Social Media Campaigns and Targeted Audience - Essay Example

? Social media campaigns are often used to influence positive behaviour change among the targeted audiences. In most cases, social campaigns have high social relevance to the targeted people. As such, this paper seeks to critically evaluate a government sponsored social campaign in the United Kingdom that is mainly concerned with promoting anti drinking and driving behaviour among the motorists. The paper starts by discussing the basic tenets of social communication campaigns and this will be followed by an outline of the main ideas behind this campaign in the UK. The main body of the paper will discuss various aspects of the campaign with the aid of visual examples. The main points discussed will be summarised at the end of the paper. The problem of driving under the influence of alcohol is a cause for concern especially in the UK since it contributes to unprecedented deaths and injuries annually among the people involved in accidents while driving under the influence of alcohol. For instance, “in 2011, 280 people died in the UK in drink driving incidents. Although the number of casualties caused by drink driving has dropped dramatically in the last 30 years, it is still the cause of 15 per cent of all road deaths,” (Taylor, 2013). Strict penalties are also imposed to address this problem and it can be seen that drink drivers risk a fine of up to ?5,000, a minimum 12-month driving ban and a criminal record (Taylor, 2013). However, since this is an issue of high social interest, people need to be persuaded in order for them to positively change their behaviour in as much as drink driving is concerned. Persuasive communication through the use of social campaigns is one effective way of dealing with such kind of problem since it is designed to reinforce the message so that the desired goal can be achieved among the targeted people. In carrying out such a campaign, the media is strongly used and marketing principles are also utilized. The concept of social marketing was popularized by Philip Kotler. According to Kotler and Armstrong (2004), social marketing is mainly concerned with behaviour change among a targeted audience. This type of communication uses marketing concepts though it is not meant to generate revenue but to influence behaviour change among the targeted group of audiences. Basically, a public or social campaign is a described as a purposive attempt to motivate behaviour change among a well defined and large audience (Rice & Atkin 1989 as cited in McQuail, 2000). This particular campaign is usually carried for non commercial benefit over a certain period of time by means of organized communication which involves the use of mass media as well as interpersonal communication. The targeted audience is clearly defined and the expected goal of the communication campaign is properly laid out. In carrying out such a campaign, it can be noted that people need to be persuaded so that they can also share the same ideas with the people running the campaign. Mutual understanding among the targeted audience is likely to be promoted if all parties involved share the same vision towards a particular goal. This can be achieved through the use of social contract theory which is based on the “the view that persons’ moral and/or political obligations are dependent upon a contract or agreement among them to form the society in which they live,” (Friend, 2004). In case of the above mentioned campaign, the people in the UK are bound by a social contract that compels them to create a desirable society that is characterised by good behaviour with regards to the aspect of alcohol and driving. The problem of driving under the influence of alcohol affects all people and a holistic approach has to be taken in order to ensure that a good society is formed. This involves all people who are affected by this particular problem. This concept posits to the effect that people in a certain society are the masters of their own destiny since they can put rules and regulations that can guide their behaviour in order to make their respective societies better places to live. Socially, people in a given area have the responsibility of creating the desirable society that is characterised by their desired norms and values that ought to shape their behaviour towards something. If decision making towards matters of significance is collective, people are likely to change their behaviour. In this regard, drunken driving is a social ill that ought to be addressed collectively and this can be done through the effective use of a social communication campaign. Drinking beer may not be a big threat to the society but the aspect of driving under the influence of alcohol is bad since it can lead to fatal accidents that often result in loss of life and property. Insurance companies often loose large sums of money in replacing vehicles belonging to other people that have been damaged by people under the influence of alcohol. The repercussions of drinking and driving are severe and this is the reason why this campaign mentioned above is seen as effective in trying to address the problem. In order to successfully carryout a social communication campaign, theories of mass media and society are often used by the campaigners. For instance, the agenda setting theory is commonly used when carrying out this exercise given that the people responsible for carrying out the initiative set the agenda with the intention of changing the behaviour of the people. According