John Siniff
John Siniff

It’s not exactly breaking news that today, people tend to talk past one another. Even a quick scan of your X or Facebook feeds likely reflects a world where a lot of people are talking at, not with, other people.

This is not a 2024 phenomenon.

When I ran USA Today’s op-ed section, one of the most challenging parts of the job was getting people to see their opponents as people with differing opinions — whether the issue was health care, national security, or education — not mortal enemies. And when I edited submissions, I would push writers to meaningfully engage with the opposing view, challenge their own assumptions, and acknowledge the weaknesses in their own argument. A true debate means engaging, not merely saying an argument is stupid or misguided. And finally, I’d urge them to discern where there might be common ground, and then to use language that might persuade an opponent rather than alienate them further.

It’s finding agreement and building bridges where I believe our clients can benefit most when navigating policy lanes today. In what is essentially a 50-50 nation, there are a few ways we can help our policy clients move their issues forward:

• Go Deep on Research. Assumptions are often the seeds of a misguided strategy. At Avoq, we do the research on the front end to ensure that we’re dealing with data and facts rather than putting all our chips on hunches. Whether it’s an advertising effort to introduce a product or an advocacy campaign targeting a narrow band of policymakers, our Insights team synthesizes data at the intersection of behavior, identity, and attitudes to understand our client’s audience and their motivations. We use research tools to assess what people are saying, how they are saying it , and how those conversations might inform policy or opinions. We’re big believers in qualitative research, too. It’s often the best and only way to hear directly from the decision-makers and influencers, and it allows us to dive into substance and nuance to get to the “why” behind a data point.

• Develop the Narrative to Break Through. One of the many things I appreciated about being on the USA Today Editorial Board was having my mind changed. What worked on me? A respectful, issue-based dialogue that met me where I was and spoke to my values. At Avoq, we take the research and learnings from focus groups to identify the language that can break a policy logjam. Often, Republicans and Democrats might agree on the need for legislation — say, on AI regulation — but differ on the role of government. Sometimes one side or the other might be using language that can extinguish any chance for compromise. To avoid this, we work with clients to develop language that reflects the same policy needs and goals, but in a way that is palatable to the other side. We work to discover and then deploy the ice-breaking language of the middle, from direct outreach to policymakers, to speeches and talking points, to opinion pieces. Importantly, this isn’t just wallpapering over substantive differences, but rather communicating in good faith to find consensus and a path forward. Only a generation ago, this was the tried-and-true way that a bill would become a law. Today, it’s still the most viable path forward in our politically divided world.

• View the Approach Through a Red-Blue Prism. Speaking of the other side, one of the great benefits of having a bipartisan Government Relations team like ours is that you don’t have to guess what the other side is thinking. We regularly develop and then assess and recalibrate our communications strategy for clients based on the intel, insights, and experience of our Republican and Democratic government relations colleagues. We do this whether they represent the client or not.

Our GR team has decades-spanning experience working for agencies, presidential administrations, and House and Senate Republican and Democratic offices. Their experience in researching and shaping their former bosses’ approach to key legislative priorities and potentially contentious issues provides the foundation for helping to build an effective communications strategy for our clients. For our GR team, being a thoughtful and effective staffer required that they be attentive to feedback from constituents, hometown communities, local and national industries, as well as the broader party’s approach and priorities. This provides us with a good “gut check” from a Republican and Democratic perspective on whether the messaging approach would resonate with the intended audience, whether there are any red flags in the language used, and if there is room for bipartisan consensus.

• Engage and Target: Digital Team. All the research, language finessing, and fresh understanding of the policy landscape does no good if it doesn’t reach the minds that need to be changed. That’s where our Digital Team comes in. We again use proprietary tools to understand how and where the policymaker audience consumes information. Avoq’s annual Media Habits Survey gives us a sense of where Democratic and Republican lawmakers and staff get their news — and even the best time to reach them. Our 2024 survey showed that LinkedIn is up, X is down, and Politico is still the best place to reach both D’s and R’s. Using these insights and other tools, we can create a tailored strategy to engage a client’s priority audience with the precision, and cadence, needed to move the policy needle.

Given that the natural state of our politics today is a divided government, we must find ways to understand the world beyond our tribes and engage in substantive policy discussions that can change minds and ultimately improve lives. Outside the hand-to-hand combat of the last election cycle, there are people with good ideas and policy solutions. I’ve seen what genuine engagement and civil dialogue looked like from the inside of an editorial board. At Avoq, our team takes a similar approach to help our clients break through and move their issues forward, no matter which way the political winds are blowing.

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John Siniff is Partner, Head of Narratives & Content at Avoq.