Understanding at Tempo
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Are you not entertained (Part 2)
Are you not entertained?
The recent governmental turbulence in the UK, gun crime in the US and the on going saga of the “Capitol Incident” dominate UK main stream media, and yet barely a month ago, the nation was wrapped with the Ukraine War. What has changed, are we not entertained?
When the war started, the Ukraine forces, confronted by a perceived superior threat mobilised a full attack in the information domain. The intent was to galvanise opinion against Russian aggression and create compassion and empathy for the Ukrainian people. Leading the attack was their charismatic president. In short, the information campaign was designed to create cognitive shift in the target audience: the US, NATO and the EU. The information campaign was a huge success, support was unequivocable from nations and individuals: weapons were sent and homes were opened. We were doing our ‘bit’.
What can we observe and potentially learn from this?
1. Most importantly, cognitive shift is a valid military objective
2. Cognitive shift can galvanise a group of disparate people(s) against a common enemy
3. Cognitive shift can create a ‘common enemy’
4. The target audience has a limited attention span
This raises some very interesting issues. The cognitive domain, a “Critical macro manoeuvre space whose access or control is vital to the freedom of action and superiority required by the mission”[1] requires understanding so that defensive and offensive options can be identified and developed. Without these measures we expose ourselves, “Now, Western states draw legitimacy from respect for the rules, conventions and protocols of war. Where we see morals, ethics and values as a centre of gravity, authoritarian rivals see them as an attractive target.”[2]
The less obvious, but nonetheless, critical issue is that of target audience engagement. Despite of Zelensky’s great efforts to remain heard, his voice, critical as it is, is shouted down by gun laws, government bi-elections, the price of fuel and the case of Depp vs Heard (let that sink in for a moment). Future operational plan now must address the issue of engagement and the success of that engagement. Manoeuvre in the information domain is as critical as in the physical domain and we must plan to achieve longevity and integration.
But the message is but one part of the issue, the receipt and understanding of the message is of equal importance. How does an orator know if the audience is still listening, absorbing and considering?
These questions and more will be answered in forthcoming blogs from the 360iSR Founding Director, Ewen Stockbridge Sime.
[1] Dr Jeffrey Reilly
[2] General Sir Nick Carter (CDS)
