The Recall Eclipse

Public relations professionals everywhere are sighing relief as the California Recall comes to an end. The Recall seemingly eclipsed other news in the past few weeks. USA Today notes it has received "unprecedented national TV coverage for a statewide election, receiving more airtime on the Big Three networks than the White House race." The Tyndall Report claims it came in fourth place last week.

But there are public relations lessons to learn from the Recall. Media relations campaigns should be run like political campaigns.

Story of the Day: Whether we liked it or not, there was *always* a new story to be told each day of the campaign. Most of us will not have a new, newsworthy story to tell about our company, client, product or service each day. But we should establish a steady rhythm of communication with our media contacts. You establish yourself as a source and you get in the habit of digging for relevant news to send them by doing this. Current events and industry trends often hold a follow-up story opportunity. If you have established yourself as a source, media will either approach you to do a story or pay more attention to your pitch for a follow-up story.

Shaping Messages: A lot of time and attention is spent on the messages we distribute. But we should not consider them sacred cows once legal has *finally* signed off on them. Your industry might not be as fast-paced as politics, but you may need to change your message based on external influences.

Candidates' messages changed accordingly as the field shrank from more than 130 candidates down to two. Post-debate, when it became clear it was a two-horse race, Arnold and Davis went from discussing their party contenders to focusing solely on each other. All promotion turned on a dime to support this new strategic focus.

Instant Feedback: An army of pollsters provided instant feedback on the success of the candidates' every move. We cannot tap into this Herculean resource, but we have plenty of intelligence we can use to determine the need to change our messages. Top early warning systems include customer feedback, or lack thereof, and response from influencer audiences.

Thought Leader: Positioning your CEO or other spokesperson as a thought leader puts steak behind the sizzle. When Arnold unveiled his 100-day plan, his campaign gained credibility and momentum. An opinion is worth 80 IQ points. If your CEO or spokesperson does not have a point of view on key issues, you need to establish one with them and reflect it in your work as appropriate.

Don't be fooled by the three-ring circus political campaigns become at times like this. Even a circus has a ringmaster orchestrating the spectacle.