How do you influence an audience caught between state propaganda, surveillance, and total information fatigue?
This was the challenge we took on during a months-long strategic communication consultancy with several civil society initiatives operating in — and about — Belarus. The environment? Hostile. The audiences? Fragmented, mistrustful, emotionally worn down. The usual tools? Mostly useless.
But here’s what we learned: Even in the most complex settings, it’s possible to shift the conversation — if you stop trying to counter the noise and start creating something your audience actually wants to hear.
A few key lessons:
✦ Critique isn’t a strategy: Calling out propaganda isn’t enough. What works? Building narratives that are constructive, relatable, and grounded in people’s actual lives — not just their values.
✦ Audience-first isn’t optional: We helped teams move from “everyone is our audience” to deeply segmented strategies that reached LGBTQ+ youth, young mothers, and even security personnel — each with radically different needs.
✦ Format matters: A cartoon beaver can do more for cybersecurity awareness than a serious explainer. Humor and storytelling aren’t just nice-to-haves — they’re essential tools for building trust and sparking engagement.
✦ Virality ≠ validation: In Belarus, even negative comments (and bot spam) were a sign we were hitting a nerve — and driving visibility through the algorithm.
This project wasn’t about just launching content. It was about helping initiatives see communication as a system — one that can be tested, iterated, and scaled for real-world impact.
Want the full report?
We’re sharing detailed findings — including campaign examples, audience insights, and tailored recommendations — with partners working in similar contexts. Get in touch if you'd like access to the Learning Brief.
