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Archive for August, 2020

Lesson 564 Winning Back Democracy

Posted in Leadership, Lessons Learned, Media Literacy, Public Affairs, Strategic Communication on August 31, 2020| 3 Comments »

Whether you are conservative or liberal no longer matters. Our American democracy is literally at stake!!

Listen carefully to the president’s words. He divides us. He uses cruelty and anger, and it usually inspires more hatred and violence. His ultimate goal is to replace America’s democracy with his unqualified cabinet and family-run monarchy… with him as the sole monarch.

Opponents to this–whether liberal, conservative, or independent–must quickly go on the offensive:

  1. Biden and other leaders of the opposition must articulate a powerful vision for America’s future, and a specific plan for how that will happen.
  2. Biden’s running mate and other supporters must very aggressively counter all cruel attacks, fear-mongering, anti-immigration comments, and white nationalist statements.
  3. Anti-Trump Republicans (some calling themselves the Lincoln Project), concerned independents, and young people wanting to unite the country, must speak out against fear-mongering rhetoric wherever it occurs.
  4. Also, journalists and patriots everywhere must learn how to recognize fake news, whether its origin is foreign or domestic, and take the lead in explaining and countering it.

Multiple bank loans and financing, foreign money laundering, repeated bankruptcies, criminal relationships, and personal greed, are all reasons why monarchs and dictatorships eventually fail. But sometimes entire societies and civilizations fall before that can happen. 

RIGHT NOW WE ONLY HAVE THIS ONE CHANCE TO SAVE THE DEMOCRACY THAT MADE OUR COUNTRY EXCEPTIONAL… AND ALL AMERICAN PATRIOTS MUST QUICKLY COME TOGETHER TO SAVE IT!  

 

 

 

 

 

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Lesson 563 You’re Fired!

Posted in Leadership, Lessons Learned, Media Literacy, Public Affairs, Strategic Communication on August 27, 2020| 1 Comment »

It wasn’t surprising to hear that the Trump Show this week is being produced by the former producer of Trump’s reality show, the Apprentice!

What ever happened to the Grand Old Party? The party of Lincoln? What a sad situation. This “conference” is simply a four-day immersion in confusing word-salad. And every supporter is reflecting the same Trump cult-inspired narrative.

Now, saving our “democracy” will fall to the Democrats… if only they will get their act together. We need to hear much more about their plans for the future, and what roles their former presidential candidates will play.

Our society has been torn apart by the social media revolution. So we must get our act together too.

  1. For the most part politics has become a series of reality show campaign rallies.
  2. Constant rants have resulted in a deluge of fake news.
  3. The news media can’t resist reporting (and thus legitimizing) daily senseless blasts.
  4. Fear-mongering has divided us, and often even inspired violence.
  5. The Web has become a weapon.
  6. Cruel attacks are now too tolerated.
  7. Lies have become commonplace, and for many they have begun to sound true.
  8. Opposing everything without providing serious solutions has become far too acceptable (Obamacare, climate change, immigration, etc.)
  9. And some got totally hooked into a cult, conspiracies, and dangerous wishful thinking.
  10. And too many have replaced personal disappointments with a blind loyalty to a demagogue.

Whether you are a conservative or liberal no longer matters… this time our American “democracy” is literally at stake!!

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Lesson 562 Marketing The New America

Posted in Integrated Marketing, Leadership, Lessons Learned, Media Literacy, Public Affairs, Strategic Communication on August 21, 2020| 1 Comment »

How can a new government organize to communicate a new America? Here is a bold way to consider. 

President Eisenhower established the United States Information Agency (USIA) during his administration. For 46 years, the United States had a rock-solid marketing and public relations organization within the government. But it was eventually eliminated as a part of a budget-cutting move.

The USIA was separate from the Department of State and other intelligence-gathering government agencies in order to communicate the “the idea of America” without partisan policy influence. It established libraries containing American books and other literary materials in major cities around the world. It distributed films, sponsored musicians and artists, provided scholars and expert speakers, and set up student exchanges. It also created the Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Fee Europe, both of which quickly became the worldwide trusted voice of unbiased news.

After the USIA was eliminated, many of its activities were moved inside the Department of State. But here it was quickly understaffed and underfunded, and the U.S. lost the most effective communication operation this country ever had. Former Defense Secretary, Robert Gates, in his recent book Exercise of Power, complains that the U.S. still fails to invest enough in strategic communication.

So I suggest that the next White House administration build an updated version of the USIA, adding a domestic component to its former international operation… using, of course, the most up-to-date of marketing and communication technology, strategies, and tactics.

