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UK MP eCampaigning Survey 2006 Results
Video Description
In April 2006, FairSay conducted a survey of UK MPs to clarify if and how eCampaigning influences them. These results demonstrate the diversity among MPs and the recommendations based on the findings.
Objectives
The primary questions driving the 2006 MP eCampaigning Survey wereto identify:
- If e-campaigning has an impact on UK MPs
- How it has an impact on UK MPs
- What strategy and tactics campaigning organisations should use to influence UK MPs
Findings
The survey identified that it is highly dependent on the MP as to how constituents communicate with them, how they treat different channels of communication and what impression different styles of communications leave. A major influence on these factors is also what the MPs current position is on the issue raised in the communication. Thus an over simplistic campaigning approach that prescribes how communication should occur for all MPs is doomed to only be effective for a proportion of MPs, likely no more than 50%.
Recommendations
Several strategies and tactics were identified that campaigning organisations can use to increase the impact of their online campaigning. Foremost of these is that MPs vary considerably in how they perceive e-campaigning and thus having a one-size-fits-all approach is likely to work well with some MPs and not with others no matter what the strategy. Instead MPs should be researched and segmented for more specific targeting according to a range of factors.
Some organisations may already do this offline to with MPs and Regional Assembly members. But online, most organisations target all MPs with the same message. Instead they should target segments of MPs and regional assembly members to distinguish the campaign from all the other issues and organisations MPs and regional assembly members are bombarded by.
Previous:
2009 eCampaigning Review: eAction Review and Practices Survey
impact of e-campaigning on MPs...
I think there's an important difference to be made between building constructive relationships with elected officials and gaining popular support and supporter involvement in your cause; unfortunately, the two aims sometimes seem to have not-totally compatible means of succeeding.
MPs have often been cited as being annoyed by mass-emails and form letters, etc, but this can be viewed in 2 ways:
1) "we will not utilise online supporter action methods because we need to build a working relationship with the MP and therefore don't want to bug them."
2) "There's a democratic mandate for them to act at a certain point, so If they don't want to act on our issue, we are going to bug the hell out of them until they do!"
There are times for both, but the key is to understand the nature of the relationship you have/hope to have with the the elected official and the role of that relationship in achieving your broader objectives: do you want them to take a specific action (vote for or against a bill, for example), or do you want to make them a champion of your cause (an internal parliamentary lobby)?
Some MPs (or councillors, or MEPs) will quite hapilly engage with constituents on the issues that matter to them, others are less-inclined to do so. Depending on what you hope to achieve and the role of the official in your desired outcome, how the MP feels about your choice of tactics may be more or less relevant.
Thoughts and criticisms are always welcome...