5. New Media Advocacy What is New Media? NEW MEDIA is a term meant to encompass the emergence of digital, computerized, or networked information and communication technologies in the 21stcentury
6. New Media Advocacy What is Strategic Advocacy? STRATEGIC ADVOCACY is using a series of tactics to convince a target audience to take action on behalf of a marginalized group.
7. New Media Advocacy New Media + Advocacy = NEW MEDIA ADVOCACY is the use ofmodern communications and technologyto helphuman rights and social justice defenders overcome structural obstacleswhen fighting for people’s rights
8. New Media Advocacy Why New Media? • Can alter the meaning of geographic distance • Allows for a huge increase in the volume of communication • Provides the possibility of increasing the speed of communication • Allows forms of communication there were previously separate to overlap and interconnect
9. New Media Advocacy Why New Media? TRADITIONAL MEDIA NEW MEDIA • Creating and giving the information • Dependant on advertisers • Top down approach • Creating, building upon, sharing information • Dependant on users • Multidimensional Approach
10. New Media Advocacy Types of New Media • Print Media • Digital Media • The Internet • Guerrilla Marketing
12. Print Media PRINTED MEDIAare materials that are either distributedor placedto provide information about and/or advertise a certain cause
13. Print Media Newsletters / Magazines Printed report or publication which gives news or information of interest to a specific target group on a regular basis (monthly, quarterly, annually, ect.)
14. Print Media Newsletters / Magazines • Formats need to be sustained over time • Preparation of quality content • Delegating, coordinating, team work and distribution are crucial • Size and over-all design
15. Print Media Newsletters / Magazines PROS • Provide in-depth coverage • Can include text and graphics • Can be distributed on the internet • Can encourage long-term engagement • They can be shared and passed on
16. Print Media Newsletters / Magazines CONS • These formats are costly;they demand skills, time anda good team
17. Print Media Brochures / Fliers A small booklet, pamphlet, or piece of paper often containingeducational material, key messages or data
18. Print Media Brochures / Fliers • Clear, concise writing and layout are essential • A striking design tostand out • One color is usually fine and less expensive • Include a link to the website
19. Print Media Brochures / Fliers PROS • Fairly quick to produce • More in-depth. • Online distribution is easy • Generally Inexpensive
21. Print Media Fact Sheets Presents data in a short format, emphasizing brevity, key points of interest or concern, a sparse design and a desire to convey the most important information in the smallest amount of space
22. Print Media Fact Sheets • Demands research • Fact-checking • Clear writing
23. Print Media Fact Sheets PROS • Quick and easy production • Relatively inexpensive • More in-depth • Online distribution is easy
25. Print Media Posters A typically large visual, usually including pictures and illustrations, to advertise or publicize something
26. Print Media Posters • Needs a strong concept and possibly a designer • Putting it in the right places can have big impact • Include the website URL
27. Print Media Posters PROS • Fast and simple • High impact • Online distribution possible
28. Print Media Posters CONS • Can be costly, • Potential legal/security issues for people distributing • Can’t be updated
29. Print Media Books / Reports Officially published content which generally explores a specific subject in great detail based on studiesand/or research
30. Print Media Books / Reports • Carefully decide if the materials will be sold or distributed for free, • Can also be turned into an e-book and downloaded
31. Print Media Books / Reports PROS • Very in-depth • Can be self-fundingthrough sales • Online distribution is possible
32. Print Media Books / Reports CONS • Can be heavy • Expensive to print and distribute • Sales systems required
33. Print Media T-shirts / Stickers Promotional items are easily distributed and can generally have anything printed on them.
34. Print Media T-shirts / Stickers • Needs a strong concept and design • Can be printed using one color • Include website URL
35. Print Media T-shirts / Stickers PROS • Fast and simple • High visibility • Stickers are inexpensive • Durable • Online distribution and sale
36. Print Media T-shirts / Stickers CONS • T-shirts are costly • Information is not in-depth • Can’t be updated
42. Digital Media DIGITAL MEDIA are materials that are created anddisseminatedthrough means of electronic devises such as televisions and computers
43. Digital Media Video Creating video for advocacy might mean making a high-impact, tightly edited one-minute piece made up of moving images and sound, an hour-long documentary, or a short piece of unedited footage showing a key moment. Video is versatile, need not be costly or very difficult to produce and can be distributed in many ways
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45. It is not best for content such as maps, charts and lengthy text
46. May be more expensive than other media and requires technical knowledge
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48. Digital Media Animation Animation can be a great tool for advocacy communications, bringing life to your story and presenting your idea quickly and attractively. Animation can take the form of a slideshow with floating text or it can emulate a short movie. Color, movement, expressions and action can be effective in attracting the viewer’s attention in ways that text cannot. Animations can also evoke responses from diverse audiences, helping to overcome cultural or linguistic barriers.
49. Digital Media Animation • They can be funny • They can attract attention more effectively than a still image or photograph does • They can be used in lots of different spaces and shared and distributed in different ways: via e-mail as attachments, on a website or even via mobile phone • Small banner animations are a great way for you to publicize your blogor campaign; you can put an animated banner on your website, and ask others to include it on their site • They can help you talk about sensitive issues through fictional characters.
51. Digital Media Audio Audio content can be distributed to audiences through a variety of ways: • CD’s • Radio • Mobile Ring Tones • Websites • Podcasts
52. Digital Media Audio • Public – many people can listen at the same time • Private – people have the option to listen by themselves • Can be heard by large numbers of people who may not otherwise be exposed to your message • Very effective to those who are illiterate
53. Mobile Media Mobile Media MOBILE MEDIA is informationwhich is shared through the use of cellular phones, PDA’s, and other easily portable devices
57. The Internet THE INTERNET is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet Protocol Suite (TCP/IP) to serve billions of users worldwide
58. The Internet The Internet and Advocacy • Always accessible, anytime anywhere • Cost effective • Flexible • Ideal for collaboration and dialogue
59. The Internet Websites Unique websites should be designed for target users. The content should further the goals of this audience and that of the organization.
