I’ve always pondered about the level of thought (or lack thereof) that underpins a political campaign, particularly from a strategic viewpoint. In recent weeks, when I can’t see the elegance of Carysfort Avenue due to the abundance of election paraphernalia, this line of thought has resurrected itself…
What surprises me is how little attention the general public really pay to party slogans, election promises or posters (unless highly embarrassing!), in comparison to the inordinate amount of time (never mind money) that campaigners spend dreaming up and erecting them. Yet this appears to go somewhat unnoticed by those who wield the purse strings.
After what seems like a lifetime half studying for an MBA (really only 2 years), I am now conditioned to think deeper about the key success factors underlying people’s pursuits, even those behind an election campaign. What should a candidate aspire to with their strategy and how should one really look to brand themselves? Do all of the costs involved in erecting posters and canvassing from door to door really carry such a significant benefit? Is there a good rationale underlying why election campaigns have been run in almost the same fashion with decades? It all begs one clear question… What does the customer really want?!?
- Does the candidate who puts up the most posters per square meter win? Quite possibly…
- Does the candidate who comes up with the largest number of generic statements get elected? Maybe…
- Perhaps it is the candidate who declares that their love for the planet precludes them from putting up posters and thus they should be voted in…
- It certainly doesn’t appear that the candidate who would do best for their constituents, necessarily gets in every time…
Surely at some stage, people will take a step back and assess what they are really being offered and may begin to question the value they are obtaining from candidates. Further, there is currently no means by which to periodically assess a successful candidates’ pursuit of their stated goals, thus many are voted in on false pretences as they succeed in not pursuing their election promises once in power. If this were a public company, such behaviours would not be tolerated!
It is not all doom and gloom though, as there appears to be significant opportunity for the right person to do something innovative and improve this arena. Such an action may even prove to be the action that breaks the current inertia surrounding election campaigns!
In this regard, perhaps, an advertisement in a local paper will not get the same viewership as 1001+ posters littered around the Country, however to me it would appear a far more sustainable way to undertake an election campaign. Banning of posters for future elections could even prove to be an election promise worth keeping! Going even further, in these days where almost everyone is connected in some way to the World Wide Web (be it by their phone, their tablet or perhaps soon to be their wig – Sony’s Smart Wig), perhaps someone could take the initiative to properly advertise their brand via social media? Or how about an attempt at a viral video to get the youth of today more interested in politics and perhaps contemplating your political brand?
Personally, it would appear that elections are not sustainable in the longer term if they continue to be run in such a fashion as they do not provide the requisite value to the ordinary voters, however I do believe that there is scope to improve the process and make candidates more accountable for what they promise during the election campaign.
Shaun O’Keefe
Weekend class Year 2