World-Information.Org

Advertising, Public Relations and Think Tanks

Although advertising, public relations and think tanks at first seem to have nothing in common, after a closer look certain similarities arise.

The first thing which can be noted is that public relations and the advertising industry, as well as - especially conservative - think tanks like the Heritage Foundation or the Brookings Institute have strong ties to corporate firms. Whereas the connection between the advertising and public relations industry and corporations is based on a consultant - client relation many think tanks heavily rely on corporate funding to pursue their activities. Therefore the interests of corporate firms are to an - in some cases considerable - extent reflected in their activities.

Furthermore the aims of public relations and advertising firms and think tanks are not too different. Their main goal is to sell ideas and values. Albeit it sometimes makes the impression, as if only products, services and understanding (in the case of public relations) are sold, for the greater part the only thing being marketed is (political) ideology.

TEXTBLOCK 1/2 // URL: http://world-information.org/wio/infostructure/100437611704/100438658376

Examples of Mainly Corporate Funded Think Tanks: Manhattan Institute

The Manhattan Institute, founded by

William Casey, who later became President Reagan's

CIA director, besides subsidies from a number of large conservative foundations has gained funding from such corporate sources as: The

Chase Manhattan Bank,

Citicorp,

Time Warner,

Procter & Gamble and

State Farm Insurance, as well as the Lilly Endowment and philantropic arms of

American Express,

Bristol-Myers Squibb,

CIGNA and

Merrill Lynch. Boosted by major firms, the Manhattan Institute budget reached US$ 5 million a year by the early 1990s.

TEXTBLOCK 2/2 // URL: http://world-information.org/wio/infostructure/100437611704/100438658245

CIGNA

CIGNA was formed in 1982 through the combination of INA Corporation and Connecticut General Corporation. CIGNA's formation in 1982 combined a leading property-casualty insurer with a leading supplier of life insurance and employee benefits. CIGNA has tightened its focus on employee benefits, divesting its individual life insurance business in 1998, and its domestic and international property and casualty operations in 1999.

INDEXCARD, 1/1