PR Lessons We Can Glean From Michelle Obama’s “Becoming”

I acknowledge that I am part of a group that often does activities late. When everyone else has already done them, when time has long passed, here I am, now about to begin. I tend to watch movies and television series—and sometimes read books—months after their release. Yes, and what about it? While my timing may differ from everyone else’s, I still take pride that I ultimately get them done, regardless of the pace.

I read Becoming by Michelle Obama a few years after its release. I must say, this book stands out as one of the most exceptional memoirs I have ever read, and I had never been this captivated by a work of art. I have always been in awe of the Former First Lady, especially her eloquence and the confidence she exudes. Since gaining popularity, she’s captured the hearts of many, myself included – and so I was curious to learn about her life and her journey to becoming (no pun intended) one of the most admired role models.

There are so many parts of the memoir I would love to cover, from the unwavering support of her parents and her close bond with her older brother Greg to her passion for law, social causes and justice. And how could I miss how incredibly cute Barack’s proposal to her was? – but I will not be the one to give any further tea. Go and read the book!

Here are some lessons from the public relations lens from the book.

The Importance of Personal Branding

Michelle Obama’s personal branding revolves around resilience, empowerment, education, and overall well-being. In her memoir, she emphasizes a lot about her commitment to being her authentic self, effective from a younger age.

Authenticity is the quality of being genuine or real. It is many things—a few being fundamental to building a strong personal brand and the heart of the Public Relations discipline. To build trust, authenticity must be present. To positively influence an audience, you need to bleed (not literally) authenticity. Audiences can easily tell inauthenticity; the moment they sense dishonesty, they disengage. Good luck trying to get them back.

In her book, Michelle doesn’t explicitly state that she was building a personal brand as a young girl in Chicago’s South Side. However, through her general approach to life at home, at school, and with her peers, her actions gradually reveal the characteristics of building and developing one’s personal brand. This has shown throughout her adult years.

Crafting a personal brand in public relations involves presenting a consistent and authentic image that aligns with one’s values and objectives. Michelle’s narrative shows how sharing personal stories and challenges can strongly resonate with an audience. By openly discussing issues like her struggles with balancing career and family, her experiences with racial and gender biases, and her initiatives as First Lady, she showcases a brand focused on resilience and empowerment. Building your brand on the values and qualities that make you who you are is important.

Navigating Issues, Crisis, and Controversy

Michelle faced her fair share of controversies, more so because many of her actions and inactions were under intense scrutiny when she served as First Lady. In her memoir, she describes to readers what it was like to be at the center of these controversies and how she managed them. Notable mentions of issues she faced include misinterpreting her comments during campaign rallies and the initiatives she led as the head of the White House’s East Wing.

In Becoming, we see first-hand her as a model for issues and crisis management. The best approach for effective issues and crisis management is addressing issues head-on, maintaining transparency throughout and showcasing a commitment to resolving the situation. We find that whenever Michelle encountered controversies, she consistently addressed them with the same model – openly acknowledging her mistakes, regardless of whether her actions were truly wrong or not, providing context and clarity – giving audiences a better understanding of her intentions, which ultimately redirects the conversation towards more positive action, and reinforces her commitment to her core values.

With this approach, she mitigates the impact of negative feedback and redirects the conversation towards a more positive action (in PR, what we refer to as reinforcing your key messages). It was never really about her; it was always more about the positive causes she sought to educate audiences about and get them to support, leveraging her massive platform and the influence of her position as First Lady.

If you work in public relations, you navigate issues and crises using accountability, transparency, and a commitment to resolving them, thereby maintaining the reputation of both yourself and your clients.

Trust Building

I touched on trust briefly in the first point, but I want us to look at it more closely. Trust is a critical aspect of public relations. Be it an individual or an organization, trust is essential for establishing a positive reputation and fostering strong relationships with one’s audience. It also isn’t enough to just build trust; equal importance should be given to maintaining that trust. 

In the book, we explore how Michelle’s actions build and sustain trust. She consistently demonstrated her trustworthiness, an essential element that I cannot fail to mention. Being perceived as trustworthy significantly influences the ease of building trust.

Michelle exhibited honesty and commitment to her values, and just by consistently having all of those attributes, she won and has been able to manage the trust of her audience. Ultimately, it isn’t far-fetched to believe that building trust is less about the specific actions you take and more about your overall character. Trust can be cultivated through consistent behaviour and authenticity, reflecting your true self rather than a particular set of actions.

In public relations, building trust involves demonstrating credibility and integrity—principles that Michelle Obama exemplified throughout her life. Her commitment to these values allowed her to maintain a positive public image over the long term. For Public Relations and Communications professionals, the key to building and sustaining trust lies in honesty and consistency; as mentioned earlier, cultivating an inherently trustworthy character is also essential. By prioritizing these principles, you are well-positioned to foster long-term relationships with your audience.

So, dearest gentle readers, it is with the greatest pleasure that I recommend you find yourselves stuck in the pages of Becoming. And, if your curiosity allows, do also indulge in Showtime’s The First Lady *wink, wink*