Sunday, December 3, 2017

Benjamin Franklin: The First Diplomat & Strategic Communication


mspsteem.com; re "Ben Franklin's thoughts on the horrors of the US being overrun by German immigrants," see.

 in history •  17 hours ago


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Strategic Communication gained public attention and emphasis beginning with world war I & II and has gained prominence throughout the years for military social engineers. While Strategic Communications, in regards to a historical time-line is a newly defined concept, the utilization of Strategic Communications by the United States can be traced back to US origins. Benjamin Franklin demonstrated great success in U.S. foreign policy associated with Strategic Communications in his diplomacy with France during the American war for independence. Franklin, while praised for his electricity attracting kite, was a grand spy-master and well versed in the ways of influence and persuasion. Strategic Communication aims to Inform, Influence, and persuade (Paul, 2011). Franklin was able to inform, influence and persuade the French that the United States was a legitimate governmental body and successfully gained the United States a vital ally.

It is important to note that Public diplomacy “seeks to promote the national interest and the national security of the United States through understanding, informing, and influencing foreign publics and broadening dialogue between American citizens and institutions and their counterparts abroad (Waller, 2006).” The diplomacy enacted by the founding fathers in efforts to gain French favor follow this definition precisely. Franklin was given the daunting task of obtaining a French alliance. He needed to establish credibility for the new country among the French public. The utilization of branding by Franklin gained him credibility and notoriety in the face of the French. The wealthy entrepreneur “deliberately traded his Philadelphia silk clothes for a raccoon skin hat and rustic Quaker attire, he personified the American Revolution (Waller, 2006).” The brand created by Franklin of the typical American was easily digestible to the French public and enthusiastically embraced. He was able to further gain notoriety with the aristocracy by frequenting social occasions. Franklin was able to gain credibility with the French public, thus giving his statements of American grandeur believability. “Credibility is really about believability (Paul, 2008).”


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The ability of Franklin to plan ahead also contributed to his success in Strategic Communication with the French. “Franklin prepared action plans, well in advance, to implement instantly when the opportunity presented itself (Waller, 2006).” Franklin planned to capitalize on a strategic American victory over the British in order to establish bilateral cooperation between France and eventually Spain. His utilization of aligning actions and messages was pivotal in his diplomacy success. In Strategic Communications, actions speak louder than words. Franklin knew that while he may boast of the Americans military power, a military success was required to prove his claims. The surrender by General Burgoyne to American troops in October 1777 at Saratoga was the action he needed to solidify his claims (Benjamin Franklin, n.d.). “What you do matters at least as much (if not more) than what you say, especially for deployed military forces (Paul, 2011).” Franklin through his patience and ability to establish credibility with the French government led to the signing of the Franco­ American military alliance only two months later, thus giving the Americans the forces needed to defeat the British (Waller, 2006).
In retrospect, there are few improvements that could be made in Benjamin Franklin's Strategic Communications. Franklin was successful in achieving the five goals of Strategic Communication; “creating and maintaining credibility, promotion of shared values, promotion of American values, and improving the general image of the United States (Paul, 2011).” Franklin created credibility in the French eye by displaying an apt knowledge of French culture and by catering to their likes and dislikes. Franklin promoted shared values by playing on the French dislike of the British. Franklin's mission to France was to promote American values and to improve the image of the United States in the eyes of the French. Franklin improved the French understanding of the aspiring country and further improved the perceptions United States (Paul, 2011).
Benjamin Franklin’s immense success in Strategic Communications ultimately lead to the United States victory over the British thus gaining United States independence. Franklin, as stated by historian Leo Lemay, was the “most essential and successful American diplomat of all time (World, 2002).”
References:
"Benjamin Franklin: First American Diplomat, 1776–1785." U.S. Department of State. https://history.state.gov/milestones/1776­1783/b­franklin
Paul, Christopher. 2011. Strategic Communication. Westport, CT: Praeger. Kindle Edition. pp. 1­168.
Waller, J. Michael. "The American Way of Propaganda: Lessons from the Founding Fathers." Public Diplomacy White Paper , 2.4nd ser., 1 (January 18, 2006): 1­13.http://www.iwp.edu/docLib/20060207_AmericanWayofPropaganda2.4.pdf
Image: John R. Mallernee, American Revolution Museum

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