Professor George Lakoff of Berkeley University says US President Donald Trump uses four main tactics to set the news agenda through his tweets. Here’s his analysis:
So can brands use similar tactics? Or would that be a formula for disaster? Today the Brand Newsroom team takes a look at what we can all learn from Trump’s Twitter.
Here are some key take-outs:
- Trump uses these tactics negatively and, while it has worked, more and more people are starting to see through it and his polls are slumping. It would not be a good way for brands to go to market.
- The repetition of message clearly works for Trump. Can you think of the New York Times without thinking of “the failing New York Times,” even though the paper isn’t failing?
- Some of Trump’s tactics amount to not taking responsibility for yourself and your actions, which is a bad tactic for brands. You’re breaking trust with the consumer.
- When it comes to a “trial balloon,” it’s a pretty common tactic for both politics and brands. Some people will view it cynically but it often works quite well.
On My Desk
- James’s recommendation was this article about the digital leadership gap.
- Nic recommended the Grizzly Labs app.
- And Sarah’s recommendation was Death to the Stock Photo.
Here are the links you might need
- George Lakoff’s website is here.
- And here’s that Ted Koppel versus Sean Hannity exchange Sarah mentioned.
- This is the disaster that was iSnack 2.0.
Have you heard the one about…
Recently Sarah and Nic were joined by Jamie Wilkinson of Cannings Purple to take a close look at the Cooper’s Brewery video PR disaster.
And here’s a discussion about the dos and don’ts of corporate video.
Like what you’ve heard?
Give us a follow on SoundCloud to get the latest episodes.
Or, you can subscribe or leave a review on iTunes.
