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

Newsletters, in printed or electronic form, update supporters and other stakeholders on
campaign-related events, and progress of the campaign. Determine the purpose and
target audience of the newsletter to make sure it is actually read. If it is chiefly an
“internal” update for campaign activists, then campaign activities, activists’
achievements and lessons learned should be central topics. If the newsletter is designed
for a wider public, it should not over-emphasize “internal” issues, but rather show how
the campaign relates to the daily activities and concerns of the target audiences.
Examples:
Inspiring examples are La Boletina by Puntos de Encuentro, which began as a
mimeographed 4-page newsletter in 1991 and has grown into the largest circulation
magazine in Nicaragua, and Rural Women Knowing All (“Nongcun Funü Baishi Tong”),
(Chinese and English versions) produced and distributed to the most remote areas by
the countrywide All-China Women’s Federation since 1993. Both publications promote
women’s rights by running stories and essays in simple language that a readership with
limited educational backgrounds can fully understand and relate to.
Advertisements in the press
Well-designed press advertisements can reach and potentially engage nation-wide
audiences. If an organization or alliance has no experience designing mass media
advertisements, expert advice should be sought, or sufficient time planned to pre-test
the advertisement with the target audiences. Professional public relations firms may
offer pro bono time or reduced rates to public interest campaigning: make contact with
firms whose commercial advertisements you find appealing, and explain how they can
demonstrate social responsibility by supporting your campaign.
It can be expensive not just to design an advertisement but also to get it placed in the
press. Print media normally charge fees for advertisement space – the more readers the
newspaper or magazine has, the higher the fees. Some print media however, may
occasionally offer free space for public interest advertisements; it may also be possible
to convince media contacts to charge a considerably lower fee.
One can also buy advertisement space to publish an open letter, if none of the
newspapers contacted is ready to publish it free of charge (either as a letter to the editor
or an op-ed. See Tools in Earned Media Coverage. Open letters are common tools in
advocacy campaigns. As open letters normally do not use any visual images or eyecatching
design, it is not necessary to involve any advertisement specialists.
Printed Materials for Display
Posters, wall charts and other materials for display reach large target audiences when
placed strategically, i.e. where they are most likely to meet the target’s glance. They can
be used in public places, in campaign events for higher visibility, and to back up
presentations. When based on strong visual images, they can communicate messages
across languages and literacy barriers.
Bear in mind:
- Quality design and pre-testing are particularly critical with displays, which tend to
offer little space for explanations. They may be misinterpreted if poorly designed.
You need to be certain that people grasp your message at a glance and are
immediately attracted to it.
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Campaigns December 2011