Planning & DevelopingLocal Campaigns

Ian Poitier

September 27th, 2011

My Background

Local & International Campaigns– HIV/AIDS

Advertising– Consumer & Business-to-Business

PR– Consumer– Medical

Campaign Planning:9 Easy Steps

Source: The Democracy Centre

1. What do we want? (Goals)

2. Who can give it to us? (Audiences)

3. What do they need to hear? (Messages)

4. Who do they need to hear it from? (Messengers)

5. How do we get them to hear it? (Delivery)

Campaign Planning Cont’d

6. What have we got? (Resources; Strengths)

7. What do we need to develop? (Challenges; Gaps)

8. How do we begin? (First Steps)

9. How will we know it's working, or not working? (Evaluation)

Objectives

Tools & Techniques Explore / Share Issues Brainstorm / Develop Campaign Ideas

Today’s Sessions

1. Towards A Strategy

2. Communication & Media

3. Tactics & Activities

4. Building Success:Addressing Risks & Managing Resources

Session Format

Presentation Group Exercises & Feedback Case Studies Discussion

Session 1:Campaign Strategy

Strategy A - G: Key Steps

A. Agree Campaign Focus

B. ‘Problem’ Statement

C. Set Campaign Goals

D. Context Analysis

E. Critical Path

F. Key Players:Allies, Opponents, Constituents, Targets

G. Campaign Objectives

A. Agree Campaign Focus

Only PART of the problem / bigger issue Name the problem Identify issues Justify which you plan to tackle

B. ‘Problem Statement’

What social or environmental justice is at stake here?

Campaign against the ‘Unacceptable’

C. Set Campaign Goals

HOW DO YOU WANT THINGS TO BE? Focus on ONE goal

– No more than three Each Goal needs a Campaign Plan

D. What’s The Context

Range of Potential Issues Why hasn’t the change happened already? Issue-Mapping What Political, Economic, Cultural or Other

Factors are creating or maintaining this problem?– Who benefits from the problem being maintained?

– Who would benefit from it being changed?

– Start from where your audience is

E. Critical Path

HOW TO GET TO THE GOAL? What changes NEED to take place? What sequence of changes or outcomes will take

you from here to there?– Work backwards

– Assumptions? Which changes can you realistically bring about?

F. Allies, Opponents, Constituents, Targets

Who are the Key Players? Primary Targets

– The people who can give you what you want Secondary Targets

– Have influence with primary targets Allies: How to work with them Opponents: How are they likely to respond Constituents: What is their role

G. Campaign Objectives

Specific / Tangible Outcomes– No more than 3-4 Objectives per Goal

SMART Objectives Based on:

– Context Analysis– Critical Path– Resource Considerations

Exercise

Create An ‘Issue Map’

Case Study: Smoking Ban In Public Places (UK)

Long-Term Aim: Reduce/Eliminate Smoking– Strong opposition from tobacco industry

Campaign Goal: Restrict opportunities to smoke Re-framed Issue

– Not health consequences for smokers (Rights & Responsibilities)

– Consequences for ‘Passive Smokers’, Bar staff etc (Blameless & unjustly treated victims)

Case: Smoking Ban Cont’d

Health & Safety Issue– Alliance of local government, health officers, trade unions

acting on own initiatives Split the Opposition

– Hospitality Trade, not Tobacco Industry– Focus on London: more progressive

The Problem:– NOT smoking in general– BUT smoking in cabs, cafes, pubs etc

Public Opinion used to persuade Government– Politicians often react to the ‘fear of what might happen’

Session 2:Communications & Media

What’s Your Message?

What’s YOUR Proposition– What do you want People to Think / Feel / Do?

