Communication for MI Republicans

There is a lot Michigan Republicans should not be saying:

• How nice Progressives and Democrats are at the coffee stand
• How beautiful Gretchen Whitmer looks in the color blue
• And 1000 other things (none of which deserve to be mentioned)

Let’s identify what Republicans should be talking about right now:

• What they are doing
• What the Democrats are doing
• How what the Democrats are doing that is counter to what real American principles want
• How they are assessing things and working to represent those they serve
• Share a couple good news stories (from district, from coffee hours, from experience in Lansing this week)
• And please - for the love of all that is good - give the world a smile and share some hope

Conservatives have these unique and wonderful minds:

• We make everything complicated.
• We consider that “if I don’t understand it fully I should not address it at all.”
• I communicated it once, why do it more?
• I haven’t accomplished anything so how can I talk about what I have done?
• No one will listen to me anyways.

We need to get out of our heads and out of our little “Lansing bubble” where everyone assumes the rest of the world cares and knows about what they are doing and address these principles in all forms of communication:

• Perception is reality.
• Perception is built by what the consumer sees and hears.
• Once they get exposed to a crumb of a message, they start to build their opinion
• Once they form their opinion and they identify others who confirm their opinion they solidify it as truth
• When there is a vacancy for information consumers will grab what they can find
• Silence, avoidance and hesitation is a message.
• Consumers need to hear something up to 10 times to get the message.
• Not everyone listens to the same medium.

You won’t reach everyone but you will reach a lot of people and those people will turn around and reach others for you. But if you do not communicate, they won’t know and in your absence, they will build a message that will reverberate and hurt you.

If Republicans don’t start upping their game NOW they can expect:

• More opposition in their primaries
• More mockery among constituents who are starting to get more engaged
• More bad press
• Less favor in the community
• Fewer donor dollars
• Etc etc etc

“Amy we know how to do communications,” you may say.

Okay, then do it. Because what is happening right now is not working. It hasn’t worked for the past 3 + years and it’s time for some world changing messaging champions to rise and equip leaders to know:

• Admit you need to communicate.
• Let your team know “it’s priority. Let’s get creative to up the game.”
• Let your consumers know I hear you.
• And start communicating today on all platforms that reach your market.
• Make it a habit and a way of life. If you want to win.

*New Note: and if you don't want to win, get out of the political arena because this is what it will take.

Come on Republicans, we have the best message. We have amazing leaders. We have incredible facts on our side. We have a state and a nation to save.

Your friend,
Amy Hawkins