By Arielle Reid, SWAN

December 17, the International Day to End Violence against Sex Workers is round the corner and all SWAN members are planning some sort of action. Some of us are preparing massive public campaigns, some are planning distribution of Declaration of right of sex workers, in some places there will be parties for sex workers, or red umbrella marches. Here are some simple campaigning ideas that do not cost much and can have strong echo in the society.

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There are a myriad of ways that a message can be made public; a little creativity can go a long way, which is the essence of guerrilla marketing.

Pick your target audience: While ideally it would be great if a message could reach everyone, it is not realistically possible. By focusing on one or two identifiable groups (career women, pensioners, ‘young people’, conservatives, liberals, etc…) it is easier to ensure that the impact of a message will be stronger.

E.g. - During an election year, politicians make excellent targets for campaigns. While campaign promises never come about the way they are promised, there is little or nothing to lose by talking to your local representative when s/he is up for re-election or to potential candidates looking to win a new seat.

Sensitising chambers of commerce or professional associations might be an interesting avenue to follow up on as well.

Pick campaign partners: Never assume that no one but you has a vested interest in what you are fighting for. Organisations may have ‘permanent’ coalition partners or sister organizations that can be depended on for support and collaboration. However, shopping around an idea or a campaign and framing it in a way that would or could interest other members of civil society shows that the issue being discussed is hardly ‘marginal’ or ‘unimportant’.

There is strength in numbers and that speaks volumes symbolically. Even if you pick non-traditional coalition or campaign partners who might have diverging views on aspects of the work your organisation does, it is still worth the effort to see if they can put their differences aside and work with you on a SPECIFIC campaign or action with a very SPECIFIC message.

E.g.: pensioners and war veterans are often marginal in public debates and are not consulted. A campaign framed as a social struggle that is supported by those who fought for freedom, a better society ect. in their day, makes for a strong statement and makes the message appear less marginal and more socially relevant.

Organisations working for marginal groups (migrant workers, prisoner’s rights, HIV/AIDS advocacy, Amnesty international and Doctors Without Borders, public health organisations, sex education organisations and ‘gay’ lobby organisations) might have campaigns that you could collaborate with and may be interested in tying in one of their campaigns with your specific action.

Given that most people assume sex work is gender or sexual orientation specific (aka women and gay men), teaming up with organisations fighting violence against women and homophobia might make for a fruitful campaign.

Don’t ignore commercial businesses or thriving sub-cultures! Tattoo parlours, piercing studios, strip clubs (depending on your region be careful – mafia owned establishments might not be the best places to approach) to name a few, might be willing to distribute materials or publicise your organisation.

Researchers are wonderful! Local universities and colleges are full of people studying all sorts of things and your organisations could easily help them do field research, gather statistics or arrange interviews. By making yourself available to researchers writing on a topic that touches a specific campaign or your area of social activism, it not only provides you with free publicity but also helps you reach academia, the ivory tower of civil society.

Media: The media is often a double-edged sword. In many ways, what is depicted can make the difference between a successful campaign and a not so successful one depends on the type of coverage your event gets. Cultivate one or two contacts in as many media sources as possible. Find people who are open and sympathetic to your cause. See them as a means to get your message out to the public. Do not overlook alternative sources of media, independent or small local media either. While larger, national media sources might pass on a local story - no matter how interesting - to report on a ‘bigger’ story, smaller, independent and local media outlets may be more willing to divert resources to cover your campaign.

Pull off a media stunt: unfurl a banner on a public building, bridge or high-traffic area; place masks of political adversaries on a herd of donkeys/sheep and marching them through the city (include a catchy slogan like “don’t be an ASS” or “step away from the herd… support our cause”); throw a fundraising event or celebration (gala, masquerade ball, charity auction, a party at a local club/bar, street carnival, memorial, public exhibition, etc...) and make sure to send out a press release to invite the media to take part.

Pick strong and interesting symbols/images: The hardest thing about any campaign is playing with the appearance of legitimacy and getting people to care. Pick symbols, images and actions that resonate with the general public - that not only ties into your target audience but also ties into larger social struggles or issues regardless of what they are. Using cultural, historical or religious imagery as ‘currency’ can help to ‘sell’ your message to the public. If you do this in conjunction with a coalition partner that makes regular use of such currency, the danger of backlash or scandal can be lessened.

Saint Nicholas (December 6th) is said to be the patron saint of prostitutes. Marching around with his icon on that day would definitely make for very striking imagery.

Candle light vigils at night always make for striking imagery. Line a busy boulevard with candles that the public can light in support for ending violence against women, homosexuals, or some other cause. Public participation in your event will touch many of the people who participate but also provide visual conception to the issue you wish to draw attention to (imagine a kilometre of candles representing a public stand against social ills… what power!)

Other:

Make use of the arts! Commission work by a local artist[s] on the face of sex work for example or put a local band on a flat-bed truck in a public space or drive them across the city and let their talent help you get the word out! Often office buildings keep their lights on at night: pay the staff to turn on the lights and create a logo with the lights.

Simple ideas:

If you want to put up posters in public, wheat paste is one of the cheapest and easiest ways to get your logo or poster to stick to surfaces. Here is what you need to do:

Prepare 1 cup (2.4 dl) of very hot water. Make a thin mixture of 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of white flour and cold water (just enough to wet all the flour and make it liquid enough to pour). Pour the cold mixture slowly into the hot water while stirring constantly. Bring to a boil. When it thickens, allow to cool. Smear on like any other glue. For slightly better strength, add 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of sugar after the glue is thickened. After using a portion, reheat the remaining in a covered jar or container to sterilize it for storage or keep refrigerated. If wheat flour is not available, other flours will work.

Chalk drawings and designs work well for pavement. Write your message or draw your logo on the pavement. Take a can of hairspray and cover your masterpiece with a layer of hairspray. This will ensure that normal pedestrian wear and tear will not destroy what you have created and will make it last a bit longer if there is rain or snow.

Banners are easy to make and very effective. You can make a banner out of paper or cloth and sticks it on wood/metal poles. Write a message on the banner with marker or paint and attach the material to the wood or metal poles.

Talk to people one on on – handing out pamphlets or stickers in a public place might yield more that you would expect. Taking two minutes to explain to a person what you need them to be aware of not only gives you a better idea of what the public thinks of your campaign but will help you anticipate questions, worries or comments and be better prepared.

Useful websites:

http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=671

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_nicholas

http://www.takebackthenight.org/

http://weburbanist.com/2008/07/01/what-is-guerrilla-marketing/