I chose to analyze the Fargo Moorhead Humane Society’s video for Giving Heart’s Day 2013. Being an animal lover by nature, the video intrigued me. It was heart warming and at the same time heart-wreching to see an animal filled with so much happiness, unable to find a forever home or possibly not have funding for her conditions expenses. (Hence, why her owners surrendered her.) This is a good factor to have in an organization because it is simply stating the issue of what is being done and what needs to be done. The video highlights Esperanza, a dog who was born paralyzed due to spinal cord damage, needs a little extra care. The video then goes into Esperanza scooting along and trying to walk. For starters, being an animal lover, it didn’t take much for me to feel touched by this video. The author of the page could have simply showed a picture of a fluffy kitten and I would have been sold. But anyways, back to the story at hand..
In the video, you can actually see Esperanza and her struggles with every day life. This main factor is a strong point of the video because it projects compassion and sympathy twords the audience. According to Mansfield, non profits have been doing this for decades. (116) The act of portraying sorrow and grief are successful because it is a real, every day emotion that people can relate with. It was also a good idea for the creator of the video to choose Esperanza to highlight because she would possibly be one who would be more difficult to find a home for or to provide funding to help with her condition. In my opinion, most people going to a shelter to find an animal would most likely choose a younger, healthy animal. Those animals will most likely find homes more easily, but Esperanza NEEDS a new home and funding to assist with her condition.
This video hits all the “seven guidelines for telling your organizations story” exactly. http://mission-minded.com/blog/the-7-guidelines-for-telling-your-organizations-story/ (#EC457 should have all read this link by now but I am posting it again because it is a great link!) The creator knew the audience of visitors would have most likely been animal lovers, like myself, and she captured that opportunity and seized it by highlighting her most special person (animal) who is currently at the shelter and in desperate need of family and a comforting home. The creator also remind people of the problem at hand. The problem of finding homes for genuinely, happy animals who just want to be loved. She also focused on benefits rather than features of the organization. If you donate, you will be benefiting Esperanza directly to help with her special medical costs. You will also be contributing to helping animals find their forever homes by donating to have all the animals to be properly vaccinated so they are kept healthy to adopt. The creator also keeps the video simple, while engaging the reader/viewer. She engages the reader by showing Esperanza and her daily activities and how much she struggles to try to walk. I also like to idea of having Esperanza actually telling her own story. It makes her appear more human-like and imagine this is what she would be saying if she could speak. Avid animal lover like myself, tend to think their animals are part of the family, almost,or possibly, even human. The creator is also consistence with the theme of “special” and “not giving up hope” while highlighting people (animals) and not the actual program of the Humane Society.
Fargo Moorhead’s Humane Society also has a website. http://www.humanesocietyfargomoorhead.org/ This page gives an even better example of social media and networking along with Esperanza video. The first image you see upon entering the page is a big ” Giving Hearts Day success” and then across the screen, letters of thank you to the donors which coincides with a big picture of a dog who appears to be smiling. The site then states to have raised over 57,000 in matched donations in Giving Hearts Day. The next thing you see is Esperanza’s video. Still images are used in the site. The images do the site justice because the picture of the happy dog, makes the audience delighted to see his happiness of the donations received. At first, I didn’t really care for the picture of the cat in the beginning of the page, but being an animal lover, I know all cats really do look as sassy as the picture is portrayed. So, realistically, the image is fitting. I also liked the fact that the organization highlights a “featured pet” That has a little Bio of how long s/he has been in the shelter. This factor is nice because it lets the audience know, which animals really, really, need homes.
The Fargo Moorhead Humane Society’s Facebook page has 6809 likes. They also do have a Twitter account with 674 followers. Obviously, Facebook has more viewers than twitter, but why? I think it is because I, myself had a hard time finding the twitter page. I am honestly not too tech savvy, but I know how to navigate my way around Facebook a little more than twitter. From comparing both social media outlets, it appears thousands of other Fargo Moorhead people either had a hard time finding them online as well as I did, or the Humane Society of Fargo Moorhead is not in that area of social media quite yet. Which ever the issue the Humane Society of Fargo Moorhead have great Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube sites.
Overall, The video and the web site where good and hit many high points of getting the message out there of helping animals receive help and hope.
Feel free to stop by my twitter page. (I did a “plug” for the Humane Society in honor of Giving Hearts Day and Valentines Day :)) https://twitter.com/hdumarce557
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