Obama & Reagan: the master messengers
As a media relations pro with more years than I care to admit in this business, I find the way President Obama approaches messaging to be very interesting.
He follows a strategy that—ironically—President Reagan perfected in the 1980s. President Reagan’s approach was slightly counterintuitive and contrary to the media relations axiom that demands credible third-party endorsement of a message.
During President Reagan’s two terms, when an issue wasn’t positioned the way he wanted, he simply circumvented the entire communications channel. Whether it was the media’s take on the issue, or that it was bungled by his congressional allies and then skewered by his political enemies, President Reagan would simply go straight to the American people with his message. The result was often a seismic shift in poll numbers in favor of the President.
President Obama has pursued the same strategy, with similar results and a new millennium twist. Regardless of the issue—health care, the economy, or the War on Terrorism—the President uses the nearly endless channels of media that are at his disposal to take his message straight to all of us.
It is not that Presidents Obama and Reagan are the only Oval Office tenants to pursue this strategy; they just perfected it.
While none of our clients has access to the same platform as the President of the United States, it is fascinating to watch and learn from a master messenger at work, regardless of your political stripe.
He follows a strategy that—ironically—President Reagan perfected in the 1980s. President Reagan’s approach was slightly counterintuitive and contrary to the media relations axiom that demands credible third-party endorsement of a message.
During President Reagan’s two terms, when an issue wasn’t positioned the way he wanted, he simply circumvented the entire communications channel. Whether it was the media’s take on the issue, or that it was bungled by his congressional allies and then skewered by his political enemies, President Reagan would simply go straight to the American people with his message. The result was often a seismic shift in poll numbers in favor of the President.
President Obama has pursued the same strategy, with similar results and a new millennium twist. Regardless of the issue—health care, the economy, or the War on Terrorism—the President uses the nearly endless channels of media that are at his disposal to take his message straight to all of us.
It is not that Presidents Obama and Reagan are the only Oval Office tenants to pursue this strategy; they just perfected it.
While none of our clients has access to the same platform as the President of the United States, it is fascinating to watch and learn from a master messenger at work, regardless of your political stripe.
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