Today marks one week since Election Day. While it’s interesting to look back and try to understand what happened and why, our main focus must be on the road ahead and the role of executive thought leadership in a post-election world.
Understanding who the gatekeepers are
For the first part of my career, companies relied on traditional media as the “gatekeepers” of information. Unless you were paying for advertising or direct marketing there was no other meaningful way to reach a mass audience. In the mid-90s, a story on a network morning show or in a major daily newspaper could change a business’ fortune (for better or worse).
Over the last two decades, the landscape of influencers and opinion leaders has changed. It started with citizen journalism enabled by social media and gave way to influencers. Company CEOs also began to understand the opportunity – and responsibility – to speak out on the issues that matter to their employees and customers.
Finding your voice in a changing dialogue
The Millennial Generation was arguably the first to truly demand to know more about whom they were doing business with, both as consumers and employees. They had the digital tools to force companies to take a position in a way prior generations did not.
The political winds, of course, change what organizations will and will not say. Over the last two administrations, we’ve seen companies navigate societal topics ranging from immigration and COVID-19 to LGBTQIA+ rights and DEI. While many companies were appropriately making boldly inclusive statements between 2020 and 2023, for some the tone shifted to one grounded in caution in 2024. For example, a number of companies stopped talking about diversity and equity and only addressed inclusion in their thought leadership.
With the election behind us, regardless of who earned our votes, we must consider how we communicate in this new environment. Many believe the Trump administration and its policies will drive growth in the business sector. Your constituents, whether they have faith in the government or not, will be looking to your executives for leadership. Now is the time to hone your voice and make a plan for what the next four years will mean for your organization’s communications strategy.
Knowing your audience … and where they are/aren’t
While Donald Trump won the Oval Office with 74+ million votes, there are 71+ million Americans who voted for Kamala Harris. It will be critical in the weeks and months ahead to understand your audience and continue to earn their trust and confidence.
This past election cycle, we also experienced the power of podcasts, content creators and live-streaming services. The media business is not dead; it’s constantly evolving. We’ve been saying for years that you cannot be dependent on any one channel, including earned editorial. Are you optimizing your channel mix to reach your targets?
We stand ready to help you meet this moment. Please reach out to set up a time to discuss your path forward.