What’s Your Message (2)

Framing: Getting The ‘Story’ Right– Example: Smoking Ban– Avoid ‘The Issue’ (Check Issue Map)– Avoid Black Holes & Elephants– Don’t Be Led By The Press Agenda– Don’t Believe Your Detractors

• Use objective research to find out the truth

– Worry About The Right Things

What’s Your Message (3)

What Key Messages will be most appropriate to motivate Specific Audiences

Don’t Argue - SHOW Don’t Assume: ‘We Need To Change

Minds’– Might just need to MOBILISE

Choosing Media Channels

Broadcast vs Narrowcast

News Media

Target the media your audience uses BETTER: Address them directly Create The Reality

– Get Media to cover Real Events, which you create first Only use news for basic stories

– Features = better for complex stories– Better read & remembered

News needs Events + People– Provide BOTH

LOCAL media TENDS to be more trusted– More important to correct local inaccuracies

News Media Cont’d

Find out about Timing & Markets– Listeners / Viewers / Readers

Build ‘trusted’ relationships with Journalists News

– A change to something already understood– DON’T use to explain something completely new– First: social mainstream, local / specialist press & audiences

Don’t Waste Time Arguing With Media PUBLICITY IS NOT SUCCESS

– Only the EFFECT of it can be

Social Media

Old School– AWARENESS + ENGAGEMENT = ACTION

Internet Starts With ENGAGEMENT

Exercise: ‘National Redhead Week’

Organise Communication Plan for ‘National Redhead Week’

Provide a detailed plan for the week Key Issues:

– Who do you want to communicate to?– What Message?– What kind of response do you want from them?

Exercise: Communication Planning Grid

Objective

Campaign Activity

Audience

Message

Medium

Case Study: The Obama Campaign

Conventional Campaign Using New Media Communication Activities

– Sought Specific Outcomes

– Engaged People

– Main message = Short & Simple

– Visual

– Stories about Real People

– Set Communications Agenda in Outside World

– Media not allowed to dominate ‘framing’

Case: Obama Cont’d

Key Components– 50 States: NARROWCASTING via the Internet– The Problem: ‘Past Politics & Everyone Associated with

it’ = Vote for the New– Resources: Money– Resources: People - Registration, Early Voting– Heavy Investment in Technology– Social Media Perfect for Exploiting ‘People Like Me’– Careful use of discrete Channels– Encouraged use of ‘Small Steps’– Encouraged user-generated content (MyBO)

Session 3:Tactics & Activities

What Should We Do?

Will it be EFECTIVE?– Bring about the change we want– Help Achieve EACH Campaign Objective– Help Achieve Our Goal

Which will deliver the greatest impact for energy & resources invested

SO MANY IDEAS

How do we choose which ones to do?– Campaign against the ‘Unacceptable’

Brainstorm/Develop Criteria Beginning-Middle-End to sequence tactics

Exercise: Analysing Tactics

TACTIC

ANALYSIS OF TACTIC

(on a Scale of 1-10 the amount of…)Power It SHOWS

Power It CREATES

Energy it TAKES

Energy it CREATES

Case Study: World AIDS Day

An Unlikely Coalition Find A Symbol: The Red Ribbon Celebrity Endorsement Re-Framed as ‘Everybody’s Problem’ Fighting Fear Fighting Discrimination Objective: Say ‘AIDS’

Session 4:Success, Resources & Risks

What Does Success Look Like?

How will you know when it’s happening? Success Indicators

– Linked to Objectives

Some Success Indicators

Outputs: results of your activities Outcomes: changes will be brought about by your

outputs? Impact: longer-term effects of your project? Indicators: how will you know you have achieved

your objectives? How can you prove these changes have occurred? Monitoring Plan: How & When the Campaign

Plan will be revised.

Risky Business

What are the Main Risks? High/Medium or Low? How do you deal with them? Contingency Plans

– Scenario Planning

Resources: Working With More Than What You Have

Team: Roles & Responsibilities Budget

– Include non-financial & pro bono contributions– How can you ‘multiply’ your money?

Time/Timeline– Key Dates, Triggers, Milestones

How To Keep Going

How will this campaign continue to have impact after your planned work ends?

How will you build other Groups’ capacity– Strengthen Institutions– Consultation– Increase local ownership?

Exit Strategy– Even if you haven’t achieved Objectives

Learn From Successes & Failures

Evaluate Evaluate Evaluate

What Happens Next

Ongoing Development Ongoing Support