How have political events and technology changed the way we communicate and receive messages? On 14 March 2018, a panel of experts gathered in London to debate the future of public sector communications in a post-truth world.

1. #IpsosMORILive

2. 2
AGENDA
Executive Director, UK Government
Communications
2 | Alex Aiken
Managing Director, Ipsos MORI
Social Research Institute
1 | Bobby Duffy
Head of Public Sector Communications,
Ipsos MORI
3 | Ashley Ames
Policy, Advocacy & Campaigns Director,
Save the Children
5 | Kirsty McNeill
Senior Vice President, Ipsos US
4 | Katie Joyce
QUESTIONS? 8.30 | DRINKS

3. 3
@BobbyIpsosMORI
Bobby Duffy
Managing Director
Ipsos MORI
Social Research Institute

4. 4
Alex Aiken
Executive Director
UK Government
Communications
@AlexanderAiken

5. Head of Public Sector
Communications
Ipsos MORI
Ashley Ames

6. 6
Key challenges to communicators in 2018
62%
Across 22
countries
say they are
‘constantly
looking at
screens
these days’
The battle for
attention
The need to
‘re-connect’
“Northern folk tend to be
forgotten when creating
advertising”
81% globally find digital
ads annoying (most
unpopular type of ad)
Demonstrating
authenticity
Source: Ipsos Global Trends
Source: Ipsos MORI/ Trinity Mirror Solutions “When
Trust Falls Down”
Source: Ipsos Global Trends

7. 7
‘Fake news’ not so new
In 1672, Charles II issued a
proclamation “to restrain the
spreading of false news”
He declared that “coffee houses
be… put down and suppressed” …
“malicious and scandalous reports
are devised and spread abroad”

8. 8
How easy is it to
tell fact from fiction?

9. 9
Thinking about all the
different types of
information and
advertising you receive …
how easy or difficult do
you find it to tell the
difference between what
information is true and
what is false?
Not a lot of
confidence all round
40%
40%
38%
39%
32%
29%
36%
28%
30%
24%
22%
21%
27%
23%
15%
29%
11%
19%
19%
20%
22%
25%
28%
29%
34%
34%
34%
37%
38%
38%
38%
28%
Japan
South Korea
France
Hungary
Poland
Italy
Spain
Belgium
United States
Canada
Australia
Great Britain
Argentina
Sweden
Germany
Global Average
% Very/ Fairly difficult to tell what's true %Very/fairly easy
Base: 12,802 respondents to GlobalAdvisor Nov/Dec 2017
15-country average

10. 11
Social media sites
Individual journalists
Politicians or the government in
my country
Individual members of the public
Traditional media organisations
Online-only news organisations
They are all equally to blame
Politicians or the government in
other countries
Private companies
Public Relations (PR) firms
Recently, there has been
lots of attention about
''fake news'‘ … Who do
you think is most to
blame for the spread of
information that is not
correct / false?
Social media sites
take brunt of
the blame
15-country average
36%
22%
21%
19%
17%
16%
15%
15%
9%
8%
Base: 12,802 respondents to GlobalAdvisor Nov/Dec 2017
UK, Canada and
Sweden more likely
to blame politicians
in other countries

11. 12
Do we trust our
leaders and
governments?

12. 13
24
25
26
28
34
34
To be honest and tell the truth
To be open and transparent
To keep its promises
To be fair
To do what’s best for the
country
To deliver public services to the
best of their ability
Not a lot of
trust all round
How much trust, if
any, do you have in
the government in
your country to do
each of the following?
Base: 12,802 respondents to GlobalAdvisor Nov/Dec 2017
% with great deal/fair amount of trust (15-country average)

13. 14
Veracity Index
2017 (UK)
“Now I will read you a
list of different types
of people. For each
would you tell me if
you generally trust
them to tell the truth,
or not?”
94%
91%
87%
85%
83%
81%
76%
74%
67%
65%
64%
59%
54%
50%
50%
45%
41%
38%
36%
27%
27%
26%
19%
17%
Nurses
Doctors
Teachers
Professors
Scientists
Judges
Weather Forecasters
The Police
Television news readers
Clergy/priests
The ordinary man/woman in the street
Civil Servants
Lawyers
Pollsters
Charity chief executives
Trade union officials
Local councillors
Bankers
Business leaders
Estate agents
Journalists
Professional footballers
Government Ministers
Politicians generally
Base: 998 British adults aged 15+, fieldwork 20 - 26 October 2017
% trust to tell the truth

14. 15
% trust to tell the truth
Trends in public trust over time
65
59
27
19
17
0
20
40
60
80
100
1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017
Base: c. 1,000 British adults aged 15+ per year
Clergy/priests
(-20%pt since 1983)
Civil servants (+34)
Journalists (+8)
Government Ministers (+3)
Politicians generally (+1)

15. 16
What is the role of
public sector communications?

