Our research at Weber Shandwick on Advocacy found that high intensity advocates are more likely to wear clothing or buttons claiming their support for one cause or another. These are the people that companies and organizations need to keep buying their products in a downturn, support them in a crisis and tell others to look for jobs there. Think about the power of the (red) campaign when you think about the power of Advocacy.
This morning I saw an advertisement on television for Subaru about their owners being likely to have stickers on their cars that advocate their positions and Subaru’s charitable support of causes (such as the ASPCA, Meals on Wheels, etc.). Clearly, you have to buy a Subaru by a certain date and then they will send $250 to your favorite cause. This advertisement for their big holiday sale, Share the Love, makes a lot of sense when you review the cars you pass everyday and all the messages plastered on them. It is a 21st century way of identifying yourself to others and stating unequivocally where you stand. If we had asked about advocates who place stickers on their cars for causes they support, I bet we would have found a number close to 60%. Companies should take more advantage of this channel for spreading the message or as Subaru would say, spreading the love. They are on to something.
A survey by PayPal was just released showing that advocates for the less fortunate are still in the groove. The holiday season survey found that nearly three-quarters of online shoppers plan to give to charities this year – a large increase from 60% one year ago. This level of charitable giving is strongest among older online shoppers (45 years+) and those most affluent ($100,000+). In addition, nearly 25% are planning to go green in their gift-giving by selecting environmentally-conscious clothing, house items and food. Advocacy comes in many sizes and shapes but it is good to know that philanthropy is still growing in difficult economic times.
Once an advocate, always an advocate.
Just read some research from IPSOS Public Affairs, an arm of the research company IPSOS Reid, on the link between reputation and the bottom line. The article titled In Search of The Holy Grail describes how corporate reputation used to be focused on discrete, hard to reach stakeholders and now has expanded to include consumers. Of course, we agree that companies care a great deal about the companies where they buy their products and services from and companies with a good reputation have an easier time earning consumer trust. IPSOS’ reputation model (a pyramid) show how reputation is built through five drivers – awareness, familiarity, favorability, trust and advocacy. “Simply put, a company must be known to be liked; must be liked to be trusted; and must be trusted before a person is willing to advocate for it.” Their reputation pyramid is based on the premise that we at Weber Shandwick subscribe to too which is that advocates endorse your reputation and bring along others to help you make the claim that you can deliver on your promises and deserve their support. Advocacy is increasingly being recognized for its ability to make the difference in reputation and consumer purchases.
“Obama showed that, with the right message, a candidate with no money or machine behind him can build his own.” The Economist
Just read a very smart post about social network analysis by technology marketer Paul Barsch. Paul provides a good example of how social network analysis can contribute to a company’s decision about “how profitable” a customer really is — by not just looking at the revenue and costs associated with that customer, but also looking at the Advocacy and influence that customer has with other profitable customers. Paul also provides some perspective on why social network analysis “isn’t a savior to marketing decision making” and is just one of many measurement tools to get the job done.
I couldn’t agree more. Social network analysis is one of the many exciting new approaches to measurement and strategy that are available to today’s communicators and marketers. Surveys and focus groups continue to be powerful tools, but we now also have a broad set of other tools — including media content analysis, web site analytics, search engines, word-of-mouth metrics and a whole host of emerging online and offline tools.
As you might expect, we’re big advocates for social network analysis as part of our work with clients to drive Advocacy for their products, brands and ideas. It’s not the only measure, by any stretch, but it helps add critical dimensions to ensure a more holistic and extended view of an organization’s stakeholder relationships. It’s also a good counter-balance to the “linear” view that dominates a lot of marketing, which assumes companies have a 1:1 relationship with their customers that is driven by direct marketing, advertising and other communication in isolation.
The reality, of course, is that influence is multi-dimensional and can be impacted by many sources — whether they’re Advocates or badvocates or somewhere in between. Fortunately, more and more organizations are realizing that’s the case, and today’s communicators have more and more tools available to shine the light on that reality.
Advocates who are engaged in the greatest social issues of our time can now share their personal experiences via video on a new site founded by former rock star Peter Gabriel. The site is an extension of his nonprofit Witness, based in Brooklyn (where I live). Witness provided advocates in communities and around the world with video cameras to get out their stories and narratives about human rights abuses. Not the usual YouTube. The list of issues is noted below. Individuals can join groups and work together to take action, a true advocacy behavior. It is just getting started and there are many safeguards built in to work out protecting privacy and screening videos that are submitted. However, the world becomes increasingly smaller as we can all tune into international human rights violations and do something about them. Worth knowing about. Here is the list.
ARMED CONFLICT
Child soldiers, Landmines & unexploded ordnances, Mercenaries, War crimes
CHILDREN’S RIGHTS
Child labor, Child pornography, Child prostitution, Child soldiers, Human trafficking, Juvenile justice
DISCRIMINATION
Caste discrimination, Freedom of opinion & expression, Freedom of religion & belief, LGBTQ, Mental disability rights, Minorities, Older persons, Physical disability, Racial discrimination, Religion, Sexual rights
HEALTH
HIV-AIDS, Mental disability rights, Physical disability, Reproductive rights
HUMANITARIAN
Child soldiers, Crimes against humanity, Internally displaced persons, Landmines & unexploded ordnances, Natural disasters, Refugees, War crimes
JUSTICE
Crimes against humanity, Death penalty, Forced disappearances, Genocide, Impunity, Independence of the judiciary, International criminal court, Juvenile justice, Slavery & forced labor, Transitional justice, War crimes
LABOR
Bonded labor, Child labor, Labor unions, Slavery & forced labor
PRISONS
Arbitrary arrest, Detention, Juvenile justice
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Education, Environment, Food & health & development, Housing, Poverty, Sanitation, Shelter, Water
VIOLENCE
Death penalty, Human trafficking, Mass killings, Police brutality, Rape and sexual abuse, Slavery & forced labor, Torture/ill treatment, Violence against women
WOMEN’S RIGHTS
Honor crimes, Human trafficking, Marriage, Rape and sexual abuse, Sexual exploitation, Violence against women
OTHER
Corporations and human rights, Corruption, Drugs & human rights, Elections, Forensic anthropology, Human trafficking, Immigration , Indigenous peoples, Sanctions, Terrorism
You can find out more about the site by visiting it or reading about it in Fast Company.
Our research at Weber Shandwick on Advocacy found that high intensity advocates are more likely to wear clothing or buttons claiming their support for one cause or another. These are the people that companies and organizations need to keep buying their products in a downturn, support them in a crisis and tell others to look for jobs there. Think about the power of the (red) campaign when you think about the power of Advocacy. 
