It has always been said that the media and the entertainment fields can be used to educate the population. And this is true, because almost all people own a TV, listen to the radio when they travel by car, have a social media account, and use the internet daily. There is entertainment on each of these platforms, so there is room for education too.

Many topics would require further explanations and details, but few people are willing to read a paper on that topic or watch a documentary. So, education done through entertainment seems to be more attractive and efficient than the traditional ways. Producing a change in society is not easy and it was one of the goals that were contoured at the beginning of organized societies. If at the beginning the essential information were passed down from generation to generation mainly through storytelling, now this can be made through entertainment.

And so, during the last couple of years, the entertainment-education communication strategy began to gain shape. Fast forward a few years later, colleges are implementing this entertainment-education strategy for college students. Why? Because they can change beliefs, habits, thinking patterns by integrating some educational topics and information into entertainment. But even though this sounds easy, to be eye-candy, efficient, and catch the attention of the students, entertainment-education communication strategy needs to follow a few principles.

The Purpose

Colleges and universities around the world have acknowledged that the methods to share educational content and information have to change. The society college students are living in is hectic and it demands their attention. Brands and businesses around the world are simply competing for the consumer’s attention, which makes the entertainment industry have flashy and colored ads.

Well, you might wonder how colleges are implementing this entertainment-education communication strategy. The first thing they do is to set their purpose and never move away from it. And their purpose is to persuade and educate the students regarding essential topics. With this purpose in mind, they integrate educational content in entertainment products, reaching their target audience and fulfilling their purpose.

Interhuman Communication

Though it might not sound complicated to some, actually integrating educational content with entertainment products can be really difficult. Of course, anyone can do it, but not all will create a successful and efficient entertainment-education product. Colleges are well aware that the way they share the problem and solutions can make a difference. Communication is very important at this stage and knowing how people relate to each other, how they send and receive a message, or their perspectives on written or verbal communication is essential.

Communication is not a field that only belongs to marketing or advertisement, it is a field related to sociology and psychology too. There are many communication strategies related to these fields colleges are aware of. Because they need to be implemented in order to create and deliver an entertainment-education product that fulfills its purpose: educating and persuading the audience.

Quality Content

To create entertainment-education products that reach their audience, it is important to produce quality content. Students need to start reading more on the topics colleges are trying to deliver educational content on. There are many entertainment writing examples provided by Samplius that professors bring to class. Like this, they encourage students to get involved in this new field and come up with fresh ideas to put to practice. In this step, colleges do not lose track of their primary purpose but are also aware that they need to create quality content to be effective. And here, you can be and get as creative as you want. Because students are usually their main target audience, college teachers are working with them to find out what would catch their attention or what would encourage them to listen or watch more.

It is also important to note that entertainment-education content is not only written or drawn content. You can educate and persuade the audience through movies, street drama, theater plays, video clips, podcasts, radio programs, and many more.

Thorough Research

When implementing an entertainment-education communication strategy, colleges are completing a few steps before actually starting. Besides setting the purpose of this strategy, they also do thorough research on different communication strategies, methods, and techniques. They gather information from different fields, such as psychology, political science, or sociology.

Moreover, they also need statistics and data analysis knowledge, as they need to measure the effectiveness of their entertainment-education products. This step is very important and it can assure the success and progress of the college’s projects.

Ending Note

Entertainment-education communication strategy is not new to the market, but the value and benefits it comes with are unbelievable. It has been discussed for a long time if media and entertainment can be used in educational contexts, and the latest studies confirm this. Educating through entertainment might be the most efficient way of persuading or educating an audience. Colleges and universities are implementing this strategy. However, to be successful, they follow some guidelines and adhere to some principles and knowledge.