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The New Populism: What the Occupy Movement Means for Sustainability Communications

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Author: Kabira Hatland, Vice President, Corporate PR Practice

This year Time Magazine’s Person of the Year is not one individual; it is an archetype – the protestor.  Indeed, 2011 was the Year of the Protestor.  Last year brought game and regime changing uprisings across the Middle East, in the form of Arab Spring.  The combination of civil disobedience and social media proved to be a nearly unstoppable force, one that had ripple effects across the globe, including Manhattan’s Financial District.  It was there in September 2011 Occupy Wall Street began, spreading to more than 1,500 cities around the world.


While there are criticisms of the movement, with more than 23,000 Google News hits in the last 30 days we would be shortsighted to ignore its impact.  It can be argued that the movement lacks a leader, cohesive strategy or message.  Even so, the various Occupy city actions have brought with them an unapologetic return to populism.  Who among us does not know if we are part of the 99% or the 1%?

Populism began as a movement in the US in 1891 with the founding of the Populist Party, which worked to improve conditions for farmers and laborers.  More recently “Power to the People” was the chant that accompanied protests against the Vietnam War, an era marked by the power of nonviolent protests in the civil rights movement.  In 2011, the people rose again – this time powered by Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

So, what does all this have to do with corporate communications and conveying a sustainability message?  Smart companies remain aware of the social context in which they do business.  They adjust their messages to ensure they don’t become antiquated and perceived as tone-deaf.  Marketing and communications professionals should keep these four things in mind as they create campaigns to reach influencers – consumers, employees and stakeholders:

  • Be Accountable or Be Held Accountable – There’s no such thing as “what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas” anymore.  Technology enables anyone with a Flip or digital camera to be a photojournalist.  Stories rarely break in prime time news – they break around the clock and we, the people, are breaking the stories.  This means the golden rule of good business is ‘say what you’ll do and do what you say’ or risk a hit to your reputation – as we’re seeing unfold with Apple’s supply chain.  One Apple customer went to China to investigate factory conditions and later broadcast his disturbing findings on NPR’s This American Life.  Following that, The New York Times examined the same harsh working conditions in “In China, Human Costs are Built Into an Ipad”.
  • Don’t Underestimate the 99% – Clearly, one person now has the platforms available to spread a message far and wide.  Just ask Molly Katchpole who took on Bank of America with an online petition and won.  “We have listened to our customers very closely over the last few weeks and recognize their concern with our proposed debit usage fee,” David Darnell, co-chief operating officer, said in a statement today. “Our customers’ voices are most important to us. As a result, we are not currently charging the fee and will not be moving forward with any additional plans to do so.”  Companies will keep and earn more customers by listening and responding intelligently in real time.
  • Less Polish, More Warts – Heightened transparency paired with the rise of populism spells tough days ahead for corporate speak.  Companies must be prepared to respond quickly and openly, taking feedback from sources like Facebook friends and Twitter followers.  These relatively new communications channels require a different approach, one that is more conversational, authentic, credible and real.  In short, more human.  Admitting mistakes is no longer a communications mis-step, it is a must-have.
  • Stay Plugged In to the Issues – To avoid being perceived as an out of touch corporation a la Marie Antoinette and ‘Let them eat cake’, smart communicators must stay tapped into the issues surfaced by social protests.  For example, the premise of Occupy Wall Street is the split between the 1% and the remaining 99% in terms of wealth, access and political power.  Income inequality is on the rise around the world — 1% of the world’s families own 40% of the wealth.  So, when Mitt Romney offered a $10,000 bet in a recent Republican debate, something very few of us could afford to do, he appeared out of sync with those who may take six months to earn that amount of money.

While the rules of the communications game seem to shift faster than ever before, the basics remain the same.  Create messages that resonate with the audience you want to reach, share them in a compelling way and stay responsive to feedback.


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