Why Does Slacktivism Exist? What Can Marketers Do to Overcome this Issue?

In a study conducted within college aged-Facebook users it was revealed young people who join groups  on Facebook are hesitant to share a viral advertisements within their reference group if they experience a sense of intrusion when faced with provocative messages by an organisation. However, if there is a benefit to them in terms of satisfying their need for self-status seeking within group participation, then they are more likely to share this information to others (Chu 2011, 40). Therefore in cause and not-for-profit marketing it can be assumed that slacktivism exists because generation y are more concerned with social media activity that exhibits to others that they are part of a group by supporting campaigns in an online context that others support, in an attempt to achieve self status and recognition. The barrier that prevents them from actively participating in cause relevant activities is the actual connection they have with a particular organization and the level of information they are exposed to.

Social media if used effectively can be a useful tool for organisations to gain brand awareness and connect with audiences on a more personal level. The benefit of using social media for marketing campaigns allows greater exposure and frequency than most traditional media because of its potential to become viral. A recent study on Facebook revealed that this form of social networking site provides an opportunity for marketers to generate a lift at each stage of the marketing cycle, suggesting that social media should be considered as an integral part of their overall marketing mix (Lipsman et al 2012, 46)

Figure 1 depicts that to effectively engage with generation y for political marketing, an integrative approach using traditional and online media would be the most relevant. A purely online technique would be unsuccessful because millennials need information from a range of sources in order to take action (Robinson et al 2010, 23).

Since slacktivism is a fairly new concept and therefore lacks relevant literature on the subject, it is important to consider other alternative concepts that may explain elements of why this issue exists in society. This is why we can explore the issue identified by Monno and Abdul in relation to tokenist participation is the fact that in many non-government organisations (NGO) and political activist groups planners prefer to limit participation to information and consultation which then gives no assurance to citizens’ that their concerns and ideas will be taken into account.  A core aspect of the tokenistic participation concept is based who is to participate and how, which identifies that although individual participation is a quantitative phenomenon, it is not apparent that individual participation has the capacity to intervene in complicated planning issues for political activism. (2012, 99) This notion can be applied to further understand the issue of slacktivism within generation Y because individuals may feel a sense of hesitance to collectively participate if their contribution is limited to the motives of the planners of activism. Marketers can use this as an opportunity to reassure millennials that their participation can and will make a difference, if they are willing to engage in a range of integrated marketing communications and not just participate online.

Reference:

Chu, Shu-Chuan. 2011. “Viral Advertising in Social Media Participation in Facebook Groups and Responses Among College-Aged Users.” Journal of Interactive Advertising 12 (1): 30-43. http://web.ebscohost.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au

Monno, Valeria and Abdul Khakee. 2012. “Tokenism or Political Activism? Some Reflections on Participatory Planning.” International Planning Studies 17 (1): 85-101. doi: 10.1080/13563475.2011.638181

Lipsman, Andrew, Graham Mud, Mike Rich, and Sean Bruich. 2012. “The Power of “Like”: How Brands Reach (and influence) Fans Through Social-Media Marketing.” Journal of Advertising Research 52 (1): 40-52. doi: 10.2501/JAR-52-1-040-052

Robinson, Kristen, Megan E Keith and Victoria D. Bush. 2011. “Summary Brief: An Investigation of Social and Traditional Media Interaction on Generation Y Political Intentions and Behaviour.” Society for Marketing Advances Proceedings: 23-24. http://web.ebscohost.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au

Slacktivism: A Form of Online Activism for Generation Y

With the ever-increasing use of social media as a marketing tool, new issues arise for marketers in the quest to get people off their computers and actively engage in spreading the message outside their online sphere. This is one of the core issues marketers face today in promoting not-for-profit organisations and cause campaigns. It is all well and good to have awareness in the market but the main challenge is getting generation y to physically participate in social campaigns. This is where the term “slacktivism” becomes apparent.  It is all too easy for the majority of generation y social media users to “like” or post a video, photo, link or status related to a social issue but as most research suggests most members of this groups do not go past this stage to engage in the campaign being promoted.

The term “slacktivism” is a neologism of “slacker” and “activism” (Lublin 2012, 52) which according to McCafferty (2011) describes those people who show their concern about social issues on social media websites with a click of a mouse and other online gestures but in reality are not so passionately inspired to actually cause a shift in public perception. Whether it’s on Youtube, Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn, there is a growing circulation of cause related marketing used to specifically engage young people. 

A prime example of this form of slacktivism was evident in the recent viral marketing campaign for Kony 2012. Although the video received widespread attention with millennials and many actively shared the video, the reality was that the majority didn’t actually engage in any other form of activism for this cause. It is true that this video did make people aware of the injustice facing children caused by the LRA, but clicking on the video was the extent that the majority were and still are willing to go.

The success of the video in terms of exposure, gained such publicity in a short amount of time because 1) the issue was one that many were not previously aware of and 2) hence a degree of simplification was used to create awareness, which many individuals from developed nations could relate to (Cavanagh 2012). Although this meant there was some misrepresentation involved in the simplification of the issue but observers were so captivated by the video that many did not actually take the time to research the subject. Marketing Weekly news (March 24 2012) published that in the 48-hour period in which the video was released, it was viewed approximately 12.5 million times, received 16,800 “likes” on facebook and had 944 blogs discussing the issue.

