pr slide share1 kossen may 2016
TRANSCRIPT
CRICOS QLD00244B NSW 02225M TEQSA:PRF12081
PR Pulse
Persuasion Tactics2016 Australian Election
Campaign Launch
Dr Chris KossenMay 2016
School of Arts and Communication
CRICOS QLD00244B NSW 02225M TEQSA:PRF12081
Tactics in public relations are methods of persuasion
Brief outline of core tactics evident in 2016 Australian election campaign launch from the two major parties.
Australian Liberal and National Party coalition: incumbent
Australian Labor Party:opposition
NOTE: This outline is focused on the use of political persuasion tactics and not the promotion of any particular political position or point of view.
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Partisan party politics zero sum
win / lose
The core strategy in political campaigning is logical and predictablein a framework of democratic adversarial based partisan politics
Win government (positively framed proposition)
Defeat opponent party (negatively framed proposition)
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Promote and Attack Strategy to Tactics
Strategy To obtain trust and credibility (sufficient to win)
+ promoting credentials (positive framed)
- discrediting opponents (negative framed)
Partisan politics relies heavily on discrediting opponents
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Fear based attack tactics
AttackWe are well aware partisan politics relies heavily on strategy of discrediting opponentsNegative messaging proven to be effective political campaign tactics
Tactics of Fear Fundamental persuasion tacticThe peril of the populace should opponents win government
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Tacticsapplication of strategy
Evident in the rhetoric (language) used in key messages
Australian political campaigning 2016 key messages
– Jobs and Growth + conservatives – Budget Repair + / - conservatives – Debit and Deficit - conservatives
– Budget Repair that’s Fair + / - Labor – Health and Education + Labor
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Messaging principles utilised
For message potency
RepetitionConsistency
Staying on message
Repetition is key in message resonance and penetration Tactics of repetition work to ensure consistency and staying on message
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Conservatives
Jobs and GrowthWe have a plan for jobs and growth
Arguments and underpinning assumptions
Lower taxes enable economic growthThis enables business to expand and create more employment
FearThe opposition has a record of debit and deficit (high tax and spending)These policies hinder economic growth needed to generate jobs Leaving most people worse off
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Labor Party
Budget Repair that’s FairCompeting Plan
Underpinning arguments and assumptionsBudget needs repair (stated and acknowledged priority)
Priority on fairness (in budget management)
Fair budget repair is affordable and therefore achievable
FearOpponents (conservatives) lower taxes to benefit big business profitsLower tax revenues benefit big business at expense of social services Leaving most people worse off
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Does this seem like a return to traditional Rhetorical Division?
Left and Right
LabourVerses
Capital
Politics of class warfare
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Marshalling Cultural ResourcesMythologies and popular cultural beliefs
Conservative mythologies Australians are entrepreneurial and enterprisingEffort and enterprise produce wealth and reward
Labor Party mythologiesAustralian equalityFairness: equal opportunity for all Return on social investment is fairness for all
* Imbedded assumption: trust in trickle down economics as recipe to flow-on prosperity
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Discipline and adherence to key messages
– Jobs and Growth + conservatives
– Budget Repair + / - conservatives
– Debit and Deficit - conservatives
– Budget Repair that’s Fair + / - Labor
– Health and Education + Labor
Very little divergence
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