How CIDSE-CI used widgets to help partner charities work together Creating Solutions for Climate Change
View the ‘Create a Climate for Justice’ widget on one of the member organisation’s websites.
The client
CIDSE-CI is a coalition of Catholic development organisations from across Europe and North America. They invited us to work with them in developing a joint international campaign to help galvanise support for the fight against climate change and its impact on people in developing countries.
The brief was to create a visual identity that summed up the collective aims of the coalition, acting as a device to bind the different elements of the campaign together and make it recognisable around the world. The final solution also needed to work with minimal text as it would be translated into any number of languages and rolled out on CIDSE-CI’s individual ‘Member Organizations’ (MOs) websites.
Once the unique brand identity was agreed with the various global partner organisations, we created a widgetised virtual landscape inviting people to sign up to an online petition. The widget reinforces the human story behind the campaign that people in The South are already making positive adjustments to cope with their changing environment which we can support by pushing for a fair climate change deal at the UN in 2012.
Comprised of hand drawn elements and natural materials, the piece has a real, honest, organic feel. As more and more people sign up, virtual seeds are planted to represent their voices; the seeds then grow into a virtual plant and with the addition of more and more signatures, the landscape begins to fill with colour and life, representing the growth of and support for the campaign.
The Challenge
The use of a widget enables CIDSE-CI to collect individual sign ups in a central database, minimising the overhead for the MOs in terms of skills and time. It has been developed with flexibility in mind and is fully customisable; the size can be changed and language fields can be altered to suit any dialect. This allows CIDSE-CI to deliver their message across all the various global territories it works in. The widget can be used as a mechanism to appeal to non-core supporters; in particular young people. Overall it allows CIDSE-CI to broaden their audience base, addressing and attracting new supporters to their cause.
This flexibility is enabled by a custom built widget admin system. MOs can also download templates to create artwork and construct microsites to house the campaign widget themselves.
The results
The online campaign is supported by an offline exercise involving the design of postcards to ensure the message is carried through all the different areas of the campaign. The postcards will be used to invite readers to sign the petition on the reverse, adding public support to the political lobbying CIDSE-CI has begun to undertake.
To increase uptake of the toolkit, easy to use guidelines have been produced allowing local MOs to create communication materials that are on-brand and allow maximum creative flexibility.
Nice quote from Lucy Hurn, Campaigns Officer, CAFOD “Working with NixonMcInnes was a really positive experience. We commenced the project with a workshop so that they could get to know our organisation and really understand our needs. They were very flexible and supportive throughout the duration of the campaign; we are very pleased and excited by the end results.”
The first member organizations have recently launched; placing the widget on their site and using the materials we created. Other organizations will be following suit over the coming months. Read more about the campaign launch. See further news.
Want to get involved? Pledge your support today.
Watch this space to see the UK launch of the widget.
