Skip to main content
CLOSE

Charities

Close

Corporate and Commercial

Close

Employment and Immigration

Close

Fraud and Investigations

Close

Individuals

Close

Litigation

Close

Planning, Infrastructure and Regeneration

Close

Public Law

Close

Real Estate

Close

Restructuring and Insolvency

Close

Energy

Close

Entrepreneurs

Close

Private Wealth

Close

Real Estate

Close

Tech and Innovation

Close

Transport and Infrastructure

Close
Home / News and Insights / Blogs / Public Affairs / 232: The democratisation of public affairs

Opening up a public affairs campaign can help deliver greater impact but there can also be a fear of ‘letting go’. Whilst there will always be risks, there can also be significant benefits.

It is a cliché to suggest that modern communications and social media have returned power to the people. Certainly they offer greater opportunities for engagement but properly managed they also increase the options available to a public affairs campaign.

Not all organisations will think they have the option to consider opening up their campaigns. They may not, for instance, have a large number of employees. But they may have other networks that are prepared to work with them and share their concerns whether they be suppliers, contractors, or partner organisations. So the first step needs to be to think about the wider stakeholder network and sound them out about possible involvement.

If there are people prepared to help then what are some of your considerations?

  • Setting the parameters – most of the audiences will need some help in knowing what they should say and who they should say it to. This is not about putting words in the mouth of people or ‘hiding’ a campaign behind the activity of others, but actually gives them some ideas about what they might want to do.
  • Personally created content – one of the huge benefits of the technology that most people have access to is that they can create their own content. This can be more powerful than officially sanctioned materials and can come across as more genuine as well.
  • A postbag issue – sometimes sheer weight of numbers really help. Old-fashioned letters can still be useful or organisations may look for a more social media-type approach. Whatever the method communication, politicians are increasing less likely to listen if they receive an ‘off the peg’, cut and paste style message. Flexibility and personality has to come across and that means not being controlling.
  • The method – some of the options that could be considered, such as an e-petition, really do just need large numbers in a relatively short space of time. This not only shows momentum but acts as an encouragement to others. If that is an option you are considering then make sure you have large numbers of potential signatories in advance. There is nothing worse, and potentially counterproductive, than a damp squib of an e-petition.
  • Opening up networks – working with your networks opens up the potential of working with their networks. The further away you go from ‘core supporters’ the less likely you are to know what is really going on and you certainly have less ability to guide them. But that is no bad thing. The ripples of the campaign can go much further.
  • The opportunities for case studies – working with networks provides opportunities for the sort of information and materials needed to bring a campaign to life. That is what politicians really want to hear.

But if any of this is to work and deliver better impact, then you need to think about your own behaviour as well.

Communications channels need to be kept open with regular updates and information made available. You also need to be available to answer questions etc. So this is not about command and control. It needs to be about engagement if it is really to work.

The campaign should also consider how it makes best use all this activity to ram it home for maximum effect. There is no point having activity taking place if it is not leading anywhere.

Opening up campaigns offers real benefits. Democracy can be a good thing.

Related Articles

Our Offices

London
One Bartholomew Close
London
EC1A 7BL

Cambridge
50/60 Station Road
Cambridge
CB1 2JH

Reading
The Anchorage, 34 Bridge Street
Reading RG1 2LU

Southampton
Grosvenor House, Grosvenor Square
Southampton SO15 2BE

 

Reading
The Anchorage, 34 Bridge Street
Reading RG1 2LU

Southampton
Grosvenor House, Grosvenor Square
Southampton SO15 2BE

  • Lexcel
  • CYBER ESSENTIALS PLUS

© BDB Pitmans 2024. One Bartholomew Close, London EC1A 7BL - T +44 (0)345 222 9222

Our Services

Charities chevron
Corporate and Commercial chevron
Employment and Immigration chevron
Fraud and Investigations chevron
Individuals chevron
Litigation chevron
Planning, Infrastructure and Regeneration chevron
Public Law chevron
Real Estate chevron
Restructuring and Insolvency chevron

Sectors and Groups

Private Wealth chevron
Real Estate chevron
Transport and Infrastructure chevron