p2 Rough Draft 2

CLIMATE CHANGE CAMPAIGN
STRATEGY PROPOSAL
Federal Emergency Management Agency
BY: EMILY RICHARDS

Table of Contents
Executive Summary……………………………………………………………………………………2
Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………………………3
Overview……………………………………………………………………………………………………………4
Research & Competitive

Analysis……………………………………………………………………………………………………………4
Proposed Plan………………………………………………………………………………………………7
User Demographics…………………………………………………………………………………9
User Engagement……………………………………………………………………………………10
Plan Details……………………………………………………………………………………………12
Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………………………13
References………………………………………………………………………………………………13
1
Executive Summary

The purpose of this campaign proposal is to highlight the ways in which the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) can raise awareness for climate change, as well as encourage users
to both share information as well as donate to FEMA’s various endeavors. As FEMA manages
many crises, this proposal focuses primarily on natural disasters that have come about as a result
of climate change in the United States.

Improvements can be made and applications can be updated to generate user engagement and
encourage donations in the aftermath of natural disasters. Primarily, FEMA’s website dedicated to
climate change needs improvement. FEMA.gov/climatechange is difficult to navigate and provides
outdated information. In addition, the site provides links to other websites as opposed to providing
the information that users seek within FEMA’s site itself. There is little to no representation of
climate change and its role in natural disasters on FEMA’s Facebook and Twitter accounts, both
of which are websites that user interviews revealed are considered primary sources for
trustworthy information from a government organization.

(Figure 1) A look at FEMA’s website homepage that addresses climate change.

This proposal will highlight the primary issues regarding FEMA’s current climate change
awareness efforts, as well as suggest ways in which FEMA can alter their sites of user
engagement. The proposal plan will include a revamping of FEMA’s climate change website, the
incorporation of i mages and video of those who have lived through natural disasters to stimulate
emotional response, and hard data that relates natural disasters in the United States to climate
change. A FEMA Facebook and Twitter account dedicated specifically to climate change will be
developed to turn this campaign into a multi-platform, mutimodal effort.

2
Introduction

FEMA’s mission statement is simply: “Helping people before, during, and after disasters.” While
this is true, more emphasis could be placed on FEMA’s efforts to provide relief to those in the
United States who have suffered from a significant natural disaster, as well as try to start a
dialogue about the causes of these freak storms, droughts, or wildfires. Although this campaign
will target those in states that are susceptible to natural disasters, it will also make an effort to
reach those in landlocked states without much risk of extreme seasonal weather. The campaign
will be aimed at adults aging from 25-30, a time in which most adults are beginning to accrue
independent income and are able to get involved with and donate to issues that they care about.

(Figure 2) FEMA’s links provide information that could easily be given on the website itself.

Most recently, FEMA is assisting those still without power or access to resources in Puerto Rico
following Hurricane Maria. This proposal will make an effort to humanize the people who have
suffered and had their lives destroyed as a result of natural disasters through the use of i mages
and v ideo, combined with easily understandable data and concise content that is s hareable.
Although FEMA has a page of its website dedicated to climate change, there is little information
regarding the link between natural disasters occurring in the United States and the changing
world
climate. For this campaign, the term “natural disasters” refers to events that range from major
hurricanes, tornadoes, or droughts to wildfires and severe winter storms. The goal of this
campaign is to raise awareness within areas of the United States where climate change has a
significant impact on seasonal weather, and to encourage people to donate to climate change
3
research and prevention as well as natural disaster relief. Similarly, this proposal will provide
ideas on how FEMA can reach states that have little risk being affected by natural disasters, but
still may sympathize with the cause and believe in the lasting effects of climate change.

Overview

This proposal focuses on FEMA’s presence within three online spaces: their w ebsite, FaceBook,
and T witter. The proposed campaign will suggest improvements to FEMA’s climate change
information website, including the addition of photos, videos, and data that enhance user
experience and encourage shareable content. In addition, a competitive analysis of other campaigns
related to climate change will assist this proposal in suggesting tools to incorporate into FEMA’s
social media and website presence. This proposal will conclude with a full explanation of proposed
practices that will encourage user engagement online as well as contribute to increased donations
for climate change research and natural disaster relief.

Research

This proposal has researched three other online campaigns that promote climate change awareness
and research. Each campaign approached a different issue regarding sustainability practices and
climate change, but all three use similar tactics to engage users online. Each campaign relies
heavily on imagery, interactivity, and easily understandable data to address controversial
practices such as the excess burning of fossil fuels, the building of the Keystone Pipeline, and the
pollution of various oceans.

