Session 1 - Introduction To Campaigning And Communications (19/10/11)

The session started with introductions of participants and everyone running it, Jessica (Poached Creative), Lucy (YH World), Michelle - blogging (Poached Creative) and then a brief rundown of what is to come in the forthcoming weeks.

Lucy, who has experience within the media industry working for a publishing house, spoke of various campaigns and some of the bigger ones currently hitting headlines.

Here are a few of the links of the campaigns the she focused on:

- Wispa - bring back Wispa

- Fish Fight

- Occupy Wall Street

We then went on to a group discussion about what a campaign means to us all. Some of the comments were:

- to fight for a change

- the Parliment Square student protest

- people walking around with placards.

We heard the dictionary definition of a campaign - to engage in an operation planned to achieve a certain goal.

We all looked at different campaigns and discussed them.

What makes a good campaign?

- Wispa had a goal and achieved it

- They all have a point and a reason

- Campaigns can change people's minds - this could be a primary goal.

We split into small groups and were given a poster each to discuss the following:

- How does it catch your attention?

- Who's the audience?

- What's the message?

- How does it make you feel and is it effective?

We filmed the groups' thoughts, unfortunately the camera died on the final recording.

Here is the video:

We then went on to discuss the poster the group had decided they will be creating.

Main idea
An evolution poster of a young person growing up and getting in with the wrong crowd and involved in knife crime.

This is the evolution line; baby - toddler - primary school - secondary school - knife - crime - what's the result? Prison or death.

We discussed that the audience may be mothers and young people. It was discussed that it would be difficult to aim the poster at both audiences as they are both very different. We decided to just focus on young people for the time being.

Target audience:
Age group - 13+ (year 7 and up) and for both male and females.

Purpose of the poster:

- To raise awareness and prevent crime

- To make readers think

- That could be me

- I don't want that to be me.

Message:
You decide - change your life was just one of the suggestions.

Why a poster?

- It's effective

- Catches your attention

- It can be put anywhere

- The audience don't have to do anything to see it - ie click on anything

- Everybody goes outside

Everyone was asked to look into whether this has been done already and find campaigns that are effective and appeal to them for next weeks' session.

Then we discussed the things that we may need to make the poster campaign a success:

- a photographer

- models

- a graphic designer - mentoring and training

- Possible residential to focus on the campaign.

Residential ideas:

- 2 nights if possible

Activities to include:

- team building

- quad biking

- cooking

- zip

- archery.

It was discussed that it would be better if AM was spent working on the project and PM was having some fun with the activities. Then the session was wrapped up with what everyone thought of it.

Feedback - What was good?

- went well for 1st day

- location

- brain-storming

- structure

- developed ideas more

Feedback - What would you change?

- internet (make sure it's working)

- videos

- more food/drink

Thank you everybody for a productive session and see you all next session!