Donald Trump is an American businessman, a reality television personality and, now, he is President of the United States.
Trump’s victory in the presidential elections means many different things for the world’s people. He may have been the subject of much controversy but he will lead one of the most powerful countries on Earth from the Oval Office. Unsurprisingly, this is top of the news agenda.
But what does Trump's win mean for PR?
We use the news agenda to tailor press releases and create timely pitches, but is there a risk of being associated with Trump? Or is his success too newsworthy not to use as a news hook?
“It’s certainly got PRs asking questions they wouldn’t have done otherwise,” said Chris Johnson, Account Manager here at BlueSky Education. “How it’s going to impact their brand, their business.”
He suggests that many people working in public relations will be looking into the potential for growth or how to overcome the problems that Trump’s election success could bring.
“Certainly it’s brought challenges, and some creative thinking, many wouldn’t have been ready for.”
Ian Hawkings, Head of Practice, warns that using Trump in story ideas might not have the desired results. He said:
“The world and his wife is going to be pitching stories tenuously linked to the US election result. It’s an opportunity to consider, but make sure you have something that actually works. Journalists are going to get very tired of Trump pitches very quickly.”
There’s agreement in the office, as Natalie Bishop, Account Executive, said that in a similar way to Brexit, a lot of stories appear to be almost entirely speculation and many will get lost in the noise as people rush to assert their own opinion.
“PR with real value lies in stories with empirical findings, like the real-life fallout effects of the election,” she said. “To help the public trust expert opinion, data must reign.”
Here at BlueSky Education, we’re hearing from some of the world’s most informed business minds that are faculty at our management schools. Their thoughts feature in the most respected publications globally and, as we pitch these ideas, we’re listening to what this might mean for PR and communications. But what do you think?
During his business career, Trump has built office towers, hotels, casinos, and golf courses. As the 45th US president, taking office on January 20, 2017, what will we see?
Let us know your thoughts on the result of the latest Presidential election.
Author: Stephanie Mullins
