Our World in 2018

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
A woman passes by a
banner depicting US
President Donald J.
Trump with logos of
Twitter, in Belgrade,
Serbia, 12 February
2018.
EPA-EFE/ANDREJ CUKIC
Macron know this well. Obama – or
rather his team of communications
experts – was responsible for the
most popular tweet of 2017. Macron
and Trudeau partnered last May
to validate rumours of a budding
bromance, shooting a viral video of
F
posted on Macron’s Twitter.
The French President is also a keen
Periscoper, broadcasting all his foreign
visits and important speeches live
online, sometimes to the detriment of
traditional TV crews who aren’t given
access.
However, these leaders are not
popular because of their social
media presence alone. They have
carefully and painstakingly cultivated
public images through clever and
comprehensive communications
strategies. Importantly, they recognise
that Twitter is not the be all and end
all of external communications,
tune their political image. The use of
traditional communications tactics
cannot therefore be underestimated.
Social media, for all its immediacy
and people power, still does not
have the same gravitas as traditional
engagement with journalists. While
OUR WORLD | 2018
this has started to change among
younger generations, there is still
some way to go.
Macron may carry out headlinegrabbing
PR moments, but
he also supplements them
with the solemn staging of occasions
that he knows will help him build his
statesmanship, without attracting
.T
most evident during the recent
funerals of two of the most loved
F
Jean d’Ormesson, and the rockstar
Johnny Hallyday. Both times, Macron
his sadness on Twitter in the middle of
the night. But he did not stop there,
and asked that national ceremonies
be organised, where he spoke at
length, as all French TV stations were
broadcasting live… He struck the
right tone to lead the French people’s
tribute; and it was a masterclass in
political communications.
Another case in point: at
the recent climate summit
in France, the French
created a big Twitter splash, with
#MakeOurPlanetGreatAgain trending
globally. But this was only one aspect of
the President’s communications plan.
He spoke passionately to national and
international news journalists about
France’s – and his position - in the
debate, showing the public and his
political counterparts how serious he
is about climate change. The story was
covered by publications all over the
world.
2018 promises to be just as, if not
more, challenging for Europe and the
European project more than ever.
Brexit will test the European Union’s
reputation.
Angela Merkel, still striving to pull
together a government is no longer in
the strong position she once was, able
to protect the European project as she
did. The pressure from immigration
continues, again putting the Union’s
reputation to the test.
More than ever, creative and
diverse communications solutions are
needed to overcome public scepticism
and counter the frivolity of Twitter
diplomacy.
After all, diplomacy cannot be
made with a click, but it takes just
one to crush a reputation, end a
relationship, or destroy a nearly done
deal.
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