This week, we distill insights around the Half the Sky Movement, which creates awareness about women’s issues and highlights solutions through a stream of transmedia initiatives and social media campaigns. 100+ thinkers and planners within MSLGROUP share and discuss inspiring projects on social data, crowdsourcing, storytelling and citizenship on the MSLGROUP Insights Network. Every week, we pick up one project and do a deep dive into conversations around it -- on the MSLGROUP Insights Network itself but also on the broader social web -- to distill insights and foresights. We share these insights and foresights with you on our People’s Insights blog and compile the best insights from the network and the blog in the iPad-friendly People’s Lab Quarterly Magazine, as a showcase of our capabilities. For more, see: http://peopleslab.mslgroup.com

1. crowdsourcing | storytelling | citizenship | social data
People’s Insights Volume 2, Issue 4
Half the Sky Movement

2. People’s Insights
100+ thinkers and planners within MSL- In 2013, we continue to track inspiring
GROUP share and discuss inspiring proj- projects at the intersection of social data,
ects on social data, crowdsourcing, story- crowdsourcing and storytelling, with a fo-
telling and citizenship on the MSLGROUP cus on projects that are shaping the Future
Insights Network. Every week, we pick up of Citizenship.
one project and curate the conversations
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Volume 2, Issue 4, Future of Half the Sky
January - March, 2013 Citizenship Movement

3. What is the Half the Sky
Movement?
The Half the Sky Movement creates awareness book Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into
about women’s issues and highlights solutions Opportunity for Women Worldwide in 2009,
through a stream of transmedia initiatives and and is supported by celebrity advocates, media
social media campaigns. The movement was partners, NGOs and people who have engaged
launched by journalists Nicholas Kristof and with various initiatives.
Sheryl WuDunn following the success of their
Source: halftheskymovement.org
Most notable is the movement’s focus on providing ways for people to get involved and contribute to
solutions.
Transmedia storytelling approach While the book was initially the heart of the
movement, the stories featured have been
Transmedia programs ensure the movement brought to life through a four hour documentary
reaches a diverse range of people and, as featuring the authors and celebrities America
Magazine’s Randy Astle points out, encourages Ferrera, Diane Lane, Eva Mendes, Meg Ryan,
participation: Gabrielle Union, and Olivia Wilde. The series was
“One of the most intriguing things about broadcast in full on PBS, with excerpts available
transmedia when compared to traditional film, on YouTube and a shortened version available for
particularly documentary, is that through its screening events.
multiple entry points and interactive experiences
it has the potential to more fully engage viewers in
causes. It doesn’t just inspire people to action, in
other words; at its best, it gives them the tools and
initial opportunities to take action then and there.”
Half the Sky uses content to share the stories
of real women, and partners with NGOs and
organizations to create educational material and
engagement opportunities around these stories.
The movement also uses diverse channels, such Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRfDzznfEOU&feature=youtu.be
as exhibitions and social games, to reach new
people,
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4. These stories are also used as an educational
tool. Half the Sky partnered with The
Independent Television Service (ITVS) to create
five lesson plans that complement the stories
and can be used in a classroom setting. Half
the Sky also partnered with women’s health
organization Engender Health to create a chapter
by chapter Reader’s Companion that expands on
the issues raised in the documentary.
In late 2011, Half the Sky created an exhibit to
bring the stories to life with ‘visual art, immersive
sound installations, and interactive experiences.’
In early 2013, Half the Sky launched a Facebook
game that invites people to follow the daily
struggles and life of a fictional character Radhika
and make decisions on her behalf.
Each medium also focuses on driving action. On
YouTube, people are encouraged to donate to
the cause. On Facebook, people are encouraged
to play the game to unlock corporate donations.
Blogger Doreen Anderson commented on the Source: halftheskymovement.org
call to actions in the book:
Half the Sky launched 30 songs in 30 days to
“The last page of the book offers “steps you can reach out to music fans, giving away a song a
take in the next 10 minutes” to make a difference-- day from established and emerging female
so you are not left feeling, Yeah, but what can I DO? musicians in the month leading up to the
In those 10 minutes, my first step was to connect premiere. Musicians were honored to be a part
with KIVA, one of many suggestions on that page, of a good cause, and promoted the campaign on
to begin my involvement with this issue.” their social networks.
Transmedia programs are also used to reach
out to the women who are facing the struggles.
Half the Sky has launched three mobile games
in India and East Africa to educate women about
pregnancy, dangers of intestinal worms and
family choices.
Promoting the documentary
Half the Sky launched a series of campaigns to
reach out to different audiences and build buzz
for the documentary premiere, and created a
Source: kimyadawson.tumblr.com
social TV experience to engage fans during the
premiere. Half the Sky involved celebrities in During the premiere, people were invited to join
both phases of promotion to increase reach. the conversation on social networks (Twitter and
GoodReads) and social TV apps (GetGlue and
Half the Sky launched Hashtagart Mosaic to Yap TV) for the chance to win virtual goodies,
reach out to the Twitter community, inviting them exclusive content, books and DVDs.
to tweet with #HalftheSky to have their profile
photo featured in a virtual mosaic. Natan Edelsburg, Vice President of Sawhorse
Media, commented:
“They used Getglue to allow viewers to earn a
special sticker for watching both nights of the
broadcast. They did this by offering two half
stickers, something that hadn’t been done before
on GetGlue.”
Volume 2, Issue 4, Future of Half the Sky
January - March, 2013 Citizenship Movement

