I want to share my thoughts on the latest news on KONY 2012. If you recall, the objective of the video was "to make Kony famous," an effort which "will culminate on one day: April 20, when we 'cover the night.' This is the day we will meet at sundown and blanket every street in every city [with Stop-Kony propaganda]."
Well, April 20 has come and gone and barely anything can be heard of KONY 2012 online. According to recent news (1 | 2 | 3) , not much has happened in the physical world either, with only a handful of volunteers showing up in each aforementioned city.
How did the most successful viral video of all time become such an on-ground flop?
The Backlash
Almost immediately after the video's release, word began to spread that the campaign was a scam. Turns out critics were right in saying that most KONY 2012 supporters were slacktivists. If their opinions can be easily swayed by a flashy video, then it can be reversed just as easily by well-written articles.
To Little, Too Late
As a response to said backlash, a second video was produced. Unfortunately, to quote BBC's Sherlock, "He planted that doubt in her head... You can’t kill an idea, can you? Not once it’s made a home there." Despite reaching 1.9 million views in 3 weeks, KONY 2012: Part II failed to make the same impact as the original.
Lack of Leadership
IMO, the PR team should have spent less on making a second video and more on planting volunteers to act as rally leaders in high-profile cities like New York and LA. Imagine if there was a persistent and passionate KONY 2012 representative in your city, proactively encouraging you to join the protest. I'd sooner listen to that than a couple of university students with extra time on their hands (no offense).
Seriously? On 420?
Last but not the least -- why April 20? Because it's easy to remember? Because there would already be large crowds of people at a common venue? Because they wanted to capitalize on every city's resident stoners? This Tweet says it all:
It just goes to show that just because something is successful online, doesn't mean it will translate well offline. Part I may have been highly effective in getting people to talk, but Part II (arguably the more important half) failed in getting people to do. And that, my friends, is the problem with online activism -- it's easier clicked than done.
Til then,
Mae
cool. how true.
ReplyDeletei'm still reading your blog and it's getting funnier :) good job!
ReplyDeletefyi, the week of the scheduled cover the night, invisible children uploaded 5 mini videos each day to pump people up a little more and to share some updates. but yes, they did spend too much time making digital campaigns than getting real people out there.
Yay! I'm actively trying to make it less jargony and more reader friendly!
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