How to boost communications effectiveness in Westminster

At a recent webinar, we shared our latest polling of MPs, including: why businesses should engage with MPs, why their views matter, how organisations should communicate with them and what they really care about. We also presented a round-up of our latest political polling.

Using insights and data from our latest survey of MPs, Ipsos findings show that engaging with MPs could have an incremental benefit to businesses. MPs set the laws and policies that could affect businesses, and if this influential audience understand an organisations point of view, they are better placed to both advocate for and help it. MPs also play a hugely important role in reputation building – they communicate with constituents on news stories and a companies’ license to operate.

In return, MPs also benefit from good engagement. They feel better informed, they can help constituents more readily, and they get a sense of business concerns and the impact of business activities.

Ipsos findings also show what makes for outstanding press relations with MPs. Conservative and Labour MPs agree that, communicating on topics relevant to consistencies, face to face meetings / personal contact and regular/ frequent communication and contact, are of most importance. What an organisation should communicate depends on two factors; what is relevant to the company, and also tailoring communications so that they suit the MP's constituents and their interests. For example, with the COVID-19 pandemic being front of mind over the last few years, it’s been key for pharmaceutical companies to engage with MPs on vaccine development and deployment.

what makes for outstanding relations with MPs (data chart)

For more information, plus a round-up of Ipsos' latest political polling - you can download the full webinar presentation slides below and to the right.

Ipsos’s survey of MPs provides our clients with guidance on how to maintain and improve reputation and engagement among MPs. There are still a few spaces left on our summer survey, with the deadline to sign up by 29 April. Please get in touch with Thomas-Fife-Schaw or Guto Hunkin for more information.

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