5. According to Kara Tureski, associate director at
non-profit FHI 360:
“All three games use two common models to
achieve social impact—adventure and simulation.
Players are exposed to characters that can serve
as role models, and will be rewarded for positive
actions, such as killing the worms inside their
stomachs or seeking antenatal care. Players also
face choices, such as making decisions that lead to
a delay in marriage and betterment of the family.”
She quotes Asi Burak, co-president of Games for
Source: getglue.com
Change, on why games have potential for driving
social change:
In addition, Kristof, WuDunn, celebrities featured
in the documentary and part organizations live “Social games offer a unique way to reach your
tweeted during the broadcast to create buzz. As audience in a way that is not didactic or preachy.
Mashable’s Zoe Fox points out, the movement By playing a role and making choices, players are
makes good use of its social currency: participating in a rehearsal for life. They experiment
with scenarios and consequences that may be part
“New York Times columnist Kristof, the paper’s of their future, and at the very least, this experience
first blogger and a journalist touted for his early triggers reflection, debate, and a new perspective on
embrace of digital platforms, has more than 1.3 their present situation.”
million followers on Twitter. Two actresses featured
in the documentary have major followings as The Half the Sky social game launched on
well — Gabrielle Union has more than 800,000 March 4, 2013, as “the first Facebook game with
and Olivia Wilde has more than 650,000. These direct virtual to real-life translation.” By playing
influencers’ tweets and use of the #HalftheSky the game, people can unlock donations worth
hashtag are part of a social strategy to drive lasting 500,000 from Johnson & Johnson and Pearson.
conversation.” The game was produced by non-profit Games
for Change and is backed by foundations and
According to Twitter, the launch promotions were corporate sponsors.
quite successful:
“On the day that the first part of the @Half
documentary aired on @PBS, #HalftheSky trended
In the United States. @PBS kept the momentum
going with Promoted Tweets and #HalftheSky
trended worldwide on the day that the second half
aired.”
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_
embedded&v=N6Ahpocmjs0
Source: business.twitter.com/success-stories/pbs Blogger Brandy Shaul summarizes the
gameplay:
Gaming for good
“The Half the Sky Movement game follows fictional
Half the Sky uses mobile and social games to female characters that might be forced to change
drive change at ground level, and to energize their way of thinking or living in order to better
people in the developed world. their own lives, the lives of their children, and
The mobile games were developed in English, more. Quests offer educational content, and for
Hindi and Swahili and were made available for every quest that’s completed, players are given the
free through local mobile app stores. Half the opportunity to donate real money to a matching
Sky also created videos and a short manual to cause (a quest about vaccinations may give players
help NGOs and advocacy groups promote the the chance to donate to a real world vaccination
games in India and East Africa. center, for instance). Play enough, and you’ll unlock
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6. a sponsor gift for free, without actually spending inspire people to drive real change. If successful,
any money.” the game could lead to a boost to the gaming
for good industry and position social gaming as a
Ariel Schwartz, senior editor at Fast Co.Exist,
philanthropic tool.
reflects on the addictive nature of games for
good: Innovative social media
“In some ways, Half the Sky’s game is similar to campaigns
WeTopia, another Facebook game that lets people
donate to nonprofits through gameplay… After In addition to being transmedia savvy, Half the
covering WeTopia on Co.Exist, I became very, very Sky is also very social media savvy, creating
addicted--and I’m not a big Facebook game player innovative campaigns and experimenting with
at all. There’s something gratifying (and yes, emerging tools and platforms.
addictive) about knowing your insignificant actions To create buzz around the launch of the social
on a social network make a real-life difference. That game, Half the Sky challenged people to
will serve Half the Sky well.” participate in a #halfathon on Twitter:
As with the other transmedia programs, the social “Unlike traditional game-a-thons, we are not
game is designed to target new audiences. Indeed, asking that you play for 24 hours consecutively, but
as player Lisa Alcock commented on Facebook: that you recruit as many friends as possible to play
“My 7 year-old son & I are both playing this game in this 24-hour period. The more people play, the
& he was so proud when he got to the point where a more real impact we can make, and all it takes is a
book was donated just because he was playing! He’s 15-minute session to make a difference.”
starting to ask questions about the world & why it’s To boost effectiveness of the campaign, Half the
different in other countries. Thanks for the fun way Sky encouraged people to ‘RSVP’ on Thunderclap,
to raise awareness & start conversations! :)” a service that broadcasts the same message on
Kristof and WuDunn hope to capture 2% of behalf of all supporters at the same time.
the 300 million social gaming audience and to
Source: thunderclap.it
Volume 2, Issue 4, Future of Half the Sky
January - March, 2013 Citizenship Movement

7. On International Women’s Day, Half the Sky
invited Twitter users to participate in Change
Her Story and craft a “collaborative story about
empowering women” on Twitter. 103 people
crafted the life of Radhika, the main character of
the Half the Sky social game.
Half the Sky has also used launched a
crowdfunding program, designed to energize
both supporters of the cause and NGO partners
with leaderboards and incentives. As Blogger
David Cohen notes:
“Viewers can donate to any Half the Sky Movement
charity or their NGO partners via online fundraising
site CrowdRise, with the team raising the most to
be matched by a $20,000 donation.”
Source: facebook.com/halftheskymovement
Source: crowdrise.com/halftheskymovement
The Half the Sky website acts as a central repository for these initiatives and programs, and also acts as a
social advocacy website with information on how people can get involved.
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8. People’s Lab:
Crowdsourcing Innovation & Insights
People’s Lab is MSLGROUP’s proprietary comment on other people’s content and
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Learn more about us at:
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9. For People’s Lab solutions, contact
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