Stanford Social Innovation Review

Too many organizations concentrate on raising awareness about an issue without knowing how to translate that awareness into action, by getting people to change their behavior or act on their beliefs. It’s time for activists and organizations to adopt a more strategic approach to public interest communications. Social change activists need to use behavioral science to craft campaigns that use messaging and concrete calls to action that get people to change how they feel, think, or act, and as a result create long-lasting change.
[Ann Christiano is the Frank and Betsy Karel Endowed Chair in Public Interest Communications and Professor in the Department of Public Relations. Annie Neimand is a Ph.D. candidate in the Sociology Department.]