Hearts & Minds: Flag Waving & White Smoke

Yesterday was flag-waving day. It would have been anyway, to commemorate the end of the Second World War in Europe. Accompanying it was the US-UK trade deal, with the Stars and Stripes and Union Jack in evidence. Later, came the election of a new pope, in front of a Vatican crowd also adorned with national colours.

Tricky things, flags. Awkward too are those occasions like VE Day when the need is to hark back but somehow maintain significance and relevance for the present.

For corporates, the nearest equivalents are the debate over the entrance to the HQ and how the architect’s line of flagpoles should be decorated. They look impressive but something must go on them without offending stakeholders. Then, some companies have a founder’s day, an occasion for celebration but also to recall the character of the original creator and the principles they laid down. Again, potentially difficult, depending on how far the firm has travelled. Of course, neither is the same as the importance attached to marking the outbreak of peace and an end to the horror of Nazism, but the comms discussions are not dissimilar.

It comes down to telling a story, keeping it simple and personal, involving real people and drawing on the latest tech to make it as dynamic as possible. Flags may be a symbol, a piece of cloth, but they have meaning (witness the folks in St Peter’s Square). Choose those countries that matter most – the location of offices, mix of employees, where you sell. Accompany the choice with an explanation, the tales as to how and why they were selected.

As the White House and Downing Street comms teams did, if there is an announcement of a cross-border merger or investment, do not be afraid to signify it’s also about two sets of staff and their nations joining forces.

For the landmark anniversary, same as with the ending of the War, the number alive from those days is getting ever smaller. Involving Winston Churchill’s great-great-grandson, Alexander Churchill,10, to light a candle for peace and invite people ‘to pray for peace in Europe and around the world’ was a smart touch. It was human and in a single moment brought connection to an event that could otherwise have passed younger generations by.

Don’t under-estimate our desire for understanding from the past. It’s true, everything is faster and slicker but the quickest boat still requires an anchor.

Chris Blackhurst is one of the UK’s foremost business journalists. He was previously Editor of The Independent and City Editor of the Evening Standard.