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CAMPAIGN MASTERCLASS

@seanpwcurrie

seancurrie.com

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Hey!

I’m Sean.

I’m a campaigner, trainer & strategist.

@seanpwcurrie

seancurrie.com

I like this photo because it reflects the different dimensions of my work.

Organiser:

For 10 years
Involved in movements while living in Germany, France, the UK and Belgium, and at the European level.
Supported the work of organisations across Europe, from Azerbaijan to Ireland.

Photo taken in parliament

Represents that I also have one foot in institutional politics:
Ex-Co-leader of Young European Greens, indy youth wing of European Green Party.
Advisory Council for youth in CoE.

Professionally - I tie these together:

I work with nonprofits and social movements and political parties

This means I am expert in social change:

Campaigning
Mobilising people
Building narratives that power change
I have focused on climate change

I am not an expert in:

Solar energy and the industry

I have ideas for applying these tools to your work. I will hint at these. You are are the experts for doing that. I am trying to bring a new perspective on your work in community engagement and social acceptance.

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Spectrum of Allies: Mapping stakeholders to grow social acceptance.

Ladder of Engagement: Turning passive supporters into active supporters.

Narratives: Building narratives that serve your social acceptance strategy.

Argumentation: Exposing your opponents’ logical fallacies.

AGENDA

@seanpwcurrie

seancurrie.com

Agenda for today.

These four things:

Spectrum of Allies: Mapping stakeholders to grow social acceptance

especially useful in local context.

Ladder of Engagement: Turning passive supporters into active supporters.
Narratives: Building narratives that serve your social acceptance strategy.
Argumentation: Exposing your opponents’ logical fallacies

Here’s how it will work:

I trust you all as professionals. I assume you are very knowledgeable about comms, that you have clear goals, and that you have way more things to do than you have time to do them in.
I will throw a lot of information at you.
My goal is to give you a shallow understanding of four different tools that you can use for your work.
Then, I will give you a resource for going deeper into this after.
You can pick and choose what you want to go deeper into. My belief is that these tools can make your work more effective - so at least one of them can be worth each of you putting some time into.
If you decide not to go deeper into any of the tools, you will hopefully have anyway learnt some new ways of looking at the issues of social acceptance and community engagement that will one day help you.
Not super participatory - but I will awkwardly ask little questions

If you answer - great.
If you are doing something else at the same time - I will survive.

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SPECTRUM OF ALLIES

This is a tool to map out support for and opposition to a cause.

The goal of social acceptance is to move stakeholders left.

Any reflections to share?

@seanpwcurrie

seancurrie.com

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RINGSTED - A FAKE EXAMPLE

Brainstorm local groups - even if they’re not directly affected.

Brainstorm tactics to shift the groups - community engagement is your friend.

Ringsted Green Party

Ringsted Newtown residents asso

Ringsted Gazette

Local Mayor

Ringsted Energy Workers’ Union

Ringsted Citizens Against Eye Soars (RCEA)

Ringsted Football Club

@seanpwcurrie

seancurrie.com

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SPECTRUM OF ALLIES

This broadens the perspective, narrows the focus, and clarifies the value of convincing people.

It can help us understand polarisation.

This model ignores power, which is good and bad.

@seanpwcurrie

seancurrie.com

This is a model - a simplification
This widens the focus, and clarifies the value of convincing people.:

The point:

Often we only think of the people at the extremes

NOT to move everyone to active allies.
The more people/groups you move, the better your chance of winning.
Therefore, it is helpful to move people/groups who will move other people/groups

Not everyone is in this spectrum: it doesn't involve all members of the public.

It narrows the focus

Not only about active supporters and active opposition.

