We (still) need to up our comms game

By Lilia Dashevsky

Jul 10, 2025

Editor’s note: On democracy communications, when Lilia Dashevsky talks (or writes), I listen (and publish).

Now with Emet Strategies, Lilia has previously worked with Protect Democracy, States United Democracy Center, the Brennan Center for Justice, the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins, and many, many more. Read on for her take on how our field is communicating.

Nine months ago, Scott Warren and I outlined a few things that this space needed to re-focus on post-election. We particularly called out the importance of defining what “democracy” actually is, and rethinking how, where, and when we share those definitions in order to have the biggest impact possible.

Much has changed since then—the rule of law, civil society, and our institutions have all come under sustained pressure. While we react to those emerging situations we must keep our focus on being proactive storytellers and communicators so we don’t perpetually remain in a defensive posture. I believe there’s room to up our game (which I would go on about for longer, but Gabe has decided to give me a word count…):

1. Fully-aligned communications will get results.

Every voice within an organization or across partners must row in the same direction. When internal and external communications are seamlessly aligned across all channels, our messages, issues, and ideas will cut through the noise and resonate with greater force. I challenge all organizations and coalitions to critically evaluate your brands, strategic objectives, and messaging to ensure complete alignment internally and externally. Do all of your stakeholders understand their purpose and the story they’re telling?

2. Winning communicators act fast.

The traditional pace of communications is obsolete and we must adjust our systems, teams, and processes. Successful organizations will swiftly analyze qualitative or quantitative feedback from their audiences, refine strategy on the fly, and confidently deploy new narratives. We can’t afford to spend weeks perfecting and fielding a survey, taking more time reviewing results, and then taking even more time compiling something into a public-facing output. In the pursuit of certainty and perfection, precious time is lost in that cycle–agile execution, testing, and continuous iteration are key (pro tip: this is a great time and place to experiment with AI!).

3. The media environment is fractured, and fracturing.

The idea of a “one-size-fits-all” approach is gone. Communications plans aren’t sufficient just because they include social media, podcasts, or content development. Your audiences, no matter how sophisticated, consume information from an atomized landscape. It’s important to embrace flexible, dynamic communications approaches that meet people where they are, regardless of their preferred information sources (and yes, this may mean relinquishing control of your buttoned up brand messaging!). Understanding audience nuances will also stop us from something we’re guilty of: speaking to our own ecosystem on repeat.

4. Don’t try to be everything. Know and own your brand.

We are drinking from a firehose of problems and issues, and the temptation to cast a wide net, or to apply a big bandaid–choose your preferred metaphor–is strong. However, the most successful organizations and communicators possess unwavering clarity about their mission, unique value, and distinct voice. Trying to be everything to everyone leads to muddled outcomes and messages. By knowing exactly what you do, how, and why, and communicating it with directness and confidence, you build a trusted voice that has real impact.

The health of our democracy hinges not only on the strength of our institutions and founding documents, but also on our ability to effectively communicate their value, defend their integrity, and mobilize support. The lessons of the past months are clear: proactive, agile, and strategically aligned communications are no longer a luxury, but a necessity to secure the future of American democracy.

Lilia Dashevsky is the Founder & CEO of Emet Strategies.

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