DON’T FORGET ABOUT

CHICKEN

CAMPAIGNING

COMMUNICATIO

N

LOBBYINGADVOCACY

I don’t know why I don’t care about the bottom of the ocean, but I don’t

There are but two powers in the world, the sword and the mind. In the long run the sword is always beaten by the mind

Napoleon Bonaparte

There are two forces in the world today – US military power, and the world public opinion

Time Magazine, 2003

WHAT CAMPAIGNERS NEED TO KNOW?

For strategy, they need to understand POWER

For engagement, they need to understand MOTIVATION

They need to understand THE MEDIA

They need to have a VISION

They need to understand, express and use their own VALUES

They need to understand the ISSUE of the campaign

CAMPAIGNING, LOBBYING, ADVOCACY

DO YOU REALLY NEED TO CAMPAIGN?

1. REALITY CHECK

2. CAMPAIGNING IS NOT EDUCATION

EDUCATION CAMPAIGNS

Broadening Narrowing

3. ANALYSE THE FORCES

You know what you are concerned about

You know what needs to change

WHY HASN’T IT CHANGED ALREADY?

3. K.I.S.S

CAMPAIGNS ARE COMMUNICATION EXERCISE

MESSAGE CAN BE TRANSMITTED IN MANY WAYS

IF YOU FIND A FIRE

1.Raise the alarm2.Go immediately to the place of safety3.Call the fire brigade

IF YOU FIND A FIRE1.Network with your neighbours2.Explain the issues and the processes of ignition, fuel effects, oxidation and ion plasmas, and address the social and economic justice dimensions3.Educate decision-makers regarding the establishment of an adequately resourced fire brigade and fire prevention culture, ask your neighbours to join in

4. RIGHT COMPONENTS

The two words ‘information’ and ‘communication’ are often used interchangeably, but they signify 2 different things. Information is giving out; communication is getting through.

Sidney J. Harris

A useful version for the campaigns:

Awareness Alignment Engagement Action

COMMUNICATION MODEL

If you find a fire AWARENESS

We are all in danger ALIGNMENT

Let’s go this way ENGAGEMENT

We are leaving ACTION

Awareness – establishes the subject

Alignment – establishes that it is relevant for everyone

Engagement – is an appeal to join in

Action- is what is needed

CAMPAIGN COMMUNICATION JIGSAW

5. START WHERE YOUR AUDIENCE IS

When it comes to communication, do your market research. Say you need to persuade a group of councillors to take a particular decision about a forest. You may think it's important for frogs or as a watershed. But what do they see ? What if they use it for jogging or 50% of their constituents are woodcutters ? You may see a forest but they may see timber, or an exercise area. Put the issue in their terms.

6. CONSTRUCT A CRITICAL PATH

All issues are complex but your campaign must not be

7. CAMPAIGN AGAINST UNACCEPTABLE

Your campaign may be 'about an issue' but to engage people it will need to have

a much more specific 'battlefront'.

Choosing that battlefront is a crucial task.

8. MAKE REAL THINGS HAPPEN

Nobody remembers what David and Goliath were fighting about – everyone knows who won

Tom Burke, Friends of Earth

The best campaigns communicate themselves because they involve doing

9. SAY WHAT YOU MEAN – RASPB-ERRY

Responsible party

Action – the action you want people to take

Solution

Problem

Benefit

Illegal loggers are felling valuable timber and wrecking this ancient forest (Problem)

Effective policing and certification of timber has stopped this elsewhere (Solution)

Wildlife and communities benefit from sustainable management (Benefit)

The government of X is to blame because it’s not enforcing the law (responsible party)

We want people to call their MPs to lobby the government (Action)

CAMPCAT

Channel – how the message gets there

Action – what we want to happen (and what the audience is asked to do)

Messenger – who delivers the message

Programme – why we are doing it

Context – where and when the message arrives

Audience – who are we communicating with

Trigger – what will motivate the audience to act

10. FIND THE CONFLICT IN EVENTS – MAKE THE NEWS

Conflict is inherent to campaigns. Without a conflict of interest, a campaign would not be needed.

Campaigns make news when they create change, make a difference, or threaten to do so. A conflict just of ideas is of interest only to academic or political theoreticians. What counts for the rest of us is who comes out on top, what gets changed, how does it affect me, my family, my life and how it can be lived.

If you have a campaign it will be in conflict with someone, somewhere. That is probably your most newsworthy opportunity.

11. COMMUNICATE IN PICTURES

12. DON’T SEND MESSAGES

DO’S AND DON’T’S

Be simple: Avoid ‘the issue”

Avoid black holes and elephants

Don’t be led by the press agenda

Evaluation

Don’t believe your detractors

Worry about the right things

Don’t assume we need to change minds

Consider failure

Should we use celebrities?

PROBLEM TREE