Often this is sort of forgotten

To win something, you usually don’t need to convince your most direct opposition (e.g. fossil fuel industry) to move
You can learn a lot about the culture of your organisation by which types of actors more readily come to mind, and also which you know more about. For example, when I do this with political parties they will tend to think about politicians, other political parties, big NGOs, but not necessarily community leaders and community groups.
Polarisation: This is when people polarise towards the left and the right-hand side

Polarisation is generally seen as a bad thing. There arre definitely negative impacts of it on, for example, socetal cohesion.
XR: But the theory of change of movements such as early Extinction Rebellion (maybe it’s changed), Just Stop Oil, Last Generation is that too many people are in the middle here, and that’s one of the reasons that nothing changes.

They would say that for decades NGOs have worked to move everybody a little to the left, and in the end it doesn’t cut through. It hasn’t done much.
The climate crisis is so extreme and so urgent that we need to force people to “choose a side”.
We do this by causing controversy that forces people to talk about the issue, and removing their ability to neutral. We disrupt sports matches and roads, forcing people to pay attention and choose a side.
The gamble is that more people will choose the left.
If this crisis is so urgent and we’re on the verge of civilisational collapse, then there is nothing to lose.

Power:

Another strength of this model is that it draws people away from the natural focus on powerholders. It’s not just about the government, or the regulator who makes the final decision.
This strength is also a weakness. The weakness of this model is that it ignores power - everyone is placed on a continuum without an axis that indicates their power. That is why I would always encourage people to think about power as a second step after this. Another tool that is useful for this is power-mapping.

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A tool to help you engage people in your cause.

LEADING

OWNING

CONTRIBUTING

ENDORSING

FOLLOWING

OBSERVING

LADDER OF ENGAGEMENT

@seanpwcurrie

seancurrie.com

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LEADING

OWNING

CONTRIBUTING

ENDORSING

FOLLOWING

OBSERVING

@seanpwcurrie

seancurrie.com

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LEADING

OWNING

CONTRIBUTING

ENDORSING

FOLLOWING

OBSERVING

The observer is aware of your cause (and maybe your organisation) but has not actively given you permission to speak to them.

Example actions:

Visiting website
Visiting social media
Attending an event

OBSERVERS

@seanpwcurrie

seancurrie.com

Primary engagement goals: Inspire initial and repeat contact with the organization.
Mindset of person being engaged: Interested in the cause and aware of the organization. Awareness is the major factor. "I care enough about the issue to be aware of your organization’s existence, but you haven’t given me reason or opportunity to investigate you first-hand."
Nature of engagement: Sporadic, indirect communications.
Communications: Person takes occasional, distracted glances at the organization’s work. These indirect communications may be via word-of-mouth, social media, or traditional media. Person may visit the organization’s website but does not provide contact information, so any direct communication is at their initiative. Communications focus on information sharing and awareness-building.
Action: Deciding to visit organization’s website or attend an event.
Examples: Hearing about an organization’s work from a friend via email or a Facebook or Twitter post. Hearing about the work through a newspaper article or blog or by attending an event.

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LEADING

OWNING

CONTRIBUTING

ENDORSING

FOLLOWING

OBSERVING

Example metrics:

Website traffic
Social mentions
Media impressions
Polling (awareness)

OBSERVERS

Vanity metrics?

@seanpwcurrie

seancurrie.com

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LEADING

OWNING

CONTRIBUTING

ENDORSING

FOLLOWING

OBSERVING

The follower is reading and watching your communications - they have actively chosen to hear from you.

Example actions:

Subscribing to newsletter
Following you on social media
Giving permission for you to send them publications by post.

FOLLOWERS

@seanpwcurrie

seancurrie.com

Primary engagement goals: Offer value and secure permission to deliver direct, proactive communications.
Mindset of person being engaged: Understands and is interested in the cause and cares somewhat about the organization. Attention is the major factor. "I care enough about your work to open my stream of incoming communications to you, but there’s no guarantee I’ll look at what you send me."
Nature of engagement: Regular, direct communications.
Communications: Person receives an ongoing stream of communications focused on information sharing and piquing interest. These updates keep the organization’s work front-of-mind and build enthusiasm.
Action: Providing contact information. Reading and watching direct communications from the organization.
Examples: Subscribing to an email distribution list, print newsletter, or an RSS feed. Signing up on a list at an event. Note that Facebook fans and, to some degree, Twitter followers blur the lines between levels two and three because the public nature of following an organization on a social network is also a mild form of endorsement.

