Social campaigns have ‘too much technical jargon and not enough humanity’

Harrison is clear that if the message fails to resonate on a personal level, it won’t motivate people to take action and shares with Duncan the story of how WRTHY was founded and the mission that keeps it moving forward.

“We wanted to merge different skill sets coming from the worlds of policy, entertainment, marketing and advertising to try and accelerate progress on social issues,” she says. “We felt there was a gap in the way campaigns were being approached – too much technical jargon, not enough humanity. Our goal is to humanize these social issues so people see them not as distant problems but as issues that impact real individuals in relatable ways. By using creative engagement, storytelling and strategic advocacy, we’re making these complex topics accessible to everyday people who want to make a difference but don’t know where to start.”

For WRTHY, translating complex policy issues into something relatable is not just a strategy; it’s an absolute necessity, explains Harrison. “If people can’t see the human side of a policy, it’s incredibly hard to make them feel invested enough to act. We need to take people on that journey from awareness to empathy and finally to action; otherwise, it’s just noise.”

The success of WRTHY work hinges on its ability to operate both inside and outside political systems – using public advocacy to apply pressure while collaborating with political champions to push legislative action. Harrison describes how WRTHY’s dual approach helped the Stop CSAM Act make headway, working with ChildFund and Senator Dick Durbin to bring about legislative accountability.

“It’s about having a political champion on the inside," says Harrison, "someone who has a bill they want to push through or who is passionate about an issue and coupling that with a groundswell of public support. When you can have both – the influence inside the room where decisions are made and the power of thousands of voices calling for change from the outside – that’s when you start to see real progress. Our work with ChildFund International, who where rallying support for Senator Dick Durbin's Stop CSAM Act was about building that coalition."

Harrison speaks candidly about the challenges in driving real engagement, noting that even getting people to take even small actions, such as signing a petition, is becoming increasingly difficult. She says: “Getting people to sign a petition these days is almost impossible. People are bombarded with asks and they’re cautious about how they spend their time and energy. That’s why we’ve focused on making it as easy as possible for people to take meaningful action. With our X widget, for example, people could tweet directly at political leaders with a pre-populated message. It took literally seconds, but it made them feel like they were part of the movement. This is what we mean by reducing the friction between intent and action. If we want engagement, we have to meet people where they are. Make it easy, make it quick and make it feel impactful. The fewer barriers there are, the more likely people will be to step up and participate. It’s not about huge leaps; it’s about lowering the threshold for action and then building on that momentum.”

WRTHY’s campaigns span critical issues such as gender equality, climate justice, online child sexual abuse and reproductive health and, as Harrison explains, its work is about tangible impact, even if that impact isn’t always straightforward.

“We look for those big shifts,” Harrison says, explaining that sometimes success isn’t about immediate legislative wins, but rather about changing public conversation or shifting perceptions. “It’s often about getting people to start talking differently about an issue – maybe it’s about shifting the narrative, or maybe it’s about normalizing a topic that’s been taboo for too long. We know progress can be frustratingly slow, but those incremental shifts matter. When we worked on the CSAM campaign, just getting people to understand that tech companies have a role in child protection was huge. These aren’t overnight changes; they’re small but critical steps that lay the groundwork for bigger wins down the line. While progress can be slow, even a small sign of change can be significant. It can mean hope for the future and hope can be an incredibly powerful motivator.”

Harrison outlines how WRTHY's ability to use creative strategies to humanize complex issues and blend marketing tactics with a deep understanding of policy and human behavior is driving real societal change.

She says: “Creativity can help people see issues in new ways and feel like they can do something about it. That’s what keeps me passionate about working in this space. We have this ability to take something complicated – something that people might otherwise avoid thinking about – and turn it into a story that resonates. It’s about taking that first step, giving people an entry point. If we can do that, then we’ve got a chance of moving them from empathy to action. The power to simplify the complex and turn distant policy issues into relatable human stories is what defines WRTHY’s approach and gives it the potential to impact the social issues that matter most today.