CASE STUDIES
How we have helped our clients
When the going gets tough
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Case Study: VESHI – Containing Crisis at a Critical Infrastructure Project
• Challenge: A large international construction firm building a critical shore base facility faced significant reputational and regulatory jeopardy after a late-night industrial accident tragically claimed the life of a worker. With the incident occurring on a high-profile project, the client had to provide immediate, accurate answers to the government, investors, and a concerned public to prevent damaging rumours from taking hold and derailing the project.
• Solution: Our team immediately integrated with the client's emergency response structure to manage the communications workstream. The priority was to establish control over the public narrative and demonstrate responsible leadership. Our strategic actions included:
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Strategic Messaging: Crafting a precise and empathetic public response that confirmed the facts, outlined the company's immediate actions, and quelled rumours before they could escalate into public perception.
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Proactive Stakeholder Engagement: Initiating direct and transparent engagement with key government ministries and media outlets to provide verified updates, clarify the nature of the incident, and end speculation about its cause.
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Internal Communications Counsel: Advising on internal communications to ensure employees were informed correctly and sensitively, maintaining morale and preventing internal misinformation.
• Result: Through our strategic guidance, the company was able to manage a highly sensitive crisis with clarity and control. The proactive engagement with government and media successfully ended speculation and demonstrated the company's commitment to transparency and safety. This decisive action protected the project's integrity and the company's reputation with its most critical stakeholders.
Creating a national power
​Case Study: GGDMA – From a Disjointed messaging to a National Powerhouse
Challenge: The Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA), representing one of the nation’s largest workforces, faced a crisis of influence. They were consistently marginalized in critical government consultations, and their voice was drowned out by powerful regulatory and environmental lobbies. Lacking a cohesive national message and relying on ineffective print advertisements, the association was perceived as a disjointed group. This fragmentation left them without the necessary clout to advocate for their members, allowing legislation and policy to be shaped without their meaningful input.
Solution: Perception Inc. developed and executed a multi-faceted strategy to transform the GGDMA from a reactive group into a proactive, respected national leader. Our approach was designed to build a unified front and establish undeniable authority. We implemented a communications plan that included:
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Strategic Messaging: We worked with GGDMA leadership to craft a clear, powerful, and cohesive message, rebranding them as a unified, vital pillar of the Guyanese economy.
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Media & Government Relations: We shifted the association from passive advertising to an assertive media and government relations strategy, ensuring their voice was central to any national discussion on mining and policy-making.
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Grassroots Unification: We designed a communications strategy to rally miners across Guyana, culminating in our guidance for a national protest that cemented the GGDMA's authority and demonstrated their collective strength.
Result: Our strategy successfully transformed the GGDMA into a national powerhouse with undeniable influence. The association is now one of the country's most respected private sector negotiating bodies, securing tangible victories for its members, including favourable tax relief and legislative changes. No longer on the sidelines, the GGDMA now holds a permanent seat at the negotiating table and is thoroughly consulted on all issues affecting the industry. Their public voice is now on par with other major lobby groups, ensuring a balanced national conversation and protecting the interests of thousands of Guyanese miners.
When the going gets tough
​Case Study: Troy Resources – Navigating Tragedy and Protecting Social License
• Challenge: Following a tragic industrial accident at its gold mining operation, our client, a major international mining firm, faced an immediate and intense crisis. With an employee fatality, the company was confronted with overwhelming media scrutiny, government inquiries, and rising public outrage fueled by speculation. The immediate risks were catastrophic: the potential for operational shutdowns, loss of investor confidence, and irreparable damage to its social license to operate in Guyana.
• Solution: Perception PR deployed its senior crisis team to provide immediate, on-the-ground strategic counsel. Our strategy was built on the principles of transparency, accountability, and compassion. We developed and executed a multi-phase communications plan that included:
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Immediate Narrative Control: Crafting and disseminating a verified "holding statement" within the first hour to counter misinformation and establish the company as the authoritative source of information.
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Government & Media Liaison: Serving as the central point of contact for the Ministry of Labour and all media outlets, ensuring a consistent and controlled flow of information.
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Executive Counsel: Advising the CEO and senior leadership on a response that prioritized human compassion, recommending they personally engage with the grieving family and cover all related expenses. This counsel extended to advising on the tone and content of all internal and external communications.
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Public Communication: Preparing all public statements and media responses to transparently explain the incident and the company's unwavering commitment to safety and a full investigation.
• Result: Our rapid and strategic intervention successfully navigated Troy Resources through a period of extreme risk. We contained harmful speculation, ensuring the public narrative was based on facts rather than rumour. The company's transparent and empathetic approach, guided by our counsel, maintained the trust of the government and the community, allowing them to continue operations. Most importantly, we helped protect the company's long-term reputation as a responsible corporate citizen during its most challenging moment.
Navigating national legislation change
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Case Study: Demtoco – Engaging Stakeholders in a Hostile Climate
Challenge: Demerara Tobacco Company (Demtoco), Guyana’s largest cigarette distributor, faced an existential threat. The government was moving to implement some of the most restrictive anti-tobacco legislation in the Caribbean, with a full-scale ban under consideration. Compounding the threat, government agencies took a completely adversarial stance, refusing to engage in dialogue with Demtoco or even share draft legislation for review. The company was completely shut out of the process, unable to articulate its position or advocate for a balanced regulatory framework.
Solution: With direct government engagement blocked, Perception Inc. designed a public affairs strategy to ensure Demtoco’s perspective was heard in the court of public opinion, compelling policymakers to come to the table. Our strategic actions included:
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Stakeholder & Media Engagement: We bypassed the official blockade by launching a proactive campaign, utilizing press briefings and national consultation meetings to engage the media and key national stakeholders directly.
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Driving Legislative Review: By ventilating the company's concerns publicly, we generated significant pushback that pressured the government to consider crucial revisions to the proposed legislation, moving from a rigid, closed-door process to one that acknowledged industry and public feedback.
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Regulatory Transition & Education: Following the passage of the revised laws, we were retained to develop and execute a nationwide communications program to educate distributors, suppliers, and consumers on the new regulations and how to operate within the new legal framework.
Result: Our strategic intervention broke the legislative deadlock. The public affairs campaign successfully forced the government to revise its initial hardline stance, resulting in a less agressive final bill. While significant new regulations were enacted, Demtoco was able to mitigate the most extreme aspects of the proposed legislation. Furthermore, our post-legislation educational campaign was critical in ensuring a smooth transition for the entire supply chain, clarifying the new rules for business owners and consumers, and enabling Demtoco to maintain its operations within the new legal confines.