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


I.

Some introductory remarks on what social science tells us about human

communication

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


Basic findings:

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


(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)


Effects of mediated campaign communica4on:

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

but: almost no persuasion


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.


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.)


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


Conclusion I b:

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


Example

The target-‐group vs. player problem:

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




II.

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


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, ...


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)


III.

Examples: ACTA


Campaign-‐Hub:

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


Combina4on of:

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


Go offline (too)

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




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)


IV.

Risks & Problems


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


Key risks:

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


V.

Conclusions & Discussion


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

• Take them to ac4on

• Be transparent and authen4c


mar4n.emmer@fu-‐berlin.de

@mjemmer

hdp://www.mar4n-‐emmer.net


mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.martin-emmer.net

http://www.martin-emmer.net

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