How technology is shaping the future of political influence
Jack Quinn's journey from the New York State legislature to Regeneron Pharmaceuticals reflects the evolving landscape of political persuasion. As lobbying shifts from smoke-filled rooms to social media platforms, Quinn explains how technology is democratizing advocacy while also complicating the path to legislators' ears. He sees a future where AI-powered lobbying competes with grassroots voices, leaving corporate interests and citizen advocates to navigate an increasingly crowded and complex political system.
Kate MacArthur: How will lobbying change in the next three to five years?
Jack Quinn: As technology continues to shift, it's going to flatten the opportunity to get into it. We were still using fax machines 14 years ago. And now when you think about how we do the job, it is much different. You are able to better get your message out. You no longer have to be a professional lobbyist to be able to advocate and educate. The more technology or social media you have available allows everyday people to do the work.
MacArthur: How has political persuasion evolved?
Quinn: Coalition work has become the way of the world. Nowadays, when you talk about advocacy, that involves the business community, it involves patients, patient advocates, caregivers, impacted industries like the small business community. By bringing the right voices to the table, you're always trying to convince a legislator that the policy changes you want are good for their constituents.
MacArthur: Could you briefly describe the progression of influence from directly hobnobbing with decision-makers to the current approach?
Quinn: There was a time when it was industry meeting with legislators, and they were the only voice in the room. Nowadays, there are a variety of voices in the room, and you're building out an ecosystem that involves direct advocacy, social media advocacy and a very robust communications plan.
That can include letters to the editor, op-eds, whatever it may be. But instead of it being direct, now it’s much more like an ecosystem. You’re building out a 360-degree viewpoint of how we reach this legislator or regulator to help them understand all the pressure points.
MacArthur: The key is still influencing legislators, but the path is more complex, right?
Quinn: A guy in the legislature from Staten Island had a famous quip: “If I get one letter, that's someone else's problem. But if I get a dozen letters on an issue, that's my problem.” How do you get the attention of a legislator or a regulator? It's by volume. Now it's the variety of social media and geofencing. You can put a geofence around a capital and influence advertisements within a zip code. Everywhere that person turns, they're hearing about this issue. How do you ensure that they're hearing about your issue and that your issue is being prioritized? Sometimes they have to know that people care about it.
MacArthur: Lobbying today is moving in-house at companies. What does that change?
Quinn: The job of a lobbyist is not politics. It is the business of that organization. Politics is the instrument you use to achieve those ends. Your job is to find out what the business priorities are of the company and bend the policy curve in a way that benefits those priorities. Companies want experts at the table. Contract lobbyists are great, they can get you in the door, but they are never going to know more than in the in-house folks who have access to all the information.
How do you get the attention of a legislator or a regulator? It’s by volume. …You can put a geofence around a capital and influence advertisements within a zip code.”
MacArthur: What core skills are becoming more important?
Quinn: Building trust with legislators, staff, regulators and your coalition partners. The second is storytelling. That's an area where technological advancements are only going to make it that much better. The third is partnerships. It's a combination of both the right voices, but a diverse set of voices in the room. The last one is your ability to adapt to changes in technology, political change, whatever that may be.
MacArthur: How do you navigate when technology changes become revolutionary instead of evolutionary?
Quinn: That may be the one time when you truly are reactive. GLP-1 is a great example. The change there has been overnight. Our job is to predict what's going to happen next, to see around corners, to help business prepare for policy changes on the horizon or to actively work with business to make those policy changes.
MacArthur: What is the biggest opportunity for the future for lobbying, advocacy and influence?
Quinn: The ability to reach legislators and regulators in a better way than we ever have before. The flip side is it's a democratization of communication with a legislator. How do you cut through it and make sure they're hearing your message? That's the part we're all going to have to work a little bit harder on.
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