In today’s political environment, running an impactful campaign can be challenging. How can we create campaigns that stand out, encourage engagement, and foster a sense of unity and purpose? One powerful strategy is the “Messages of Support” campaign—a digital advocacy tool that blends the benefits of traditional petitions with the heartfelt and personalised input from supporters.
What is a “Messages of Support” campaign?
“Messages of Support” action adds a meaningful twist to typical petitions. Supporters are asked to submit a personalised message of encouragement related to the cause. This fosters and emotional connection and allows supporters to have a more active role in the campaign’s narrative.
Take, for example, the Birdlife International campaign, where people from around the world are asked to send “Messages of Hope” to delegates attending the Biodiversity COP16 in October 2024. The goal? To inspire world leaders and environmental ministers to take urgent, collective action to protect nature. By inviting people to write personal messages, the campaign adds a layer of authenticity and community, showing decision-makers that people around the globe are personally invested in these critical issues.
Why use a “Messages of Support” campaign?
- Emotional engagement: Personal messages allow people to express their feelings and opinions in a unique and individual way. It’s more than just a name or a number – it’s a voice. When people feel heard and personally involved, their connection to the cause deepens, which can increase commitment and long-term engagement.
- Humanizing advocacy: Showcasing a collection of heartfelt messages humanizes the cause. Whether it’s in an environmental, human rights, or political context, personal stories, sentiments, and experiences can create an emotional resonance that statistical arguments or formal appeals often can’t achieve on their own.
- Amplified impact: These campaigns can act as a powerful bridge between supporters and decision-makers. A well-curated collection of hopeful, optimistic messages can sway public opinion or even influence policy, particularly when paired with a larger advocacy strategy. The outpouring of personal stories demonstrates to policymakers that people care deeply about the cause, encouraging them to take meaningful action.
- Driving community building: By offering supporters the chance to share their thoughts and be part of a community of like-minded individuals, these campaigns can help strengthen relationships between participants and organisations. Opt-in options for ongoing updates, community participation, and action tips further reinforce the bond between the organisation and its supporters.
- Highlight the diversity of your coalition:
As all our campaign, this tactic works for distributed campaigns. On the example here, most of canadian messages came from Nature Canada, one of the birdlife partners, they might have a different angle or language than those from birdlife international. - Personalise your delivery: on previous campaigns that uses that tactic like together4forests, we were able to send to the targets messages in their language and from their country. And now the AI moderation works in most languages too!
- Connect deeper your team with your supporters: Sarah’s reaction is one that we’ve seen with pretty much everyone working in an NGO using this tactic: that’s one thing to look at numbers and all campaigners know they have awesome members, but seeing these messages makes it feel it at a different level.
some of the messages of hope
How to implement a “Messages of Support” action with our tools
Launching your own “Messages of Support” campaign is simple with our toolkit. Here’s how we empower organizations to take advantage of this inspiring campaign format:
- Standard petition with a twist: Our customizable widgets include a standard petition form enhanced with an obligatory comment field, inviting supporters to leave their unique message of support. This simple addition transforms a basic petition into an emotionally compelling piece of advocacy.
- Dashboard for curating and showcasing messages: Once the messages are collected, campaign managers have access to a backend dashboard where they can view all submissions. Here, they can easily browse, filter, and select the most impactful messages to showcase. Whether you’re sharing them on social media, presenting them to stakeholders, or using them in reports, you have full control over which messages best represent your campaign’s spirit.
- AI-driven content moderation: We understand the need to maintain the integrity of your campaign. That’s why our system includes a built-in large language model (LLM) AI feature, which automatically flags messages that might be inappropriate or counterproductive. Whether it’s due to offensive language, harmful comments, or messages that undermine your campaign’s goals, our AI helps ensure that only the most positive, constructive voices are highlighted.
- Fostering engagement and community growth: Our platform includes an opt-in feature that encourages participants to receive updates on the campaign. This keeps them connected and engaged with your cause, offering them more ways to get involved in the future. Once supporters have shared their message of hope, they can become part of your growing community, ready to take action when needed.
How these campaigns can make a difference
The Birdlife International example is a great illustration of how “Messages of Support” campaigns can aim to create tangible change. As delegates head to COP16, they’re not only receiving policy briefs—they’re also hearing directly from people who care about biodiversity. The emotional weight of personal messages from concerned citizens can motivate decision-makers in ways that petitions alone might not.
“Messages of Hope” gives Birdlife International’s supporters a voice—and the opportunity to show that they are not just passive observers, but active participants in the movement.
Conclusion: harness the power of hope in your next campaign
At the core of every successful digital advocacy campaign is engagement, connection, and hope. “Messages of Support” action achieve all three by inviting supporters to do more than sign their name—they’re invited to share a part of themselves with the cause.
With our software, you can seamlessly run a “Messages of Support” campaign, curate messages that reflect your movement’s values, and ensure the integrity of your campaign with AI-driven moderation. Whether you’re looking to inspire policymakers or foster a sense of community among supporters, this campaign style is a powerful way to build momentum, encourage action, and drive real change.
Ready to get started? Contact us at: contact@fixthestatusquo.org to learn more about how we can help you create a campaign that moves hearts and inspires action.