Bite Size Comms

The humble receptacle for a hot beverage has become the accessory of choice for MPs in photographs. A pint of beer is so last decade and reminds people of Nigel Farage. A mug with a slogan written on it, or a picture that portrays a certain image, is in. 

Thursday 2 May is local or mayoral election day in some parts of the UK. There will also be a general election within the next nine months. Mugs are everywhere in pictures of politicians! However, most look empty. No sign of tea, coffee or even hot chocolate. They are merely props. Better than a crowd of arranged supporters all standing behind the MP holding the same placards. Mugs are more authentic. More ‘person of the people’. There is also an opportunity here for public relations by British-based organisations.

Let’s look at some examples, starting with the Prime Minister. The first mug was a bit expensive – a picture of labrador dogs from Emma Bridgewater. Still cheaper than the £180 quid smart mug he used to sport. Man of the people? Try again. The next mug simply had the number ‘10’ on it while surrounded by young journalists on a flight to Poland. I guess it’s a reminder of where he lives rather than a political statement on how many years he is likely to be prime minister. Or a score on his performance. The next mug had a St. George cross on England’s St. George’s Day. Timely, resonates with Conservative Party supporters. Except, St. George never set foot in Britain. Is that what ‘Stop the Boats’ is about? Rishi has also been photographed drinking from a Union Jack mug. So patriotic! There appeared to be a political competition between the Tories and Labour last year on how many Union Jack flags could be used in the background of an image or video. 

The next mug shot is the announcement that the Conservative MP Dr Dan Poulter has switched to Labour. Two red mugs on the table in front of him and a Labour MP, both with ‘Labour’ boldly written on them. The mugs, not the politicians!

At the party conferences, mugs are sold. The best has to be from the short-stay former prime minister, Liz Truss. It says, ‘In Liz we Truss’. I think they are now on massive discount. They are not selling, just like her book.

The best fail goes to Labour and Ed Miliband’s ‘Controls on Immigration’ mug. It screams racism! Same party, good mug behaviour: Tony Blair was a big exponent of being photographed holding a mug of tea. For him, there actually had to be tea in it. He probably left No 10 with very stained carpets!

Mugs, not T-shirts, placard-holding supporters, or Adidas trainers, are the new approach to political messaging.

Outside of PR for political parties, what does this new penchant for mugs mean for companies and organisations? NHS, get making mugs and send one to every MP, is my free advice. For companies expecting a visit from their local MP, and there are going to be lots of those opportunities happening this year, make sure you have fresh company mugs to hand. Selco and National Gas have all seized the mug shot with the PM recently. A charity wanting to lobby on its issue? Set up a mug opportunity! 

Me? My favourite mug was sent to me by Cambridge Marketing College with the name of my campervan on it. Nice touch. What’s yours? And do think about mug opportunities this election year!

[Image: Marc Pell on Unsplash]