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Example metrics:

Email subscribers
Social media followers
People indicating they want to volunteer with you

LEADING

OWNING

CONTRIBUTING

ENDORSING

FOLLOWING

OBSERVING

FOLLOWERS

@seanpwcurrie

seancurrie.com

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The endorser has performed a simple action to support your cause. This includes a single step with relatively low risk or investment.

Example actions:

Signs petition
Makes one-time small donation
Shares a social media post

LEADING

OWNING

CONTRIBUTING

ENDORSING

FOLLOWING

OBSERVING

ENDORSERS

Getting more tough

@seanpwcurrie

seancurrie.com

Primary engagement goals: Earn enough trust to secure an endorsement of the work.
Mindset of person being engaged: Believes in the mission and trusts the organization enough to approve the use of their name to endorse the organization, its programs, or a particular campaign. The endorsement may also include a nominal financial contribution. Trust and time are the major factors. "I endorse the work you do, but it is your work and I’m not prepared to invest a significant amount of my time/money in it."
Nature of engagement: Straightforward, single-step transactions.
Communications: Regular, direct mass communications to inform and pique interest, punctuated by concise, persuasive communications leading to a simple call to action.
Action: Simple, quick acts with little risk or investment of resources; commitments limited enough to be made on impulse rather than through real deliberation.
Examples: Examples of endorsement include low-level membership pledges, forwarding email, and petition signing. Becoming a fan on Facebook and even a follower on Twitter might be construed as a low-level endorsement.

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Example metrics:

One time donors
Petition signatories
Retweets

LEADING

OWNING

CONTRIBUTING

ENDORSING

FOLLOWING

OBSERVING

ENDORSERS

Unreliable

@seanpwcurrie

seancurrie.com

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The contributor has done something which has required a significant quantity of some resource (usually time or money). This often involves multiple steps.

Example actions:

Attending an event
Joining a volunteer group
Making a large donation

LEADING

OWNING

CONTRIBUTING

ENDORSING

FOLLOWING

OBSERVING

CONTRIBUTORS

@seanpwcurrie

seancurrie.com

Primary engagement goals: Deepen commitment to the mission and the work.
Mindset of person being engaged: Contributes significant time, financial, or social capital to the organization. Time and money are the major factors. "I’m committed to the work and will pitch in to help, but don’t expect me to assume responsibility."
Nature of engagement: Multi-step assignments.
Communications: Regular, direct mass communications to inform and pique interest, accompanied by periodic, personal email, phone calls, or face-to-face meetings to share information and coordinate on a discrete project or request for funding.
Action: Contributions are not made on impulse – only after due consideration. Habitual contributions may feel like impulse decisions (writing the year-end check or coming into the office regularly to volunteer), but they are part of a larger pattern of behavior indicating a considered investment in the mission. Significant contributions of time and resources become an expression of values and beliefs. The best volunteer jobs are concrete assignments with clearly defined deliverables and good staff oversight.
Examples: Writing or reviewing organizational marketing materials, making personally significant donations, attending public hearings, or joining a committee or task force.

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Example metrics:

Regular donors
Regular volunteers
Content creators

LEADING

OWNING

CONTRIBUTING

ENDORSING

FOLLOWING

OBSERVING

CONTRIBUTORS

@seanpwcurrie

seancurrie.com

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The owner feels ownership - they are fully invested in the success of the mission and does ongoing collaborative actions to fulfill that.

