Wednesday 10 September 2014

Tweet for Scotland! - How Salmond's slick Twitter campaign has polished the independence turd

THE SNP's modern, accomplished Twitter campaign has made a weak case for Scottish independence seem incredibly strong. 

Alex Salmond's Yes campaign has more than twice as many followers than the Nos, and it's not down to coincidence or dumb luck. They've been taking social media far more seriously than Better Together for quite some time.


They have put rivals Better Together to shame with slick design, an (ostensibly) optimistic message, and a vocal, mobilised online support-base.

They regularly publish more engaging posts than the Unionists, and their content looks more modern, more dynamic and more exciting.

Look at the two logos as an example. Here's the Yes logo:

Just look at that glorious tightly-kerned Helvetica. It's marvellous. It looks like something I want to look at.

Now the No campaign:



It looks awful. Negative and unappealing. I don't even know what that font is, but I know those rounded edges are hideous.

The whole No page is like a vision of everything that is dull and dreary about modern Britain. I wouldn't vote for that. Who would vote for a country represented by a font as terrible as that? Fewer and fewer people, apparently.








And if we look at the personal pages of the two leaders we see the same again - Salmond looks friendlier, busier and more fun than dreary old Darling.

He and his team are publishing loads of posts throughout the day with pictures of real people. This - like so much of what we all do on social media - gives the impression that he is incredibly popular.



Darling, by contrast, just isn't a natural at this. You can tell he's trying, but it just doesn't have the energy of his Anglophobic opposite number. His banner picture cuts off his own head because he's only optimised it for mobile (Salmond's works multi-platform, FYI) and you can see he's only got about a quarter of the number of followers.



All of this combines to give the impression that the Yes campaign is winning the war through positivity and confidence. It's doing an excellent job of convincing users that there is an excellent case for independence when, of course, there is no such thing.


Alex Salmond's genius lies in his ability to convince Scots that he is the positive, good option and the No campaign is the negative, bad option. Part of that mission was already complete when he chose the question on the ballot paper, obviously, but the message has been reinforced by smart social marketing that mobilises people power online.


How many profile pics have you spotted with little 'Yes' badges in the corner? The chances are you've seen far more Yeses than Nos. They thought of it first and used it better.

The fact is there is no real case for Scottish independence - the economy is already faltering at the mere possiblity that the UK could break up. Without a monetary union with the rest of the UK, and access to the lender of last resort in the Bank of England, Scotland will become an economic basket case. 

It will be mired in debt and unable to borrow money on the international markets at affordable rates. It will therefore be unable to spend the money it doesn't have fulfilling the empty promises made by Alex Salmond.

But, of course, perception is often reality. And social media is increasingly becoming a link to the wider world for all of us. It gives huge opportunity to talk to and mobilise people - an opportunity the SNP saw and seized on faster, smarter and much more ruthlessly than the more traditional No campaign. 

It left them looking old and tired - just like the vision of Evil England it is selling to voters. And it seems to be working.

1 comment:

  1. Hi What kind of font you are using on the "Yes" blue button? I would like to use that wonderful font also. Thanks

    ReplyDelete