In those days, there was a gulf between politics and business in almost every regard; speed of thought, levels of funding, use of technology, clear strategy, talented personnel… where business went one way, politics went the other.

If business campaigning was a languid five-day Test match, political campaigning was a frantic T20 Blast.

These days it’s different, and I knew that before working close-up with Team Rishi. Both disciplines have borrowed from one another, but it’s remarkable how similar they now are.

For business, the allure of the staged photo-opp (such as the one we use to promote our strategy consultancy) in the hands of a sympathetic social media presence, has replaced vast multi-million-pound advertising campaigns. Brands now try to make the news, not just advertise in it. The nine-to-five brand mentality of yesteryear has been replaced by an always-on approach. With every client, someone somewhere is always watching for something to go wrong (or right) with their brand in the hands of the rolling social media cycle.

But it’s not one way traffic. Politicians and campaign managers have learnt from the world of business. There is a rigour and discipline in the campaign that (for example) Team Rishi are running, and an authenticity of message that seeps from the top. Their social media techniques are ‘business standard’, as too the use of research, data and insight. This a professional campaign team that would get hired by any of the biggest brands in the world.

I can only see a couple of differences that remain.

Firstly, political campaigners are answering a calling, motivated by belief and zeal for their candidate, their cause and their party. Their business equivalents have a different set of motivations which mostly start with money; it’s a case of missionaries versus mercenaries when comparing the two.

And the second? Despite a shared love of Jaffa Cakes and cans of Coke Zero, business campaigners rarely start their day at 5.45am with the morning media briefing, and I don’t see that changing any time soon.

If you have discovered Bridge F61 through PR coverage of our time with Rishi, click here to learn a little more about what we do for brands & business big & small.

This post was written by Will Harris, co-founder of Bridge F61.