Project INFLUENCE

Project INFLUENCE tests whether it is possible to influence, through social media messaging, attitudes toward collaborating with opposing viewpoints.

In a targeted population, we measure existing attitudes toward working with people who hold opposing viewpoints. We then test various messaging campaigns directed at the target audience via social media. We finally measure whether any of the campaigns “moved the needle” on the subject attitudes. We then iterate.

The Goal: Develop a method of evolving a population’s sentiment toward supporting the need to find workable joint solutions with opponents.

Progress

The project’s “Phase 0.1” launched April, 2022.

• Status:
  • Developed initial approach of measurement system April, 2022. This system is needed to quantify attitudes before and after our messaging campaign, to assess if the campaign had any influence.
  • Launched measurement system in May.
    • Learned well more than expected; was more challenging than planned.
      • Check out one of the unexpected things we learned, tangentially, in this phase.
    • Iterated, refined and successfully completed the measurement system in July, 2022.
  • Now recruiting resources needed to develop the messaging campaign.

You can follow regular updates on Project INFLUENCE in our journal, “Updates and Learnings from Project INFLUENCE.“