The plan was to publish an analysis of what we could learn from both US presidential candidates’ campaigns. In my mind, Hillary had already won, and I was working towards an easy-to-read top five of communications dos and don’ts based on what the candidates had done well and where they had fallen short.
Things turned out a little differently.
Like many people around me, I was shocked by the storm that gripped the American media over recent months. I followed the election through US Twitter feeds, television and newspapers. While on holiday in the United States last summer, I spoke with both Trump and Clinton supporters. I do not fully understand it yet, but I do acknowledge the result.
Building walls and bridges
In the most positive sense, people have made their voices heard. They are being listened to, and it is clear that many are unhappy with politics as it stands. Yet the mass protests show that many others disagree. Trump’s populism and Clinton’s poorly considered responses have left a deep divide in American society. It is now Trump’s task to build bridges as well as walls — literally, too.
I am not here to resolve that social question, although I am happy to discuss it in a personal capacity as an amateur political scientist, sociologist, football analyst, restaurant reviewer and film critic. As a PR consultant, the question that interests me most is how this election will affect our profession.
After such an ugly mud-slinging contest, it is difficult to know where to begin. How do we counter the idea that loud, simplistic messaging can be a successful communications strategy? Trump attracted millions of supporters that way and won the world’s most powerful office. In business, too, we see discount brands that shout loudly and seem to benefit. What, then, is the added value of a nuanced story with substance and evidence that also connects with ordinary people?
Trump light
For me, the first answer is the sustainability of your strategy. You cannot keep shouting forever, and people eventually get tired of it. Eighty-six per cent of Americans reportedly found the election campaign disgusting. In the Netherlands, audiences also tire of being shouted at. A repetitive, simplistic radio advertisement provoked such irritation last year that STER intervened. Trump appears to understand this, presenting himself much more moderately just one day after the election.
The same applies to business communication. Shouting may have a stronger short-term impact, but a complete story with evidence and a considered vision provides a basis for long-term communication. It creates a framework for compelling content and visuals.
Ideally, different communications activities become fragments of a larger, coherent whole: your story. It should be a story your audience feels comfortable enough with to take the desired action. Ideally, their experience then confirms that choice, allowing your message to spread naturally through their social circles, online and offline.
Working at a Benelux PR agency such as Progress Communications has advantages. We rarely deal with companies that believe only in shouting. Our clients, many of them technology businesses, understand that succeeding in a competitive market requires more than repeatedly talking about themselves. Increasingly, they ask us to help involve the outside world in their communication through user stories, influencer relationships, research and review programmes. The organisation behind a message no longer automatically plays the leading role in effective communication.
An authentic story
This sector also offers a wealth of stories. The best innovations often emerge from genuine curiosity, experimentation and beta testing. Behind them are committed technology enthusiasts with infectious enthusiasm. Our job is to turn that into stories that resonate.
We start by developing a shared understanding of the business and identifying its authentic story. That story then becomes a communications strategy, which might include creative event concepts from our sister agency Eventive.
Even in technology, you sometimes encounter a “Trump”: a competitor focused entirely on themselves or offering a simplistic story. If you are an innovative entrepreneur in a fiercely competitive market and feel drowned out, take one lesson from Trump: challenge the dominance of the established order. We would be happy to explore a different approach built on substance. We love doing that — and that is something I could shout about all day.
Ruud
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