emmer smw campaigns

Why  Social  Media  CampaignsSome4mes  Work  and  Some4mes  

Fail

Social  Media  Week  Berlin27.09.2012

Prof. Dr. Martin Emmer Institut für Publizistik- und Kommunikationswissenschaft, Arbeitsstelle Mediennutzung

Donnerstag, 27. September 12

Program

How  can  the  findings  from  social  science  contribute  to  the  art  of  campainging  (for  social,  politcal,  civil  goals)?

•Social  Science

•Social  Media

•Campaigning  -­‐  Strategic  Communica4on

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I.

Some introductory remarks on what social science tells us about human

communication

(... and which might be relevant for social media)

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Basic findings:

Messages trying to motivate people to go voting are more effective when forwarded by people we know and trust

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(c) Bardwell Press

Lazarsfeld,  Paul  F./Berelson,  Bernhard/Gaudet,  Hazel  (1944):  The  People's  Choice.  How  the  Voter  Makes  Up  His  Mind  in  a  Presiden4al  Campaign.  New  York:  Duell,  Sloan  and  Pearce.

(Paul F. Lazarsfeld)

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Effects  of  mediated  campaign  communica4on:

•  Ac4va4on•  Reinforcement•  „Two-­‐step-­‐flow“  of  communica4on

but:  almost  no  persuasion  

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Kahneman,  Daniel  (2011):  Thinking,  Fast  and  Slow.  New  York:  Farrar,  Straus  and  Giroux.

Pedy,  Richard  E./Cacioppo,  John  T.  (1986):  Communica4on  and  Persuasion:  Central  and  Peripheral  Routes  to  Ahtude  Change.  New  York:  Springer.

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Two  ways  of  processing  informa4onand  making  up  one‘s  mind:

issuerequiring  decision

stable  decision(e.g.  opinion)

peripheral  path(fast)

ephemeral  decision(e.g.  opinion)

central  path(slow)

resources(4me,  thought  etc.)

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Conclusion  I:

Social  Media‘s  advantages  for  campaigning:

...  they  give  access  to  personal  networks  of  people  and  their  credibility

...  opportuni4es  both  for  peripheral  &  central  paths  of  opinion  building

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Conclusion  I  b:

The  individual  is  no  longer  just  part  of  a  „target  group“  but  a  relevant  player

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Example

The  target-­‐group  vs.  player  problem:

http://www.shakesville.com/2012/09/mitt-romney-releases-tax-return.html

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II.

Needs,  expecta4ons,  mo4ves  of  individuals  as  key  to  campaign  par4cipa4on

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Why  do  people  communicate?  •  Ra4onal  reasons/individual  benefit•  Social  needs:  surveillance,  integra4on,  iden4ty  building•  Emo4onal  reasons:  relaxa4on,  entertainment,  fun

•  Habitualiza4on,  rituals

...  and  why  not?•  Relevance•  Costs:  money,  4me,  knowledge

•  Emo4ons:  fear  of  isola4on,  ...

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Example

Be TransparentComm. to Constituency

Positive Self-PresentationAttract Young Voters

Agenda SettingSupport for Positions

Win VotersRaise Voting Participation

Get FeedbackWin Campaigners

Media RelationsSharpen Profile

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

4856

63697072

757777

8288

93

Mo4va4ons  of  German  state  MPs  for  being  present  online  (2007)

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III.

Examples:  ACTA

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Campaign-­‐Hub:

focused  on  resources,  how-­‐to‘s,  connec4ng  people

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Combina4on  of:

•  Variety  of  modes  of  communica4on•  Informa4on  &  entertainment•    Variety  of  perspec4ves  and  arguments

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Go  offline  (too)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/digitalegesellschaft/7354521426/

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It‘s  not  all  digital  and  social:

•  „economy  of  aden4on“  -­‐  news  factors•  „Issue“-­‐issues:  rejec4ve/protest  vs.      projec4ve/forma4ve•  context  (framing)  and  environment    (issue-­‐compe44on)

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IV.

Risks  &  Problems

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Being  „unsocial“:

•  Trying  to  run  a  campaign  on  your  own    (companies,  lobby-­‐groups)•  may  spur  opposi4on:    feeling  of  being  abused,  intransparency•  strategy  to  keep  control  of  messages

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Key  risks:

•  Losing  control•  Not  knowing  what  your  goals  are        (likes  or  votes?)•  Misuse  of  channels  (SWOT)

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V.

Conclusions  &  Discussion

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•  Think  about  the  needs  of  you  supporters•  Integrate  their  skills,  knowledge,      mo4va4on,  contacts  into  your  campaign

•  Take  them  to  ac4on

•  Be  transparent  and  authen4c

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mar4n.emmer@fu-­‐berlin.de

@mjemmer

hdp://www.mar4n-­‐emmer.net

Donnerstag, 27. September 12