Posts Tagged ‘crosby/textor’

ABC: The Lexicon of Labour

Written By: - Date published: 9:10 am, July 23rd, 2015 - 63 comments

In a major shock, it appears veteren socialist Jeremy Corbyn is set to win the leadership of the UK Labour Party. Can his anti-austerity platform lift Labour up following their drubbing at the general Election? And can his ideas impact on our Labour Party here?

MFAT leak too convenient

Written By: - Date published: 10:16 am, July 23rd, 2010 - 16 comments

Why would someone in MFAT feel the need to interfere in the Australian election by leaking to the Australian media? I’ve been accused of conspiracy theories in the past but this leak seems all too convenient when National’s old mates Crosby Textor are up against it in Aussie.

National and the media

Written By: - Date published: 10:29 am, August 14th, 2008 - 17 comments

A few mini-posts on National’s relationship with the media in light of the secret agenda tapes. _______________________________________________ A signature Crosby/Textor move, seen here and abroad, is for their politicians to be matey with media as long as they run the lines, but, if they start to get critical, shut them out. So, a few months […]

3 more points on the secret agenda tapes

Written By: - Date published: 1:25 pm, August 11th, 2008 - 61 comments

1) A secret agenda is not something that people talk about in public or when they know the information will get to the public. Therefore, the only way to expose a secret agenda with definite proof is by recording that evidence when the target does not know they are being recorded. The Police can’t just […]

Key moves to shut down hard questions

Written By: - Date published: 10:07 am, July 18th, 2008 - 31 comments

Part of the Crosby/Textor MO is to avoid any hard questioning or real investigative journalism from the media. Step one in this process is be matey with journos. They’re people too and they can fall for charm. When that fails and something embarrassing comes out, attack the journo. Key did this over the “we would love […]

Crosby/Textor line de jour

Written By: - Date published: 7:46 am, July 16th, 2008 - 82 comments

Every Wednesday, John Key does his round of interviews. Breakfast TV makes a nice soft start with interviews on Breakfast then Sunrise. Then he’s on KiwiFM with Wammo and bFM with Mikey Havoc, neither of whom are political specialists but are increasingly asking good questions. Every week, Key comes prepared with two or three lines, […]

Blueprint for a Crosby/Textor campaign

Written By: - Date published: 6:13 am, July 8th, 2008 - 41 comments

While trying desperately to paint Crosby/Textor as ‘just ordinary consultants’ and argue that C/T does nothing that polling and research companies do, National allies like the Herald have also puzzled over why National won’t just admit to being C/T clients. The answer is simple: C/T are not ordinary consultants giving media training or policy advise […]

Who are National’s moles?

Written By: - Date published: 5:53 am, July 7th, 2008 - 60 comments

The information being leaked to Nicky Hager is obviously coming from well-placed sources inside National The idea of hacking is farcical (Lyndon Hood mocks it beautifully). In the Hollow Men, Hager refers to his sources as ‘six senior National figures’, in the SST article he talks of ‘staffers’ being concerned about the actions of Crosby/Textor. […]

Mr Key, where is your ‘positive, ambitious campaign’?

Written By: - Date published: 6:01 am, July 4th, 2008 - 67 comments

In four separate interviews this week, John Key used more or less exactly the same line to divert from questions on his use of Crosby/Textor: ‘I’m the Leader of the party and I’ll set the tone of the campaign. And it will be a positive, ambitious, outlooking campaign because that fits with my personality‘ OK, everyone can […]

Did Clark endorse push-polling?

Written By: - Date published: 3:59 pm, July 3rd, 2008 - 18 comments

Some of the more excitable righties on the blogosphere and John Key have taken a throw-away comment in Audrey Young’s blog to mean that Helen Clark said Labour will be doing push-polling. Here’s what was actually said, according to Young’s recording: Reporter: Will Labour use push-polling with ‘the truth?’ Clark: Well I’m not sure how […]

Real John vs Brand Key

Written By: - Date published: 5:41 am, July 3rd, 2008 - 31 comments

Let’s go back to the heart of this story: it is not about push-polling or whatever, this is about how Brand Key has been purpose-built by a company world-renowned for its secretive, anti-democratic practices. Crosby/Textor are not just some consultants like parties might use to assist policy development. They have built our image of Key […]

What’s the future for Brand Key?

Written By: - Date published: 9:21 am, July 2nd, 2008 - 62 comments

Crosby/Textor, an outfit renowned for its anti-democratic, secretive practices, has built the public image of John Key (Brand Key) from the ground up. That’s why Key is seen as ‘nice’ but people, including National supporters, say they don’t know what he stands for and can’t say why he would a good PM. That’s why he […]

Crosby/Textor Spin Bingo

Written By: - Date published: 6:30 pm, July 1st, 2008 - 67 comments

John Key has his round of five interviews tomorrow morning (Breakfast, Sunrise, ZB, KiwiFM, bFM) and will undoubtedly face questions on his use of Crosby/Textor. So, what line will C/T have him parrot repeatedly? He’s already trying “I get most of my advice from the public” (weak) and the more aggressive “I’m going to set […]

Brand Key shows a contempt for ordinary Kiwis

Written By: - Date published: 6:30 am, July 1st, 2008 - 39 comments

It comes as no surprise that Brand Key has been a Crosby/Textor project from Day 1. The hit and run, the bait and switch, the cake and eat it, the shoot the messenger, the misdirection, the dog-whistle, wedge politics, the outright lie – these are all elements of the classic Crosby Textor strategy that have […]

Nat response to C/T scandal right from C/T playbook

Written By: - Date published: 11:49 am, June 30th, 2008 - 33 comments

There’s a standard formula that Crosby/Textor has its clients use when damaging information comes out. a) refuse to engage. The most senior public response to the revelation that Brand Key has been created by exactly the same people who ran Brash’s divisive, racist campaign in 2005 has come from Key’s chief of staff. No politician […]

The cost of Crosby/Textor

Written By: - Date published: 10:06 am, June 30th, 2008 - 58 comments

So Crosby/Textor has been designing Brand Key from Day 1, isn’t this just what every party does? No, it isn’t – Crosby/Textor uses a particularly undemocratic, nasty form of political marketing (more on that in later posts) and the extent to which National uses Crosby/Textor is simply beyond the financial means of any other party. […]