Leadership, Messaging, Views on News, public relations • January 7th, 2009

Aggressive PR is paying off

by Chris Lato

Call it ‘Mr. Burris Goes to Washington.’ The Roland Burris saga continues to play out in Washington, where he appears ready to be allowed to take over former Senator Obama’s seat after initially being denied.

Burris’ trip to DC was dismissed earlier this week as political theater, a stunt. Dismiss it all you want, but it appears to be working brilliantly. Chalk it up to the power of aggressive PR to change minds and drive action that leads to a desired outcome. He’s out in front, taking charge of the story and never shying away from the camera, while subtly supporting the notion that he is the victim of circumstances beyond his control.

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Messaging, Promotions • December 4th, 2008

When marketing gets nutty…

by Chris Lato

Sometimes, wacky ideas should just stay ideas. Just because it’s ‘original’ doesn’t necessarily make it good. For some reason, New Coke and Crystal Pepsi spring immediately to mind.

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Branding Politix, Leadership, Messaging, Views on News • December 2nd, 2008

D’oh!

by Chris Lato

You just knew some enterprising reporter would start digging this stuff up. It doesn’t make much of a difference now, but candidates and potential candidates always need to remember that any public statements, including blogs and definitely remakes said during a campaign, can always bite the speaker in the behind later.

If Hillary Clinton had no substantive foreign policy credentials nine months ago, why has Barack Obama suddenly reversed course and decided Clinton is fully qualified to become secretary of state? Read the Washington Post link for an example of how Obama is now trying to brush it all off as the press ‘having fun.’ Apparently he was let off the hook after that, because the story doesn’t offer much more on Obama’s response.

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Messaging, Views on News • November 21st, 2008

Image control vs. journalistic standards

by Chris Lato

It would be easy to bemoan the decline in journalistic standards connected to the allegations laid out in this story (although it is ‘People’ magazine we’re talking about – it ain’t the ‘New York Times’). This is really a reflection on the state of celebrity ‘journalism,’ and how money and the ‘get’ of a celebrity interview can trump standards.

Still, ‘People’ is owned by Time, Inc. – publishers of other, more reputable mainstream media products. What does that say about the organization as a whole if this story is, indeed, true?

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Leadership, Messaging, Strategic Blueprints, Views on News, wispundits • November 13th, 2008

Let the turf war begin

by Chris Lato

Interesting stuff...the first real sign that as Democrats take over the Legislature, it’s still going to be a bumpy ride.

Locking Milwaukee lawmakers out of leadership roles sends a message, suggesting that it will be a Milwaukee vs. the-rest-of-Wisconsin session as the new majority grapples with a multi-billion-dollar budget hole.  

The Assembly Speaker will be Mike Sheridan, a rep from Janesville who used to be a UAW president. Other Dem Assembly leaders come from Kaukauna and Wausau.

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Grass Roots Organization, Leadership, Messaging • November 12th, 2008

Help!

by Chris Lato

Some Republicans are looking for advice on how to rebuild the party. The focus is on infrastructure, not platform or who should lead. And this site is definitely on the right track regarding one way the party needs to rebuild after their carpet-bombing at the polls this month at the hands of Democrats.

In an example of using the web to build up the social media components of the party, organizers of this site recognize that the GOP was outgunned on the ground, and suggest the Republicans should no longer give the technological edge to the Democrats. And they’re right.

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Branding Politix, Messaging, public relations • November 7th, 2008

Robert Gibbs and the importance of PR

by Chris Lato

Is it any wonder that one of President-elect Obama’s first decisions is to appoint a press secretary? That is how important PR is to a president, and it should be just as important to you, the business leader or association executive director. This is the day-to-day face of the administration we’re talking about.

Robert Gibbs has a prior relationship with Obama, so it’s no surprise that he picked someone he is comfortable with. A right-hand man with in-the-trenches experience knows how to articulate the boss’s positions and feelings as good as anyone.

I bring this up because it is a good lesson for all businesses and organizations: PR matters. Communication matters. In a time when many businesses are looking at PR, marketing and communications as the first places to cut in the current economic climate, the opposite stance should be considered.

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Branding Politix, Leadership, Messaging, Views on News • November 5th, 2008

The day after

by Chris Lato

Well, holy cow.

I have to admit I wasn’t quite prepared for the magnitude of the losses the GOP would experience on election day. After 2006, I wondered how much lower the Republicans could go. I now have my answer.

In the days before Tuesday, I heard talk from those in the know that Republicans could at least hold onto the Assembly. Um, nope. It’s really a clean sweep for the Dems, and it is apparent now that Barack Obama’s coattails were very long indeed. It helps to have an unprecedented amount of campaign cash, but I don’t want to get into sour grapes here.

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2008 Primaries, Leadership, Messaging, Views on News • November 3rd, 2008

The curtain is falling…

by Chris Lato

What else can be said about election year 2008?

It will be interesting to see what kind of last-minute shenanigans pop up when the polls are clogged with voters. If turnout is as high as expected, the system will undoubtedly have problems.  

Polls are indicating a Barack Obama win, with the only question remaining: how big a blowout, and how long will his coattails stretch? So far that Wisconsin will have a Democratic legislature to go along with its Democratic governor?

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2008 Primaries, Leadership, Messaging • October 17th, 2008

McCain feels the pain on ‘Letterman’

by Chris Lato

Give John McCain credit for having a bit of a sense of humor, and the willingness to walk into the lion’s den when necessary.

After cancelling an appearance on David Letterman’s show to address the financial crisis – and then granting an interview to Katie Couric at the same time he was supposed to be taping Letterman – McCain has incurred the wrath of Letterman ever since.

Last night, McCain was back on the show, and the result was absolutely compelling television. You can read an account of the appearance here and (supposedly) watch the entire interview here. (It wasn’t working for me when I tried it.)

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