The government sector continues to provide fertile ground for public relations and advertising specialists.
Anthony C. Marcella and Richard McAuliffe, former aides to U.S. Representative Patrick Kennedy have just opened a business called The Castle Group, which will function much the way companies like Capitol City Group, Trion Communications and Cornerstone Communications Group, all of Providence, do now.
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And all parties are reporting that the field is still wide open.
“There’s enough of the pie out there that everyone gets a good helping,” said McAuliffe.
Marcella agreed, saying “in Rhode Island there aren’t a lot of firms that deal with this but there is a lot of work to go around, and there’s no reason to work against each other.”
The Castle Group’s main objective, according to Marcella and McAuliffe, is to bring federal dollars back into Rhode Island, by helping local companies go national in the tradition of GTECH and Hasbro. The company will offer services in government affairs, lobbying and public relations. And although the Castle Group has not announced any clients yet, company executives, including legal counsel William J. Lynch, who is chairman of the Democratic Party in Rhode Island, insist their ties with Washington, D.C. will help them get the job done.
“We’re not looking to open an empire,” said McAuliffe. “Our niche is really going to be working with some companies who are looking to expand into different markets within America, and use the resources of the federal government to help them.”
Prior to Castle Group’s opening, Marcella was U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy’s chief of staff. Working with Kennedy since 1988, he has also worked for the congressman’s father, U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy, D- Mass. McAuliffe was Patrick Kennedy’s district director, and has also worked with Lt. Gov. Charles Fogarty and U.S. Senator Jack Reed, D-R.I..
Castle Group is not the first Rhode Island consulting and public relations firm with strong ties to the nation’s capitol. Earlier this spring Capitol City Group registered to lobby for five Rhode Island-based clients; CVS Inc., the American Biophysics Corp., the City of Cranston, the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Center and the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce. The firm began lobbying in D.C. when Tom Hogan, currently managing director of the firm’s Washington office, moved there from Providence in 1998. Hogan spoke to the lack of competitiveness in his industry.
“In terms of the collegiality among the groups that do this sort of work it’s accurate to say that it’s less adversarial because a lot of the advocates for different groups may oppose each other on one issue but work together on other issues,” he said. “Today’s adversary is tomorrow’s coalition partner.”
David Preston, partner at Trion Communications, said he holds the people at Castle Group in high regard.
Speaking of the nature of Rhode Island’s political public relations climate Preston said, “from time to time you will engage in joint ventures.”
Marcella noted that under Federal regulations he cannot lobby Kennedy or the committee for a year, but McAuliffe can.
“I left April 6, and cannot lobby Kennedy or the Appropriations Committee until next year because I made over $102,000 per year and there are certain restrictions that prevent me from doing so.”
This doesn’t seem to bother Marcella, since the company is about to begin its business in a climate he is looking forward to.
“I don’t feel there’s a real competitiveness in this business,” he said, “From my experience people have been going out of their way to give us advice, and I’m very pleased with the reception we’ve gotten.”
