The Marriage Referendum – key communications talking points
Would you believe that campaigning in the Marriage Referendum started in November 2014? That’s when Yes Equality launched their campaign; and research conducted by Mediaaccess intelligence on behalf of MKC has shown that there were close to 800 articles published in the print media in the first three weeks of May.
By midday Saturday we should have a good idea of the Irish people’s decision.
As always, the campaigning in recent weeks has been engaging and entertaining. And given the central themes of equality, civil rights and the influence of the Church, it has been one of the more colourful campaigns in decades.
From a communications point of view, what were the main talking points?
1. Children
Will someone please think of the children? There was certainly no fear of them being forgotten in recent weeks! For a referendum that is focussed on marriage it was a certainty that the subject of children was going to appear at some stage. However, the ability of no campaigners to steer the debate away from a focus on equality to one focussing on the rights of children and surrogacy was a key element of this campaign. The increase in support for the no side in recent weeks owes a lot to this strategy of no campaigners.
2. Mobilising support
With many expecting the Yes campaign’s lead to shrink, resulting in a tight result on Saturday 23rd, it was a smart campaigning move was to encourage people to mobilise and engage with their friends and family. Given the emotive issue, it wasn’t going to be tough to get those not normally involved in political campaigning to engage and act. My favourite video along these lines was this Belong To video that uses the right amount of humour to get their point across.
3. The Referendum Commission
Since the McKenna Judgement governments can no longer actively fund either side in a referendum campaign, with funding going instead to The Referendum Commission. It is charged with promoting engagement with the debate, encouraging voter turnout and clarification of key issues and questions from the public. The Commission’s current Chairman Mr Justice Kevin Cross has played an important part in the current campaign, notably through appearances like those on Morning Ireland, challenging many of the points raised by either side during the debate, most notably the clarification issued on Tuesday relating to surrogacy.
4. Personalities
Chosen wisely, celebrity endorsement for and involvement with public campaigns can be a powerful tactic, helping grab the attention of those uninterested in traditional communications materials and political voices. Some of the notable interventions by public figures during this referendum have been from sports stars including Brian O’Driscoll, Aidan O’Shea and Robbie Keane. For the No side, All-Ireland winning Dublin footballer Ger Brennan was a strong voice and one that would appeal to many younger undecided voters. For me the intervention of former President Mary McAleese was an important moment as her well-known conservative credentials will undoubtedly help to convince some undecideds.
5. The Joe Caslin mural
In spite of the battering it took from the weather, Joe Caslin’s mural in Dublin city centre was one of a number of high profile pieces of public art unveiled by the Yes campaign. These extremely creative and eye catching pieces created talkability and considerable news for the yes campaign, with Caslin’s work even making the front page of the International Herald Tribune.
6. Funding
Spending on the campaign is expected to top €700,000, with the majority being spent by the Yes campaign. They are expected to account for over €250-€300,000 of this spend, with Fine Gael, Labour and Mothers and Fathers Matter accounting for the remaining budget.