Communication Campaigns Campaign. n. 1. a series of military operations undertaken to achieve a specific objective within a given area. 2. an organized activity or operation

Campaign Messages

Defining communication campaigns… (1) a campaign intends to generate specific outcomes or effects (2) in a relatively large number of individuals (3) usually within a specific period of time and (4) through an organized set of communication activities

Breaking down our definition (1) “Campaigns are purposive” What outcomes are sought? Knowledge gain Attitude formation or change Behavior shaping or change (2) “Campaigns are aimed at large audiences” Distinguish from small-scale, interpersonal influence Can be targeted or entire population

Breaking down our definition still further… (3) “a campaign has a more or less specifically defined time limit” Initiation to end of evaluation efforts Messages may change over time Effects may ensue beyond evaluation period (4) “involves an organized set of communication activities” Message appeal & content Channel reliance Dosage Repetition Level of coordination required

Pre-campaign planning Audience predisposition, knowledge, experiences, attitudes Readiness for change Palatability of advocated message Channel reliance and appropriateness Type of appeal and dosage requirement Cost analysis

Know thy audience Exposure: reception, attention, processing, feeling Audience segmentation: targeting a segment or sub-portion of the audience Who is in most need of change? (or) Who is most likely to be influenced? (i.e., low hanging fruit) Should you target the influencers?

Dimensions of Campaigns Dimension 1: Level of Objective What is goal of campaign? Or, Level of objective (persuasion) Level 1: Exposure or awareness Level 2: Knowledge, beliefs, attitudes Level 3: Overt behavior change Higher level involve prior activation of lower levels

Dimension 2: Locus of Change At what level of change are you seeking? Intrapersonal, institutional? Direct link to different levels of change Goal may be to link individual and larger, more societal levels What is expectation of shared response or is it individually internalized? Are responses independent?

Dimension 3: Locus of Benefit Who benefits? Target, Sender, Third Party, Society at large? Multiple? Example 1: Political Campaign Example 2: Health Campaign to quit smoking Example 3: Seat belt Campaign

Boomerang Effects: When campaigns go badly Forbidden fruit might sell the fruit Underwhelming threat Portrayals of problem behavior may normalize it Desensitization

Eras in communication campaign research Era 1: Campaigns have limited effects (as compared to theories of direct media effects, magic bullet) Era 2: Campaigns can succeed…under certain circumstances (formative research, reasonable goals, segmentation, consider role of IC) Era 3: Moderate Effects. What intermediate factors lead to anticipated effects? Active change ingredient (theory)

Final Considerations Strategy of social control? Quit smoking, cancer screening – three E’s… Education – campaigns seek to educate in an effort to engender change Engineering – create conditions to engender change (e.g., smoking areas) Enforcement – legislation, force change

The changing USA agenda What is important and salient changes over time and as a function of campaigns and media Requirement of campaign: issue importance Requirement of campaign: campaigners have an entitlement to be involved with the issue