New York is broke. Municipalities are strapped. States across our nation are close to broke, several of them in worse shape than New York.
What then is the deal with Wisconsin? Tens of thousands of protesters descended on the capital. Several large cities across the state canceled classes last week because so many teachers called in sick. I’ve run my share of issue campaigns, and one thing is for certain: Public relations traps are waiting to snare both sides as this unfolds.
Comparisons to New York state, in this case, are plentiful. For instance, look at the actions of new New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. He has been making headlines for weeks that New York faces nearly unrecoverable financial problems and that reforms in budgeting must be made, including how the state deals with its unionized work force and with the two largest interest groups — education and health care. In other words, Cuomo’s proposals are no longer surprising. You may disagree with them, but don’t be surprised.
Elections give clues
An absolutely vital point to remember is that political decisions ultimately depend upon having the support of the masses. Still to be determined is which side has the support of the public in Wisconsin — though the results of the 2010 elections give us some clues.
What are the public relations pitfalls for each side?
The customer in politics is the person who pulls the lever in the voting booth or fills in the electronic ballot. The customer for us today in business is the person who’ll buy the product, or won’t, or will support our company’s zoning request, or won’t.
In other words, the customer is always the customer. It’s not the lawmaker in Madison, or in Albany. It ultimately is Main Street.
Josh Sommers is president and CEO of Focus Media, a leading Hudson Valley advertising and public relations agency. He can be reached at josh@advertisingandpr.com or 294-3342, ext. 303. Read his blog at www.advertisingandpr.com. His column appears Fridays.