Competitive Analysis 1
The first campaign that was analyzed, called Friends of the Earth, is a website that focuses on the
prevention of fossil fuel usage. Friends of the Earth used a data-driven approach with concise
statements and paragraphs on their website, coupled with high resolution images and videos that
emphasize the beauty of nature. The website also provides users clear opportunities to interact
with the cause, showing citizens around the world engaging in activism through various means
(hashtag-ing on Twitter, marching in protests, donating through the website, etc.) The
multimedia catches the user’s eye, and the use of m
inimalistic design draws the user from one
block of information to the next with no confusion.

(Figure 3) The
Homepage of Friends
of the Earth features
clear, concise
wording, eye-catching
images, and
4
opportunities for interactivity.

The second campaign focused on the prevention of the Keystone XL Pipeline. The website, called
350.org, also uses high resolution photos on the homepage of its website, and the user is directed
towards an informational v ideo regarding the history of the pipeline and the impact it will have on
surrounding communities. 350.org provides both a Facebook and Twitter hyperlink to let users
know that 350.org has a presence beyond this website, and the hyperlink serves as an easy, quick
suggestion for users to visit those platforms and look at the different types of ways to engage with
and share the content. 350.org’s campaign addresses a more specific issue than Friends of the
Earth, therefore the site is smaller and more tailored to the subject of renewable energy within a
concentrated area. In addition, the video provides a personal look into the lives of those affected,
which encourages users to empathize and get involved. The emotional appeal of the video and the
opportunity to see the effect of the campaign on Facebook and Twitter makes the campaign easy
to follow and effective within the cultural and geographical context of the physical Keystone
Pipeline area.

(Figure 4) 350.org
provides simple ways for
users to connect to the
movement on other
platforms, such as
Twitter and Facebook.
The site encourages the
usage of hashtags on
various social media
sites.

The final campaign that was analyzed is Oceana.org’s campaign that addresses ocean preservation
and pollution prevention. The primary goal of the site is to prevent long-lasting damage to marine
ecosystems. The home page of the site has tabs that, with the simple click of a mouse, encourage
the user to learn more about what Oceana.org stands for or take action to prevent ocean pollution.
Like 350.org, Oceana.org provides hyperlinks to their Twitter and Facebook pages, which
encourages the user to show their support with a donation or simple spread information. Like
Friends of the Earth, Oceana.org places emphasis on facts to drive the issues of climate change
and ocean protection home to their users. The campaigns of both Friends of the Earth and
Oceana.org have a broad range of goals, therefore the use of data and factual information is
helpful to a wide variety of users.

5

(Figure 5) Oceana states on their website that they rely
on science and gatherable data to generate support and
identify potential solutions.
Competitive Analysis Conclusion

Overall, these three campaigns use similar devices to further their cause and encourage user
engagement both online and in real life. The overall goal of each campaign is the same: to s pread
awareness about an issue involved with climate change and environmental preservation,
encourage people to d onate or share the cause, and to share the successes that each campaign has
had so far.

The campaigns differed in the way that they appealed to their users. Friends of the Earth and
Oceana.org used data-driven research a nd facts to convey information and generate a response
from users. In contrast, 350.org focused less on the facts and aimed to pinpoint the e motions o f
the users that were interacting with their page, which is a key part of user experience. This is
because 350.org and the Keystone Pipeline controversy cover a much smaller issue that interests a
group of activists in a geographically and culturally cohesive group. From my analysis of these
three campaigns, data and facts serve as more effective for large, international campaigns and an
emotional appeal serves as more effective for smaller, grassroots campaigns s uch as the Keystone
Pipeline.

This campaign will combine the portions of the three example campaigns that were more effective.
Data-driven research, high resolution images and video, and personal accounts are all imperative
to the success of this campaign. FEMA’s primary audience is American citizens, which can be
viewed as a culturally cohesive group as well as a vastly diverse number of societies. Therefore,
combining the tactics of international campaigns with smaller, grassroots campaigns will prove
beneficial to FEMA’s efforts to generate user engagement on their platforms.
6

Proposed Plan
Campaign Goals
The goal of this campaign is to increase user engagement within FEMA’s website, Twitter, and
Facebook pages that are dedicated to climate change. In doing so, FEMA will spread awareness
about the effect that climate change has on natural disasters in the United States by telling stories
of those affected by previous recent natural disasters, and calling American citizens to be involved
in the issue. The campaign will use a m
ulti-modal, integrated approach in order to appeal to the
wide demographic of young adults aged 25 and up that either have a personal connection to the
issue of climate change or are simply interested in becoming actively involved in the debate.