But why is there a sudden decline in the interest of the issue?

There is still hype about the issue in general but on social media websites, especially on Facebook, evidence of the interest in Kony 2012 is slowly decreasing.

What is your opinion?


Reference:

Cavanagh, Connor. 2012. “Kony 2012 and the Political Economy of Conflict Representation.” Department of International Environment and Development Studies: 3. http://scholar.google.com.au

Mc Cafferty, Dennis. 2011. “Slacktivism vs Activism.” Communications of the ACM. 54 (12): 17-19. doi: 10.1145/2043174.2043182

Lublin, Nancy. 2012. “Helping Humanity with a Click of a Mouse.” Fast Company. (145): 52. http://web.ebscohost.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au

Cause and Not-for-profit Marketing Campaigns

If you are a member of a social media website chances are you have come across some form of cause related or not-for-profit marketing campaign. Whether it be a video, photo, website link or perhaps a status update from a friend, cause related and not-for-profit marketing on social media has become more apparent than ever. Thanks to the growing popularity of social media usage more people are becoming aware of social issues not only in their home country but around the world.

Cause marketing is generally defined as marketing that promotes ideas related to social issues which aim to get people adopt or change their behaviour and promote these ideas to others (Kotler et al. 2006, 264). Not for profit marketing is similar to cause marketing but is focused on the organisations itself. These organisations are not motivated by profit and instead rely on consumers to provide donations, bequests or some form of contribution towards a cause (Kotler et al. 2006, 264)

Most cause or not-for-profit marketing campaigns are targeted at generation Y because they possess a higher concern about social issues in comparison to other generations and are skeptical of traditional advertising; instead looking for emotional attachments with companies and brands (Furlow 2012, 62). It is also important to focus on Generation Y because according to Dickey and Lewis, this market segment is too large to ignore. The actions of generation Y will directly impact society and the economy by their work habits, purchase decisions, investment strategies, and general ways of life. (2010, 192)

References:

Kotler, Phillip, Stewart Adam, Linden Brown, and Gary Armstrong. 2006. Principles of Marketing. Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson

Furlow, Nancy. 2012. “Find us on Facebook: How Cause Marketing has Embraced Social Media.” Journal of Marketing Development and Competiveness 5 (6): 61-64. http://web.ebscohost.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au

Dickey, Irene and William Lewis. 2010. “Social Media Perceptions and Usage by Generation Y and Relevant Marketing Implications.” Journal of Business and Behavioral Sciences: 191-195. http://web.ebscohost.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au

Social Media, Identity and Social Capital Theory

Social media has allowed new knowledge to circulate on the worldwide web and given individuals the opportunity to feel like they belong to a certain community or reference group. The information posted by people who comprise reference groups also plays an important role in individual consumption patterns because individuals form opinions or seek information from the evaluation of others in their reference groups and this is especially evident within the millennial segment. The reference group to which a consumer may belong to within a social media community impacts on their perspective of their own identity and influences their behaviour and attitude (Sago 2010, 10).

In a study conducted on behaviours and observable profile information within a group of Washington University students that appropriately fit the millennial description, it was found that observers used profile information of individuals such as their photos, friends lists and updates, to form impressions of their behavioural traits or personality (Gosling et al. 2011, 486). Therefore the information individuals provide on social media networks become tailored to suit the online community in which they engage with reference groups, as the cues provided in this platform allows others to develop opinions on the identity of these individuals.

This is relevant within a cause marketing or not-for-profit campaign because millennials consider the opinions of their peers to determine the merit of a website or product (Smith 2010, 8). The popularity of social media within this context is aided through the theory of social capital defined by Villegas, Kim and Cabrera (2011, 69) as is the resources available to people through relationships among members of the social networks to which they belong. Social capital comprises of the bonds that provide emotional support though close relationship and it also offers a wide range of information sources on different issues though the online interaction with members of other less close groups.

References:

Gosling, Samuel, Adam A. Augustine, Simine Vazire, Nicolas Holtzman, and Sam Gaddis. 2011. “Manifestations of Personality in Online Social Networks: Self Reported Facebook-Related Behaviors and Observable Profile Information.” Cyberpsychology 14 (9): 483-488. doi: 10.1089/cyber.2010.0087

Sago, Brad. 2010. “The Influence of Social Media Message Sources on Millennial Generation Consumers.” International Journal of Integrated Marketing Communications 2 (2): 7-18. http://web.ebscohost.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au

Smith, Katherine. 2011. “Digital Marketing Strategies that Millennials Find Appealing, Motivating or Just Annoying.” Journal of Strategic Marketing. 19 (6): 489-499. doi: 10.1080/0965254X.2011.581383

Villegas, Jorge, Mi Jung Kim and Caesar E. Colonia Cabrera. 2011. “The Influence of Social Media Usage and Online Social Capital on Advertising Perception.” American Academy of Advertising Conference Proceedings: 69. http://web.ebscohost.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au

Introduction: Social Media Usage by Millennials

Social media, broadly defined as online media that is produced and driven by the consumer (Dickey and Lewis 2010, 191) has become one of the most significant developments in the last decade. Its purpose is to bring people together to communicate with friends, family, colleagues and people with similar interests. The core benefit being that it satisfies some consumers’ need to belong to a community (Dickey et al 2008, 92) With the introduction of new technology such as the smartphone and the tablet, people are able to constantly be updated with their social media activity wherever they may be.

