A PR Tutorial from the Trump Campaign

Arthur Solomon

Football fans might think that Donald Trump learned politics at the foot of Vince Lombardi, the famous football coach who said, “Winning isn’t everything. It’s the only thing,” a statement he later regretted, because he said it gave the wrong impression.

The countrywide demonstrations that emerged in response to statements Trump made during the primary and election campaigns show how important words are. That’s just one lesson that PR people should remember. There are also many other “not to do” and a few “to do” lessons that young PR people may have learned over the past 18 months.

Here are a few:

Have a cohesive message

Make certain that all account team members who speak to the media deliver the same message. Clinton surrogates excelled at this, but results showed it was the wrong message. Trump spokespeople were all over the verbal map and were more interested in attacking Clinton than explaining Trump’s positions. They also often had to clarify Trump’s statements, resulting in unnecessary negative media for Trump.

Also make certain all facts in press releases and during client interviews are correct. Trump and his surrogates delivered facts that were untrue. In our business, that could have a media person put you on a “do not work with list,” certainly if the story results in a correction being necessary.

Forming and changing the account team

Make certain all members of the team can work as a cohesive unit. Trump was damaged by attacks from other Republicans throughout the campaign and Clinton was wounded by Bernie Sanders' criticism.

Titles won’t pay your rent


As the changes of advisor’s titles in the Trump campaign shows, a title is often meaningless. They are also often meaningless in our business. Don’t be swayed by the promise of a higher title or larger office. That won’t pay the rent.

Selecting a spokesperson

Choose a spokesperson with relevant expertise and make certain that all information is correct and is delivered in calm, convincing manner. Katrina Pierson, a Trump spokesperson, was caught more than once giving false statements. Very important in our business: Always be truthful with the media. Also, make certain that your spokespersons can keep control of emotions during tough media questioning. Several of Trump’s spokespersons couldn’t, which had reporters call out the spokespersons on the air.

If you think you have a better way say so

Don’t be afraid of being called a maverick. Donald Trump refused to play by the old style political book. By doing so, he not only won the election but might have changed the way future elections are run. In our business too many people stick to the old way and are afraid to try new methods. Doing things different is a good way to attract media attention.

Nepotism

Trump relied on family members and loyal associates for major advice, according to press reports. That is not the best way to run an account team. Keep an open mind to suggestions from all members of the team. Even if you don’t follow their advice, it gives people a sense of being on the “inside,” instead of just being another employee number.

Don’t hesitate asking for advice

Trump said he knew it all, and it wasn’t until his poll numbers sank that he decided to get and follow advice. Never think you know everything. Making an unforced error in our business can lead to the loss of an account.

Managing a budget

Make certain any program you propose has a sufficient budget. Trump relied on the Republican National Committee to do most of his ground work. Unless you have a client willing to give you an unlimited budget to complete a program, only propose programs that can be accomplished within money allocated. Telling a client that you can’t finish a project because you’ve reached the budget limit can have a disastrous affect on your career at the agency.

Know your deadlines

The Trump campaign didn’t begin advertising until late August. That permitted the Clinton campaign to define Trump for many weeks. While it didn’t have a lasting negative affect on the election outcome, delaying your program media’s outreach will adversely affect your campaign. I receive many “can you save me” requests from PR people saying they promised a client to have a story in Olympics, Christmas and other special sections. Many of those special sections are finalized weeks earlier than the beginning of events.

Watch your back

Both the political and PR worlds are full of snakes. Survival of the fittest rules. Trump and Clinton still have scars from being attacked by member of their own tribes. Remember no matter what propaganda you are told from management or their H.R. surrogates, good work is only partially responsible for promotions. Allies in important positions are more important. In our business, remember, if you want a loyal friend that will always protect your back, bring your dog to work.

Be gracious, even it if hurts

Many people in our business, like in all businesses, are treated unfairly by supervisors when it comes to recommending promotions and salary increases. Don’t act like Donald Trump and constantly lash out that you are being treated unfairly, even though you might be. Ours is a small business with frequent personnel changes. You never know when the individual that upsets you today might be in a position to help you tomorrow.

Don’t over promise clients

One of the most important lessons that should be remembered from the political campaign is that there is no certainty that your program will produce the desired results. Remember, the great majority of polls predicted a Clinton win, instead Trump was elected. So, be careful what you promise a client.

Old ideas die hard

Perhaps the most important lesson learned from the Trump campaign is that PR tenets, like political tenets, should be questioned. Lessons in text books and what communication schools preach should be considered an outline. Young PR people should fill in the details based on their own original thinking. So while there are many lessons from the Trump campaign that PR people should not follow, there is one lesson that they should follow: Think for yourself.

As for the Vince Lombardi quote, he later regretted saying it. In our business too many people think Lombardi was correct the first time. Maybe that’s why our business has such a bad reputation and high employee turnover.

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Arthur Solomon was a senior VP at Burson-Marsteller. He now is a contributor to public relations and sports business publications, consults on PR projects and is on the Seoul Peace Prize nominating committee. He can be reached at [email protected].