With local elections happening across England in just a few weeks, including the high-profile Greater Manchester mayoral race, and a general election coming in a few months, one thing is for sure – the legislative and regulatory landscape will look quite different by the end of this year. For brands and organisations, uncertainty can bring opportunity as potentially choppy waters are navigated correctly. Whatever is on the horizon for you and your team, the key is to get started now. Here are some top tips about to do exactly that:
Listen first
The sheer volume of news that elections of all kinds receive can be overwhelming and effectively drown anything else out for a few weeks or even months, even if your campaign is not directly involved in electioneering. The added noise makes it much harder for messages to break through.
Now is the time to take a fresh look at your strategy. While there is still some uncertainty as to the exact date of the general election, we know the main event is either happening in June or October/November this year. If you have something planned for around those times, perhaps it’s wise to pull back and reschedule. The last thing you would want is for all the time to be wasted with a lacklustre campaign launch.
Think HOT: Hype – Opportunity – Threat
While it’s unwise to try and compete with the political juggernaut of a general election, it’s also worth strengthening your antenna to see what’s hype, opportunity and threat.
In short, hype is the sound, not the signal. It’s the headline-grabbing attempt to either put attention on something, or take it away from something else. It is short-term in nature and unlikely to impact your organisation, so resist the temptation to react. This can include promises that seem too good to be true, policies that are vague and lack detail, or a sudden change in the news landscape with little to no prior warning.
On the opportunity side, elections offer a chance to insert your voice into important national conversations happening around key issues like the economy, cost of living, public services, industry regulation, or ESG. Whatever sector you’re in, the likelihood is you’ll be impacted by a shifting landscape so take the chance to craft an authentic, informed position.
By taking a stance and aligning with the values and priorities of your target audiences, you can build connections, differentiate your brand, and potentially reach new customers.
However, there’s also a dual threat on the horizon. In the short-term, stepping into this space can be riddled with difficulty if done too fast and without proper thought or preparation. Brands must walk a tightrope – engaging on relevant issues in an authentic way, while avoiding being seen as too overtly partisan or preachy.
The second threat comes in not knowing what’s around the corner. You might seem confident in predicting a certain result, but no one can be certain. Taking long-term strategic gambles is risky, especially if your organisation or sector are affected heavily by regulation. Having a sound understanding of what both parties are considering is essential. If you don’t have the headspace to do this, partner with someone who does.
Paid promotion can be key
Once you’ve made a decision as to what type of campaign you want to run in the context of this year’s political and social environment, deciding how to achieve this is equally important.
With the level of noise in this environment, investing in paid promotion across your digital channels will go someway to cutting through the sounds and driving meaningful signals to your audience instead. This is where you might want to consider paid promotion. If targeted right, it can be an invaluable tactic, securing eyes on your content and amplifying your message in what will be a very crowded landscape.
Paid promotion also offers valuable data and analytics, allowing you to track the performance of your campaigns in real-time. This data-driven approach enables you to make informed decisions, constantly assess whether your strategy is delivering, re-align resource, and demonstrate value to your clients.
The next twelve months will present brands and organisations with some difficult decisions. But there is a window for smart, thoughtful brands to craft creative campaigns that capitalise on the current situation, instead of being overshadowed by it.
It’s a delicate balance, though. Constantly be in listening mode, then work with a partner to understand what is just hype, what is opportunity, and what is threat. Once you have a strategy in place that acknowledges the external environment, utilise tactics like paid promotions, perhaps more than you ordinarily would.
Want to guarantee your campaign survives this year? Get in touch.