went into the Box over the Weekend. The Pg did not make any comment on it except to underline words /lines on pages 1 and 2. I enclose a photogopy.

Transcription

1 3rd December 1979 Richard asked me to let you know that your Public Relations Strategy paper went into Box over Weekend. The Pg did not make any comment on it except to underline words /lines on pages 1 and 2. I enclose a photogopy. Tessa Jardine Paterson Political Office Gordon Reece Esq

2 A PUBLIC RELATIONS The four arms of publicity public relations, directed late September department advertising at a General STRATEGY - press and publications Election likely 1983 and spring relations, - must now be to take place bewteen TARGET GROUPS II:_ -arget a. Women b. Skilled, semi-skilled co Conservative d. Opinion There need principal four are in working groups class households and or active formers, particularly several or first buyer, has clearly by a change in voting and especially women Geographically it would of our oil c-l,.mf' behaviour in working tress tilt bu; at at roughly from to this ministers list activities, until is drop al, Vnrkeh our re sups;;rt next 7 ou ht, --eta-41m our first ideals i'l.f:? :^. parliamen-ary and -time voter. He i o more a philosophy tha:._. by of Government' s economic to encourage in university youth If Yorkshire we would by f failure do better to West same level. '_,e inspired success West and Scotland. were trend, election classes, to weight North-West Mast a i etc. class homes. i-nprove, `,de t ` orth national majority Omitted 14 businessman of working also seem prudent es :-a oes buyer, shown that we won last west would whom we will time voter, cou1112! first time house But research likely categories to add to this list from time to time. house with in universities. significant elaeriy, 2% 'try-hard ' workers supporters rarticulariy _y are active participation debates and postpone and to involve our major in in this area I.. We by Government ministers effort policy.. S/

3 --2- The pensioner and elderly on or hand are likely to be highly motivated by economic measures and Government's success. But: a. A significant number of present elderly will be non - voters at next election; b. By 1983 a new generation of elderly will have appeared t,,; at time of writing still regard mselves as c. The Government 's economic policy is long - term policy, and elderly do not look at things long-term. The salience of our message to pensioner would be better in OPINION FORMERS Opinion formers come into two categories. The first and by far more important is media. The capacity of press and television to help form attitudes cannot be overestimated. A favourable mention in say Sunday Express or Sun reaches over ten million people. A similar message on ITN or BBC news reaches over eleven million. In case of Sun and ITN news this gives a virtual saturation of target groups A and B. The importance of press department in its work of influencing se vital sources must never be undersold. The.r opi..n.on :`ormers are more disparate. Some school teacr ers ar_ a... erg7rmen are opinion ormers and ors not. Some busines smen are opinion formers and ors not. :h aoa.d ask :crks i venc chairmen for a 1_ :2 t formers in ir areas and transfer m to our computer mailing list, but replies are likely to be unreasonably weighted with recent constituency chairmen an d presidents and or worthies and to have far too few women on list. We could of course augment our mailing list by buying opinion formers lists from say Diner 's Club, American Express etc. But it is worth remembering that commerical pick -up of direct mail is only 2%..... / 1

4 -4- TELEVISION Television can change people's hearts and we should use it that way. We have six television party politicals a year. We c t shei_zld a..e o to promote th,. party, e Prime per and Government in language an d tone of voice suggested under 'Policy'. In addition Prime Minister might consider broadcasting Two Fire-side chats a year on television using PPB time. I have made enquiries from US networks on frequency of President Roosevelt's radio fire-side chats. To ir surprise and mine y were far less frequent th an people remember. Only 7 broadcasts in his first term an d 6 in his second - an average of less than two a year. a year seems a lot to viewer an d listener. Obviously two This method of presentation would. suit PM's style and would obviate need for a Labour reply which Ministerial allow. broadcasts The Press Office will also endeavour to place television current affairs programmes on subject which are favourable to party's PR strategy - for example this month we shall be pushing trade union reform ah.d sale of council houses. Our success in this field depends on early advice from Chief Whip on probable ds to for.p-2biicat_cn of Bills. The Publicity Department rece -,,es every help from Chief Whip's Office. ADVERTISING Tim Bell has submitted a separate paper on our advertising strategy which I endorse. I recommend that an advertising campaign should be mounted along se lines during au_ parliamentary recesses in with major campaign obviously being in summer recess. We should direct m in Target Groups a) an d b) through posters, women 's magazines and popular newspapers an d to Target Groups c) and d) through selected up-market and specialised newspapers and magazines.

5 41-5- Tim Bell's suggestion that COI advertising budget could be properly deployed to advise people of ir rights on say sale of council houses once Bill becomes law is an example of how constructive ways can be found to promote detail of Government policy. In this regard it is worth bearing in mind that Labour Party at one time included rhrase: 'You know it makes sense' in most COI advertising and n incorporated that very phrase into ir election slog an when time came round. PRESS RELATIONS The Press Department will continue to advise on, print an d publish an d individually promote Ministers an d MP's speeches. These continue to be over-weighted towards Fridays, a had day as Saturday newspapers are small. We shall try to continue to encourage Ministers to make party statements on Sundays an d ozner good days for newspaper coverage. We expect early results next year from policy of Cabinet Ministers meeting "back benches " of newspapers in off- -record discussions at newspaper offices in ev enings. Lunches are seldom useful because a) really influential people like night editor, news editor and assistant editor, chief sub, picture editor etc are never asked and b) room is filled with non - journalist executives and..-.r worthies who want to make ir number with a member of Cabinet. Evening meetings of sort I envisage werepioneered by Prime Minister when Leader of Opposition at offices of Sun. She often felt that little had been gained by se exercises. But working journalists loved m. Anyone who doubts success of ventures ha only to read paper /

6 - 6- We hope to persuade 12 leading Cabinet members, and possibly on rare occasions Prime Minister herself, to visit The Sun, Daily Mail, Daily Express and Daily Telegraph over next two years and to visit BBC Television Current Affairs and CA and News Groups of selected ITV Comp an ies. Obviously amount of time that Prime Minister and any members of Cabinet can devote to party business on television and in press is limited. But it should not be too limited. The cost-effective use of time in terms of column inches and air-time is unlikely to be matched by any or activity. S G R / r h 1 Y AQ-MCC 7a