The “Occupy” movement came to my town this weekend.
It reminds me of anti-globalization protests and the anti-G8 campaign in a number of ways.
The biggest commonality is poor Communications practice. “Occupy,” like the others, is a hodge-podge of various groups cobbled together under a few rubrics, such as “discontented with the system” or ” against income inequality.”
In Montreal, the movement has no appointed leadership. It has basically grown organically via the internet. On some levels this might be compelling. Whatever the case, it makes proper communications difficult.
The problem with these movements is always the same: Too many disparate voices mean too many messages. These factors are compounded by the absence of strong leadershp. In the end, the partially valid messages about real issues get lost in the white noise.
“Occupy” is getting lots of ink now. But ink is useless – even harmful – without an organized Communications program.
The real value of “Occupy,” then, is that it provides strong evidence about why organized communications are a must.