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Putting supporters first when Anima puts communication second
Putting supporters first when Anima puts communication second
At the end of 2024, we ended our previous 6-year campaign and changed our identity to become Anima. To make things more spiccier, us and our colleague – who was previously in charge of our communication with supporters – parted ways at the beginning of our cage-free campaign.
In France, Anima has two characteristics that shape our communication:
We are focused on delivering a good campaign
We are focused on delivering a good campaign
We started and we are still focused on building a quality campaign to get companies to implement their cage-free commitments.
Until now, that is about all that mattered. Our 3-person team relies on Anima International's funding and we chose to invest only very little in engagement and capacity building in order to focus on what was essential: research, meetings with companies, organisations and politicians, media work.
We do behind-the-scenes work
We do behind-the-scenes work
No obvious epic battles. No public facing enemies. No horrific investigations. No emotional side campaign "stop dog slaughter in China". No national law to change. Almost only behind-the-scenes corporate outreach and reports where supporters are not immediately needed.
This doesn't make SOC irrelevant, it makes it all the more needed, but I feel it makes my work harder.
Yet, we still wanted to think about the future. A future where we need to connect with as many as our allies in society and mobilise them. Especially as we tackle other targets and area of work, such as broilers, and we play it differently. That's why I was in charge of doing minimal work on engagement and capacity building. As Ola Bujalska famously put it: "When you need the capacity, it's already too late to start building it."
It started in the North
It started in the North
In February 2025, I was visiting my colleague Jan in the harsh north lands of Denmark when he told me about GIG. I was young and innocent, and I said I would apply to join.
What SOC changed in practice
What SOC changed in practice
A different mindset
A different mindset
Using SOC is weird. My brain fights it. But I'm getting progressively better. Below is what I've learned.
SOC in action
SOC in action
I'll show you what I changed in our communication, what I'm failing at and what I plan to do.
A different mindset
A different mindset
I didn't want to use SOC.
Instinctively, I want to speak about what Anima is doing, provide figures, share insights about the industries we influence, explain how efficient we are. I want to write factual emails. Warmth and the expression of emotions don't come to me easily. To me, SOC is not natural. It's not comfy. Part of the journey is to try adopting a different mindset.Embracing and looking forwards to feeling the cringe.
A friend working for another organisation started telling me that my emails were cringe. When I was writing them, it also felt that way. Part of me was thinking: surely, supporters will notice something is off. I started associating this feeling with the fact that I was on the right path.My supporters are not all effective altruists.
Part of our supporters are. But I think I was tacitly assuming that our standard supporter was an effective altruist. Actually, my typical supporter is a human being who likes to be inspired, empowered and enabled. Whether they are effective altruists or not. Our communication is not being carefully evaluated by some kind of omniscient and rational half-god (that being only exists in my imagination).Notice when other orgs don't use SOC.
I started to spot when other organisations ❌ talk about themselves, ❌ about what matters for them, ❌ to some kind of passive witness and ❌ explaining their plan to them. It's easier to spot in others than oneself, but it can help open one's eyes.
SOC in action
SOC in action
Emails before vs. now
Emails before vs. now
Formal "you"
Formal "you"
ℹ️🥖🇫🇷 In French, there are two ways of saying "you". One is for friends, family, same age people and close colleagues. The other is for people you don't know well, older people or people higher in the hierarchy.
Two other French pro-animal organisations, L214 and CIWF, use the latter in their communication. It's the standard. In 2025, I decided to use the informal you because it fits better with SOC.
At the end of my first email from the welcome automation, I added this line "P.S.: I've chosen to address you informally, because we share an important fight. Don't hesitate to let me know if you'd rather I didn't! "
Nobody complained. 5 people wrote back that it was fine. Now, my emails read more personal and less like an institution or an administration talking to you.
Our website and posts on Meta also use the informal you.
You in the team
You in the team
"You" is part of the team section on our website. Several told me it's cringe. It's a good sign (right?).
"Anima" is not in the conversion or donation pages
"Anima" is not in the conversion or donation pages
On our website, on the conversion page and donation page, I removed Anima. I tried to put "you" at the center of the change. Here are the translations:
Hens are locked up for life, denied the ability to move, spread their wings, or find a place apart.
You are the person who can get them out of their cages.
By signing up, you will be at the heart of the movement to help them. You will be able to seize opportunities to act and tip the balance in favour of animals, and receive updates on campaign progress.
Free the hens from cages
By making a donation, you will directly contribute to eliminating eggs from caged hens in supermarkets, canteens, and food factories. Your support will provide the essential momentum for the necessary actions and campaigns.
Donate now and help hens be able to move around and spread their wings.
Limitations and areas of progress
Limitations and areas of progress
Make our supporters heroes.
My emails don't convey well this idea. I need to:
look at what other GIG organisations are doing on this aspect
make it clearer in my mind so it's clearer in my emails (=convince myself more)
Our website is not SOC-proof.
Far from it.
There are mentions of "Anima".
Overall, I can see remnants of "us Anima / you the supporter".
Our about Anima and what's our goal pages are totally not SOC.
I still write our news articles too much like small activity reports.
Our social media have not changed yet.
I will use SOC the best I can from now on.
I don't know if SOC is better.
I believe it is but I don't know it is. Experienced people say it is and I believe them. The idea is compelling. But the idea would be more powerful in me if I could A/B test it firsthand and it would probably make me better at it.
I lack time and practice.
This is more structural but it shapes the way I use SOC. I have very limited time to spend on talking to our supporters which gives me fewer occasions to improve.
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