Example actions:

Speaking or writing on behalf of the cause
Deep voluntary engagement

LEADING

OWNING

CONTRIBUTING

ENDORSING

FOLLOWING

OBSERVING

OWNERS

@seanpwcurrie

seancurrie.com

Primary engagement goals: Instill and develop a sense of responsibility for the mission.
Mindset of person being engaged: Fully invested in the mission and success of the organization, a program, or campaign. Mission-relevant knowledge and skills are the major factors. "You can count on me to figure out what needs doing and to be responsible for getting the job done in the way that makes the most sense."
Nature of engagement: Ongoing, collaborative actions.
Communications: Regular, direct mass communications to inform and pique interest, accompanied by regular personal email, phone calls, and face-to-face meetings to collaborate on ongoing projects. Flow of communication is two-way and conversational.
Action: Investments of time, financial, and social capital increase, often blurring together. These investments confer a sense of ownership in the organization’s work. Financial support is significant enough that the person feels warranted in their desire to shape the work and understand its impact. Contributions become a creative outlet and expression of passion. People begin using the term “we” instead of “you” when talking about the organization.
Examples: Deep volunteer involvement in a program or board membership; testifying at a public hearing; blogging or otherwise publishing about the organization’s work.

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Example metrics:

Fundraising leaders
Volunteer team leaders

LEADING

OWNING

CONTRIBUTING

ENDORSING

FOLLOWING

OBSERVING

OWNERS

@seanpwcurrie

seancurrie.com

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The leader is responsible for organising and mobilising people at all the other levels.

Example actions:

Being a board member
Being a staff member

LEADING

OWNING

CONTRIBUTING

ENDORSING

FOLLOWING

OBSERVING

LEADERS

@seanpwcurrie

seancurrie.com

Primary engagement goals: Develop leadership skills and opportunities.
Mindset of person being engaged: Leads others in carrying out the organization’s work. Leadership skills are the major factor. "I’m willing to lead us in carrying out this mission."
Nature of engagement: Ongoing acts of leadership.
Communications: Regular, direct mass communications to inform and pique interest, accompanied by regular personal email, phone calls, and face-to-face meetings to support the mission. Communication flow is often initiated by the person, rather than the organization.
Action: The engaged becomes the engager, so deeply committed to the mission they now focus their energy on engaging and leading others in the work. Focus of energy broadens from campaigns and programs to a more holistic mission focus.
Examples: Community organizers who find and develop talent in their community; board members who take on real governance and leadership of the organization.

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Example metrics:

Number of staff members who’ve come through ladder
Number of board members

LEADING

OWNING

CONTRIBUTING

ENDORSING

FOLLOWING

OBSERVING

LEADERS

@seanpwcurrie

seancurrie.com

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This is a conceptual map - a jumping off point to clarify assumptions and simplify complex realities.

The bottom half can be automated; the top half needs a human touch.

LEADING

OWNING

CONTRIBUTING

ENDORSING

FOLLOWING

OBSERVING

LADDER OF ENGAGEMENT

@seanpwcurrie

seancurrie.com

This is a model - it’s a simplification.

there is no way a model like this will ever fully capture the nuances and inherent messiness of any one particular on-the-ground campaign.
What it can do is serve as a conceptual map; a jumping off point to clarify assumptions and help simplify complex realities, in order to gain perspective and help us navigate the right course.

At the bottom of the Engagement Pyramid, communications and relationships are technology-centric and more automated; at the top, they are more personal and labor-intensive. Using technology to automate interactions at the bottom of the pyramid helps us scale engagement efforts to reach lots of people. Websites, databases, email and social networks are excellent tools to this end.

Above level three there is no replacement for the human touch.
Relationship management databases can help organizations manage engagement across their constituencies; focusing resource-intensive personal interactions on their most important and/or promising people.

There are so many people who would do something to support he transition if we just give them the right ask in the right way at the right time.

