how many rungs?: social change and the engagement ladder

How Many Rungs? | SXSW 2011 | #HowManyRungs #SXSWi

• George Weiner (@georgecaweiner)DoSomething.org

• Laura Cochran (@wplauracochran)Gannett

• Patty Huber (@Patty360)Groupon.com

• Tom Dawkins (@tomjd)HopeLab & StartSomeGood

Moderator:

• Robert J. Rosenthal (@VolMatch) VolunteerMatch.org

How Many Rungs? Social Change & the Engagement LadderSXSW 2011 | #HowManyRungs #SXSWi


When it comes to online engagement for offline social good, how much do traditional notions of the Ladder of Engagement still apply?

Three Big Questions:

With so many options, what are the key things you should keep in mind if you’re planning to deploy an online campaign to engage audiences in social good?

How do you balance business needs with your desire for social impact?


My Story

Me, volunteering.

(Alcatraz Historic Gardens)


VolunteerMatchVolunteer

Shopping

Jobs

Travel Services

Volunteering

Apply emerging technology to create a more efficient and sustainable marketplace for volunteer engagement.

My Story


My Story


“Social Good” at Google

2006 2011


Online Social Actions Chaos


The Ladder

Source: Wiser Earth


The Ladder

Source: Beth Kanter


The Ladder

Source: Site Logic


Why Not?


Do SomethingWho We Are

Largest national organizations for young people and social change

We believe young people have the power to make a difference right now

Our 3 Rules:

1. No Money – We never fundraise from young people

2. No Car – We go where they already are3. No Adults – We never require a parent, teacher

or mentor


Action


Engagement


Outreach1. TV + Radio

– :30 Public Service Announcements with celebrity spokespersons

– Audio PSA airs on ClearChannel radio stations

2. Mobile– Text DoSomething to 30644 for campaign updates– Cha Cha advertising

3. Entertainment– Outreach for PSA play in movie theaters, theme parks, and

fast food restaurants

4. School-Based– 2000+ Do Something Clubs

5. Aggressive PR Campaign– Estimated 50 MM media impressions

6. Website + Social Media 600k unique/month 130k Facebook, 380k Twitter

7. Email


Teens For Jeans


Partners


Find Your Team


Feed It


Audience First: How We Engage

Activation → Motivation → Selection → Engagement

Events EmotionDirect Giving Ease of Entry

Experience Faith "Well Lit" Experiential Trauma Connection Sustaining Technology

Religion IntelligenceResults Driven Social

Family/Upbringing Exposure

TechnologyTechnology

The Indianapolis Star


My name’s Tom. A little about me:

Then:Founded non-profits in high school and universityCEO Vibewire Youth Inc 2000-2008Social Media Director Ashoka 2008-2010Now:Manager of Emerging Media HopeLabCo-founder StartSomeGood

Hi!


The new medium could be “the most wonderful communications system imaginable, a gigantic system of channels… capable not only of

transmitting but receiving, not of isolating the user but connecting them.”


Users of this technology could “leap around the world and wipe out for all time the age-old barriers of race and language and distance.”

Government would become “a living thing to its citizens”, creating “a new kind of statesman and a new kind of voter.”


Potted history of my online organizing

2000/1:


2002:


2004:


2008/9:


2010:


Ladder of Engagement…

How many rungs?

What’s our goal?

Does it require:•Intentionality?•Consistency?•Progression?


From The Networked Nonprofit by Beth Kanter and Alison Fine.


Relationships

How Many Rungs? | SXSW 2011 | #HowManyRungs #SXSWi 42

Cancer Knowledge

Baseline Follow-up

Inte

rven

tion

-targ

ete

d

kn

ow

led

ge (

% c

orr

ect)

Control

Re-Mission

55

60

65

70

Self-Efficacy

Can

cer-

sp

ecifi

c s

elf

-effi

cacy

(1-7

scale

)5.6

5.8

6.0

6.2

Baseline Follow-up

Control

Re-Mission

p = .034 p = .027

Kato, P.M., Cole, S.W., Bradlyn, A.S., Pollock, B.H. (2008). A Video Game Improves Behavioral Outcomes in Adolescents and Young Adults With Cancer: A Randomized Trial. Pediatrics, 122: e305-e317.

RESEARCH

RE-MISSION WORKS

42


The online rewards program for teens

powered by physical activity

KEY FEATURES

•Website: rewards, self-selected incentives

•Activity meter: optimized measurements

SUPPORTING TRENDS

• Lifestyle tracking

• Social gaming

• Virtual economies

• Customer reward programs


Instigator/Changemaker


Online Engagement = Games You Can Play

Goal = Creating changemakers

(knowledge, understanding, connections, self-efficacy)


Instigator/Changemaker


Online Engagement = Games You Can Play

Goal = Creating changemakers

(knowledge, understanding, connections, self-efficacy)


• George Weiner (@georgecaweiner)DoSomething.org

• Laura Cochran (@wplauracochran)Gannett

• Patty Huber (@Patty360)Groupon.com

• Tom Dawkins (@tomjd)HopeLab & StartSomeGood

Moderator:

• Robert J. Rosenthal (@VolMatch) VolunteerMatch.org

Do Some Good!


how many rungs?: social change and the engagement ladder

Technology

hopelab amp

social good

patty huber

young people

george weiner

tom dawkins

laura cochran

ladder source