Visual Language, Framing & Heuristics (Rules of Thumb)

Power of visuals After ‘being there’, the most powerful communication Unconsciously processed, then: “I saw it - I made up my own mind” Recall and use images more easily than words or numbers – construct meaning Increasingly visual communications channels

Visual language is independent of words, not a visualisation of words

Be visual - do things create events be proactive

We remember events

Not ‘the issues’... Why were they fighting ?

The plan – use events to communicate expectations, norms before moving to policy calls events Expectations - norms Policy, regulation

Police raid fake products factory

Communicable - as a story & visually

Framing

Framing- unconscious categories campaignstrategy.org “First we see – then we understand” Walter Lippman What is understood

a frame can pre-determine what is good/bad how things are decided roles relationships context relevant reasons and more besides

How it works input YES Does it fit the frame ? NO interpret through frame Discard input, retain frame

The Post Office lacks money It’s a businessIt’s a public service It needs more moneyLet it fail Frame logic AFrame logic B input

Framing: counterfeit issue Combating fake medicine in Africa through texting.

Heuristics: Fundamental psychological principles – rules of thumb we all use – that direct human behaviour. They have the ability to produce almost automatic, mindless compliance

What if it’s hard to decide ? conflicting signals

Facts, asks, arguments (campaigners opinions) Audience thinks about it analytically – weighs pros and cons Audience decides, changes opinion Audience acts, changes behaviour REFLECTIVE THINKING - conscious What advocacy and conventional campaigns assume happens

REFLEXIVE THINKING - unconscious Facts, asks, arguments (campaigners opinions) Audience can’t think about it analytically – resorts to heuristics, values, framing Audience acts (may mean no change in their actions) Audience adopts opinion in line with behaviour What actually happens

Facts, asks, arguments (campaigners opinions) Audience continues behaviour and resolves dilemma by concluding you must be wrong (about facts, arguments, opinions) Audience tests it against behaviour and opinion And … with a mature issue they already have made up their minds about Audience finds conflict (not comfortable) REFLEXIVE THINKING makes up most (98% ?) decision making

heuristics Liking Similarity Effort Exchange Cooperation/groups Authority Representativeness Consistency Commitment Confirmation Social proof Scarcity (availability) Availability (recall) Adjustment from anchor

Heuristics are one reason why CAMP CAT factors are important Context – where the message arrives Audience – who we are communicating with Messenger - who delivers the message Programme – why we’re doing it Channel – how the message gets there Action – what we want to happen Trigger – what will make that happen

changed Messenger and utilised Liking Authority Consistency Similarity

Consistency Opinion driven by behaviour

Commitment If someone commits to do something, for example by announcing it to others, they are then more likely to do it

Confirmation Doing something of your own free will to confirm an opinion or belief makes it more likely that you will act in line with that.

Effort Valuing something more highly if you have devoted effort or time to acquire or achieve it. PAY PACKET

Social Proof Assessing something as right or true because you see others doing it or hear them saying it

Similarity Responding better to requests or offers from people who seem to be similar to ourselves (appearance, role etc).

Liking If we like someone or something (eg a sensation, food, context), that is it makes us feel good, or if we are told that someone likes us, we are more likely to respond positively to an offer, request or suggestion

Groups and cooperation A common external threat or challenge causes a group to tend to bond together, and increases cooperation

Authority We tend to obey authority figures, such as police, guards, parents and teachers (when children), bosses, peer group leaders, traditional leaders

Scarcity What is hard to obtain or has become scarcer, or looks as if it will become scarcer, is valued more highly

Availability, Recall and Vividness: Things which are easy to recall, and or are particularly vivid (eg cued by multiple senses), seem more ‘real’ and are more likely to be true, relevant or to recur

Eg: Foot binding in China

Foot binding abolished in 1 generation Commitment and consistency: mothers signed a commitment, joined support groups Similarity: language, dress, manner Liking: respect for Chinese culture Authority: Confucian scholar Kang Youwei

Heuristics: the other side Social Proof: ‘Kenya has an anti-counterfeit bill – so should you’ Similarity: Business people – trade ministries Authority: ‘the EU says it’s good for us’ Exchange: trade concessions for, ‘fact-finding trips’, paid holidays, etc

Take your example Think about audiences Apply triage Already agreeMight agreeProbably won’t agree Target audience Quick campaign design