Labor gathered intelligence from Keir Starmer’s UK Labour and senior US Democrats on the political energy of podcasts because it sought an edge on rivals within the rising marketing campaign battlefront.
The occasion head workplace used the abroad classes to assist design a “new media” technique for the Australian election, which included hiring the agency behind satirical newspaper the Betoota Advocate to offer recommendation on which podcasts the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, ought to seem.
Podcasts have turn into a characteristic of political campaigns globally, with campaigners viewing the format as a automobile to succeed in youthful voters who aren’t consuming conventional media.
The newest Guardian-Important ballot confirmed 42% of 18- to 34-year-olds obtain their information by way of podcasts and social media – in comparison with simply 6% for over-55s.
Guardian Australia can reveal the Australian Labor occasion dispatched operatives to the UK to find out how Starmer’s group tapped into podcasts and digital creators as a part of Labour’s profitable 2024 common election marketing campaign.
The officers have been run by way of how UK Labour engaged a third-party agency to map out the web setting, establish leads and construct relationships with digital creators.
Officers additionally acquired briefings from senior Democrats after the 2024 US presidential marketing campaign, the place podcasts performed a outstanding function.
Donald Trump’s three-hour interview with Joe Rogan – which has attracted greater than 57m views on YouTube – was thought-about pivotal to his success in interesting to younger male voters.
Democrat strategists briefed their Australian counterparts on their model of occasions of the Kamala Harris-Joe Rogan interview that controversially by no means eventuated.
Armed with insights from abroad, Labor’s group – led by the nationwide secretary, Paul Erickson – devised its personal so-called “new media” technique to succeed in disengaged voters.
That included hiring Diamantina Media, the corporate behind the favored digital media model the Betoota Advocate.
Labor confirmed Diamantina’s function was restricted to offering recommendation on which podcasts Albanese ought to think about showing on.
The prime minister has carried out 12 podcast interviews this yr, together with 9 with non-traditional media manufacturers or journalists.
These included Abbie Chatfield’s It’s a Lot, Ozzy Man, The Grade Cricketer’s new podcast The Circus, Large Small Discuss, The Squiz, Mamamia with Kate Langbroek, Straight Discuss with Mark Bouris and the Every day Aus.
Two of the podcasts are a part of the Diamantina community: The Circus and Betoota Talks.
after publication promotion
The Betoota Talks interview was carried out previous to when Labor began working with Diamantina, the occasion confirmed.
The Liberal frontbenchers Jane Hume, Angus Taylor and Sussan Ley have appeared on current episodes of Betoota Talks, as has the outspoken backbencher Bridget Archer, teal candidate Nicolette Boele and Greens housing spokesperson Max Chandler-Mather.
The opposition chief, Peter Dutton, has additionally turned to podcasts, showing on Straight Discuss with Mark Bouris and Diving Deep with Sam Fricker amongst others.
Labor’s wider new media technique has concerned working with social media influencers to amplify protection of main bulletins.
A couple of dozen content material creators have been final month invited to Canberra to hitch the federal finances lockup with press gallery journalists and interview Albanese and senior ministers Jim Chalmers, Katy Gallagher and Tanya Plibersek.
The choose influencers – a lot of which have greater than 100,000 followers – posted clips of the interviews and different budget-day content material, providing a distinct perspective on the annual political occasion.
The Labor occasion organisation coated flights, lodges and different journey bills for a number of the creators, a number of advised Guardian Australia on the time.
Nonetheless, the ALP didn’t pay for the content material or opinion. A no-paid content material rule has been utilized throughout the occasion’s new media technique, reflecting UK Labour’s strategy.
The teal unbiased Allegra Spender attracted criticism from the Coalition after admitting to paying an company to fee social content material with influencers.
The psychological health-focused content material creator Milly Rose Bannister has posted a number of movies “made in collaboration” with Spender, together with one wherein she shadowed the Wentworth MP for a day in parliament.
