Communications

Campaigns:
Creative Approaches
and Tools

Dr Emma Agusita
Emma3.agusita@uwe.ac.uk
 Day 3, Friday 25th June

Live online session – 11-1

- Persuasive Techniques And Approaches:
Narratives & Rhetorics
- Audience Research

Recorded material to follow for:

- The Role Of Digital/Online/Social Media In Campaigning
 Persuasive
Communications
Importance of motivating people through emotionally
engaging and persuasive communication
(Barnard & Parker, 2012)

“Campaigns… are wars of persuasion”

(Rose, 2010)
According to the Greek philosopher Aristotle,
rhetoric is "the ability…. to see the available
means of persuasion.”

He divided the means of persuasion into

categories or modes - Ethos, Pathos, Logos
(and also Kairos: timing/timeliness)
What rhetorical modes do you think are
used in the following examples?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2FZazozBkU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=DGl_JVf4Mmw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=27&v=20EPGf9KgWE
 ”Use stories whenever you can”

Why does Rose argue that stories are so valuable?

What do they enable? How do they affect us?

• They are memorable

• People identify with real people – relatable (Rose, 2010)

• They can move and engage us (from facts/rationality

to feelings and emotions)

• They can TRANSPORT US…

 ‘Narrative Persuasion and Overcoming Resistance’.

“Narratives are ubiquitous… (they)

touch our emotions…
impact what we believe…
teach us new behaviors…
and shape our cultural identity…

Indeed, there is little doubt in the minds of many that narratives can be persuasive”.

(Dal Cin, Zanna & Fong: 2004, 175)

 How can narratives help in challenging strongly
held attitudes?
Why might they be more effective than rhetorics?

“We believe the power of narrative lies in reducing the amount and
effectiveness of counterarguing and through identification with narrative
characters that leads to positive associations with specific beliefs and
behaviors”

(Dal Cin, Zanna & Fong, 2004: 180)

 ‘Narrative Persuasion and Overcoming Resistance’.

Reduction of counter arguing (more effective than rhetoric because):

• Not seen as persuasive attempts
• Not apparent until too late (speed of exposure)
• Difficult to discount or counterargue lived experiences
• Through absorption (cognitive & emotional) and transportation
• Reduces negative disassociation, creates positive identification

Identification
• ‘Likeness and wanting to be like’ - relevancy to own lives
• Induces empathy and rehearsal of beliefs, impacts behaviour, makes
attitudes more accessible

(Dal Cin, Zanna & Fong, 2004)

 ‘Transportation’

“A convergent process where all mental systems and capacities become focused on
the narrative (citing Green and Brock, 2002)… Our thoughts are centred on the story,
we respond emotionally to the characters and events, and we picture the events as
they unfold…

Transportation can lead readers to adopt beliefs that are consistent with those
communicated by the narrative, independent of their initial attitudes”

(Higher transportability > higher likelihood of narrative persuasion)

(Dal Cin, Zanna & Fong: 2004, 181-182)
Story - Love is a gift

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHX0btJYcyI
The Power of the Image

“Visuals give reach, accessibility and

impact…
Visuals can bypass argument.
They can reinforce or change our
views.

Make sure your pictures tell a story”

(Rose, 2010: 48)

 Internal: building interpretive packages through which people and funds can be mobilised
External: public discourse where actors put their case into words and symbols
Interpretive (Dal Cin et al, 2004)
packages are
rhetorical
devices that Contenders in public discourse
consist of
metaphors,
organise their arguments to
exemplars, persuade, therefore “claim making is
catchphrases, a rhetorical activity that is first of all
visual images,
principles, directed at attaining credibility”.
specification of Representational
root causes. Structural elements of
strategies:
(D’Anjou & Van interpretive packages:
Male) Connecting to existing
Framing
positive values
Reasoning
“changes… may promote or Connecting to existing
discourage the rise and counterthemes and
Consequences
impact of an interpretive undercurrents
package”
What modes/strategies of persuasion do you think
are used in the following examples?
 Reading by Alice Walker of Sojourner Truth’s speech, “Ain’t I a Woman?”
which she gave at the Women’s Convention, Akron, Ohio (28-29 May) 1851

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsjdLL3MrKk
Greta Thunberg, Bristol: 2020

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FDZNktBaYs
 Amanda Gorman – ‘The Hill We Climb’
(Inauguration Poem, 2021)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jp9pyMqnBzk

Full text of the poem: https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/20/amanda-gormans-inaugural-poem-

the-hill-we-climb-full-text.html
Understanding Audiences
“Audience”?
 Audience as…

“receiver”

“consumer”

”reader”

… of a text/s (written/visual/audio)

Bertrand & Hughes (2018)

 p.64-65 The Starting Point

“When seeking to influence, it is necessary to start from

where your audience is at”

“The aim is to enter their world… and to match their

preferred style of communication styles and patterns, and
demonstrate an understanding of the most common
beliefs and values and of their shared experiences and
aspirations”

(Barnard & Parker, 2012)

Campaign design and management –

• Assess who to target and what action is desired, work back

from desired outcomes using models of influence pathways
that can inform the design of campaign messages.

