Why Whitehall can’t reach new audiences with old-media thinking
Reaching voters who have abandoned traditional news takes a new way of working, not just new platforms. As the UK government set up a New Media Unit in November 2024, Ben Guerin, co-founder of Topham Guerin, told POLITICO it would need backing from the prime minister and an end to Whitehall’s siloed comms teams to succeed.
- Publication
- POLITICO
- By
- John Johnston
- Published
- 21 November 2024
- Type
- Press coverage
- Topics
-
- government communications
- podcasts
- new media
- UK politics
What we did
- The government set up a New Media Unit to reach the public where they now get their news
- Whitehall splits comms between outside agencies, departmental teams and press offices, a “topsy turvy” set-up Ben says has to be reversed
- Success needs backing from the very top: a modern prime minister has to be as adept with new media as with a speech
- Podcasts need a completely different approach, not a hunt for old-media equivalents
Read the full article at POLITICOBut but but: Striking that balance ain’t going to be easy, argues Ben Guerin, co-founder of creative firm Topham Guerin which is best known in the U.K. for its work on the 2019 Tory campaign. While jumping on every new platform or feature is a “red herring,” the comms guru says there is still “massive potential” for smart government communicators able to think about strategic uses for fresh tools.
For instance: While turning Keir Starmer into a viral TikTok star — as the agency did with New Zealand PM Christopher Luxon — might be a tall order, Guerin reckons “Ask Me Anything” sessions on Reddit are a perfect fit for Health Secretary Wes Streeting’s plan to hold a “national conversation” about the future of the health service.
But but but: Success will require a “topsy turvy reversal” of Whitehall dogma which, according to Guerin, has seen outside agencies drafted in to lead on certain projects, departmental teams working on others, and press teams left in charge of ministerial comms.
“Can you imagine Coca Cola having the PR team and the marketing team not talking to each other?”
Ben Guerin
“The biggest mistake they can make is start asking who is the Daily Mail of the podcast world”
Ben Guerin
Questions & answers
What is the government’s New Media Unit?
A team set up by the Government Communication Service in 2024 to connect with the public in a way that “better reflects the way they get their news and consume content”, rethinking government output across traditional, digital, broadcast and social media.
How should government use podcasts and new platforms?
Strategically, Ben Guerin argues. Chasing every new platform is a red herring, and it is a mistake to go looking for the Daily Mail of the podcast world. Formats like Reddit “Ask Me Anything” sessions work where they fit a real goal, such as a national conversation about the health service.
What stops Whitehall communicating like a modern brand?
Silos, he says: outside agencies lead some projects, departmental teams run others, and press teams handle ministers. Changing that needs backing from No.10, because ministers treat an order from No.10 very differently from a civil servant’s advice.