'Efficiency of the UNICEF social media strategy on Facebook: why does engagement matter?' PDF

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‘Efficiency of the UNICEF social media strategy on Facebook: why does engagement matter?’ Yurii Orlov MA Media and Development University of Westminster Copyright 2017 University of Westminster Yurii Orlov List of acronyms CO Country Office GWA Goodwill Ambassador IGO Intergovernmental organization ...

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'Efficiency of the UNICEF social media strategy on Facebook: why does engagement matter?' Yurii Orlov

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‘Efficiency of the UNICEF social media strategy on Facebook: why does engagement matter?’

Yurii Orlov MA Media and Development University of Westminster

Copyright 2017 University of Westminster Yurii Orlov

List of acronyms CO

Country Office

GWA

Goodwill Ambassador

IGO

Intergovernmental organization

IRRF

Integrated Results and Resources Framework

GCPAS

Global Communication and Public Advocacy Strategy

NGO

Non-governmental organization

KPI

Key performance indicators

SDG

Sustainable Development Goals

WASH

Water, sanitation and hygiene

SNS

Social Network Site

CTA

Call-to-action/ call for action

C4D

Communication for development

HQ

Headquarter

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Table of Contents List of acronyms ..................................................................................................................................................... 2 Abstract ................................................................................................................................................................... 4 1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................ 5 2. Literature review ............................................................................................................................................... 6 Approaches for humanitarian communication ................................................................................................... 6 ‘SHOCK EFFECT’ ................................................................................................................................................ 6 ‘POSITIVE IMAGERY’ ....................................................................................................................................... 6 Post-humanitarian approach ................................................................................................................................ 7 Social media strategy: an engagement aspect ..................................................................................................... 8 Definition ................................................................................................................................................................ 9 Facebook Edge rank algorithm ............................................................................................................................ 9 Social media strategy for Facebook.................................................................................................................... 11 Conclusions ........................................................................................................................................................... 12 3. Methodology ..................................................................................................................................................... 14 4. Analysis of the UNICEF Global Communication Strategy ......................................................................... 17 OVERALL OBJECTVIES ................................................................................................................................. 17 ‘GLOCAL’ APPROACH .................................................................................................................................... 17 ROLE OF DIGITAL ........................................................................................................................................... 18 TARGET AUDIENCE ........................................................................................................................................ 18 Monitoring, evaluation and optimisation .......................................................................................................... 19 Tone of voice ......................................................................................................................................................... 20 5. Findings and interpretation ............................................................................................................................ 22 Humanitarian communication ............................................................................................................................ 22 TOPICS ................................................................................................................................................................. 22 TONE of voice ...................................................................................................................................................... 24 Social Media Marketing Tactics ......................................................................................................................... 26 Hashtag ................................................................................................................................................................. 26 UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors ....................................................................................................................... 27 Call to action (CTA)............................................................................................................................................. 28 Self-promotion ...................................................................................................................................................... 29 Type of media ....................................................................................................................................................... 30 Measurement and analytics ................................................................................................................................ 31 Discussion ............................................................................................................................................................. 33 References ............................................................................................................................................................. 35 APPENDIX I. Topic guide .................................................................................................................................. 45 APPENDIX II. Interview cover sheets ............................................................................................................... 46 Appendix III. Coding Frame .............................................................................................................................. 50 Appendix IV. Codebook for the semi-structured interviews ........................................................................... 51 Appendix V. Codebook for the Facebook posts ................................................................................................ 56 Appendix VI. Code Cloud ................................................................................................................................... 62

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Abstract The research examines the efficiency of the UNICEF social media strategy using the example of the Facebook platform. We tried to identify which approach for the humanitarian communication demonstrates the highest level of engagement and, therefore, can be considered as the most efficient. At the same time, we challenged the generalisability of the key social media marketing tactics and checked their applicability in the humanitarian settings. Over the course of this theory-evaluating multiple case study, which involves both quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection and data analysis, we extracted over 2,500 Facebook posts. They were subsequently analysed using a thematic analysis method, as well as the descriptive statistics and linear regression. Apart from that, document analysis and semistructured interviews with the UNICEF social media consultants were used to provide the triangulation for our findings. In contrast to other studies, our research examines an efficiency of the social media strategy of an international organisation covering a prolonged period in the operational settings.

