Keeping Stakeholders Engaged – Celebrity Interviews
The celebrity interview — interesting people talking about interesting things –is a bread and butter way to build interest during down times. Wouldn’t it be great if we could just call in Brad Pitt, Tiger Woods, or Oprah to help keep stakeholder interest up between calls to action?
Well, we can’t (or at least I have never worked on a program that had that ability). While the A-list celebrities may not be realistic, do not overlook the celebrities right under your nose:
1.) Senior Executives – The senior management layer of your organization (CEO, CFO, Executive Director, etc.) are terrific because they deliver a one-two-punch. They are interesting and important people to your stakeholders and their involvement enhances your programs credibility and standing.
2.) Officials – Many officials, elected or appointed, are willing to discuss public policy in a constructive manner. This can also build goodwill and strengthen your relationship with the official(s).
3.) Stakeholders – Personal stories are often gathered and presented to elected officials. It can be effective to facilitate stakeholders sharing them with each other as well. Stakeholders are often interested in other stakeholders.
4.) You – This is the most overlooked celebrity. What you do for a living is interesting to your stakeholders: lobbying elected officials, power lunches, working with the media, and influencing political policy. You are a lobbyist, a power-broker, a media pro, and a political insider!
Use these celebrities to give stakeholders a level of ‘exclusive access’ to ‘inside scoop’ and they will love you for it! It makes them feel like an insider. It makes them feel more interesting; the only thing more interesting than celebrities are people that have access to celebrities.
With major issues dominating the political landscape, many political involvement programs are waiting for the air to clear and looking for ways to keep stakeholders engaged. Give it a try — call in your celebrities.
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