According to Alastair Campbell it is no longer possible to control a media agenda and the style of communication planning that characterised his tenure in Downing Street no longer works.

Campbell is best known for his role as former British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s spokesman, press secretary and director of communications and strategy.

“We are no longer in control. The challenge of communications in a modern organisation is a scary prospect,” he said.

Campbell addressed an invited group of communication professionals at a dinner at The Capital Restaurant in London hosted by Durrants on Thursday evening.

Campbell said that we had entered the era of the permanent campaigning citing five themes that demanded a fundament shift in communication style to what he called authentic campaigning.

1. Citizens and consumers
   Private sector standards and efficiencies are expected of the public sector and public sector values are expected of the private sector. This shift has made it much harder to operate in both the private and public sector.
2. Rise of the democratic corporation
   Stakeholders are no longer clearly defined. The Internet provides a window through which to scrutinise organisations minute-minute. This has completely changed corporate democracy.
3. Participatory media environment
   Print can’t deal with 24 hour news culture and its web-based response is leading to financial ruin. Newspapers are still important and still set the agenda for broadcasters, but social media is cutting through particularly with big stories such as China and Iran.
4. Culture of negativity
   Negativity drives the media. In 1974 for every one negative story there were three positive but by 2003 Campbell claimed the ratio had switch to 18 negative for every one positive. It’s a tough environment in which to operate.
5. Information is infinity
   A strong clear message pushed to one or two sources is no longer good enough for successful communications. We operate in an era of infinite sources and infinite channels.

Campbell said that the role of a communication professional operating in this modern environment was tough. “You need a strategy to build a picture over time and messages must be seamless across all channels. It must all speak to the same message.”

“[Communication planning] is what most organisations get wrong. You must clearly define your objective, develop a strategy and only then develop tactical expressions. But your strategy must be fluid and adaptable to crisis situations,” said Campbell.