Why Democrats Need to Change Their Communication Strategy

President Biden is in trouble. Democracy’s death knell grows louder. Dictatorship looms large. And the Democratic administration has no clue about the difference between political messaging and behavior change communication. It’s a recipe for a disaster that would affect each one of us in unimaginable ways if it isn’t remedied immediately.

?My cri de’couer derives from having spent two challenging years earning a master’s degree in communication and working internationally to implement behavior changes designed to improve health outcomes. What I learned by working to advance healthy behaviors taught me many ways in which people’s knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors can be altered when it comes to one’s quality of life, and often to their survival.

?Some lessons I learned are relevant in this dramatically political moment, when messaging calls for proven ways to help voters understand what life would be like if Democrats at every level of governance fail to win in November elections.

?Skilled communication specialists know from successful media advocacy campaigns and social marketing techniques that the use of strategic mass media to advance public policy is rooted in advocacy at the community level. A large part of effective communication relies on consistent messaging to various audiences and personal interaction with trusted leaders within a community or group who act as changemakers to help people sort out fact from fiction and myth. Ultimately, experience has proven that persuasion occurs during interpersonal communication.

?The Voter Movement Project (https://movement.vote/ ) understands this and works hard at local and national levels to get out the vote by engaging with folks at the community (and often door to door) level. They understand well that “Democracy is on the ballot,” and that “our rights hang in the balance.” MVP’s methods target the most pivotal places and races, both now and for the long term. They invest donor funds in the best local voter organizing groups, with a focus on youth, Black, Indigenous communities, people of color, LGBTQ+, and immigrant voters as they organize key voters who have the power to tip the scales.

?As Billy Wimsatt, MVP Executive Director, noted in an email to supporters, “If we want to win this November, we need to go above and beyond what we have ever done before to include the most marginalized communities of voters. …Deeper engagement, not abandonment of core Democratic constituencies, is our path to victory.”

?Clearly MVP is a grassroots organization, and the Biden administration can’t replicate the kind of work they are doing. But they can learn good lessons from MVP, so forming a partnership with them would be a good idea. From a communications perspective, they know what they’re doing, and their methods work, including training volunteers on “Deep Canvassing,” empathetic listening, and meeting people where they are, the latter being a major tenant of behavior change communication.

?They also know that Democratic leadership needs to “make the election about Trump and MAGA fascism by making side-by-side comparisons of Biden vs. Trump” on various issues.? Additionally, they need to “highlight Biden’s accomplishments, and remind people of the good things the president has done.”

?As media advocacy experts know, putting a human face on what’s at risk is vital. That means localizing stories and sharing real testimonials, as women are doing around the debacle in reproductive healthcare, abortion, and IVF. The same thing is happening to some degree to end gun violence and to protect the transgender community, but more needs to be done. It’s time to put an end to blah blah talking heads, meaningless polls, confusing statistics and political jargon. No more ignoring the elephants in the room. Personalize it, make it real, and make it matter.

?Juxtaposing the important achievements of the Biden administration with Trump’s dictatorial agenda and making clear what policies the president will push in his second term with help from a Democratic Congress, will go a long way to bring the vote home. ?For example, use “creative epidemiology” to quantify pending disasters in dramatic terms people can relate to, like comparing the number of people who will die in a year from loss of health care if Medicaid and other safety nets are cut: “That’s equal to ten jumbo jets crashing every day.” Also, have media spokespeople with fire in their belly, and facts in their armamentarium, do public appearances. (Think Michael Moore or Elie Mystal).

?dding social marketing techniques to the White House communication mix is worthwhile too. It’s important to be imaginative and far reaching in promoting the administration’s product - a Democratic victory for Democracy. How about this for starters: A nationwide billboard and poster campaign that can also be seen on bumper stickers and lawn posters sending consistent visual messages far and wide. They could read “Do It for Democracy!” Do It to Defeat Fascism!” Do It for Those You Love!” Do It for Your Kids!” Do It to Save the Planet!” “Do it for a Strong Economy!” “Do It for Healthcare!”? Various tag lines with a headshot of President Biden (or local politicians) would offer consistent messages all speaking with one voice.

?How do you get all this done? Hire experienced behavior change communications professionals and leave the political nonsense to others. It's a tall order, but it needs immediate implementation because November is only months away and our place in the world and our personal lives depend on it.

?Failure to defeat the MAGA crowd will have unimaginable consequences. Messaging is everything now. It must not fail.

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?Elayne Clift writes from Brattleboro, Vt. She has a masters degree in communication and served as Deputy Director of a USAID-funded global behavior change strategy for health promotion, which she taught at Yale and other universities.? www.elayne-clift.com