BSMG WORLDWIDE

Communications Management
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THE COMMUNICATIONS CAMPAIGN

FOR
FMC MARINE COLLOIDS INC.

I. Information Campaign

Objectives/ End State

• Media exposure that will support the lobbying initiatives exert
pressure PGMA to force Environment Secretary Alvarez, as
chair of Pollution Adjudication Board, to come out with ruling
within 3 months regarding alleged environmental violations
committed by FMC

Strategies
• Create awareness about FMC and its contributions to nation-
building
• Supply the media with accurate information about FMC’s
operations in the country
• Create awareness about the seaweed industry and its
contribution to the nation’s economy

B S M G W O R L D W I D E, I N C.
6/F JAKA 6780 Ayala Avenue, Makati City 1200 Philippines
Tel. No.: (632) 817-5670 * Fax No.: (632) 812-0411
 BSMG WORLDWIDE
Communications Management
http://www.facebook.com/gene.gregorio
http://ph.linkedin.com/pub/gene-gregorio/2/455/b0a
http://gene-gregorio.blogspot.com/p/about-gene-gregorio.html
http://twitter.com/#!/genegregorio
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Media Strategy
It should be stressed to target audience, particularly to gov’t officials who have
the deciding power that all these attacks and delays against FMC amount to
economic sabotage for the following reasons (This should be consistent with
lobby strategy):
• First, it shifts investments away from RP to Indonesia at a time when the
government is aggressively attracting foreign investors to address its budget
deficit and to strengthen our fragile economy.
• Second, it dislocates hundreds of FMC employees and their dependents, as
well as thousands from seaweed gatherers in Visayas and Mindanao, who
are dependent on their supplying carrageenan to FMC.
• Third, this bureaucratic proves US Ambassador Ricciardone’s theory on why
the difficulty of doing business in RP makes the country an unattractive
investment consideration in the region.

Operational Activities
1. Publicity
• Come out with Special Reports (full- or half page) about the
seaweed industry including its dependents/beneficiaries. How much
the industry contributes to national revenues through its main
export quotas with FMC being mentioned as one of its players. Ex.
Focus page in Today, Mla. Bulletin (including its Agricultural &
Provincial sections, Phil. Star, BusinessWorld, PDI (consider the
regional Visaya papers & Cebu dailies, including Sunstar Cebu)
• Lifestyle articles about the products that use carrageenan

Lifestyle articles creates public interest as well as brings
carrageenan closer to the public

An example would be to do a feature article about ice cream
and explain that it is carrageenan that prevents ice crystal
formation (Including carrageenan’s role in gelatin and makeup)
B S M G W O R L D W I D E, I N C.
6/F JAKA 6780 Ayala Avenue, Makati City 1200 Philippines
Tel. No.: (632) 817-5670 * Fax No.: (632) 812-0411
 BSMG WORLDWIDE
Communications Management
http://www.facebook.com/gene.gregorio
http://ph.linkedin.com/pub/gene-gregorio/2/455/b0a
http://gene-gregorio.blogspot.com/p/about-gene-gregorio.html
http://twitter.com/#!/genegregorio
http://www.scribd.com/home

• Press releases on the Environment section of broadsheets about

awards garnered by FMC. (including FMC Corporation’s corporate
statements on Health, Safety, & Environmental policies and how
they’ve practiced it, worldwide)
• Initiate “Letters to the Editor” campaign from seaweed farmers or
FMC employees (including seaweed traders, concerned Cebu
people, and AMCHAM officers or US firms that use a lot of
carrageenan, because their supplies are threatened if FMC moves
to Indonesia. The idea is the more broad-based, the better. these
would be targeted to PGMA, DENR Sec., DTI Sec., Chairs of
Congressional Committees on Environment & Trade, Chairs of
Senate Committees on Environment & Trade.)
2. Media Kit
• Prepare a media brief kit to be distributed among key media
personalities. The kit would guide media when crafting stories
about FMC.
• To be included in the kit are:

Information about FMC (History, officers, operations, etc) How
much does FMC really contribute to the Cebu/RP economy in
terms of export revenues, taxes paid, what is their ranking as
taxpayers, what’s their corporate ranking in the top 5000?

