New Council, New You
BY LESLIE SPRING
The election is behind us. For the rest of the nation, folks might be relieved that the political text messages and mailers will stop, but for a PIO, the work is just beginning. Some of you might have a new mayor. Others, likely, have a new elected official (or two or three), and as a result, the makeup of your city’s priority-setting body could have shifted.
The logical question that follows for PIOs is, “how will this affect my communications plan?” Perhaps you were laser focused on promoting sustainability programs and housing initiatives, and now with your new council, inclusivity and access might be your top key message. While these two example topics coexist nicely, that might certainly not always be the case. So, what happens when the scope of your work shifts on election night? How can you keep what’s working, change what needs to, and keep your council happy at the same time?
The answer is tough to do, but it’s got a nice ring to it: keep calm, and plan on.
If a plan disappears with a new council, did it ever really exist?
If you have a solid plan in place, that should still be your guiding light. If you don’t, quick…write one now before the swearing-in ceremony. Having a comprehensive communications plan should always be your evaluation lens by which to view your work, but in the context of a new council, a plan is essential to manage expectations and avoid knee-jerk reactions or directives that do not align with the greater vision for communicating with your constituents.
We find that the truism of the “squeaky wheel gets the grease,” is as true with council members as it is with the public. Some elected officials demand more hair combing than others (and yes, that’s an industry term), while others are a bit more easy going. Regardless of temperament, we recommend the following get-off-on-the-right foot tricks, so you can have a productive working relationship with all of your elected officials who are old, new or otherwise.
Don’t assume you know their personality based on their campaigns. Keep an open mind and go into your first meeting with a listening ear. Open-ended questions will be your friend. Find points of synergy with your other officials and work them into your existing strategy.
If they’re sitting in front of you, they appealed to a sizeable share of your agency’s voters. Treat them as neighborhood and community experts for the district they represent, and share your expert opinion about how their vision fits into the make-up of your entire constituency.
You have a plan for a reason. Lean into it and the foundational research that informed it. When all else fails, we find that data is tough to ignore, especially to those who just ran a campaign. They’ll want to learn from your past successes, trials and errors to maximize their new term. They have fresh legs and new ideas, so your job is to find the nexus points between platforms that got them elected and your agency’s overarching narrative. That is where your 2025 key messages can be found.
Digging for gold
PIOs are part communicators, part translators and part goldminers. Our job is to dig for commonalities and unearth key messages, while crafting messaging for the public. Right now, this might seem daunting, but if it was easy, then everyone would do it.
You don’t, however, have to do it alone. JPW is here to help refine or update your strategic marketing plans, and make sure you have the tools for a successful start to 2025. Take a look at our work with Western Water and the City of Glendora to learn how we’ve helped articulate the strategy and personality for agencies across California.