New Narratives Lab 2021

 

Key results NNL 2021

 

  • Supported CLAIM members in the development and testing of a new narrative change campaign strategy to engage moveable middle audiences
  • Built the capacity of 22 CLAIM members from 15 organisations to develop targeted narrative change strategies and test content
  • Delivered 3 workshops & 9 feedback clinics over the year that received strong positive evaluation
  • Worked closely to mentor the core working group who took on the bulk of the campaign development work
  • Supported focus groups testing of the campaign strategy & facilitated discussions on the takeaways & analysed the results & produced recommendations for the next steps
  • Worked to redesign and deliver the Lab online, due to the pandemic lockdown

 

Original Overview & Plans (2021)

The first 2 steps or ‘blocks’ of the New Narratives Lab will run from March-December, 2021. The aim of the first 2 blocks to the Lab is to facilitate and support the development and testing of CLAIM members new narrative change campaign strategy targeting moveable middle audiences. The diagram below shows the planned work for 2021.

 

 

Block 1 of New Narratives Lab 2021 – Building a campaign strategy

The focus of the work in the first block is to:

  • advance the insight into reframing campaign strategies to engage middle audiences;
  • & then apply these insights by facilitating the development of a feasible narrative strategy to engage the target middle segments in a campaign to serve CLAIM goals.

 

Put simply, building such a campaign strategy involves:
  1. Choosing target middle segments to engage,
  2. Identifying a set of value appeals that would work for the target audience and also for CLAIM members and the specific debate you want to start,
  3. Specifying the specific demographic you want to engage in the target segments

 

The strategy development process follows the first step of ICPA’s Narrative Change Campaign Planning Process – Find a focus and opening1 .

In terms of time and workload, the first block includes:

  • 1 online workshop in March
  • 3 online mentoring sessions/Feedback Clinics in April/May
  • Ongoing campaign team work – after the workshop and supported in the three Feedback Clinics the team will develop a campaign strategy to engage middle audiences

 

Block 2 of New Narratives Lab 2021 – Building out & testing draft campaign materials

The focus of the work in the second block is to:

  • Advance insight into building out the core elements/materials for a campaign to engage middle audiences in the debate on Islam and Muslims in Germany
  • Then apply these insights by developing first drafts/options for the core materials to engage the target middle segments in a campaign to serve CLAIM goals
  • Test the campaign strategy & draft materials in focus groups with people from the target middle segments

The development process follows the second step of ICPA’s Narrative Change Campaign Planning Process – Build out the elements2 .

 

Put simply, the core elements/materials for the campaign are:
  1. 1st drafts of the messages, images, stories and slogans for the campaign
  2. Build on the campaign strategy developed in block one
  3. Shaped by the approach of Marshall Ganz on how to build mobilizing stories3

 

In terms of time and workload, the second block includes:

  • Workshop in August/September
  • 4 mentoring sessions/Feedback Clinics
  • Ongoing campaign team work – after the workshop and supported in the four mentoring sessions, the team develops 1st draft materials that follow the strategy developed in block 1
  • Focus groups and workshop to prepare, observe and deconstruct the feedback from the focus groups end November/early December.

 

Interested in knowing about all capacity building options offered in 2021?