Boris better at PR but Ken tipped to win, says PRCA

Kate Magee 01-May-08

Boris ran the best campaign but Ken will win the London mayoral election, said top PR professionals this week.

As PRWeek went to press, 70 per cent of the PRCA Leaders' Panel said they felt Boris Johnson had run the best campaign, but more than 50 per cent still believed Ken Livingstone would win a third term at City Hall.

Only 17 per cent of the panel thought Livingstone's campaign was successfully conducted. Brian Paddick scored nine per cent. Four per cent believed parties outside the main three had the best campaign.

Thirty-nine per cent of the panel thought Johnson would win, with Paddick trailing on nine per cent. The PRCA said these results showed reputation is more than just what you say.

'The cream of PR is about as close to unanimous as it ever gets to concluding that Boris has run the best PR campaign,' said PRCA director general Francis Ingham. 'It is intriguing, though, that so many of them think this still won't carry him over the finishing line.'

According to Michael Hayman of the Communication Group: 'From a campaign perspective, Boris has had the better run of it in terms of setting the agenda. Second-preference votes, though, are anyone's guess.'

'The Evening Standard appears to be running Boris's PR for him. Ken has suddenly got all cuddly,' said Golin Harris joint MD Matt Neale.