Only a few years in the past, many firms felt emboldened, if not obligated, to take clear, decisive stands on public or social coverage points, even controversial ones. Actually, throughout fraught moments, lots of their prospects, workers and different stakeholders anticipated it of them, as an illustration of excellent company citizenship.
At present? Not a lot. Whereas that period hasn’t vanished fully, taking a public stand now on almost any situation will be dangerous, and backlash or misinformation will be swift and sustained. Nowhere is that this more true than with subjects which might be thought-about “political.” And right this moment, what isn’t political?
Monitoring for Political Brandjacking
“Political positions” used to imply specific help of a candidate or situation, however in our polarized, partisan atmosphere any public stance will be interpreted as political. This consists of stuff you do in your office—DEI initiatives, vaccine clinics, voter registration drives and ERG’s can all grow to be weaponized.
I’m considering particularly of political brandjacking, the place a reputation or product is co-opted for political acquire—consider former President Donald Trump’s use of Tic Tacs as an emblem of inflation, or Vice President Kamala Harris’ assertion that she labored at McDonald’s in school. (Her opponents used this to assault her, whereas McDonald’s has remained mum.)
It doesn’t matter if that is intentional or unintended—the danger to a popularity is actual, and fact is probably not an ample protection. Even a blatantly false story that targets an organization can flip workers, buyers, enterprise companions and customers towards it earlier than it has an opportunity to reply.
A Proactive Method
Whereas it’s comprehensible when firms select to retreat into the bunker, many have tailored to this new regular by taking a tough have a look at their values and priorities to attract a tighter circle round subjects the place they need to have a public viewpoint. They usually could select a extra focused method to sharing that viewpoint than merely “shouting it from the mountain tops.”
However no matter any specific stance, it’s clear that few firms are adequately ready for the results of all of the sudden being thrust into the political highlight, notably round highly-charged points. As in lots of issues in life and PR, being ready is the perfect technique. Listed here are some issues PR execs can do to organize and shield a corporation’s popularity:
- Assess your danger profile and vulnerabilities, and be ready to defend them. It’s completely potential, even possible, that an organization takes a stance or makes enterprise choices that could possibly be solid in an unfavorable gentle. Be able to thoughtfully defend these decisions in a body favorable to their trigger.
- Pre-bunk moderately than de-bunk. Values, priorities and applications are usually not one thing to be tucked away and held till they’re wanted. Established data is a simpler weapon of protection than new data. When an organization can level to one thing it’s stated or executed previously, moderately than create one thing new, the probability of profitable hearts and minds improves.
- Develop a response framework and method, moderately than a scenario-only primarily based plan. When tensions and feelings run excessive, determination making will get delayed. Who could make choices? And of their absence who serves as proxy? What’s the prioritization framework for audiences, points and values when tensions exist? Communicators have to construct a response technique and crew that’s assured and constructed for velocity.
- Perceive stakeholder priorities. Determine the place the group has shared values that may be leaned into with a response, and perceive any factors of distinction. A disaster shouldn’t be an optimum time to attempt to change minds.
- Revisit and re-evaluate your danger profile and response framework—right this moment’s focus is political brandjacking. However this isn’t the one danger manufacturers could also be going through. In right this moment’s permacrisis atmosphere, new dangers are simply across the nook. Revisit your plans no less than twice per yr.
Most of all, it’s critically necessary to make use of peace time properly. Evaluate your approaches, and be sure that leaders are aligned with priorities. Run a simulation of a tabletop drill.
There’ll at all times be surprising crises given the present political atmosphere, and chances are high you could not foresee the most important dangers to your popularity. Corporations ignore disaster and points preparedness at their peril. As soon as you’re in somebody’s crosshairs, it could possibly be too late.
Carreen Winters is President, Company Popularity & Technique at MikeWorldWide.
