Earlier last month, our Lead Consultant and Head of Public Affairs, Johnny Luk, was invited to participate in a Conservative Party panel discussion around the theme of disinformation in the modern age.
The panel discussed some of the challenges facing organisations, including when mainstream credible sources of information are increasingly sidelined in the world of fast-paced and relatively unregulated social media channels masquerading as reliable news channels. Johnny warned that while governments might seek heavy handed regulation, it also risks stifling free speech and driving others to even more niche and fragmented internet backwaters.
Instead, good actors need to get better at getting their voices out. Here are three ways to do that:
- Know your audience. The more tightly you define and understand your audience, the better your ability to tailor your message to their concerns. Without the groundwork and research on what resonates with your audience, it becomes harder to successfully land your message.
- Be authentic. It’s easy to throw around buzzwords like “authenticity” these days. But people are increasingly cynical. However cringe it can be to talk about being authentic – if you aren’t, people smell it from miles away. Be frank about your limitations as an organisation if appropriate, but on the flip side, be very clear on what your positive contribution can be and try to weave what you are saying into a wider story and narrative. That will help with consistency, a key currency in authenticity.
- Be positive. We all know that there are big policy challenges out there, that there are many structural challenges in the world we live in. Doom and gloom has its appeal but the audience is also seeking solutions. Give hope in your message and explain what is happening and what can be done about it. Bad actors do it with fiction – you can do it with real facts.
Message Johnny and the rest of the team if we can help craft modern and honest policy communications that cuts through the noise.
