What will the Downing Street press operation look like in a post Coulson world? This is a question that those inside and outside of government re asking. With George Osborne expected to be once again put in charge of finding a new head of communications, the shape of the press operation will largely depend on who he finds for the job.
Tim Montgomerie has an excellent analysis of what those who have to deal with the Downing Street press machine on a daily basis would like. His analysis is drawn from conversations he's had with ten people who regularly interact with the No 10's media operations, including both press and broadcast political reporters, two weekly columnists and two bloggers.
Tim concludes that whoever fill Coulson's shoes must remodel how communications are handled, with a new focus on providing journalists of all stripes briefing on strategy, message focus, less silence, better understanding of how the 24 hour news channels work, and more appreciation and support for bloggers.
Monday 24 January 2011
Friday 21 January 2011
Obama lays the ground works for 2012
President Obama has continued is preparations for his 2012 reelection campaign by moving his political operations out of the White House ahead of the campaign which will be launched in March or April, according to The Fix.
"Obama is effectively shutting down his political affairs office in the White House and moving his campaign staff elsewhere, in order to keep the two entities separate and avoid the turf battles and disparate messaging that sometimes occur when a sitting president is running for reelection.
He is expected to formally begin his campaign for president by filing the necessary paperwork in a couple of months. At that point, he can begin raising money for the effort and filling out his staff -- the latter of which has already begun."
"Obama is effectively shutting down his political affairs office in the White House and moving his campaign staff elsewhere, in order to keep the two entities separate and avoid the turf battles and disparate messaging that sometimes occur when a sitting president is running for reelection.
He is expected to formally begin his campaign for president by filing the necessary paperwork in a couple of months. At that point, he can begin raising money for the effort and filling out his staff -- the latter of which has already begun."
Obama lays the ground works for 2012
President Obama is moving his political operations out of the White House ahead of launching his 2012 reelection campaign in March or April, according to The Fix.
"Obama is effectively shutting down his political affairs office in the White House and moving his campaign staff elsewhere, in order to keep the two entities separate and avoid the turf battles and disparate messaging that sometimes occur when a sitting president is running for reelection.
He is expected to formally begin his campaign for president by filing the necessary paperwork in a couple of months. At that point, he can begin raising money for the effort and filling out his staff -- the latter of which has already begun."
"Obama is effectively shutting down his political affairs office in the White House and moving his campaign staff elsewhere, in order to keep the two entities separate and avoid the turf battles and disparate messaging that sometimes occur when a sitting president is running for reelection.
He is expected to formally begin his campaign for president by filing the necessary paperwork in a couple of months. At that point, he can begin raising money for the effort and filling out his staff -- the latter of which has already begun."
Wednesday 19 January 2011
53% Of Internet Users Believe Social Media Affects Politics
The 2010 General Election may not have been the "Internet election" many thought it would be. But across the Atlantic the 2008 Presidential election was the most technically advanced, Internet savvy election ever mounted with all candidates executing online engagement strategies that targeted both core and first time voters with large social media operations.
New research by the Pew Internet & American Life Project has found that 53% of Americans felt that social media helped them get a candidate elected to office while 46% believe that the Internet plays a major role in getting the word out about a cause.
While a large part of this can be put down to the huge increase in the number of people using social media in the last couple of years, the new and social media operations that were used as part of the 2008 election cycle can be credited with spearheading the integration of politics with social media.
New research by the Pew Internet & American Life Project has found that 53% of Americans felt that social media helped them get a candidate elected to office while 46% believe that the Internet plays a major role in getting the word out about a cause.
While a large part of this can be put down to the huge increase in the number of people using social media in the last couple of years, the new and social media operations that were used as part of the 2008 election cycle can be credited with spearheading the integration of politics with social media.
Tuesday 18 January 2011
Poll surge for Obama
In times of tragedy the vast majority of people turn to their leaders for comfort, guidance and direction, and when a tragedy hits America Americans rally around one person, the president - no matter what their political stripes - morphing him instantly from Commander in Chief to Comforter in Chief.
In political terms this transition - accompanied by a sobering and heartfelt speech - generally results in a surge in popularity for the occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. And following his speech at the service of remembrance for the victims of the Tucson shooting President Barack Obama has benefited from the "Comforter in Chief effect."
According to Politico "His approval rating is the highest it’s been in the poll since April, while his disapproval was last as low as 43 percent in March 2010. In December, 49 percent of Americans surveyed for the Post-ABC poll approved of Obama’s performance, while 47 percent disapproved.
A CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey also released Tuesday pegged the president’s approval rating at 53 percent and his disapproval at 43 percent. In December, the poll showed Americans evenly divided, with his approval and disapproval rates both at 48 percent."
In political terms this transition - accompanied by a sobering and heartfelt speech - generally results in a surge in popularity for the occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. And following his speech at the service of remembrance for the victims of the Tucson shooting President Barack Obama has benefited from the "Comforter in Chief effect."
According to Politico "His approval rating is the highest it’s been in the poll since April, while his disapproval was last as low as 43 percent in March 2010. In December, 49 percent of Americans surveyed for the Post-ABC poll approved of Obama’s performance, while 47 percent disapproved.
A CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey also released Tuesday pegged the president’s approval rating at 53 percent and his disapproval at 43 percent. In December, the poll showed Americans evenly divided, with his approval and disapproval rates both at 48 percent."
"The information wars are won before work"
The New York Times this morning gives an excellent insight into how a number of government offices, including the White House, handle their early morning media monitoring. As one would expect it centers on the 20 something aides getting up at 4am for a 5am, with the help of three alarm clocks, in order read and digest the news before shooting out a news summary to their boss.
