The Communication Initiative
Development action with informed and engaged societies
The Communication Initiative

After nearly 28 years, The Communication Initiative (The CI) Global is entering a new chapter. 

Following a period of transition, the global website has been transferred to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa, where it will be administered by the Social and Behaviour Change Communication Division. Wits' commitment to social change and justice makes it a trusted steward for The CI's legacy and future. 

On the transfer, co-founder Victoria Martin expressed her pleasure to see this work continue under Wits' leadership, knowing that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction. 

As Wits, we honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades and look forward building from that strong base. This includes co-founders Warren Feek (1953-2024) and Victoria Martin as well as La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA), which continues independently at lainiciativadecomunicacion.com with links to The CI Global site. We are also eager to forge new partnerships and entertain new ideas as we consider how best to contribute to social and behaviour change in our rapidly evolving environment.

If you are joining the International Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) Summit in Panama, please join Wits and CILA on Monday, 22 June, to share your thoughts and suggestion for the relaunch of the Communication Initiative. We will be in Pacifica 5 from 12-1:25 for the Refuel, Reflect, and Renew Lunch Series: The Communication Initiative: celebrating a driving force for Communication for Social Change and the way forward. We will reflect on the legacy of Warren Feek and family in creating the Communication Initiative, consider the contributions of CI over the years and then turn our attention towards the future in this dynamic session. 

If you are unable to join us in Panama, we still want to hear from you. Please contribute your thoughts by following this link: https://redcap.link/CommunicationInitiative2026 or reaching out to ci_surveys@commint.com. 

You can also follow the QR Code:

 https://redcap.link/CommunicationInitiative2026

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Over the last 60 years the Advertising Council has worked on hundreds of public service campaigns on a broad range of social issues, including such well-known US campaigns as Smokey Bear and McGruff the Crime Dog.

The Ad Council campaign development process includes the sequence of 10 steps below.

The 10 Research and Evaluation Steps in the Campaign Development Process
  1. Literature review - The review determines what is known about the type of campaign being developed or the issue area being addressed.
  2. Expert symposium - Experts discuss the issue and answer questions for the creative team.
  3. Target audience research - Qualitative research taps the campaign target audience's awareness, attitudes, etc. on the issue.
  4. Strategic brief - The brief, based on information gained in previous steps, guides the creative team developing the advertisement.
  5. Campaign Review Committee (CRC) - The CRC, made up of senior creative directors at top advertising agencies, reviews the brief and makes recommendations.
  6. Rough ad design - The creative team develops rough storyboard and radio or print ads.
  7. Target audience feedback - Rough ads are exposed and tested with a target audience sample.
  8. CRC review - The CRC reviews the developed materials and audience feedback and makes recommendations.
  9. Final product development - Changes are made or new ideas developed based on feedback, and final products developed.
  10. CRC review - The CRC has final approval over the ads.
Source
Evaluation Exchange Volume VIII, No. 3, Winter 2002, Issue Topic: Public Communication Campaigns and Evaluation "Keeping Smokey Looking Good at Sixty". Click here for this article online.