Social Marketing
Pill Popping Pets
Submitted on Jul 20, 2008 Companion Animals
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The practice of prescribing medications designed for humans to animals has grown substantially over the past decade and a half, and pharmaceutical companies have recently begun experimenting with a more direct strategy: marketing behavior-modification and "lifestyle" drugs specifically for pets. The New York Times reports that the combination of new drug therapies and training techniques can solve problems that previously have led to euthanasia.
The Environment Movement at a Crossroads
Submitted on Jul 15, 2008 Advocacy Strategies | General Animal Protection
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"Weathercocks and Signposts" critically reassesses current approaches to motivating environmentally-friendly behaviour change. Current behaviour-change strategies are increasingly
built upon analogy with product marketing campaigns. They often take as given the "sovereignty" of consumer choice, and the perceived need to preserve current lifestyles intact. This report constructs a case for a radically different approach. It presents evidence that any adequate strategy for tackling environmental challenges will demand engagement with the values that underlie the decisions we make – and, indeed, with our sense of who we are. [Excerpted from report]
The Animal Tracker (Wave 1 - June 2008)
Submitted on Jul 07, 2008 Animal Experimentation | Companion Animals | Diet and Nutrition | Entertainment Animals | Farmed Animals | General Animal Protection | Research Tools and Methods | Vegetarianism and Veganism | Wildlife and Exotics
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This report summarizes results from Wave 1 of the Humane Research Council's "Animal Tracker" survey of U.S. adults regarding their attitudes and behavior toward animals. This inaugural survey of 16 core questions shows strong support for the protection of all animals. The strength of that support varies by situation and species, however, and actual behavior does not always reflect the favorable attitudes identified.
Between Social Media Visibility on YouTube and Fundraising Efficiency
Submitted on Jun 02, 2008 Advocacy Strategies | General Animal Protection
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There exists a correlation between social media visibility on YouTube and fundraising efficiency of large nonprofits in the U.S., according to research from Collactive. Specifically, the leading social media savvy nonprofits were found to be 13% more efficient in fundraising than the average national nonprofit.
Changing the Tide to Save the Starfish
Submitted by Che on May 27, 2008 Advocacy Strategies | General Animal ProtectionIn part 3 of our four-part series discussing Martin Balluch’s essay, "Abolitionism vs. Reformism," we dive deeper into the concept of system change and the need for advocates to think bigger than just education and outreach campaigns. The paramount importance of lasting, system-wide progress for animals requires using more than just persuasion as the lone tool in the advocacy arsenal. It also requires looking for legal, political, social, economic, technical, and other solutions to "lock in" changes for animals.
The Persuasion Problem
Submitted by Che on May 07, 2008 Advocacy Strategies | General Animal Protection | Vegetarianism and VeganismIn part 2 of our four-part series discussing Martin Balluch’s essay, "Abolitionism vs. Reformism," we address why public education is not enough to create real change for animals. Persuasion is inherently limited by human nature and the mechanics of population growth. While animal advocates should continue to work on persuasion to achieve public support, it should be used more strategically and in support of more pervasive, system-wide changes.
Abolitionism versus Reformism
Submitted on Apr 29, 2008 Advocacy Strategies | General Animal Protection | Vegetarianism and Veganism
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In this essay, Austrian animal advocate Martin Balluch argues that reform-based and abolition-based animal advocacy are inextricably linked in a "welfare-rights continuum" that makes it very difficult to achieve meaningful change through public education and persuasion. Instead, Balluch argues, widespread change for animals will only come through altering the system itself, by changing the balance of power and codifying animal-friendly laws and policies. [Note: Balluch welcomes comments and feedback on his essay at vgt@vgt.at]
The Consumer Side of Sustainability
Submitted on Apr 27, 2008 Diet and Nutrition | General Animal Protection
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Hartman's report, Sustainability: Understanding the Consumer Perspective, identifies the attitude shift that drives consumer interest in sustainability. The study found that 93% of consumers say or do something to consciously incorporate sustainability into their daily lives, including specific practices identified in the report
The Death of Animal Rights
Submitted by Che on Apr 01, 2008 Advocacy Strategies | General Animal ProtectionWith nearly 40 years of history, the modern animal rights movement has grown increasingly visible and has started to build a solid resource base. But are animals any better off? Society’s use and abuse of animals continues almost unabated, from the factory farm to the research lab to the puppy mill. With four decades of work and arguably little to show for it, we need to think hard about developing new models of advocacy to stay relevant and achieve tangible results for animals.
The Power of Words in Action: An Interview with "Hugs for Puppies"
Submitted by Che on Mar 11, 2008 Advocacy Strategies | General Animal ProtectionCoordinator for the Philadelphia-based animal rights group Hugs for Puppies, Nick Cooney, offers his thoughts on why they chose the name and what kind of reaction it gets. Nick also provides some great suggestions for advocates wanting to increase their impact for animals.