oxfam's new campaign

Oxfam's new campaign is called 'Be humankind'. Here's the youtube:



Overall I think it's a bit naff -- like they've dusted off something from the 70s that the intern found when they were cleaning out the storage room under the stairs. The final scene in the youtube clip actually has people projectile vomiting onto 'injustice', turning it into rainbows. I can't wait to join the Unicorns Against Poverty campaign, which must be just around the corner.

Obama and teh interwebs

The Nation has a great article about how Obama is mobilising people using online tools. Some highlights for me are:

• He uses facebook effectively for targetting and organising. Both his campaign team and ordinary punters are setting up events and groups.
• The campaign built their own social networking portal to connect and empower activists called MyBO, where organisers are required to post all events on the site and blog about their efforts.
• More than 350,000 people have already created MyBO accounts, posting more than 10,000 grassroots events offline, including 1,000 gatherings where supporters simply wear Obama buttons and do community service in their neighborhoods.
  
• While young participants are active, the majority of users, according to the site's administrator, appear to be middle-aged women.
• They use text messages to mobilise people on the night of big events.

It's an interesting balance between centralising and de-centralising a campaign.

webs ads, time-based activism

I was just checking out the Daily Kos for results of the New Hampshire primaries, when my eye wandered to one of their premium ad spots. The ad is about closing Guantanamo Bay, paid for by the American Civil Liberties Union.

First of all, kudos to ACLU for great timing. Loads of politically-engaged, liberal-thinking people are going to drop in to the Daily Kos during such an important event in the presidential election cycle. They're a primary audience that is often forgotten or deliberately ignored because organisations often think that they're already on board. But I don't think that necessarily are. There's heaps of issues out there and it can be taken for granted that engaged people care (or know) about yours.

All kinds of journalists, bloggers and media will also be checking in -- so that's another good audience to reach.

I clicked on the ad and went through to the ACLU website. It went straight to the campaign page -- it's a simple thing, but it's surprising how often organisations get it wrong -- which has information about the Close Guantanamo Bay day of action events and how people can get involved.

I really like the time-based activism. They've broken it up into 1, 5 and 15 minute activities. Just right for people who are time-poor -- which is probably most of us. There's nothing particularly inventive in the activities you can do there, but it's a good range. I like the 'ask me why I'm wearing orange' poster to stick up at work (or wherever) when you wear orange on the day of action.

Save My Sport -

http://www.savemysport.com.au/

This has been around for a while, but is a very interesting example of social change tools being used by money making machines!

Free TV Australia - an industry body representing television licensees (and governed by a Board of Directors from all the major networks!) - is running a campaign to uphold true blue aussies' right to see sport on free-to-air TV.

They're encouraging people to lobby their MPs! It can all be done via the website. You select your state, your electorate, and there you go - instant email access to, in my case, Mr Kevin07 himself.

It's a pretty crap website, and it doesn't really explain the issues in clear simple language that makes it easy to a) understand and b) get involved, BUT, it is interesting that what could be seen as a coalition of profit driven corporates is using traditional social change activism to generate community support..

In the face of a new government, I don't know what's happening with this campaign (and they haven't updated their website with such information either!), but watch this space.....

BZZZZ Nothing but nets new video a winner

Nothing but Nets is one of my favourite campaigns -- it's a simple concept, it provides a simple solution to a really big problem and it's done with a lot of style.

They've just launched a youtube and it's everything a campaign youtube should be. It's quirky, light on dialogue, its message is clear and there's a call to action at the end. Check it out:

Rewards and incentives

Brushing aside decades of postmodern theory, I'm claiming a universal truth: everyone likes something for free.

It's something that marketers use to great effect and I think campaigners need to start applying it to our work as well. After all, I don't think we can rely on people to do something 'because it's right' any more. I mean, how do you define right anyway? (See what I did there? Reclaimed postmodernism in the very next paragraph -- ah, how I love blogging)

I've seen it done really well. Check out the Panda Passport, WWF's action website. They reward people for taking action and have a whole system worked out matching number of actions with freebies. It's a great website actually -- a nice blend of news and timely actions, and ongoing campaigns. Well worth a look.

I've just seen it done by Friends of World Heritage who promote responsible tourism. They're asking people to take the Responsible Tourism Pledge. And what do you get in return? You get: a downloadable travel tips wallet card, a pledge certificate, wallpapers and screensavers. Sweet.

It works cos they know their target market (travellers) and things they usually like or need (responsible travel tips, pictures of exotic places) and doesn't make the supporter feel so bad for handing over all their personal details.

So go on, incentivise me.

How not to protest

It was pretty embarrassing for Climate Change protesters this week at Heathrow airport when they rallied against the development of new runways to support Heathrow's growing aviation needs. Boy did they fail to predict their support. Only 200 people showed up and it was a complete flop. There were 4 police for every 1 protestor. Hah!

Key lesson: pick your issue wisely. Don't try to mass mobilise unless you can guarantee a mass mobilisation.

AI USA thank you email

AI USA have sent an email to their subscribers which takes the form of a thankyou from the daughter of the founder of the Ethiopian Human Rights Council, who was detained and imprisoned in connection with public demonstrations protesting alleged election fraud.

