Thread: Mexico hires public relations firm to improve its image in U

Rob Allyn of Rob Allyn & Co. secretly engineered Fox's 2000 presidential victory and is closely tied with George W. Bush
Is it therefore a stretch to suggest that Allyn, with the blessing of George W. Bush, is the architect of the mass immigration protests that were themselves an inorganic construct of the Spanish language media?

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercuryn ... 737276.htm

WASHINGTON - Fed up with the drumbeat of news stories about drug wars, police corruption, border mayhem and illegal immigration, the government of Mexico has followed a time-honored course for anyone seeking an image makeover: It's hired a PR firm.

Rob Allyn, a prominent Dallas public relations craftsman who helped shape Mexican President Vicente Fox's stunning election victory in 2000, now shoulders the burden of pushing aside a largely negative U.S. perception of Mexico as a land of drug lords and economic hardship.

Allyn's objective - and that of his client - is to display Mexico as a nation on the move, with a flourishing democracy and growth-oriented economy, indelibly linked to its neighbor to the north. In Allyn's words, to focus on "the good things that are happening in Mexico" and "correct some of the myths and misperceptions that are out there."

It's a daunting assignment.

The presence of nearly 11 million illegal immigrants in the United States - more than half from Mexico - has left many U.S. residents with the impression that Mexico is an impoverished, economically troubled land that can't hold on to its own people.

Turf battles between vicious drug cartels have turned a portion of the Texas-Mexico border into a war zone, prompting the U.S. government to warn against travel to the Mexican border town of Nuevo Laredo, center stage for the violence.

Last week, the sheriff of Hudspeth County in Texas reported that men dressed in Mexican army uniforms crossed the border to protect a drug shipment, and U.S. customs officials displayed a sophisticated tunnel dug under the border near San Diego and packed with tons of marijuana.

Carlos Garcia de Alba, Mexico's consul general in Dallas, said Mexico turned to Allyn, who will receive $720,000 for the one-year contract, to tell a more uplifting story. "We want to be recognized as a reliable good neighbor, partner and friend," he said. "And when you focus on just very specific facts ... you're missing a lot. You're not looking at the whole picture."

The PR offensive will remind U.S. residents that Mexico is the United States' second largest trading partner after Canada, buying $111 billion of U.S. exports every year. Mexico will also stress that its government is aggressively fighting corruption, promoting democracy and fostering greater economic opportunities for its 105 million citizens.

The campaign's over-arching goal is to strengthen U.S.-Mexican relations at a time when President Bush is pressuring Congress to enact a guest worker program for foreign workers, a top priority of the Fox administration.

The outlook for passage is uncertain, with a strong cadre of Republican conservatives vowing to resist any immigration overhaul that includes a guest worker program.

The incident in Hudspeth County - in far West Texas - also created an uproar here, prompting calls for an international investigation and inflaming suspicions that rogue members of the Mexican military are escorting drug shipments into the United States, an assertion the Mexican government emphatically denies.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Tex., chairman of the Senate subcommittee on immigration, called the incident "a thumb in the eye to the United States" that hurts prospects for enactment of a guest worker plan. Repairing Mexico's image from a steady "drip, drip, drip of bad news," he said, "is going to take more than hiring a public relations consultant."

Nevertheless, Allyn's admirers in both the United States and Mexico believe that the Dallas Executive is up to the challenge, pointing to scores of earlier successes, often against formidable odds.

Allyn, 46, is often described as a Republican strategist but he has increasingly displayed an international reach by helping candidates, political parties and corporations in other countries. Perhaps his most celebrated triumph was Fox's upset victory in 2000 over the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), which had held the presidency for 71 years.

After meeting Fox on a trip to Mexico, Allyn, whose 23-year-old Allyn & Co. merged into the Fleishman-Hillard public relations group in 2002, became a central figure in the campaign but kept his role secret to avoid the appearance of U.S. meddling. He taught himself Spanish and traveled in and out of the country for three years, using three different pseudonyms.

Allyn has made no attempt to hide his current role, but he prefers to keep the focus on his client rather than himself. That strategy hasn't always been successful. A small group of protesters aligned with anti-immigrant groups protested outside his office last week, complaining that his alliance with the Mexican government constituted an affront to "national sovereignty."

Allyn also drew limited criticism from U.S. Hispanics, who felt that Mexico should have recruited a Hispanic firm to trumpet its message in the United States. "They should give Latinos a good shot at filling those positions," said Brent Wilkes, executive director of League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC).

