HOW HAS TRUMPISM SHAKEN UP THE WORLD OF PR?

The election of Donald Trump as the new president of the United States was one of the most important events of early 2025. From the perspective of several months of his administration, we can safely say that the decision of the American electorate has translated into a change in the status quo in many aspects of contemporary life, from the global economy and security guarantees to a shift in paradigms and worldview trends. The impact of Trumpism is also significant for our industry, i.e. PR in the broad sense. I will try to show what has really changed and what further repercussions this will have on several levels.

Level of values – Worldview shift

Large American corporations, almost as one (white, heterosexual), have rapidly reviewed their corporate values and concluded that progressive thinking and openness are cool, but maybe not that much after all. In the case of more subdued institutions, it was not as striking, but the general trend was noticeable. Following in the footsteps of their American colleagues, several European entities for which the US is an important business partner also made the shift. The situation would not be so bizarre if it weren’t for the fact that the communications departments of some large, serious companies are trying to perform a kind of ideological balancing act and still have their cake and eat it. This means nothing more than an attempt to explain to their existing social partners that, although we cannot ‘officially’ support you, we want to maintain some kind of relationship with you, so let’s do something together, but we have to call it something else so that we are not accused of pro-DEI activities.

A bit awkward.

Less than six months was enough to see that the European value system based on respect for human rights and inclusiveness is significantly giving way to the influence of Trumpism in business, forcing individual entities to rebuild their policies in the area of values.

Communication level – The decline of authority and traditional media

The decline of authority and the diminishing role of traditional media have been discussed for several, if not a dozen or so, years. However, it is Trumpism that has significantly accelerated this process. At present, only 22% of internet users declare that news portals or individual media applications are their main source of information. The rest derive their knowledge of the world from social media[1]. Importantly, there is also a growing decline in trust in the accuracy of the information we consume. Characteristic of Trumpism, belief in conspiracy theories, undermining authority, as well as the development of AI tools mean that nearly six in ten (59%)[2] of internet users do not trust what they read online. This is an increase of 3 percentage points year on year.

Geopolitical level – Change in geopolitical priorities

Trump’s actions towards Europe have significantly weakened the ties that have bound the two economies together. The start of a trade war and a significant loss of trust in security guarantees could have far-reaching consequences. One of these could be European countries seeking another strong ally. This is undoubtedly an opportunity for Chinese companies to raise their profile among Europeans and show their strongest cards. However, they must do so skilfully and in accordance with the law, so that it does not end up like the case of one of the Chinese tech giants accused of corrupting European parliamentarians…

On the other hand, what is national/European is becoming fashionable again. However, for completely different reasons than before. It is no longer just because choosing domestic products reduces the carbon footprint or guarantees craftsmanship. At the moment, the dominant paradigm is security in its various forms – pharmaceutical, food, digital, economic, military, etc. Thus, Trumpism significantly reinforces a trend that can be used to promote domestic products.

On the other hand, for US businesses with local branches in Europe, it is an important challenge to show that they are, after all, ‘entities from here’ – creating jobs, investing in infrastructure and paying taxes locally. Another major challenge is how to hide their ‘American background’ behind a ‘fig leaf’.

In summary, what is American is no longer so shiny and attractive to Poles. Companies from the Old Continent stand to gain from this. The European communications departments of American entities have a lot of tough nuts to crack, which will undoubtedly be an exciting challenge for them. Changes in media consumption by audiences are also forcing the adoption of different communication strategies and giving rise to a number of threats resulting from fake news and AI-generated content.

With so many challenges ahead, working in PR has never been so interesting. I sincerely hope that we will see a whole range of amazing communication activities coming our way.

[1] Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2024

[2] Ibid.