Preparing charities for the 2015 General Election

Preparing charities for the 2015 General Election

• Office in Clerkenwell, London• Consultants and partners around the country• Member of PRCA and accredited with Consultancy

Management Standard (CMS)• PR for the public good• ‘Digital native’ integrated PR, social marketing and

digital communications agency• www.claremont.org.uk

http://www.claremont.org.uk/

This presentation covers

• Feedback on survey questions on charity readiness for the General Election 2015 (GE2015)

• The political landscape and charities

• Using comms to achieve objectives

• How to use social media to influence

Claremont.org.uk / @ClaremontComms

GE2015 – The current state of play

Senior man-agement or TrusteeCommunications / marketing

• Our survey received 55 responses– 24% chief execs– 22% trustees– 5% other senior management /

board

– 18% senior comms– 15% other PR or comms– 16% other (who were filtered out

of the survey)

• We looked at:– Importance of the general election– Communications channels– Preparedness

Will the general election be important?

All Senior Comms0

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Net agreeNet disagreeNot sure


Source data & more info at

claremont.org.uk



Channels to be used

We will work with partners?

Social media will be important?



• Claremont.org.uk / @ClaremontComms


claremont.org.uk



I am confident in my organisations ability to deliver?

All

Senior

Comms

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Net agreeNot sureNet disagree



claremont.org.uk



Our plans for GE2015 are well progressed

All Senior Comms0

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claremont.org.uk



Act now!

• GE2015 - a key campaign opportunity, but you need to act fast

• Manifesto policies are being developed

• Candidates have been selected

• And politicians have time to speak to campaigners– Looking for issues to build into election campaigns– Want to understand constituency issues better– Trying to build their own coalitions and support bases



Do’s and don’ts

DO

1. Send constituency specific summaries with stats

2. Offer positive campaigning opportunities esp. photos

3. Bring together the people you represent with their future MP

DON’T

1. Send huge documents

2. Threaten the vote

3. Organise traditional hustings


Save the Children: General Election 2010

Constituency photocall • All candidates invited

• STC developed press releases and conducted media

• Made images available to candidates who used them in leaflets, online, social media and in follow-up media


Your focus vs. political focus

Avoid a tug of war

• Align charity messages to fit the political landscape

• Demonstrate public support for your argument

• Thank politicians who support you and celebrate success

Daycare Trust example• Wanted government to invest in

childcare to tackle child poverty

• But needed to show public backing & make the case in a different way

• Demonstrated how lack of childcare stopped parents going back to work. Demonstrated how childcare worked in Denmark and gave economic benefits


5-point plan for getting on the radar1. Plan a programme of consistent activity

2. Create your own platforms

3. Involve politicians in your events

4. Use ‘real life stories’

5. Publicise and respond

And know when you’re winning!


Manage the message

• Keep it simple– “We need a minister for older

people”– “We must end child poverty”

• But develop all the variables for the campaign in advance, the “play book”– Positive and negative– Think about how the

messaging will progress?– What happens when

politicians react?Ed Balls MP signs the Every Disabled Child Matters pledge.

Image from http://www.edballs.co.uk


Build a consensus

• Helps avoid becoming a political football

• The more work you do now engaging with stakeholders the better– Makes money go further– Prevent overlap in campaigns

• Up-skill your volunteers / ground force– Campaign bootcamps– Online information sessions– Help them reach out to local party organisations


Develop a comms grid

• The Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 provides for general elections to be held on the first Thursday in May every five years– Parliament dissolved: Monday 30th March 2015– Easter: 3rd-6th April– Election date: Thursday 7th May 2015

• Develop a full calendar of activity– Identify your own peaks– And when the news agenda will peak– Don’t forget the weekends


Get the team and supporters ready

• Place your organisation on election footing – act as a campaign hub for partners, volunteers and supporters

• Spokesperson rota / media coaching– Also have real people / supporters on hand

• “Voices in the community”– Training– Resources– Guidance– Run campaign bootcamps

• Physical or virtual

Campaign hub

Volunteers

Politicians

Fundraisers

Partners


Egde: The People’s Voice 2010

• First election broadcast created by the people

• Supporters and stakeholders engaged through social media & PR. Responses collated to mirror charity’s Manifesto

• Film launched at House of Commons reception with research on public backing for measures. Tactical print & digital ads drove views / influence

• All parties backed proposals

http://bit.ly/EdgeGE10

http://bit.ly/EdgeGE10


Social media will be even more important

Facebook Likes 2010 Facebook Likes 2014 Twitter Followers 2010 Twitter Followers 20140

50000

100000

150000

200000

250000

300000

350000

400000

450000

Liberal Democrats

Conservative

Labour


claremont.org.uk



Regular people are more trusted by voters


Influencing using social media

• Re-use and re-purpose content

• Keep it short and shareable

• For retweets, 100 characters is a good target

• Involve and engage others at every stage

• Empower people to make the right decisions.– Train and advise

Social Content

Website content

User Generated

Content

Articles

Blog Posts

News Releases

Video & Rich Media

Q&A panel session

• Simon Francis– 07738487259 / [email protected] / @si_francis

• Nancy Platts– 07970 487744 / [email protected]

• Campaign bootcamp– http://claremont.org.uk/social-media-school/

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

http://claremont.org.uk/social-media-school/

http://claremont.org.uk/social-media-school/

News & Politics

Preparing charities for the 2015 General Election