Standing out in the crowd: How unique are the lobbying patterns of the broadcast and wireless industries?

• Are corporations trying to change lobbying strategies in order to gain favorable policy outcomes?
• Study analyzes a data set of lobbying expenditures for the broadcast and wireless industries.
• Similar strategies still occur, but efforts are being made to distinguish lobbying activities.
• Areas of differentiation include policy focus, venue, and internal versus external lobbying.

This study examines if, in addition to increasing lobbying expenditure amounts, corporations in the broadcast and wireless industries are also attempting to change lobbying strategies in order to gain competitive advantage. This study examines possible changes in lobbying strategies though the lens of institutional isomorphism, a mechanism of institutional theory. Using institutional isomorphism, the study examines if the broadcast and wireless industries have altered lobbying strategies in the face of competition. This examination is conducted through the construction and analysis of an original data set of lobbying expenditures for the broadcast and wireless industries from 1998 to 2012.