Strategic Communication Laboratories (SCL) is the leading supplier of Information Operations, Strategic Communication and Public Diplomacy services to governments and military clients worldwide.

A Strategic Communication facility with fully trained staff, may be the most powerful weapon in your arsenal to resolve conflict and to achieve your military objectives.

PROJECTS

SCL is a highly successful project company with an enviable track record and 12 years' experience of managing and executing political and humanitarian strategic communication campaigns for 27 governments and sovereigns worldwide - including personally advising eleven prime ministers and presidents - as well as NGOs, police departments, military forces and political parties, a major US city, and work for the UN. Projects include election campaigns and analysis (including the largest political research project ever undertaken in the world - a 500-strong team working for over a year on a budget of £20m), together with political lobbying and democratic reform.

It was formed in 1993 as an agency that did not rely on creativity (such as advertising) for results, but on proven scientific method. 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 electioneering, resolution of wars and civil strife, strike aversion, international crises and riot control.

BEHAVIOURAL DYNAMICS

By rigidly applying the methodologies from the Behavioural Dynamics Institute (BDi) to international communication campaigns, SCL has grown to become the leading provider of strategic communication solutions to governments worldwide.

Strategic Communication Laboratories, using Behavioural Dynamics Institute (BDi) methodology, provides products and services relating to Information Operations and Strategic Communications. This includes installation of custom-designed facilities, unit training programmes and mobile operational facilities (such as battlefield transmitters and IO consultancy).

Information Operations is a complex subject and acts as a group heading for a number of related disciplines, but the products fall roughly into four categories:

Infrastructure
This covers all of the hardware requirements that enable the research and message dissemination to occur. For example, a small media-monitoring station would require satellite feeds from the international TV grid and some sophisticated digital recorders/loggers to process all the data. A fully fitted Command and Control Centre would incorporate TV studios and over $40m of equipment and facilities for over 200 programmers/researchers.

In specialized cases, the Opcentre building will need to be specially built. In such a case SCL would act as consultants to an external building contractor.

Training
This ranges from designing a Psyop program for a new IO unit to providing a rolling training programme for up to 250 staff, including specialised (and tailored) persuasion and propaganda courses.

Maintenance
All installations, equipment and hardware supplied by SCL will be subject to maintenance contracts that ensure the facility is kept operational and up-to-date

Consulting
SCL can often manage a one-off campaign for a specific client. Campaigns may range from homeland security and compliance issues to humanitarian and healthcare behaviour changes. In special circumstances the company will undertake political projects, especially if the sovereignty of the country is at stake, and - very occasionally - corporate campaigns.

WHAT IS DIFFERENT ABOUT STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION?

Strategic communication differs from orthodox commercial communication (such as advertising, public relations, etc.) in that it concentrates on the behavioural outcome of the communication not just nebulous concepts such as brand awareness.

For example, commercial advertising might encourage an audience to hold very favourable attitudes about a Ferrari, but that does not necessarily lead to all those with a favourable attitude buying a Ferrari. (Similarly, despite being very impressed by an advert for nappies, a childless couple won't buy Pampers.) However, if - for instance - you require a significant number of the electorate to vote for you, it is far more important to get their vote than it is for them merely to hold a favourable attitude towards you.

Broadly speaking, commercial communication is measured by attitudinal results (considering one brand better than another) and strategic communication is measured by results (votes, changes in health behaviour, troop surrenders). Strategic communication is particularly important in politics, military operations and humanitarian programmes, where the outcomes are often the difference between life and death.