Let's talk about MN Governor Tim Walz

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As something of an armchair pundit a guy who spends way too much time on Twitter, I can’t help but get swept up by the media frenzy stoked by U.S. election cycles. And with Governor Tim Walz (my neighbor down the road) putting my home state of Minnesota squarely on the map of national awareness, it’s been exciting to see two of my favorite things to talk about collide. So much so, in fact, that I’m starting a little pop-up live show to explore these themes, which will run through election day.

Even if you aren’t as chronically online or as proudly Minnesotan as I am, the momentum that has arisen around Gov. Walz is undeniable – propelling him to the forefront of mainstream political news and dialogue seemingly overnight. You’d be wrong to assume this was a happy accident, however. While Walz’s appeal is founded in authenticity and straight talking, the simplicity of his rhetoric belies the hard work and smart thinking that has prepared him to be in exactly the right place at the right time.

That’s why I was so excited to sit down with my old boss, Noelle Coleman, to nerd out about Walz-mania. Noelle is not only a wonderful human but also one of the best PR experts I know. It’s been a minute since we formally worked together, but she is always my first call to understand the media (also: work-life blend, her very cute daughter Sloane, entrepreneurship, and where to get a decent cocktail in New York that won’t break the bank). Noelle now serves as Managing Partner of Mezzanine Advisors, a network-driven strategic comms and advisory shop.

Oh!

The other reason I wanted to talk to her about politics on the record? At the beginning of her career, she worked for seven years at a small emerging management consultant firm founded by a very prominent former mayor of New York City named Rudy Giuliani. Much has changed since then, and Noelle has gone on to work in senior comms roles at a series of large, well-known MNCs.

Thanks to Noelle for the chat. Here’s our conversation about my new favorite subject, America’s Dad (TM). Don’t forget to hit reply to let me know what you thought of this edition.

-joel

What can we all learn about communications from Governor Tim Walz?

A Q&A with Noelle Coleman, Mezzanine Advisors

Joel Leeman: From a comms perspective, what’s your take on Walzmentum? 

Noelle Coleman: First off, I’m all here for it. LFG.

But I think it’s worth pausing to reflect on how tumultuous the last eight years have been in the U.S.: Trump’s election in 2016; Charlottesville; mass shootings in Parkland, Uvalde, and countless other places; a global pandemic and mental health crisis; the murders of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd; geopolitical upheaval; a market crash and looming recession; skyrocketing inflation – all fed to us in a continuous loop all day via devices that we never put down. People are exhausted.

I believe that the Harris/Walz momentum is about a moment. It feels very similar to the buzz in 2008 when Obama first offered us ‘the audacity of hope.’ They are running on a platform of progress and inclusion – bringing JOY back into the conversation. Walz, in particular, has spent his entire life giving back and serving others in the military as a teacher, congressman, and Governor, and in every single one of those roles, he made people’s lives better. At this moment, I believe people are tired of the hate and vitriol and are doubling down on a person and a movement.

Think how you feel when you see a person wearing a red MAGA hat.

Now, think how you feel when you see Tim Walz holding a baby pig.

JL: How has Walz landed in New York?

NC: New York is a blue state, so there’s already tremendous enthusiasm and momentum for the ticket here, but the enthusiasm for him, in particular, is exceptional. Personally, given his deep Mid-Western roots, I actually think Walz would be a great New Yorker.

Here’s why:

• New Yorkers have strong opinions and aren’t swayed by others. Walz is authentic and sticks to what he believes even if it’s not the popular position – he supported same-sex marriage well before the Democratic Party did.

• New Yorkers mind their business and believe in freedom of choice. Walz signed legislation codifying abortion rights because he understood that maternal medical decisions should be made between a woman and her doctor.

• New Yorkers always step up and help each other out (see 9/11 and Superstorm Sandy). As Governor, Walz used a budget surplus to provide free food for all public school children.

• New Yorkers are whip-smart and funny (bias-showing). So is Tim Walz.

JL: Wow. That’s an excellent comparison. Wasn’t aware this was going to become a love letter between Minnesota and New York, but I’m here for it! Let’s talk about the word weird. Arguably, it’s a single word that helped catapult Walz to the top of the list. What can we learn about the importance of language in politics?

NC: I actually don’t love that he went there with ‘weird’ and that he made the couch joke. It’s out of character for him, and while it got some laughs and a fast burst of attention (and frankly, I do think J.D. Vance is weird, and people aren’t quite sure what to make of him), Walz can do better.

The VP pick often plays the role of attack dog, but Walz’s character has never been about tearing others down; it’s always been about picking others up, and I want them to lean into that first and foremost. This duo can run on optimism and policy, especially when contrasted with the extreme right-wing agenda (Project 2025).

JL: Although it feels like Walz appeared on the national stage overnight, the recent NYT reporting suggests that his team has been carefully prepping him for the national stage for a year. Thoughts?

NC: I think once most politicians hit a certain point, they start looking ahead. It’s a running theme of the show Veep, which I love. I think the brilliance of the image he created is that he looks, talks, and walks like a centrist Democrat. Teacher, football coach, 60-year-old hetero white family man. And yet, when given the opportunity, he pushes for progressive policies, and he’s able to do it (with support) because of the image of who he is. I think that’s why he really appeals to Gen Z voters: even though there is a generational gap, he is aligned with what they value and the agenda they want to see move forward. David Hogg was a very vocal supporter throughout these past few weeks.