A new and expanded USIA would be a really bold way to announce that America is back… developing brand messaging that is energizing and forward looking; working with citizen groups to solve racism and policing problems; dealing with America’s shortcomings credibly and candidly; reporting good and bad news objectively around the world; showing off our talented artists, scholars and experts; and making the case for an exciting new breed of American global leadership.

 

 

 

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Lesson 561 Beware of Drab

Posted in Leadership, Lessons Learned, Media Literacy, Planning, Public Affairs, Strategic Communication on August 18, 2020| 1 Comment »

It’s clear that Democrats will have to prove that the current president is incompetent. They got a great start on that last night. Michelle made that case, and Bernie made the best speech of his life.

But the campaign must also beware of too much drab. Looking too drab and sounding so has it’s limitations when developing a complete strategic communication initiative. And establishing the right tone can be a really tricky proposition.

In this election, Americans must also clearly see the light at the end of the tunnel. They must hear about a bold new vision for the future… and plans for how a new White House can be organized to make that a reality.

Admittedly, it’s a big communication challenge to accomplish both... make the gloom story clear, and at the same time show what the wonderful new day ahead will look like.

Maybe much of this will be accomplished by end of the week? 

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Lesson 560 Why A Powerful Presidency

Posted in Leadership, Lessons Learned, Planning, Strategic Communication on August 10, 2020| Leave a Comment »

The founding fathers had disagreements on just how powerful a president should be. The American revolution made it clear that a dictatorship was out of the question, but just how much power a president should have remained a bit unclear.

Doris Kearns Goodwin’s book, Leadership for Turbulent times, analyzes the leadership styles of Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, and Lyndon Johnson… four presidents who were uniquely suited to powerfully address the big issues of their turbulent times.

What to look for in a powerful leader:

  1. A special intellectual strength specifically suited to solving the problems of the times.
  2. An ability to find and lead projects intended to unify the nation, states, and institutions. 
  3. A longstanding commitment to public service with no intent to use the office to gain personal wealth.
  4. A track record of surrounding oneself with a team of proven experts.
  5. An ability to admit failures, apologize, and recover from them by changing course.
  6. And no history of unresolved scandalous foreign relationships, and personal behavior. 

Here’s the problem…

  1. The Electoral College was supposed to insure that competent people would prevent ill-prepared people from getting elected. Obviously, there was no way to anticipate today’s internet and social media. 
  2. The balance of power concept was never intended to allow a would-be authoritarian to refuse to cooperate with the legislature’s constitutionally defined role. 
  3. Strong leadership is usually required to solve big problems and move institutions and nations forward, but that leadership must be largely situational. “Take charge” leaders are always needed in times of crises. 

The problem in America is not whether or not the constitution supports a strong presidency. The problem is what to do when both the Electoral College and impeachment failed, and the elected president is simply not qualified to lead the nation through today’s urgent crises.  

 

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Lesson 559 A U.S. Political Nightmare

Posted in International, Leadership, Lessons Learned, Media Literacy, Strategic Communication on August 4, 2020| 2 Comments »

Public relations and advertising firms are using social media marketing tools to help politicians win in an information-cluttered and confusing world.  

The Brexit campaign in the UK was able to make it look like huge numbers of Brits wanted to leave the EU. The Trump 2016 campaign used the same tactics to win the election in the US.  And further, the Russians, Chinese, Iranians and others around the world are doing the same thing now. Politics will never be the same.

Here is how it’s done:

Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Tik Tok, Reddit and other social media platforms collect private information. This personal data identifies small pockets of forgotten and frustrated people, as well as intellectuals and wealthy people who feel they have fallen behind and deserve a better place in the world. Messages are customized for them on topics designed to stir their anger and reinforce their dissatisfaction. Advertising is also targeted directly to them using the same social media platforms. And while they are receiving personally customized messages, they are also becoming predisposed to accept an authoritarian’s solution to their discontent.

All this happens on social media platforms which the general public never sees. The public knows the issues because the news media have covered official statements and political events. But many end up surprised after votes are counted. They just can’t figure out how extreme ideas, or a would-be authoritarian, could win. Social media is how.

Unlike the dictators he so admires, our president has a lack of knowledge of his country’s history, a misunderstanding of recent world events, a serious dearth of modern management skills, a lack of planning for a second term, an inability to call upon empathy, an overwhelming concern for only himself, and virtually no ethical compass. A second term for him… would be a total nightmare for us.    

 

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