This is a fairly comprehensive article that brings together the processes, approaches, and methods I have commonly used in conservation communications in Vietnam. Everything shared here is drawn from the practical knowledge I have accumulated through conversations, hands-on work, experimentation, and continuous learning across a range of conservation projects and campaigns.

A significant part of what I know today has been shaped by the opportunity to work alongside experienced practitioners, organizations, local communities, subject-matter experts, and colleagues in the field. In addition, I have benefited greatly from professional training programs, academic research, and discussions both within Vietnam and internationally, including through WildAid and the many mentors and colleagues who have generously shared their knowledge with me. I do not claim that this is a universal framework or a one-size-fits-all formula. Rather, I hope the ideas presented here will offer a useful reference point for anyone interested in Conservation Marketing & Communications Professional (Conservation MarCom Professional or CMCP) or seeking to better understand the process of designing and implementing effective communication campaigns.

Although communication trends, public behavior, government policies, and the algorithms of social media platforms continue to evolve, CMCPs in Vietnam must constantly adapt to shifting political contexts, media regulations, and the development priorities of each period. At the same time, there will always be opportunities to engage the public if we have a solid understanding of the fundamental principles of marketing and communications, remain grounded in local contexts, and continuously strengthen our professional knowledge and skills. I hope you will find valuable insights and practical takeaways throughout this sharing post.

WHO MAY FIND THIS GUIDE USEFUL

• Anyone interested in learning more about conservation communications.
• People who are new to working in conservation, environmental, or community development organizations and have limited experience in communication.
• Project staff, communication officers, students, or early-career professionals looking for a practical overview of the role of communication in conservation and how communication campaigns are developed and implemented.
• Experienced practitioners who would like to compare approaches, exchange ideas, and reflect on different ways of thinking about conservation communication.

I. CONSERVATION COMMUNICATION: BUILDING A STRONG FOUNDATION

Before exploring communication strategies and campaign planning, it’s important to first understand what conservation communication is.

To me, in its simplest form, conservation communication is the strategic use of communication to inform, engage, and inspire people to take meaningful action for wildlife, biodiversity, natural resources, and the environment. 

Because every conservation issue is different, there is no single communication approach that works in every situation. The tools, channels, and strategies we use should always reflect the objectives, audiences, and local context of each campaign.

From my experience, effective CMCPs need more than strong storytelling or marketing skills. They also need a broad understanding of conservation itself and the social, political, and cultural contexts surrounding it.

Knowledge CMCPs Should Have

1. Knowledge of communication and marketing: This includes communications, marketing, digital communications, digital marketing, monitoring and evaluation (M&E), design, and related fields.
2. Knowledge of conservation: This includes biodiversity, ecology, species interactions, wildlife and priority conservation species, conservation status, environmental issues, conflicts between development and conservation, and related topics.
3. Knowledge of national and international policies and legal frameworks relevant to conservation work: For example: the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Environmental Protection Law, the Forestry Law, the Criminal Code (environmental and wildlife-related crimes), Decree No. 84/2021/ND-CP amending Decree No. 06/2019/ND-CP, Decree No. 160/2013/ND-CP, Decree No. 64/2019/ND-CP, and other relevant regulations.
4. Knowledge of target audiences and public behavior: Understanding different audience groups and how they perceive, respond to, and engage with conservation issues.
5. Knowledge of social psychology and Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC): This knowledge should be continuously updated over time, as markets and social psychology are constantly evolving. We should not rely solely on existing frameworks or previous knowledge.
6. Knowledge of the legal and regulatory requirements applicable to conservation organizations (NGOs/NPOs): Particularly the legal provisions under Decree No. 58/2022/ND-CP.

Core Skills

1. Research and information-gathering skills: The ability to conduct research, collect information, and use appropriate research methods and data collection tools to develop communication campaigns that are logical, evidence-based, and supported by clear monitoring and evaluation frameworks to measure the impact of every campaign.
2. Communication, teamwork, and networking skills: The ability to communicate effectively, work collaboratively, and build professional networks with media partners, stakeholders, and local communities.
3. Digital communication and platform management skills: The ability to manage multimedia platforms, social media channels, and appropriate AI tools that support communication activities.
4. Writing, editing, and storytelling skills: The ability to write, edit content, and develop compelling stories that effectively communicate conservation messages.
5. Grant writing skills: The ability to write grant proposals that clearly demonstrate the role of communication within conservation programs. Grant proposals should show that communication is a key intervention designed to achieve conservation objectives, rather than merely a supporting activity.
6. Creative thinking and innovation: The ability to think creatively and develop innovative ideas and communication approaches.

