Campaigns to End Violence against Women and Girls - Virtual ...

6. CAMPAIGN COMMUNICATIONS
OVERVIEW
“The way in which the message is delivered is just as decisive as its content”
- Baecker, D., 2007. Form und Formen der Kommunikation, Frankfurt, Germany
Campaign communication is the process by which public events, print materials, audiovisual
media, the internet, and other channels are used to inform, influence or mobilize
target audiences, with the ultimate aim of achieving the campaign goal. Communication
is the very essence of campaigning, as one must communicate with others to gain their
attention and prompt them to take action. It is a decisive element in any type of
campaign to end violence against women and girls (VAW).
Effective campaign communication is multi-pronged. Combining different techniques
and tools enhances the chance the audience notices the campaign message,
remembers it and takes the action needed to attain the campaign goal.
Strategic communication is results-oriented, evidence-based, “client”-centered,
participatory, benefit-oriented (i.e. the audience perceives a benefit in taking the action
proposed), multi-channel, high quality and cost-effective (O’Sullivan et al, 2003. A Field
Guide to Designing a Health Communication Strategy). Effective communication
strategies are purpose-driven and rest on robust, evidence-based knowledge of the
attitudes, ideas, aspirations and preconceptions of the target audiences. Such
understanding is best built through formative research, and close cooperation and
consultation with stakeholders when designing the communication strategy.
This section begins with a summary of “Do’s and Don’ts” in campaign communications,
and then explains the main steps of designing the campaign message and a
communications strategy. A broad spectrum of commonly used communication media,
techniques and tools is presented.
For readers who are in the design phase of their communication strategy, it is
recommended to start by going to the sections on Do’s and Don’ts, Communication
Strategy and Crafting the Campaign Message.
DO’S AND DON’TS
DO:
� Plan: As part of the overall strategic planning process, carry out a deliberate
strategic communication planning process to devise and write down an explicit
communication strategy. Ensure all campaigners know and support the
�
communication strategy and its different elements.
Understand your audience: Undertake participatory research to define and
understand target audiences precisely and choose the communication channels,
techniques and tools most likely to reach them. Adapt your message, techniques and
tools to the target audiences, diversifying methods so as to speak to all the segments
of the audience that need to be reached.
� Combine channels and tactics: Combine different communication channels,
techniques and tools to reach target audiences in a range of settings and situations.
Broadcasting messages via mass media is more likely to prompt lasting behaviour-
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Campaigns December 2011