|
Gordon Brown and His GOATS
Paul Medlicott
Director of The Westminster Consortium
Formerly a journalist working on national newspapers and BBC television, Paul directed media campaigns for the Liberal Party in the 1983 General Election and for the SDP Liberal Alliance in the 1985 European Election. He formed the government relations company, The Westminster Consortium, in 1986 and heads political communication at the virtual firm Campaignteam.
Gordon Brown enjoyed a wonderful honeymoon after he took over as British Prime Minister from Tony Blair in the summer. He declared an end to the old sloganeering politics, talked of consensus over division, made some shrewd appointments of parliamentarians from opposition parties to work with him and invited Margaret Thatcher to tea.
He also appointed five distinguished people from outside politics to senior governmental posts. These were his GOATS - his "government of all talents".
Altogether, a ritzy team: Sir Digby Jones, former director general of the CBI (trade and investment); Admiral Sir Alan West, former head of the Royal Navy (security); Professor Sir Ara Darzi, consultant surgeon and robotics expert (health); Shriti Vadera, ex UBS Warburg (international development); and Sir Mark Malloch Brown, former UN deputy general secretary (Foreign Office).
At first the five coped well and managed the unfamiliar experience of being only junior ministers in their departments, despite some off-the-record sneering from officials and others which led to the GOAT acronym.
The Brown premiership was proving popular. He and his GOATS were introducing a rack of good-looking policies. The new team was dealing well with various national and international crises and managing some necessary distancing from the Blair legacy.
Despite his new policies Brown made it clear that he was sticking by the manifesto promises on which the Labour Party had won the last General Election - so no need to call a new one. Then, surprisingly, during the late summer he dithered over the possibility of calling a snap election to establish his own mandate.
However, while the opinion polls looked good, and David Cameron's Conservatives were unprepared, changes in the political landscape in Scotland, and the fact that the Labour Party had not selected potential candidates in dozens of key constituencies, killed the idea.
Brown then compounded the dither by a self-serving explanation that did much to wipe out the kudos he'd gained by his effective handling of earlier difficulties, ranging from floods to foot and mouth disease.
Now the Government of All the Talents is having to work very hard. Attacked over the decision to lend Northern Rock more than £24bn in emergency funding from the Bank of England, it has also faced stern criticism after computer discs containing 25 million Child Benefit claimants' details went missing from HM Revenue and Customs. The GOATS have also made unfortunate headlines with off-message remarks.
Gordon Brown is now accused of putting economic stability at risk, a distressing charge against the former "Iron Chancellor" and, while he is fighting back with speeches about his vision for the country, he has been hit by a new party funding scandal, and only time will tell how successful he will be in leading his goats back to higher, sunnier pastures.
Consumer Trend Forecast
Behind every good marketing campaign, there exists the understanding of current consumer trends. As Jay Gronlund, President of The Pathfinder Group and Nancy Schaefer, an expert on new product development especially leveraging trends and consumer insights, identify key consumer trends, keep your eyes open to witness how each develops in the following years.
- Purity and Simplicity - with all the recent news about contaminated pet foods, various product recalls, plus toxins and harmful bacteria found in other foods, many consumers (especially women with kids) have become very concerned about the ingredients and source of their foods. As a result, there is a growing interest in and search for foods that are pure, natural, fresh and simple to understand.
- Exoticism - as the world shrinks and more Americans are traveling, particularly to distant countries with exotic cultures, many adults today want to preserve these fond memories and even introduce visible elements of these far-off cultures into their personal life and home. They feel their lives would be richer and more interesting if they could somehow incorporate these special aspects from abroad into their lives at home.
- Social Responsibility - there is a growing concern over the impact of various environmental issues, especially global warming and energy efficiency. Al Gore's recent peace award and his "Inconvenient Truth" film have heightened the awareness of these issues, which has resulted in more socially responsible responses by business. Importantly, consumers are becoming more proactive in their support for such sustainable causes, even preferring products from companies that demonstrate a shared concern.
- Health & Wellness - similarly, consumers are more concerned about their health than ever, and this has made a big impact on their food and beverage purchasing habits. However, not all health-conscious consumers are ready yet to sacrifice taste, and they continue to search for foods/beverages that can combine both attributes: health and taste.
Other Important Insights and Trends
- Value and Indulgence - with the backdrop of rising gas prices and the surging housing market (until recently), many consumers seek new, innovative "forms of indulgence" to fulfill their innate desires - e.g. things that represent a new sense of value, like the little experiences that deliver deep emotional and personal satisfaction (similar to MasterCard's "Priceless" campaign)
- New Pleasurable Experiences - as the new hi-tech world of the Internet and social contacts continues to explode, more consumers are looking for escapes from this cluttered, rapidly changing environment - e.g. for things that are more sensual (vs. technical) or more personalized, meaningful experiences that can be enjoyed through the senses.
- Connections - Social Networking - while the Internet has exposed consumers to an enormous amount of information, clutter and options, it has also created the means to communicate and share similar values and desires. More and more, consumers are today seeking and creating different "tribal communities" where they can comfortably relate to others with common interests.
New Research: PR Most Effective to Launch New Products
According to PR News, researchers Dr. David Michaelson and Dr. Don Stacks have found the answer to the question: Which is more effective-public relations in the form of editorial content or advertisements? They sampled randomly selected consumers who regularly read newspapers and concluded that new product introductions could use editorial content, or advertisement with the same results. As the Institute for Public Relations published report states, the key measures for the message's effectiveness were "awareness, relevance of the product, and purchase intent."
Besides public relations being more cost-effective, it also attracts the audience in a unique way. While advertisements focus mainly on creativity to get the brand or product in the customer's head, PR is more focused on creating a relationship with the consumer. Public relations by means of editorial content allows the customer to identify with the product or service, or the brand producing that product or service.
Bridge's Newest Intern: Ramon Velasco
Baruch College Student Ramon Velasco in Bridge Intern Program
Finishing up his senior year at Baruch College in New York City, Ramon will be graduating this May with a degree in Marketing.
"I'm thrilled to be part of the team at Bridge Global Strategies. I have learned so much," says Ramon. "I already knew about public relations from my classes and classmates, and have always had an interest in the industry, but this internship has given me insight on what it's like to be working in the fast-paced environment of PR."
Since his arrival, Ramon immediately dove into work on various consumer accounts such as Nikko Hotels International and Mabel's Labels. "I have witnessed the process of getting clients into some well-known publications, from drafting a press release to contacting editors. It was exciting to see clients featured in a magazine or newspaper, knowing that I helped make it happen."
|