FAQs about FMC

Information about carrageenan

Contact information of FMC officers

B S M G W O R L D W I D E, I N C.
6/F JAKA 6780 Ayala Avenue, Makati City 1200 Philippines
Tel. No.: (632) 817-5670 * Fax No.: (632) 812-0411
 BSMG WORLDWIDE
Communications Management
http://www.facebook.com/gene.gregorio
http://ph.linkedin.com/pub/gene-gregorio/2/455/b0a
http://gene-gregorio.blogspot.com/p/about-gene-gregorio.html
http://twitter.com/#!/genegregorio
http://www.scribd.com/home

3. Media Visits

• Schedule regular media visits to the FMC plant in Cebu (Metro

Manila and Cebu Media)
• Type of media to be invited to be based on the stories that BSMG,
based on approval of FMC, would like to come out within a specific
period.
Ex. First wave – columnists interested about FMC/seaweed industry
Second wave – Business media; Ex. stories about FMC’s investments
in the country
Third wave – Lifestyle media; Ex. feature story on a celebrity who
is into carrageenan farming
4. Organize events that promote FMC’s corporate citizenship
• Organize a clean up Mactan Channel day with the Mactan Channel
Multi-Sectoral Management Council (MCMMC), an environmental
NGO funded by USAID
• Tie-up with organizations like the Aboitiz Foundation and organize
a coastal management project with the support of Mactan Channel
Multi-Sectoral Management Council (MCMMC), an environmental
NGO funded by USAID
• Build schools for children of seaweed farmers
• Organize a fund raising drive to benefit local churches’/ clergy’s
identified charities

B S M G W O R L D W I D E, I N C.
6/F JAKA 6780 Ayala Avenue, Makati City 1200 Philippines
Tel. No.: (632) 817-5670 * Fax No.: (632) 812-0411
 BSMG WORLDWIDE
Communications Management
http://www.facebook.com/gene.gregorio
http://ph.linkedin.com/pub/gene-gregorio/2/455/b0a
http://gene-gregorio.blogspot.com/p/about-gene-gregorio.html
http://twitter.com/#!/genegregorio
http://www.scribd.com/home

II. Lobbying

Objective/ End State

• Exert pressure PGMA to force Environment Sec. Alvarez, as
chair of Pollution Adjudication Board, to come out with ruling
within 3 months regarding alleged environmental violations
committed by FMC

Strategies
It should be stressed to target audience, particularly to gov’t officials who have
the deciding power that all these attacks and delays against FMC amount to
economic sabotage for the following reasons:
• First, it shifts investments away from RP to Indonesia at a time when the
government is aggressively attracting foreign investors to address its budget
deficit and to strengthen our fragile economy.
• Second, it dislocates hundreds of FMC employees and their dependents, as
well as thousands from seaweed gatherers in Visayas and Mindanao, who
are dependent on their supplying carrageenan to FMC.
• Third, this bureaucratic proves US Ambassador Ricciardone’s theory on why
the difficulty of doing business in RP makes the country an unattractive
investment consideration in the region.

Operational
1. Lobby Kit
• Prepare a briefing document that enumerates all the allegations
leveled towards FMC and FMC’s answers to them
• Kit to be distributed among key government officials (DENR, PAB,
etc.)
2. Get an audience with Sec. Alvarez to air FMC’s side on the issue
(Because of sub judice principle, this might not be possible. Consider

B S M G W O R L D W I D E, I N C.
6/F JAKA 6780 Ayala Avenue, Makati City 1200 Philippines
Tel. No.: (632) 817-5670 * Fax No.: (632) 812-0411
 BSMG WORLDWIDE
Communications Management
http://www.facebook.com/gene.gregorio
http://ph.linkedin.com/pub/gene-gregorio/2/455/b0a
http://gene-gregorio.blogspot.com/p/about-gene-gregorio.html
http://twitter.com/#!/genegregorio
http://www.scribd.com/home

going through backchannels or getting a more powerful advocate in

Malacanang thru US Amb & AmCham officials?)
3. Form an alliance with Ambassador Ricciardone, US Embassy Trade
Secretary, or American Chamber of Commerce to foster and champion
FMC’s continued stay & growth in the country
4. Work for endorsement by religious person – Bishop Bacani, donation
to the church
5. Initiate a Grassroots campaign among Cebu clergy [Cardinal Vidal
come to mind] & NGOs, as well as national environmental NGOs to
lobby for FMC. Build a broad-based front that will fight for continued
FMC operations and investments in Cebu.
6. FMC Corp. or FMC Cebu to initiate a long-term Save Mactan Channel
Project similar to Save Manila Bay Project. This should be supported
by the Mactan Channel Multi-Sectoral Management Council
(MCMMC), an environmental NGO funded by USAID. MCMMC should
also come out with studies supportive of FMC or proving that Channel
pollution is caused by many not just by single firm. The Channel is the
sewer of Cebu and the industrial drain of most firms.
7. Hire expert marine/ chemical experts to serve as advocates in print
articles or interviews.

B S M G W O R L D W I D E, I N C.
6/F JAKA 6780 Ayala Avenue, Makati City 1200 Philippines
Tel. No.: (632) 817-5670 * Fax No.: (632) 812-0411