Exploring the effectiveness of these online causes is significant in a variety of ways. Although these campaigns seem to have positive messages associated with change behind them, it must be noted that the way that they are handled made it difficult for them to actually have an impact on the causes they seemed to be fighting for. Just because one ‘agrees’ with a cause, and can support it through superficial actions over the internet, does not mean that the cause might actually fulfill what it intended, therefore being ironic. It is integral to explore what exactly can be done in order to make these ‘trendy’, ‘in the moment’ campaigns that in the long run achieve nothing but the most basic state of awareness, and turn them into causes that have the potential to promote social change. It is also valuable to explore how each of the ‘campaigns’ that we are exploring differ, in order to compare which of them had effective and ineffective components that either helped or hindered their success.
Invisible People is a campaign started in 2008 that seeks to bring awareness to the homeless population in the United States. Inspired by the largely ignored plight of the homeless community. This vlog works to materialize the "invisible" homeless by featuring videos of homeless individuals telling their stories. The videos are raw and mostly unedited, giving a personal face to homelessness in our nation with every posting. The campaign operates to increase awareness of this issue in our communitites and is a good starting point for encouraging productive discussion as a prelude to change. This campaign has garnered recognition for the poignancy it brings to the issue, however there are opportunities for further development.
It is significant for this campaign to implement a proper online strategy in order to prevent getting 'lost' in the masses of campaigns that currently exist online. Without one, the organization Invisible People will be likely to fall into obscurity, despite the valid and emotionally gripping cause. This point proves that the most intergral part of an online campaign is the publicity it receives- whether this is through organic or forced means. Only later is the content properly analyzed- and in the case of KONY 2012, this arguably led to the downfall of the campaign.
Applying the following strategies to the Invisible People campaign would take their already impressive efforts to the next level.
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Defined Goals and Leadership
These two factors are essential componets to any successful campaign. Measurable progress and dedicated individuals to push that progress to the next dimension are invaluable. Invisible People was started by Mark Horvath who continues to direct the project and it's mission to bring awareness of homelessness to the world at large. Expansion of Invisible People and their mission would require an expanded leadership. Their efforts would be best served by leaders spearheading efforts in disparate areas of the United States. To this end, goals specific to particular regions could be highlighted and videos could give a fuller, more comprehensive view of homelessness within a particular community. Posted videos detailing specific community based concerns could more effectively engage the regional audiences. From there, more specific goals regarding policy decisions and other structural changes could be formulated.
see their videos HERE
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6 Steps to Make Online Media Activism More Effective
An exercise in application:
Invisible People