Talking the Talk: Messaging that Moves

Talking the Talk:
Messaging that Moves
Meredith Fenton
Fenton Communications
Robert Perez
Wonder Strategies for Good
Amy Simon
Goodwin Simon Strategic
Research
Dwayne Proctor
Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation
Zachary Norris
Ella Baker Center for Human
Rights

Section Header
Talking the Talk:
Meredith Fenton
@meredithfenton
Robert Perez
Wonder Strategies for
Good
@rperezzz
Amy Simon
Goodwin Simon
Strategic Research
@amyrsimon
Dwayne Proctor
Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation
@drdwayneproctor
Zachary Norris
Ella Baker Center for
Human Rights
@ZachWNorris
Agenda
 Goals & Audiences
The Messaging Landscape
 What the Research Teaches Us
 Strategic Messaging Case Studies
 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Ella Baker Center for Human Rights
 Discussion and Questions

Talking the Talk:
Meredith Fenton
@meredithfenton
Robert Perez
Good
@rperezzz
Amy Simon
Goodwin Simon
Strategic Research
@amyrsimon
Dwayne Proctor
Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation
@drdwayneproctor
Zachary Norris
Human Rights
@ZachWNorris

Goals
Talking the Talk:
Meredith Fenton
@meredithfenton
Robert Perez
Good
@rperezzz
Amy Simon
Goodwin Simon
Strategic Research
@amyrsimon
Dwayne Proctor
Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation
@drdwayneproctor
Zachary Norris
Human Rights
@ZachWNorris

Audiences
Need to know the starting place of
our audiences so we know how to
reach them.
Talking the Talk:
Meredith Fenton
@meredithfenton
Robert Perez
Good
@rperezzz
Amy Simon
Goodwin Simon
Strategic Research
@amyrsimon
Dwayne Proctor
Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation
@drdwayneproctor
Zachary Norris
Human Rights
@ZachWNorris

Audiences
Lived experiences
impact opinions.
Racial bias and
internalized
oppression
impact people’s
mindsets.
Talking the Talk:
Meredith Fenton
@meredithfenton
Robert Perez
Good
@rperezzz
Amy Simon
Goodwin Simon
Strategic Research
@amyrsimon
Dwayne Proctor
Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation
@drdwayneproctor
Zachary Norris
Human Rights
@ZachWNorris

The Messaging Landscape Talking the Talk:
Meredith Fenton
@meredithfenton
Robert Perez
Good
@rperezzz
Amy Simon
Goodwin Simon
Strategic Research
@amyrsimon
Dwayne Proctor
Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation
@drdwayneproctor
Zachary Norris
Human Rights
@ZachWNorris
PUBLIC
ADVOCATES

The Messaging Landscape
Talking the Talk:
Meredith Fenton
@meredithfenton
Robert Perez
Good
@rperezzz
Amy Simon
Goodwin Simon
Strategic Research
@amyrsimon
Dwayne Proctor
Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation
@drdwayneproctor
Zachary Norris
Human Rights
@ZachWNorris

Talking the Talk:
Meredith Fenton
@meredithfenton
Robert Perez
Good
@rperezzz
Amy Simon
Goodwin Simon
Strategic Research
Dwayne Proctor
Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation
@drdwayneproctor
Zachary Norris
Human Rights
@ZachWNorris
Upstairs Brain
Responsible for decision
making and planning, control
over emotions and body,
self-understanding, empathy
and morality.
Allows for empathy which is
a precursor to altruistic
behavior.
Downstairs Brain
The primitive brain responsible
for basic functions, innate
reactions and impulses, and
strong emotions.
Shuts down upstairs brain to
respond to fear and focus on
survival.
Your Brain
on
Messaging

Talking the Talk:
Meredith Fenton
@meredithfenton
Robert Perez
Good
@rperezzz
Amy Simon
Goodwin Simon
Strategic Research
Dwayne Proctor
Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation
@drdwayneproctor
Zachary Norris
Human Rights
@ZachWNorris
Your Brain
on
Messaging
How do you calm the downstairs brain (the
amygdala)?
Familiarity calms the
amygdala.
–Neuroscientist Gregory Berns

Talking the Talk:
Meredith Fenton
@meredithfenton
Robert Perez
Good
@rperezzz
Amy Simon
Goodwin Simon
Strategic Research
Dwayne Proctor
Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation
@drdwayneproctor
Zachary Norris
Human Rights
@ZachWNorris
Neural Coupling & Mirroring
We translate ideas and
experiences from stories into
our own ideas and
experiences. We feel the
same emotions as the
protagonist.
Dopamine
When something emotionally
charged happens in a story,
your brain releases dopamine –
making it easier to remember
story details and with greater
accuracy.
Your Brain
on Stories