But, in a telephone interview from his Dallas office, Allyn said his company has "been flooded" with supportive telephone calls and e-mails, many of them from CEOs and senior political figures. "They've all been congratulatory and encouraging us," he said. "People at that level understand the value of Mexico as a trading partner."

Allyn said the campaign will likely include talking to news reporters and editors, visits by officials on both sides of the border, communications "directly with citizens" and limited advertising. He will also order public opinion surveys "to get a good sense of where the information gaps are."

Among other things, Allyn said, he hopes to convince U.S. residents and policymakers that Mexico is a valuable customer and trading partner that "deserves to be treated with politeness and respect - certainly not as an enemy."

"Mexico is making real substantial progress as a nation and I'm afraid that's being overshadowed by isolated incidents and all the fear over immigration," Allyn said. He also stressed that the company was hired "to present a more positive image of Mexico in the United States" - not to play a lobbying role in the upcoming immigration debate.

Carole Wilson, a professor at the University of Texas at Dallas and an expert on Mexican politics who is familiar with Allyn's role in the presidential campaign, called the project "a good idea" and said Allyn can use his formidable contacts with business and political leaders to strengthen Mexico's influence.

"Mexico doesn't have anything to lose," she said. "They've got more to gain by building a good reputation in America and having public opinion on their side."

The campaign is also likely to reflect Allyn's impassioned attachment to Mexico more than eight years after he first started working with Fox and other Mexican officials in the late 1990s. His Spanish still needs work, he says, but is far better than he when first started reading Spanish texts while working out at the health club.

"While I can never hope to understand as well as someone who is born and raised there," he says, "I've come to understand the beauty of the Mexican culture, the strength and character of the Mexican people and the courage of the Mexican leaders."

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Hidden Agendas by Electoral Delinquents:
http://narconews.com/usconsultants2.html

Rob Allyn Bush/Fox ties
http://mensnewsdaily.com/blog/kouri/200 ... -take.html


http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/ ... dt.01.html
Well, Rob Allyn, whose public relations firm is working with the Mexican government to weaken U.S. border security proposals joins me tonight from Dallas. Thanks for joining us, Sir.

Let me ask you, President Fox denounced the U.S. measures as shameful and his foreign secretary called the wall, "stupid." Isn't it detrimental to Mexico's P.R. to be using such language?

ROB ALLYN, PRESIDENT, ALLYN & COMPANY: Well, first of all, speaking of language, I think you've utterly mischaracterized our relationship. Our job is not to, as you say, weaken border security. Our job are to get the facts out about Mexico and about the progress that Mexico has made toward democracy, toward clean government, and toward economic stability over these last five years.

PILGRIM: Basically a P.R. campaign, correct?

ALLYN: Absolutely.

PILGRIM: Is that a characterization...

ALLYN: ... the job is to try to communicate facts and factual information about these issues. And I think if people had a fuller appreciation of what Mexico is really like and the role that Mexico plays in our economy, the positive role that Mexico plays as the second biggest trading partner of the United States, where we export $111 billion worth of U.S. products to Mexico every year.

If people had an appreciation of all the facts of that economic relationship, they would see issues like migration and border security at a completely different light.

PILGRIM: Well, fair enough, and yet there is this very difficult issue, politically, in the United States, of these massive illegal immigration going on. How do you deal with that in a P.R. campaign? Certainly you must address it, you can't simply talk about trade benefits.

ALLYN: We agree with President Bush and Senator McCain and many other leaders across the United States. The U.S. chamber of commerce, who believe that immigration is not only a fact, it is the central fact of the history of the United States of America.

I mean, these folks are pioneers who are coming in search of a better life. And the idea is to put the Statue of Liberty out there, welcoming those workers, not erect a wall. We should be building bridges with Mexico, not walls.

PILGRIM: Should we be welcoming illegal migrants?

ALLYN: Well, we should make the process safe and legal and orderly, as President Bush and Senator McCain and others have proposed, by creating a temporary guest worker program that allows us to have a controlled migration situation where people who are coming here for no criminal purpose.

But to make a positive economic contribution to the United States, to build our buildings, to farm our crops and to serve in our hospitality industry, et cetera, can be recognized and legal and have legal status and then be able to return home periodically to renew their homeland ties.

PILGRIM: Is that not Mexico dabbling in U.S. policy to be suggesting solutions to a domestic situation in the United States?

