| Table of Contents | STRATEGY MEMORANDUM Campaign to Repeal Law 170 – Municipal Mergers Omnibus Act |
An effective campaign to reverse Law 170, the Quebec Municipal Mergers Omnibus Act will rely heavily on stimulating a "grass roots" backlash to the mergers by employing every advertising tool available. This is essentially a grassroots lobbying effort, which requires the use of advertising to reach a broad based, yet scattered and diverse audience. By articulating the failings of this bill, the coalitions who oppose it hope to encourage voters to contact their representatives and urge them to consider its full impact before it’s eventual implementation in January 2002. Should their legislators wish to ignore the demands of their constituents, they must be made to feel that their electoral success in the upcoming provincial election is seriously threatened, by not considering the wishes of their constituents. To solicit a response large enough to sway the government, the anti-merger groups will need to reach a very large audience.
Fortunately, the municipal merger issue affects many people and is very compelling, so it should be easier to attract voter interest than it may be for other public policy issues. By stressing the emotional factors in the merger arguments, the coalition can reach voters quicker and more effectively. While there are many economic and factual reasons not to support 170, only those reasons that provoke an emotional response from constituents will serve to galvanize opposition to the law. The sections below contain a strategy for using various paid advertising media to reach the broader audience. A general media strategy will be the implementation of a year long (or longer) information campaign, waged against law 170. The purpose of the campaign is to keep alive the public foment and anger towards the mergers, so that it becomes an election issue when the next provincial election is called. Several key moments will naturally cause more intense campaigning. Such moments are the November municipal elections, and the January 2002 implementation of the act. A provincial election in 2002, or latter, will cause the media campaign to stop. Members will be encouraged to devote their efforts and resources to candidates who oppose the mergers. [Quebec’s election laws severely restrict the use of third party issue advocacy advertising during political campaigns].
Due to the budget limitations of the coalitions who oppose municipal mergers, advertising will be conducted where and when it is feasible to do so. Much of this plan is hypothetical, based on a presumed source of revenue supplied by the coalition groups.
Print ads will be used in targeted media locations. Print advertising will be used on a limited basis as statistically, print ads are less effective at conveying a message than other forms of advertising such as television. When using print ads, attention must be paid to target locations. These should be precisely determined using polling analysis. An example of areas that will be targeted includes the major centers such as Montreal, Quebec City, and the Hull regions.
Print ads would be run in the weekend editions of major newspapers, such as the Montreal Gazette and La Press. Two different styles of advertising are needed for the English language market and the French language papers. When spending precious advertising dollars, it is important to consider placement wisely. A goal of the campaign is to sway the French majority in Quebec against 170. Therefore, a large percentage of advertising should go into francophone media in targeted markets of high repeatability.
The ads would be one full page, and would run on targeted dates, usually before a key event as reinforcement to that even. In addition to time and place information for a rally, a slick emotional appeal to a constituent’s sense of community and civic rights would be used. These same emotional ads could be used on billboards and in magazine ads as well.
Magazine advertising will be used to a lesser extent, if there is money for them in the budged. French language magazines would be the target publications.
Should budgeting become a factor, it is advisable to devote resources to television and radio rather than print advertising.
Instead of spending money on targeted mass mailings, the coalition is better advised to spend money on printing and distributing flyers. The content of the flyers will follow the targeted themes of the overall campaign plan. To help defray the cost of flyers, the actual flyer can be posted on the Internet, where local volunteers can print them out and photocopy/distribute them to interested parties locally.
Billboard ads will be placed on buses, in metro stations, and large billboards on roads. These will be placed in the metropolitan areas which are most affected by the bill. [All outdoor advertising must be done in the French Language in order to comply with Quebec’s linguistic censorship laws. These prohibit non-French languages from being displayed in public.]
The billboard ads must place a negative spin to the bill and clearly urge viewers to contact their members of parliament. All outdoor advertising must carry the main coalition website URL.
Radio advertising will be handled with a strategy of airing short, 25-second radio ads, played provincially. Heavier and more targeted airtime will occur in targeted regions and districts. The goal is to (1) saturate the public with awareness that the issue is still viable and, (2) make the publics impressions of 170 a negative impression. Negative advertising will be heavily employed. The themes will closely parallel the television negative spots. Some ads will also be informational, stating the problem, and some examples why the legislation is flawed.
