Harnessing data opens up new opportunities to make a difference

Lobbying is undergoing a major transformation with the changes brought about by digitalisation. New digital tools, in particular the collection and analysis of data, are opening up new opportunities for more effective social advocacy.

Influencing consumers, citizens and policy makers is easier than ever before. Not only is more information available, it is also more accessible. Data collected from social media and phones can tell you things like people's age, gender and education, which can help you target your influence very precisely. Not only do messages reach the right target groups, they reach those who are passionate about the issue and are taking it forward on their own.

On the one hand, analytics can help us to analyse and understand the positions of policy makers more accurately, and thus find ways to influence their decisions more effectively. On the other hand, we can gather information on policy-makers' preferences and tailor our messages in a completely new way. We can also more easily tap into and mobilise decision-makers' key stakeholder group - voters - through grassroots campaigns.

We are all used to using our data as consumers. Our social media channels are full of targeted ads based not only on age or gender, but also on things like our Google searches or location.

But does data analysis as a lobbying tool seem dubious? I don't blame you. Examples from around the world have not given a terribly positive picture of the use of data in, say, election campaigns and the dissemination of misinformation.

In September, I spent a busy period in Washington D.C., learning about the ways of making a difference in the world's most lobbied city, led by our local partner, Live Wire Strategic Communications . As a Finn, I often found myself frothing at the mouth about ethics, the potential for abuse and the questionable use of information in a Netflix series that has attracted global attention.

If we have the power to predict and analyse, and thus to influence the behaviour of the voter or decision-maker down to the individual level, it is clear that this power can also be used against their will or interests. This was, of course, also clear to the US actors. At the same time, however, we in Europe must work together more than ever to build better privacy protection. The GDPR is a good first step, but there will certainly be a demand for even stricter regulation in the future.

But amid all the threats, it is good to remember that there is no going back to the past. Data collection and analysis are enabling a huge number of things, and even more in the future. It is no exaggeration to say that data is the world's most valuable resource. In terms of influence, it opens up possibilities such as delivering messages to decision-makers in a more tailored way or mobilising the right people around the right issues. But at the same time, we all need to work together to promote more responsible data use and lobbying principles. We can prevent threats if we take responsibility for the future together.

Olli Hellgren

The author is a consultant at Blic, who comes from Lahe but looks for inspiration from beyond the border.