Report for entry into the Industry Award for Effectiveness Category at IVCA 2010
Project Title: Tosa Mibeko Client: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Introduction
Tosa Mibeko means “Play by the Rules” in Lingala, one of the majority languages spoken in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The “Play by the Rules” media campaign was launched by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in Summer 2009 to discourage illegal migration and explain UK migration policy.
1A - What elements did the project consist of?
The project consisted of the production of a 30 minute TV programme and the recording of a theme song about the dangers of illegal migration.
1B - How were these delivered to the target audience?
The target audience is predominately drawn from the Congolese middle class – those with both the economic imperative to migrate as well as the means to do so. Many are government employees or in other employment, but even so they may not have been paid for months or even years. They have close family groups and it is by these family members all clubbing together, or even selling family homes, to buy an airfare or other means of passage for one member that irregular migration often occurs. It is this that often leads to the feelings of obligation and shame that prevent voluntary return. It is both those thinking of migration and those wider family groups that we are targeting.
The film was produced in Lingala, a language spoken by most of the population of Kinshasa (where the majority of illegal migrants come from). It was also subtitled into French, the lingua franca of the educated middle classes and the ruling elite. Tosa Mibeko was made culturally specific and relevant through the use of local music as well as local actors performing in a Congolese soap opera format. It also includes local interviews as well as both original and archive footage from the UK.
There are some 10 million people in the greater Kinshasa area; DRC is a country the size of Western Europe. The population’s access to online channels to view video is negligible – internet penetration is minimal and bandwidth is generally at the equivalent of dial-up levels. There is however the opportunity to access popular media channels – television channels (by buying time slots) video clubs and radio stations. The watching of television or DVDs in communal environments is a popular pastime.
So we decided to target these audiences through the broadcast media; Tosa Mibeko has been broadcast widely on television in DRC . It has also been distributed on DVD, shown in schools and universities and to church and community groups and at other venues. At one event, 3000 young people were shown the film at a sports centre. We will encourage viral distribution of the film by exploiting the healthy market for pirate DVDs.
The song has been released on the radio and as a CD single; reproduced on a CDPlus containing a pop promo video as an added bonus. This pop promo has also been uploaded onto YouTube. The theatre group involved in the programme have been actively engaged in the promotion of the campaign, as has Marshall Dixon, the local music star who provided the music. He has been promoting key messages at his concerts and on the radio.
The TV programme is being aired 18 times a week for an initial 3 month period. This will be repeated in January/February 2010. The song is played daily on national radio.
2A - What is the overall business strategy of thecommissioning organisation?
DRC is a vast country, with a huge potential audience with very low levels of knowledge of or understanding about migration to the UK. Civil wars and 40 years of misrule have devastated the country; poverty remains chronic and widespread. In addition, the DRC’s human development index is one of the lowest in the world (ranking 177th out of 179 countries). There is almost no infrastructure and opportunities are non-existent. There is widespread desire to migrate and many do so, the majority by using illegal networks or agents.
Anecdotal evidence, backed up by an FCO-commissioned research project, shows that Congolese dream of going to Europe for a better life. But there is scant awareness of the realities of migration, both illegal and legal. Enforced return is simply not believed to be a reality. There are also misconceptions about visa processes, for example the erroneous belief that Africans don't get visas so have no choice but to enter illegally.
We are all aware of the impact of illegal migration on the UK; less well known is the impact of migration on those who do it and those they leave behind. The negative consequences are that families are often left destitute raising the money for family members to migrate. Many don’t make it to their destinations, falling ill or dying en route at the hands of unscrupulous traffickers. Many are turned away at the UK border and the money they have spent (as well as their future ability to travel to the UK) is wasted. Those that do make it may face a life on the run, sleeping on floors, being exploited by employers and not earning the money they need to send home to pay back their passage or repay their family’s outlay.
Many are too ashamed to return empty handed. Back home their families are ruined and the country haemorrhages those educated and skilled people it desperately needs to retain. On top of this of course is the huge financial burden each illegal immigrant imposes on the host country, the UK. Costs of short term accommodation and support services are significant, and just the repatriation of a single illegal immigrant costs the UK taxpayer £11,000.
Our intention was to make a programme to discourage irregular migration by providing information about its hazards and the legal and procedural barriers in force, while showing the proper legal route into the UK; and to promote to existing irregular migrants the benefits of returning home voluntarily.
