Welcome to the Divide Guide—a 360-degree publishing program built to help our clients navigate the 2020 election.

A global pandemic, economic recession, record unemployment, and historic social unrest have rendered 2020 the year of uncertainty. This election season reflects that.

We can’t predict the results of the election. But we do know that, especially in our hyper-partisan environment, electoral turnover would result in massive changes in priorities and focus.

A few ways how:

  • Legislative & regulatory change. Across industries, laws and regulations will shift as opposition parties assume control of executive and legislative bodies.
  • Investigations & hearings. Government—increasingly trusted by the public over the past year – has shown its willingness to impact a business’s license to operate at a moment’s notice. Attorneys general will announce investigations, and new legislative committee chairs will hold public hearings into nearly every industry.
  • Shifting expectations of business. More stakeholders—from customers to employees – expect business leaders to take positions on political issues and advocate for change in their communities.

It’s clear that elected officials from both parties will seize the opportunity to enact change, if given the opportunity. But our Trust Barometer data shows that the public doesn’t believe government can, or should, solve the crises we’ve faced in 2020 by acting alone. Americans expect business leaders to partner with government and become advocates for change themselves.

Now, more than ever, companies need to incorporate issues management and advocacy into their operations. Business leaders need to start preparing for possible scenarios now, or they’ll be caught flat-footed when it’s too late.

In a world of uncertainty, one thing is clear: the right strategy is more important than ever. Our team of political operatives and public affairs practitioners are here to help clients communicate their points of view to policymakers and the myriad of voices that influence them.

Let’s dive in.