Message with E SS CC
SU How to Communicate with Impact globalyouthfund Creative Activist Toolkit 005

ENERGY, SINCERITY, CLARITY OF VISION,
CREATIVITY... Dan Eldon (1970-1993) Creative Activist

in partnership with globalyouthfund Creative
Activist Toolkit 005

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to work, you must view this full screen or download the file. Click “Get File” button to download PDF. On Slideshare.net On other sites Click on “full” button to view full screen. globalyouthfund Creative Activist Toolkit 005

message with success Like you,
I get lots of FORWARDS in my Inbox globalyouthfund Creative Activist Toolkit 005

message with success jokes and
Subject: Make A Wish Foundation (fwd) A plea from a sick little girl chain Little Kimberly Anne is dying of a horrible tropical disease. Her goal, letters before she passes into the Great Beyond, is to collect as many free America Online disks as she can, to make the Guiness Book of Records. Her project is being sponsored by the Wish-Upon-a-Star Foundation, which specializes in fulfilling the final wishes of such sick little girls... globalyouthfund Creative Activist Toolkit 005

message with success videos of
cute children... ...cute animals globalyouthfund Creative Activist Toolkit 005

message with success ...outrageous experiments,
etc. globalyouthfund Creative Activist Toolkit 005

message with success Why do
some messages travel and others don’t? Let’s look at one example. globalyouthfund Creative Activist Toolkit 005

message with success a lo
t of warded to o wa s f or . Wa tch it This vide appe ared n it first this?” peop l e whe peop le like , “ Wh y did an d ask globalyouthfund Creative Activist Toolkit 005

message with success What made
it fwd: STICKY? Why did it travel from inbox to inbox? globalyouthfund Creative Activist Toolkit 005

message with success According to
Made to Stick, messages that spread easily share six common traits: globalyouthfund Creative Activist Toolkit 005

1 message with success SIMPLICITY
It’s simple. It’s about an autistic boy who scores six three-pointers at a high school basketball game. People can easily and accurately re-tell this story to their friends. globalyouthfund Creative Activist Toolkit 005

2 message with success UNEXPECTEDNESS
It’s unexpected. “He’s autistic? Wow.” Most will find it hard to believe and will want to see the video for themselves. globalyouthfund Creative Activist Toolkit 005

3 message with success CONCRETENESS
He scored SIX three-pointers. The details of this story make it that much more unbelievable... and interesting. globalyouthfund Creative Activist Toolkit 005

4 message with success CREDIBILITY
It’s credible. There’s evidence of this “incredible story.” You just watched it. Otherwise, it should be something people can verify or see for themselves. globalyouthfund Creative Activist Toolkit 005

5 message with success EMOTIONS
This story is bursting with emotions. Powerful messages tend to have an emotional hook or some emotional appeal. globalyouthfund Creative Activist Toolkit 005

6 message with success STORY
Finally, it’s a story. Not all messages come in the form of stories but the most “sticky” ones tend to. Our brains are wired to tune in to stories (with characters and plots). globalyouthfund Creative Activist Toolkit 005

message with success ess age?
a uti stic derl ying m at an ha t ’s th e un u me wh . W ’t a ss ot do D on ca nn an or c hil dc Many studies can back that up but I doubt any could drive the point home as well as the story of “J-Mac.” globalyouthfund Creative Activist Toolkit 005

message with success SUCCESs In
summary, the six ingredients are: Simplicity – simple enough for someone to summarize for another Unexpectedness – out of the norm or hard to believe Concreteness – important details that would amaze or amuse Credibility – offers proof or a way for people to verify for themselves Emotions – it makes people feel Story – involves characters, a plot and has beginning, middle and end globalyouthfund Creative Activist Toolkit 005

message with success The most
important of these is STORY globalyouthfund Creative Activist Toolkit 005

message with success Once you
have a good story, it should be easy to line up the other five ingredients. globalyouthfund Creative Activist Toolkit 005

message with success What type
of stories? For social change projects, the most important are INSPIRATIONAL STORIES globalyouthfund Creative Activist Toolkit 005

message with success As described
in Made to Stick, most inspirational stories follow three common plot lines. globalyouthfund Creative Activist Toolkit 005

message with success 1. Challenge
Plot Someone overcomes a difficult challenge. Triumph over adversity. globalyouthfund Creative Activist Toolkit 005

message with success exampl e
of this. J-Mac is a great globalyouthfund Creative Activist Toolkit 005

message with success 2. Creativity
Plot Someone comes up with a brilliant solution or something truly out of the ordinary. Think of social entrepreneurs. globalyouthfund Creative Activist Toolkit 005

message with success , the
14 -year-old am Kam kwamba ple, W illi for his v illage. For exam built a windmill Malawi kid who globalyouthfund Creative Activist Toolkit 005

message with success 3. Connection
Plot Someone makes an unlikely connection with someone else. globalyouthfund Creative Activist Toolkit 005

message with success souther n
town nts from a white xamp le, stude ivors... For e ust sur v Holoca con nect with Note: This story also follows a “creativity plot.” globalyouthfund Creative Activist Toolkit 005

message with success So... do
you have an inspirational story? Simply ask yourself: 1. Does my project involve someone overcoming great challenges? 2. Does my project involve someone being creative and coming up with innovative solutions? 3. Does my project bring together people who are usually worlds apart? globalyouthfund Creative Activist Toolkit 005

message with success If you
answered yes to any of the three questions (and the answer could be YOU), then you have A POWERFUL STORY waiting to get out. globalyouthfund Creative Activist Toolkit 005

message with success e rest
of the ou follow th make sure y Just CES m odel: SUC Sim picity xpecte dness Une Concre teness Cred ibility Em otions Stor y globalyouthfund Creative Activist Toolkit 005

message with success Good luck!
Share your story with us! Click image to visit our community. globalyouthfund Creative Activist Toolkit 005

message with success Check out
other chapters... globalyouthfund Creative Activist Toolkit 005

message with success if you
use this toolkit... tell us! post your sticky message at globalyouth.ning.com. ask for feedback. let us know if this chapter helped you or how it can be improved. download and forward... share this with someone you know. you can download this chapter from slideshare.net subscribe... enter your email address at globalyouth.ning.com to get alerts when more toolkits are posted. globalyouthfund Creative Activist Toolkit 005

about the author Charles Tsai
is the founder and Executive Director of Global Youth Fund and also works for Ashoka’s Youth Venture as Director of Virtual Program. Previously, he worked at CNN as a reporter and producer. creative activist toolkit thanks The Creative Activist Toolkit is a series of PDF The Creative Visions Foundation booklets designed to help today’s youth The Vancouver Foundation impact the world through creativity and social The Steve Nash Foundation entrepreneurship. Produced by the Global Youth Fund and the Creative Visions Jon and Amy Eldon Turteltaub, Joanne Marien Foundation, the toolkit chapters are offered Elaine Munro, Debbie Riopel, Jaspal Lisa Rai free to download. Email us if you would like Bruce Johnson, Brooke Kuhn, Serge Martin to contribute a chapter. Copyright ©2009 Global Youth Fund credits Feel free to pass this booklet on but you may Amy Eldon Turteltaub Executive Producer not alter the content or charge for it. You may Charles Tsai Managing Director quote brief sections if you credit Global Youth Fund and provide a link to Images from MadetoStick.com and globalyouth.ning.com YouTube.com globalyouthfund Creative Activist Toolkit 005

Global Youth Fund 550 Pacific
Street, Suite 502 Vancouver, BC V6Z 3G2 CANADA Tel: +1 (604) 628-1807 www.globalyouthfund.org