2B Specify how the project fits in with this strategy
DRC is not a reading culture so audio visual material is a more engaging route than print – especially where “real” Congolese tell their own story. This project presents (sometimes tough) messages about illegal migration, and UK policy, in an engaging, Congolese-friendly way. We needed to create communication that delivered on a number of levels:
· Relevant and familiar – it had to look and feel culturally specific and attractive in its form
· Enjoyable and engaging – people should want to watch it and then want to stay watching. There had to be something in it for them
· Authentic and believable – it had to be credible and not come over as propaganda. Information had to be conveyed clearly and opinions had to be expressed by those respected and trusted by the audience – or at least not expressed by those who are distrusted
To make it effective, overwhelmingly it was important to get the message across in a culturally specific way; to engage the audience using its own cultural norms. Popular drama – Congolese soap operas – are widely watched and have a huge following. There is also a vibrant music scene. We decided to use elements of both to appeal to local audiences.
Corruption is rife in DRC and many cultural icons are or have been involved in criminality including people smuggling. Because there is this huge natural distrust of celebrities and well known people, we needed to avoid negative connotations such role models would bring. There is also a natural distrust or disdain for messages and media coming from outside DRC.
Instead it needed to feel authentically ‘Congolese made’; made by Congolese for the Congolese. To achieve this we employed local people on the crew and to help write the scripts and direct the drama and by employing well known Congolese actors to perform in the style of local popular drama or soap opera. We also used local music, specially composed by an up and coming (and so as yet untainted) hip hop star.
3A What are the communication objectives of the project?
The communications objectives of the project were to demonstrate the UK’s fair but firm migration policy: show that enforced return is a reality, highlight the dangers of illegal migration and show the benefits of playing by the rules.
Key messages are:
· It is not safe to migrate irregularly · There is no ‘free ride’ in the UK · Enforced return will be used (and UK Border Agency uses sophisticated technology to control and track down irregular migrants both as they attempt to enter the UK and should they slip through the net) · Regular migration is possible - there is a route - “Play by the Rules”
Secondary messages include:
· There is no such thing as ‘fortress Britain’ · It is not only black and minority ethnic people who are turned away/sent home · It is not only white/western people who are allowed in
3B How have these been met by the project?
The programme conveys serious messages in a lively, engaging way, infused with Congolese humour - using a combination of different stylistic elements and types of content including UK archive footage and touching and sincere real-life Congolese witness accounts. These diverse elements are held together in a framework supplied by an authentic Congolese drama. The elements used can be broken down as follows:
1. Peer group testimony – in the form of interviews with individuals either directly or indirectly involved in migration, offering anecdotal evidence rather than opinion; authentic, believable stories of real life experience. Experiences that the audience can identify with. These include:
· Forced returnees, in DRC · A voluntary returnee, in DRC · Family members of forced returnees, in DRC, who have lost everything · Businessmen who have travelled legally · A Congolese priest who is involved in helping returnees · Failed asylum seekers in the UK awaiting deportation/appeal
2. UK Border Force – footage from the SKY Television series UK Border Force that offers a glimpse into a world the audience has never seen; that bring the realities of border control and enforcement into focus – with the authority of something clearly generated in the UK, rather than DRC.
3. News archive – hard hitting evidence of the very real danger of irregular migration – images of migrants crammed into nearly sinking ships, wrecked pirogues and bodies of migrants abandoned in the desert.
4. Drama – Dramatised elements shot in the style of Congolese popular drama link and introduce topics. At the same time they add to the watchability and cultural relevance of the programme. We worked with local actors/writers, making this a Congolese film to its very core.
5. Music – the local feel is reinforced by the commissioning of Congolese music specifically for the production. This emphasises the Congolese feel of the programme, whilst allowing a secondary stream of communication through distribution of the song alone.
4A What steps were taken to measure the effectiveness of theproject?
So far outreach visits have been conducted to 74 schools in Kinshasa to reinforce the messages and assess impact – 120 will be visited in total. The students and teachers are shown the film and then presented with a performance by the same theatre group as appear in the film. Then there is a Q&A session with the students. There have also been two TV debates with open phone lines. FCO is now in the process of running a large-scale evaluation project. A Congolese market research company will conduct interviews with 1800 young people and analyse their responses. FCO are also going to produce four new 1hour TV debates with open phone lines, showing extracts of Tosa Mibeko and asking for feedback.
