Brian Edwards Media

The Art of the Makeover – New and Improved Advice for Mayoral Hopefuls

Posted by BE on March 12th, 2010

Photo: kiwiblog.co.nz

Photo: kiwiblog.co.nz

Photo: NZ Herald/Richard Robinson
Photo: NZ Herald/Richard Robinson

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I see that John Banks has taken his media trainers’ advice and begun to appear wearing an open necked shirt. According to a recent story in the Sunday Star Times, the candidate for the ‘Super Mayoralty’ was also counselled to be ‘more chatty’ when he talks and to ‘speak up’ about  his difficult childhood.

Political makeovers are tricky at the best of times. To be effective they need to be both gradual and subtle, their effect on the electorate’s consciousness almost subliminal. Obvious makeovers  make the public suspicious and resentful. They suspect that someone is trying to pull the wool over their eyes and are offended by the idea that they can be swayed by mere cosmetic change. 

When David Lange had his stomach stapled, there was adverse comment that this was part of a makeover which also included changing his glasses. The reality was that the stomach stapling was essential to his continued health and that he had accidentally stood on his old glasses and broken them.

From the time she became Leader of the Opposition, Helen Clark was constantly being told to do something about her hair, her voice and her teeth, but wisely resisted the advice. Her first words to Judy and me when we met in 1996 were, ‘I do not intend to be deconstructed.’ Her hair, voice and teeth subsequently proved no impediment to political success. Voters saw past these superficial matters to the leadership qualities within.

It was in any event too late. The time to change your image is before you have mounted the national stage and become familiar to the public, not after. A gradual and subtle makeover is virtually impossible when you are already well known.

Helen Clark was to experience this herself when Monty Adams’ flattering portrait of the PM was used in the 2005 election campaign and attracted widespread derision. People were happy with the way she looked before and saw the photograph as an attempt at deception. ‘Helen doesn’t look like that.’

John Banks’ problem now is that if he stops wearing a tie, starts being more chatty and begins introducing the topic of his difficult childhood into speeches and interviews, these departures from  his previous appearance and demeanour, far from being gradual, subtle or subliminal, will stand out like a sore thumb. He will be seen as trying to sell the Auckland voters a bill of goods.

This is not to say that the advice he was given was necessarily bad advice; nor is he to blame for the fact that that advice was all over a Sunday newspaper days after it had been given. But someone with Banks’ political experience really ought to have known that absolute discretion is the sine qua non of public relations and sought assurance that everyone involved in the training session, from trainer to tea lady, had signed a watertight confidentiality agreement.

Still, it will be fun  to speculate on which occasions John will decide to wear or not wear a tie, to score each of his public appearances for their ‘chattiness’ quotient and to keep count of the number of times he manages to work his difficult childhood into the Super City debate.  Local body politics have never been so interesting.

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12 Comments:

  1. Banks’ bigger problem is that he has admitted that he intends to deceive Auckland voters by concealing his policies from them: http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/national/2925552/When-Auckland-thinks-big-the-rest-think-hard

  2. I see Banks is chickening out of debates now. That’s a good way of not showing voters behind the mask.

  3. An open necked shirt only creates greater exposure of his red neck.

  4. Bill Ralston had it all there for a while..

  5. Ah, of course – He had t.v shows ( Frontline, Nightline?) Prominent jobs @ TVNZ Head of news and current affairs- arts show presenter, Backchat, Metro editor – seemed he was the go-to journalist for so many years.
    And now? he comes across as a right-wing nut-job w the usual columns to write and RadioLive gig to foment froth. And now this http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=328427819247 (don’t use my money to save rnz)
    just a bit sad really.

  6. whoops, BE – I’ve just gone to the Facebook site again and Ralstons name is no longer appearing as one of the administrators. Mmmm.

  7. Well, having seen the TVNZ coverage of Banks and Brown at Paifika, Banks came across as a graceless prat when told of Len Brown’s presence, Mr. Brown was much more gracious.

    1-0 to Mr. Brown on that little bit of tieless image building.

  8. B.E – I agree with that.
    Six month ban.
    Thanks for the link to the intelligence2 site.
    I look forward to watching that tonight.

  9. I reckon Bank’s biggest worry is his relationship to Peter Huljich and the Kiwi saver fiasco

  10. “I reckon Bank’s biggest worry is his relationship to Peter Huljich and the Kiwi saver fiasco”.

    Won’t make one tiny bit of difference — it’ll be like “water off a goose’s back”.