Tag Archives: Call to action

You deserve it: Celebrate your wins with short film

Entrepreneurs and social innovators, myself included, are often criticized for not stopping to celebrate along their journeys. Sometimes our minds are so focused on the long-term outcome that we can skip over the wins along the way.

Here’s a good example from the Environmental Working Group (EWG) of how to celebrate a victory with a short film. EWG is on a compaign to get all food corporations to label genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in their products. They’re still a long ways away from the finish line, but four major food companies – ConAgra Foods, Kellogg’s, General Mills and Mars, Inc. – just came out in support of this goal, as did Campbell’s Soup back in January. That’s a big deal and a key accomplishment for EWG.

Hats off for celebrating with this upbeat and punchy video that will help to further spread the news and encourage EWG’s supporters. Here are 3 things the video did well:

  1. They personalized the message for their audience – i.e. thanks to “activists like you”
  2. They showed a tone of inclusiveness rather than one of polarization, the latter of which is so common these days. By acknowledging the corporations’ initial movements in the direction they were hoping for, and positioning them in a positive light in front of their audience (Thanks!! Good work! Yippie!), they sent a positive, encouraging signal to everyone.
  3. They added a clear call to action. This is important with celebratory videos so that the celebration continues to advance your mission. Here EWG invited the audience to thank the companies with the hashtag #GMKnow.