Abstract: In the current conditions of development of the market economy and democratization of government institutions there is a growing interest of political science regarding problems of cooperation between business and state. The author examines the methods and strategies used by the business actors in structuring relationship with the government authorities. The fusion of formal and informal methods in GR activity of business structures is of special interest for the modern political science due to its particular relevance for the countries with developing economy, when the communication between business and government is not regulated by legal norms. This article analyzes the application of formal and informal methods of GR based on the Lockheed Martin case study, which allows determining the correlation between the economic success of the corporation and the ability to efficiently combine formal and informal GR strategies. The scientific novelty of this work consists in describing the peculiarities of application of formal and informal GR methods in the activity of business actors. The author demonstrated the approaches towards understanding GR as a form of activity aimed at establishment of stable relations with the government authorities. Particular attention is given to examination of the informal aspects of GR, as there is no generally accepted view in the political science.