Comms in the News: "To win against reactionary populism, we need to meet target audiences where they are"

There’s a new TV show in the UK called “Go Back to Where You Came From”. It’s a reality TV show where hand-picked ‘ordinary people’ go on a journey of discovery to better understand where refugees coming to the UK are coming from: practically and emotionally. The first episode is set in Somalia and Syria.

It’s already been extremely controversial, with liberal critics arguing that “it should never have been made”. Britain’s leading right-wing newspaper gave it a one-star review and called it a “dump click-bait contribution to the immigration debate”.

Before it was even broadcast, it used shock advertising on social media to try to pull in a mass mainstream audience. Whatever your view of the content, this is strategic comms in action. It meets a target audience segment where they are, with messages they can relate to, in a format that can be scaled up and replicated. It doesn’t do everything but it does something very few comms approaches do.

With reactionary populism seemingly rampant, liberal internationalists need ways to connect with disaffected voters, or their policy agendas will be swept away. Just look at Trump’s Stop Orders and the overnight sacking of USAID staff. The stakes couldn’t be higher.

So whether this reality TV format inspires or disgusts you, take 7 minutes to marvel at the strategic communications skills of former USAID administrator, Samantha Power, as she explains to Steven Colbert what USAID did and why it’s needed more than ever.

Richard Darlington is Head of Strategic Communications at Well Made Strategy and works with UK NGOs to defend UK aid and international development.