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1. Introduction The importance of social media for the international humanitarian organisations grew significantly due to an increase in internet users and gadgets on the one hand, and a wide range of opportunities that social networks provide on the other one. This is applicable not only for communication with the general public within the global north nations, but also when it is necessary to communicate with people affected by a humanitarian crisis in the poorer nations of the global south. Social media platforms are fast becoming a key communication channel between the development organisations and their beneficiaries. The UN agencies have been collecting information through social media platforms within the conflict-affecters areas since 2016. ICRC has been using messengers in Yemen as a hot line since 2015, while BBC Media Action in cooperation with a range of different organisations has been extensively using them to launch an Ebola public health information service since 2014 (Walker, 2017). A role of social media and digital in the field of development is increasing due to the steady involvement of the leading tech companies into the development projects. Google has already partnered with the international organisations to fight Ebola in 2015 (Metz, 2015), whereas Facebook tried to launch a satellite to extend Internet to rural part of Sub-Saharan Africa and plans to launch a series of other development-related projects (Dzonzi and Prinsloo, 2016). Bearing in mind a profound rise of mobile phones over the last decade and a forecast of 80% increase of smartphone penetration by 2019 in comparison with 2010 (Statista, 2017), the importance of the social media is expected to grow. The issue of social media strategy received considerable attention from the side of UNICEF. Since 2013, the organisation has been working on the elaboration of the new communication strategy with a special focus on digital to cope with the fast-changing environment. Eventually, a significant investment of time and resources resulted into the adoption of such strategy for 2014-2017 and the next one is to be released soon. Our research endeavours to clarify two issues. First, to define which approaches of the humanitarian communication the UNICEF uses and suggest the possible adjustments while bearing in mind the contemporary academic debates. The second one is to figure out and provide explanation why some of the UNICEF’s posts perform better than the other on Facebook. This research consists of an introductory chapter (chapter 1); a literature review chapter (chapter 2), where we examine not only academic literature, but also pay attention to a series of researchers conducted by the digital agencies and then we eventually state the research questions; a chapter which describes a methodology, the research design and procedures (chapter 3); analysis of the UNICEF global communication strategy with a special focus on the social media realm (chapter 4); finally, a chapter with findings and interpretation based on the thematic analysis of the content published on UNICEF Facebook pages in Colombia, Jordan and Ukraine over the course of one year supplemented by descriptive statistics and linear regression data analysis methods. It also consists of a series of semi-structured interviews with the UNICEF social media consultants. This chapter explains which of the social media tactics and humanitarian communication approaches results into the highest engagement rate (chapter 5).

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2. Literature review Approaches for humanitarian communication In this section, we are going to critically assess the existing approaches of the humanitarian communication: ‘shock effect’, ‘positive imagery’ and pons-humanitarian one. We place a relationship between the spectator and sufferer in the centre of our analysis while trying to understand which of the three approaches is the most suitable for the international development organisations. This will be based on the works of leading scholars and examples from specific campaigns that illustrate a practical implementation of these approaches. ‘SHOCK EFFECT’ Historically, the first style of communication used for humanitarian purposes was a ‘shock effect’. It uses the images portraying human suffering which aims to shock the spectators. By triggering the spectator’s guilt or shame, the approach aims to convert the spectator’s powerful emotions into an action. That is why a photorealism is one of the key peculiar feature of the ‘shock effect’. The campaigns using ‘shock effect’ are victim-oriented, and they portray victim in a way that the later executes a role of the distant sufferer. Such approach imply that the spectators’ inaction is their personal failure to take responsibility for victims’ misery. (Lissner, 1977; Benthall, 1993; Kennedy, 2005). Probably one of the most famous and bright example is a Pulitzer laureate Kevin Carter’s photo portraying a vulture approaching a Sudanese girl who is starving of famine and about to lose consciousness. The image has been used by numerous charities all round the world (Thompson, 2012). However, critics of the ‘shock effect’ approach contend that it dehumanises the sufferer aiming to increase awareness and raise donations from the guilt-ridden North. Another problem with this approach is that the spectators inevitably experience feelings of guilt, shame or indignation which evokes a type of social relations based on the colonial legacy of the Western world (Hall, 1992), and extends the gap between the spectator and the sufferer. Eventually, the spectator is exposed to the ‘I have seen this before’ syndrome, also known as compassion fatigue (Moeller, 1999), (Höijer, 2004). Thereafter, the audience exposed to the numerous images of human suffering of the distant others either becomes indifferent or feels guiltiness and distress due to the inability to stop human suffering (Cohen, 2013). The compassion fatigue and people’s attitudes towards the humanitarian organisations as inefficient entities constitute a great challenge for the institutions that previously had used the ‘shock effect’ approach to legitimise a need for the organisation to exist and to mobilise people to assist the victims (Vestergaard, 2008). ‘POSITIVE IMAGERY’ As a response to extensive critique of the ‘shock effect’, another humanitarian communication approach has emerged – ‘positive imagery’. Its logic is quite straightforward: the positive image of the sufferers proves that victims are grateful for the alleviation of their suffering, whereas the spectator (both applicable for donors and ordinary people) feel empathy to the thankful individual (Smillie, 1995; Lidchi, 1999). As Boltanski well spotted in the realm of humanitarian communication, the emotional balance between the sufferer and spectator make them potential benefactors (Boltanski, 1999). Similarly, with ‘shock effect’, current approach also relies on photorealism to spread a word about suffering of the distant others. However, ‘positive imagery’ rather primarily concentrates on the victim’s agency and dignity. Additionally, it personalises a sufferer by localizing an appeal and also empowers the sufferers by giving them a voice and

