CAMPAIGNS AND COMMUNICATIONS: Tools for Changing Public Opinion and Policy Steven Beasley, Geography 456

CAMPAIGNS AND COMMUNICATIONS:Tools for Changing Public Opinion and Policy

Steven Beasley, Geography 456

• Campaigns and communications strategies attempt to change the attitudes and beliefs of an identified group with the goal of changing opinions and prompting specific actions.

• These strategies can be used to provide information, promote dialogue, foster understanding, prevent misunderstandings, present a point of view, remove barriers between people or groups, cause changes to government policy or changes in government.

• Used by a variety of organisations including government, businesses, non-governmental organisations, and political parties, campaign and communication strategies are generally aimed at the public with the goal of influencing decision-makers.

• Campaign and communications strategies can be applied to the simplest issue or the most complex challenges facing humanity.

• Successful campaigns and communications strategies follow a three part approach of research, mobilization of support and government relations.

CAMPAIGNS AND COMMUNICATIONS: Tools for Changing Public Opinion and Policy

INTRODUCTION

• Step 1: Research• Step 2: Situation and Resource Audit• Step 3: Establish a Goal• Step 4: Define Audience Allies and Enemies• Step 5: Frame the Issue• Step 6: Create and Refine Message and

Theme• Step 7: Select and Implement Tactics• Step 8: Coalition Work• Step 9: Government Relations• Step 10: Evaluation


OUTLINE OF STRATEGY

• Determine current public opinion.• Examine relevant current and past public

policy and determine which statutes apply.• Identify the major interest groups who

have influence.• Research what messages and tactics have

worked and failed in the past. • Research and model the effects of what

you are proposing and alternate proposals.• Determine trends and patterns in other

jurisdictions.CAMPAIGNS AND COMMUNICATIONS: Tools for Changing Public Opinion and Policy

STEP 1 – CONDUCT RESEARCH

• Understand the current political and economic climate in which you are working.

• Determine which levels of government have jurisdiction over your issue.

• Study the governments’ current priorities and the state of intergovernmental relations.

• Research your own credibility as an organisation on the issue at hand.

• Conduct an inventory of resources of your organisation and know where your strengths and weaknesses are.

• Determine the potential negative/positive externalities of victory or loss.

• Identify areas of support and opposition within government, the general public, and other organisations.


STEP 2 – CONDUCT A SITUATION AND RESOURCE AUDIT

• Establish a specific goal that clearly identifies what you wish to achieve.

• Ensure the goal is realistic and that it permits you to measure your success or failure. (Ensure there is a mechanism to determine if you won.)

• Develop long and short term goals as appropriate.

• Set a timeline for achievement of the goals.• Ensure your timeline considers periods when

the public is distracted and incorporates regular political cycles and events.


STEP 3 – ESTABLISH A GOAL

• Determine the audience for your campaign.• Know the demographics, opinions and

beliefs of those you are trying to reach and influence.

• Understand where your support lies.• Identify those who will be campaigning

against you and understand their arguments and bases of support.

• Identify those whom you cannot afford to anger or ostracize.

• Identify key groups and individuals who would be willing to assist in your campaign.


STEP 4 – DEFINE AUDIENCE, ALLIES AND ENEMIES

• US ON US: what are we saying about our issue and our goals?

• US ON THEM: what are we saying about those in opposition to us and why they are incorrect?

• THEM ON US: what are our opponents saying about us and why we are incorrect?

• THEM ON THEM: What are our opponents saying about themselves and why they are correct (optional).


STEP 5 – FRAME THE ISSUE

• Based on the framing of the issue, synthesize your issue into key points that create a specific message box.

• Create desired sound bites.

• Select campaign themes and images.

• Identify your message territory.

• Inoculate against what your opponents (them) will say.


STEP 6 – CREATE AND REFINE MESSAGE AND THEME

Clear

Consistent

Concise

Compelling

Creative

Comprehensive

Credible

THE SEVEN “C’s” OF GOOD

COMMUNICATION

Source: Canadian Union of Public Employees

• Purchased media (ads).• Earned media (letters to the editor, stories,

op/ed, news releases, press conferences).• Direct mail.• Petitions, post cards, letters.• Rallies and other forms of direct action.• E-campaigning and web presence.• Door-to-door campaigning.• Material distribution (stickers, buttons, etc).


