Scotland Communications & Campaigns Committee

Campaign PlanningCampaign Planning

Campaign PlanningScotland Communications & Campaigns Committee

The boring bit - infrastructure

Branch communication system – Do you have one?

• How do you do it?• Who does it?• What is the system used for?• Does it need more resources?

Campaign PlanningScotland Communications & Campaigns Committee

Choose your campaign

• About PEOPLE• Likely success?• Deep and wide concern – can you get members to identify with it?• Involves members and potential members - RECRUIT• Worth the time and effort• Easily understood• How will we know we have won?

Campaign PlanningScotland Communications & Campaigns Committee

Create the campaign theme

• Analyse the issue• Identify your aim• Keep it clear and simple• How will we put this across?

- To members- to the public/ user groups- to decision-makers

Campaign PlanningScotland Communications & Campaigns Committee

Strengths and weaknesses

Arguments• How will it affect PEOPLE?• Which do we need to promote

most?• Prepare for the question we don’t

want to be asked• Listen and modify. Be prepared to

change tactics

Campaign PlanningScotland Communications & Campaigns Committee

Strengths and weaknesses

Organisation• Who is going to do what?• What resources do we need?

• people, officers, stewards, staff, members

• materials BUT a leaflet is NOT a campaign

• Where are the gaps?

Campaign PlanningScotland Communications & Campaigns Committee

Select targets and allies

• Direct targets (employers, politicians etc)

• Indirect targets (media, user groups? etc)

• Allies (other unions, user groups? politicians?)

• What methods/tactics for each?

Campaign PlanningScotland Communications & Campaigns Committee

Build a strategy

• Workplace based

• Use public support

• Political action

• Using/ researching information to support

• Media and Social Media

Remember your arguments for and against!! Prepare responses/rebuttals.

Campaign PlanningScotland Communications & Campaigns Committee

Build a timeline

• Use existing/known deadlines and dates (eg council meetings, events)

• When to use media – which, who, how

• Social Media, who, when, how

• Map out phases – review each

• Add tactics at appropriate points

Campaign PlanningScotland Communications & Campaigns Committee

Getting our message across

• Positive. Try to be For not Against.

• If we want the public to notice our campaign our campaign, it has to be about the public.

• Talking about services is better than talking about jobs

• Be prepared to repeat the message over and over again (especially social media)

Campaign PlanningScotland Communications & Campaigns Committee

Remember

• Think about campaign when creating policy

• Set aims, targets, timeline and reviews

• Involve members in the campaign

• Play to strengths

• Prepare to defend weaknesses

• Keep people at the centre