When Navigating Public Policy, There is No Need to “Fly Blind”

Over the years, I have joked with many colleagues and journalists that I wouldn’t comment on even the smallest policy issue without polling. 

“Flying blind is an easy way to crash,” is something I’m sure many friends have heard me say.

A bit of an exaggeration? Perhaps. But honestly: would you get on a plane with a pilot who didn’t have a navigation system? 

I didn’t think so. So why do so many companies and organizations that need or want the government to make policy changes and/or meaningfully engage in debate around public policy issues do so based solely on some combination of their corporate culture, their perception of issues, and/or their “gut” feeling.

With all of the money companies spend on lawyers and on crisis communications after the fact (sometimes when it is too late), I never have understood why they would cheap out at the front end. Some folks who wouldn’t try to even sell a paper clip without market research and focus groups will ask the government and/or the public for the most massive policy change with no clue about what the public or government actually thinks or wants.

The other side of this is, without research, the same companies and organizations have little idea how to speak about the change they may be seeking can be positioned to be acceptable or even preferred as a remedy to a problem.

Before you go to government with your hand up or out for something, why not market test it and make sure your case, your offer, and most importantly, how you talk about it and present it, works with the public?

Much has been written about political parties and the way they use polling and other kinds of research to shape their platforms, and not all of it has been flattering. Some complain that this makes platforms “milquetoast” or that they are “pandering” to voters.

I would say getting voters to vote for you based on your platform is indeed the goal of political parties. But, that aside, there is much that companies and organizations can learn from the way platforms are developed. There is no reason why companies and organizations shouldn't use these same tools to shape not necessarily what they are seeking, but how they are asking for it.

Any successful public policy campaign, just like a successful product launch, starts with research. Think of it as market research for your ideas and policy goals. As with products, many of the tools are the same and include but are not limited to polling, data analysis, focus groups, and elite audits. In strategic communications planning, these can be used to:

• understand the emotion and facts that are driving both public sentiment and political calculations;
• find the underlying strengths and weaknesses of your message so you know what to highlight and tough questions you should have answers for; and,
• test the best way to shape your key messages that will convince both the powers that be and the public of your solution. 

Done well, these tools also tell you all you need to know about your audience. Who’s with you; who’s not; who can be brought your way and who can’t; and the best way to get them there.  

From there, you can design the key messages, targets, and tone of the campaign, among other things. It will help you to target telephone town halls for example, design your social media presence and engagement, figure out if you have to list building and what your key geographic areas are, and of course what kind of earned media you might need. 

These days, basic issue research should be the building block for your strategic communications. Especially during this COVID-19 moment when all governments and the public are so strained and stretched, bringing them evidence and having a clear way of communicating your issues that speaks to them where they are as opposed to where you want them to be will go a long way to showing sophistication and advancing your issue.