It's a good approach because people like to be thanked and they also like to feel that their letters actually go where they're needed and have some effect. The subject line, "thanks for helping to free my father", is also a winner. Once people have the glow (this stuff works), they get asked to do something more. It's a good formula.

Here's the email:

Dear Sarah,

Thank you so much for working to create a better world with Amnesty International. Today, I want to share with you how your efforts are saving lives and inspiring change across the globe.

My father Mesfin Woldemariam, founder of the Ethiopian Human Rights Council, was detained and imprisoned in connection with public demonstrations protesting alleged election fraud. He and 37 other co-defendants were recently convicted and sentenced to life in prison, for doing nothing more than expressing their political beliefs. But dedicated activists like you helped press the Ethiopian authorities to free Mesfin and other prisoners of conscience, which the government did today in Addis Ababa!

My father and his co-defendants suffered in prison because of overcrowding, lack of access to health care, and overall poor conditions. Today, his health remains fragile, but his spirit is strong. Thanks in part to your help, he is now free!.

You can help even more by sending an email to your Representative to ask them to co-sponsor and pass the Ethiopia Democracy and Accountability Act (HR 2003).

Please accept my heartfelt thanks for your continued support of Amnesty International's important work to champion human rights in Ethiopia and around the world. You are needed now more than ever, and as you can see, your actions really do change lives.

Sincerely,

The Meatrix - not quite HUMAN rights

http://www.themeatrix.com/

Virtual sit-in

Philippines 'virtual sit-in'
By Manila, Philippines
March 23, 2006
AdvertisementAdvertisement
Computer-savvy Philippine protesters took civil disobedience to cyberspace Thursday, launching a "virtual sit-in" campaign that urged online activists to overwhelm the police Web site with numerous hits.
Protesting alleged human rights abuses, activists calling themselves "Electronic Brigade" opened a Web site that directs visitors to the main national police site.
"You are about to take part in an online direct action protest. Please confirm that you are willingly taking part in this action by clicking OK or exit without taking part by clicking cancel," the message said.
The activists, who are not identified, said their brand of "hacktivism" is legal because it technically involves just visiting a Web site.
Similar tactics, known as a denial-of-service attack, have been used before to cripple leading commercial sites such as Amazon.com, Yahoo, CNN and eBay. A Canadian teen pleaded guilty to charges of mischief in connection with those attacks and other security breaches.
More recent computer worms have been designed to launch similar attacks against Microsoft Corp. and other companies. A Minnesota teen was sentenced last year to 18 months in prison for unleashing one such worm.
Police did not comment immediately, and it wasn't clear how many hits their Web site recorded.
The activists' Web site opens with a cartoon of the "Electronic Brigade" members dressed as super heroes, wearing masks and caps. A blurb accuses police of rampant human rights violations.

collecting details of supporters

Oxfam has a great way of collecting a person's details when they sign up for a newsletter.

1. You sign-up by putting in your email address.
2. You get an email verification, which you click.

This is standard. Where they excel is the next step. Usually, you just get a confirmation message, but Oxfam have the following:

"You have successfully subscribed to Activist Newsletter.

Help us be more effective
Please provide us with the following information about yourself to help us keep our records up-to-date and avoid duplication."

How good is that copy?! Then they go on to collect full information about people. It's the best I've seen.

Cool prank!

http://www.pinkprankproject.com/

AI Canada's Take Action website

It's a winner.
http://www.amnesty.ca/take_action/

Here's what I like about the landing page:

1. It's inspirational
The quotes and pictures of real people give a human face to human rights activism and makes you believe that you can make a difference. It's also got a movement building element to it -- amnesty is global.

2. It breaks it down simply
You can take action by issue, country, region, type or date. Something for everybody.

3. Activist toolkit
Help to get you started.

4. Information about what you can do now
It makes action timely and relevant.

I think it's a bit long for a landing page though. I'd probably stop after what you can do now.

the difference between facebook and myspace

Social networking social scientist Danah Boyd has just released a working draft of a paper looking at US class differences in facebook and myspace. The crux of her research is:

"well-to-do, stable American teens with "good prospects" end up on Facebook, while poor, queer, marginal and non-white teens end up on MySpace (even in the military, grunts are on MySpace and officers are on Facebook -- guess which one the military banned!"

From Boing Boing

translating online activism to action on the ground

I've found some interesting things in my travels in the last week.

1. Meet-up
http://www.meetup.com/
Meet-up is a website where people can find realtime groups with similar interests and meet up with them in person. It's a really interesting model for us and I think where we want to go with the new database and the activist portal. AIUSA have a meetup, so it would be good to know how that's going. It's also been used by presidential candidates to build support for their campaigns.
http://www.meetup.com/search/?keywords=presidential+candidates&jsCountry=us

2. Facebook Causes
This is about to be launched by the social networking site Facebook. The basic premise is that the online communities have changed because people's online interactions, which were traditionally separate from their offline interactions, now reflect the real community. Websites like Myspace and Facebook have become another 'venue' to meet with friends.

