Why the UK government should embrace influencers in press briefings (but do so with thoughtful strategy)
Jen Psaki, White House Press Secretary, recently hosted a press briefing fielding questions exclusively from digital-first talent. The session lasted around an hour and was streamed live via the White House YouTube channel.
The initiative heralds a shift within the Biden administration to invest in engagement with younger, online-focused audiences about the President’s plans. That can only be a good thing.
We’ve seen governments around the world turn to influencers in order to relay important Covid-related information to sections of society who no longer fully engage with traditional media. President Biden is one of these leaders. A few weeks ago, he and chief medical officer Dr. Fauci sat down with three creators — Jackie Aina, Manny MUA, and Brave Wilderness — in a so-called YouTube Town Hall to answer questions about the COVID-19 vaccines.
However, the Biden administration appears now to be including influencers as part of its business-as-usual communications strategy. This makes sense. One-in-four consumers are more likely to source news updates and opinions from influencers than from journalists and established news outlets, according to Takumi research data.
Consumers see influencers as compelling communicators, rivalling household names, journalists, and media mastheads. Increasingly, we turn to influencers who take a stance on societal and political issues. To influencers who use their platforms to discuss current affairs. We turn to influencers to help us cut through the content clutter; to help us make sense of what information should be important to us, and to help us affect action.
Including influencers as part of the Biden administration’s communications programme is a sound strategy. Implementing that strategy requires skill, however. Poor execution would risk his administration - along with admiring governments around the world - appearing like actor Steve Buscemi in the meme "How Do You Do, Fellow Kids?"
Making that misstep would likely result in this positive movement swiftly succumbing to two clichés: ‘A bad workman blames his tools’ and ‘Once bitten twice shied.’ To avoid that trap requires the same proper campaign planning involved in any worthwhile influencer activity. As ever, thoughtful objective-setting precedes and informs appropriate influencer selection.
A version of this column first appeared in the ninth edition of Fourth Floor’s influencer marketing newsletter.
Sign up here to get the first look at all of Scott’s future articles, delivered direct to your inbox, as well as a weekly feed of all the most important news and insights in the influencer marketing industry.
