Aligning Media to Goals

Learning outcomes:

LO3: Determine how hybrid media is used to help establish frames and set agendas.

LO4: Select and sequence media that will contribute to achieving strategic objectives.

In the casebook, you learned about two campaigns that used hybrid media. One of these was the Dumb Ways to Die campaign on rail safety. This was primarily an agenda-setting campaign that succeeded in creating awareness and gaining popularity with its audience. The campaign went viral, garnering significant attention. However, its primary goal was not achieved, which was to reduce train-related accidents by 10% over a 12-month period.

From their data, the communicators struggled to determine whether their campaign had resulted in any meaningful impact on reducing train-related accidents. Instead, the communicators mostly saw that the media itself had become popular. Reflect on these findings and respond to the following points:

Question 1

How was the agenda-setting in the Dumb Ways to Die campaign misaligned with its primary goals? (Max. 150 words)

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Question 2

How would you have selected and sequenced media in this campaign differently, so that the campaign could have used agenda-setting more effectively to achieve its primary goal? Recall that “selecting and sequencing” media refers to choosing what media you will present, and how you will present it to the public, thereby creating hybrid media. (Max. 150 words)

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