Framework for Making Business Announcements During Election Season

Election Day is two months away, and with Labor Day weekend behind us, campaign season has officially kicked into high gear. Americans who have tuned out the election cycle thus far will find it impossible to do so over the next few weeks.?

Control of the White House and Congress is a coin toss, next week features a high-stakes presidential debate, and voting will begin in some states this month:??

• Absentee ballots go out tomorrow, September 6th, in North Carolina.?
• Early voting begins on September 16th in Pennsylvania, September 20th in Minnesota and Virginia, September 21st in Vermont, and September 26th in Illinois.??

It is critical for companies to recognize that all communications – internal and external – will be viewed through the lens of an election-related news cycle, and they will need to exercise a great deal of caution throughout the fall.???

Even announcements that would be considered run-of-the-mill business communications – from opening a new plant or office location, to issuing an earnings report, to announcing a new initiative or partnership, to making changes to internal policies – will be subject to becoming part of the political conversation.??

As a result, all communications should be reviewed with these questions in mind:?

1. Is there a clear reason for the timing of the announcement???
2. Does the announcement include a clear business case for the news or action being shared????
3. Will the announcement be perceived as boosting a particular candidate or party???
4. Will the announcement help or harm our company’s relationship with a particular candidate or party, should they win???
5. Could a particular candidate or party use this announcement to attack our company or industry???

As part of any announcement strategy in this heightened political environment, a key component will be engaging internally to ensure employees understand the reasoning and potential impact of the announcement before learning about it from an outside source.?

From now until Election Day, there will be no shortage of hyperbolic statements from campaigns that tempt, and may even warrant, a response. However, this is a season where pragmatism pays dividends, and it is critical that your team has a plan in place to work in unison through these heated final two months.???

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