Social Innovation Review Nonprofits and businesses are converging - in the value they create, the stakeholders they manage, the organizations they form, and the financial instruments they use. The era of convergence is upon us. Do you know how to take advantage of it?
The leaders of nonprofits and businesses would be wise to shift their current mind-set from one of “us and them” to one of “we.” This new mind-set thinks in terms of systems and focuses on interdependence, partners, and strategic allies. It embraces new organizational forms and views organizational boundaries as elastic and permeable. It takes advantage of the migration of talent across sectors and deepens its relationships with the full range of its stakeholders.This new mind-set recognizes that it must not only produce both economic and social value, but also capture the synergies between the two. It seizes new instruments to integrate the financial and philanthropic capital markets. And it insists upon transparency and accountability, understanding that this will ultimately attract more talent, trust, and funding. Get Article
Communication for Social Change Anthology
Published by Communication for Social Change Consortium, this groundbreaking book brings together a broad variety of views and features more than 150 key thinkers throughout the world.
After the Second World War, the strategic role of communication in development and social change became clear: The liberation movements of many former colonies, the growing number of non-governmental organisations and the rapid spread of mass media all demonstrated that the communication process is essential to advancing social change, combating poverty and giving people the power to improve their own lives.
Today, there is an urgent need to know: “Which ideas contributed to what we now understand communication for social change to be? Who were the communication experts who helped develop a new communication approach? What are the emerging issues and trends shaping communication for social change?” Edited by leaders in the field, the Communication for Social Change Anthology contains the most important texts in this field.
The CFSC Consortium offers numerous resources on Communication for Social Change and are located in South Orange, New Jersey. Visit their website.
On the Fast Track to GrowthCompanies are still trying to figure out how to make advertising that viewers want to watch. Now television stations and advertisers are developing their own media divisions to create their own 'branded video content' and mobile webisodes. These companies need to figure out that TV style commercials embedded in video and on webpages are not going to work. New research shows that corporations are hot on interactive advertising, but they also need to recognize that they no longer have a captive audience. Content needs to be free, good, entertaining and relevant and then, maybe then they will sell their product. But is putting Burger King's "King" character in a feature length film the right way to go? We'll just watch and see if this campaign goes viral (word-of-mouth). Nontheless, companies will keep spending the advertising dollars until they find the perfect formula. According to an eMarketer summary of an upcoming study release, spending on online video advertising will reach $410 million this year, 82% more than was spent in 2005. By 2010, Internet video advertising will be a $3 billion business, according to eMarketer's latest projections.
Stations Fail to Disclose Video News ReleasesThe Center for Media and Democracy's follow-up research indicates that viewers are still routinely deceived by fake TV news. From April through October 2006, CMD documented 46 stations in 22 states airing at least one of 33 different video news releases. (See "Methodology.") The total number of VNRs tracked for this study—109—represents just two percent of the estimated 5,000 VNRs offered to U.S. television newsrooms over a six-month period. Eighty-nine percent of the VNR broadcasts documented—48 of the 54 examples in this report—included no disclosure whatsoever of the nature or source of the sponsored video. The six remaining VNR broadcasts exhibited different approaches to disclosure. However, none approached the level recommended by CMD: continuous on-screen notification of the client that funded the VNR. Read more Go to PRWATCH
87% of respondents believe that it’s important for companies to support causes and charities.
Today’s consumer may or may not be aware of the methods companies use to gain their attention and loyalty. When brands align with causes, the battle for trust has only just begun. One has to wonder about the transparency of it all. People surveyed in PR Week's Cause Survey 2006 mentioned companies who made a difference, but do they mention them solely based on the companies' communications and media campaigns? The following example shows the good in cause marketing. But buyer and nonprofit beware. Get out your critical thinking skills before embarking on cause marketing relationships. Get PR Week's Study to understand what companies, nonprofits and individuals are thinking and acting upon. Be sure to do your homework when considering a cause marketing relationship.
~Every October for the past 13 years, shoppers at Marshalls department stores have played a role in ending domestic violence, just by filling their carts with clothing, shoes, and household goods. On the day Marshalls hosts its annual “Shop ’Til It Stops” benefit, the retailer donates 1% of all sales from its 700 stores to the San Francisco based Family Violence Prevention Fund (FVPF), providing support to the FVPF’s efforts to prevent domestic violence and help victims nationwide. This year, not only did Shop ’Til It Stops Day generate more than $300,000 to fund public education and training programs, but it also raised awareness among hundreds of thousands of shoppers about the issue of domestic violence against women and children.~
Top Companies Mentioned by Respondents:
Microsoft
Target
Wal-Mart
McDonald’s
Yoplait
Avon 3
Newman’s Own
Net Neutrality ResurgenceCOANEWS is involved in the production and distribution of a new highly charged video alerting people to an upcoming “lame duck” congressional push to remove the all important Net Neutrality. If you not familiar with the issue you can learn more here: (http://savetheinternet.com). The basic idea is that big Internet providers want to be able to turn the Internet into more of a cable system where they control what content you get at what speeds. Now that the elections are over un-elected congressmen can pass unpopular bills (like those removing net neutrality) before they leave office. It’s called a “lame duck” session — what's "Lame Duck"
What a great movie! I saw only a 30 sec commercial on TV, but somehow it resonated with me and I saw it with 5 friends. The subject matter is intense —a precocious, only child with a narcistic mother and alcoholic father is adopted by the family's shrink. Clearly over the top, a chaotic story unravels, sometimes hilarous, and sometimes taboo. It's the memoir of Augusten Burroughs, who is also in the process of writing a series for SHOWTIME. The book Running with Scissors has been on the New York Times best seller list for over 2 and half years and was adapted and directed for film by Ryan Murphy, creator of Nip/Tuck fame. Great acting from Annette Bening, Alec Baldwin, Brian Cox, Joeseph Fiennes and Gweneth Paltrow. This movie is a must see!
Check out this book too: Possible Side Effects "Unflinchingly, he gouges himself (literally and figuratively), bleeds, gets it on paper - often without a neat resolution or the genre's obligatory epiphany - and then makes you laugh. Now that's genius." - The New York Times Book Review
Political-advertising spending has zoomed past projections and is headed toward a stratospheric $2 billion-plus this year, some 17.6% more than 2004.
~Source ADAGE~~~~A familiar excuse for negative advertising is that "everybody does it." Newspaper stories about attack commercials usually include a sampling of harsh Democratic spots in an effort to appear evenhanded. But there's really no comparison between what the two parties and their respective surrogates are doing. According to factcheck.org, a respected site that reviews the accuracy of various ads, "the National Republican Campaign Committee's work stands out this year for the sheer volume of assaults on the personal character of Democratic House challengers."Negative Democratic ads tie Republican candidates to President Bush, and to the Iraq war, or accuse them of being in the tank for the oil or pharmaceutical industries. But Democratic ads do not charge that their opponents "prey on our children"—even though one recently resigned following accusations that he did precisely that. One can only imagine the ads Republicans would have made this year if Mark Foley had happened to be a Democrat. Spreading hatred and poisonous lies about one's opponent has become an ordinary and almost accepted part of running for office. Go to SLATE story
Social Innovation Review Nonprofits and businesses are converging - in the value they create, the stakeholders they manage, the organizations they form, and the financial instruments they use. The era of convergence is upon us. Do you know how to take advantage of it? 
