The Glover Park Group
| Company type | Private (before acquisition) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Communications consultancy, Public relations, Lobbying |
| Founded | 1 June 2001 in Washington, D.C., United States |
| Founder | Carter Eskew, Michael Feldman, Joe Lockhart, Chip Smith |
| Fate | Acquired by WPP plc in November 2011; merged into Finsbury Glover Hering in January 2021; later merged into FGS Global |
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C. , United States |
Area served | United States and international clients |
Key people | Michael Feldman (CEO), Carter Eskew (Founding Partner), Joe Lockhart (Founding Partner), Chip Smith (Founding Partner), Joel Johnson (Head of Government Relations) |
| Products | Strategic communications, lobbying, public relations, advertising, marketing, government relations, policy advising, crisis response, opinion analysis |
| Parent | WPP plc (from November 2011) |
| Website | www |
The Glover Park Group was a U.S.-based communications consultancy located in Washington, D.C.. Established in 2001 by former officials from the White House and the Democratic Party—Carter Eskew, Michael Feldman, Joe Lockhart, and Chip Smith—the firm specialized in areas such as lobbying, public relations, advertising, marketing, government relations, policy advising, crisis response, and opinion analysis. Its comprehensive strategic communications and advocacy solutions served a diverse client base including corporations, non-profit organizations, trade groups, governmental bodies, and industry coalitions.
Among its prominent clients were the National Football League, Pfizer, the United States Telecom Association, Visa, the Alliance for Climate Protection, Microsoft, the Saudi Arabian government, and Verizon Wireless.
The leadership team consisted of founding partners Eskew, Feldman (who acted as CEO), Lockhart, Smith, alongside Joel Johnson—a former White House official—who led government relations efforts. Managing directors included ex-Associated Press journalists Jennifer Loven and Nedra Pickler. Noteworthy past employees included Howard Wolfson and former White House press secretary Dee Dee Myers.
In November 2011, London-based communications conglomerate WPP plc acquired The Glover Park Group. Founding partners Eskew, Feldman, and Smith continued in leadership roles following this acquisition. Later, in January 2021, the firm combined with Finsbury and Hering Schuppener to create Finsbury Glover Hering. This entity subsequently merged with Sard Verbinnen & Co to establish the global strategic communications powerhouse FGS Global.
Public relations and communications
The company executes strategic communications initiatives for businesses, non-profits, and industry groups. It also specializes in crisis management for high-stakes clients. For example, in 2006 the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) enlisted their services to handle crisis communication amid debates over financial record tracking. In 2010, Toyota hired the firm to oversee communications during a large-scale recall affecting more than eight million vehicles due to defective accelerator pedals. In 2016, key executive Chip Smith left the company to assume a senior public affairs position at 21st Century Fox.
Advertising and marketing
The firm develops advertising campaigns spanning television, radio, print media, and digital platforms for corporate and non-profit clients alike. Among its notable digital projects was creating a website for the Alliance for Climate Protection, which collected tens of thousands of climate change and clean energy stories contributed by the public, celebrities, and business leaders.
Government affairs
Since 2005, The Glover Park Group has provided bipartisan government relations and legislative advocacy services under Joel Johnson’s leadership. Early engagements included representing the Recording Industry Association of America on anti-piracy efforts and Nextel Communications on telecommunications policy issues. The firm also worked with Sodexo in 2007 and was retained by Whole Foods Market in 2009 to lobby against Federal Trade Commission antitrust actions. Additionally, it offers advisory services to governments such as Turkey on U.S. relations in 2005; supports Taiwan’s Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in dealings with U.S. media and policymakers; and consults for Dubai’s government.
Foundation
Established in June 2001 by Michael Feldman, Carter Eskew, Joe Lockhart, and Chip Smith, the Glover Park Group derives its name from its first office location in the Glover Park area of Washington, D.C. The founding team brought significant political expertise from their roles within the Clinton administration and Al Gore’s presidential bid—Lockhart served as Clinton’s press secretary, Feldman was part of Gore’s staff, Eskew acted as Gore’s chief strategist, and Smith held the position of deputy campaign manager. Both Eskew and Lockhart also had experience in public affairs advocacy.
At its inception, the firm concentrated on delivering integrated campaign solutions to corporations, foundations, and interest groups. Early endeavors included collaborations with the political consultancy Shrum, Devine & Donilon.
Early work
Among its first assignments were prominent advertising campaigns for corporate clients. In January 2002, The Glover Park Group created a television commercial for Diageo PLC’s Smirnoff vodka brand, emphasizing responsible drinking and designated driver initiatives. The Wall Street Journal and other media outlets described this as a "landmark" event, marking the first distilled spirit advertisement on U.S. network television in decades. The following month, the firm initiated a campaign advocating for high-definition television. By May 2002, it was behind a nationwide tire safety initiative funded through a legal settlement involving Bridgestone and its affiliate Firestone.
In early 2003, Glover Park Group expanded by opening a New York office under the leadership of Howard Wolfson, formerly executive director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Throughout the early to mid-2000s, the company offered communications and consulting services that included promoting Michael Moore's documentary Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004) and supporting then-Senator Hillary Clinton’s 2006 re-election efforts.
Company expansion
In January 2005, the firm introduced a legislative affairs division headed by Joel Johnson, who previously served as senior advisor for policy and communications to Bill Clinton. During the late 2000s, the company broadened its footprint by inaugurating an office in West Hollywood in April 2008 to cater to entertainment firms, nonprofits, and labor organizations. That same year marked a diversification of political expertise with the addition of Republican strategist Kevin Madden, known for his roles in Mitt Romney’s 2008 campaign and George W. Bush’s 2004 re-election effort. By 2010, Glover Park Group further enhanced its bipartisan approach by bringing aboard notable Republican figures from the Bush administration and congressional leadership.
Criticism
The Glover Park Group encountered controversy over its anti-ethanol advocacy. The 2014 documentary Pump revealed that the firm was engaged by a coalition aiming to undermine the biofuel sector by asserting that ethanol production displaces food crops—a contention challenged by farmers who highlight distiller’s grains as a valuable livestock feed byproduct.
In 2022, during the Russo-Ukrainian conflict, attention was drawn to the company for representing the United Arab Emirates in public relations efforts at a time when the UAE faced criticism for allegedly favoring Russia.
External links
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- American companies established in 2001