An Afternoon With 411 @ THE CAMPAIGN FRINGE

​411 is a digital communications agency born from the team behind the Labour Party’s historic 2024 general election victory. We are dedicated to driving progressive change, and innovating new and effective campaign techniques on a local and national level. 

​We’re hosting four sessions at the Campaign Lab fringe, each led by an expert from the 411 team. These are people working on the frontline of Labour and progressive campaigns across the UK and around the world.

​Each session will take you through the most up to date techniques we are using right now, from using local influencers effectively, to tackling disinformation and AI, to making better digital content under pressure. We’ll also share practical tips for running better local campaigns on limited time and money. There will be space at the end of each session for questions and discussion.

​1pm - Quiet Riot: What Non-Aligned Audiences Tell Us About the Far Right and Future of the Left

​In this session, we go inside the research team behind Labour’s social listening and counter-disinformation strategy - and into the real-time monitoring systems now used to track threats, trends and voter sentiment across the UK and beyond. From forensic investigations into platform bias - like our recent sockpuppet experiment with Sky News, which exposed how far-right content is algorithmically prioritised on X - to cutting-edge monitoring of apolitical spaces like TikTok, Reddit and other online spaces, this talk shows how online ecosystems are shaping offline politics in ways most political campaigners never see.

We’ll unpack 411’s framework: a system that listens to the quiet, the disengaged, the angry, and the disillusioned - mapping how everyday people are talking about issues like immigration, housing, identity and fairness, without ever mentioning political parties or politicians. These audiences aren’t watching PMQs. But they’re shaping the mood of the nation.

​Speaker
Ned Mendez

Ned Mendez leads the Research & Insights team at 411, where he oversees online narrative analysis and disinformation response projects across the UK, Spain, Sweden, France, and the Netherlands. He was a key contributor to the narrative monitoring and online strategy approach that supported Labour’s 2024 general election campaign.

​2pm - Local Influencers: Why We Need Them 

​In close contests, the right local voices can make the difference. We’ll share how we’ve used local influencers to shift the dial in key by-elections and during the General Election campaign. This session will look at how to identify good local voices to tap into, simple ways to build relationships that work, and how to get started working with local creators for your local campaigns.

​Speakers
Charlotte Beeden and Alex Slater

Alex Slater is a former digital officer who worked on the general election campaign for the Labour Party. She is now working as a Creators Executive at 411, connecting influencers with political and progressive campaigns in the UK and across Europe. Before she began working in political campaigning, Alex was a news reporter, a freelance film critic and programmer, with a passion for using the arts and social media as a tool for social activism. 

​Charlotte Beeden is a Senior Creators Executive with 5 years of experience in content creation, building a community of over 60,000 followers. Charlotte's success came after noticing an unfulfilled niche in “studytube” for students who attended comprehensive schools. Charlotte built a successful YouTube community, where she provided studying advice, vlogged her journey to university and connected with other students to empower working class students to pursue higher education. Charlotte has worked in digital campaigning since graduating in 2023, and is passionate about providing opportunities for creators to thrive.

​3pm - Behind the Curtain on Good Content 

​Led by 411's expert content team, this session will drill down into the kind of content we post and why. Importantly, it will have a special focus on the kind of content that is effective at reaching 'beyond the usual suspects', engaging those voters who are undecided and not already within your digital orbit.

​Speaker

​tbc

​4pm - Save your Local Elections: Cheap and Effective Ways to Campaign

​This session looks at the tactics that help win local campaigns without big budgets. We will take you through the low-cost digital methods that can make an impact during a campaign. From scrappy graphics and building trust in local Facebook groups, to which ads are most effective, we will share the tools that work. You will come away with practical examples and ideas to help you get ahead in 2025.

​Speaker
tbc