httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAkRiMiJVaw
If you can’t see the video, click here, or watch it directly on YouTube.
In this video I just share a few branding thoughts and community thoughts over voting. I wrote two very popular posts last month, one called My Vote For Sale: Price Engagement, which was about my disillusionment about the lack of engagement from candidates with their constituencies. It was so popular, that it’s the third result in Google for “vote for sale“.
My second post was about 10 Do and Do Nots for Social Media Campaigning in the Election, which has some great comments and great advice in at the end from all the collaborators around this blog.
This post now wraps up the story really – I voted – but even as I did, there were a few final parts of unengagement that I experiecend. Namely two things:
- You’re voting for your local candidate – however I’m sure many people don’t know who their local candidates are. They vote according to the overall party. The thing is, the overall party name is very small on the sheet – it is the names of the local candidates that are large on the page. I realised at this point how I wasn’t voting for a manifesto for a country as much as for local change – did I know what those changes would be?
- The voting form is black and white. All the branding use of colour is lost. I found it strange how I just did not see the logos on the form until I looked for them. Normally, they stand out so clear and strong.
On one hand you can dimiss these points as trivial (and most aware, proactive voters probably don’t even notice it), but there is a group of people who are voting for the first time who don’t understand the election system, who have grown up with brands and advertising and were motivated by the parties branding and advertising, which did not connect with their “in-booth” experience. That needs thinking through.
Joanne Jacobs is always excellent on understanding these things, so I’d subscribe to her blog to see what she writes next about all of this.
One final thought. I can’t help but wonder what the Real Asset is with all of this. Do you have any ideas?
Hey Scott, your question about the real asset here is so important. It seems that on one hand, the ground rules are shifting, especially as the communication methods and technologies become more sophisticated and ubiquitous.On the other hand, the underlying principles of trust, ethics, relevance and value remain as solid as ever. Surely, a primary asset must be the ability of an organization, party, company or even individual to successfully glue these two halves together. And again, surely building relationships with people – specific, individual relationships of quality rather than generic, glad-handed, 'toot & wave' connections of quantity – is a prime candidate (awful pun aside) to enable this.Lots more to discuss on this.Well done.Robin
Hey RobinThat is the point, isn't it – everything around us is changing, but the core stays the same. After all these years, business is still done on trust, for exmaple.Alex Green made a good point – the asset is what you take everywhere with you. It is inexorably who you are. It is what produces something from nothing.I do think an understanding of how to build relationships – from value, and then into volume, is needed for these MPs. The fact that I was engaged by no one (not even a fan of the local candidates) is concerning and shows a lack of realtionship AND a lack of networks.Scott
RE-ELECTION WITHOUT RELATION?Speaking of multiple choice, try this quick survey…;)They don't reach out and relate because:a) they have no intention of getting to know you;b) they don't know how to relate;c) they are too busy to even think about it;d) they are too lazy to relate – why do it when you get elected without it;e) all of the above;f) something else.Robin
B and CThey don't know how to do it, and don't even think about it!
So, how do we help them get it right in a way that is time-effective and easy, and shows them *how*?The temptation can be to slip into blame mode i.e. “be lame” rather than leadership-mode and deliver some breakthrough thinking and ideas to the table.Robin
I'm meeting local MPs this month
Up to 6% of males are colour blind, there won't be any ballot papers in colour.
Did not know that!