The main appeal of social media websites is the fact that you are able to be a part of an online world where you can create a profile and have full control of what people can see and what they cannot see. As Dickey suggests it is also a way to share thoughts and opinions and see whether others agree or disagree and engage in topical conversations (2008, 92).

When we first join a social media website we have the option of uploading a photograph of ourselves, provide a description of who we are and what interests us and create a username or in most cases provide our full names so that others can track us easily on the World Wide Web. Once joined, the possibilities are endless. We can post blogs, share status updates or "tweets", browse other people's profiles, add friends/delete friends, upload photographs and videos, share website links and much much more.

The current social media trend has caused people to spend more time on simultaneous communication with friends, establish friendships and use the internet at a higher rate. Therefore the rapid use of social media tools affects consumer behaviour due to the nature of the consumption related interactions within these platforms (Durukan et al 2012, 149)

Social media has allowed individuals to become not only consumers of information but also producers. The creation of these social networking sites enhances the interactive power of the Internet which traditionally only allowed audiences to absorb information, but has now shifted the control of media from publishers to consumers (Moriarty, Mitchell and Wells 2009, 297). The ability to engage, interact and share information posted on social media websites through the numerous communication methods, has changed the traditional way of interaction and developing relationships (Lin and Lu 2011, 565).

To meet the demands of our face paced ever engaging society, more features are becoming available to provide people with greater communication methods. Most segments have adopted this popularity in online communication favorably, however it is the millennials or “Generation Y” that use social media at a higher frequency than most other generations. The classification for the “millennial” group is based on the period that they were born. According to Wartgow this constitutes anyone born between the late 1970s to the late 1990s (2012, 18)

This ever expanding means of communication has allowed for social media to quickly become a new foreground for activism, especially within the millennial segment. As Dickey and Lewis suggest; social media has become the new vehicle for word-of-mouth advertising; and more (2010, 191). The ability for consumers to gain access to a wider range of knowledge sources has meant awareness about issues that were unknown previously, is slowly coming to the surface.

One recent example of this form of activism was evident in the Kony 2012 video that has become a viral phenomenon. The YouTube video about the crimes committed in Uganda by Joseph Kony, leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) attracted millions of views within a few days (Vassanji 2012). The video was shared by many millennials, increasing the awareness of the existence of the war crimes committed by Kony, but amidst the hype as Vassanji points out in his article, the question about the voice of Africa was raised by critics. The campaign portrays Africans as helpless victims which some critics claim encourages the thought that ‘wherever there is trouble America will be there to help’; disregarding the fact that many African leaders disagreed with the way the video depicted the nation (2012). However this did not stop the video from gaining viral notoriety thanks to the help of Generation Y, who were quick to jump on the bandwagon for a social cause. 

It is true that Generation Y does have a deep concern for social issues which will be discussed in future posts but the problem is that they join online causes without attempting an actual movement that would exhibit some form of change. Their idea of activism is simply through a click of a mouse. This is an issue for marketers, especially in the cause and not-for-profit industry because the aim of these organisations is to evoke social changes and this becomes difficult when the relationship between organisations and consumers is lost through this concept of “slacktivism”.

References:

Dickey, Irene and William Lewis. 2010. “Social Media Perceptions and Usage by Generation Y and Relevant Marketing Implications.” Journal of Business and Behavioral Sciences: 191-195. http://web.ebscohost.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au

Dickey, Irene, William Lewis, and Jennifer Siemens. 2008. “The Evolution of Internet Weblogs: History, Current Trends and Usage in Marketing Strategy.” Journal of Business and Behavioral Sciences 19 (1): 91-102. http://www.asbbs.org

Durukan, Tulin, Ibrahim Bozaci and A. Bugra Hamsioglu. 2012. “An Investigation of Customer Behaviours in Social Media.” European Journal of Economics, Finance & Administrative Services (44): 148-158. http://web.ebscohost.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au

Lin, Kuah-Yu and Hsi-Peng Lu. 2011. “Intention to Continue Using Facebook Fan Pages from the Perspective of Social Capital Theory.” Cyberpsychology 14 (10): 565-570. doi: 10.1089/cyber.2010.0472

Moriarty, Sandra, Nancy Mitchell and William Wells. 2009. Advertising Principles and Practices. 8th ed. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson

Vassangi, M.G. 2012. “The Trouble with ‘Kony 2012’.” Maclean’s 125 (11). http://web.ebscohost.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au

Wartgow, Gregg. 2012. “Marketing to Millennials.” Green Industry PRO: 18-19. http://web.ebscohost.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au