JL: Part of why I wanted to talk to you is you worked for Rudy back in the day. Given your experience as a political staffer, what has and hasn’t changed in political communications since then?

NC: That feels like another lifetime, but yes, my first full-time job post-college was at Giuliani Partners, and I worked there for seven years.

What has changed: social media and the entire media ecosystem.

Then, most Americans were consuming their news via television and print media. Today, 86% of Americans are getting their news on a device, and many via their preferred social platform, which will feed them a stream of news they agree with, whether true or not. We have a misinformation crisis. False news travels fast and spreads like wildfire and is harder to contain; you’re not formally asking for a correction or sitting down for a formal interview to explain the circumstances (e.g., JD Vance and the couch).

On the flip side, social media has removed a barrier, and candidates (usually their staffers) are connecting more organically with constituents. I believe the whole #bigdadenergy trend is part of Walz’s mass appeal.

What hasn’t changed: reputation management and the careful construction of personal brand. Image is EVERYTHING in politics, for better or worse. Political hacks always give the example of the Nixon/Kennedy debate in 1960: Kennedy ‘won’ the 1960 televised debate frankly because he looked so much more vibrant than Nixon.

The same holds true today. The very careful construction of the narrative and core messaging is a team effort that takes months to develop and actively manage. The main difference is that now you have to manage that brand on multiple platforms, 24/7.

JL: So far, Harris hasn’t done a single sit-down interview, in part because of all the earned media. What do you think of that strategy?

NC: Frankly, she doesn’t need to right now, and she’s making the right decision. These last few weeks have been a blitz between Biden dropping out, her announcement, and lining up support from the Party, the VP pick, and now we’re heading right into the DNC. She has a lot of momentum and remains front-and-center in the headlines without doing a sit-down interview.

I would assume she and the team are likely putting all of their energy right now into the convention and then will go right into prepping for the debates. She will have lots of exposure through the next few weeks and has been in the public eye for a long time. I don’t think a 1:1 or appearance on Meet the Press will make a difference, and it could only hurt her at the moment. It’s a smart strategy.

JL: What would your top 3 pieces of advice be for the Walz team?

NC: Keep being authentic and get Walz out there as much as possible. He’s hugely popular, in some ways more than she is, and they should continue to make good use of that.

Keep up the momentum with Gen Z. They are crushing it with organic support on every single platform, and when Gen Z comes out in force, they will make a difference. Walz should do more to engage directly with them.

Don’t go negative. That’s not who Walz is, and I think people genuinely like and admire his character. He seems like a person you would want to spend time with. If he moves into classic attack mode, he loses what makes him truly unique.

JL: Any parting thoughts about Walz, the campaign, or what we should look out for in the next few weeks?

NC: I read in one of the barrage of recent articles about Walz that to kick off the legislative session, he would bring homemade desserts to all the lawmakers (Republican and Democrat). While that may seem hokey, it’s not about the treats; it’s about stakeholder management, showing up, and forming relationships with everyone you need to work with.

Whenever my team had friction at work with another department, I would set up an in-person meeting or even suggest a dinner between our groups. It’s so important to get to know the people you have to work with, have dialogue, and talk about things other than work so that when you have to sit down and get something down and you have opposing viewpoints, you can work together to get from ‘no’ to ‘how?’ He gets it.

Noelle Coleman (née Campbell) has 20 years of experience in public affairs, brand and reputation management. She co-founded and is currently Managing Partner of Mezzanine Advisors in New York, a boutique agency that specializes in strategic communications for growth-stage companies.

For more comms insights from Noelle, we really loved her article for InnoLead earlier this year on What Does It Take to Create a Good Communications Strategy for Innovation?

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📰 WALZING ON

• Ryan is loving this Business Insider commentary on how Walz’s wardrobe is another big factor in his appeal: “Walz's style has graced headlines for achieving what is so often elusive in politics: a real sense of authenticity.” [Joel is searching for his next chore coat to match the governor].

• The New York Times further breaks down Walz’s rise to prominence: “More than a year ago, Tim Walz and his aides decided to be ready in case an irresistible opportunity arose. Their tightly held strategy helped them catch political lightning in a bottle.”

• And, because we think alternate viewpoints are important too: Picking Tim Walz was Kamala Harris’s first campaign mistake.

📆 COMING UP

• August 19 | Democratic National Convention opens in Chicago, US

• August 22 | Economic policy symposium in Jackson Hole, US

• August 22 | The Louis Vuitton 37th America's Cup commences in Barcelona, Spain

• August 26 | US Tennis Open commences, New York, US

• August 23 | International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition (UNESCO)

• August 28 | 2024 Paralympic Games commences in Paris, France

Thanks for joining us this week. Anything we missed? Something we should include next week? Send us your shout-outs, strong opinions and headlines to include in next week’s edition at [email protected]. 

Spark is a production of Vivace Content, where we help our clients navigate what to say and how to say it every single day. Get in touch if you’d like to have a no-hassle consultation about how we can help you too. Have a great week ahead.