand Prize at the National Media Relations Awards Ceremony or the 2005 Bulldog Reporter Awards Ceremony "for its ad campaign fighting the obesity epidemic myth". [2]

"I would give Berman and Company an A+ for integrity, intelligence, and imagination. They have won the confidence of Republicans and Democrats alike." – George McGovern [3]

"[The] difference in our style from traditional lobbyists [is] that we always have a knife in our teeth." —Rick Berman, taken from a 1999 interview with Charles Bernstein of Chain Leader, a trade publication for restaurant chains [4]

"The fact is that [activists] drive consumer behavior on meat, alcohol, fat, sugar, tobacco and caffeine … Our offensive strategy is to shoot the messenger … [We've] got to attack their credibility as spokepersons." —Rick Berman in Chain Leader [5]

"We can’t tell him what to do. He has to know what to do and what’s going on. We don’t want reportable activities. We can’t direct him … can’t tell him what to do … he needs to drive actions himself. No control on our end. Minimize written corresp." —Handwritten notes on Philip Morris interoffice memo from Barbara Trach to Ellen Merlo with the subject "Guest Choice Network" dated December 15, 1995. A $600,000 "donation" followed this memo. [6]

"Rick, it’s my opinion that you are anti-parent as well as anti-consumer. You’re a lobbyist who’s been paid by the food, beverage and tobacco industries. When a school district or official tries to remove from school grounds a machine that dispenses high-sugar caffeinated beverages to children, you scream about ‘freedom.’ Apparently your view is [that] the freedom of your funders to sell these harmful products in the schools trumps the rights of parents who don’t want their children to consume them. You’re apparently unconcerned about the epidemic of type 2 diabetes among our nations’ children." —VegSource Interactive Inc. President Jeff Nelson [7]