What the Presidential Election Means for the Communications Industry

A Report from the Curley Company Media Center of Excellence by Pheniece Jones and Ashley Stoney

This year has seen the global ripple effect of elections in different countries and now, all eyes are on the U.S. presidential election. The historic election season has been ripe with unexpected candidate and leadership changes, viral memes and unprecedented candidate engagement with non-traditional media. As we approach November 5, we share what we’ve learned and offer considerations to prepare for any outcome.

Election Media Coverage Trends: How We Got Here

• Legacy Media Has Been Eclipsed by Influencers: For the past few months, political candidates have engaged influencers to help champion their campaigns and reach a younger voting audience. For the first time, influencers were credentialed, like journalists, for political conventions. Creators developed onstage and behind the scenes snackable content that was shared across their social platforms, in real time. Social media content creators are doing what they do best: reaching their audiences in authentic ways on their platforms. The traditional legacy media as gatekeepers of access to politicians has become a thing of the past.
• Podcasts Lead the Way: Presidential candidates turned to the nation’s most popular podcasts to reach audiences in a relatable way. Harris shook things up by appearing on the massively popular podcast, Call Your Daddy (whose host Alex Cooper signed a groundbreaking deal with SiriusXM this year worth $125 million). Trump sat down with the #1 podcast hosted by Joe Rogan (who renewed his Spotify contract for $250 million.)

Why It Matters: The landscape forces us to consider: How do you navigate this world where the gatekeepers of information are not the traditional journalists? We are now counseling our clients to think in terms of “legacy” + (plus) as our strategy: legacy media isn’t the only game in town. These top influencers and podcasters have audiences as big as, if not bigger than, many legacy outlets. As younger people access more of their news from social media platforms like TikTok and Reddit, as well as the aforementioned podcasts, a smart media strategy absolutely must consider these outlets as part of a surround sound approach to cut through the noise.

The World Will Look Different After November 5 – But the Election Media Cycle Doesn’t End Then

Polls continue to show a toss-up between the two candidates, and regardless of outcome, we will have a new administration come January. However, the next media cycle could be rife with uncertainty if results of the election are delayed or contested. This all signals that the election cycle doesn’t end after voting day.

What This Means: At our recent event with Eleanor Hawkins, Axios writer and author of the weekly Axios Communicators newsletter, she shared that the uncertainty around the election outcome is a blind spot for many organizations that may be caught flat-footed about how, when, and what to communicate to their core audiences. Media coverage in November is likely to be influenced by anticipated delays in election results. Media outreach that isn’t critical to your organization’s goals or tied to set milestones already calendared should wait. You can also re-visit your media strategy to make sure your outreach is appropriately calibrated to your core audiences and what you want to say to them about potential policy changes that can impact your industry.

Our Thought Bubble: Prepare now for if and how your organization will respond – in media or other communications channels – if the election outcome is unclear or leads to misinformation and unrest.

• Start with Stakeholders: Consider how your target audiences – employees, customers, partners, regulators – are impacted by the uncertainty, their perspective and how it affects their relationship with your brand. Start inside out – McDonald’s recent internal communications about Donald Trump serving fries at a local Pennsylvania franchise drive-through was a masterclass in navigating a political environment with a focus on brand values. How would you clarify your mission and values if employees, customers or others called on you to join a polarized conversation?
• Focus on Authenticity and Your Credibility on the Topic: Weigh in where you have a unique point of view and something to add. Where is your company seen as an expert and resource, and where should you focus on your business or mission and leave expert commentary to others? Lead with words only where you will follow with action.
• Be Consistent and Consider the Precedent: Has your company weighed in on past elections? Did you comment after the January 6 events at the Capitol? Consider consistency with past external communications and set a realistic standard you can maintain moving forward.

As the media landscape changes every day and the candidates continue their media blitz, we’re tracking new developments as they pop up day-by-day in the final push ahead of Election Day. Stay tuned for the next digest from our team!

About News You Can Use: News You Can Use is a quarterly insights and trend report produced by Curley Company.