Parting is such sweet sorrow

Parting is such sweet sorrow…

…which doesn't make it right necessarily. It does, however, require (almost by definition) more effort.

Staying, on TheOtherHand, is normally easy. It requires no positive action other than doing what you're already doing. It comes across as a bit lazy. It's passive. Sure you can 'stay the course', 'Stand your ground'... 'Stand tall' was the latest version I heard the other day (more of which another time), but each of these iterations requires a back story, some imagination. Simply staying, or worse remaining, is passive.

And this, at heart, is the problem of communications for the EU referendum 'in' campaign. It lacks a direction of travel. And because it lacks this movement from something - to something better, it lacks emotion.

'What do we want?'
'More of the same!'
'When do we want it?'
'Ummmm...'

Let's dial back a bit.

The 'In' camp in the EU referendum have decided to concentrate on the economic argument, and have done so for what they consider to be sound, rational reasons. I won't bore you with them here, but put briefly, they think economics will win them the vote. It won't.

What will win the in camp the vote (if indeed they do win), is the great big element they've completely ignored so far. The moderately good news for them is that they are slowly (and ham-fistedly, waking up to it). Namely, Emotion. Or more specifically passion.

The in campaign is lacking the emotion which bridges the gap between numbers and people. Between economics and aspiration. I'll say it again, passion.

'Leave' naturally entails passion. You have to leave for a reason, you must have a cause.
'Remain' doesn't.

And passion isn't something we Brits express very well, particularly when we are a bit embarrassed.

The other week, I came across #hugabrit - a response from some of our Euro chums to make us Brits realise that they love us and want us to say, (in the absence of a vote a hashtag has to do). The problem of course is that we Brits (on the whole), don't like to be hugged (except by our nearest and dearest of course), and certainly not by the French (that is a joke, please don't write in).

The point here being that if the 'in' campaign wants to secure all the votes it can get, then it needs to find its mojo… some real homegrown passion, and be quick about it.

I honestly have no idea why this obvious lack hasn’t been picked up by ‘in’ strategists and planners. Maybe it’s because the ‘in’ camp is so divided across party lines, and maybe this division leads to interest groups doing their own thing rather than focusing their effort (this is definitely a problem – though maybe not merely concerning the point above) on clear agreed messages.

I’ve worked in communications for a long time now, and fairly early on was taught that if you want to sell a drill bit, you don’t sell the hole in the wall… you sell the joy of having your painting on your wall or maybe the satisfaction of using a power tool (it depends on your audience. The same is true of the EU… cold economics don’t cut it.

Theresa May, the other day, told prospective voters to ‘stand tall and lead in Europe’… and this is exactly the type of half-cocked waking up to the need for emotion I was talking about earlier. It says I’m passionate… but not about being European (presumably because that would be unpopular with voters), it says I’m passionate… because Grrrrrrrrrr… hope and glory… Fair enough, it does say I want to stay in Europe and we should lead the way, but it’s still missing the point.

Here’s the question. Why do you Theresa May (insert any other name you wish), want to stay in the EU? Why are you passionate about it? What delights you about being European? What wonders are we missing out on if we choose to #Brexit.

That, in short, is what’s missing.

So here’s my own personal view, and many people will disagree with me but its true and I think it’s worth saying. I should also say that I’ve considered the economics, the defence issues, the freedom of movement problems, the impact on the Union of the UK… but that is not what I want to say. Here’s me:

I was born in 1975, I was born a European. I’ve lived in Europe all my life.
My God-daughter is Belgian, my wife is Welsh. I love being European.
I love exploring my continent. I love its food*, I love its cultures, I love the people… I wish I was better at speaking its languages.
I am also British. I was born in England, Britain and Europe - there is no contradiction in this. I love exploring my country, love its food, its nations, cultures, foods and peoples.
And, I will be really unhappy if we vote to leave all this behind.

 ...Oh and if you don’t agree with me, fine. Just don’t tell me you’re more passionate about your view than I am mine. You're not.

 Whatever we vote later this year… Fine. We’re all grown-ups**, and we made up our minds. I just hope that we can find a way to move forward together (the UK and the EU), that we are not bogged down by continuous neverendums on either side, but that we knuckle down and start to deal with the huge issues this country and continent are currently facing.

Fin.  

(as they say at the end of European films - which I generally quite like).

 

(*except croissants – I’ve never understood them)

(**except the 16 and 17 yr olds  who weren’t allowed to vote on the single biggest political decision to impact on their lives:))