This week, we distill insights around It Gets Better - a grassroots change movement that solicits personal stories and messages from LGBT adults and allies to let LGBT teens know that life gets better. 100+ thinkers and planners within MSLGROUP share and discuss inspiring projects on corporate citizenship, crowdsourcing, storytelling and social data 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 1, Issue 45
It Gets Better

2. Purpose-inspired movement
In response to a rise of gay youth bullying and suicides, Dan Savage
and Terry Miller created the It Gets Better Project, soliciting personal
stories from LGBT adults to let LGBT teens know that life gets better.
peopleslab.mslgroup.com

3. Overwhelming volume & diversity of stories
Since its launch in September 2010, more than 50,000 stories and
messages of support have been shared on YouTube from LGBT adults
and allies, from politicians to actors, marines to comedians.
itgetsbetter.org

4. Social media as a free platform
Social media gave the co-founders the opportunity to reach out to
supporters and LGBT teens across the globe with their message in real-
time and without the need of seeking approvals or spending money.
abcnews.go.com/

5. Connecting people with stories
In addition to the platform, the movement also relied on personal stories
to connect people around the cause and to spark participation and
action both from adults and from the teens themselves.
urlesque.com

6. Personal stories drive change
Change can be a slow process and a struggle for the change-drivers.
Thinkers make the case that personal stories are vital to bringing
attention to a cause and engaging people around it.
theatlantic.com

7. Role of transmedia
Each transmedia adaptation adds to the movement: the MTV specials
helps reach more people, the book of essays has been donated to
school libraries and the musical tour involves local audiences.
1) huffingtonpost.com, 2) store.itgetsbetter.org, 3) youtu.be

8. Transmedia activism
Some thinkers list It Gets Better as an example of transmedia activism
for its use of content, stories and multiple platforms to inspire, connect
and educate people, and create dialogue around the cause.
movements.org

9. Community-driven movement
In addition to stories, the movement was also fuelled by community
support and gives merit to the theory that some successes can only be
accomplished by a ‘loosely affiliated group*’ and not the institution.
itgetsbetterproject.tumblr.com, *Clay Shirky in Here Comes Everybody

10. Other grassroots movements
Movements use either story (Undroppable) or community (All Out), or a
combination of story and community (Alpenliebe Kindness Movement),
to connect with people and gain supporters.
1) undroppable.com, 2) allout.org, 3) youtube.com – Alpenliebe Kindness Movement

11. More People’s Insights Weekly reports
Every week, we dive into one topic for discussion on the MSLGROUP
Insight’s Network and discuss insights and foresights, in four key areas:
crowdsourcing, storytelling, citizenship and social data.
Crowdsourcing Storytelling Citizenship Social Data
Mahindra Spark the Rise @MarsCuriosity #Kony2012 MTV Fantasy Election
For more reports, visit: peopleslab.mslgroup.com/peoplesinsights/

12. Read People’s Lab insights and foresights
The People’s Lab team shares the insights and foresights from the
MSLGROUP Insights Network on the People’s Insights weekly blog and
the People’s Insights Quarterly magazine.
MSLGROUP Insights People’s Insights People’s Insights
Network weekly blog Quarterly magazine
50+ MSLGROUP planners We deep dive into Every quarter, we will compile
share and discuss inspiring conversations around one the best insights from the
projects on corporate project -- on the MSLGROUP network and the blog in the
citizenship, crowdsourcing and Insights Network itself but also iPad-friendly magazine, as a
storytelling. on the broader social web -- to showcase of our capabilities.
distill insights and foresights.
For more, visit http://peopleslab.mslgroup.com

13. People’s Insights Annual Report
In early January 2013 we will publish the ten-part People’s Insights
Annual Report, in which we synthesize our insights from 2012 and
provide foresights for business leaders and change-makers for 2013.
Now & Next: Future of Part 1: Crowdfunding Part 2: Behavior Change
Engagement Games
(coming soon as an iPad app)
Subscribe to the report at: http://peopleslab.mslgroup.com/peoplesinsights/annual-report/

14. People’s Lab: Crowdsourcing Insights &
Innovation
People’s Lab is MSLGROUP’s proprietary crowdsourcing platform and
approach that helps organizations tap into people’s insight for
innovation, storytelling and change.
For more, visit http://peopleslab.mslgroup.com

15. For People’s Lab
solutions, contact
pascal.beucler@mslgroup.com