Should ‘Woke’ Companies Be Worried? - Brett Bruen in PR Week
The top performing Republican by far in the midterms was Ron DeSantis, governor of Florida. Depending on whom you ask, he may well be the new leader of the GOP. Of concern for crisis pros is that woke companies are among his favorite targets. He used the word “woke” six times in just 20 seconds during his acceptance speech, before adding for extra emphasis, “Florida is where woke goes to die.”
He has perfected a playbook for bashing brands as political piñatas and engaging in high-profile stunts with public funds, such as the election ‘police’ and flying Venezuelan migrants in Texas to Martha’s Vineyard.
Yet, voters in the Sunshine State rewarded him. This should concern communicators and senior executives. We likely will see more politicians replicating DeSantis-style tactics.