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Framing

Meta-narratives

Reframing

Story

Narratives

@seanpwcurrie

seancurrie.com

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A concrete account of an event with a start and a finish

★ Narrative ★ Framing ★ Reframing ★ Story ★ Meta-narrative ★

@seanpwcurrie

seancurrie.com

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A system of stories that is based around some central beliefs

★ Narrative ★ Framing ★ Reframing ★ Story ★ Meta-narrative ★

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★ Narrative ★ Framing ★ Reframing ★ Story ★ Meta-narrative ★

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Overarching narratives that claim to provide comprehensive explanations for historical, social, and cultural phenomena

★ Narrative ★ Framing ★ Reframing ★ Story ★ Meta-narrative ★

A meta-narrative is an overarching narratives that claims to provide comprehensive explanations for historical, social, and cultural phenomena
For example:

Stay Grounded:

Environmental justice
Climate catastrophe:

This meta-narrative frames climate change as an existential threat that could lead to the collapse of ecosystems, economies, and societies. It emphasizes the urgency of taking immediate, drastic action to prevent catastrophic outcomes.

Against technological innovation

Battle on SAF

Governance & industry level - SAF is solution
A lot of SAF is not sustainable
Sustainable ones - could be used elsewhere

CEO of Lufthansa: in order to make Lufthansa fleet … 50%

Growth is bad.
Eradicate aviation industry.

What about you?

Climate catastrophe

Could work?
Hysterical.
Dooms day.

We try package it up like “we can make it less bad”

Not enough.

Tech innovation & growth

Could work??
Aligned with history
But could contradict other actors?

My point:

Your meta-narrative should be X
How to think about meta-narratives
AND how they impact other actors

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★ Narrative ★ Framing ★ Reframing ★ Story ★ Meta-narrative ★

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The process of embedding information, events and topics within interpretive structures

★ Narrative ★ Framing ★ Reframing ★ Story ★ Meta-narrative ★

The process of embedding information, events and topics within interpretive structures
Can present facts in accordance with certain values, narratives and meta-narratives
The effect of frames has been extensively studied, from neuropsychology to applied linguistics, and shows that certain terms and expressions activate patterns of interpretation and connections in our brains.

These patterns determine how we perceive information

Two frames:

Tech: Forest fires, while tragic, can be mitigated through technological innovation and can create new opportunities for economic growth in the clean energy and forestry sectors. Investing in advanced fire-monitoring systems, drones, and climate-resilient infrastructure will not only reduce the impact of fires but also open up new markets for green technologies.
Catastrophe: The forest fires in Portugal are a direct result of the climate catastrophe, and they reflect the failures of current systems based on unsustainable growth and fossil fuel dependence. These events demand an immediate shift toward systemic change, including a rapid transition away from carbon-intensive industries, reducing consumption, and rethinking economic priorities.

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★ Narrative ★ Framing ★ Reframing ★ Story ★ Meta-narrative ★

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Reframing is therefore about altering those interpretive structure

★ Narrative ★ Framing ★ Reframing ★ Story ★ Meta-narrative ★

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This is a resource on exposing logical fallacies of opponents.

Use with caution - it is tactical, not strategic.

ARGUMENTATION

@seanpwcurrie

seancurrie.com

[Introduce concept]
I didn’t want to just give you this resource with an asterix

It’s usefu for understanding:

The flaws of your opponents’ arguments
How to argue against them

Relatively limited use case:

Debating with somebody
With an audience - you want to convince

This is not strategic - it’s tactical
Don’t build your straegy around this

Reading this, you can see weaknesses of your narrative

[Give example]

It could be tempting to build you narrative to cover those weaknesses
Look at the current US election:

Also apply it to Starmer
Kamala is left-wing

Voting record
Image
Supporters

Running a conservative campaign

Militarisation
Border

Many reasons for that.

One is to cover her weaknesses
Trump trying to exploit them

Her strategy is:

Short-term gamble:

Use right-wing narratives = whitehouse

My view = this can work.

Worked or Starmer, Macron (presidential)
Long-term cost:

You turn conservative narratives into common sense

So - use this resource, but don’t overly work to cover your weaknesses.