Design: FEMA.org/climatechange
FEMA’s Climate Change Campaign website will be easily n avigable, i nteractive, and cohesive.
The homepage starts with simple information that draws the user in and encourages them to learn
more, with clear graphics and concise wording. The initial graphic is a dark stormcloud moving on
repeat-- an ominous symbol of a storm or impending disaster. The text is white set against a dark
background of either blue or gray. There is a short paragraph of general information with a link to
learn more, followed by a page with three separate links to the campaign’s goals. The first is the
link to FEMA’s page that contains data and information about climate change and natural disaster
relief efforts in the United States. The s econd is a look into the personal lives of those who have
been affected by recent natural disasters (this page would contain written stories, images, and
videos). The t hird link will provide information about FEMA’s accomplishments in natural
disaster relief and climate change research, as well as provide users with the opportunity to donate
to the cause and share.

Mockup: FEMA.org/climatechange
(Figure 6) The website

homepage contains concise
wording, readable text, vivid
imagery, and the opportunity for
user engagement.

(Figure 7) The next page
provides a brief explanation
of FEMA’s campaign goals,
7
again with an opportunity for user interaction.
(Figure 8) The

three links on the
homepage provide
information on
FEMA Climate
Change Campaign’s
three goals. Each
link serves as an
opportunity for
users to choose
what they are most
interested in and
navigate the site
from there.

Design: Facebook
FEMA’s campaign on Facebook will consist of simple posts that are easy for users to share and
interact with. The posts will contain links to other forms of media, such as videos, to grab the
users attention. FEMA’s content on Facebook will focus on encouraging users to get i nvolved in
the general issue of climate change and natural disasters. The taglines will peak the users interest
with s imple wording and an provide a link to the website. This approach invites multimodal users
to interact across multiple platforms and take advantage of the opportunity to become involved.

8
Mockup: Facebook
(Figure 9) This Facebook post invites the

user to interact directly with FEMA’s
campaign, as well as links the user across
platforms to encourage engagement within
multiple sites.

Design: Twitter

To fit the medium, FEMA Climate Change Campaign’s involvement on Twitter will be c lear,
concise, and easily shareable. FEMA will place content with an emotional appeal on Twitter,
because the content is so easily shareable and can be viewed directly on the site or on FEMA’s
own website. Most tweets will provide a short explanation of the topic at hand with a link
attached, again encouraging users to participate in the campaign across platforms and generate an
emotional reaction.

Mockup: Twitter
(Figure 10) The use of hashtags

helps content become easily
shareable, and the emotional
appeal of seeing those who suffer
from natural disasters will
encourage users to share and
engage with the content.
User Demographics
9
The primary users that FEMA will target are young adults who are in tune with social media,
aged 25-30. These young adults often use multiple platforms each day and most likely have a
career, and therefore can donate and become involved in causes that they care about. FEMA will
be directing content towards both areas that tend to suffer from natural disasters, as well as states
that have overall clement weather.
User Persona
(Figure 11) Carmen is a 26 year old editorial

assistant living in Charleston, South Carolina. She
enjoys reading, staying up to date on current
events, and volunteer work. She has no prior
knowledge of scientific facts regarding climate
change, however she lives in an area that could
very well be affected by a natural disaster, such as
a hurricane. Carmen is active on multiple social
media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, and
LinkedIn. She shares posts on these sites that she
finds interesting or thought provoking, especially if
she wants her friends and family to become aware
of something taking place in the world.
User Engagement
Method Overview
User interviews were conducted to gather information about the most effective ways to reach
people of FEMA Climate Change Campaign’s desired demographic. The interviews were
conducted face to face or over the phone. The participants were asked a series of questions about
their previous knowledge of the climate change debate, as well as how much general information
they know about FEMA’s efforts in disaster relief. They were then asked about the most effective
way to reach users of their age demographic, as well as the type of information that would engage
10
these users. In addition, they were asked if any natural disaster in the United States had
personally affected them over the course of their life.

