The pre-election season has begun in earnest: Labour is talking Balls and schools; the Tories are trying to defibrillate the ailing NHS; and the Liberals are saying something but is anyone really listening to them?
Meanwhile, the tiny vestige of faith in politicians has been blasted away by the over-exposed expenses scandal. The Great British public will be ignoring promises from every party because, let’s face it, they were all culpable to a greater or lesser extent.
Now that political spin doctors have become as known (and occasionally as loathed) as the politicians themselves, PR has a massive job to do. Not only will we see party PR departments upping their emphasis on the digital platform even more than they already have, but they will also need to behave as if they are up for election too – and behave accordingly.
With the explosion of social media, and some under-par use of it on the part of politicos, everyone involved with the election now has the power to embarrass the party in front of the ever-growing army of digital influencers.
So we expect to see an influx of bigger, smarter PR ideas, delivered by slicker, more professional and more disciplined outfits. We predict more ‘you-drive-it’ campaigns, intended to engage political champions at a much more grass-roots level. And if it’s not already happened, we think it’s time for the PR industry to follow the big advertising agencies – offering free services to parties simply for the prestige of having been involved.
One thing’s for sure: the coming election will continue to raise the reputation of PR itself as an industry that isn’t all mouth and has the several pairs of blue, red and yellow trousers to prove it.