Essential Qualities

• A strong sense of social responsibility, ensuring that all information communicated is accurate, truthful, and beneficial to both communities and the environment.
• A commitment to lifelong learning and continuously updating knowledge in both conservation and communication.
• Scientific thinking, with respect for evidence and data. Avoid manipulating or presenting overly “positive” figures simply to make campaign reports look more impressive or to attract funding.
• Creativity and a willingness to explore new approaches to engage and inspire audiences.

II. THE A–Z PROCESS OF DEVELOPING A CONSERVATION COMMUNICATION CAMPAIGN

STEP 1: DEFINE THE PROBLEM

A strong campaign idea rarely comes from a sudden burst of inspiration. More often, it begins with asking the right questions, analyzing the problem thoroughly, and understanding exactly who the campaign aims to influence.

At this stage, we should answer a series of questions, starting from the broadest to the most specific, such as:

• What problem are we trying to address?
• Can this problem actually be solved?
• Are CMCPs the right people to address it?
• What are the root causes of the problem?
• Who is contributing to the problem?
• Who would support this campaign?
• Who is the target audience?
• Which groups might the campaign positively or negatively affect?

Recommended Resource

To help structure the brainstorming process and develop more effective campaign ideas, I recommend referring to the resource below. It is one of the frameworks I have personally used to organize ideas, identify insights, define target audiences, and shape campaign strategies.

However, depending on your team and the context of your project, you may adapt or simplify the framework to avoid spending excessive time on brainstorming or allowing brainstorming sessions to become unnecessarily lengthy. 

📖 Campaign Planning & Brainstorming Toolkit by MobLab – DEFINE

STEP 2: DISCOVER INSIGHTS (Research and Information Gathering)

Throughout my work, I often come across comments such as the following:

“We already know our audience well enough, so there’s no need to conduct further research.”

“That activity worked well because people responded positively, let’s just do it again.”

“We’re in communications. As long as something has the potential to go viral, why spend time on research?”

Because of these assumptions, many campaigns begin with a slogan, a visual concept, an event idea, or a video concept before anyone has clearly defined what problem the campaign is trying to solve or established a systematic planning process. 

For me, research is a non-negotiable step and one of the most important stages before launching any communication campaign. Unfortunately, it is also one of the most overlooked steps, particularly within organizations that underestimate the value of communications or allocate very limited budgets to communication activities.

In conservation communication, research is not merely a procedural requirement—it is the foundation that determines the quality of an entire campaign. When planned appropriately within the available budget, research provides the strongest evidence for answering the “impact” questions commonly raised by donors. A creative idea may capture people’s attention temporarily, but only sound research can ensure that a campaign is addressing the right problem, reaching the right audience through the right channels, and incorporating appropriate methods for monitoring and evaluating its effectiveness.

Types of Research

The type of research you conduct will depend on the objectives of your campaign, its duration, your organization’s capacity, the target audience, and the communication channels you intend to use. Below are several research approaches that may be useful. You should determine which ones are most appropriate for your campaign. Today, AI-assisted research tools such as Deep Research, together with critical appraisal frameworks such as the CRAAP Test and CASP (Critical Appraisal Skills Programme), can also support literature review and research quality assessment.

Type 1: Status Reports

Recent reports (preferably published within the last three to five years) produced by reputable conservation organizations. Examples include publications from the Wildlife Justice Commission, TRAFFIC, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), IUCN, and other credible organizations.

Type 2: Scientific Research

Peer-reviewed scientific publications from reputable academic journals, preferably published within the past three to five years, that provide evidence relevant to the conservation issue addressed by your campaign.

Type 3: Project Reports and Case Studies

Reports and case studies from organizations that have implemented similar campaigns can provide valuable insights. These resources help identify successful approaches, common challenges, and lessons learned, allowing you to build a stronger campaign framework.

However, access to these reports can sometimes be difficult because many organizations treat them as internal documents or only release limited information publicly.

Type 4: Communications and Media Reports

Reports summarizing the digital landscape, social media usage, audience behavior, communication trends, and media consumption patterns relevant to your campaign.

These reports can help determine whether a communication channel is suitable for a specific audience or campaign. However, because communication trends change rapidly, consider whether the data remains relevant to your campaign’s timeframe and geographic context before relying on it.

Type 5: Social Listening or Manual Social Listening

* Social Listening is typically a paid service (often ranging from approximately US$1,500 to US$7,000, depending on project requirements). It is generally suitable for campaigns with larger budgets or projects that require continuous monitoring of public discussions.

