The role of effective communication is very key in political campaigns. Political communication needs to be anchored on a cohesive strategy. I have watched with keen interest the campaigns of some aspirants and there are notable gaps in information dissemination. It has also been identified that most politicians do not see themselves as brands. This is erroneous as their political campaigns need to project and showcase them as reputable and credible brands to the target audience.
The fundamental basic of political communication is the need to effectively communicate issues and ideas. This is one critical area that our politicians lack the dexterity and skills to encapsulate their messages.
It has been campaigns of calumny, bias and unguarded utterances. This is one major reason I stated that our politicians are not being showcased as brands and this is a strategic flaw on the part of the communication handlers.
The target audience i.e. the electorates need persuasive, convincing and stimulating messages that will move them to action. In most cases some political brands have resorted to cheap blackmail and all sorts of irrelevances at campaign.
For political communication to be meaningful, it should achieve a tangible objective in the minds of the audience. It is one thing to communicate, it is another to achieve desired results. It is imperative for political brands to actively promote their candidacy through strategic approaches to win the heart of the audience. This is closely linked to the fact that the beliefs, ideologies and focus of the politicians must align with the aspirations of the target audience.
Since the era of political campaigns started, one has observed with dismay the illogical approach to political communication. Several political communication campaigns are bereft of ideas. Ideas while they lack strategic depth. It is pertinent to state that there should be a connection between political messages and the identified needs of the target audience.
I have watched with keen interest the communication style of the Lagos State APC Gubernatorial Candidate, Akinwunmi Ambode. Without bias, Ambode’s campaign organisation appears to be strategic in its outlook. This is because when the audience least expected, there have been some teaser campaigns with his acronym A+. This sent strong signals at the early stage as the audience wondered about the source of the campaign .The sensitisation clearly sets an agenda for public discourse. This is a very innovative platform to arouse interest and attract the audience attention. This in actual fact kick started the campaign which was anchored on a very distinctive platform.
The political messages by Ambode have been in clear, lucid and direct communication to stimulate the interest of the audience. He had anchored his communication blue print on the need to revamp the Lagos state economy. He later had to outline the tactics that will drive the vision. These have been clearly highlighted through the robust housing plan- Rent to Own Programme (R.O.P), harnessing the Youth Population through LEFT, the Lagos Employment Trust Fund and the free education policy. All these are basic fundamentals that have raised the bar of political communication by Ambode. This is one potent avenue to align with yearnings of the target audience.
One major platform that Ambode explores is the vast youthful segment. This is a very unique approach to connect to the youth audience. Any brand that fails to reach out to the youth has not communicated. The youth employment initiative is a cohesive platform to touch base with the youths. Every political brand need to tailor its message to meet the expectations of the youths and the identified target audience in general.
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