Slacktivism, the Bernie Sanders campaign and corporate hijacking of good causes were among the subjects discussed in this seminar – the first event of BSIS’s Politics, Power and Persuasion series.
Think you can’t change the world from your couch? Think again! It may seem ludicrous to believe that one person can change the world from their home but thanks to digital platforms, digital mobilization movements can happen by empowering people one person at a time to fight for a cause.
How? — you may ask. This was precisely what Paul di Gregorio, one of the UK’s leading mobilization strategists, explained. He was the first speaker in our Politics, Power, and Persuasion series, and through his powerful seminar on how to lead the masses into the struggle, attendees learned how political and digital communicators “create the noise and drive the change”.
It all comes down to the point of elevating the causes we believe in by providing possible courses of action because hope is not enough. Di Gregorio took on this quest and presented several essential aspects for the success of a movement.
For one, you need a “broad and deep engagement with the public” and you need to provide them with “a range of high and low bar actions,” from signing a petition to engaging in a protest. Your audience needs to feel inspired and you nurture and channel this feeling by laying out what they can do to make a difference. Above all, the message needs to be clear, concise and you should share your values up front.
With examples from his work with the ACLU, Greenpeace, Amnesty International, among others, di Gregorio then displayed how this is done. He shared tactical insights and clarified the impact of 10 golden rules of digital mobilization.
Paul de Gregorio’s key aspects of digital mobilization:
• A clear well articulated movement story
• Vision and values up front every time
• A strategy to mobilise the public behind those values
• An active, inclusive, accessible tone of voice
• Clearly articulated and simple ‘Join Us’ propositions
• Useful (and valuable) things to do
• A focus on simplicity, tech and optimization
• One team / radical collaboration between teams
• Brilliance at the ‘digital’ basics
• Leadership
It has become clear that in the Age of IT, global connectivity is not only possible, it is inevitable, and we must learn to use it for the causes we hold dear. Digital mobilization is our tool for changing the world, even from our couch.
The next event in BSIS’s Politics, Power and Persuasion series will take place on Friday 11 December. Saar van Bueren, who is an advisor in political strategy and communication at PES (Party of European Socialists) will be joining Becky Slack to talk all things political strategy and communication, including the comms challenges faced by the Left and how to create campaigns that appeal to diverse audiences, among other things. This session will be interactive with the audience, so bring your mulled wine, mince pies, speculoos cookies and other festive treats and get involved in the conversation. More details including registration information to follow.