These tools collect and analyze online conversations related to selected conservation topics over a defined period, both before and after a campaign. For example, they can help identify how frequently people discuss the illegal wildlife trade, forest protection, or specific wildlife species, while also measuring public sentiment toward these issues.

After a campaign, Social Listening can also be used to evaluate campaign performance and conduct sentiment analysis, making it particularly valuable for donor reporting. In Vietnam, commonly used providers include YouNet Group and Buzzmetrics (a member of YouNet Group).

* Manual Social Listening has the same objective but relies on manually monitoring, reading, and analyzing online discussions instead of using commercial software. Although this approach requires considerably more time and effort, it offers several advantages. You can filter out spam more effectively, better understand the language used by your target audience, and access discussion spaces that commercial Social Listening platforms often cannot monitor, such as private Facebook groups, closed Zalo communities, Discord servers, or forums requiring user registration. 

When observing or participating in these communities, researchers should always follow ethical research principles, respect each platform’s rules, and comply with applicable regulations. The objective is to understand the audience, not to collect or misuse individuals’ personal information.

Type 6: Self-Compiled Media Monitoring Reports

These are reports you compile yourself by collecting and reviewing recent news articles related to your campaign topic. Their purpose is to identify media trends, emerging issues, and patterns in public reporting.

For example, you might examine these:

• How many news articles were published about elephant ivory trafficking during the first half of 2025?
• Which regions were most frequently reported?
• How has media coverage of this issue changed over time?

However, this type of report has become increasingly difficult to develop in Vietnam due to changes in the media landscape and declining editorial resources dedicated to certain conservation topics.

Type 7: Interviews and Surveys

In conservation practice, interviews and surveys are often used together and should ideally be conducted throughout the life cycle of a project to monitor change, validate assumptions, and continuously update understanding of the target audience. They are particularly valuable for long-term campaigns or campaigns implemented within a specific geographic area.

Interviews help uncover more profound insights into the causes of a problem, as well as people’s motivations and barriers to behavior change. Surveys, meanwhile, are useful for validating those insights with larger samples and generating quantitative data to measure changes in awareness, attitudes, and behaviors.

The most effective behavior change campaigns are usually built on a combination of both methods rather than relying solely on assumptions or the organization’s existing experience.

For additional guidance on this stage of the process, you may also refer to: MobLab CA Module 2: Sense

STEP 3: UNLOCK IDEAS

Once you have clearly defined the problem and gained a solid understanding of your target audience, you can begin the creative process. At this stage, the goal is to generate as many feasible ideas as possible before evaluating or refining them. 

There are two common approaches to generating campaign ideas.

Approach 1: Collaborate with a Creative Agency

Depending on your available budget, working with a creative agency can provide valuable support in strategic planning, concept development, and transforming a big idea into a fully integrated communication campaign. You can explore agencies that specialize in this area through resources such as the Vietnam & Global Agency Network.

However, even when partnering with an agency, CMCPs should continue to play a central role in providing technical guidance throughout the creative process. Every communication idea should ultimately support the campaign’s conservation objectives. While agencies often excel at creativity and execution, conservation organizations have the deepest understanding of the conservation issue, the local context, the target audience, and the core messages that need to be communicated.

One important principle to remember is that conservation is not product marketing. We are not trying to convince people to buy a product or service (except in fundraising campaigns). Instead, we aim to influence awareness, attitudes, and behaviors that contribute to conservation goals.

For this reason, communication should always be guided by the desired social or conservation impact, rather than by creativity or attention alone. When working with a creative agency, it is important to strike a balance, providing sufficient strategic direction while still allowing creative teams the freedom to develop innovative ideas.

Approach 2: Brainstorm Internally

Many conservation organizations generate campaign ideas through internal brainstorming, particularly when budgets are limited or when project teams already have a strong understanding of the conservation issue and the target audience.

Invite people with different perspectives to participate—for example, communications staff, fundraising teams, technical experts, program teams, interns, and other colleagues. The objective at this stage is to produce as many ideas as possible without judging whether they are good or bad or whether they are immediately feasible.

I will share the brainstorming process that I typically use in more detail in a separate article. In the meantime, you may find the following resource helpful for facilitating idea generation and making use of MobLab’s brainstorming tools: MobLab CA Module 3: Create

STEP 4: LET GO OF YOUR FAVORITE IDEAS

After brainstorming, we often end up with a long list of potential ideas. At this stage, the priority is to evaluate and filter them objectively in order to identify those with the greatest potential, ideas that best align with the campaign objectives, target audience, and available resources.

