Sam Higgins, research
director, Longhaus
(Credit: Longhaus)
commentary In 2006 AgForce launched its Every Family Needs A Farmer campaign. It was a cross-media blitz representing the largest campaign launched by farmers in nearly 20 years. The aim was to reconnect urban consumers to the bush by highlighting the modern face of Queensland farming.
As Agforce stated: "Most people in urban areas today no longer have friends or relatives on farms and as such those linkages between the bush and the big smoke have been lost. This has meant that gradually, a divide based on a lack of understanding has developed. AgForce wants to rebuild the connection between the city and the bush to counteract the influence of ... groups which have heavily influenced government policies through the urban vote."
Yet the secret to the success of the campaign was more than just a TV commercial. AgForce produced fact sheets around the positive impact of Queensland farmers in the environment, economy, animal welfare, business and other activities. The material was also adapted for use by teachers in schools making the campaign valuable as a learning tool.
It is no secret that early in 2009 the current Queensland Bligh Government will be put to the test as it faces an electorate comprised of some 2.5 million voters. And as the lobbying starts and promises are made the ultimate message from farmers will stick in everyone's mind: no farmers no food.
Unfortunately, it is highly unlikely that the impact or importance of the Queensland ICT industry to people's daily lives will be as front of mind for voters as the impact of our farmers. So what is holding the ICT industry back?
Some industry commentators argue the lack of a single representative body presents the major barrier. After all AgForce is the peak body for primary producers in Queensland. In that regard, Queensland's ICT industry is already well positioned with the ICT Working Group acting as the peak body for its member organisations comprised of the AIIA, ACS, and Software Queensland.
It would seem this is not really a problem.
Let's make the message of the ICT industry's first great campaign simple: no ICT industry, no business.
Others argue that ICT does not win votes. This is true of the industry itself, but like AgForce knows, pure industry-based lobbying is perceived by many urban voters as political pandering to "the minority in the bush" which is definitely not a popular strategy.
What AgForce realised was that voters needed to understand their dependence on farmers, not the specific policy needs of farmers or the agricultural industry themselves. If voters could connect with their own need for farmers they would be more likely to set aside their prejudices when the pork barrels rolled into town.
It would seem to us that the situation is very much the same for the ICT industry. Most voters wouldn't have any interest in the specific issues of the ICT industry itself, but what they can understand is the importance of ICT to their daily lives.
I regularly put this theory to the test by asking people in different industries the following simple question: "If I asked you to go into work tomorrow and not to use a PC, internet connection or phone, how much work could you get done?"
Often the answer involves a nervous laugh or look of pure horror. I've met very few people in our modern society who are fully productive without the information and communications technologies from which our industry derives its name. Every family needs a farmer and it seems every business needs a technology.
The total dependence on technology was emphasised recently when I was asked to present to the 50 graduates in the 2008 intake of the Queensland Government's ICT Graduate Program run by the Queensland Government Chief Information Office. I asked my standard question of these new ICT professionals to emphasise the importance of their role, inviting anyone who thought they could be productive to raise their hand.
Of the 50 people in the room that day not one person believed they could perform their job without ICT. But are we sure that this message is clear to the average voter?
I'm not, but I can imagine a campaign that could drive home the impact ... imagine an unwell child in the school sick room waiting for the clock on the wall to reach 3pm and for Mum to arrive — without a mobile phone she's uncontactable.
An airport full of grounded planes as a business man tries in vain to get home to his family on Christmas Eve — the airport reservation system shut down. A farmer and his family unable to access school of the air — the internet cut off.
On the same day I was presenting to the graduates [Longhaus managing director Peter Carr] attended the ICT Leaders' Summit, hosted by the ICT Industry Workgroup. At the forum he argued that as an enabler for other industries the ICT industry could piggyback campaigns with other industries to help lift the profile of the industry — a suggestion not met with enthusiasm: "We've tried this type of thing before and failed."
It seems that not only does every family need a farmer, but every industry body needs a good campaign. And if we think back to our past efforts and see failure then maybe we can even take a leaf out of the farmer's book. Rather than attempt to focus on the industry issues we should turn our attention to reminding everyday voters why they need our industry. Let's make the message of the ICT industry's first great campaign simple: no ICT industry, no business.
This article is by Sam Higgins, research director at Queensland-based ICT analyst firm Longhaus. It first appeared in the company's journal Longview late in 2008 and is published on ZDNet.com.au with Longhaus' permission.
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More like ... no business = no IT industry...which is what has been happening ever since 2001.