• Conduct formative research in order to ground campaign

design in information on focal segments and influencers

(528-529)

(Atkin and Rice, 2013)

“Identifying which
media the target
audience is most likely
to use, and at what
times, requires access to
audience ratings and
usage data, as well as an
understanding of
audience research
methods and markets”.
(540)

(Atkin and Rice, 2013)

Audience
Segmentation
What kinds of
characteristics,
factors and criteria
can be used for
profiling audiences?

See: https://www.mentimeter.com/s/ab19969197073d72c4d7c265250149fa/9b3a9bfc2106
Factors, characteristics, criteria…
Demographics • Usage/Behavior
• Age • Stated Intentions
• Gender • Attitude/Belief/Opinion
• Race/ethnicity • Likes/Dislikes
• Income • Needs
• Education • Preferences
• Family Status • Values
• Language • Interests
• Nationality • Related Behavior
• Geography e.g. • Personal Values
• Residence location • Psychological Characteristics
• Work location • Life Stage
• Place of origin
ETC.
• Choice of recreation area
SOURCES OF (SECONDARY) DATA

Demographics - General Population Statistics. E.g.

Office for National Statistics. ONS - A wealth of data on the UK population with a dedicated section on health and
social care. (Local statistics - https://www.ons.gov.uk/help/localstatistics)
Data.gov.uk – Brings together data from central government departments and a number of public bodies and local
authorities in one searchable website.
Neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk – The locally focused part of the ONS.
**North Somerset Council – Area data
https://www.n-somerset.gov.uk/council-democracy/statistics-data

Attitudinal/Behavioural – thoughts and actions attitudes/beliefs/opinion and usage/behaviour. E.g.

Natcen.ac.uk – A research agency that offers open access to a wide range of data, including the British Social
Attitudes Report
Mintel.com - global market research insights and analysis
Euromonitor.com – global strategic intelligence on industries, countries and consumers (profiles of consumer goods
and companies).
Ofcom.org.uk – (research and data) data and research on UK communications use and technological developments
Britain Talks Climate –
Segmentation Research

https://climateoutreach.org/britain-talks-climate/ And other sustainability

segmentation studies…
Day 4
Creative Approaches to Campaigning
Campaign Ethics
Campaign Evaluation

Preparation for day 4:

1. Work on elements 1 to 5 of the campaign

strategy.
2. Review the forthcoming materials on
Blackboard for ‘The Role Of
Digital/Online/Social Media In Campaigning’
(This will be uploaded to the Day 3 folder in
Course Materials).
3. Day 4 core reading (see online reading list).

Task for the June 29th Tuesday reading group will

be uploaded to the reading group folder.

Details of the next online assignment drop-in will

be announced via Blackboard.
Development of the campaign strategy should demonstrate consideration of the following:
1. Identification and analysis of the issue (context for proposed action)

2. Setting the campaign aim and objectives (what you want to achieve and how)

3. Exploring the audience/targets (who you want to engage with, what are possible
enablers/barriers to engagement)

4. Communicating the campaign (how you intend to communicate and connect with your
targets in order to mobilise them to act)

5. Tactics and timeline (what specific programme of activities/events do you propose in order
to achieve your objectives, how would you organize your resources to achieve this e.g. time,
money, skills & expertise)

6. Evaluation (how could you evaluate the effectiveness of your campaign strategy?)
References • Atkin, C. and Rice, R. (2013) ‘Advances in Public Communications Campaigns’ In: Scharrer, E. (Ed.) The International
Encyclopaedia of Media Studies. Vol 5: Media Effects/Media Psychology, pp. 526-551. London: Blackwell.

• Barnard, A. & Parker, C. (2012) Campaign It: Achieving Success Through Communication. London: Kogan

• Bertrand, I. and Hughes, P. (2018) Media Research Methods: Audiences, Institutions, Texts (2nd edition) Basingstoke:
Palgrave

• Dal Cin, S., Zanna, M., & Fong, G. (2004) ‘Narrative Persuasion and Overcoming Resistance’. In: Rhetorics and
Persuasion. Eds: E.Knowles & J. Linn. Pp.175-192. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

• d’Anjou, L. & Van Male, J. (1998). ‘Between Old and New Media: Social Movements and Cultural change’. In
Mobilization: An International Journal, 1998, 3(2): 207-226.

• Rose, C. (2010) How to Win Campaigns. (2nd Edition). London: Earthscan.