How an American businessman turned the world of politics and Public Relations on its head.

For better or for worse, there has been an unstoppable force in politics. A force that has changed the way people will utilize communication, and the strategy in which a candidate can gain support in an election. This force is Donald Trump. While many, including myself, may not agree with much of his political polices, I have to acknowledge his widespread support. The man is doing something right, the question is, what? The answer is complicated but relates back to his way of utilizing media. Trump understands broadcast media, and has been able to have it feature his personal brand.

As the world of Public Relations is evolving in an era of social media and constant communication, Trump has seemed to crack the ever-changing code. Over the past century the idea that all publicity is good publicity has become more accepted. In a controversial statement, Irish author Brendan Behan noted, “there is no such thing as bad publicity except your own obituary.” Behan, known for his wit and intelligence rose to prominence during the 1920’s, and made this proclamation way before its time. His perspective on public relations is now more relevant than ever. A large reason why his words remain true is that Americans have become numb to shock. Our overconsumption of media and information is to blame. We are constantly berated with outrageous stories, particularly through television, that alter how we’ve analyzed media in recent years.

People like Trump benefit from the current 24-hour news cycle. The outpour of information never concludes in the current state of television. If a topical event takes place it is almost guaranteed to be featured on multiple networks, providing vastly different approaches in covering the same subject. This is seen through an info-graphic from the Media Research Center. This organization investigates statistics in regards to media distribution and consumption. The specific info-graphic highlights the amount of airtime each republican candidate received on ABC, CBS, and NBC nightly news coverage solely from scandals. In just March, Trump received over 67 minutes of coverage for five separate scandals. Ted Cruz received 11 minutes of coverage from two scandals, which John Kasich had no coverage from scandals. These events can be clearly defined as negative, as Trump’s instances included sexist comments made towards women, and misconduct from his campaign manager. While these negative events may slander Trump’s image or character, they’re clearly not affecting his polling numbers, as he currently leads in delegates comfortably over his constituents. The allocation in “controversy coverage” also mirrors the current standing in delegates in the GOP race.

Just how much do we talk about Donald Trump? Well, according to another Media Research Center statistic, a lot. Specifically, about 6 times more than both Ted Cruz and John Kasich, and 5 times more than Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. Megan Burnside is a writer for LexisNexis, an online engine for scholarly information and articles. In one of her pieces, she explains how “America isn’t ready to dump Trump.” She adds to this statement by providing media statistics. Burnside notes, “ that Trump dominates 50 percent of mainstream print, broadcast and online media coverage.” Donald Trump has been mentioned 108,832 times in the last 30 days on networks like Fox News, MSNBC, and comedy central. Based on the general opinions of these networks towards the candidate, it is clear that the support of these networks towards Trump is vastly different. Comedy Central stars like Trevor Noah and Samantha Bee have rarely discussed Trump’s rise with optimism. On the other hand, Fox News has often proclaimed Trump as the most legitimate individual to represent the party. This furthers the notion that Trump has understood the importance of staying prevalent in the media cycle, no matter what.

Trump knows himself, and he knows his personality. He has often used his celebrity persona to jumpstart an influx of conversation, giving him a platform like no other candidate. Trump’s inclusion in the GOP race has resulted in record debate numbers according to Neilson Reports. These reports measure television ratings, providing an accurate estimate of how many individuals tune into a program. Specifically, the first GOP debate of the election season attracted an audience of 24 million. This is the most watched primary debate in our nations history. The contest additionally garnered 9 million more viewers than the most ever watched democratic primary. His popularity is also noticeable when observing his live crowds. In his Super Tuesday victory speech Trump boasted, “every place we’re speaking, if we have 10,000 people it’s like a small group. We had 35,000 people the other day in Alabama…this is a movement.” These massive audiences are telling of his status in society. His confidence in discussing these numbers also acts as sound bytes. Sound bytes are becoming popularized by figures like Trump who offer polarizing phrases that feed the current news cycle.

Donald Trumps initial draw as someone the public is already familiar with has propelled his rise. His branding of himself is an important PR attribute; throughout the race he has maintained his ideology that the Trump name is a product. He has spent years making sure his name is affiliated with excellence and success. He has also understood who his audience is. Trump knows that many Americans are tired of the US political system, and that people are hungry for an outsider. He knows that there is a portion of the nation that responds well to his blunt, sometimes crude way of explaining topics. It can be refreshing to have someone tell it like it is in a sense. This is explained the by Cohn Marketing, a prominent marketing organization based in Denver, Colorado. In an article issued on their company’s website Cohn Marketing stated, “Trump’s hitting hot-button issues… he’s doing so in outlandish, Trump-like fashion, but his rants aren’t just rants. They are targeted and strategic.” In PR an audience is defined as ones publics. These publics are in fact a target group, and specifically the one that a PR company sets out to influence. Trumps understanding of his publics is a primary reason why he has been able to accumulate as many delegates as he has throughout the campaign process.

Actions speak louder than words, and while Mr. Trump is a man of many words, it is his track record that has perhaps helped him the most. An advantage that Trump has is that he has concrete businesses and economic ventures he can point to. The sheer image of a Trump hotel or golf course is daunting. The massive and powerful representation of these buildings is familiar and impactful. This is a strategy most other candidates cannot use. Cohn Marketing again notes, “Trumps business triumphs will prevail long after the election cycle is over.” The branding of Trumps own name on his industries shows that he has been PR savvy even before politics. This has paid dividends for his campaign, ultimately allowing him to point to his obvious economic achievements. This also enables him to continue to operate in an avenue that he is familiar with. While the amount of self-confidence and branding used by Trump is no stranger to the business world, his incorporation of it in politics has completely altered the strategy of constructing a successful presidential campaign. This statement holds a great deal of truth; it is one of the reasons why Trump has been able to navigate through the primary process. Specifically in a process where he has had more success than other candidates who are far more established in the political sphere.

Trump has changed the way public relations should be studied. His incorporation of self promotion and social media use in order to stay relevant in a 24-hour news cycle is fascinating. Additionally, his careless attitude in regards to attempting to steer away from controversies is very unique, especially in the political world. This transparency, while harsh has helped him garner support from a wide range of people. While his ways have completely changed the world of public relations, his impact on politics has been extremely negative. An avenue has been established for future politicians to follow in Trumps footsteps. This attitude has almost stripped the sensitivity and patience needed in order to act as a world leader. The mere concept that Donald Trump may have inspired younger politicians to follow in his footsteps is a scary concept, a concept that will be known as The Trump Effect.