 Geoffrey Stackhouse, Managing Director, Clarity Solutions
The Skittles brand was almost collateral damage in the Trump campaign until a smart tweet saved its bacon. The superb response by Skittles (pictured) is a great insight into the art of control and a reminder that there are only three possible ways to react in this, or in any moment when you are attacked. You can attack, you can defend, or you can express your own point of view without referencing the provocation. In most media interviews I see, people tend to defend when they feel attacked. They justify their view within the confines of the question. In other words they are completely controlled by the question and end up focussing on it. In social situations the most common response is to attack, to react to the threat by chucking grenades. I do see it in media interviews occasionally and it's never a winning strategy. Again you're allowing your response to be controlled by the question. It's rare, but refreshing, to see the confident communicator who can acknowledge another's view (or at least an aspect of it) and still focus on expressing their viewpoint. That's the highest level of control. Skittles was dropped in a mine field and they found the only way out. They did it with a subtlety and grace we don't normally see in media. There's an art to Strategic Conversations, and its more than basic media training. Read our course outlines or email us for more tailored information.
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