Why Nikki Haley Joined Edelman
On Politics & PR: Context Collapse #309
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Question: After Nikki Haley ran for president, what did she do?
Answer: She joined a PR firm.
Axios’ Eleanor Hawkins and Sophia Cai have the details on the former presidential candidate joining public relations firm Edelman:
Former Republican presidential candidate and United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley will join public relations firm Edelman.
Why it matters: It's a surprising move for a once-rumored vice presidential contender and someone who former President Trump has said will be on his team "in some form" should he win the election.
The intrigue: Even though Haley endorsed Trump after the assassination attempt on him at a rally in July, this move signals Haley is pursuing other options. […] Haley will serve as vice chair within EGA, the firm's global public affairs consultancy.
Obligatory note: I have worked for Edelman as a contractor on several projects. My work for Edelman primarily consisted of writing whitepapers with a larger team, working on survey and focus group strategy, and building brand strategy for their clients’ new product rollouts. It was fun!
Haley joining a PR firm has several benefits for both her and the company. Here are the three major ones:
1. Contacts, Contacts, Contacts
Haley is a former ambassador to the United Nations and current standard-bearer for the institutionalist wing of the Republican party.
Many, many former politicians have joined law firms or public relations firms—or started their own—after leaving public office.
Former politicians bring with them a powerful contact book of potential allies and clients which are very, very helpful for public relations firms like Edelman.
2. Sitting Out The Next Four Years
Haley is currently in a hard spot with her political career. She’s the de-facto leader of the Republican Party’s anti-Trump coalition, and Trump is 100% in charge of the Republican Party at press time.
If Kamala Harris wins the presidential election, the national Republican Party will be in disarray and realignment for at least the next two years. If Donald Trump wins the presidential election, Haley will be marginalized in her own political party for at least the next two years. It’s a no-win situation for Team Haley.
Which makes a temporary career change all the more appealing.
3. S#1+’s Changing For PR Firms, Too!
Edelman is one of the largest public relations firms in the world. It works on everything from prestige research reports (The Edelman Trust Barometer) to lobbying-adjacent projects to crisis communications to pitching journalists on articles. I highly recommend reading Edelman’s Wikipedia article; it’s a trip.
The media and influence landscape are in the middle of the largest generational shift since the rise of the internet right now. The rise of social media led to the growth of a massive ecosystem of influencers and creators who, in many cases, wield more influence than established media outlets like the New York Times or Fox News. This is a new reality for everyone, PR firms included.
This is even before we talk about generative AI-created content flooding the zone or the disruption to the US right wing by talk radio gradually ceding ground to podcasts + YouTube/TikTok. When things are weird, it’s sure useful to have an influential former politician on your team.
What do you think? Let us know in the comments.