As Bobby Maldonado, Associate Manager at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce points out "the information wars are won before work".
“Our executives walk into meetings and they’re doing battles, whether it’s on health care or cap and trade, and information is power, and my job is to make sure they’re armed with the most powerful information,” he said. “It’s reading the 1,000 stories in the papers and Hill rags, and finding that one needle in the haystack that’s going to matter.”
At the core of any communications campaign, be it political or corporate, is an effective media monitoring operation. Senior staff and officials need to be able to make decisions very early in the day on what lines to take and to work out whether action is needed on anything. If an organisation is still working out what to say at 10am, it might as well not bother.
As Bobby Maldonado, Associate Manager at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce points out "the information wars are won before work".
“Our executives walk into meetings and they’re doing battles, whether it’s on health care or cap and trade, and information is power, and my job is to make sure they’re armed with the most powerful information,” he said. “It’s reading the 1,000 stories in the papers and Hill rags, and finding that one needle in the haystack that’s going to matter.”
At the core of any communications campaign, be it political or corporate, is an effective media monitoring operation. Senior staff and officials need to be able to make decisions very early in the day on what lines to take and to work out whether action is needed on anything. If an organisation is still working out what to say at 10am, it might as well not bother.
Monday 17 January 2011
MPs to watch in 2011
MHP Communications has just put out a rather interesting report that they say identifies "the top ten MPs from 2010’s new parliamentary intake who will make it to the frontbenches and be the loudest and most listened to in 2011."
The report includes some of the usual suspects, such as the Conservative MP for Penrith and the Border Rory Stewart and Labour's man in Streatham Chuka Umunna, but also some unusual candidates such as Labour's Stella Creasy and the Lib Dems Dr Julian Huppert. It will be interesting to see how the lucky ten do in the coming year.
The report includes some of the usual suspects, such as the Conservative MP for Penrith and the Border Rory Stewart and Labour's man in Streatham Chuka Umunna, but also some unusual candidates such as Labour's Stella Creasy and the Lib Dems Dr Julian Huppert. It will be interesting to see how the lucky ten do in the coming year.
Cameron loses his media mojo
In what is, by any stretch of the imagination, a big news day for the government things didn't get off to the best of starts, and surpassingly this was because of David Cameron.
Cameron who is normally so accomplished when it comes to interviews with the media had something of a rough ride thanks to John Humphrys on the Today programme.
The bulk of the interview was devoted to Cameron doing his best to defend and explain the government’s planned reforms to the NHS, but for such an assured interviewee Humphrys' questions left Cameron frustrated. This led to two key mishaps.
First, in his haste to get out the the key message of the day, namely "don't settle for second best" in the NHS, the PM blurted out that people shouldn't have to settle for "second rate" healthcare.
Clearly calling the healthcare provided by the NHS as "second rate" is toxic, though he immediately corrected himself, acutely aware of the political trouble that can be created by criticising doctors, nurses and others in the NHS. The PM may have been quick to correct himself, but I doubt this will stop Labour from hammering him hard.
Second, when asked if Andy Coulson had offered to resign, he for obvious reasons sidestepped the question by saying that he would not comment on private conversations. This is a clear shift for yesterday when Downing Street attempted to deny the story. The PM then fell back on language he has used before, saying that his communications chief deserved a ‘second chance’ and he had decided to give him one.
Clearly everyone inside Downing Street would want Coulson's involvement in the phone hacking story to go away, but as long as Labour keep trying to make political capital out of the story, it will continue to hangover No.10 as long as he remains in post. Cameron's ‘second chance’ line also opens himself up to questions from Labour over precisely what Cameron thinks Coulson did wrong at the News of the World.
Diamond at the TSC
For those of you that missed Barclays' Bob Diamond give evidence before the Treasury Select Committee last week, you missed one of those rare occasions where the witness does everything right. Chris Cox over at the Campaign Reboot blog has an excellent analysis of Diamond performance, and according to him the incoming Chief Executive "owned the room."
Sunday 16 January 2011
Welcome to The Campaign Nexus
The news media, and the London centric commentariat, is obsessed with the process of communications and strategy. With the 24 hour news well entrenched and the birth of the news stream stories are rarely reported "straight", with journalists increasingly focusing on the story behind the story. This obsession with process is particularly obvious in the coverage of politics and political campaigns but it is also becoming a feature in coverage on foreign policy and conflict.
However, despite this focus on process, and despite the vast amount of time and space devoted to these stories, there is very little real analysis about what works in communications campaigns and strategy. This blog will therefore not provide commentary on day-to-day events (which others do better) but instead seek to take a serious look at what works and what doesn't in campaigns and, above all, to ask the question "why?"
As its name suggests The Campaign Nexus will look at the connection that are used as part of a successful communications campaign, along with the internal decision-making structures and strategic decisions.
This blog is mainly concerned with communications and strategy in the public sphere. It will focus on political messaging and in the UK. Because of its position as a key influencer on political strategy this side of the Atlantic the blog will also touch upon political communication and strategy in the US.
However, despite this focus on process, and despite the vast amount of time and space devoted to these stories, there is very little real analysis about what works in communications campaigns and strategy. This blog will therefore not provide commentary on day-to-day events (which others do better) but instead seek to take a serious look at what works and what doesn't in campaigns and, above all, to ask the question "why?"
As its name suggests The Campaign Nexus will look at the connection that are used as part of a successful communications campaign, along with the internal decision-making structures and strategic decisions.
This blog is mainly concerned with communications and strategy in the public sphere. It will focus on political messaging and in the UK. Because of its position as a key influencer on political strategy this side of the Atlantic the blog will also touch upon political communication and strategy in the US.
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