Talking the Talk:
Meredith Fenton
@meredithfenton
Robert Perez
Good
@rperezzz
Amy Simon
Goodwin Simon
Strategic Research
@amyrsimon
Dwayne Proctor
Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation
@drdwayneproctor
Zachary Norris
Human Rights
@ZachWNorris
“When we read
nonfiction, we read with
our shields up. We are
critical and skeptical. But
when we are absorbed in
a story, we drop our
intellectual guard. We are
moved emotionally, and
this seems to leave us
defenseless.”
-Jonathan Gottschall, The Storytelling
Animal

● Because we disagree
with a belief that our
audiences holds, doesn’t
mean its not true for
them.
● To effectively engage
with them, we have to
acknowledge their deeply
held beliefs.
● Otherwise these beliefs
become roadblocks.
● Understanding where
people are coming from
does not mean you agree
with it.
Talking the Talk:
Meredith Fenton
@meredithfenton
Robert Perez
Good
@rperezzz
Amy Simon
Goodwin Simon
Strategic Research
@amyrsimon
Dwayne Proctor
Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation
@drdwayneproctor
Zachary Norris
Human Rights
@ZachWNorris

The Messaging Landscape:
Where do our values overlap?
Talking the Talk:
Meredith Fenton
@meredithfenton
Robert Perez
Good
@rperezzz
Amy Simon
Goodwin Simon
Strategic Research
@amyrsimon
Dwayne Proctor
Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation
@drdwayneproctor
Zachary Norris
Human Rights
@ZachWNorris
Advocates
Civically
Engaged
Americans
Policy-
makers

Research Methodology
Focus Groups
8 groups hosted in May 2013
Denver, CO:
White men
White women
Latino men
Latina women
Raleigh, NC:
White men
White women
Philadelphia, PA:
African-American men
African-American women
Online Poll
Sample of national adult U.S.
population, February 2014
Total: n 1209
Subgroups by self-report:
White: n 895
African-American: n 145
Hispanic: n121
Asian: n 36
Other races/ethnicities: n 12
Talking the Talk:
Meredith Fenton
@meredithfenton
Robert Perez
Good
@rperezzz
Amy Simon
Goodwin Simon
Strategic Research
@amyrsimon
Dwayne Proctor
Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation
@drdwayneproctor
Zachary Norris
Human Rights
@ZachWNorris

Research Findings
Increasing public
support for
young men of
color programs.
Talking the Talk:
Meredith Fenton
@meredithfenton
Robert Perez
Good
@rperezzz
Amy Simon
Goodwin Simon
Strategic Research
@amyrsimon
Dwayne Proctor
Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation
@drdwayneproctor
Zachary Norris
Human Rights
@ZachWNorris

Research Findings:
Show, don’t tell.
Talking the Talk:
Meredith Fenton
@meredithfenton
Robert Perez
Good
@rperezzz
Amy Simon
Goodwin Simon
Strategic Research
@amyrsimon
Dwayne Proctor
Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation
@drdwayneproctor
Zachary Norris
Human Rights
@ZachWNorris

Research Findings
Talking the Talk:
Meredith Fenton
@meredithfenton
Robert Perez
Good
@rperezzz
Amy Simon
Goodwin Simon
Strategic Research
@amyrsimon
Dwayne Proctor
Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation
@drdwayneproctor
Zachary Norris
Human Rights
@ZachWNorris
Summary of Agreement/Disagreement With Statement
Please indicate if you agree or disagree with each of the following statements. Please use a scale of 0 to 10 where a 0 means you
strongly disagree and a 10 means you strongly agree. You may use any number from 0 to 10.
50%
57%
43%
47%
28%
37%
35%
34%
37%
32%
0% 20% 40% 60%
Initial
Final
Initial
Final
Initial
Final
Initial
Final
Initial
Final
Non-profit programs that are well designed and well run can
make a real difference in the lives of young men of color, and
help to address the particular problems and challenges they
often face.
Young men of color face greater poverty, education, and family
challenges – including the trauma of crime, violence, and abuse
- than most other young people in our nation.
Our schools need to focus on academics and should not be
responsible for teaching social skills or proper behavior, which
should be taught at home.
Let’s face it, if kids do not have family support at home, no
intervention or support program is going to make a real
difference for them.
As a nation, we should be investing tax dollars in programs that
are specifically designed to address the problems and
challenges often facing young men of color.
Ranked by Final Strongly Agree (8-10)
+7
pts
+4
pts
+9
pts
-5
pts

Research Findings
Survey shows encouraging results
among most subgroups
Talking the Talk:
Meredith Fenton
@meredithfenton
Robert Perez
Good
@rperezzz
Amy Simon
Goodwin Simon
Strategic Research
@amyrsimon
Dwayne Proctor
Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation
@drdwayneproctor
Zachary Norris
Human Rights
@ZachWNorris
Democrats/
Liberals
Black
Men and
Women
Latino
Women
and Men
Conservative
Men Independent
Women
Republican
Women

