Strategic Communication Laboratories

What is SCL for?

Strategic Communication Laboratories (SCL) was formed in 1993 because

'The demand for the agency grew out of the failure and frustration many clients experienced when trying to apply traditional marketing techniques to non-commercial issues, such as resolution of wars and civil strife, strike aversion, international crises and riot control.'

Quoting Abraham Lincoln, the opening page of SCL's website clearly states its objective:

"Public sentiment is everything. With public sentiment nothing can fail. Without it nothing can succeed. He who molds public opinion is greater than he who enacts laws."

Here is another, perhaps more methodologicaly appropriate, quote often attributed to Lincoln:

You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.

Who are SCL out to fool and with what, is not immediately obvious from their description of themselves. They are pioneers of "a new methodology" based on "16 years of academic research and development conducted at 42 universities around the globe." But what is it?

"The methodology uses 'scientific techniques' from a variety of social sciences to make ‘communications with groups’ far more effective (and measurable)."

What this scientific methodology does is enable governments 'and countries' to 'manage their relationships with their key audience groups through more powerful communication.' SCL offers various solutions based on this methodology to help countries in specific governmental areas such as defence, foreign affairs, internal security, health, finance and tourism. The site also tells us that SCL are the 'leading supplier of strategic communications, information operations and [public diplomacy] to governments and military clients around the world'. Communication can be more than just propaganda. Their section on Homeland Security [2] tells us they are in the business of 'population control.'

Public diplomacy, information operations and strategic communication are the polite terms for propaganda, spin and psychological operations, a further look at the site reveals that this methodology has a name (and an institiute) the 'Behavioural Dynamics Institute' a 'virtual lab' led by Professor Phil Taylor of Leeds University.

At times their tone can be a bit ominous "In a world where the perception is the reality, all countries need to have the capability to manage their own perceptual alignment – otherwise someone else will." But they are not without humour, and quote Sourcewatch on their own site. [3] Nigel Oakes, their CEO has stated: 'We used to be in the business of mindbending for political purposes....'

The company pledges strict confidentiality, saying that "absolutely no information concerning any of our past projects will be made available under any circumstances".However, Oakes has admitted working in South Africa, but refused to talk about any other clients.

Lobbying firm

In April 2007 it was reported that:

Strategic Communication Laboratories (SCL), has retained the lobbying firm Global Policy Group to help it win contracts with the American government, and specially from the Pentagon. The U.S. military already employs several psychological operations (psyops) consultants in Iraq and, to a lesser degree, in Afghanistan.

People

Board of Directors

• The Rt Hon Sir Geoffrey Pattie Chairman
• Nigel Oakes Chief Executive Officer
• Alex Oakes Director
• Alexander Nix Director
• Roger Gabb Director
• Julian Wheatland Director
• Rear Admiral John G Tolhurst CB FRAeS Advisory Board
• The Rt. Hon. Sir James Mitchell Advisory Board
• John Bottomley FCIS Company Secretary
• Ian Tunnicliffe Director of Information Operations: 'SCL's information director is colonel Ian Tunnicliffe, a former strategic communications expert at Britain's Defense ministry, who also served with the Office of Strategic Communications run by the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) in Baghdad.'
• Dr Andrew Stewart Advisory Board
• Lord Birdwood Advisory Board
• Lord Ivar MountbattenAdvisory Board
• Professor Phil Taylor BA PhD – Behavioural Dynamics Institute Advisory Board
• Gavin McNicoll Advisory Board

Ex Directors

• Peter Varnish was listed as a member of the Advisory board in December 2005.

Shareholders

• Vincent Tchenguiz 'In security, he has acquired 23 per cent of Strategic Communications Laboratories'

Address

SCL are based at 33 St James's Square London SW1Y 4JS, according to their website, this houses 18 separate companies. These include Anglo & International Corporate Finance Ltd, Kobe Steel Europe Ltd, and Scotland & Associates. The Website according to http://www.whois.net was registered by REGISTER.COM, INC. whose principal activity is to provide internet domain name registration and other online products and services such as web hosting, email, domain name forwarding and advertising.

Partners

Strategic Communication Laboratories have two partners Advanced Strategic Initiatives, Inc. and VT.

notes

Sunday Times, August 6, 2000