ALLYN: This is an issue that is important for both parties. And it's very much a U.S. issue as well. It's very much in the United States interest to form a better and closer relationship with Mexico. And we've made great strides in doing so, as Mexico made such great strides.

You know, Mexico under this government has reduced poverty by 30 percent. There are 30 percent less people living in extreme poverty in Mexico.

PILGRIM: Then why are people coming to the United States for the job opportunities that they seek illegally. Poverty has been reduced so drastically in Mexico, Sir?

ALLYN: Because there are -- certainly, there are higher wages. These are markets, market forces on either side. Mexico is a business partner of the United States. And they supplied labor that we badly need in this country for our industries, and they also supply a market for our products.

You know, we export more products to Mexico than all of the rest of Latin America -- I'm sorry, let me finish, than China, than to Japan, thank to German. Mexico is our second biggest trading partner after Canada. We should look at Mexicans as business partners, not as enemies.

PILGRIM: Certainly the trade benefits are considerable, and we give you that point. Certainly there are other very deep concerns. And one is the border violence that goes on, on a daily basis on one of our country's important borders. And should Americans have to deal with that? That is a problem that Mexico should address also?

ALLYN: Well, if you're speaking about the drug gangs along the border.

PILGRIM: And the violence with the immigration.

ALLYN: At border at Laredo, for example. We need to keep in mind that all of the money that pays for the weapons that these gangs use all comes from drug consumers in the United States.

This is an issue for both the United States and Mexico, and the two nations have agreed to work together on reducing violence. And what you're really seeing right now at the border is a situation where President Fox and a clean rule of law government in Mexico has finally decided to crack down on corruption and crime and drugs. And so when you shine the light in those drug corners, all the cockroaches scurry out.

PILGRIM: We'll see how effective that policy is. The numbers will tell soon enough. Mr. Allyn we do have to cut it off here. We do appreciate you coming on to discuss it. I'm sure this is grounds for further discussion.


Fence Fight
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,179606,00.html

ALLYN: The question is, what's the best thing for our country? And the best thing for our country here in the United States is to do business with Mexico as our second biggest trading partner, bigger than Japan, bigger than China.

Starting Call/Email Campaign
Los Angeles Times service ^ | Fri, Dec. 23, 2005 | SAM ENRIQUEZ


Posted on 12/28/2005 3:23:54 AM PST by LDave


GOP STRATEGIST IS TAKING HEAT FOR TAKING MEXICO AS CLIENT...

Mexican government has taken out ads urging Mexican workers to denounce rights violations in the United States. It also is hiring an American public relations firm to improve its image and counter growing U.S. concerns about immigration.

The American public relations firm recruited by a foreign government to organize an international campaign against a U.S. effort to protect its national borders is Allyn & Company. This company is organizing an international PR campaign to shame the United States and to attack its efforts to reform its immigration policies in favor of an "open-borders approach favored by the Mexican government.

If you agree that Rob Allyn and his PR firm, Allyn & Company has no business, acting in effect, as a foreign agent to publically shame the United States and to attack our inherent right to protect our sovereign borders, please let your opinions be known at: (214) 871-7723

http://www.prwatch.org/node/4314
Mexico to U.S.: Tear Down This Wall!
Topics: U.S. government | public relations | international
Source: Associated Press, December 21, 2005
Following the U.S. House's passage of an immigration bill that would, among other things, extend walls along the U.S.-Mexico border, Mexico is fighting back. "Mexico ... will not allow a stupid thing like this wall," said its Foreign Relations Secretary. The Mexican government has hired Republican campaign consultant Rob Allyn who has long also been Mexico President Vincente Fox's campaign advisor. Rob Allyn and his Texas-based PR firm Allyn & Company is encouraging "U.S. church, community and business groups to oppose the proposal." O'Dwyer's PR Daily reports that Rob Allyn, "developed advertising for Bush's campaigns for governor and the presidency." The firm has also worked for Wal-Mart and XM Satellite Radio. The Mexican government hopes Allyn & Company will "improve its image and stem the immigration backlash."




