O’Toole is also working with Stack Data Strategies, an analytics firm led by James Kanagasooriam, according to the Toronto Star. Stack played a critical role in boosting the Johnson 2019 campaign with big data behaviour modelling and predictive analytics.
London-based Tory political communications firms have been strengthening their ties with conservative parties around the world, especially in English-speaking countries such as Canada and Australia.
“We have great links with other conservative movements around the world and we try to help out as much as we can,” one British political consultant who has been involved in international conservative campaigning told openDemocracy.
Topham Guerin was founded in 2016 by two young New Zealanders, Sean Topham and Ben Guerin, who specialise in producing memes and videos for right-wing political parties. As well as helping to steer Johnson’s Conservatives to election victory in 2019, the firm is also credited with playing a key role in the election victory of Scott Morrison’s Liberal Party in Australia.
The firm, which has offices in the UK, Australia and New Zealand, has been referred to as “a 24-hour meme machine”, known for producing simple and often shocking content aimed at triggering strong emotions. In a 2019 speech, co-founder Guerin told an Australian audience that “You've got to surprise people, you've got to shock people, you've got to unlock an arousal emotion in people... The particular emotions that we need to unlock are arousal emotions. We're talking anger, excitement, pride, fear.”
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