The Role of PR during the General Election

Just 1 day shy of the general Election and the image of a strong and stable leadership has been put under scrutiny. This week, more so than ever, the country’s leadership and perceptions of their values have been heightened by the tragic events of the last couple of weeks.

Things to consider:

PRs work hard to win the media and the public’s appeal. It is their job to make sure that negative opinions are minimised and the positives highlighted. They work to keep messages clear and to the point, in line with what the leaders want us, the public to understand.

Often, biased media coverage leads to unbalanced accusation of the candidates, generating a somewhat distorted view of what each one of them stands for and the proposition he or she are bringing forward. It becomes the PR’s duty to work against the current, and under the shadowing of these headlines, they work out an approach to communicate and regain the voters trust.

Social media further complicates these actions. Any bad publicity captured and published will run past the election date, damaging the candidate’s reputation. For PR and any other medium of communication “perception is reality” thus it is pertinent that the perception is always in favour of the candidate.

What’s important:

Staying on message is key. Clarity, focus of delivery of the key points and a well-executed campaign, helps candidates get over the winning line.

A good PR should:

Get the key brand message on point
Simplify the message for clarity
Help candidates get noticed
Connect with the voters (retaining the old and acquiring the new)
Use the data in hand to enhance or restructure the overall campaign
Cultivate relationships and build on new ones
Handle risk and deal with a crisis

Find out more:

If you are interested to learn more about the implications of PR campaigns, staying on message, branding and communications – then have a look at our courses