Election PR: a call for a change in tone

Claire Thompson, freelance PR consultant, Waves PR

So they’re off.

UK politicians have gone into campaigning mode. Now I’m no expert at political PR and call in specialists when clients need to consider lobbying, but I do know that what’s gone before in terms of communications needs chewing up and throwing out.

‘Brilliant political communicators’ may be brilliant in the Houses, but for most of us, the current party communications are a huge fat switch off. The biggest message coming from both major parties at present is ‘we’re less bad then them’.

Given the apparent moral bankruptcy of Britain’s politicians, I can’t help feeling they’re missing a trick.

Cameron is fighting on a platform of ‘hope, optimism, and change’: would that be that the Tories HOPE they can get in; OPTIMISM because the other party is equally bad, so they’re level pegging in the unpopularity stakes; and CHANGE, because, yes, they want a change of government so they can take charge with all of the duck house benefits that entails.

Meanwhile Gordon Brown, coming in for some personal stick, is banking on more of the same, and has a hard job to persuade people that things will be any different.

And Nick Clegg faces the greatest opportunity that the Liberals have ever had, but doesn’t seem to making much communications headway whatsoever. They’re the only clean sweep party, but if they have clear messages, they’re not reaching me.

So here’s a communications plea on behalf of undecided voters, me included.

Opposition should only mean keeping a check on things, not all out hostility – a good idea is a good idea whoever came up with it, and if political point scoring is more important to you than communicating what you really plan to do for us (and let’s face it, all parties have had plenty of time to think about it) you deserve the hung parliament that appears to be facing us.

Despite caring deeply what happens, I personally switch off every time I hear you knock each other. It simply begs that question: what are they hoping we won’t discover by throwing attention on the opposition.

There is constant political bleating about people not voting, about voter apathy. Well here’s a thought: apathy happens when people believe they have no power to change things.  This constant petty point scoring leads only to people thinking ‘what’s the point’?

I’d rather be stuck at a Barry Manilow concert than listen to it! (Apologies to Barry fans.)

The danger this time is that you may have to deal with the devil – fringe and marginal interest groups – to get anything passed in the next Parliamentary session.

So here’s a PR plea: stop knocking bells out of each other and wasting huge tracts of money finding out about people’s past misdemeanours, and planting dirty tricks.

I dare you: change the communications tone and articulate something to vote for.

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1. Tweets that mention Election PR: a call for a change in tone | Waves PR, freelance PR consultant, UK -- Topsy.com — April 6, 2010 @ 5:56 pm

2. Communications and the Election: Talk Issues | Waves PR, freelance PR consultant, UK — April 10, 2010 @ 10:51 am

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