The Power of Frames

1
The Power of Frames

• Influencing the Terms of Discussion

2
Evolution of a Public Health Frame

• 1965 smoking is bad for you, it will make you
  sick.
• 1985tobacco companies are selling addiction and
  death.

3
Early Detection Saves Lives

• 1984 Imperial Chemical Industries develop and
  fund National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

4

• 1993 Zeneca Group PLC takes over agri-chemical
  and pharmaceutical divisions of ICI, and NBCAM.
• October, 2003 All National Breast Cancer
  Awareness Month TV, print, and radio campaigns
  must be approved by Zeneca.

5

• Zeneca manufactures the breast cancer drug
  Tamoxifen and the best-selling herbicide,
  Acetochlor which has been linked to cancer.

6
Why framing?

• People hear a message in terms of stories they
  already know and believe.
• By defining the issue in terms of widely held
  values, advocates set the terms of the debate
  about the issues.

7
FACTS ARE MEANINGLESS

• All meaning is derived from the story.
• Facts help illustrate the story

8
Hierarchy of a Frame

• Values behind the issue
• Category of an issue
• The issue

9
Finding Values

• How do people talk about development and growth
  where they live?

10

• Focus group participants strongly indicated a
  desire for access and convenience, affordability,
  fairness, choice, re-use and preservation, open
  space and community space.

11

• People think about these issues in terms of the
  marketplace and its ability to meet their needs.
  

12

• People do not hold negative views of development,
  or developers, as a category.

13

• People think local government has the
  responsibility to foster development that serves
  the community as a whole.They believe in
  looking at the Big Picture.

14
Possible Frames

• Greater consumer choice in a marketplace
  liberated from outmoded regulations. Greater
  taxpayer and community return on investment of
  public dollars.

15
Marketing Vs. Advocacy

• Marketing market segmentation, brand
  identification, point of sale closing
• Advocacy inclusive framing, strategic
  messengers, targeting decision makers.

16
Corporate Imperatives

• The corporation must continue to exist
• Corporate employees dont speak for themselves,
  they represent the corporation.
• The corporation must compete for resources and
  therefore must grow

17
Corporate Communications of Advocacy Organizations

• Get credit with funders and other gatekeepers
• Position for new funding
• Reward staff and volunteers

18
Make Every Communication Strategic

• Dont try to make any communication do everything