EditorialBetter communication with Hong Kong’s public required
- Costly government video that had limited impact on YouTube shows it’s not only a matter of getting the message across, but also that it be understood
Public communication is not only about getting the message across, but also being heard and understood as widely as possible.
This is especially so for a government that is struggling to reconnect with its people during challenging times. Failure to do so will reflect badly on its image and widen the divide even further.
Questions have been raised over a video commissioned by the Information Services Department on the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to Chinese rule.
Costing HK$1.3 million (UUS$166,000) to produce, the clip attracted just 4,100 page views on its YouTube channel. Another, promoting the maiden policy address of Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu in October, cost slightly more and netted 805,000 views.
Page views are just one way to measure performance. Officials said different versions of the clip were also shown at government premises, shopping centres, public housing estates as well as on television, other official websites and social media platforms. Therefore, its audience was presumably much wider.
Unlike in the private sector where costs and results matter most, certain government projects and publicity are carried out regardless of cost-effectiveness.