Placement is key. Spots will be purchased in key radio markets in the morning driving hours and other times of peak listenership. Spots will also be purchased during popular talk shows or radio call-in shows. Radio advertising will intensify during key moments in the campaign.
The ads will generally feature the same script as contained in the television spots. The same background music and announcer voice will be used. This is needed to create a sense of unity in the overall marketing plan. Some dialogue will be sped up, and scripts will be shortened from the television versions, to conform with the broadcasting and advertising time norms of Radio.
The television strategy will follow selected campaign themes, based on a thematic campaign plan. Slightly different strategic messages will be presented each advertising period, so that the issue appears fresh, yet conveys the core message – municipal mergers are bad.
The second, third, fourth, and fifth waves will focus on the 30 second "attack ads." These ads will not focus on the specifics of the legislation so much as on the rational and method of implementation. Personal attacks on key political leaders are not out of the question. A flaw of the government was their inability to clearly define why they want to merge in the first place. This lack of clarity can be turned into a negative campaign by providing voters a reason "why" the government wants to merge municipalities. The most pessimistic and negative speculations will resonate best with the public in a negative message context. The goal of the ads should be to provide one explanation to the question "why merge?"
Second wave ideas - undemocratic process - lack of citizen consultation. Have a piece that illustrates the government’s top down autocracy, "bunker" mentality from Quebec City. Employ video/photo of the ugly 70’s style concrete style "Bunker" building in Quebec City. Have video or image of Laundry shoving away a camera, or his staff pushing camera away, that makes him look like he does not care about the citizens. Scene: Bernard Laundry, shoving away a camera, unflattering shot, and caption indicating that he refuses to consult the public - show image of the "bunker" in the background. Always use bad/angry photos of target opponents. Always have negative music in background – low base, sinister sound. The goal is to provide the public with an answer to "why" merge. This piece would introduce the "why merge?" theme by asking "what are you hiding about why you want to merge municipalities in Quebec?" What do the PQ have to hide? What is their hidden agenda? This will set up latter ads which try to expose that agenda to the public.
Third wave ideas – PQ/Union Bosses. Typical smoke filled room with actors who look like stereotypical organized crime/union bosses, and actor who’s profile resembles Premier Laundry. Don’t show all of the actors faces, have them talking about an issue, and laughing, looking over papers, while smoking cigars. Have film in Black and White, use sub titles to illustrate message, and have announcer read message. Fade to black, ID the solution, the Anti-Merger Coalition, in color, fade to positive music, end. The goal of these ads are to provide the public with an answer to the question, why merge? Answer, because the PQ want to gain ground with union bosses who fund their campaigns and support them politically.
Fourth wave ideas - The Ontario Envy factor. Portray former Premier Bouchard and his envy of Mike Harris/English Ontario. Commercials should be funny, eluding to "Penis Envy." Also make Laundry look like a Bouchard lackey/stooge, follower. Show a negative comparison – Mike Harris agenda, and how Quebec copies it, but does not want to admit it. Show the Toronto problems. The goal is to provide the public with an answer to "why merge?" Answer, because Bouchard is envious of Ontario Premier Mike Harris and wants a legacy.
Fifth wave ideas - Montreal 3 Billion Debt - dumped on the Suburbs. Add about Montreal debt, personal attack on Montreal Mayor Borq. Why merge? To get Montreal out of debt by adding suburbs to the tax base.
Further ads may deal with factual flaws with the legislation – Cost issues disputed, government rational disputed. Repeat themes as needed.
The final waves of advertising will feature information about the legislation mixed with negative advertising. It will take on an accusatory and negative tone. Many of these ads will be 60 seconds long. They will highlight the factual flaws, and economic rational in the legislation. While these ads will be very harsh towards the PQ government, they will continue to flash images of ordinary citizens upset with what’s happening to their community. This is not a pretty campaign. It is a nasty issue of autocratic dictation of municipal policy. This should be reflected in the tone, theme, and message of these attack ads.