Participant Overview

The three participants are of varying ages- between 23 and 25. Their occupations vary from
student at Miami University to working in finance in Chicago. Two females and one male were
interviewed. The three participants were Caucasian and come from relatively stable economic
backgrounds, and all attended Miami University for undergrad. The three participants have an
online presence on multiple websites, primarily Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
User Research Results

The three participants had relatively similar responses to questions regarding their previous
knowledge of the climate change debate. All three indicated that they were a ware that the debate
had been going on for years, and it is an extremely controversial topic in some areas of our
government. All three of the participants acknowledged that there is scientific evidence of climate
change that is often rejected by the media in an effort to further opposing political agendas.
Although each participant had a general idea of the climate change debate, none of them had a
solid understanding of what FEMA was until I explained it to them at a later time. The most
memorable natural disaster in the United States was H urricane Katrina for all three of them, and
they cited the enormous amount of media coverage as the reasoning. None of the three
participants, however, had been personally affected by a natural disaster because all three of them
hail from areas with typically clement weather.

The two w omen expressed interest in promoting a campaign for climate change awareness and
natural disaster relief on social media, however the m ale participant did not. When asked about
the most effective way to engage users, all three participants noted both the F EMA Climate
Change Website and F acebook as the most effective way to spread information. All three seemed
to think that official government organizations generate the most user engagement (aside from
their sites) on Facebook, and that placing a campaign on something like Snapchat would be
counterproductive because users don’t access Snapchat for serious, thought provoking content.
The three participants all agreed that a combination of images, v ideo, and data would be the best
approach to grab users’ attention and encourage them to sympathize with FEMA’s campaign. The
two women said a powerful video with a link would be the most interesting content that they could
interact with, and the man did not specify. Finally, the three users agreed that trying to reach
users in states with no risk of natural disasters as well as those with great risk as helpful, because
the content is so easily distributed and this demographic of people tends to move geographic
locations quickly and easily.

User Research Takeaways
11
Overall, the women seemed more receptive to the campaign goals than the male participant did.
This is not be indicative of every male, however, but perhaps the campaign should be more heavily
targeted towards females. In addition, the participants proved my assumption that F acebook and
FEMA’s w ebsite are the best places to generate user engagement with a more serious topic, as
well as the usage of a m ultimedia, multimodal approach. Content that contains information and
emotional connection that is easily shareable will be the most effective way of recruiting users to
FEMA Climate Change Campaign’s cause. The three all seemed to agree with displaying
information in a way that is concise, easily understandable, and easily shareable throughout their
newsfeeds on various platforms.

Plan Details
Budget

The campaign will cost approximately $15,000 per month of government funding, which is about
8% of FEMA’s annual budget. The campaign will need managers, funds to pay advertisers, as well
as compensate those who participate in FEMA’s content, as well as provide images and personal
accounts of the effects of natural disasters.

Timeline
Following the launch of this campaign in Fall 2018, FEMA Climate Change Campaign will need
to post consistently on social media sites to maintain user engagement. At least t wo to t hree posts
or stories per day will be posted on FEMA Climate Change Campaign’s Facebook and Twitter
pages. In addition, the website must be updated every 2 to 3 days with new stories regarding
FEMA’s efforts toward reaching the goals detailed on the site. New hashtags will be developed as
new information becomes relevant, keeping users involved and enabling content to be easily
shareable across platforms.

Measures of Success
Because the campaign is in its beginning stages, it is hard to tell the measure of success it will
have for FEMA as an organization. We hope, however, that our plan provides an ideal blueprint
that brings the issue of climate change and the problem of devastating natural disasters together,
and to the forefront of American public discussion. The c ompetitive analyses, user interviews,
and m
ockups serve as the basis for a successful campaign targeted towards the age demographic
of 25-30, and we believe that the FEMA Climate Change Campaign will generate considerable
12
success following its launch. In addition, this campaign’s success will be measured by the amount
of money raised to assist those struggling with the fallout of natural disasters across the United
States, as well as provide funding for future climate change research.

Conclusion
FEMA has a long history of providing help to Americans in dire need in the aftermath of enormous
devastation. Now, this organization will continue to provide that help, but combine it with the
equally important goals of awareness and p revention. Climate change is a scientifically proven
phenomenon, and the sooner that government organizations recognize this and begin campaigns to
stop its spread and deal with the fallout, the safer and more aware U.S. citizens will be. Through
this m
ulti-media, multi-modal campaign, FEMA has the opportunity to change the course of
history. Engaging users with material that is both data-based and e motionally driven will
encourage young adults to get involved, spread awareness, and facilitate change within their
communities and on a national scale.

