That Barack Obama’s presidential campaign platform was built on the notion of change has proven to be poetic on many levels. Forget revisions—or complete redrafts—of policy (that’s a topic for another newsletter); the rules of engagement between the public and the government alone have drastically changed communications norms—namely, the way social media fits within them.
Change is happening so quickly, it’s really difficult to keep up,” says Mike Krempasky, executive vice president of digital public affairs at Edelman. “The Obama campaign was so scientific in its [communications] approach, right down to the very tactical level of measuring everything, that we have a lot more knowledge to sift through and understand in terms of new media.”
This new wealth of knowledge, coupled with the complete integration of social media into the government’s communications approach, has impacted every facet of business communications. Whether it’s the heightened level of transparency (further enforced by a more stringent regulatory environment), the availability of government data (see sidebar) or new avenues for engaging in public affairs, advocacy and lobbying efforts, communications professionals now face an opportunity for open collaboration with government agencies. If only they know what to do with it.
“There are three pieces to public policy and engagement [in the modern communications environment]: campaigning, governing and advocating,” Krempasky says, defining the latter two pieces as “the administration’s use of technology to pursue engagement” and “how organizations outside the government use social media to be more effective at driving their issues,” respectively. “They are all converging, leaning on each other and amplifying one another. Across all these activities, the key is the idea of all of them becoming far more people-driven.”
As the public continues to gain power over the processes of campaigning, governing and advocating, opportunities for all organizations to communicate with and engage their own influencers will increase accordingly. Consider the following revised “rules of engagement”—and the opportunities they create—in the context of public affairs, government relations and issues management.
â–¶ Honesty is the best medicine. Perhaps the starkest paradigm shift in the context of government and regulated industries’ engagement with stakeholders is the openness with which it takes place—at least in theory.
Consider the way changing communications norms are impacting healthcare executives. They operate in one of the most highly regulated industries imaginable, but even they aren’t immune from engaging stakeholders in the relative lawlessness of cyberspace.
“A recurring theme [in healthcare] organizations discussing social media is fear of giving up control over messages,” says Virginia Cox, senior vice president of communications at strategic initiatives at the Consumer Healthcare Products Association. “Of course, control is an illusion, anyway.”
Which is why so many executives are finally giving up that battle. “We allow the conversations to happen [in social media],” Cox says, “and we monitor them daily for inappropriate content.”
When it comes to the conflicts that arise over information that can’t be discussed, openness is still the best communications’ bet.
“You can be authentic when discussing regulated products through open conversations and being honest about limits [being] imposed,” says Marc Monseau, director of corporate communications at Johnson & Johnson. “It might be a good idea to explain why you’re not talking about X on Twitter.”
â–¶ Monitoring is the best policy for engaging online. The Web has all but replaced traditional methods of getting news and information, which means that executives should stop relying on tradition, period.
“People treat the first page of Google like the front page of the New York Times,” says Earl Whipple, senior director of business communications and digital media at AstraZeneca. “But top Google search results are sometimes driven by controversy, not accuracy.”
Because of this, monitoring online conversations is the best—if not the only—way to intercept potential crisis, advocate for/against brewing issues or influence opinions of the powers that be.
“If you’re not monitoring social media, why do it? Why enter the conversation if you’re not willing to listen?” Monseau asks. “If that’s the case, [you might as well] buy an ad.”
â–¶ Influential statements come in small packages. Twitter has emerged as a legit communications channel for everyone from the executive branch of the U.S. government to local grassroots activists.
“Twitter is really, really important. It’s as important from a political campaign perspective as e-mail,” says Clay Johnson, director of Sunlight Labs and co-founder Blue State Digital, pointing out that 80% of Obama’s campaign money was raised via e-mail. “I’m willing to go on the record in saying that, in 2012, Twitter will be a bigger fundraiser than e-mail.”
Johnson also notes that Twitter already has better click-through rates than e-mail.
“If you get an e-mail that doesn’t pertain to you, you unsubscribe,” he says. “If you see a tweet that [isn’t relevant], it’ll just get pushed down the list.”
â–¶ Ignorance is no excuse. Last, but certainly not least, is the fact that there is no reason for anyone to ignore social media as a communications tool.
“It’s time to stop making excuses like, ‘I’m not a computer person,’” Johnson says. “It’s only when we see the terrain that we can engage in the battle.” PRN
CONTACTS:
Virginia Cox, [email protected]; Mike Krempasky, [email protected]; Clay Johnson, [email protected]