Allyn & Company Main Office 3232 McKinney Avenue, Suite 660 Dallas, Texas 75204 Phone: (214) 871-7723 Fax: (214) 871-7767 Email: info AT allynco.com Web: http://www.allynco.com


The O'Reilly Factor...
http://www.billoreilly.com/show?action= ... showID=596
Impact Segment
Cleaning up illegal aliens' images
Guest: Rob Allyn, Allyn & Company
Mexican President Vicente Fox has hired a Dallas public relations firm to polish his country's image. Rob Allyn, head of the PR company, described Mexico as a rapidly improving nation. "Once people realize the progress that has been made toward democracy, clean government and economic stability, people will see Mexico differently. The fact is that the Fox administration has been very effective in bringing transparency and a sound and stable democracy. Mexico is the second largest trading partner of the United States." The Factor countered that Mexico is a "chaotic country" with high unemployment, rampant crime, and endemic corruption. "If things are so good down there, why are millions of Mexicans trying to get up here? Nobody wants to leave home and risk their lives if things are so great in Mexico."

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... GGVPB1.DTL
Mr. Mexico's goodwill crusade
T WASN'T surprising that the Mexican government would hire an American public-relations firm to improve its image in the United States.

Nor was it surprising that Mexican President Vicente Fox tapped my friend, Dallas-based political consultant Rob Allyn, to be Mexico's goodwill ambassador. Allyn worked on Fox's 2000 presidential campaign, after which a Dallas magazine dubbed the consultant "Mr. Mexico."

What was surprising was that a business deal resulted in so many people becoming so unhinged.

Suddenly, the Republican strategist is being inundated with angry and insulting e-mails, calls and nasty comments posted on Web logs. Immigration restrictionists are threatening to picket Allyn's office and asking that "patriots" boycott his firm. One zealot wrote Allyn to demand that the consultant "register as a foreign alien agent" and calling him "disgusting and treasonous."

From those cable TV shows that bottom-feed off the immigration issue, I glean that Allyn is doing a "PR campaign for illegal immigrants" and generating public support for a guest-worker plan backed by the Mexican government.

Not quite, Allyn told me from his office in Dallas. "We've been hired to promote the image of Mexico," he said, "and specifically to let people know the facts about the real Mexico and where Mexico stands today."

Besides doing media interviews, Allyn plans to organize trade missions between the two countries, produce media material to show progress in Mexico, and conduct polling to gauge attitudes in the United States.

If Allyn wants to know what Americans think of Mexico and Mexicans -- and for that matter, Mexican Americans -- all he has to do is read my e-mail. But it's not pretty.

In the words of one reader: "Mexico has nothing that any red-blooded American would want. Mexico is a filthy, unlawful country which is trying with all its might to influence the U.S. to change its laws to benefit illegals." Another reader complained about "illegal Hispanics" with their "high crime rates, lack of education, large families living on the taxpayers' dole, failure to assimilate, flooding our emergency rooms and depressing wages for poor working citizens."

Allyn, who is to earn about $720,000 for his efforts, should have asked Fox for more money.

The way the consultant sees it, "perceptions lag reality" and Americans don't know as much about Mexico and Mexicans as they think they do.

I'll buy that. But it works both ways. Mexicans don't know as much about the United States as they think. That goes double for Mexican presidents.

When I suggested that Fox had done himself no favors by labeling as "shameful" U.S efforts to curb illegal immigration, Allyn declined to comment, but said he'd pass on my concerns to his client.

So let me add this: Most Americans don't like it when Mexico meddles in the internal affairs of the United States -- especially because Mexicans bristle when Americans meddle in the affairs of Mexico and especially because there wouldn't be so many illegal immigrants in this country if the Mexican government took more seriously its obligation to provide opportunities for its people rather than relying on the billions of dollars that immigrants send home in remittances.

For Allyn, there's a lot of positive news south of the border, including "that Mexico is a democracy today, with clean elections, that the Mexican government has made huge progress in cleaning up corruption and that there is economic stability."

There's also trade. According to Allyn, Americans export $111 billion in goods each year to Mexico.

"Mexico is America's second-largest trading partner (after Canada). That's more than Japan. More than Germany. More than China," he said.

"Mexico is a huge customer for us. We should treat it with respect."

Good luck with that, amigo. For many Americans, Mexico serves only one purpose and that's to provide something to which they can feel superior. Consider the reader who, in a recent e-mail to me, referred to "our little brothers to the south."

While Allyn hasn't been hired to represent Mexican immigrants per se, he expects to go to bat for them. That's fine with him. He thinks the immigrants get a bad rap.

"I continue to be astonished at how people can work up so much animosity toward hard-working, family-oriented people who are enduring huge hardships to seek a better life," he said. Some of that has roots in something that has been part of this dialogue since the advent of immigrants: racism.

It's something Allyn acknowledges: "You can smell it. It's like bad art. You know it when you see it."

Mr. Mexico is right on the money. And often, those who can't see it just don't want to.