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simultaneously empowers the audience by demonstrating how their actions can cause a desirable change (Chouliaraki, 2010; Dolinar and Polona Sitar, 2013). For instance, most of the NGO ‘Water Aid’ network’s contemporary campaigns fall under the ‘positive imagery’ approach. #TheWaterFight campaign is not an exception. It asks spectators to sign a petition while showcasing photos of happy African children who finally get access to water (Water Aid, 2017). Apart from that, ‘positive imagery’ approach fall under the post-development paradigm which is not bounded by a mere distribution of the humanitarian aid, but rather focuses on changes of the economic, political and social institutions in order to ensure a qualitative transformation on people’s life in a long-term perspective (Nafziger, 2006). However, ‘positive imagery’ cannot overcome a neoliberal environment wherein international organisations operate. That is why messages that derive from the ‘positive imagery’ approach fail to address issues related to the inequality of the international market, North/ South dived, lack of the cooperation and understanding between the INGO, IGO and local communities and governments, as well as the problems with the local practices of the good governance, infrastructure and other issues that often result into the failure of the development projects (Hattori, 2003b; Saad-Filho and Johnston, 2005; O’Dempsey, Munslow and Shannon, 2009; Joachim and Schneiker, 2012). At the same time, current approach seems to be contradictory. In trying to maintain a victims’ dignity and empowering them, it, however, roots the fundamental dived between the humanitarian actor and the object of pity (Nolan and Mikami, 2013; Powers, 2015). Perhaps the most serious disadvantage of ‘positive imagery’ rooted into its fundamental principle. A feeling of gratitude largely framed by a social logic of gift between two unequal actors, thereby contributing to the eternalisation of the dependency. Hattori clearly shows that even provision of the humanitarian assistance, which we could consider as a gift without any obligations, has an aspect of the reciprocity. Handing over such gift implies that a recipient is supposed to experience a thankfulness towards a generous donor (Hattori, 2003a) or, at least feel obliged and agree with the donors’ preferences in the future (Falk and Fischbacher, 2006), what in turn might a have a significant impact on the preserving of the local cultural and social traditions (Crush, 1995). ‘Criticism against ‘positive image’ appeals centres precisely on this ambivalent moral agency that their imagery makes possible. While it appears to empower distant sufferers through discourses of dignity and self-determination, such imagery simultaneously disempowers them by appropriating their otherness in Western discourses of identity and agency.’ (Chouliaraki, 2010 p.9) Apart from that, there are other potential risks. Bombarding spectators with positive images of sufferers might cause similar compassion fatigue (Höijer, 2004; Chouliaraki, 2006; Nikunen, 2015). Another issue is that the positive images deepen the crisis of pity due to the increased suspicion of the authenticity of the sufferers by making the audience think that the need for an extra aid for victims or the sufferers is not real (Cohen, 2013). POST-HUMANITARIAN APPROACH A possible alternative to the approaches mentioned above not the truth or objective reporting per se in the spirit of positivism (Giddens, 1978), but its representation that cause low-intensity emotions in the most simple manner (Vestergaard, 2011) (Lamers, 2005). At the same time, the organisations should maintain a constant dialogue and remain consistent. In this respect, it is worth to notice the Habermas’s concept of the deliberate democracy, which is primarily based on the dialogue. Extrapolating the concept on the topic of t...