Case Studies

 The National Education Union used their Deltapoll NEU Audience model to identify that home ownership was the key issue motivating the largest group of members that hadn’t voted yet in their strike ballot. Their votes were going to be essential for the NEU to cross the threshold.

So, the NEU worked out how much teachers had lost in pay since 2010, and sent targeted texts showing exactly what that lost pay could buy in their area if used as a deposit for a house. They pulled the information from their Deltapoll NEU audience model in Movement and used custom fields to localise their message. They sent a personalised SMS blast to every member who had yet to vote in the ballot.

 Just hours later they followed up this targeted message with an SMS survey urging members to send in their ballot or request a new one if needed. Again this survey used custom fields to provide powerful social proof, using up to date turnout figures tracked with Movement. They used custom fields to pull workplace level data into the SMS, letting members know they were one of X members left to vote in their workplace.

 This one SMS survey resulted in 10,219 members requesting a replacement ballot and a total of more than 20,000 replacement ballots were requested across the three SMS surveys in the series. A result that made a huge contribution to the success of the ballot - the largest vote for strike action in any sector since 2016 when anti-union laws imposed a 50% turnout threshold.

Feeling inspired? Find out more about using custom fields and external data to target and personalise your messages in the Movement support hub.

 If you’d like to talk to us about using SMS, custom fields or any of Movement’s other features book a call below and we’ll be in touch:

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At Movement, we’re always looking for smarter, more human ways to organise. And in the run-up to the 2024 UK general election, we discovered something interesting: WhatsApp isn’t just for group chats and family threads: it might be one of the most effective campaign tools we’ve seen.

Messaging That Moves People

Our team found that WhatsApp messages were generating two to three times the conversion rate of traditional email. That’s a significant uplift when the goal is urgent—be it signing up volunteers, gathering donations, or getting people through the door at a community meeting.

There’s a reason for that. WhatsApp is immediate. It’s familiar. And, crucially, it lives on the same screen as the people supporters know and trust.

The Power of Immediacy

While emails can languish unread in an overflowing inbox, WhatsApp messages tend to get noticed—and quickly. On average, people responded within 5 to 25 minutes, compared with several hours (or longer) for email.

In moments of political volatility—like the recent snap general election—this responsiveness can be the difference between a well-attended rally and an empty hall. WhatsApp allowed us to move at the speed of the news cycle, and bring people with us.

Intimate, Not Intrusive

One of the platform’s quiet strengths is that messages feel personal. Supporters read them in the same place they receive updates from their families and friends—which means they’re more likely to read, click and respond.

We recorded read rates of 80–90%, and click-through rates approaching 35%. These figures aren’t just impressive—they suggest something deeper: people were actively choosing to engage.

Campaigning in Conversation

Unlike email or social media posts, WhatsApp allows for real dialogue. It’s not just a broadcast tool—it’s a space for stories, questions, support and solidarity.

Here’s how we used it:

• Collecting personal stories and media hooks directly from the community
• Holding peer-to-peer conversations through text, pictures and videos
• Rapid data collection using branching surveys tailored to each user’s responses
• Mobilising events via automated messaging with embedded details
• Creating multi-step welcome journeys for new supporters
• Keeping key activists engaged through broadcasts or curated groups
• Distributing memes, personalised videos and media that cut through online clutter

This wasn’t just digital comms—it was community-building at pace.

What It Tells Us

As campaigns evolve, so must the channels we rely on. WhatsApp offers something rare: the ability to speak to people directly, in the language of their everyday lives.

Whether it’s for collecting insights, sharing a powerful video, or simply checking in, it’s a space where campaigns can be human, urgent and connected.

And that might just be the future of organising.

“Movement is very easy to use, I felt like I'd mastered the tool in 4 hours which was very quick. I think this is because it feels very intuitive. I really like the power of the audience creator, you can do whatever you want with customer fields, I like that it has email and SMS which are easily interchangeable. Support service has been outstanding, really exceptional, very responsive and quick.”

Alex, Co-Founder of The Dad Shift

Summary:

The Dad Shift used Movement’s SMS, email and CRM tools to effectively mobilise supporters behind their cause of improved paternity leave by reaching people where they are, in their pocket.

They’ve achieved widespread media coverage and brought on thousands of supporters along the way by sending effective communications that people actually respond to.

