It’s clear that the stalled state of the economy has been dragging President Obama’s popularity down. Although his approval rating rose 8 points in May after announcing the death of Osama Bin Laden, Obama’s ratings have been steadily dropping since. In June, a Harris Interactive poll found that over half of Americans (52%) would be unlikely to vote for Obama if the election were to be held then.
Thus, we went to some communicators with considerable political experience to get their take on what PR strategies can be implemented when a leader, or organization, is up against a seemingly immovable force.
â–¶ Richard Levick, president and CEO of Levick Communications:
• Take action. Seek first to understand the issues at the heart of constituent concerns and then be seen solving the problem.
• Assert control online. Take over the narrative playing out on digital and social media—don’t play defense. Anticipate attacks, then take ownership of your vulnerabilities via SEO and SEM strategies that position your messages above others’.
• Don’t be afraid to bring adversaries or critics into the fold. Often, it’s harder to talk your way out of a jam than it is to listen your way out. Constituents want their leaders to care about their opinions. One-way communication doesn’t get you there.
â–¶ Kent Jarrell, executive VP at APCO Worldwide:
• Conduct research and analysis. You need to understand the causes of the drop in popularity, what causes you can do something about, and what causes are out of your control.
• Acknowledge what you can’t change. Mistakes have been made, so explain what you are going to concentrate on going forward.
• Keep your eye on the calendar. Make sure you peak at the right moments. In politics, that’s just prior to elections. In business, there are other important event markers, like quarterly results, annual meetings, etc.
â–¶ Ned Barnett, president, Barnett Marketing Communications:
• Identify the issue or issues most important to the decision-makers—if it’s for a product or service, target customers and potential customers.
• Identify actions that will strengthen the core issue or avoid detracting from this core issue.
• Take actions which will have an immediate impact on the issues the audience cares about.
CONTACT:
Richard Levick, [email protected]; Kent Jarrell, [email protected]; Ned Barnett, [email protected].