Social Change Communications in a Digital Landscape
Technological innovations and digitalization have reshaped society and forever changed the way it functions. From the creation and evolution of the computer to the smartphone, the digital era is rapidly and constantly advancing. Not only the physical technologies themselves, but the programs, applications, and systems that come with them as well. With this knowledge, one must question what this means for communication — how we communicate with each other, how non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) communicate with us, how the news media communicate with us, and the list goes on. Technology has unequivocally changed our social interactions and has deepened our reliance on these tools to navigate our day-to-day. Though the case for digitalization has been made, what does this mean for social change? How do we communicate effectively for social change while navigating an ever-evolving digital landscape?
The answer is adaptation. As Thomas Tufte stated in his book Communication and Social Change, developments in technology have caused new, powerful dynamics between media, citizens, governments, and the private sector, altering the way NGOs and INGOs engage with their audiences (Tufte, 2017). These organizations have been required to adapt to the radically changing digital communications ecosystem. NGOs and INGOs are responsible for tracking and implementing the newest communications strategies, tactics, and tools to keep social cause communications relevant and at the forefront of modern-day social movements.
Understanding the multidimensional landscape of rapid social and communication transformations is a challenging and daunting task (Tufte, 2017). Communications today are not as focused on press releases and brochures; instead, the spotlight is on social media, video, email marketing, and website content. For an NGO or INGO communicating today, relevance means updating social media channels, keeping up with current trends, championing storytelling, maintaining websites, writing quality blogs, launching new campaigns, pitching stories to mass media channels, and participating in activism. How organizations communicate with their audiences matters. Unless organizations adapt, navigating these complex challenges and new tools and strategies could be devastating to their missions. On the other hand, if they do adapt, it could provide tremendous results.
An INGO that has been notable in its efforts to maintain relevancy and champion an evolving virtual landscape is Greenpeace International. This organization is a network of independent organizations that utilize “peaceful, creative confrontation” through its campaigning and activism to challenge global environmental problems and create solutions for a better, greener, more sustainable future (Greenpeace International, n.d.). Greenpeace has a rich history in activism that reaches back to its origination in the early 1970s. The organization has upheld its image and grown significantly over the decades through advancement in its communication strategies and tactics as the virtual landscape progressed.
By simply accessing Greenpeace’s website and social media accounts, one can recognize how the organization has adapted to the changing landscape — the brand is modern, clean, concise, and diverse. Its website offers engaging and professional videos and images, stories of their impact around the world, online publications, current campaigns, and interactive features. Greenpeace makes it clear that it stays current in social trends, too, by displaying its impressive amount of social media icons, from Twitter to YouTube and Instagram to LinkedIn. Their digital portfolio makes them a strong case for an INGO that knows how to stay relevant in the evolving technological environment. Greenpeace is well into the new era of strategic communications and uses its skills to create positive action, enhance its image, and draw global attention to the issue of environmental damage.
Though the ever-evolving technological and digital landscapes pose challenges for organizations and social cause communications, the abilities we have today to influence, inspire and shape others’ behaviors, beliefs, and opinions are unmatched. There has never been a better opportunity or a better landscape for social cause communications to thrive and for organizations to reach their audiences.
References
Greenpeace International. (n.d.). Our values. Greenpeace. Retrieved from https://www.greenpeace.org/international/explore/about/values/
Tufte, T. (2017). Communication and social change: a citizen perspective. Polity Press.