to McQuail (2000), the agenda setting theory is primarily concerned with setting the communication agenda and plan among the targeted audiences. The goals are clearly outlined and the information is tailored in such a way that it will have a positive impact on the targeted people. In order to reach a wide range of people, the media is often used in carrying out social communication campaigns. The government’s road safety campaign that is run by the Department of Transport is meant to deter drink drivers and they use a recently launched shocking video footage that has already attracted two million viewers (Taylor, 2013). In this video footage, a man is shown washing hands in a pub toilet viewing himself in the mirror. Apparently, the mirror is shattered and the man is seriously terrified by the experience. This is meant to instill a sense of fear among the drink drivers so that they can desist from the practice since it is dangerous. This strategy is very effective since it is designed to scare other people who may also intentionally or unintentionally drive under the influence of alcohol. Advert: The footage shows a man washing his hands in a north London pub toilet Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2338000/Shocking-anti-drink-driving-campaign-scares-pub-goers-simulating-car-crash-complete-fake-blood-toilet-mirror.html In an effort to promote a campaign that is designed to discourage people from drinking and driving, police in West Yorkshire have released a shocking video showing the tragic consequences of drink driving and it features Lindsay Metcalfe whose parents Dorothy, 65, and David, 68, were killed in Leeds in January 2012 by a drunk driver (Turton, 2013). This video is meant to shock people as well to provoke them to take a closer look at the tragic consequences that can be caused by the practice of drinking and driving. The main problem with alcohol is that it impairs the vision of the driver and this is dangerous since it can lead to aspects such as over speeding or making poor judgments while driving. This can lead to fatal crashes that often result in loss of life. Such a tragic end of life is so sad and this is the reason why the habit of driving under the influence of alcohol is condemned. Such a social campaign is meant to raise awareness among all the people about the need to change their behaviour with regards to alcohol use when driving. It can also be seen that the element of criticism of certain behaviour is often used when carrying out a social communication campaign. For instance, drinking and driving is a bad habit that is often criticised by many people in different sectors of the society. This habit is criticised because it is dangerous to the driver under the influence of alcohol as well as the other road uses. In the case mentioned above, innocent people were killed when they were driven by a person under the influence of alcohol. This kind of behaviour cannot be tolerated and it attracts a round of criticism from all sectors of the society. In some instances, other road users may be at risk since they can be hit by drivers who are under the influence of alcohol. Life is precious and everyone has a responsibility of protecting it. The strategy of using shocking events is meant to show the people who engage in the habit of driving under the influence of alcohol that they must change their behaviour. The problem of drinking and driving is common in United Kingdom though efforts are made to dissuade people from engaging in this risky practice. According to Turton (2013), “From January to April this year 691 have been stopped for drink driving in West Yorkshire and two people have died as a result of drink driving collisions while last year 2,318 people were stopped for drink driving and seven people died as a result of drink driving collisions.” From these statistics, it can be seen that it is imperative for the responsible authorities to carry out a campaign that is meant to discourage people from going behind the wheel under the influence of alcohol. The sight of wreckage shown below is likely to send shivers among all drivers such that they may be in a position to change their behaviour. Figure 1: A car wreckage caused by drink driving Source: http://www.google.co.zw/imgres?imgurl=http://www.toxel.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/dontdd2.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.toxel.com/inspiration/2008/09/02/dont-drink-and-drive-ads-collection/&h=318&w=450&sz=50&tbnid=al1jH3bC4xadlM:&tbnh=98&tbnw=138&prev=/search%3Fq%3Danti%2Bdrinking%2Band%2Bdriving%2Bcampaign%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=anti+drinking+and+driving+campaign&usg=__0NmdS6rtNqwrKnKdnj8OnIEVqvg=&docid=bfMnii-0eC4c4M&sa=X&ei=Luu6UZTvPKfQ4QSA9YG4Dw&ved=0CEgQ9QEwBw&dur=108 Rhetoric is also used in carrying out a social communication campaign where language is effectively and persuasively used by the communicator. This is meant to persuade the targeted audiences to share the same ideas with the communicator. For instance, the communicator should not only discourage drink driving in this campaign but they also have to state the reason why this habit is bad. In such a way, the targeted audience is forced to share the same sentiments towards this problem in their society. They are also likely to influence other people to change their behaviour. The art of persuasion is very effective in as far as the aspect of influencing positive behaviour change among people is concerned. The message is carefully