This week's PR Roundup looks at the strategy surrounding President Joe Biden's primetime speech, the rise of the coconut tree meme and an increase in American excitement for the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Biden Delivers On Highly Anticipated Speech
What happened: President Biden took to the Oval Office, surrounded by family, on July 24 to deliver his first live, televised speech since announcing an end to his re-election campaign on July 21.
Many tuned in to see a more thorough explanation of the president’s decision, as well as to hear where he stood in regards to potential successor, plans for his current administration and possibly the future.
Biden covered much of this, verbalizing his support and gratitude for Vice President Kamala Harris, without making it overly political. He also took time to revere the importance of democracy and the respect for it which finalized his decision.
“Nothing, nothing can come in the way of saving our democracy,” Biden said. “And that includes personal ambition…I revere this office, but I love my country more.”
Communication takeaways: Whatever the public may think of a leader, a genuine, personal public appeal, done the right way, can sit right with the grand majority of an audience.
Ben Finzel, President, RENEWPR, found the speech to be effective because it played up to Biden’s strengths: authenticity, empathy and leadership.
"There was already a well of goodwill built up from the selfless way he bowed out of the race, and his speech…added to that by reinforcing the message that he loves his country more than serving as president,” Finzel says. “It was simple, emotional and powerful—and it was presidential. It was very well-written and achieved the goal of explaining, elaborating and elevating his leadership in a way that can only be done in an Oval Office address.”
Finzel also said the timing of the speech worked well, especially in regards to the current news cycle, and that fact that it became must-see-TV, something that has fallen to the wayside in the current streaming culture.
"The timing was smart given that it was several days after the [initial] announcement which extended and reinforced the news,” Finzel says. “A primetime address is always an event and this was no exception: it was an excellent and appropriate use of the presidential prerogative to deliver an Oval Office address. And given how short attention spans are now, the length of the speech was appropriate as well."
The Virality of the Coconut Tree
What happened: Since Harris announced her run for president, a “coconut tree” narrative has exploded on social media.
According to a coconut tree primer from NPR, the zeitgeist originates from a May 2023 Harris speech.
"My mother...would give us a hard time sometimes, and she would say to us, 'I don’t know what’s wrong with you young people. You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?'" Harris said with a laugh. "You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you."
And the coconut is not to be ignored. According to Muck Rack Trends data media mentions of “coconut tree” have increased 1303% this month compared to June 2024.
Communication takeaways: Linda Zebian, Senior Director of Communications at Muck Rack, says viral content like this can always go one of two ways—positive or negative—so it’s important to pay close attention to anything said about your brand.
"While this is a positive example of an old video reemerging and going viral, moments like this are a great reminder that online content lives indefinitely,” she says. “I imagine VP Harris' press team would have had a very different week if the video were disparaging. Another reason why it's important to tackle reputational threats when they arise, and not hope that they'll disappear into the ether."
Gabriel Gomez, a social strategy lead at Verizon, says the virality has come after months of creators utilizing the coconut tree quote with remixes, popular song overlays and combining footage from other media, so it was ripe for the moment.
“Fastforward and suddenly this community-created trend has become the face of her campaign, along with the widely popular Charli XCX album, 'brat,” Gomez says. “Her team is leveraging the digital context of what came before and after her candidacy to fuel her campaign.”
Gomez says utilizing user generated content and ideas is nothing new for brands, but when it works it works.
“This isn't a new behavior per say—as some brands have used community-created trends within their own campaigns,” he adds. “However, this specific use case with Kamala's presidential campaign shows what can happen if you go all-in on community, and speak using the language your audience knows you best by. It can create a break-through moment and reach the people you care about the most.”
Americans Ready for Olympics
What happened: In 2020, due to the global COVID pandemic and the threat to the health of athletes and those involved, the Summer Olympics had to be postponed. Normally a festive event with many spectators and viewers across the globe, the actual event took place in 2021 with somewhat of a lesser fervor because of ongoing COVID precautions, grief and stress.
So it’s no surprise that Americans are more than ready for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games, opening this weekend in Paris.
The latest Seton Hall Sports poll shows when asked if they were “more excited to watch the opening ceremony than previous ones,” 56% of “self-described” Olympic fans, 51% of sports fans and 48 percent of casual fans responded yes. This year’s Opening Ceremonies are said to feature the Eiffel Tower as a backdrop as teams are introduced aboard boats cruising down the Seine River.
The poll also shows that 59% of the general population and 75% of self-described sports fans said they planned to watch at least part of the Olympics. In comparison, for the 2021 Tokyo Summer Olympics just 49% of the general population and 65% of sports fans said they would watch—a difference of 10 points for each category.
Communication takeaways: Of course, advertising, messaging and brand awareness is always a prevalent conversation during the Games. I, myself, remember McDonald’s many “When the U.S. Wins You Win,” free food giveaways, Visa’s 2004 Kerry Strug ad, and I’ll never forget watching the Reebok Dan and Dave battle in my youth during the 1992 Summer Games.
Will Trowbridge, CEO of Saylor Agency, says marketers have a unique opportunity to leverage the immense social conversation surrounding the games to connect with new and existing fans in meaningful ways.
“The Olympics provide a unifying moment for people worldwide,” Trowbridge says. “When it comes to social strategy, focus on creating content that is authentic to your brand's voice —your Olympic interactions should feel genuine, not forced or cringe. By finding natural connections to the event, you can capitalize on trending topics to drive awareness of your brand.”
Trowbridge also noted the importance of brands reviewing the Olympic promotional guidelines, specifically Rule 40, before undergoing any strategy.
Good luck to all our olympians!
Nicole Schuman is Managing Editor at PRNEWS.