Research and strategic communications
Your research team.
Concentric is the research team for firms and organizations that don’t have one, and for the ones that do but need more capacity or more veteran expertise.
Who we work for
You don’t have a research team.
Lobbying, crisis, and public affairs firms, trade associations, advocacy groups, and companies that need research but don’t keep a research desk. We become it.
Your team needs more capacity.
You have researchers and they’re already full. We take the project or the overflow, and work to your standards and your deadlines.
The work needs a veteran.
Some problems call for someone who has done this for more than 25 years. Bring us in for the tough part that has to be done right.
When we work behind the scenes for another firm, your client stays your client. We work under your brand, on your timeline, and under NDA.
Practice
The practice is built on opposition research and public records. We conduct records and FOIA work across federal, state, local, and foreign jurisdictions; map ownership, funding, and governance relationships among companies, nonprofits, and advocacy organizations; and analyze campaign finance and lobbying disclosures.
Clients rely on us to identify what an adversary, a partner, or a regulator will find, and to develop those findings into narratives, messaging, and communications strategy for legislative campaigns, litigation, activist pressure, and reputational risk.
Most of what we do is confidential, and much of it is sensitive. We don’t publish a client list, and we don’t talk about who we work for.
“You hope that you’re not on the other side when Geoff Embler gets on your case.”
Capabilities
Opposition research and competitive intelligence
Public records and FOIA: federal, state, local, foreign
Corporate and nonprofit network mapping
Campaign finance and lobbying disclosure analysis
Open-source intelligence and digital footprint review
Due diligence and executive vetting
Vulnerability analysis and self-research
Narrative development and message architecture
Message testing
Stakeholder mapping and coalition strategy
Rapid response and crisis communications
Earned media strategy, offensive and defensive
Digital advocacy and campaign execution
Content production and owned-channel development
ABOUT
Geoff Embler, founder
Geoff founded Concentric Public Affairs, a research and strategic communications firm serving corporations, trade associations, and advocacy organizations. He has spent more than 25 years in politics and public affairs, most of it in Washington. When you hire Concentric, he is the one involved in all of the work.
CAPITOL HILL
Geoff served as director of legislative research for a House leader, where he built the research operation supporting leadership’s communications strategy on legislation. At a national party committee, he was director of special projects and built a first-of-its-kind strategic communications operation. He also served as communications director to a member of elected House leadership and as press secretary for a House leadership organization, a U.S. senator, and a member of Congress.
CAMPAIGNS
Communications director for a winning 2004 U.S. Senate campaign, press secretary for a winning 2002 gubernatorial campaign, and campaign manager for a winning state Senate race. He began his career as a research analyst at a national party committee.
Geoff writes about opposition research, public records, and FOIA on the blog and on LinkedIn. He is based in Sacramento and works regularly in Washington, DC.
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Lobbying Trends
Who’s lobbying, what they’re spending, and which issues and bills are drawing the money. Built from the public disclosure filings, every Tuesday morning.
DC: Federal filings under the Lobbying Disclosure Act
Sacramento: California lobbying reports from CAL-ACCESS
Bring us a problem.
The easiest first step is a short, confidential call. If it’s something we can help with, we’ll say so. If it isn’t, we’ll say that too.