A winning communications strategy for Brexit
Commenting on the political issues surrounding Brexit are best left alone by a PR agency (even if was the hottest topic of debate for our office in 2016).
However, one aspect of Brexit that does lend itself to observations by such an institution is the manner in which the issues were communicated.
A point that perhaps almost everyone in the UK could agree upon with regards to Brexit is that we were largely in the dark as to what Brexit would actually mean in practice, with the arguments made by all sides seeming vague, speculative and backed up by few substantive facts.
Even now, as the strapline ‘Brexit negotiations’ – which are really negotiations about negotiations at this stage – still dominates our TV screens, we all still seem none the wiser as to what a ‘soft’ or ‘hard’ Brexit will mean in practice.
Even more disconcerting, as much as we do not know, we do not know whether the government does not know either.
Giving notice on the UK’s exit from the European Union will be one of the government’s landmark tasks in 2017. Keeping the country updated on what this will mean for us all will be one of the government’s most important tasks from 2017 onwards. One wrong communication and the City’s banks could flee to the Eurozone, markets pummel our currency and the country fragment.
In order to maintain order and the people’s trust, clarity is needed. Without revealing too much about the cards it holds, the government must adopt corporate standards of communication: it must outline its overall objectives and explain clearly why they are beneficial, feasible and achievable in negotiations with the EU.
The challenges ahead are huge but understanding the concerns of its key stakeholders and communicating in clear language the solutions it offers is a winning strategy for any private or public body.
Written by Stephen Sheppard, Director