So it also changes how organisations like us can campaign. Causes creates a kind of marketplace of causes, where people will judge them, discuss the merits of the cause and take action accordingly. It also means that people can leverage their networks of friends and organise to take action both online and offline.

I'm going to keep a close eye on this as it develops. What's been most surprising is that to read about it, I had to get a Facebook account -- I can't believe how many people have been friending me or how fun it is!

PS You can't access Facebook from the office.

add campaign message to your blog

Here's how it's done by the BBC for their campaign to free Alan Johnston.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/theeditors/2007/04/how_you_can_help.html

delayed response marketing

Here's a direct copy and paste from Copyblogger about delayed response marketing. It would be interesting to incorporate this into our supporter journey. I particularly like the stuff about establishing a relationship in the Benefits section.

Delayed Response Marketing

There are acceptable ways to get a few marketing messages delivered and improve your image, while maintaining your reader’s interest.

What I am about to outline comes from personal experience.

I wrote a document called, “How to Write a White Paper: A White Paper on White Papers.” More than 44,000 people registered for the paper and I still have between 50 and 100 people signing up daily. To see how I set up the main page, click here.

Here is the delayed response marketing principle applied:

Touch Point 1 – The “Thank-You” Page: After the registration form is submitted, send the reader to a “Thank you for registering” page. This is where you make your first pitch for some of your value-added services. You should also include the email address your document will be sent from so folks to add it to their white lists (increasing delivery rates). See a sample here.

Touch Point 2 – The “Thanks for Registering” Email: Set up an autoresponder that sends a thank-you message to new registrants. This is where you can thank them for registering and state, “While you are waiting for our paper, you might be interested in this other information.” You can link to some of your services, your blog and so on.

Touch Point 3 – Send the Content One Hour Later: Set up a delayed message that sends the requested document (or links to a page that contains it) after an hour has gone by. Be sure to mention again some of the other services you offer.

Touch Point 4 – The Actual Document: The ebook or white paper is the final touch point. By this time, the reader has been expecting your content and should be familiar with your name, company and brand.

Touch Point 5 – Your Newsletter (optional): If you have a newsletter, it would be wise to add the option to subscribe to it on your registration form. Set up a three-day delay and send a special prefabricated edition of your newsletter. This provides another opportunity to get your name in front of a prospect.

The Benefits

By NOT sending what they want right away, you can actually:

• Increase your name recognition: Every time the prospect reads something from you, your name becomes etched in their brain. More touch points mean more chances you will gain their business.
• Establish a relationship: By sending well-crafted messages, you begin the process of establishing trust with your prospect. These relationship-forming steps help take you from an information dispenser to an advocate.
• Increase your open rates: Because readers are expecting an email from you, your thank-you message and follow-up message will have a very high open rate. This is the prime time to mention related products and services.
• Improve the desire to read the document: When the final document arrives, the reader will have been prepared for this great piece. The delayed gratification concept kicks in and they will likely treat your work as extra special, devoting time to your useful resource.

online sign up - lead a delegation to you MP

the US section are great at this. for our records - link to their sign up form.

one day we will be doing this :)

what can i do email

Here's a sample from Ed 08 of the "what can I do" email.

Dear sarah marland,

Hello Again!

As I talk to people around the country about the ED in 08 campaign, they continually ask me, "What can we do today?"

I have two answers:

1. Tell all of your friends, coworkers and family members about Strong American Schools, the ED in 08 campaign and the need to make education a top priority in the 2008 presidential election.

2. Ask everyone you contact to spread the word about Ed in 08 also.

You can do that two ways: Just forward this email to everyone you know or write your own personal email.

I have taken the liberty of writing some text that you might include in a mass email to your whole address book. Please feel free to use it.

I am writing to let you know about a new group that has launched a powerful, long-term campaign to make education a priority in next year's election.

Strong American Schools is a nonpartisan public awareness and action campaign offering a voice to every American who supports "ED in 08." Its goal is to ensure that the nation engages in a rigorous debate and to make education a top priority in the 2008 presidential election. It hopes that candidates will offer genuine leadership and tell voters how they intend to strengthen America's schools so all students receive the education they deserve.

Please visit its Web site at www.EDin08.com -- get some statistics on the schools in your state -- and download the brief papers on the state of our schools and the campaign's three priorities: national standards, effective teaching in every classroom and time and support for learning.

You can help in this important campaign. Get your friends involved. Forward this email to them, or use the convenient form on the Ed in 08 Web site to tell your family, friends and coworkers about the ED in 08 campaign.

I know the ED in 08 campaign is planning many enhancements for its Web site that will allow visitors like you to play an active role in making education a top priority in the election. By signing up to receive its email alerts, you will be informed as it rolls out these new features.

After you send those emails, keep in touch with the campaign through our Web site or catch my almost daily thoughts in "Roy's Blog on Schools".

Thank you for reaching out to your friends, coworkers and family members on our behalf. And thank you for supporting ED in 08.

All the best,

Roy Romer
Chairman
Strong American Schools

more data visualisation

I love visual representations of data -- it's gives people a quick snapshot of what is otherwise very dry stats. Here's one about Indigenous Australians life expectency compared with the rest of Australia.