1.2 Positive Value Map

The first step of the narrative change planning process – Find a focus and opening - consists of five elements that guide you in the development of a campaign strategy. On this page, we focus on the second element – Positive value map.

1. Target middle segment(s) & current frames/positions
2. Positive value map
3. Narrative space for your campaign 
4. Opportunity or opening
5. Feasible campaign objectives

Elements 2, 3 and 4 in step 1 are interrelated and go together as a block: In order to arrive at a resonant space that engages the middle, campaigners need to: 

1. Map out the positive values that the target audience sees themselves promoting or defending in their views (1.2); 
2. Find a value overlap and choose a narrative space that is a suitable appeal for the organisation running the campaign (1.3); and
3. which connects to an identified upcoming debate or event (1.4).

We’ve devised the three elements as an iterative funnelling process, as the diagram indicates:

To move towards a suitable value overlap with your middle segment(s), you first need to better understand their values in the debate and see if you can find a suitable opening. The following task provides a step by step approach to build a positive value map of your target segments.

Map out the positive values that your target segment(s) holds in the debate.

In seeking to build an engaging opening with target segment(s), your starting point is developing a positive message that resonates both with your values and those in your target middle segment, i.e. finding a value overlap. In our experience working with campaigners, it is often difficult to get positive about a group of people whose views you, at minimum, have reservations about. This can be amplified after analysing the polling research as it often just confirms doubts (even though it may also reveal some positive surprises). So, the first challenge is to understand the more positive values your target segment(s) promote or defend as part of these debates.  

In one of our workshops, we came up with a technique that facilitates mapping out a positive self-concept that your target segment holds in the debate. The idea for this activity is grounded in the simple fact is that in order to have self-esteem in general, we all need to have a self-concept of ourselves as a good person. To apply this to the migration debate, it means that all segments in the migrations debate will resolve their position to see themselves as good and worthy. 

Assuming this positive self-concept for your target middle segment, look at the core arguments they use and consider the positive values they would say they hold in the debate. In our workshop, we used a self-aspirational value analysis exercise to open out this thinking, and asked campaigners to look at a long list of positive values and consider which ones the target segment would say they are promoting or defending in their positions in the debate. We then got participants to group the values they choose and give the group a title. Working with the Economic Pragmatists segment in Germany, the following table is one example of a positive self-concept value map1 :

Figure 3 - Sample positive self-concept value map
 

So, you can immediately see that this mapping activity has opened the door to a positive value space where there are lots of options from which you can build a positive message that you know has a decent chance of resonating with your target segment. 
 

• Which positive values can you identify for your target segment, i.e. that they would say they are prompting or defending in their migration positions? Use this self-aspirational list of values to prompt thinking if you wish. 
• Can you group these values and label each category? 
• Can you initially see a potential value overlap with those identified in the positive-self mapping of your target segment(s)? 

<< 1.1 - 1.3 >>

• 1generated in an ICPA workshop in Berlin, March 2018