Press

With the midterm elections weeks away, business communicators are in a quandary. Once again, the debate over whether or not companies should take a stand, potentially alienating a percentage of their customer base, is top of mind. Many companies and their communicators are concerned about how some lawmakers and customers retaliate for certain recent political and social positions they’ve taken. Some companies that historically stayed out of the fray until recently seem particularly vulnerable. As such, how should communicators counsel the C-Suite at this critical moment?

In this PR News Webinar, ROKK co-founding partners Rodell Mollineau and Ron Bonjean sat down and offered solutions and analysis to help communicators and the businesses they represent succeed during this critical moment- watch the replay here.

With the midterm elections just days away, organizations are facing more than just the normal need to welcome new lawmakers and stakeholders to Washington in the year ahead. Now there is increased pressure to revisit company investments, policies and external communications to ensure that they are resonant with a wider audience in what will likely be a divided government town. Plus, it is likely that Republican lawmakers will be taking aim at “woke” organizations as they focus on fiscal responsibility and the looming recession. How can organizations prepare?

At the 2022 PRovoke Global Summit, ROKK co-founding partner Rodell Mollineau sat down and discussed how companies can safeguard and extend their reputation post-midterms- watch the replay here.

“Early Morning” is NewsNation’s live hour-long national morning newscast hosted by Mitch Carr. In this episode, ROKK Senior Vice President Jeff Grappone sat down and discussed the first Fetterman-Oz debate- watch the segment here.

When a reporter asked President Biden if there should be any restrictions on abortion, the president got saucy. It was a moment that reflected Biden’s punchiness with the midterms quickly approaching and with the prospects of Democrats losing at least one chamber of Congress. Increasingly, Biden has shown off his more unscripted and candid side, something he has held back throughout his presidency. ROKK co-founding partner Rodell Mollineau explained how Biden is at his best when he’s not in front of a lectern and he’s “just Joe.” Get the full story here.

President Biden is aggressively pursuing younger voters, leaning into the issues of reproductive rights and student loan forgiveness in an effort to drive to the polls a bloc that traditionally sees lower turnout. ROKK co-founding partner Rodell Mollineau sat down with The Hill and explained how historically there has been a lower voter turnout among younger voters for midterm elections. Read the article here.

In a nation bitterly divided between political partisans, corporations face fraught choices. The staying power of the new “woke” will likely face its greatest test if Republicans, as expected, capture a majority in the House of Representatives after the November elections. In this op-ed, ROKK co-founding partner Ron Bonjean and Impact ROI’s Steve Rochlin discuss how companies can prepare for a potential divided government in town after the midterms. Read the article here.

Three weeks away from the 2022 midterms, and recent polling shows Democrats losing their hold on voters to Republican candidates. Political experts say Biden is hoping the backlash on the abortion issue will help Democrats avoid the red wave that generally makes a splash during a Democratic president’s first midterm, and as a counter, Republican candidates are keeping the focus on inflation. Regardless of the focus of each party, polling shows that the economy remains a top issue among voters ahead of the midterms. 

ROKK co-founding partner Rodell Mollineau sat down with NewsNation and discussed how Democrats are focusing on all issues and shouldn’t be counted out yet. Read the article here.

Riding high off the passage of major domestic policy achievements, President Biden just celebrated the passage of major climate and health care legislation. Then, hurricanes Fiona and Ian charged in, ravaging Puerto Rico and southwestern Florida. The government’s sudden pivot toward hurricane response changed the President’s schedule and his tone heading into the final sprint before the midterm elections. ROKK co-founding partner Ron Bonjean shared his take on how the recovery effort will shape Biden’s relationship with Ron DeSantis, Governor of Florida, who is widely seen as a leading GOP contender to run in 2024. Read the article here.

There are different reasons companies fumble responses, be it a social or political issue or a PR crisis. The obvious reasons include moving too quickly, without thinking much about the external or internal implications of what you’re saying or doing and what it could mean for your business. ROKK Managing Director Lindsay Singleton sat down with PR News and discussed ROKK’s Social Threat Analysis and Response (STAR) system and how this tool can help remove emotion and guesswork when responding to external social issues. Learn more here.

Midterm races are heating up as November 8 quickly approaches. ROKK Partner and Democratic strategist Kristen Hawn and America Rising PAC executive director Cassie Smedile discuss voters’ most important issues ahead of 2022 midterms with Fox News. Watch the discussion here.