O
nce upon a time there was a boss who was responsible for a group of employees. Everyday these employees worked away at their jobs, unaware of developments in the global economy that were pushing the necessity for corporate change right up to their door.
One day, in order to prosper as a corporation, it was time for the changes to begin. Being human, the staff was upset by the change. They wanted to know how their jobs, their families and their community would be affected. Some employees disagreed with the new direction and began to set up resistance. Focus was declining and production was ...
read post »
Maurice Sendak had an incredible opportunity as a children’s author; he wrote stories that touched the lives of (probably) millions of children. I know that Where the Wild Things Are had a very regular spot in the rotation of books we were read as kids.
When I heard that he had passed away on Tuesday, it made me sit back and think of the role Where the Wild Things Are played in my life. And aside from the great morals it has for children, it has some valuable lessons that apply to the advocacy work that I do now at amplifi.
Don’t be afraid to speak ...
read post »
In January, I had the pleasure of speaking to CSAE Trillium Chapter members about Digital Advocacy, and how they can use social media to mobilize members for change.
The presentation covers examples of how social media has enabled grassroots organization leading to major social change; a discussion of what digital advocacy is; the important parts of a digital advocacy strategy; and a couple of case studies showcasing how digital tools have been used to advocate change.
The slides (all 130 of them — but they’re quick, I swear) can be seen below. Or, you can access an audio recording of the presentation here.
Digital Advocacy: ...
read post »
You have to give credit to the people involved in the #occupy movement for two things: They are extremely committed to their cause (as vague as it might be); and they are adapting technology to make themselves accessible to just about the entire 99%.
It didn’t take long for the larger occupy groups to realize that they were facing a challenge of communicating with the hundreds (in some cases thousands) of people that were coming out to support them. When it came time to relay information to the crowd, a traditional bullhorn just wasn’t going to reach the people that occupied the back rows.
So someone ...
read post »
In such a message-saturated world, how do you motivate your audience to take action for your brand, issue or cause?
read post »
What is digital advocacy? On April 12, I had the opportunity to give a quick intro on digital advocacy to members of the Health Care Public Relations Association at the annual conference in Ottawa.
read post »
On Sunday, April 3, the Liberal Party of Canada presented their Platform for the upcoming election. I’m not going to comment on the validity of the platform overall, but there are a few things in the way it was presented, and one idea contained within it, that I think put Canada on the right track.
Initially, I was very disappointed with the launch of the platform. I happened to be in Ottawa on the morning of the launch (actually staying in the same hotel as the event), and made my way downstairs to see if I could attend. Being a follower of politics, and on-againoff-againLiberal Party member, I thought it would be cool to take in. Unfortunately, I was informed ...
read post »
There is a lot of discussion around how social media is changing, or has changed, how associations operate. Throughout all of this chatter, one of the most significant question that is being asked is “what will your association look like in the future?”
A great question.
Associations are where two or more persons are bound together for one or more common purposes by mutual undertakings, each having mutual duties and obligations, in an organisation which has rules identifying in whom control of the organisation and its funds are vested, and which can be joined or left at will (Wikipedia).
But what ...
read post »
I saw a great article in Mashable today on how PR pros are using social media to achieve real results for B2B clients. You can check out the article at http://bit.ly/al8Wzr
Many people don’t think that social media is a viable option in raising awareness and generating buzz when selling to other businesses – social media is for connecting with people, not businesses…
read post »
Every organization, whethernon-profit, volunteer, private or public achieves success by providing value. It doesn’t matter what the product or service is, if it provides value it will attract customers, members or donations.
So how can you take these customers/members/volunteers or otherone-touchuser and transform them into someone who not only comes back to you to for your value, but champions your brand, issue or cause to others. You turn them into advocates.
Commonly referred to as brand advocates, these people are loyal and engaged in your brand, issue or cause. These are your greatest assets ...
read post »
