3.
Stage a stunt or action
You need the public and decision-makers to sit up and take your election campaigning message on board but, even with the internet and 24-hour news, you’re finding it difficult to attract any notice. Jim Densham, our campaigns manager in Scotland recommends eye-catching stunt action, and offers some tips on going about it creatively and effectively.
a. What is a stunt or action? A stunt is a headline-grabbing, focussed event designed to send a message to the public and decision-makers. They can be big and complicated, such as a mass cycle ride, or small and quick, e.g. hanging a banner in public or a photocall outside parliament. We don’t recommend extreme stunts or protests, such as chaining yourself to railings or climbing buildings, or actions involving a high level of danger – imagine the risk assessment! And please don’t break the law.
b. Objectives An effective stunt or action should: • Make a visual impression. You want to turn heads, generating photos and film that attract attention in the media or on social media. • Be relevant. For media attention, you need a ‘hook’, something that makes the story timely or urgent. • Be innovative. Again, to pique media interest and excite public notice, choose something people can’t miss, something they haven’t seen before. The media gets bored with the same old story.
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