Alan Kelly and I met in 2006. He had just completed a book manuscript and sought a blurb and a collaboration, both of which I was delighted to provide.
Alan was attempting to transfer his knowledge of public relations to political management. He had systematized what he learned during a highly successful stint as the founder and head of a pre-Internet Silicon Valley PR firm, believing it held lessons for campaigns and governance. The title and subtitle of his book say it all: The Elements of Influence, The New Essential System for Managing Competition, Reputation, Brand, and Buzz.
Alan devised a periodic table that labeled and sorted plays that political communicators make as they work. Call outs. Lanterns. Floats. Baits. Deflections. There are twenty-five plays in all, and Alan used them to analyze public affairs and advise corporate clients. I don’t think he ever dipped into consulting on elections. But he loved writing and talking about the moves of politicians.
We had a blast together doing a weekly radio show “Plays for the Presidency” in 2007 and 2008 on Sirius XM. We made a good team, if I do say so, because my approach to the topic of influence is inductive and Alan was a deductive guy to his bones, at least in this phase of his career. So we argued as often as we agreed, always with a good deal of humor and devotion to being as insightful as we could.
I brought Alan into the adjunct faculty orbit at GSPM. He taught his system to our students and elsewhere right up until his sudden passing on April 13. He was a gentleman with a gregarious spirit. He leaves his wonderful wife Kim and children Katie and Leo, and dear memories for those of us who worked and sailed with him.
Michael Cornfield is an associate professor at the Graduate School of Political Management and research director of the Global Center for Political Management.
