Election '04 in Perspective & The War of Ideas: Engaging the Private Sector in Diplomatic Action
Business for Diplomatic Action & The NewsMarket host a post election discussion event with John Zogby, President & CEO, Zogby International
November 9, 2004, NEW YORK - The election is over and its time to unify - how can the private sector help public diplomacy as our nation moves forward? This Thursday, November 11th, Business for Diplomatic Action, along with The NewsMarket, will host a post-election breakfast discussion with John Zogby at the Yale Club. Zogby will share his reflections on the election outcome and discuss where the U.S. goes from here, emphasizing how the private sector can engage in the broader war of ideas.
"We knew regardless of the election outcome that there was much work to be done in the realm of public diplomacy. The private sector must take the lead and engage in its own diplomatic action. Business for Diplomatic Action is committed to engaging the private sector in public diplomacy activities to 'out-recruit bin Laden' and reduce anti-American sentiment abroad," said Keith Reinhard, president of Business for Diplomatic Action (BDA) and chairman of the advertising and marketing firm DDB Worldwide.
In the global war against al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations, the United States must fight more effectively on what may be the most important front of all: the attitudes and opinions of its own youth and the rapidly growing young populations of the Middle East, North Africa and Southeast Asia. In this struggle of perceptions, America must draw upon a wide range of assets - including the marketing and communications expertise of its private sector.
"No one is more aware of or in tune with the attitudes and opinions in the Middle East than John Zogby," noted Mark Morris, founding BDA board member and recently retired chairman of Bates North America. "We have agreed to partner with Zogby International to conduct the Business for Diplomatic Action Global Listening Research Project (un-bold) that will survey business and thought leaders as well as citizens and consumers from more than 27 countries worldwide. This crucial research is designed to identify the kind of private sector public diplomacy initiatives that American corporations can implement to build their own social capital overseas and help to successfully reduce resentment and anti-American sentiment in markets where they operate."
The NewsMarket (www.thenewsmarket.com), which is sponsoring the event, is a unique digital content distribution platform that helps organizations such as UNICEF, The U.S. Department of State, General Motors and Intel deliver their messages via television news, the most influential communications medium. "Recent geopolitical events are heightening the desire by private enterprise to get their voices heard. Television news is a critical component of their public diplomacy arsenal," says Shoba Purushothaman, CEO of The NewsMarket.
This event is open to the press but space is limited. For footage of the event or to inquire about attending, press should contact Meg Crumbine at The NewsMarket, 212.497.9005 and meg.crumbine@thenewsmarket.com.
Contact:
Cari E. Guittard, Business for Diplomatic Action Executive Director
415.732.3620, cari.guittard@sf.ddb.com
Michele Nadeem, Business for Diplomatic Board Member, President Media Boston International
617.266.5969, mnadeem@mediaboston.com
Mary Bentley Houk, The NewsMarket
212.497.9013, marybentley.houk@thenewsmarkeeet.com
