For instance, an animal rights group against seal hunts could create a dramatic screensaver that displays a slide show of cute and forlorn baby seal images. Or, an organization that advocates for healthier meal options in school cafeterias could create an online game where the end-user gets to knock the meal tray out of the hands of any kid carrying unhealthy food. If the end-user correctly identifies the poor meal choice, he gets to watch the animated kid cry in a comical way, while viewing fat and calorie counts of the bad food. If the end-user mistakenly spills a meal tray with good eating choices, the animated kid will stick out his tongue and explain why the food choices were healthy.
The Reebok Human Rights Foundation and The International Crisis Group joined with MTV's college network to create the online game "Darfur is Dying" (http://darfurisdying.com). Users choose a character and try to survive in the simulated harsh conditions of Darfur. During the game, facts about the conditions in Darfur appear on the screen. Users can also choose to view more detailed information about how they can help.
For smaller budgets, you can still create a "game" in the form of an online quiz. You have two choices: personality quizzes or informational quizzes. Personality quizzes offer readers a profile of their own behavior and are mostly used for entertainment purposes. A personality test may answer a question such as "Are Your Habits Hurting the Earth?" or "Are You a Good Neighbor?" Informational quizzes test readers' knowledge of a subject and provide answers that support an advocacy goal. For example, Environmental Defense (http://environmentaldefense.org) offers a quiz titled "What Do You Know About Global Warming?" Users answer ten questions and are immediately told whether or not they have answered each question correctly. At the end of the quiz, users are prompted to send the quiz link to their friends.
Add entertainment value to your quizzes by including fun facts and a numerical score. On the last page of your quiz, ask users to share the quiz with their friends by entering their friend’s email addresses in the provided fields.
