The Middle of the Road: Post-Election Corporate Comms

It’s been two weeks since the election results were posted. Regardless of the outcome, there’s one thing most are unanimously thankful for: clarity.? However, not so fast.? While the results were uncontested, what comes next is far from certain. Speculation abounds.

Does the previous Trump administration provide clues about the next four years? Is a dramatically different path ahead??

Last week, we held a closed-door meeting with communications leaders from some of the nation’s top consumer goods, technology, healthcare, financial services, retail and manufacturing companies to hear how they’re preparing communications strategies for the new administration. One sentiment that rose to the top: hone your nimble thinking skills. Right now, communicators are guiding their companies and leadership down the middle of the road, knowing they want to stay the course and be highly adaptive to the turns ahead.?

What does the middle of the road look like?

Watching and Waiting

Universally, communications leaders plan on taking a highly observational stance in the weeks ahead to see how the new administration's appointments and policies unfold. While there’s media bluster about what will be, there’s danger in getting out in front of your skis. It’s easy to make assumptions about how fast things are moving, particularly in areas such as healthcare and offshore manufacturing. In reality, these comms leaders caution government actions might not be as solidified as some perceive. Now’s the time to stand back and process.

Principled Neutrality

On university campuses this past spring, presidents spoke of “principled neutrality” as a social issues approach. It found them publicly reinforcing their institution’s core values, and stepping back from taking positions on issues not directly related to them. Communications leaders are taking a similar path. They’re doubling down on the facts and holding steady.? CEOs are standing down. Most would prefer to keep their company out of the administration’s daily verbal discourse, regardless if that is ultimately good commentary or bad. No news is good news.

From Crisis to Risk Management

While organizations have been concerned with managing a “permacrisis” the past couple of years, constantly reacting to immediate events, the pendulum is swinging more fully toward risk management, identifying and mitigating potential problems through structured planning.? Most senior communicators are now actively involved in scenario planning looking at situations that range from potential stiff tariffs, supply chain and the impact of immigration policies on some workers to health policies that might change food consumption.? Communications leaders are mobilizing cross-functional teams to hash out planning in advance of the inauguration.

?Multichannel Mindset

One learning reinforced by the election campaign is that opinion is being moved via an information ecosystem. There’s no singular media truth. Constituents are increasingly comfortable piecing together “their truth” through a composite of platforms. They often seek what conforms to their beliefs. They accept media bias. What they increasingly value is authentic conversation that allows for interpretation. Podcasts are powerful in this regard. ?As communicators look at their own brand strategies, they’re taking a deeper dive at how to best access those they need to reach. Multi touchpoints have never been more important.

No doubt these are early days. Where things are headed, few know. But, for those leading communications at those companies that drive industry agenda, the best place to be now is in the middle lane. ??