Cause MarketingA Social Media Case Study

Too many social media case studies are commercially focused, typically profiling men selling big ticket products and services or major corporations. 

This is a story of how one woman uses the tools at her disposal to spark a social movement. She isn't an ex-politician with fame and financial backing like Al Gore. She can't create a mainstream media empire of movies, books and TV like he did with "An Inconvenient Truth" - but she has passion, drive and uses these to create social currency that she spends on achieving her aims.

She takes queues from the dominant books and thinkers of the time - but isn't afraid to pick and choose the recommendations that work for her.

She starts by creating a consistent persona - adopting a modified version of her name as an alias across all of her activities - using a pun to give her instant recognition.

She gathers together like minded individuals in forums - spreading her ideas through conversations.

She keeps her edicts short, because the medium only allows for limited text, and more so because that makes them easy to remember and to pass on.

She can't afford main stream media advertising so she engages in dramatic offline stunts that get their attention and have people writing about her.

She responds when necessary engaging back in the conversation through short posts in their medium -

- or issuing her own. 

She concentrates on creating advocates, identifies influencers. She seeds media with these and because it is both impactful and entertaining many of their songs, often remixing popular tunes of the day, go viral.

Her methods are emulated by others who rally to her cause, in other regions, and by those who see them being effective for their own cause or business.

She has haters who parody her alias and mock her for perceived self promotion but she carries on, knowing she is creating change.

Sounds like a capable 21st century social media practitioner?

Hold up...

This tale is actually from the first decade of the last century, the 1900s - the woman is Carrie Nation, known as Carry A. Nation...

- a prominent member of the Temperance movement that led to the prohibition of Alcohol in the USA for over a decade.

So let’s rewind and replace the tools we thought we saw with the ones she actually used.

She takes queues from the dominant book of the time - but isn't afraid to pick and choose the recommendations that work for her.

Carrie reading from the Bible.

She starts by creating a consistent persona - adopting a modified version of her name as an alias across all of her activities - using a pun to give her instant recognition.

“Carry a nation”, get it?

She gathers together like minded individuals in forums - spreading her ideas through conversations.

Carrie at one of the many Town Hall Forums she organised and participated in.

She keeps her edicts short, because the medium only allows for limited text, and more so because that makes them easy to remember and to pass on.

A classic temperance slogan used on placards.

She can't afford main stream media advertising so she engages in dramatic offline stunts that get their attention and have people writing about her.

A bar ransacked by Carrie and her followers. The inset is the hatchet she is known for wielding.

She responds when necessary engaging back in the conversation through short posts in their medium -

A letter to the editor as used by her and her followers.

- or issuing her own. 

Carrie’s own self-published newsletter.

She concentrates on creating advocates, identifies influencers. She seeds media with these and because it is both impactful and entertaining many of their songs, often remixing popular tunes of the day, go viral.

A prohibition song based on the Auld Lang Syne tune.

Her methods are emulated by others who rally to her cause, in other regions, and by those who see them being effective for _their_ own cause or business.

Flyer advertising her speaking circuit appearance.

She has haters who parody her alias and mock her for perceived self promotion but she carries on, knowing she is creating change.

A slogan adopted by many bars mocking her.

Carrie A. NationPioneering Political Activist Social Media Douche-bag

Moral of our storyThere is nothing new or special about today's social media. Don't be swayed by douche-bags who frighten you into thinking it is new and unknown. Step back, think about your goals and how humans have always communicated, conversed and convinced. Only then find the tools you need to meet these goals.

Credits & disclaimers

• Thanks to Flickr users for Creative Commons licensed photos:• http://www.flickr.com/photos/poptech2006/2967350834/

• http://www.flickr.com/photos/americanprogressaction/4565846726/

• Logos used without permission, no endorsement implied.• Thanks to the Kansas Historical Society for archival photos:

• http://www.kansasmemory.org

• Sorry for any historical inaccuracies, hopefully my history teacher father is not turning in his grave.

• Sorry about prohibition, that really must have sucked.