STEP 7 – SELECT AND IMPLEMENT TACTICS

Examples of Common Tactics

• Build support by approaching organisations with similar goals and opinions for assistance, support and donations.

• Where appropriate and practical, form formal coalitions of organisations all working toward the same goals.

• Obtain formal letters of endorsement from organisations and key individuals to serve as support for your issue.

• Obtain access to coalition partners’ membership and events to promote your issue.

• Work with coalition partners to present joint submissions to government.


STEP 8 – DIVERSIFY SUPPORT THROUGH COALITION

• Lobby Executive and Legislative Branches of government (MPs/MLAs and Members of the Executive).

• Make presentations to Government Standing Committees and Legislative/Parliamentary Committees.

• Meet with key bureaucrats and civil servants to recruit support and staff perspective.

• Secure the support of opposition parties and party leaders.

• Where government is unsupportive, recruit opposition members to sponsor Private Member’s Bill.

• Participate in third party campaigning during elections.


STEP 9 – GOVERNMENT RELATIONS

• Evaluate the success or failure of the strategy based on the stated goal.

• Examine the factors that contributed to the success or failure.

• Learn from mistakes.


STEP 10 – EVALUATION

• Campaign to increase youth voter turnout.

• Message determined by focus groups.

• Mix of earned and purchased media.

• Web campaigning.• Successful coalition

work.


EXAMPLE 1: ROCK THE VOTE BC

RESULT: Over 30% increase in youth voter

turnout in 2005 BC election.

• Use of polling to determine mood of audience.

• Good visual message.

• Diversity of tactics (tour, speaker’s corner, petition, rallies, decaled materials).


EXAMPLE 2: BRING TUITION FEES BACK TO EARTH

RESULT: Tuition fees re-regulated, increases capped at 2%, loan

remission re-instated.

• Campaign mostly directed at politicians, not the general public.

• No visual identity, petitioning the main tactic.

• Victory won through coalition work, government relations, third party campaigning in federal elections, and research.


EXAMPLE 3: GRANTS, NOT LOANS/ELIMINATE MSF

RESULT: Millennium Scholarship Foundation

to discontinue, creation of national system of grants, $100 million dollars more

for students in non-repayable assistance

• This process applies to resource management issues through the shaping of public opinion and changing of consumer attitudes and behaviors.

• Unfortunately, these types of strategies, are mostly used to justify irresponsible resource exploitation and to generate skepticism about global climate change (“All the science isn’t in”).

• In the coming year the Students’ Union and the Campus Sustainability Committee will develop a strategy to promote alternate transportation at Malaspina and attempt to change the way students, faculty, staff and local government thinks about our transit system.


RESOURCE MANAGEMENT APPLICATIONS


SOURCES

Communicating CUPE. Ottawa: Canadian Union of Public Employees, 2000.

"Develop Your Communications Plan." Power Smart Tips and Practices. 2008. BC Hydro. 2 Mar 2008 <www.bchydro.com/business/investigate/investigate893.html>.

Devereaux Ferguson, Sherry. Communication Planning, An Integrated Approach. London: Sage Publishing, 1999.

Inett, Pat. "Communications Planning for Organisations." Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. April 2003. Government of Ontario. 2 Mar 2008 <http://www.onmafra.gov.on.ca/english/rural/facts/03-033.htm>.

Gardiner, Michael. "Communications and Media Relations Planning." Catalyst Creative. Association of Managers in Community College and University Students' Centres, Nanaimo. November 2006.

McFadyen, Summer. "Campaigns and Government Relations." Canadian Federation of Students. Skills Development Workshop, Burnaby. June 2006.

"Strategic Communications Planning." The Spin Project. 2005. 2 Mar 2008 <http://www.spinproject.org/downloads/StrategicCommunications.pdf>

• QUESTION 1: Are these strategies promote or undermine good public debate on issues?

• QUESTION 2: Pick a topic, identify audience and create a message box.


QUESTIONS

Documents

CAMPAIGNS AND COMMUNICATIONS: Tools for Changing Public Opinion and Policy Steven Beasley, Geography 456