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SNEAK PEEK
— Government comms pros turn to TikTok and influencers as they hope to go viral with normal Brits.
— The election betting charges include some for figures in Influence-land.
— The Matt Hancock app is dead. Long live the Liz Truss app.
COMMS CORNER
NEW (MEDIA) KIDS: When the government’s “New Media Unit” launched back in November, industry pros were fairly cynical about the promise to deliver a “non-bubble” approach to comms and finally connect with apathetic voters.
And… That pessimism seemed pretty justified given that countless attempts by previous administrations to shake up Whitehall messaging have led to cringe content and gimmicky pilot schemes that never really got off the ground. Could this time be different?
Well…With support seemingly in place from the very top of government, it seems the new approach may actually be bearing fruit. A hiring spree is almost complete and, while No. 10 retains oversight of the overall comms operation and continues to lead on the big announcements, the Cabinet Office-based NMU team is being freed up to focus on longer-term campaigns and test some innovative new strategies.
Joined up: An insider involved with the project tells us that while the big announcements are “proof points” that the government is actually getting on with the job, the NMU gets to focus on ensuring the rest of the comms output is “constantly speaking about our five missions,” and shoring up departmental teams with their expertise.
Happy families: “It works really well,” they said. “We’re very joined up in the sense that departments will share information and steers. But the departments are really excited about it because for the first time we have a campaigning machine in government.”
Better late: While parties have become increasingly sharp at campaign comms, attempts to carry those lessons into Whitehall have repeatedly hit brick walls. Critics point to a disjointed and risk-averse machine that contrasts sharply with more nimble campaign operations.
Case in point: Back in December, government comms boss Simon Baugh revealed that a whopping 70 percent of all government digital content is simply … pumped out on X. While that might attract occasional eyeballs from the bubble, it barely even registers with ordinary Brits with better things to do than constantly doom-scroll the Musk hell-site.
That’s why… In the last few months, the NMU has got going with official U.K. government accounts on Reddit and TikTok. It might not sound cutting edge to most comms pros, but considering that even downloading TikTok required … securing an exemption from the government’s ban on having the app on official phones, it’s a decent start.
Reality check: Of course, crowing about the simple act of signing up to a new platform was high on the list of potential “red herrings” that comms strategists flagged with us back in November. So how’s the team actually using these platforms?
Well… The Reddit presence is at the moment relatively tame, with most posts linking to GOV.UK press releases or write-ups of announcements.
But but but: Demonstrating at least some knowledge of how the platform works, they’ve been dropping pothole policy in driving groups, tailoring posts on new train and bus routes to community pages covering those areas, and targeting parenting groups with nursery and maternity announcements.
Over on TikTok… There’s been a valiant effort to meld policy news with whatever brainrot trend is sweeping the platform that day. Is it cringe? A bit. But it’s no worse than the content being pumped out by big corporate brands.
How’d you do, fellow voters? Overall, the responses are mixed… Some Brits appear genuinely grateful for the effort to keep them updated, but there’s plenty of criticism, mockery and straight up abuse too. Feel free to enlighten Influence about the genesis of one description of Keir Starmer as a “wet end.”
Turning to pod: Credit where it’s due, though. Sticking the Prime Minister on the TLDR podcast — a popular show that tries to make the news more accessible for normal folk — is a risky move. And yet, the feedback is pretty stellar both for Starmer’s appearance and for offering candid answers to questions.
And this matters… Because as comms pros warned at its inception, any new operation would struggle if constrained by the rigid KPI metrics imposed in Whitehall. Which is why audience reactions have become a key measure of success for the NMU.
Pulse check: “We definitely still have objectives, so we are looking at whether this piece of content is reaching the people we want it to reach,” the NMU insider said. “We look at the positive sentiment from the audiences on these platforms and then that gives us an idea that we are reaching the people we want to be speaking to.”
Influence on influencers: But home-grown content can only take you so far, so the new unit has tried to team up with established influencers to help deliver the government’s Good News to their audiences.
For example: TikTok influencer philc84 — who makes content about attractions across Blighty — was invited along to the PM’s announcement of the new Universal Studios theme park being launched in Bedford, and he even got a quick chat with Starmer to boot. His quick clip has attracted over 800,000 views already, with many of his rollercoaster loving fans absolutely pumped to be getting the inside scoop and praising Starmer for appearing far more chill than he appears on mainstream news.
New playbook: And expect to see *much* more of it, because the NMU are planning to team up with plenty more influencers — and it’s even hiring a “creator strategy lead” to inject some real impetus into the wrangling operation. To lay the groundwork, stacks of influencers have already been invited into Downing Street for “creators’ breakfasts” to meet with the NMU team, while some have had sit-downs with cabinet ministers if their content is related a specific department brief.
