Polite manners always win, this author says.
But, unfortunately, Hager and Burton wrote the reality-shown book, depicting the greedy, unruled and creepy style (the real one)PR companies use to unfold to "manage" the citizens will.
Don't waste your time with Denise Deegan (a toxic GM cheeseburger), plainly read the Hager and Burton book (a much healtier tofu and sushi with garlic and raisins appetizer).
After 12 years of leading activism to preserve Fire Island subantarctic rainforests against a U.S.A. logging company, believe me a bit: activists life is far darker and tougher than PR use to publish as Mrs. Deegan did.

4 of 5 found the following review helpful:


There's Got To Be More Out There  Sep 01, 2003 By Edward M. Melendez
While Managing Activism is a pretty good read from a professional standpoint, I have to admit that I was slightly disappointed that Denise Deegan's (sp?) book wasn't quite the how-to manual of dirty tricks used by corporations and their hired public relations people against activist groups. I think there must be some other books for that. While this book definitely had some clever approaches to dealing with activist pressure, it was a fairly professional approach to the problems that businesses can face from dealing with activist groups and the public. For the most part, her advice was simple: run an accountable and transparent business when dealing with the public, and even if you don't win friends with some activist groups for your practices, e.g. heavy industry or animal testing, you can actually win the PR battle sometimes. Unfortunately, since it seems we are living through a time of some of the greatest corporate hubris since the robber barons, it's not surprising that most companies don't feel the need to follow these suggestions.

I was most interested in the divide and conquer techniques she suggests for activist and pressure groups. By brokering a deal with the least radical of the opposition groups, a business interest can actually marginalize the most committed groups. A lot of this type of strategy was based on the cynical premise that many activist organizations, especially the larger ones, are as committed to fundraising and membership growth as they are to their organizing issues. Like most cynical opinions, this one has a kernel of truth to it. There are plenty of organizations out there who see the pool of support and money as a finite one, and they view every other organization out there as competition. That's why I think organizations with minimal hierarchy and an equally minimal interest in fundraising are the future of activism.