Ideas that may not fit the current context but still have value should be documented and saved for future opportunities. On the other hand, ideas that lack feasibility or do not contribute directly to the campaign’s objectives should be set aside.

This is often one of the most difficult decisions in the creative process, especially when the team has invested considerable time and enthusiasm into a particular concept. However, the success of a campaign depends not on preserving our favorite ideas but on choosing the ideas that are most likely to achieve meaningful conservation impact.

STEP 5: REFINE, TEST, AND REFINE AGAIN

Once the most suitable idea has been selected, the next step is to develop it into a complete communication campaign by translating the concept into tangible communication products and activities, including key messages, visual identity, content, videos, and an implementation plan.

Before launching the campaign to the public, it is recommended to conduct small-scale testing to evaluate whether the proposed concept is appropriate and effective. This can be done through methods such as focus group discussions, rapid interviews, or surveys with a representative sample of the target audience.

The objectives of this stage are to:

• Verify whether the target audience correctly understands the intended message.
• Evaluate the attractiveness and feasibility of the concept, including the campaign name, visual identity, color palette, mood board, art direction, narrative, video storyboard, and other creative elements.
• Identify weaknesses or areas that require improvement before launch.
• Minimize risks before committing significant resources to full-scale implementation.
• Validate proposed budgets against quotations provided by vendors or service providers (where applicable).
• Verify the feasibility of the implementation timeline with vendors or service providers (where applicable).
• And other relevant considerations.

If your organization has a sufficient budget, plans to implement the campaign at a large scale, or requires a higher level of confidence before launch, you may consider working with specialized research agencies to conduct services such as Concept Testing, Message Testing, Creative Testing, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), Audience Research, or Behavioral Insight Research. These methods help assess audience acceptance, message comprehension, and the campaign’s potential to influence knowledge, attitudes, or behaviors before official implementation.

Examples of organizations providing these services include Survey True (a relatively affordable option), Nielsen, Kantar, and others.

If you are working with a limited budget, you can also conduct many of these activities yourself to minimize costs. To better understand the prototyping and testing process before launching a campaign, I recommend exploring the following resources from MobLab: MobLab CA Module 4: Prototype & Test and MobLab CA Module 5: Plan. 

STEP 6: IMPLEMENT, MONITOR, AND ADAPT

Once the campaign concept and communication materials have been finalized, the campaign moves into the implementation phase according to the approved plan.

However, this should not be viewed as a stage where the team simply follows the original plan without question. Throughout implementation, CMCPs should continuously monitor campaign performance and audience responses across different communication channels, making timely adjustments whenever necessary.

For example, the performance of each communication channel should be reviewed regularly to ensure resources are allocated effectively. If one channel performs better than expected, the team may consider increasing posting frequency, expanding content production, or allocating additional resources to maximize its impact.

Conversely, if a channel consistently underperforms, CMCPs should assess whether adjustments are needed such as modifying the content format, refining key messages, targeting a different audience segment, or, when appropriate, discontinuing that channel altogether to focus resources on higher-performing ones.

STEP 7: EVALUATE AND REFLECT

Once the campaign has been completed (typically after one to two months), it is important to conduct a comprehensive evaluation to determine what was achieved, what fell short of expectations, and what lessons can be carried forward into future campaigns.

Evaluation methods may include surveys, interviews, social listening, before-and-after campaign comparisons, reports from communication partners (e.g., influencers, KOLs, fictional characters, social media pages, creator platforms, OOH providers, etc.), performance reports from the organization’s own communication channels (such as its website, microsite, landing page, social media channels, mobile applications, Wi-Fi marketing platforms, and others), field observations, and feedback from project partners.

Some key questions to consider include:

• Did the campaign achieve its original objectives?
• Did the target audience demonstrate changes in knowledge, attitudes, or behaviors?
• Which campaign activities performed well?
• Which activities were less effective?
• What lessons can be applied to future campaigns?
• What additional insights emerged during the implementation process?

CONCLUSION

I hope this article has provided a clearer understanding of the key steps involved in designing and implementing a conservation communication campaign. Rather than treating it as a universal formula, I encourage you to view it as a practical framework that can be adapted to different conservation contexts, audiences, and objectives. 

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for topics you would like me to cover in future articles, feel free to leave a comment below or send me a message through Quite A Lens website. I’ll do my best to respond as soon as I can.

Cody Robbie