If you follow me, have seen me present at conferences or have worked with Mercer Island Group on your brand or agency’s positioning, you’ve likely heard me talk about Edelman, the global PR agency powerhouse.
I’ve often referred to Edelman as the G.O.A.T. of agencies marketing themselves. The Greatest of All Time.
Their “earning trust through communications” position is brilliant on the surface and brought to life in a variety of complementary ways from their Annual Trust Barometer Research to webinars, “trust” podcasts, blogs and workshops. They are an extraordinary PR agency.
And then this happened.
In early September, Edelman hired Nikki Hailey as Vice Chair. Ms. Haley has a rich resume, including service as governor of South Carolina and United States ambassador to the United Nations.
Remember Edelman’s position?
With that crystal clear position, carved out over several decades of consistency, the agency hired (as Vice Chair!) the person that this past February criticized Donald Trump’s disrespect for the military, stating that the behavior made him unqualified to be President. She described him as “unhinged” and accused him of cozying up to Vladimir Putin. She said he lacks focus and “chaos follows him”.
And she said she’d vote for him. And she has offered to campaign for him.
Which begs the question: which is it, Ms. Haley?
Is Donald Trump unfit? Or should he be president?
Is Donald Trump unhinged, or should he lead the United States?
This is not a political post, so put down the pitch forks and douse the torches. This post is about positioning. And on the heels of Ms. Haley’s hiring, my question for the team at Edelman is this: is this how one earns trust in communications?
Steve Boehler, founder, and partner at Mercer Island Group has led consulting teams on behalf of clients as diverse as Ulta Beauty, Microsoft, UScellular, Nintendo, Kaiser Permanente, Holland America Line, Stop & Shop, Qualcomm, Brooks Running, and numerous others. He founded MIG after serving as a division president in a Fortune 100 when he was only 32. Earlier in his career, Steve Boehler cut his teeth with a decade in Brand Management at Procter & Gamble, leading brands like Tide, Pringles, and Jif.
