The Public Has The Power
The past year’s rise in global citizen action, influence and democratisation of information, fuelled by
the growth of social networks, has had a profound impact on how marketers must treat their brand
Richard Millar, Hill+Knowlton Strategies, 2012
What did we learn
last year? We
learned that
there is one true
‘superpower’:
public opinion.
Repressive authoritarian
regimes, inequality, inequitable
distribution of wealth – all these
and more have been challenged
and undermined by the power of
public opinion.
There is a growing gap between
the public and the institutions that
serve them… detached, aloof and
out of touch, be they politicians,
bankers, bosses or the police.
Last year, we saw members of
the public join together to take
action against this sense of
injustice, and the accelerants
that have enabled this change –
Twitter, BBM and Facebook.
To understand how that public
opinion has been mobilised is to
understand the democratisation
of information enabled by social
networks.
Today there is ‘one public’ with
access to more information than
ever before and the public no
longer wants that information
filtered; nor can institutions or
corporations filter it themselves.
In the past year, we have
witnessed the dramatic impact
of both the democratisation and
disintermediation of information
in real-time.
There are lessons to be learned
for marketers that enable you to
harness the positive power of
public opinion.
First, remember that you
operate in broad daylight: you are
operating in front of an audience
of, potentially, many millions. This
audience expects authenticity,
openness and honesty across every
part of your business. Be good, do
good. Equally, don’t be afraid to
push back when you have been
treated unfairly.
Social media’s influence over
the corporate brand is more
potent than ever because we do
care who produces our food,
manufactures our washing
powder and heats and lights our
homes. We want to know how they
do it and at what social, economic
and environmental cost.
We care that they do the right
thing. Corporate social responsibility
is not a departmental function,
it must be embedded in the
values and operating principles of
every organisation. It is a story to
be told not only to key opinionformers,
but also to the consumer.
Create social campaigns that
enable an easy engagement of
your consumer base, or broader
stakeholders. If consumers are
engaging more with your brand,
then give them the digital tools to
connect better.
By building relationships,
enabling conversations and
sharing stories, you are not only
engaging your public, but also
mobilising it to advocate for you.
Don’t underestimate the value
of data. You might be telling the
story you want to share, but does
your audience care, and will it
change what it does, says or
believes?
Ditch the instinctive approach
to campaign planning, and instead
use data to understand your
audience and its behaviour, and
test the resonance of your messaging.
A number-count of friends,
followers and fans pre- and postcampaign
is not the answer.
Finally, deploy the skills of the
political campaigner. Know your
core narrative – be single-minded,
ensure you’re always listening to
the world, enable rapid decisionmaking
and a robust response
mechanism, and intervene when
necessary.
All this needs to be set alongside
a clearly defined, proactive
calendar of news content.
If the public has the power,
then put the public back into your
public relations.
Richard Millar is UK chief executive
of Hill+Knowlton Strategies.
To find out more, visit
www.hkstrategies.co.uk Originally published in Marketing magazine (January 2012).