It feels like the global consensus on progressive issues is facing a seismic shift – one reminiscent of the financial crash in 2008. The shared commitment to frameworks like the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and even the very definition of progress itself, appears increasingly fragmented.
The reality isn’t as stark as that paints it, but it really feels that serious. We are roughly a month on from the German election, where a far-right party secured the second-highest share of the vote, and only a couple of months into a Trump administration actively dismantling anything that might broadly be deemed a progressive issue. That environment is enabling a culture where right-wing and populist media, influencers, and politicians have firmly set their sights on organisations they deem guilty of that most modern of vices – being woke (or caring about people and the planet, as I prefer to call it).
It’s enough to make even the most dedicated campaigners want to retreat under a blanket and hide. So how can you communicate and campaign for change while navigating this increasingly combative and hostile environment?
Prioritise Those Who Matter Most
If you’re a senior leader in a charity or a progressive business and the current situation has knocked you off-kilter, imagine how your staff, supporters, customers, or beneficiaries are feeling. It is imperative to engage with the audiences who are closest to you, to let them know you are there for them, and to recommit to making progress across all the areas you have been working on.
It’s the right thing to do, but it is also the smart thing to do, as they are the engines driving any progress you seek to make. These audiences – let’s call them ‘friends and family’ – will also include peers and competitors. In challenging circumstances such as today’s, it’s important to explore greater collaboration on campaigning and influencing to significantly increase reach and impact.
Be Prepared with Your Crisis Communications
The speed of change over the last month has caught most of us off guard. We knew a second Trump presidency might accelerate the increased prominence of populism and the far right in the UK and elsewhere, but not to the degree that it is, seemingly reshaping the global order and leaving liberal democracies like ours struggling to respond.
The world is turning – and it’s turning away from progressive issues. Many organisations are in a holding pattern, waiting for clearer skies before committing to campaigns, but what if this general turbulence is the norm? Charities, NGOs, progressive businesses, and campaigning organisations that want to continue engaging on everything from climate change to male violence need to adjust to this new and more hostile reality.
The reputational risks for organisations communicating or campaigning about progressive issues are increasing. Now more than ever, organisations need to prepare for attacks and criticism – both justified and not – so they can get on the front foot, neutralise the impact, reduce the risk of being distracted from their core purpose, and keep going. “Wait and see” is not a sustainable strategy. That means dusting off and updating the reputational risk register so communications and campaigning can continue while being prepared for potential risks.
Reframe and Choose Your Battles
The fight over progressive language has, in many ways, been lost. The narrative around progressive issues has been hijacked and weaponised by populist and far-right voices, used as a stick to beat the organisations and movements that originally created it. As unpalatable as it might feel, it’s time to change approach.
Now’s a good moment to take a step back and develop new ways to frame issues for the audiences that matter to you, prioritising people and their experiences over concepts and labels. It’s messier and less succinct, but it’s also more likely to create real engagement and is much harder to be twisted out of context by those acting in bad faith.
At the same time, engaging in bad-faith debates is a losing battle. In today’s attention economy, arguing with those who deliberately distort facts only strengthens their influence. Instead, double down on creating spaces and channels where you can engage directly with your ‘friends and family’ audiences and those adjacent to them.
Invest in engaging in spaces where people and organisations are acting in good faith, where there is an overlap in basic values – even if their worldview or approach to progress differs from yours. You are less and less likely to find those spaces in the media or on social media, but they are accessible through partnerships and collaborations, face-to-face and remote events and discussions, and direct engagement via email and messaging platforms.
As we watch the global order being rewritten in real time, we need to rewrite the rules that underpin our communications and campaigning.
Forster Communications helps progressive organisations communicate and campaign for change. Talk to us about how we could help you at peter@forster.co.uk.