One of the first lessons I learned when I started working in communications in the early 2000s was that successful business or brand campaigns were no different to political campaigns. What are the key ingredients?
- A powerful vision/purpose
- Clear objectives
- Simple messages
- Great spokespeople
- Rapid rebuttal
Much has been made about the digital and social revolution, but the ingredients above are exactly the same. In fact, the evolution of technology and the sophistication of social networks should make much of the ‘traditional’ approach easier. That’s why when I read this article from the Conservative Party digital team about their top 7 tips from the 2015 General Election campaign, I thought, really… that’s it!
But then I realised that although this approach, and these tips, are in many ways obvious – there are very few companies or brands that are doing it successfully. Why is that? Well l have a few thoughts:
1. Businesses or brands haven’t done the hard work to get to the right strategy and messages. Without this, always-on will just be noise. So do the hard work up-front and reap the benefits.
2. Always-on campaigning can be seen as time-consuming and expensive. It doesn’t have to be. With the right strategy, messages, and team, it can be cheaper AND get you a stronger ROI than one off campaigns.
3. Content, content, content. The need for visual content to capture audience’s attention has never been as important as it is today. Again, this doesn’t have to be expensive, but it does need to be creative and smart. So ensure you have a visual team member at the heart of the operation, not as a nice to have.
If you want to succeed in today’s 24/7, short-attention span, crowded environment – then you have to be in campaigning mode. The three steps above will put you on the front-foot. Do it, and you will see a difference in your results. Don’t do it, and you will be left behind.
