The Importance of Public Relations in American Politics
In many ways, a politician's success depends on their public relations team. From speeches to social media campaigns to cabinet picks to public policy, public relations, and integrated communications teams play a part in every step of the process. As of August 2024, $619 million has been spent on political advertisements on Google and Meta alone. Politics without public relations is like a press conference without talking points: chaotic, unfiltered, and potentially disastrous. Every move a politician makes is designed to build trust and manage perception: all to win votes, pass legislation, and cement their legacy.
The Power of Perception
Politicians are no longer just people running for office– they are now brands. More often than not, they represent multimillion-dollar investments by corporations and individuals. From Obama’s slogan “Yes We Can” to Whitmer’s “Fix The Damn Roads,” these slogans aren’t really about policy; they’re about catching voters’ attention, seeing their pain points, and connecting with them on a human level.
The most impactful campaigns in American history leverage every aspect of integrated communications. Specifically, Obama’s campaign for president and his online presence is considered one of the first campaigns to successfully leverage the digital space to reach voters and constituents.
In recent election cycles, the political landscape in America has only become more polarized, largely due to the increase of rhetoric being pushed on digital platforms. Language usage by candidates, those holding office, and political advertising played a large part in creating the current divide. This phenomenon only underscores the influence politicians have on the American people. In an effort to control perception, politicians and their communications teams are sacrificing safe and civil election cycles.
The Importance of Ethical Operation
As communications professionals, ethical considerations become crucial when working in a political landscape. Every statement, advertisement, and press release has the power to shape public perception, influence voter decisions, and impact policy. PR professionals have immense responsibility not just to their candidates, but to the public.
Campaigns determine messaging and talking points based on the candidate and then work to integrate this messaging into every aspect of their campaign. Once this messaging is defined, it’s integrated into every aspect of the candidate's platform, from speeches to TV appearances to social media. This makes language choices and speaking points incredibly important– not just in regards to influencing voters, but rather for maintaining an honest and fact-based message.
The tightrope between crafting compelling messaging and spreading misinformation is one that PR professionals must balance carefully. They must ensure that campaign messaging is rooted in fact and not fear. We avoid fear-based messaging and tactics. While ultimately, it’s the PR professional's job to position their candidate to win, this cannot come at the expense of the public. In our current landscape of deepfakes, increased polarization, and increased social media consumption, ethical PR is crucial to maintaining trust with the public. Political communicators must remember that their work doesn’t just impact their candidates or campaigns– it influences democracy itself.
Ana Zapata is a senior studying Advertising and Public Relations with a minor in Writing. Ana is currently serving as the Chief Operations Officer of GrandPR. This summer Ana is working as a Marketing Intern for SalesPage Technologies. She is also the current Marketing Intern for the GVSU Department of Statistics. Ana’s passions lie within research, writing, and all things DEI.