The TikTok Prime Minister: Dumbing Down or Smart Strategy?

If you check your social media feeds at 6am, you shouldn’t be surprised to see our new prime minister’s face staring back at you. As this new era of leadership gets underway, it seems we’re also entering a new era of confidence in digital channels.

Following in the footsteps of New York mayor Zohran Mamdani (whose clever use of social media we’ve discussed before), Andy Burnham is taking clear steps towards the digitisation of Number 10, whether through beating the news cycle to the punch with dynamic 6am video updates, or working with collaborators to generate mass awareness.

My favourite so far has to be his videos with Mo Farah, just before and after taking up the PM mantle, in which mental health is discussed in a candid yet accessible way. His social media content is grounded in humour, openness and even the odd pop culture reference, all painting a picture of a man with (to use that overused marking term) authenticity at his heart.

Multiple government roles centred around social media management and video content production are going live as we speak, and the PM’s digital communications director Abby Tomlinson isn’t holding back when it comes to creating the digital footprint of the man now being dubbed the ‘TikTok Prime Minister.’

He’s not the first British politician to use social media to his advantage (Nigel Farage is particularly active in this space), but it’s refreshing to see the most senior person in the country understand the breadth of communications channels that organisations of all shapes and sizes need to use in today’s fragmented media landscape.

While I hear the cynics who think his approach undermines the seriousness of his position, I’d posit that his taking seriously the many channels at his disposal can only be a good thing…

1. He’s meeting the audience where they’re at

With the government set to lower the voting age to 16, a new and coveted demographic will be unlocked. TikTok and Instagram are core players for 16–25-year-olds, so it makes sense to build a solid follower base and execute regular and impactful comms on these channels.

Research from More in Common earlier this year reinforced a crucial point: people can’t make informed decisions about something if they don’t know it is happening. And younger audiences in particular are less aware of what the government is doing because they’re not engaging with mainstream media in the same way as older demographics. Meeting them in the spaces where they’re active is essential if you want the message to cut through.

While previous PMs have avoided extensive use of platforms such as TikTok, it’s clear that the future lies in digitalisation, and embracing it is critical to future-proofing the overarching comms strategy.

2. He’s able to shape the narrative

There’s a certain advantage to making full use of your owned media channels, in a world that has historically very much relied on earned media and it’s sometimes less than flattering headlines.

Gone are the days of relying solely on the press to interpret and shape the story around his latest initiative; now Burnham can get straight to the point and ensure the credibility and core messages of his campaigns cut through.

3. He’s able to ground his comms in likeability

Any successful politician needs to be able to do their job well, but rightly or wrongly, a huge part of their success lies with their charisma.

As my colleague Joe Price-Moore recently explored in his blog From Makerfield to the Boardroom, that ability to project relatability and connect with people on a human level has been a recurring theme in Burnham’s political career.

By breaking key announcements like the recent hospitality 20% business rate cuts via a snappy video featuring cutaway images of Burnham in full DJ mode, he’s able to show just how laidback and likeable he is, increasing positive voter sentiment and presenting himself as a ‘man of the people.’

With Kier Starmer frequently criticised for alienating voters with his standoffishness, it’s clear this approach of showcasing personality and playfulness is key.

4. He’s making use of key formats

All politicians claim to want to hear what their constituents have to say, but Burnham is able to showcase his work in this area in real time, via his ‘ask me anything’ content.

Bringing to life the AMA approach largely seen on Reddit, Burnham has been inviting members of the public to have their say, before showing the world the results. I look forward to seeing what other formats Burnham’s team thinks up in order to shake up the way key conversations are conveyed.

With Burnham’s predecessor notably less successful in portraying a confident and likeable public persona, it’s clear that he intends to do quite the opposite and social appears to be at the heart of his approach.

Regardless of how successful (or otherwise) this approach proves politically, it may well mark a permanent shift in how the UK government communicates. While some people will question the value of watching our PM and chancellor of the exchequer sampling pub snacks, the truly interesting thing for us as marketers isn’t the finer detail of the content itself but the broader significance being put on digital comms. Far from being a supplementary communications channel to traditional media relations, we’re seeing social recognised as a core tool for our country’s leader to explain his decision-making, communicate his values, demonstrate accountability and build trust. And that’s a lesson from which leaders in all manner of organisations can learn.

If you’d like to learn more about social media strategy, feel free to reach out to Alex Dixon, our senior social media strategy director.

The author: Alex Dixon is a senior social media strategy director at WPR who specialises in using LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X to keep clients ahead of the curve when it comes to social media marketing.