crafted such that it will have a positive impact on the targeted audiences. In a social campaign, the communicator has control over the message hence he or she should take every opportunity to make sure that the desired goal is achieved through the use of powerful words in communicating. Advertising is described as any paid form of communication by a particular sponsor in a bid to market a certain product (Kotler & Armstrong, 2004). However, in the case of social communication campaigns, advertising is not meant for commercial purposes where products and services are marketed for a profit. Essentially, advertising is used to raise awareness among people about a very important social aspect in a bid to change their behaviour. In case of the social communication campaign related to anti drinking and driving, it can be noted that advertising is used to dissuade people from engaging in the practice of drinking and driving. Different forms of advertising can be used such as print, electronic as well as other forms of media. In this case, outdoor advertising through the use of billboards placed on the side of the road will be more ideal since it is visible to all road users. People are forced to have glance on the billboard in passing and this is likely to have an impact on them. Either consciously or subconsciously, all road users will be forced to think twice in response to the message being portrayed on the billboard as they drive past. An example of an advertisement that can be used in this anti-drink and drive campaign is shown below. Fig 2: Don’t drink and drive campaign Source: http://www.google.co.zw/imgres?imgurl=http://www.toxel.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/dontdd2.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.toxel.com/inspiration/2008/09/02/dont-drink-and-drive-ads-collection/&h=318&w=450&sz=50&tbnid=al1jH3bC4xadlM:&tbnh=98&tbnw=138&prev=/search%3Fq%3Danti%2Bdrinking%2Band%2Bdriving%2Bcampaign%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=anti+drinking+and+driving+campaign&usg=__0NmdS6rtNqwrKnKdnj8OnIEVqvg=&docid=bfMnii-0eC4c4M&sa=X&ei=Luu6UZTvPKfQ4QSA9YG4Dw&ved=0CEgQ9QEwBw&dur=108 In the figure above, the advert is trying to show how alcohol may impair the vision of the driver in lighted streets at night. The stop sign is placed in a crooked way off the road to illustrate how a drunken person may be driving at night. This stop sign placed on the building is to remind the driver of impending danger hence he or she should stop before ramming into the building. The main advantage of using advertising is that it can reach a large number of people and they are likely to respond to the message being conveyed in the advert. The other important aspect about advertising is that it raises awareness about a particular issue among the targeted audiences. Given that adverts are constantly repeated, it can be seen that they are likely to have a positive impact on people since they are always exposed to the message. Over and above, it can be observed that social communication campaigns are primarily concerned with positively changing behaviour of the people against a problematic social issue that is of importance in their life. From the above discussion of an anti drinking and driving campaign in the UK, it can be observed that these, these information campaigns are effective with regards to positive behaviour change among the targeted people. It is imperative for the communicator to know the needs of the targeted audiences in order to be effective in carrying out this campaign. It is also essential for the communicator to be in constant touch with the targeted people so as to be able to achieve the desired goals of the campaign. As discussed, the anti drinking and driving campaign sponsored by the Department of Transport in the UK is earmarked to change the behaviour of people since this habit accounts for about 15 % of road accident deaths in this country. These statistics show a gloomy picture though they are not very high since there is need for concerted efforts by all stakeholders to ensure that this problem is eradicated. The issue of drinking and driving is a cause for concern given that innocent lives are often lost due to negligent driving by people under the influence of alcohol. The success of this campaign mainly depends on the communication strategies used by the communicators such as persuasion. If people are persuaded to refrain from certain behaviour, they are likely to respond positively. The other important aspect that should be taken into consideration when carrying out such a campaign, the communicator should emphasise on the benefits that can be derived from positive behaviour change than focusing on issuing threats about a certain type of behaviour. This will scare away people from consuming the message being communicated in the campaign though it might be useful in their lives. References Don’t drink and drive ads collection (n.d). Viewed from: . Friend, C. (2004). Social contract theory. Viewed from: . Kotler, P. & Armstrong, G. (2004). Principles of Marketing, Pearson Education, NJ:Upper Saddle River. McQuail D. (2000). Mass communication theory. London. Sage Publications. Taylor Rossie (09 June 2013), “Shocking anti-drink driving campaign scares pub-goers by simulating car crash (complete with fake blood) in toilet mirror.” Mailonline. Viewed from: . Turton, Victoria (12 June 2013). “A shocking video showing the tragic consequences of drink driving has been released by police.” Viewed from: . Read More