The Dark Snow Project: a hybrid research communication program

Abstract:

The Dark Snow Project, to crowd fund and communicate Greenland ice-climate interactions expedition research, was a baptism by fire climate communications venture. We did it without a guide book and ran on pure inspiration. Along the way, we acquired quite some of the communication skill set: marketing; social psychology; crowd funding; conventional media; video production; social media.

The aim of this presentation is to inventory lessons learned, experience, and resolve recommendations how to do it better for those adventurous enough to do a crowd funded actvity. Key themes are amplifying basic research, engagement in citizen science, outreach, communication.

Quickly, one begins thinking of success tactics, like launching news on a Monday instead of a Saturday or keeping the conversation going by telling the story from different and evolving perspectives. The experience taught that unconventional funding is harder won than conventional funding. Yet, because the support came from unconventional sources, the public, we began tapping a large resource in citizen science engagement. If having a compelling call to action such a campaign can be a significant source of sustain. What had also proven difficult was doing it with a small team when each of the following skills demands a larger group; running a media campaign; logistics; video recording and editing; social media promotion; conventional media engagement. The issue and brand awareness grows in a snowball effect encouraging us to run successive annual campaigns.

Now in third year, the project can be more effective if upscaling from a single to a multi-cell organization.