Polaris Summit Explores Political Communication's Future: Influencers, Tech, and Authenticity
The sixth annual Polaris Leadership Summit and Polaris Awards, held in London on 21 June, explored the shifting political communication landscape. Key topics included the rise of influencers in elections, the impact of emerging technologies, and the necessity for authenticity in political messaging.
A panel discussed anti-democratic trends, such as the growth of far-right parties in Europe. They stressed the importance of a more representative political elite to counter these issues. The event, themed 'The New Age of Intelligence', also examined the influence of TikTok and content creators on elections and politics. Political candidates now vie with all advertisers on social media platforms for attention.
Authenticity was underscored as crucial when employing influencers in US presidential elections. While they can access larger audiences, parties must ensure their messages resonate genuinely. Meanwhile, AI systems were discussed, with experts noting that they reflect societal issues rather than resolving them. A unified method for sorting and storing data is seen as crucial for AI's potential to be fully realized.
Always Be Content won multiple Gold Polaris Awards for their 'Nature Calls' campaign, which boosted Scottish Water's recognition by 69% and reduced annual blockages by 14%. The campaign highlighted the issue of flushed wet wipes causing blockages. The Polaris Awards honored campaigns that leveraged creative effectiveness to drive change in global political and public sector communication. With strict spending limits for elections in Europe, political parties must be more agile and creative, learning from successful campaigns like 'Nature Calls'.