This is helped because Movement is compatible with their existing tech stack and their organisation culture. The discussion is now taking place in the Houses of Parliament at a key time as Labour assess paternity leave.

Background: 

Britain has the unenviable title of offering the worst statutory paternity leave in Europe. Fathers are entitled to just two weeks off, paid at a paltry statutory rate, creating enormous challenges for families and entrenching inequality. In stark contrast, countries like Sweden, Slovakia, and Spain offer far more generous and better-paid paternity leave, with the EU average equivalent to eight weeks of full pay.

The consequences of Britain’s failings are profound:

• Financial strain: Over half of families (53%) struggle financially due to inadequate leave provisions.
• Lost moments: A third of fathers (33%) take no leave at all, missing vital bonding time with their newborns.
• Mental health pressures: Sixty-three per cent of fathers report feeling mentally unready to return to work so soon, creating a "pressure cooker" of stress.
• Gender imbalance: The lack of support for fathers perpetuates the “motherhood penalty,” which accounts for 75% of the gender pay gap.

The case for change is overwhelming. Extended and properly paid paternity leave is not just a matter of fairness but of societal good:

• For mothers: It reduces the gender pay gap and helps women remain in the workforce.
• For children: Better leave leads to improved cognitive and emotional development.
• For fathers: Those who spend more time with their children enjoy better mental and physical health, stronger family bonds, and increased happiness and productivity.

Enter The Dad Shift , a grassroots organisation campaigning for improved paternity leave in the UK, has emerged as a crucial voice in this debate. Their goal is simple but urgent: to push the government to update its parental leave policies and bring them in line with European standards.

The Dad Shift’s strategy focused on raising awareness, rallying public support, and influencing policymakers during Labour’s review of parental leave. But achieving this required a robust, integrated platform capable of driving their ambitious campaign. Which is where Movement came in.

Challenge: 

The Dad Shift needed to tackle two core challenges:

1. Raise awareness: Bring the inadequacies of the current system into sharp focus and underline the benefits of reform. 
2. Galvanise action: Mobilise their audience to put pressure on policymakers while demonstrating widespread support for better leave provisions.

A successful campaign required a tech platform that could:

• Integrate communications across email, SMS, and CRM systems.
• Precisely target different audience segments.
• Operate efficiently within a grassroots budget.

Solution: 

Movement became the linchpin of The Dad Shift’s campaigning efforts. Our comprehensive, user-friendly toolkit enabled the The Dad Shift to grow support for their cause through personalised conversations. 

Heat: Building Pressure

The first step was to highlight the glaring inadequacies of the current policy. With Movement’s tools, The Dad Shift:

• Crafted powerful messages: Personalised emails and SMS campaigns shared compelling stories of families struggling under the current system.
• Targeted outreach: Movement’s audience segmentation tools enabled precise targeting of affected parents, business leaders, and policymakers.
• Amplified the narrative: Automated workflows ensured that consistent, impactful messages reached the right people at the right time.

Light: Driving Solutions

Having exposed the problem, The Dad Shift pivoted to showcasing solutions. Movement played a vital role in:

• Rallying public support: Integrated data systems allowed The Dad Shift to launch petitions and email campaigns demonstrating widespread backing for reform.
• Engaging policymakers: CRM tools helped track decision-makers and tailor outreach efforts to highlight the political, economic, and social incentives for change.
• Shaping policy: Movement facilitated collaboration with businesses and advocacy groups, ensuring proposed policies were both practical and effective.

Why Movement? 

The Dad Shift turned to Movement for its combination of functionality, ease-of-use, and campaign-ready expertise:

• Integrated communication: Movement’s ability to manage email, SMS, and CRM activity in one platform eliminated inefficiencies and streamlined messaging.
• Ease-of-use: As The Dad Shift founder Alex explains, “Movement is very easy to use, felt like I'd mastered the tool in 4 hours which was very quick. I think this is because it feels very quick and intuitive.”
• Sophisticated targeting: Advanced segmentation enabled tailored messaging to different audiences.
• Adaptability: As The Dad Shift’s campaign evolved, Movement’s team worked to refine and enhance the platform’s capabilities.
• Expert support: As campaigners ourselves our experienced team provided strategic advice and technical support, ensuring smooth execution of the campaign.

