Coalition Building
This involves increasing the number of organizations that support an initiative . This is critical in ensuring that varied interests are represented and also helps to grow political support . No doubt ; personal relationships remain the most effective way to reach out to key coalition partners . Despite advances in advocacy technology , social media strategies , and data-driven outreach , in political advocacy , it takes personal relationships to advance a cause .
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For good coalition building this election year , my personal strategy would focus on three main stakeholders : The allies , The Neutrals , and The Opponents . Having the three as the main stakeholders will enable one design and craft messages appropriate to all audiences and equally ease the work of evaluation .
The questions one asks new members and volunteers , regarding who they know , what organizations they belong to , where they went to school , and so on , can all become key factors in developing an effective strategy . At the very least , geographically , they ’ ll be constituents of the aspirant that may prove useful in the future . “ You need to have an appreciation for the value of relationships that exist between your members and those you are trying to influence ,” PR scholar Felkel says . “ It ’ s not only about having the right message , but also about having the right messenger .”
For good coalition building this election year , my personal strategy would focus on three main stakeholders : The allies ( people and organizations that support our campaign ), The Neutrals ( people and organizations who have not yet formed a strong opinion regarding our campaign ), The Opponents ( people and organizations who oppose our campaign ). Having the three as the main stakeholders will enable one design and craft messages appropriate to all audiences and equally ease the work of evaluation .
The Allies : The goal here is to map out a list of all that are sympathetic to the cause including : opinion leaders , present and former politicians , media personalities , NGOs , community groups , professors etc . Through them , the campaign should strongly benefit by seeking their contributions in terms of time , technical expertise , financial and material resources and influence to the campaign .
The Neutrals : These groups of people are critical because they can often quickly become allies or opponents . Key focus with these groups is to make them fully appreciate the problem faced and eventually build leadership of community organizations and coalitions . Through them , the campaign can achieve by gaining an additional voice that will fundamentally help to raise awareness and mobilize people to support the cause .
The Opponents : These group of people are normally driven by outdated cultural norms , religion or unjustified fear . Since any political campaign challenges existing imbalances of power in a society , such a challenge often provokes a negative reaction from those currently in power or people with different values . These groups of people present the greatest resistance to the cause but they can also be of invaluable advantage once they are turned . The goal here is to work hard on first building personal relationships , understanding them , then positively appealing to their sense of discomfort .
Social Media Advocacy
According to Data Reportal , there were 23.35 million internet users in Kenya in January 2022 . Kenya ’ s internet penetration rate stood at 42.0 percent of the total population at the start of 2022 . The number of social media users in Kenya at the start of 2022 was equivalent to 41.1 percent of the total population . This is an entire constituency no individual aspirant should miss out on .
A good part of a successful campaign strategy hinges on communication . Social media has opened up spaces for political candidates to engage with voters in more direct ways compared to traditional forms of campaigns such as rallies , billboard advertising , and the legacy media . Social media enhances the flow of information between aspirants and voters . Traditional media in contrast are expensive , the feedback is constrained , and they privilege elite candidates .
Political campaigns are all about informing , mobilizing , involving and connecting with voters . Social media amplify this and build a community of advocates for aspirants . The greatest attraction for politicians should be the large number of Kenyans on social media . With the latest data indicating a growing internet penetration and more Kenyans visiting platforms such as : Facebook , YouTube , Twitter , Instagram and WhatsApp , this is a goldmine for all aspirants .
A good example remains political activist Boniface Mwangi who back in the 2017 elections leveraged his huge following on Twitter ( 1,500,000 ), Facebook ( 439,200 ) and Instagram ( 115,000 ) to launch a massive online campaign and built an entire army of religious advocates .
Social media reach is greatest among younger voters , who have integrated online platforms more closely into their personal lives and they remain the biggest population block in Kenya today .
The Takeaway ?
It ’ s marketing malpractice to put all your eggs in one marketing basket . And with the evolution of marketing , specific channels / strategies that were initially not worth that top dollar , end up working for political brands .
So , all said and done ; the role of advocacy marketing in a political campaign should remain to attempt to enlarge the range of choices that people can have by increasing their power to define problems and solutions and correctly participate in the broader political equation .
Chabala Walter , is the Executive Director , Ugatuzi Pride Initiative . You can commune with him via LinkedIn on his page Chabala Walter or drop a line on mail at : Chabalawalter @ gmail . com .