Social (media) spin to government PSAs
With an aim to give public service announcements (PSAs) a greater reach, the government is connecting with Gen Y in a language they speak, and on the mediums they prefer. Witty hashtags, concise visuals and newsy infographics are being used to woo the younger audience.
MyGov, an independent government body, is capitalising on this trend to create interest. “In today’s times, you have to go and communicate where people are. You have to talk to them in the language that works on those platforms. They want crisp messaging. The idea is to involve as many people as possible,” says Abhishek Singh, CEO, MyGov.
The body roped in Indian cricketers and launched a campaign, #TheMaskForce, to make people understand the significance of wearing a mask and also took help from actor Ajay Devgn to popularise Aarogya Setu app. “We have leveraged all platforms. Some of these apps have surprised us in terms of reach,” Singh informs.
Another government undertaking, DMRC (Delhi Metro Rail Corporation), has been keeping people engaged through playlists and topical visuals. Their take on the remix of the Masakali song received rave reviews. “On one side, our campaigns have focused on what DMRC is doing and, on the other, we have tried to interact with people through quizzes, interesting trivia, etc,” says Anuj Dayal, executive director, corporate communication, DMRC.