jason mogus: how to win in the 21st century

NetTuesday VancouverApril 13, 2016

Networked Change: How to win in the 21st Century

Networked Change uncovers common strategic and operational elements behind

today’s most successful advocacy campaigns. we call the model directed network

campaigning, a way of building strong people-powered movements that are centrally

framed, resourced, and organized in a way that leads to staying power and concrete

political or cultural wins.

cultural, politicalcontext

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cultural + tech forces• Media fragmentation, channel

multiplication

• Drop in attention spans / distraction

• Increase in causes + groups competing for attention

• Loss of faith in experts + institutions

• Rise of engagement – people want to give more

• Rise of “wicked problems” that cross cut issues

• Rise of free agents, unbounded by traditional NGO’s, connected via web

• Most NGO’s have lost touch with roots; are disconnected from supporters

• Policy and ideas don’t change the world. We have solutions but need political will to challenge powerful actors

political forces

institutional

heavyweights.

aarp.Massive organization that has consistently thrown its integrated

communications power behind the successful fight to protect Social

Security.

virunga.storytelling campaign

created a compelling super-villain and aligned

the power of WWF’s global reach and network

to defeat them.

grassroots upstarts.

occupy + #blacklivesmatter

these spontaneous grassroots movements

shifted the conversation and created space for

political change to come.

directed network

campaigns.

#Fightfor15.

arguably the most successful corporate

campaign of the decade, the SEIU’s

Fightfor15 has forced Walmart and

McDonalds to raise wages and sparked

higher minimum wage legislation in 13 States and 19 municipalities.

keystone.

network campaign re-energized the US

climate movement with people-power.

“Symbolic victory” laid groundwork for major

culture and political change.

fourprinciple

s

open to people power

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Drawing everything from a deep knowledge pool of member values, behaviors, interests. Involving + amplifying supporters in every stage.

frame a compelling cause

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Concise, compelling, visual narrative with a super-villain, hero, and theory of change. Strong, oppositional framing for what action looks like. Master multi-channel promotions.

cross-movement network hubs

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Connect, convene, and empower a movement to share effort and credit. Hashtag not brand. Cross movement boundaries and build trust.

run with focus +discipline

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Conserve resources and focus while building power. Do fewer things, better. Test and fail fast. Play the long game and be resourced for the fight.

4 principles ofnetworked change

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open to people powerDistribute agency. Allow for

local customization + adaptation. Gather ideas from

crowd. Show people power.

cross-movement networked hubsHashtag not brand. Cross

movement boundaries. Connect, convene, serve.

frame a compelling cause”Action-worthy problems and solutions”. Employ cultural storytelling. Visual. Oppositional framing with heroes + villains. Multi-channel mastery.

focus & disciplineBe agile, run tests, fail fast. Focus energy on key moments. Play the long game and be resourced for the fight. Be humble + curious about change.

aligning old power with new power

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Embracing 21st Century principles will re-invigorate traditional NGO’s by placing them back at the centre of strong social movements, building unstoppable power leading to major campaign wins and long term social change.

people power gives legitimacy