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Apco to market Vibrant Guj
Lobbying Giant Bags Coveted Global Contract
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TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Ahmedabad: Chief Minister Narendra Modi has chosen to fall back on global lobbying firm Apco Worldwide to market Gujarat across the world as an ideal investment destination. The Washington-based company was earlier assigned the task of Modi's image-makeover in the western world after he was denied a US visa in 2005.
Apco pipped global PR giant Ogilvy to bag the job of a relationship partner for the Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors'. Summit to be held in 2011. The meet is already being marketed as 'Davos in Action'.
Ogilvy, which quoted 20% less than Apco, lost out on technical grounds, say-sources close to the development. The two other short-listed firms were Hanmer & Partners and Concept PR.
The state government would pay Apco Rs 2.5 crore over a period of 17 months to ensure "presence and participation of serious delegations from at least 50 countries at the summit" as well as ensuring "participation from at least 100 different institutes of repute from across the globe, resulting in signing of at least 70 cooperation agreements".
Initially, bids were invited
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for the PR job. Subsequently, PR firms were communicated that they needed to act as relationship managers for the state and not just focus on PR.
The state government would spend about Rs 10 crore on the blitzkrieg. The agency would require to strengthen brand Gujarat and create a platform for investors and opinion-makers to forge partnerships in emerging sectors and emerging geographies.
"Apco would strategise to develop Vibrant Gujarat into
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a 'Super Brand' over next 2 years, by positioning Gujarat to opinion makers and international thought leaders," he said.
The lobbying firm would also help the state to mitigate any crisis, which may have the potential of creating negative perception about the state. About 45 countries had participated in the Vibrant Gujarat summit held in January 2009, which mopped up investment promises worth $243 billion.
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