With witticisms, warnings & videos on lockdown, cops turn stars on Twitter

From being quick to quell rumours and call out fake news to using popular movie dialogues to tell people to stay in, the Mumbai Police Twitter handle has been moving at dizzying speed.

When industrialist Anand Mahindra tweeted ‘I think our marketing folks need to take a few pointers from @MumbaiPolice’ he was not being frivolous. In the past few weeks, Mumbai Police have been acing the communication game on social media, with sharp, effective and pertinent pieces of communication asking people to stay in, stop the rumour mongering and keep to the rules of the state. Often labelled the Ámul of Twitter handles (with an obvious reference to the dairy brand’s topical advertising credentials), Mumbai Police have come up some memorable campaigns in recent years, but nothing beats its prolific showing in the midst of Coronavirus crisis.

From being quick to quell rumours and call out fake news to using popular movie dialogues to tell people to stay in, the Mumbai Police Twitter handle has been moving at dizzying speed. Its message on April Fool Day that found its way on to several hundred handles (including Mahindra) asked people to zoom in to a message written in infinitesimally tiny font and when they did, asked them not to be foolish and keep social distance. Apart from the smart quips and videos, the department has also initiated periodic interactive sessions with the Commissioner of Police on the lockdown and other issues related to the virus.

Other state police departments are rising up to the challenge too. Faced with an invisible enemy prowling the streets, the police are getting imaginative and resourceful in their engagement with the public. Many have used old movie clips, actors, memes and songs to get the message across. Kerala Police, for instance, has created several animated videos to tell people about the virus and the need to stay home.

A step by step guide to the situation helps people grasp the dos’ and don’ts more easily they say, reinforcing a cardinal principle of the need to keep the messaging simple in the time of a crisis. A spokesperson for Kerala police said that its ‘Break the Chain’ video that told people how to keep themselves and others safe, was an instant hit. Within five days of its release, it had reached more than 6.5 million people. In another hit video, six policemen, wearing masks, are seen matching their steps to the song from a hit film, highlighting the importance of washing hands.

Songs are a popular medium. Punjab Police has tweaked the lyrics of Bari Barsi (a popular traditional folk song) to convey the need to fight the scourge of our times. In a state that has been devastatingly impacted by the virus, the police has been highly active with its social media handles. Another campaign titled ‘Gawacha Gurbaksh’ (lost Gurbaksh) talks about the irresponsibility of a single individual, who having returned from Italy does not report to the authorities and then goes missing. The film is helmed by celebrity singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh who has a large fan following in the state.

The idea is to get people on board with the seriousness of the issue at hand and understand the consequences of their actions. But the police are constrained by the fact that they have to communicate quickly and do so without adding to the panic that has gripped the nation. Hence there is need for some humour and an understanding of how to nudge behavioural change without ratcheting up the fear factor.

For many of the teams handling the social media accounts of the police departments, one way to do that is to get celebrities to weigh in. Much like what brands do to gain mass appeal, the state police teams are asking actors, singers, playwrights and stand-up comics to stand by them. The Kerala Police, for instance, have roped in a host of film stars including Jayaram, Manju Warrier, Fahad Fazil and so on. Every tweet and retweet counts in the fight against the virus.