Wondering what I CISC means? It simply means I create and influence for social change. Sound interesting? Let me tell you all about it. Recently, I was ruminating on the drivers for social change and sustainable development and an intriguing element popped at me and it birthed this article. Interestingly, I shared a brief snippet in an article before now. If you haven’t read my open letter to NGOs, then you should asap. You can find it here https://centuryfavour.com/2018/11/06/dear-ngo-convince-me-to-care-about-the-sdgs/

Any frequent visitor to this blog likely has the impression that I am keen on strategy, entrepreneurship, sustainable development, but in addition to these hats, I also wear the hat of a creative and one key problem I’ve observed is the idea that for us to actually inspire people to take action on the sustainable development goals, it’s important for us to start thinking about using our skills and abilities to create and influence social change. Creators play a key role in creating advocacy campaign content and there is a huge potential in leveraging the power of influencers in driving social change.

First, let’s examine why it is essential to promote the role of creators and influencers;

Urgent Need & Impact

Development challenges, realities of insurgency & insecurity, corruption, dismal outcomes and a host of other social problems abound in our country. As such, there is a need to drive and push action for social change and development from all angles. As our world evolves, we see that there is room for more drivers for development, beyond the traditional drivers of the government and non-profit sector, we see the role the media has to play.                                                                                                                 

In the past, brands and advertisers influenced product sales but in treading the path of possibilities that digital media has opened up to us, brands now leverage on the power of influencers to influence consumer behaviour in favour of sales. In the same vein, I think influencers and creators (music, art, beauty, etc.) as a result of their relatable quality and large following or fan base, possess unlimited potential to endorse social change initiatives, inspire their subscriber base to action around issue awareness, policy formulation, advocacy and social change and unify voices in the drive for social change.

Avenue for Career Growth

As a creative artist I have come to realize that if you create work that’s riding on a cause or creating awareness for a social issue, there’s a wider audience that can connect and engage it. At the end of the day, your talents gains you increased visibility, economic benefits, in addition to the sense of accomplishment that comes with driving social change.

The results of creating for social change can be capitalist because it not only is the best use of your time, it also opens you up to more opportunities. As such, your content/creative abilities beyond just functioning as an instrument for change can actually work for the benefit of your career growth.

As an economic venture, driving social change can be profitable. An example is Dove’s Beauty for Real ad campaign, a worldwide marketing campaign launched in 2004, comprising advertisements, video, forensic sketch videos, a play production and a book publication that were designed to address the perception of beauty, celebrate the natural variety of body types and shapes and inspire confidence in women to feel comfortable in their skin.

When you think about it, society is easily influenced by the trends and actions of people in our immediate communities. It’s basic sociology. A movie can drive the transformation of a generation, a piece of art can do the same for a demographic bracket, a song can kick-start a revolution for change or accountability. Media consumption plays a key role in reinforcing pop culture as well. So, we must take advantage of its power for social good.

Interested in how I’m CISC-ing as a creative?

Here’s how; my organization, Endgame-The Strategy Company provides strategic communications support inclusive of website design, promotionals, content development etc. for DO-Take Action, an NGO established to inspire, empower and amplify individuals and communities to take action for sustainable development.

There are other key case studies of how creators have inspired change; In March this year, a collaboration between Google and Common Ground- an initiative of the world’s six largest advertising groups leveraged on the power of global influencers and the YouTube platform in the US, UK, Nigeria, India etc. to mobilize people to carry out 2 billion acts of good and contribute to ending poverty, reducing inequalities and tackling climate change with little acts.

I sincerely believe it’s time for creators to start seeing themselves as not just people who create to entertain, but people who create to cause change.

Dear Influencer, Creative, Entrepreneur, can we take up the dare to make strategic use of our influence for social change?

I, Century Favour have decided to CISC, you too can!