60. The Internet Website Goals • To educate and inform • To create an organizational identity • To expand your base and mobilize your supporters • To improve media outreach and engagement • To campaign • To influence decision makers and people in power • To serve as a trusted news source • To provide specialized data, research or information which relates to your advocacy • To support a conversation with your audience around a particular issue
61. The Internet Website Users • Supporters/members • First time visitors • Press • Funders (small donors or other, larger, funders) • Other organizers and activists • Decision makers
62. The Internet Website Users • Who are your audiences? • Name them and rank their importance; for example, primary, secondary, Tertiary • Name three other sites they use regularly • What do you want them to learn or do? • How do they get to your site? • What are they trying to find? • Where do they click on the front page? • What do they do next?
63. The Internet Website Content • About Us — Mission statement — Staff and board biographies — Contact information — Annual reports — Jobs & volunteering — History & victories — FAQs • Campaign Updates — About the issues — Event reports — Pictures, audio or video documentation — Legislative updates — A link to ways for users to get involved
64. The Internet Website Content • Online Engagement — Sign up for email newsletters — Action alerts/Petitions — Contact the media/Letter to the editor — Contact your representative in government — Tell a friend — Donate/Become a member • Offline Engagement — Volunteering opportunities — Events — Local groups — Toolkits/Action resources
65. The Internet Blogging A blog is a type of website that is very easy to publish and to update. The name comes from ‘web-log’, the idea being that it is regularly updated with new ideas and events
66. The Internet Blogging • Setting up a blog and adding content is extremely easy • Can exist on its own or be incorporated into an existing website • Can include text, images, audio and video content • Great tool for updating content on a regular basis • Minimal technical skills are required • Posts are published chronologically • Posts are automatically archived • A blog can be interactive • Content is easy to publicize • Posts are searchable • Can be updated remotely
67. The Internet Blogging Best Practices • Choose your blog name carefully • Create an ‘About’ page with information about your organization • Keep your design simple • Post often • Write good quality texts • Try not to make your posts too long • Revisit old posts • Get to know your readers • Read other organizations’ blogs and make comments • Register your blog on a blog directory • Change your blog in response to changing needs • Include a ‘Contact Me’ form or provide an e-mail address
68. The Internet Twitter Twitter is a service that allows users to send ‘updates’ (text-based posts called tweets)up to 140 characters long viaSMS (text message), instant messaging, e-mail, the Twitter website or any application that can connect to these services
69. The Internet Twitter • Can send updates to one person, to a closed group of contacts or as public messages that can be seen by anyone • Updates are displayed instantly • Is highly effective in urgent situations because it can be updated by mobile phone and sent many people simultaneously • Content can be aggregated with the use of #hash tags
70. The Internet Social Networking SOCIAL NETWORKING websites focus on building online communities of people who share interests and/or activities. Users interact in a variety of ways, such as e-mail and instant messaging services
71. The Internet E-mail Marketing Email can be an effective way to reach decision makers and get your message across to thousands of people. Many experts think email is still the key tactic to use in communicating your cause
72. The Internet E-mail Marketing • Reach decision makers directly, with a personal communication • Propagate your message and build awareness. A successful viral email campaign, where people pass the message on to others, has the potential to reach thousands • Keep interested individuals and organizations up-to-date and involved with your activities via e-newsletters and ad-hoc emails • Save money
73. The Internet E-mail Marketing Best Practices • Don’t show all recipients in the ‘To’ box, put them in BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) • Don’t pass on viruses • Don’t spam • Make sure you keep your mailing list up to date • Have a privacy statement in the footer of your email and give people the opportunity to unsubscribe • Take steps to ensure the security and privacy of your list of email addresses • Include a link to your website • Target your emails as accurately as possible • Ask the recipient to forward your message to others who may be interested
74. The Internet E-mail Marketing Best Practices • Use a clear and compelling subject line • Send your email as plain text • Personalize the greeting: ‘Dear <name>’ • Make sure the main points you wish to make are viewable in the first part of the email • Break your paragraphs up so none are more than four lines in length
76. Guerrilla Marketing GUERRILLA MARKETING techniques are unconventional interventions in public or commercial space in order to spread your message to an extended audience
77. Guerrilla Marketing A personal letter intentionally left on the back seat of a bus A billboard altered to subvert its message A banner hung from a bridge A costumed hero handing out bundled letters of protest captures attention and imagination because it is out of the ordinary! • Because creativity, imagination and resourcefulness are more important for successful guerrilla marketing than big budgets and access to mass media, it is particularly suited to NGOs and rights advocates
78. Guerrilla Marketing Things to Consider… • Who is your target audience? Where is the best place to reach them? What is the best time of day or season? • What is your desired outcome? What do you want your audience to experience or do? • Do you have the resources and capacity to undertake your action?Do you need help from outside professionals or volunteers? • How visible is your target location? Different types of people frequent different neighborhoods, and different locations have different safety, security and accessibility concerns
80. Group Activity Based on your organization’s current advocacy strategy, what would be the most appropriate new media tools that could be use to help deliver your messaging? Discuss in groups of 2 or 3. After we will share our findings with the rest of the group.
86. Group Activity Please create an innovative new media advocacy campaign based on your organization’s current advocacy messages. Use at least 2 different media discussed earlier today. You will have 20 minutes to work on this in groups of 2 or 3, and we will then present our campaigns to the whole group.