CGCN Group Announces Strategic Communications Division

WASHINGTON, Sept. 6, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- CGCN Group, a leading government-affairs firm, on Tuesday launched a strategic communications division to help clients make their case more effectively to policymakers, voters and the media.

"The advocacy business is changing," said Steve Clark, founder of CGCN Group. "Personal relationships and knowledge of the issues are still critical, but companies and trade groups need to be smarter and more aggressive about promoting their agenda to the broader public."

The expansion creates an integrated advocacy firm that combines first-class lobbying with a full-service communications arm, giving CGCN clients more direct outreach to the media and the ability to create content and build coalitions inside and outside Washington. This integrated approach is increasingly critical to navigate the public-policy landscape.

The strategic communications practice will be run by Patrick O'Connor, a former top political reporter for the Wall Street Journal who has covered dozens of campaigns and a broad range of policy fights in Congress. O'Connor joins an advocacy team that is consistently rated one of the most effective in Washington, according to Bloomberg Government, Roll Call and The Hill newspaper.

O'Connor comes to CGCN from the Wall Street Journal, where he covered Congress, congressional elections and the 2012 and 2016 presidential races. He also wrote the results of the highly regarded Wall Street Journal/NBC News national polls. Before joining the Journal, he reported for Bloomberg News, Politico and The Hill. Early in his career, he worked on ESPN's award-winning "Pardon the Interruption."

"Patrick knows newsrooms like we know Congress and federal agencies," Clark said. "He has worked elbow-to-elbow with some of the best reporters in this city, including his last six years at the best business newspaper in the world. At the Journal, his stories were must-read for politicians interested in business and CEOs interested in politics."

ABOUT CGCN 
CGCN Group is an integrated advocacy and strategic communications firm that specializes in helping corporations, non-profits and industry groups navigate complex legislative and regulatory issues.  The firm provides outreach to key policymakers, gathers strategic intelligence and offers a full suite of tools for media and grassroots communication. CGCN represents more than 50 clients from a wide range of industries, including non-profits, Fortune 500 companies and prominent trade associations.

Contact: Patrick O'Connor, [email protected], (202) 486-5958

SOURCE CGCN Group