With over 400,000 people unemployed in the country, it is difficult to see how even the most creative public relations tactics can now turn around the public mood in support of a public sector which disrupts vital services to strike, or shop.

A separate question arises as to why the Department of Finance couldn’t adjust the VAT rates here, even on a temporary basis to support domestic retailers, as was done in the UK last year. From a PR perspective such a move may have had the double effect of improving public support for this beleagured Government and, more importantly for domestic retailers, improving consumer spending.

Between the Public Sector union activity and Irish Vat rates, Northern retailers, benefitting from the law of unexpected consequences, emerged the clear winner from yesterdays nationwide stoppage. They will probably be watching the ongoing talks wondering if they can expect a repeat on December 3rd.  

The similarities with the economic collapse in the US in 1929, which led to the depression of the 1930s, are uncanny. The effects of that depression included:
• 13 million people became unemployed.
• Industrial production fell by nearly 45% between the years 1929 and 1932.
• Homebuilding dropped by 80% between the years 1929 and 1932.
• From the years 1929 to 1932, about 5,000 banks went out of business.
• By 1933, 11,000 of the US’ 25,000 banks had failed.
• In 1933, 25% of all workers and 37% of all nonfarm workers were unemployed.
• Between 1929 and 1932 the income of the average American family was reduced by 40%.

The turning point in the depression was in 1933. Some economists attribute the recovery to the Emergency Banking Act which was passed on 9 March 1933. Under the Act, insolvent banks were closed and after federal inspectors had declared them to be financially secure, those banks that were strong enough to survive, were reorganised and reopened.

Whether the so called Bank Holiday was the solution or not is unclear. What is clear is that decisive action was taken. Over-lending was penalised. Banks were allowed to fail. Those who had taken a more prudent approach survived. It seems straightforward enough and a simple message for legislators to communicate. Why then have we nationalised one bank and do we seem headed for at least part-nationalising others? The risk is that we are deferring the decisive action which, as with putting any difficult decision off, will only prove more painful and costly in the long run.

The slogan defined a political campaign.

That campaign was spearheaded by one word - ‘change’.

The lesson of the Obama success is the effectiveness of simple, direct communication.

Yes we can.

And it must be very heartening for the Obama camp to see the Republican ticket turn on itself. According to the CNN report today, that was not all the aides had to say. She’s been labelled a diva and slow to take a brief.  “Her lack of fundamental understanding of some key issues was dramatic,” said a McCain source with direct knowledge of the process to prepare Palin after she was picked. The source said it was probably the “hardest” to get her “up to speed than any candidate in history.”

It’s the communications equivalent of destroying your own infantry equipment as you flee the battlefield in disarray. 

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/25/palin.tension/index.html#cnnSTCTe
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This last week has shown the effects when trust and confidence in financial institutions is lost.  Restoring confidence in these institutions will take more than communications activity. That said, communications will have a role to play and the next two reporting seasons will be closely watched as the markets assess which institutions have really put the worst behind them.

When the markets do settle, it will be back-to-basics for many financial services corporate communications teams to rebuild the loyalty of shareholders, institutions, and consumers. With consumers raising concerns this week about the security of their savings - the extent of the challenge they face is not to be underestimated.

Although the detail of the US SEC decision has yet to be published, IR Web Report is interpreting the move as significant, as it could cut disclosure costs for many companies that today use paid PR wire services to distribute their disclosures. It could also encourage companies to make investments to improve their investor relations websites and facilitate the use of blogs for communications with investors.

Even though it may be some time before similar moves are made here, for communications practitioners and companies alike, it would represent a notable change - moving company websites beyond “electronic filing cabinets”. There is no doubt that the company website will have a more significant regulatory function into the future. Those involved in ensuring this channel is used effectively, will have their work cut out to satisfy the market’s need for accessible, current, interactive information.

In the week since the rejection by the Irish voters of the Lisbon Treaty, we have been told that the EU is in both “uncharted” and “unchartered” waters, or is it either “uncharted” or “unchartered waters?

So which is it?

Is it that there is no chart to guide us on the choppy constitutional seas, or is it that there is no charter to go forward in the EU together?

What do the politicians mean? Do they know? Does anyone know?

It looks a bit uncharted alright, or maybe it really is unchartered.

Someone get a satnav.

And there is no doubt that the strategy of the Yes campaign, to rely on a general message of “the EU has been good to us, vote yes”, was simply ineffective in the face of a well-organised and more issues driven campaign by the No side. They started early, they were clear, they were consistent, they were committed and they got equal air time. The concerns they raised were not allayed by the admission by the Taoiseach that he hadn’t read the Treaty.

It is clear, in hindsight, that a large part of the electorate was left scratching its head when it came to polling day. The consensus seems to be that politicians on the Yes side did not go out and effectively communicate the benefits of the Treaty to them. It wasn’t enough to say “trust us” when the range of questions raised by the No side had taken hold and created sufficient doubt and confusion.

The upshot of the result is a political crisis for Ireland in Europe and for the EU itself.

All for want of better communication.