PR Lessons from Trump’s Inaugural Address

25 Jan PR Lessons from Trump’s Inaugural Address

By Joe McLeod

President Donald Trump delivered a sixteen-minute Inaugural Address on Friday that stoked the emotions of viewers throughout the country and across the world. Supporters celebrated the new president’s repeated call to “make American great again.” Opponents – including millions of women who protested the day after – shuddered at the notion of what his agenda potentially looks like.

Did the 45th president deliver a rousing Jacksonian-style speech that condemned the abuse of government power while promising to return more control to the people? Or, did he foreshadow a bitter and divisive four years ahead, threatening to marginalize a significant portion of the population? The answer to both questions is yes.

Even before the roughly 1,500–word speech ended, nearly everyone with a political opinion began commenting on Trump’s message. Some described his words as dark and divisive while others viewed the speech as optimistic and a call for the country to come together.

Politics aside, the lesson here for PR professionals is that audiences can hear the same message yet draw different and sometimes competing conclusions. Words are viewed through worldviews.Words used in Trump’s speech, such as rulers, wealth and establishment, carried connotations that translated into broader meanings. Many perceived Trump’s pledge to “put America first” as a promise to fight for the working class. Others expressed concern argued that the new president’s language choices signaled a call for post-World War I American isolationism.

The idea that communicators can craft a singular message that will be clear and accepted by a diverse segment of the population is unrealistic, especially in a politically charged environment. As PR professionals, we can put the companies and clients we represent in a stronger position if we understand the spectrum of public opinion, identify the range of audiences, and learn the values, beliefs and attitudes of those listening to the message. Borrowing from Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Successful People, “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.”

This does not mean we should become paralyzed by the possibility of misinterpretation nor allow the expectations of safe language and political correctness to dilute a potentially powerful, effective message. But it means we can’t ignore the reality that people often hear what they believe – regardless of what is said. It’s critical that PR practitioners acknowledge this challenge while remaining patient and diligent when trying to connect with a broad audience.

Joe McLeod is the managing partner of McLeod Communications.