Why strategic communication is featuring in Kenyan politics

Kenya’s General Election slated for next year is showing signs that it will be competitive. The sophistication that comes with electoral campaigning has also moved a notch higher.

In more ways than one, our polls also seem to mirror the American campaign pitting Hillary Clinton against Donald Trump, with a fair share of drama and counteroffensive tactics at play.

Such competitiveness points to the growing attractiveness of electoral posts. With increased competitiveness across all the electoral slots comes the need to engage in strategic communication. Reputation management for the candidates will be a key headache subject to cultural and sometimes easy-to-ignore politically-important voter dynamics.

Politicians tend to be the most dynamic consumers of public communication platforms. To survive in politics means growing a thick skin that allows you to adopt all integrated marketing communication solutions almost effortlessly, sometimes even subconsciously.

MUDSLINGING CAPACITY

Today’s political strategies are no longer based on capacity to mudsling. The ground has shifted. To win a political duel, one must creatively craft a campaign that not only seeks to dazzle and confound, it also strives to sell ideals.

Candidates are setting off for the gruelling campaigns well aware of the need to package themselves as bankable brands: well-packaged brands that can easily arrest audiences with persuasive speeches delivered confidently and with a fair twist of empathy.

The recent launch of Jubilee Party speaks to the essence of political branding to help shape narratives. The hiring of aptly branded SUVs and an office block, for example, sends out an image of a solid party that will spare no effort or resource in winning the election. To a large extent, branding and related communication efforts, including counter-operations, play a key role in fundraising by enhancing support base confidence.

Such communication strategies are developed with the sole intention of providing a clear differentiation between the candidate and his opponents. The winning president, MCA, MP, woman representative, senator, or governor will need to create a distinct brand to sail through the crowded field.

This flows into another aspect of strategic communication that candidates must work extra hard to appreciate: the voters’ decision-making process. This is a pretty scientific process that involves extensive behavioural studies. This allows the candidate to design messages that resonate with the audience. These messages, however, must be founded on a distinct identity. From choice of party colours, slogans cum campaign clarion calls, all the way to campaign routes and news media option.

UNDERSTAND AUDIENCES

In the current state of Kenyan political affairs, candidates will need to undertake detailed research and analysis to better understand their audiences. Whereas party affiliations may matter, understanding and analysing insights touching on the audience’s priorities, fears, and expectations will be a key requirement.

This is now popularly known as the get-out-the-vote (GOTV) strategy geared at harnessing voter dynamics and motivation to make an unequivocal effort to register as a voter, perhaps participate in party primaries, and ultimately turn up on voting day.

Through research, the candidate is also able to appreciate the opposing candidate’s setup, selling points, audience appreciation, and traditional voting patterns. Research and analysis allow the candidate to set up a customised campaign and electoral machinery.

In traditional campaign setups, audience targeting used to be based on a wide net casting effort. With the advent of digital communication, out-of-home media, and a general youthful electorate, we now have to grapple with micro-targeting options in communication. This means reaching out to individual political trigger points. Such points are not manifested homogenously.

The realisation that audiences are not homogenous also helps to address voter concerns based on specific elements that may differ in wards, constituencies, and counties.

The functionality of some of these efforts cannot be gainsaid. Retaining a well-oiled campaign machinery complete with an operations centre, establishment of a clear operating strategy that identifies campaign policies, manifesto, tone of voice, and communication strategy are the contemporary lifelines for a successful campaign process.

Alfred Ng'ang'a is a partner at Oxygène Marketing Communications.