Research Findings
Some recognize that young men of
color face especially difficult
challenges…
Talking the Talk:
Meredith Fenton
@meredithfenton
Robert Perez
Good
@rperezzz
Amy Simon
Goodwin Simon
Strategic Research
@amyrsimon
Dwayne Proctor
Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation
@drdwayneproctor
Zachary Norris
Human Rights
@ZachWNorris
Young men of color often
have a different set of
circumstances that are an
obstacle in reaching their
potential. If there are
programs out there to help
them in that path, it could
only benefit us as a nation.
- Latina woman
All children in difficult
environments need help, but
young people of color can often
feel more discrimination just for
their skin color.
- White woman

Research Findings
… yet, explicit focus on YMOC can
create pushback.
Many reject the idea of special treatment for
young men of color – why help them and not
me or others?
Talking the Talk:
Meredith Fenton
@meredithfenton
Robert Perez
Good
@rperezzz
Amy Simon
Goodwin Simon
Strategic Research
@amyrsimon
Dwayne Proctor
Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation
@drdwayneproctor
Zachary Norris
Human Rights
@ZachWNorris
I don't think only young men
with color suffer these
problems.
- Asian woman
I think it should be more focused
on all races not just one.
- Black woman
All kids in a bad situation
should have a chance, not
just young men of color.”
- White man

Research Findings: Highlighting
programs that work
Talking the Talk:
Meredith Fenton
@meredithfenton
Robert Perez
Good
@rperezzz
Amy Simon
Goodwin Simon
Strategic Research
@amyrsimon
Dwayne Proctor
Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation
@drdwayneproctor
Zachary Norris
Human Rights
@ZachWNorris

Research Findings: Focus on the
kids
Talking the Talk:
Meredith Fenton
@meredithfenton
Robert Perez
Good
@rperezzz
Amy Simon
Goodwin Simon
Strategic Research
Dwayne Proctor
Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation
@drdwayneproctor
Zachary Norris
Human Rights
@ZachWNorris
These young men are our
country’s future and need
to be invested in to assure
the American way of life.
-White man, Pennsylvania,
age 57

Research Findings
Strong support for
counseling and mentoring
Talking the Talk:
Meredith Fenton
@meredithfenton
Robert Perez
Good
@rperezzz
Amy Simon
Goodwin Simon
Strategic Research
@amyrsimon
Dwayne Proctor
Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation
@drdwayneproctor
Zachary Norris
Human Rights
@ZachWNorris

Research Findings
Talking the Talk:
Meredith Fenton
@meredithfenton
Robert Perez
Good
@rperezzz
Amy Simon
Goodwin Simon
Strategic Research
@amyrsimon
Dwayne Proctor
Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation
@drdwayneproctor
Zachary Norris
Human Rights
@ZachWNorris

Research Findings
Use strategic messengers
who share values with your
audience
Talking the Talk:
Meredith Fenton
@meredithfenton
Robert Perez
Good
@rperezzz
Amy Simon
Goodwin Simon
Strategic Research
@amyrsimon
Dwayne Proctor
Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation
@drdwayneproctor
Zachary Norris
Human Rights
@ZachWNorris

Research Findings
Talking the Talk:
Meredith Fenton
@meredithfenton
Robert Perez
Good
@rperezzz
Amy Simon
Goodwin Simon
Strategic Research
@amyrsimon
Dwayne Proctor
Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation
@drdwayneproctor
Zachary Norris
Human Rights
@ZachWNorris
I think the words that come to my mind are
accountability, right and wrong, consequence,
mentoring. I walk away thinking we used to have
that. We used to have all of those things and
somehow those have fallen by the wayside and I
think that is why you have to have so many
different solutions because we don't do that
anymore. There is no consequence or
accountability. I got in trouble. When I told you I
was the problem kid, I got in trouble. I knew I was
in trouble and I don't know that that happens
now. – Latino man
Accountability and Responsibility are key

Research Findings
People believe deeply in the
importance of family.
Talking the Talk:
Meredith Fenton
@meredithfenton
Robert Perez
Good
@rperezzz
Amy Simon
Goodwin Simon
Strategic Research
@amyrsimon
Dwayne Proctor
Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation
@drdwayneproctor
Zachary Norris
Human Rights
@ZachWNorris
A lot of the problems can be
solved. It starts with the
community and first of all
the family. The parents
need to step in. Don't let
someone else try to parent
your child.
- Black man
It is a truth that the support
of family is necessary and
just creating programs is
not going to help.
- Asian woman

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation:
Expanding the Conversation about
Childhood Obesity
Talking the Talk:
Meredith Fenton
@meredithfenton
Robert Perez
Good
@rperezzz
Amy Simon
Goodwin Simon
Strategic Research
@amyrsimon
Dwayne Proctor
Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation
@drdwayneproctor
Zachary Norris
Human Rights
@ZachWNorris

Ella Baker Center:
Advocating for Incarcerated Youth
Talking the Talk:
Meredith Fenton
@meredithfenton
Robert Perez
Good
@rperezzz
Amy Simon
Goodwin Simon
Strategic Research
@amyrsimon
Dwayne Proctor
Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation
@drdwayneproctor
Zachary Norris
Human Rights
@ZachWNorris

Talking the Talk: Messaging that Moves

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