Impact: 

With Movement at the heart of its strategy, The Dad Shift achieved significant results:

• Raising awareness: Public understanding of the UK’s paternity leave failings grew exponentially, bolstered by widespread media coverage.
• Grassroots mobilisation: Thousands of supporters signed petitions and engaged with advocacy efforts.
• Political momentum: Policymakers engaged directly with The Dad Shift, recognising the urgent need for reform and the public’s appetite for change.

Conclusion: 

The Dad Shift’s campaign demonstrates the transformative power of grassroots activism when paired with the right technology. By partnering with Movement, they turned a critical issue into a national conversation, galvanising thousands of voices and influencing key decision-makers at a pivotal moment.

Movement was not just a tool but the driving force behind The Dad Shift’s success. Together, we are driving engagement with their supporters through personal conversations and laying the foundation for a more equitable parental leave system in the UK. 

 If you’d like to see how we can grow support for your cause then book a call with us and we’ll get back to you.

 “Movement empowered us to cultivate an entirely new audience such as our WhatsApp programme in the UK. Movement gave us the ability to invest in new communications channels.” Justin, Campaigns Manager

Overview

All Out, a global LGBT+ rights organisation, is committed to building a world where no person will have to sacrifice their family or freedom, safety or dignity, because of who they are or who they love. To effectively reach their diverse supporter base, All Out has consistently sought to refine their communication methods. Through a partnership with Movement, All Out successfully introduced new communication channels, enhancing engagement and broadening their global reach.

The Challenge

One of All Out’s primary challenges was adapting their communication to meet supporters' varied preferences. While many were comfortable with email, some supporters either preferred alternative methods or weren’t engaging as actively. Recognising this, All Out aimed to introduce more dynamic communication channels, such as WhatsApp (WA), to make interactions more direct and timely.

They also explored innovative approaches to fundraising, including the potential of WhatsApp. While this channel presented opportunities, navigating legal considerations and exploring new donation methods, such as Apple Pay, were areas of focus as the organisation looked to enhance their fundraising efforts through mobile platforms.

The Movement Solution

Movement provided All Out with a user-friendly, customisable platform that integrated seamlessly with their existing CRM system. The integration was key to streamlining communication and optimising outreach by tapping into the organisation’s existing supporter data.

Key Features:

1. Customisable Templates: Movement’s platform offered flexibility with customisable templates, allowing All Out to quickly create tailored campaigns. This enabled them to adapt their messaging with ease. "Customisable templates – customer can make their own templates," was highlighted as an especially useful feature.
2. CRM Integration: Integration with All Out’s existing CRM was essential to the success of their campaigns. This allowed them to better target their messaging based on supporter data. While there was a small learning curve, the integration process was straightforward and allowed All Out to enhance their outreach. As they noted, "The integration with our existing CRM was crucial, and while it wasn’t too hard to implement, pulling more user data from the CRM into Movement would be a valuable next step."
3. Multi-Channel Communication: By leveraging Movement, All Out experimented with new digital channels like WhatsApp. WhatsApp, in particular, saw impressive results, with higher engagement rates for petitions and campaigns. This channel, initially trialled on a smaller scale, evolved into a full-time communication tool, helping All Out "cultivate an entirely new audience" and further expand their reach.

Results

1. Increased Engagement: Movement’s platform enabled All Out to connect more effectively with supporters via WhatsApp. The high engagement levels from WhatsApp groups, particularly in petition campaigns, allowed the organisation to reach new audiences while continuing to engage their existing base.
2. Learning and Innovation: As with any new initiative, there were learning experiences along the way. Some outreach methods, such as initial fundraising efforts via WhatsApp, had limited success, but these experiences offered valuable insights that encouraged All Out to think creatively and refine their strategies. This process has opened the door to exploring even more innovative approaches in the future.
3. Exploring New Platforms: All Out remains forward-looking, exploring a range of communication platforms to better engage supporters. They are also considering additional methods, such as direct postal mail, for specific segments of their membership, while continuing to refine their use of digital channels like WhatsApp.

Conclusion

Through its partnership with Movement, All Out has expanded its communication strategy, embracing modern digital channels like WhatsApp to complement traditional methods like email. While ongoing challenges, such as enhancing fundraising efforts via WhatsApp, remain, Movement’s ease of use, customisable templates, and CRM integration have been instrumental in helping All Out reach new supporters and engage their global community.

All Out’s experience reflects the importance of adaptability and continuous learning in advocacy, as they remain committed to building a more inclusive world for the LGBT+ community through innovative and impactful communication strategies.