Case study: Kony 2012

In 2012, the not-for-profit (NFP) group Invisible Children made a short film highlighting the atrocities committed in Uganda by Joseph Kony, leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army. It was a 29 minute video about a little known African warlord. But the video had one goal; to make Kony famous. It told a compelling story and the campaign was backed up by iconic pop art that supporters were encouraged to distribute.

As a result, it became the fastest growing viral video of all time. Within six days, it had reached 100 million views. It mobilised people globally, with posters, flyers, and social media shares of the video. Celebrities came out in support of the campaign, including Bill Gates, Ellen Page and Rihanna.

The video also led to a huge increase in donations to Invisible Children, allowing them to significantly increase their work in Africa. Invisible Children sold US$13.6 million worth of merchandise, and received US$5.8 million worth of donations.

Finding stories

The first part of the digital storytelling process is thinking about where to locate a good story. Every NFP has a great story about how they started, so why not share this story with the community?

Case studies are also a great source of stories. Case studies can be a powerful means of putting the viewer in the shoes of the storyteller, creating genuine empathy for them and their cause.

There are a range of options available to tell a story, but remember the story is the most important part. A great story recorded on a mobile phone will be more powerful than a poor story recorded with a big budget.

Something else to think about is identifying stories that will resonate with specific audiences and then telling them in a compelling way. Thinking about the target audience will shape how the story is told.

It’s also important to make viewers aware of the action they can take in response to issues raised. If they’re engaged by the cause, and want to help as a result, make sure you let them know how. This is one thing the Kony 2012 campaign did very successfully – it mobilised its audience and sold action kits with all the tools supporters needed to raise funds and help further the organisation’s work.

Financing digital storytelling

Digital storytelling does not have to be overly expensive. NFPs can scale costs depending on the campaign and the budget. Effective videos can be produced using simple equipment such as a smart phone, tripod and microphone in a well lit environment. There are free tools like Windows Movie Maker that can be used to edit videos together.

The Kony 2012 video campaign was an expensive project, with $140,000 spent producing the film. The majority of this, around $93,000, was for labour costs. Equipment costs totalled $3,000. Invisible Children was started by a group of filmmakers, so time spent producing their film was mostly their own. However, this is not the only option available. Outsourcing the production of stories or even training interested internal staff are two alternatives for NFPs to consider.

After video production

Creating the story is only one part of the equation. What happens after is also important, as NFPs must ensure that their videos can be seen by as many people as possible.

Modern advertising platforms and tools allow segmentation in innovative ways. They allow organisations to craft different stories designed to appeal to different groups of people, and promote stories to these people directly.

Fundraising campaigns are more effective when they are targeted to segments such as parents, single people or couples. Digital stories can be coupled with specific calls to action, and targeted to audience groupings through paid advertising placements on platforms like Facebook.

It’s important not to forget about existing donors and partners. Through newsletters, websites, and other existing communication platforms, NFPs can encourage those who already feel strongly about a cause to help with the distribution of the stories. These networks can be catalysts of story promotion, helping to spread it as far and wide as possible.