It raised eyebrows when Russia
seemed to seize the communications
initiative on Syria, picking up on a
stray comment by U.S. Secretary of
State John Kerry to call for a
diplomatic solution to the mess. But
it’s downright shocking that Russian
President Vladimir Putin made his case
with a bylined column in The New York
Times Wednesday (a piece placed by PR
firm Ketchum).
In calling for restraint in the use of
military force in Syria, Putin suggests
that the use of poison gas that killed
thousands was actually perpetrated by
Syrian rebels—an accusation that the
White House immediately shot down.
But Putin’s reasonable tone and
elegant language make such a “false
flag” attack almost credible.
It is in Putin’s final paragraph that
the former KGB strongman really lets
loose and shows his communications
chops. In what seems a direct
response to President Obama’s
Tuesday address, he challenges the
concept of American exceptionalism.
Pushing back against Obama’s earlier
reference to what makes our nation
different, Putin warns that it is
“extremely dangerous” to encourage
people to see themselves as
exceptional and reminds us that “we
are all different, but when we ask for
the Lord’s blessings, we must not
forget that God created us equal.”
Astonishing, considering the source: A
man whose government has taken a
shellacking in recent months over a
highly restrictive anti-gay law and for
silencing critics thereof.
The U.S. response to the editorial has
been cynical, but from a
communications perspective, the piece
is very instructive. Putin and his PR
handlers have done several things that
can be very effective when making a
case in public.
Find common ground. The Russian
president opens by reminding us of
historic bonds between our two
nations and our many shared
accomplishments. He even tries to
soften us up by mentioning the Nazis.
Reframe the argument. Putin
describes the Syrian conflict not as a
struggle for democracy— that most
precious of American ideals—but as an
ethnic and religious war abetted by
mercenaries.
[RELATED: Learn to write
smarter at our PR Writers
Summit.
]
Sow seeds of doubt and fear. In a
calm, reasoned tone, Putin suggests
that the U.S. version of events does
not correspond to reality. More
skillfully, he expresses concern for
the consequences of Syrian military
action.
Exploit weakness. As if on behalf of
the American people, Putin questions
why we would want to “repeat the
mistakes” of the past by becoming
embroiled in the Syrian conflict. Of
course, this echoes many domestic
discussions, and he knows that very
well.
Invoke core values. He then cites the
prized American ideal of equality for
all people, our most cherished core
value, and turns it upside down to
make his case for non-intervention.
Even bolder, he invokes America’s
tradition of religious freedom and our
Judeo-Christian tradition by
mentioning God.
Bypass intermediaries. In his
editorial, Putin mounts his appeal
directly to the American people. That’s
another reason why his closing
paragraph, as disingenuous as it may
be, is so resonant.
Dorothy Crenshaw is CEO and creative
director of Crenshaw Communications.
She has been named one of the public
relations industry’s 100 Most
Powerful Women by PR Week. A version
of this story originally appeared on
her agency's ImPRessions blog.
seemed to seize the communications
initiative on Syria, picking up on a
stray comment by U.S. Secretary of
State John Kerry to call for a
diplomatic solution to the mess. But
it’s downright shocking that Russian
President Vladimir Putin made his case
with a bylined column in The New York
Times Wednesday (a piece placed by PR
firm Ketchum).
In calling for restraint in the use of
military force in Syria, Putin suggests
that the use of poison gas that killed
thousands was actually perpetrated by
Syrian rebels—an accusation that the
White House immediately shot down.
But Putin’s reasonable tone and
elegant language make such a “false
flag” attack almost credible.
It is in Putin’s final paragraph that
the former KGB strongman really lets
loose and shows his communications
chops. In what seems a direct
response to President Obama’s
Tuesday address, he challenges the
concept of American exceptionalism.
Pushing back against Obama’s earlier
reference to what makes our nation
different, Putin warns that it is
“extremely dangerous” to encourage
people to see themselves as
exceptional and reminds us that “we
are all different, but when we ask for
the Lord’s blessings, we must not
forget that God created us equal.”
Astonishing, considering the source: A
man whose government has taken a
shellacking in recent months over a
highly restrictive anti-gay law and for
silencing critics thereof.
The U.S. response to the editorial has
been cynical, but from a
communications perspective, the piece
is very instructive. Putin and his PR
handlers have done several things that
can be very effective when making a
case in public.
Find common ground. The Russian
president opens by reminding us of
historic bonds between our two
nations and our many shared
accomplishments. He even tries to
soften us up by mentioning the Nazis.
Reframe the argument. Putin
describes the Syrian conflict not as a
struggle for democracy— that most
precious of American ideals—but as an
ethnic and religious war abetted by
mercenaries.
[RELATED: Learn to write
smarter at our PR Writers
Summit.
]
Sow seeds of doubt and fear. In a
calm, reasoned tone, Putin suggests
that the U.S. version of events does
not correspond to reality. More
skillfully, he expresses concern for
the consequences of Syrian military
action.
Exploit weakness. As if on behalf of
the American people, Putin questions
why we would want to “repeat the
mistakes” of the past by becoming
embroiled in the Syrian conflict. Of
course, this echoes many domestic
discussions, and he knows that very
well.
Invoke core values. He then cites the
prized American ideal of equality for
all people, our most cherished core
value, and turns it upside down to
make his case for non-intervention.
Even bolder, he invokes America’s
tradition of religious freedom and our
Judeo-Christian tradition by
mentioning God.
Bypass intermediaries. In his
editorial, Putin mounts his appeal
directly to the American people. That’s
another reason why his closing
paragraph, as disingenuous as it may
be, is so resonant.
Dorothy Crenshaw is CEO and creative
director of Crenshaw Communications.
She has been named one of the public
relations industry’s 100 Most
Powerful Women by PR Week. A version
of this story originally appeared on
her agency's ImPRessions blog.
posted from Bloggeroid
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