Senate passage of the American Rescue Plan over the weekend opens a learning window for companies and organizations into the art of positioning in public relations and stakeholder communications. Supporters and opponents of the legislation are wrestling to define the strength and weaknesses of this sweeping initiative before the House makes some final tweaks and sends the bill to the White House for the president’s signature this week.
Positioning in communications is essentially the rational version of branding, which is more strongly oriented toward securing emotional support and loyalty. The objective of a positioning strategy is to create a strong and lasting impression and, ultimately, adoption of an initiative. While the Rescue Plan is a complex, far-reaching systemic change that has complex implications for millions, most positioning efforts are far more mundane. From a PR perspective, you should consider how to “position” any initiative that is important to your enterprise - a new Human Resources policy, the hiring of a new executive leader, a policy change that impacts your day-to-day operations. etc.
Is the Rescue Plan a centrist compromise that a fragile Democratic majority barely passed? Is it a failure of an out-of-touch Republican Party to empathize with the struggles of American households? Is a bloated and unnecessary spending spree? Is it the most progressive domestic initiative since FDR? Frankly, all these things can be perceived to be true, depending on how well communications leaders position the legislation among various stakeholders. You can see why politics and public affairs can be frustrating to many CEOs. For leaders who rely on hard data and clear visibility to make a range of decisions, the flexible reality of politics is all about spin, a volatile cloud of smoke that can change with a meme.
Positioning an important initiative in the business world should be founded on a strategy of insights, clarity and perseverance, underpinned by five tactical imperatives:
Research - It’s important to have a baseline understanding of how your key audiences feel about the issue or initiative you’re tackling. The data will not only help you decide how to communicate, but also enable you to measure changes in opinions and behaviors as your campaign moves forward.
Messaging - Once you know how the issue is perceived and the levers that can shape opinions and acceptance, you will need specific and compelling messaging that can carry your communications effort toward the goal. Your messages should be relatable, memorable and repeatable and everyone involved needs to stick with them until ongoing research suggests the need for a course correction.
Messengers - Who you choose to position the initiative is a pivotal decision. Some new policies are best communicated by leaders at the top of the org chart; some by middle managers who are routinely identified as trusted influencers inside an enterprise. The CEO does not need to be the lead communicator for every initiative. It may be that customers are the best validators. The messengers have to be effective, as well as relevant, for the audience.
Platforms - The matrix of choices for how to position a corporate initiative has expanded over the past few years. A memo attached to an email or posted on the intranet is probably not going to get the job done if you want to operationalize a major change. This is where your initial research should be valuable. You should know where your key audiences get their information and the kinds of communication to which they respond. Memes? In-person meetings? Household mailings? Videos? Your communications plan should feature an integrated menu of evidence-based options.
Persistence - Communicate the initiative or change until research shows your audiences have embraced it - or rejected it. Again, traditional political communications are instructive. The fact that you can remember phrases like “America First” or “Build Back Better” prove the value of consistent repetition until the messaging loop has firmly taken hold. The legislation President Biden will sign this week had been known as just another stimulus package until it was intentionally recast as a rescue plan.
Positioning does not occur in a vacuum. In a public affairs or issues management environment, organized critics of an initiative will follow much the same playbook to scuttle a change they don’t like or understand. Inside an organization, it’s entirely possible that your own employees or customers will attempt to undermine an initiative that you consider mission critical. If you’re surprised by opposition to your plan, it indicates a failure to perform solid research up front.
Overall, this week’s passage of the American Rescue Plan will be more of a branding exercise, but as its specific programs are explained and implemented in the weeks ahead, step back and judge how effectively the various elements of the bill are positioned among the influencers and news and information sources in your social and professional networks. I guarantee your analysis will be valuable the next time your organization prepares to roll out a proposed change.
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