Walking the PR tightrope in a volatile political climate

An election often brings optimum exposure for brands. If you’re interested in voicing an opinion to bring awareness to your organization, consider these tips before diving in.

Ragan Insider Premium Content
Ragan Insider Content

Public relations and politics often go hand in hand.

Are you feelin’ the Bern or rooting for Hillary? How do you feel about Donald Trump?

If you’re a high-level executive, it might not be wise to disclose your views. Though you may have the urge to weigh in on an election, you should carefully consider whether your partisan remarks are relevant to your message and whether there’s a chance they could backfire.

If you follow the popular Humans of New York Facebook page, you may have seen creator Brandon Stanton’s post, An Open Letter to Donald Trump, in which he says he struggled whether to use his blog (which has 17.4 million “likes”) to make a bold political statement.

“I didn’t want to risk any personal goodwill by appearing to take sides in a contentious election,” he states.

He concluded that speaking out against Trump was “no longer a political decision. It is a moral one.”

To read the full story, log in.
Become a Ragan Insider member to read this article and all other archived content.
Sign up today

Already a member? Log in here.
Learn more about Ragan Insider.