Throughout the production the scripts were submitted to a Congolese focus group. The rough cut and finished films have also been submitted to the same focus group. 50 Congolese staff at the British Embassy were also consulted.
4B Specify the measurements obtained and who obtained them.
The programme has been shown to over 19,000 students so far (with a target of 40,000 by the end of February) by the Congolese theatre group, where it has gone down extremely well. The film has been seen by over a hundred thousand TV viewers. There have been overwhelmingly positive responses from TV phone-ins and from the people questioned in street interviews. Responses have shown that people had no idea of the extent, or even existence, of border controls. They were also completely unaware of both the enforcement activity the UK Border Agency engages in and of the lack of opportunity for illegal immigrants in the UK. Responses also show a lack of awareness of the dangers involved in migrating irregularly.
And the feedback from the live text in to the TV debates has included comments such as: "this programme must continue to be shown as it will explain the realities to our Congolese brothers who think that to go to Europe is to go to paradise. " Rodrigue from Kinshasa
There has also been huge backing for the whole campaign and an acknowledgement of the importance of communicating these messages from those Congolese involved in the film; from the interviewees and other participants to those organisations and individuals involved on a more peripheral level. This enthusiasm has been reflected by the sample audience used by the FCO as a focus group in Kinshasa, as well as the 50 locally employed Embassy staff who gave feedback. The comments throughout have been overwhelmingly positive – with responses exhibiting:
· Amazement at what the real picture is about entering the UK and about life as a ‘clandestine’. Most have no idea of what life is like in the UK. Their music icons sing about how the streets of Europe are paved with gold. Many have no idea how immigration controls work in the UK. Kinshasa airport procedures are weakened through bribery, border controls are ineffective in many places, and famous/influential people often don’t even go through immigration or customs.
· Amusement at the humour of the drama – they really ‘get it’
· Real glee at seeing something filmed in Kinshasa and appearing authentically Congolese - bar the few local programmes and soaps, DRC TV is mostly made up of either evangelical preaching or imports from Nigeria, mostly about crime and other action genres.
· Empassioned support for the project - especially when they see the impact of migration on some of the interviewees. Comments from viewers have included: “this really is reality – this is what’s happening in my neighbourhood. This isn’t just acting, this is real”. And “Going to the UK illegally is a waste of money. You spend $4000 and then you get refused at the airport when you get there, It’s far better to spend that money here in DRC and live your life in freedom”. And also, “I want to use this film to educate my children not to migrate illegally”.
· Uptake of the song – this has proved incredibly popular with everyone who has heard it, with it appearing as ringtones on people’s phones and being played to colleagues, family and friends Comments have included: “the DRC adores music. By choosing this artist, you are guaranteed success. Everyone is now singing the song. Through music, you are educating the youth.”
The Congolese press have been reporting that "UK operates a transparent migration policy"; this represents a remarkable turnaround - in the past the UK was accused of operating a racist and anti-congolese policy; of being “fortress Britain” etc. Now, press reporting is supportive of the UK’s migration policy, and notes that the UK is the only foreign government to be proactively working with the Congolese to tackle illegal migration..
5A What were the cost or other benefits of the project to the commissioning company?
The practical benefit of this project is that it has enabled HMG to get its messages across in a user-friendly and sustainable way. The political benefits have been pronounced. The DRC government has praised UK’s transparent migration policy and consequently increased their cooperation with UK on managing migration. The Congolese press no longer attacks the UK for its migration policy. Meanwhile, return on investment can be measured very easily. The cost of an illegal immigrant passing through the system in the UK is so great, it represents a success if only a handful of people are dissuaded from trying to come to the UK illegally, compared to the cost of the production.
5B How were these evaluated?
The decision by Her Majesty’s Government to fund this information campaign using the Tosa Mibeko TV programme has led to the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo signing a bilateral migration agreement. This commits both sides to working together to advance our migration objectives. The level of cooperation across the board on managing migration is unprecedented, and the DRC government calls our productive partnership “win/win”.
Since the UK stepped up its engagement in DRC on managing migration – through better communications, and the enforcement of tougher measures against irregular Congolese in the UK, illegal intake was down 59% in 2008/9 compared to 2007/8.