References
https://richare7.wixsite.com/website

https://www.fema.gov/climate-change

https://350.org/

https://friendsoftheearth.uk/climate-change

http://oceana.org/our-campaigns/stop_ocean_pollution/campaign

13
Consent Form for Usability Research
Hello! For ENG/IMS 224 class, I am creating a social media campaign/content strategy plan/etc for FEMA
regarding climate change awareness in the United States. To maximize the effectiveness of my content, I
am conducting user interviews. The results will be shared only with my class and instructor. Participating
in this study is completely voluntary. The study includes one major component, an interview, which should
take 10-20 minutes:
Usability Test
A usability test is NOT a personal assessment, but rather a test of how users respond to the content we
have developed. This session will be on record for note-taking and reference purposes. You do have to
option to keep your name anonymous.
By consenting to participate you are agreeing to the following:

● You are at least 18 years of age;
● Permission to record the interview and behaviors noted for note-taking purposes;
● Use of quotations from my notes or recordings based on your thoughts, challenges, or ideas
regarding the software and instructions.
All actions are voluntary. It is your personal decision to partake in this assessment. Please voice any
concerns before the test or anytime throughout the usability trail. If you need any further inquiry, you can
also contact Kathleen Coffey (coffeykm@miamioh.edu), the course instructor with questions or concerns.
Please sign below if you understand and agree to the terms stated above.
Date:__3/26/2018_______
Please print your name: _______Caitlin

Schiattareggia______________________________________
To sign digitally, please type your name.
Please sign your name: _____Caitlin Schiattareggia________________________________________
14
Hello! For ENG/IMS 224 class, I am creating a social media campaign/content strategy plan/etc. To
maximize the effectiveness of my content, I am conducting usability tests. The results will be shared only
with my class and instructor. Participating in this study is completely voluntary. The study includes one
major component, an interview, which should take 10-20 minutes:
Usability Test

● Permission to record the usability test and behaviors noted for note-taking purposes;
Date:_3/26/18________
Please print your name: __Rachel Wight___________________________________________
Please sign your name: ___Rachel Wight__________________________________________
15
Hello! For ENG/IMS 224 class, I am creating a social media campaign/content strategy plan/etc. To
maximize the effectiveness of my content, I am conducting usability tests. The results will be shared only
with my class and instructor. Participating in this study is completely voluntary. The study includes one
major component, an interview, which should take 10-20 minutes:
Usability Test

● Permission to record the usability test and behaviors noted for note-taking purposes;
Date:___4/2/2018______
Please print your name: __Jimmy Kruse___________________________________________
Please sign your name: _____________Jimmy Kruse________________________________
16
17

p2 Rough Draft 2

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

p2 Rough Draft 2

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

CLIMATE CHANGE CAMPAIGN

Federal Emergency Management Agency

BY: EMILY RICHARDS

Research & Competitive

Competitive Analysis Conclusion

(​Figure 6​) The website

(​Figure 8​) The

(​Figure 9​) This Facebook post invites the

(​Figure 10​) The use of hashtags

(Figure 11) Carmen is a 26 year old editorial

User Research Results

By consenting to participate you are agreeing to the following:

Please print your name: _______Caitlin

To sign digitally, please type your name.

Please sign your name: _____Caitlin Schiattareggia________________________________________

To sign digitally, please type your name.

By consenting to participate you are agreeing to the following:

Please print your name: __Rachel Wight___________________________________________

To sign digitally, please type your name.

Please sign your name: ___Rachel Wight__________________________________________

To sign digitally, please type your name.

By consenting to participate you are agreeing to the following:

Please print your name: __Jimmy Kruse___________________________________________

To sign digitally, please type your name.

Please sign your name: _____________Jimmy Kruse________________________________

To sign digitally, please type your name.

You might also like

(Figure 6) The website

(Figure 8) The

(Figure 9) This Facebook post invites the

(Figure 10) The use of hashtags

Please sign your name: _Caitlin Schiattareggia____________________________________

Please print your name: Rachel Wight_________________________________________

Please sign your name: _Rachel Wight________________________________________

Please print your name: Jimmy Kruse_________________________________________

Please sign your name: _Jimmy Kruse____________________