When a marketer wants to get their message or that of their client across to a politician, the usual method is to devise a print and electronic media campaign. Lobbying MPs directly is also a major factor in most advocacy campaigns. But how effective are such points of influence?
National public affairs firm, Parker & Partners, a member of the Ogilvy Group (I am a member of the P&P Advisory Board), has just released some answers to that question in its first Australian Political Influence survey.
Over 60 interviews were conducted with state and federal politicians from across the spectrum, so it’s a fairly good read on just who and what influences our politicians most.
The survey, released in March this year, indicates that 36% of politicians said their local community and constituents were highly influential on their political and policy thinking, but only 16% reckoned that opinion polls were highly influential on their decisions. This is a surprise, given how poll-driven many politicians appear to be in the eyes of the community.
As the survey notes, “there is no ‘one size fits all’ in any campaign, and in many cases, a combination of communications activities will be required to secure a client’s commercial and/or policy objectives”.
What this research also does is to give some useful pointers to marketers and strategists when they are running campaigns that involve the political process.
One of the keys to influencing a politician positively appears to be the direct approach, with 43% of those surveyed indicating that it is a “highly effective influencing tool”. But beware of an aggressive and pushy approach when meeting politicians—67% of them think it to be a highly negative influence on their decision-making about an issue.
If there are three critical tools a marketer and their client need to have in influencing political decisions, it’s knowledge, data and a solution. The P& P survey confirms this to be the case.
As someone who has sat on the other side of the table from lobbyists, marketers and clients, there is nothing more frustrating than listening to a negative story with no solution being put on the table. If a lobby group hires an advertising agency to run a campaign on its behalf, be sure to ask them what solution it has to the problem it is facing as a result of the political process.
The survey found that 69% of politicians find the offering of a solution by an organisation or an individual to be highly positive. In other words, ensure your marketing campaign is not simply a whinge, but has an upside—a realistic solution.
And if you are acting for a business group or commercial client, the survey notes, don’t make your pitch too self-interested—79% of interviewees in the survey said that overly commercial goals have a negative effect on how they view a particular issue.
Allied to this is the need for data and credible economic information to back up your case—36% of those surveyed find data to be a highly effective influencing tool. The best ads are those that include some sourced information. I saw one recently on the back of a bus in Hobart where I live, which said that six out of 10 Tasmanians believe in water metering. It is a credible figure and makes you take notice of the message.
There’s good news in the survey for those ad agencies that have industry groups, NGOs or community-based associations as clients—61% of politicians think that such organisations are influential on their decision-making. So use the credibility that exists to build your campaign.
All in all, what this intriguing survey shows is, as P&P conclude, in the Australian political system it is the voters that are the raw nerve for politicians—after all, they elect them every three or four years. “For this reason alone, organisations seeking to influence government should ensure they consider the use of the media—both national and local—to promote their cause,” the survey notes. And this includes advertising and marketing through the various forms of media out there.
Parker & Partners: Australian Political Influence Survey, March 2005. www.p-p.com.au.
writes about politics, government and marketing for B&T and is a former Howard Government and Democrats adviser.
