Activism isn’t random. It’s usually highly calculated.
From hijacked language to coordinated disruption, the activist playbook is well-worn — and often underestimated. We unpack the strategies behind the slogans and decode the tactics shaping policy, media and markets. So you can recognize, anticipate and respond to coordinated campaigns. Read on to learn more.
Activist Playbook: Weaponize Reputation
When activists weaponize reputation, the goal isn’t to debate—it’s to make you toxic. In this Activist Playbook edition, we break down how reputation attacks work and why most organizations aren’t ready.
Activist Playbook: Pick a Side
We’re conditioned to see complex issues in black and white: for or against, good or evil. Activists exploit this with a tactic called Condition the Binary — a framing strategy that silences nuance, discredits dissent, and forces public alignment. In this Activist Playbook entry, we break down how it works, why it’s effective, and what leaders must do to avoid losing control of the narrative.
Activist Playbook: Coordinated Targeting
Activist outrage isn’t always organic. Learn how coordinated targeting works—and how leaders can spot the signs, stay strategic, and protect reputation.
Activist Playbook: Pressure Points
Activists don't attack everything. They target your pressure points — brand, board, regulators, funders. It’s about leverage, not outrage. If you don’t know your vulnerabilities, they already do.
Activist Playbook: Arrested for a cause
Getting arrested isn’t always a setback— it can be a strategy. For some activists, it’s a badge of honour, a PR move, or a spark for donations. It’s not disorder. It’s deliberate.
Activist Playbook: The tactics of volume
One voice can be dismissed. A thousand can’t. Activists exploit volume — bots, bodies, and media blitzes — to create the illusion of consensus and urgency. It’s not about truth. It’s about dominance through noise.