What did Amanda Gorman and the 192,000 flags at the Biden Inauguration say about how to use power of words and symbolism during a time of crisis management?

Hello and welcome to this episode of Speak PR my name is Jim James. And this is the podcast for getting noticed we share tools and tips and conversations with people who are getting noticed. So that if you want to get noticed, you may pick up some useful ideas. Now one of the ideas that I want to share today was just the power of words, the power of speech. And the reason this has been driven home is that after a four year period of speech being used really for a fair degree of division and hatred in America, we had the joys of listening to Amanda Gorman's poem yesterday. At the inauguration was a star studded cast, full of spectacle and full of symbolism. Now, obviously, this is important in light of the events just last week on Capitol Hill, an America's desire and need to kind of retake center stage as being the home of democracy and free speech. Now, obviously, people couldn't attend. So what the inauguration committee had done was to put some 200,000 flags, representing the 56 American states and territories down in the avenues there. So that looking out towards George Washington, and the obelisk, you could just see a sea of American flags, which of course, will it as the evening came on fantastic music and singing from Lady Gaga and Garth Brooks. Make it all inclusive. And the person that really stole the show, of course, was Amanda Goleman, the new Poet Laureate, who's only 22 years old. Reason I wanted to flag her was because she really illustrated the hopes and dreams of America. But also from a public relations point of view, she has really shown the power of speech, we get very tied up in social media, and in images and videos, and so on. And while she was wearing this amazing yellow jacket, and she's obviously a young and vibrant woman, it was the power of her words, and the metaphors that she used in the delivery that I think have resonated around the world. Because whilst America was impacted by the last four years of political division, the whole world has been struggling under the COVID-19. So her idea of finding hope, and finding light through this darkness is something that resonated globally. In the Speak PR program, I talked about messages being new, being fresh, and being simple to understand, but most of all, to go viral, they need to play into a received wisdom that's already living within the audience. And that's really what Amanda Gorman has managed to do. She's managed to tap into the site guys, not just in America, but as she says, in the world. So the reason for sharing this poem is not only is it uplifting and inspirational, but it also from a public relations points of view, gives us some ideas about the importance of messaging, and have about inspiration as leaders at this time. And also that inspiration can come from anywhere, not necessarily from the traditional places, nor people who would have thought in that star studded cast judging course included people like President Obama and Clinton, both of those, that the inspiration would come from a 22 year old woman from California, who, as she says, descended from the slaves and who's been raised by a single mother now dreams of becoming president one day. What an amazing story. And I think it also goes to show that for all of us leading organizations that the opportunity, the time is now to start thinking about the next generation of leadership and letting them have a voice. So let's just listen to Amanda Gorman. I think you'll find without video, the words resonate even more than they do when you're watching.

Mr. President, Dr. Biden, Madam Vice President, Mr. emhoff, Americans and the world. When day comes, we ask ourselves Where can we find light in this never ending shade. The lost we carry a sea we must wait. We've braved the belly of the Beast. We've learned that quiet isn't always peace, in the norms and notions of what's just is, isn't always just is. And yet the dawn is ours before we knew it, somehow we do it somehow we've weathered and witnessed a nation that isn't broken, but simply unfinished we the successors of a country and the time we're a skinny black girl descended from slaves and raised by a single mother can dream of becoming president, only to find herself residing for one. And yes, we are far from paulist, far from pristine, but that doesn't mean we are striving to form a union that is perfect. We are striving to forge or union with purpose to compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters, and conditions of man. And so we lift our gaze not to what stands between us. But what stands before us. We close the divide, because we know to put our future First, we must first put our differences aside, we lay down our arms so we can reach out our arms to one another, we seek harm to none, and harmony for all let the globe if nothing else, say this is true. That even as we grieved, we grew that even as we hurt, we hope that even as we tired, we try that will forever be tied together victorious. Not because we will never again no defeat, but because we will never again sow division. Scripture tells us to envision that everyone is so sit under the own vine, and fig tree, and no one so make them afraid. If we're to live up to our own time, then victory won't lie in the blade. But in all the bridges we've made, that is the promise to glade the hill we climb if only we dare. It's because being American is more than a pride we inherit. It's the past we stepped into and how we repair it. We've seen a force that would shatter our nation rather than share it would destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy. And this efforts very nearly succeeded. But while democracy can be periodically delayed, it can never be permanently defeated. In this truth in this faith we trust for while we have our eyes on the future history has its eyes on us. This is the era of just redemption we feared and at its inception, we did not feel prepared to be the heirs of such a terrifying hour. But within it we found the power to author a new chapter to offer hope and laughter to ourselves. So while once we asked, how could we possibly prevail over catastrophe? Now we assert, how could catastrophe possibly prevail over us. We will not March back to what was but moved to what shall be a country that is bruised, but whole benevolence, but bold, fierce and free, will not be turned around or interrupted by intimidation because we know our inaction and an Ursa will be the inheritance of the next generation our blenders become their burdens but one thing is certain. If we merge mercy with might, into mights with rights, then love becomes our legacy in change our children's birthright. So let us leave behind the country better than one we were left with every breath my bronze pounded chest we will raise this wounded world into a wondrous one we will rise to the gold limbed hills of the West we will rise from the windswept North East where our forefathers first realized revolution we will rise from the lake rim cities of the midwestern states who will rise from the sun Big South we will rebuild, reconcile and recover and every known nook of our nation in every corner called our country. Our people diverse and beautiful will emerge battered and beautiful. When they come through. We step out of the shade of flame and I'm afraid the new dawn balloons as we free it for there is always light if only we're brave. have enough to see it if only were brave enough to be it.

So needless to say, massive applause from around the world for Amanda Gorman, both as a person and with her messaging. Now, if you then look at it from a public relations point of view again, she was on stage. They're presenting, obviously to a global audience. Within 24 hours, the Denver seven YouTube video has 505,427 views. It only has 300 subscribers to his channel, that's just Denver seven, in Colorado, she herself has now got 1.2 million Twitter followers. I think that's also increased overnight fairly significantly. And the tweet that she took with the Clintons, 30,000 likes 1,700 retweets, and 476,000, quote, tweets. So we can see how the viral effect of a message in this social media world can carry globally and pretty much instantaneously. So within 24 hours, this message of hope, and of goodwill, but also for youth, and charisma has gone around the world. So as you look at your own business, and the messaging that you would like to portray, to your team and to your customers and to your staff, just think about some of the lessons maybe that we've learned from Amanda Gorman's presence on stage and what we can do, in our own words, to lift and inspire people to step into the light. Thank you so much for listening to this episode of Speak PR. My name is Jim James. I hope you found this of use. And if you'd like more information do come to our website, which is at eastwestpr.com. For the newsletter, which goes out weekly or if you're interested of mastermind at SpeakPR.co where we talk about the five stages of Storify, personalize, engage, amplify and to know and I think we've all been very blessed this week, to have had goodwill and hope amplified through the amazing poetry of Amanda Coleman. God bless