Workshop II of the Narrative Change Lab – “The Nuts and Bolts of a Narrative Change Campaign”

After the start of the Narrative Change Lab with the first workshop “Campaigning to engage the middle in the migration debate” in December 2017, we finally had the second training session from March 21-22, 2018. The focus of this two-day workshop was on “The nuts & bolts of a Narrative Change campaign”. Building on the concepts and insights from Workshop 1, participants built out first campaign ideas and dug deeper into reframing and narrative change.

One workshop goal was to get to a positive message space that campaigners would be willing to message to. Based on existing research as well as “positive self-concept values”, participants mapped out values that appeal to the designated target audiences and that fit with the opening of the campaign idea. 

Further, moving from mapping to engagement, effective approaches to successfully engage challenging audiences in the movable middle were discussed. Using ICPA’s campaign planning tool, participants started from four key elements of a campaign (Message, Images/Visuals, Story, Slogan) to structure their campaign ideas. This included to think about messengers, threshold publications as well as resources for campaign implementation. 

Balancing all these aspects to support the objectives of your campaign was a key challenge for participants on Day 2, which focused on the build out of key campaign elements. 

Finally, other participants gave feedback to their peer campaigners, wrapping up a great workshop, leaving us excited about the next feedback clinics and trainings in the Narrative Change Lab! One step closer to building campaigns that target the "moveable middle" in Germany - putting diversity and inclusion back on the agenda in the migration debate.