Public Policy Communications in Turbulent Times: Do’s and Don’ts

Political uncertainty creates both risks and opportunities for B2B technology brands. The most effective public policy communications programs remain politically neutral while helping customers, policymakers and the media understand the implications of regulatory and policy change.

It’s going to surprise precisely none of you to hear we’re living through some pretty turbulent times politically. Governments across Europe are struggling to suppress a resurgent far right, while the UK is chewing through Prime Ministers like they’re going out of fashion (they’ve just appointed their seventh in 10 years!). State-side we’ve got our own fair share of upheaval, of course. Pretty soon this will likely go off the scale when the midterms hit (Trump’s team already seems to be priming the pump to dispute any unfavorable results). 

All this represents something of a conundrum for tech brands. Whenever there’s large-scale political upheaval, the news agenda gets completely hijacked by whatever scandal, political defenestration, or party political psychodrama is currently playing out. So why would a brand want to wade into these types of discussions? These are critical moments in the news cycle where the right blend of context and perspective are opportunities to deliver value to reporters and their audiences while being a participant in a major macro moment. 

Take Andy Burnham’s recent appointment as UK PM as a case in point. At time of writing, there was a great deal of speculation around whether Burnham would continue the UK’s positive approach to AI, or whether he would proceed more cautiously. This is just the sort of topic that many of our clients will have a compelling viewpoint on, particularly as it relates to other hot topics such as data sovereignty.

But taking on such topics isn’t always easy. How can businesses provide context around major news stories without falling into the political debate? How can they thread the needle between providing genuine insight without being seen to be partisan?

Walking a fine line: success in policy discussions

Any story or comment that contributes to a broader understanding of a policy issue is valuable in and of itself and should be shared on that basis alone. Similarly, if brands can help people better understand the outcome of a policy decision, that’s useful content and deserves to see the light of day. 

What’s essential is that you stay neutral when it comes to the associated political issues. There are, of course, obvious pitfalls and bear traps that are easy to avoid. However, we live in a world where content can be closely scrutinized and where people are quick to find fault. It’s therefore important to think carefully about messaging to ensure that there’s no possible way a reader could interpret political bias in what you’re saying. 

Building an Always-On Public Policy Communications Program

It’s also important to maximize available opportunities. Often with major political disruption there’s a cascade effect that can last many months or years. As we saw in the Andy Burnham example above, his installation as PM was just the kick-off event. There’s now going to be an ongoing ecosystem of stories impacting every element of UK policymaking right up to the end of his premiership. The same goes for the U.S. mid-term elections – the fallout from those elections will shape US politics for the remainder of the administration. 

Mapping the full ecosystem of opportunities is key to successful campaigning in this area. It can turn a one-off comment opportunity into a long-term, always-on campaign. 

Handling hot-button issues

One particular challenge is how best to handle those few super-contentious areas where it’s now all but impossible to separate the policy discussion from politics. In the US, the prime example of this type of topic is climate change. Given the highly charged political environment around this issue, are renewables companies better off staying silent?

As a communicator, I firmly believe that saying nothing isn’t the right thing to do. However, large-scale campaigns placed in top-tier media may currently serve only to draw undue fire from certain elements of the political class. Whereas five years ago a solar- or wind-farm company would be glad of a big spread in the WSJ, for example, today that coverage may be more trouble than its worth.

The best approach right now is to maintain your profile by engaging with carefully selected media, while using discretion around which channels work best. It’s a thin line to walk, with brands having to carefully pick and choose their opportunities, but fortunately not one they will have to walk forever. As we know all too well, the only constant we can be certain of is change. Today’s hot-button issue will be tomorrow’s consensus, and brands will no longer need to hide their light under a bushel. 

Thankfully, there’s still plenty of policy issues in the public square that brands can debate freely. My take is that more companies should be willing to play an active role in these debates. So long as political neutrality is maintained, they provide a rich seam of topics through which brands can educate audiences and position themselves as thought leaders. If you don’t do it, your competitors will.

For B2B technology companies, effective public policy communications are no longer optional. Brands that can explain complex policy issues while remaining politically neutral will be best placed to build credibility, influence debate and establish long-term thought leadership.