Once upon a time T&T politicians’ main form of communication to the electorate was the “Political Meeting”, usually of the “cottage” or “public” variety. Politicians largely used “face to face” interaction to get their message across. Then came media advertising and recently social media.
Nowadays, in the T&T context, Political Party’s communications plan must stand on four legs:
- Pressing the flesh by pounding the pavement
- Political Meetings
- Advertising
- Social Media
I would like to suggest that political parties should not under estimate the importance of “kissing babies”. No TV ad could replace an intimate interaction with the candidate. This is so largely because it is personal and you get to talk back to the message and tell them what is important to you.
I came across a useful podcast on How Digital is the 2015 Election? based on the recent polls in the UK. They make a few points which are interesting and here’s one point worthy of highlight. We should not use social media in the same way we use traditional media. I have also seen this mistake made in the consumer brands world. Social media really needs to include a large element of listening and not just speaking and in too many cases shouting. It really needs to be an electronic kiss, where a two way conversation takes place.
So while their communications budgets have exploded, that shiny new TVC with all its special effects that reach the masses in one go, must be accompanied with ‘sweat and smile’ investments.
T&T politicians still need to kiss babies and now they can also do so online, if they get it right.
