AC2.2 Evaluate the Effectiveness of Media Used in Campaigns for Change
Blogs
Blogs are regularly updated websites or webpages that hold information about a specific
campaign, typically run by an individual or a small group, which is written in an informal or
unconventional style. The advantages of blogs are that they of free of charge, meaning that
people from all levels of society can access the information on a blog about their chosen
campaign if they have access to the internet. The awareness about the issue they are
focusing on will increase and the demographic of people interested in their campaign will be
clear; they also are not particularly long, meaning people will not get disinterested whilst
reading. Another advantage of blogs is that the information displayed is usually dependable.
Blogs often include hyperlinks to appropriate news articles that expand on the point they are
trying to make; they also include images and statistics to back up their points. Their validity
is also emphasised as a person or people regularly update the blog to stay up to date with
the information surrounding the campaign. Blogs also have subheadings which allow people
to get actively involved in the campaign, such as links to social media and links for
audiences to donate, meaning that blogs can also build revenue if audiences are
enthusiastic about the issue. Blogs also have many disadvantages, such as maintaining
reliability. When blogs cover an ongoing issue, updating the statistics can be quite difficult as
things can change on a daily, meaning that if it has not been updated in a while, it can lead
the blog to be unreliable. Another disadvantage is that blogs do not have much promotion
around them or popularity in general. Therefore, if a person were to want to read the blog,
they would have to actively search for the blog, which might put them off looking. Many
examples of successful blogs include ‘Campaigns against Climate Change.’ The campaigns
on that website use several images, subheadings, and hyperlinks that contribute to the
campaign’s success. League Against Cruel Sports also has a section that tells viewers how
long it will take to read, such as ‘one minute’ or ‘two minutes’ reads, which encourages
readers to want to read the blogs due to it not taking up too much time of their day.
TV Advertising
TV Advertising promotes campaigns by showing a span of TV programming produced and
paid for by an organisation, which conveys a message or markets a product or service. TV
adverts can also raise awareness in campaigns and inform and encourage donations. The
advantage of TV advertising is that the campaigns are promoted through television, meaning
a wide array of audiences are targeted. TV is consumed passively by everyone throughout
the country, making it one of the easiest methods of getting a campaign’s message across.
The way they construct the advertisement makes it eye-catching for the viewers. The use of
emotive visuals and dramatic music, often with a narrative voice directing their message
towards the audience creates a sense of connection, encouraging the audience to want to
help solve the problem, in this case, sending donations. However, there are many
disadvantages to TV advertising. The fact they are played during ad breaks could mean that
viewers will not be interested. Often when ad breaks come on, people switch off or go and
occupy themselves until they are over, meaning they will not pay any interest in the
campaign’s advert or simply not even notice it has played. Another disadvantage is that
playing these adverts on national television could subject the public to distressing themes
without warning. A victim of domestic abuse could get triggered by the themes shown on a
Women’s Aid campaign, especially if they are portraying real-life situations. A real-life
Blogs
Blogs are regularly updated websites or webpages that hold information about a specific
campaign, typically run by an individual or a small group, which is written in an informal or
unconventional style. The advantages of blogs are that they of free of charge, meaning that
people from all levels of society can access the information on a blog about their chosen
campaign if they have access to the internet. The awareness about the issue they are
focusing on will increase and the demographic of people interested in their campaign will be
clear; they also are not particularly long, meaning people will not get disinterested whilst
reading. Another advantage of blogs is that the information displayed is usually dependable.
Blogs often include hyperlinks to appropriate news articles that expand on the point they are
trying to make; they also include images and statistics to back up their points. Their validity
is also emphasised as a person or people regularly update the blog to stay up to date with
the information surrounding the campaign. Blogs also have subheadings which allow people
to get actively involved in the campaign, such as links to social media and links for
audiences to donate, meaning that blogs can also build revenue if audiences are
enthusiastic about the issue. Blogs also have many disadvantages, such as maintaining
reliability. When blogs cover an ongoing issue, updating the statistics can be quite difficult as
things can change on a daily, meaning that if it has not been updated in a while, it can lead
the blog to be unreliable. Another disadvantage is that blogs do not have much promotion
around them or popularity in general. Therefore, if a person were to want to read the blog,
they would have to actively search for the blog, which might put them off looking. Many
examples of successful blogs include ‘Campaigns against Climate Change.’ The campaigns
on that website use several images, subheadings, and hyperlinks that contribute to the
campaign’s success. League Against Cruel Sports also has a section that tells viewers how
long it will take to read, such as ‘one minute’ or ‘two minutes’ reads, which encourages
readers to want to read the blogs due to it not taking up too much time of their day.
TV Advertising
TV Advertising promotes campaigns by showing a span of TV programming produced and
paid for by an organisation, which conveys a message or markets a product or service. TV
adverts can also raise awareness in campaigns and inform and encourage donations. The
advantage of TV advertising is that the campaigns are promoted through television, meaning
a wide array of audiences are targeted. TV is consumed passively by everyone throughout
the country, making it one of the easiest methods of getting a campaign’s message across.
The way they construct the advertisement makes it eye-catching for the viewers. The use of
emotive visuals and dramatic music, often with a narrative voice directing their message
towards the audience creates a sense of connection, encouraging the audience to want to
help solve the problem, in this case, sending donations. However, there are many
disadvantages to TV advertising. The fact they are played during ad breaks could mean that
viewers will not be interested. Often when ad breaks come on, people switch off or go and
occupy themselves until they are over, meaning they will not pay any interest in the
campaign’s advert or simply not even notice it has played. Another disadvantage is that
playing these adverts on national television could subject the public to distressing themes
without warning. A victim of domestic abuse could get triggered by the themes shown on a
Women’s Aid campaign, especially if they are portraying real-life situations. A real-life