16. 17
What, if anything do you
think government should
do?
Average across:
• What people choose to eat
• Planning for retirement
• Using resources sustainably
• Smoking
People want
information above
other ‘interventions’
Base: c.500 - 1,000 residents aged 16-64 (18-64 in the US and Canada) in each country, November 2010
Source: Ipsos Global Advisor
% Strongly/tend to support across 24 countries
92%
87%
69%
62%
88%
Provide information
Provide incentives
Make behaviour more
expensive/difficult
Ban behaviour
Make companies act
against behaviour

17. 18
Huge variation in recall across countries
Healthy lifestyle Great Britain 24% Japan 9%vs
Reducing electricity
Staying safe
Staying safe
Saving for
Argentina 54% Sweden 7%
Hungary 44% Canada 13%
Australia 42% Germany 11%
Great Britain 22% France 8%
vs
vs
vs
vs
and gas
from crime
on roads
pensions
Base: 12,802 respondents to GlobalAdvisor Nov/Dec 2017
% Who have seen/heard advertising/information from a government department or public services in past 6 months

18. 19
20%
23%
24%
28%
25%
29%
29%
30%
39%
20%
22%
26%
28%
29%
29%
33%
36%
42%
Govt/public comms
Other comms
Backed up by influential
people I respect
Information or advice I
trusted
Easy to share
Relevant to me
Multiple formats
Caught my attention and
made me think
Support of a clear purpose
and cause
Strong and clear message
Easy to understand
Please now think about the
most recent advertising or
information you saw, heard
or read from a government
department/public service
(another organisation/
company).
Which of the following, if
any, did it do?
Base: 12,802 respondents to GlobalAdvisor Nov/Dec 2017 Developing international public sector norms
Public sector comms
at least as good as
other sources

19. 20
Those who recall
seeing government
communications
9%
17%
16%
16%
18%
31%
38%
19%
28%
30%
30%
34%
54%
55%
Seen public communications on the issue
Have not seen public comms
% Who have taken steps to …
Being safer on the roads
Reduce electricity / gas usage
Reduce risk of being victim of
crime/ terrorism
Lead a healthier lifestyle
Be more tolerant and
respectful of others
Invest (more) in pension /
retirement
Visit somewhere
new as tourist
Which of the following, if
any, have you done in the
last six months?
Base: 12,802 respondents to GlobalAdvisor Nov/Dec 2017
are more likely to
have taken positive
action

20. 21
Measuring and understanding impact
Encourage people not to
opt-out of workplace
pensions
UK
Systematic logic mapping
Evidence-driven KPI setting
Robust data collection
Structural equation modelling
Return on investment

21. 22
Sweden
Optimising future
materials and channels
Eye-tracking and EEG to
go beyond stated
responses
Measuring and understanding impact

22. 23
In summary
• Be mindful about sweeping conclusions
• Public sector communications typically welcomed and
relatively well rated - but need to be authentic and
creative
• Much to learn from country variations - a global view
can lead to greater success

23. 24

24. Head of Government
Research
Ipsos US
Katie Joyce
Scenes from Trump’s
America
Our age of uncertainty

25. 26
Change & exhaustion

26. 27
We can expect a return
To the regular order soon … right?

27. NO

28. 29
Erosion
of trust

29. 30
Average confidence in 13 institutions:
General Social Survey (GSS), Base: 40,956 U.S. adults 18+
Sharp decline over time in institutional trust
33%
24%

30. 31
“The system is broken”
Base: 16,597 adults aged 16-64 in Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Peru, Poland, Serbia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden,
Turkey; aged 18-64 in Canada and the United States., October 21-November 4, 2016
Society is broken
66% 58%
Economy is rigged for the advantage
of the rich and powerful 70% 69%
Need a strong leader to take the country
back from the rich and powerful 69% 63%
% agree that …

31. 32
Ideological
tribalism

32. 33
% who support the repeal of the “1975 Public Affairs Act”
Q. [SPONSOR] has stated that the 1975 Public Affairs Act should be repealed. To what extent do you agree or disagree? Source: June 2017 Reuters/Ipsos Survey
Differential credibility and rise of alternate facts
0
10
20
30
40
50
"TRUMP" "REPUBLICANS" "PEOPLE" "DEMOCRATS" "CLINTON"
Republican Democrat
when repeal is endorsed by …

33. 34
“Should a homosexual be allowed
Source: General Social Survey, n=34,696
We are becoming more tolerant
Pre WWI
(born
before ‘14)
26%
Greatest
Generation
(born ‘15-’27)
47%
Pre WWI
(born before ‘14)
30%
Greatest
Generation
(born ‘15-’27)
48%
Millennials
(born ’77-’00)
83%
Gen X
(born ‘65-’76)
70%
Millennials
(born ’77-’00)
91%
Gen X
(born ‘65-’76)
90%
49%
87%
to teach in a college or university?”

34. 35
Source: General Social Survey, n=34,696
But we are also seeing increased
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
55%
60%
65%
1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1980 1982 1983 1984 1985 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1993 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016
Republican
Democrat
Indep/Other
% who favour allowing abortion
ideological tribalisation

35. 36
42%
61%
62%
25%
64%
75%
75%
27%
27%
68%
20%
29%
Democrat Republican
Difference
b/w Reps and Dems
R +33
D +34
D +35
R +43
D+ 44
D+ 46
% agree is a “real American”
Ipsos poll conducted among 1,021 U.S. adults aged 18+, August 2017
Who is a real American?
Robert E. Lee
Someone who does not
stand for the national anthem
An adult who has lived in the United States ever since
he/she came as a child and never had a legal status
Believes immigration
should be restricted
Believes in
open borders
Sympathises with the
‘black lives matter’ movement

36. 37

37. Policy, Advocacy &
Campaigns Director
Save the Children
Kirsty McNeill
@kirstyjmcneill

38. Q&A