“Words mean things” (w/ Anat Shenker-Osorio, Host of Words to Win By, Principal of ASO Communications)
Aug 7, 2024
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Anat Shenker-Osorio, a renowned Democratic campaign consultant and messaging researcher, shares her expertise on meaningful political conversations. She breaks down the pitfalls of campaign messaging and offers insights on how to effectively communicate with friends and family about political issues. Anat emphasizes the importance of emotionally resonant messaging and introduces the GAME framework to enhance communication strategies. With humor as a tool, she demonstrates how it can boost message retention and create a collective experience in political discourse.
Effective political communication requires personal engagement and tailored messaging to resonate with diverse audiences and spur action.
Humor serves as a powerful tool in political messaging, fostering engagement and facilitating serious discussions by establishing common ground.
Deep dives
Transforming Emotions into Action
Emotional engagement in politics can be an overwhelming experience, but it is crucial to channel those big feelings into tangible actions. Efforts to inspire individuals to take action focus on education around political issues and providing practical steps for involvement. The podcast emphasizes that change is only possible through direct engagement and active participation in political processes. By reframing despair or frustration as motivation, listeners are encouraged to find ways to stimulate change within their communities.
The Importance of Effective Communication
Effective political communication is pivotal for activists and candidates alike to resonate with voters and stimulate action. Strategies for crafting impactful messages involve understanding how language can shape perceptions and elicit responses. The conversation highlights the need for personal communication that differs from general campaigning, as personal dialogues should reflect individual understanding and connections rather than broad messaging. This tailored approach can significantly influence how messages are received and acted upon by different audiences.
Learning from Global Political Movements
Insights from recent political movements in France, Brazil, and the UK illustrate the value of coalition-building and strategic messaging in mobilizing voters. In France, the message 'it’s better to fight among friends than face fascism alone' effectively united disparate groups against a common threat. Comparatively, in Brazil, voters were encouraged to think about the future they want rather than just the candidates they dislike, framing elections as choices for societal direction. These examples underscore the importance of engagement and the communication strategies that can encourage active participation during elections.
Harnessing Humor in Political Discourse
Humor plays a significant role in political messaging and campaigning by creating engagement and opening up receptivity to serious discussions. The use of humor draws people in and generates a sense of shared experience, enhancing the likelihood that audiences will absorb the key messages conveyed. A humorous approach can establish common ground, allowing for more effective communication about complex or sensitive topics. This strategy underscores the need for innovative tactics in political communication to keep audiences engaged and responsive.
This week we spoke to Anat Shenker-Osorio, Democratic campaign consultant, messaging researcher, founder of ASO Communications, and host of the excellent podcast Words to Win By. In this episode Anat shares crucial wisdom on how to have meaningful conversations about our political future in real life and on social media. She examines common campaign messaging pitfalls and how to avoid them, provides lessons from her past work, and shares research about what kinds of communication actually changes minds. Most importantly, she gives specific examples about what to do when family and friends say something weird on the internet and in real life!
Don’t miss this funny, impactful, and incredibly helpful interview as you head out to knock doors, make phone calls, and engage with family and friends about the 2024 race!
To the best of our knowledge, all audio used by What Can I Do is in the public domain or is used with permission. Our theme song is Upbeat Energetic Rock by Vivaleum and we hold a license for use of the song through Pixabay.
Original artwork is by Matthew Weflen and used with express permission.
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