How to Adjust Your Media Strategy in an Era of Uncertain Disruption

Adapting Brand Strategy to a Fast-Changing Political Landscape

The first 100 days of a President’s term are often the most productive, and President Trump is certainly putting this adage to work. He is wasting no time implementing his vision for the US government, signing 37 executive orders in his first week. With such fast action out of Washington, it begs the question: how do business leaders communicate with key stakeholders and align on a proactive reputational hygiene during this breakneck pace of change?

The key is to be nimble and agile, and this is only possible when you have a clear understanding of the 3 key things: what are the core values of the brand and our leaders, what are the issues that stand to have the most impact on the business, and what are the key narratives we need to consistently communicate to ensure stakeholders are clear on the mission and purpose not matter what’s happening externally.

But before you can set out to establish those key tenets, you must understand the new reality in which your brand and your customers now live.

New World of Media

This ferociously fast-paced news cycle, both in Washington and globally, has left business leaders navigating uncharted waters as they balance the expectations of both internal and external stakeholders. Adding to this complexity, we are witnessing a historic transformation of the media landscape as consumers continue to adopt new ways to engage with media, news, and brands.

Most Americans no longer turn on the TV or pick up their favorite newspaper to gather the latest news; instead, they turn to their digital devices. According to the Pew Research Center, a large majority of U.S. adults (86%) say they at least sometimes get their news from a smartphone, computer, or tablet, while about 57% do so often.

With the rise of devices comes increased engagement on social media, with about 54% of U.S. adults getting news from social media platforms at least sometimes. Both the ongoing fast-paced news cycle and fractured media channels create new obstacles for brands looking to engage with key brand audiences.

Public Sentiment: Business Optimism and Media Engagement Trends

Despite this evolving media landscape and pockets of uncertainty as President Trump quickly acts to put his administration in place, overall optimism is alive and well, especially within the business community. According to PwC’s 28th Annual Global CEO Survey, almost 60% of CEOs expect global growth to increase over the next 12 months, up from 38% last year and 18% two years ago.

The tech industry has also shown great optimism in Trump’s policies, especially regarding deregulation and innovation. The Trump administration has been working closely with venture capital and big tech companies to shape AI policy, favoring fewer regulations. This approach has been welcomed by many in the tech industry who say it will foster innovation and allow the US to maintain a competitive edge globally.

Despite the optimism felt by many business leaders, Gallup reports that US employee engagement is at a 10-year low. There are many reasons for this, including a lack of clarity on expectations and an inability to see a growth path within an organization. However, actively disengaged employees now make up 17% of the workforce.

At first glance, this could feel like a problem for HR to solve, but it’s really a core business problem that impacts productivity and brand reputation. Sprout Social says, “employee-shared content receives 8 times more engagement than content shared through brand channels.” So, think of all that potential engagement with present and future customers being left on the roadside simply because employees lack clarity on the brand mission and values.

Power of Proactive Reputational Hygiene 

So, we now know the challenges brought on in this new media ecosystem, and internally organizations are holding polarized views on the state of the economy and political environment. What can brands do to better guide their brand and leadership narratives.

Predicting what will exactly drive a news cycle is impossible, but proactive reputational hygiene helps brands decide when and how to engage in the conversation. A values-aligned brand identifies how its values intersect with crucial issues, signaling to stakeholders when a voice is warranted and expected, and just as importantly, recognizes when a response is not appropriate.

First and foremost, brand leaders need to look inward, not only at themselves as leaders but also at what they are trying to accomplish as a collective. By clarifying the values that matter most to your brand, you begin to remove a lot of the clutter and noise that is preventing you as brand leaders from connecting with the audiences you need to reach at this crucial point in time.

Once leadership establishes and clarifies its brand’s mission, it becomes easier to identify which issues most impact their customers and employees. This clarity will guide decisions on when and when not to engage in conversations. It will also signal to employees which issues matter most to their brand leaders and when to expect external participation in the conversation.

Steps to Effective Brand Communications in a Rapid News Cycle 

Here are the steps to take to ensure your brand is communicating about the right issue at the right time:

1. Reengage the core of the brand – Leadership teams should crystallize what matters most in achieving the company’s mission and the values they need to coalesce all employees around to achieve the higher goals of meeting customer expectations.
2. Find your audience – Identifying your target audience is now only one leg of the journey. You need to not only understand who your target audience is, but also where they live and engage with the media.
3. Identify the issues – Once brand and leadership values are reaffirmed, identify the issues that have the highest potential for impact, both positive and negative. For example, does a renegotiation of trade terms with Canada and/or Mexico allow for your brand to experience a more level playing field with competitors, or do high tariffs create a more costly environment to innovate due to higher-priced hardware?
4. Actively listen – We can never predict the next news cycle, but we can determine the type of conversations we want to engage. Use data & analytics research to inform brand leaders on the sentiment surrounding the issues that matter most to your brand’s mission and values. This will guide the best time to join the conversation and lessen the risk of misinformation and misrepresentation.
5. Be adaptive – Thought leadership narratives need to be nimble so they can guide authentic rapid responses when needed.
6. Be transparent – Be clear on the ‘why’. Both internal and external stakeholders need to understand not only your point of view on the said issue, but also why it was imperative to share a perspective from a leadership or brand perspective at this given moment.

Reputation Management in an Era of Constant Change

As the Trump administration continues its rapid-fire approach to its first 100 days back in the White House, brands can be empowered through a proactive approach to issues-based decision making, instilling confidence in all stakeholders through an informed and prompt decision-making process on when and when not to engage with the conversation.

Ready to navigate the complexities of a breakneck news cycle in this era of uncertain disruption? Our expert media strategy team is here to ensure your brand stays ahead of the curve.

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