Annoyingly… While influencers happily flooded their feeds with “behind the scenes” clips of them walking up Downing Street or taking the obligatory selfie with Larry the Cat, they have stayed pretty tight lipped about what was actually discussed at the breakfasts, with one telling Influence they couldn’t chat because they’d had to sign an non-disclosure agreement.
Of course: There’s real risk for creators who could torpedo their credibility if their audience starts to see them as a government shill. The same NMU insider insisted they are alert to that risk, claiming the pitch to creators has included offering them a direct line to decision makers to feed back the worries and asks from their audience.
Mutual benefits: “They are wanting to share their ideas, they’re wanting to tell us what their audience is asking for,” they said. “We’re creating long-term relationships with creators rather than just calling them up as being like: ‘Hi, can you do this quick clip for us?’. It’s been a really collaborative process.”
But will it stick? The structure of the team, the expertise being brought in, and its autonomy could certainly take on some of the problems envisioned by comms brains when it was first announced.
And yet: Something will inevitably go wrong. A creator will ditch the cosy relationship to dump on the government, or a scandal will be triggered by a misjudged TikTok meme. And the real test will be whether the team can tough it through bumpier times rather than opting for the usual Whitehall response to retreat into the bunker. We’ll keep you updated.
QUICK HITS
LOCAL ANGLE: While ex-Tory MP Craig Williams was focus of the confirmation that 15 people have been charged with election betting offences, there was a bit of blowback on influence land too. Hanbury partner Charlotte Lang was another on the list alongside Jacob Willmer, an ex-SpAd turned partner at government advisory group Consulum. A Hanbury spokesperson told Influence they couldn’t comment on an ongoing matter, while Consulum confirmed Willmer had been suspended pending the outcome of the legal proceedings. Both are due to appear, alongside other defendants, at Westminster Magistrates Court June 13.
OFF THE RAILS: There’s fresh questions about the state of the U.K.’s lobbying regime this week after the FT revealed state-owned Network Rail had paid Lexington almost £900,000 for “stakeholder engagement” and “communications” advice.
Obviously: There’s no suggestion of a rule breach. Westminster’s ban on state-owned organizations using taxpayer cash to directly lobby politicians does not cover them paying agencies for “strategic advice.” It seems that’s becoming a catch-all term for most engagement that doesn’t meet the strictest definition of lobbying.Labour MP Joe Powell — who leads the anti-corruption APPG — sad it was clear the wider slate of lobbying regulations are “no longer fit for purpose.”
LETTUCE CONNECT: Liz Truss’ metamorphosis into Donald Trump tribute act edged ever closer this week after she signaled plans to launch her own “free speech” social media platform later this year. Hoping to emulate the success Trump achieved with his ‘Truth Social’ site, Truss reportedly promised the platform would take on the “deep state” players that the legacy media refused to touch. According to The London Economic, the former PM revealed the plan, as you do, during an address to a Bitcoin conference called “Saving the West.” She also told paying punters that the suppression or promotion of certain stories by the media was now comparable to “what used to happen in the Soviet Union.” Never change.
LUNCH BUNCH: This week’s Private Eye has a nice digest of Rachel Reeves’ digestions since the election, showing she’s accepted free grub from a whole host of bankers, including HSBC, JPMorgan, Blackstone and the Royal Bank of Canada. Presumably stuffed from banqueting with bankers, her ministerial hospitality records show she’s not broken bread with a single manufacturing firm, union, or disability rights group — surprising given there’s probably plenty of table talk to be had there.
ON THE MOVE
Jake Canton Perry is joining the CBI as a public affairs advisor after a two-year stint at Atticus Partners.
Victoria Sonn is joining the Spectator as partnership lead from the CBI.
Emily Wood is starting with Network Rail as a senior public affairs manager from the Royal Society of Chemistry.
Sarah Hodes is getting going as an account manager at VRM Advisory after three years at Atticus Partners.
Sarah Bosworth has been promoted to partner at H/Advisors Cicero leading the health team, while Emma Turnbull is bumped up to associate partner.
Callum Jones joined Logistics UK as public affairs stakeholder and events manager after almost five years as a parliamentary assistant.
Robert Hansard has a new gig as public affairs officer at Cancer Research UK after a stint with the British Red Cross.
Jobs jobs jobs: Millbank is on the hunt for a new director… The Barbican is looking for a marketing campaigns officer… The Wellcome Trust wants to hire a senior officer, global government relations… There’s a senior account executive role going at iNHouse… Carers UK are looking for a policy and public affairs officer… and Energy UK have an opening for a summer internship.
Thanks: To editor Matt Honeycombe-Foster for knowing his Influence from his influencers. And to the production team for their usual tech wizardry.