How do people with animal companions and without respond to movement communications (Animal Think Tank)

This report does not contain an executive summary. Here is a summary of the key points:

• The journey to supporting animal freedom involves three interconnected strands: Empathy (hearts), Mindsets (attitudes/beliefs), and Actions (behaviours). Effective communication requires understanding where an audience is on this journey.
• People with animal companions (ACs) are generally midway on the journey. They have moderate empathy and positive mindsets but often stall, believing they are already "doing their bit" through ethical consumerism and caring for their companions.
• People without animal companions (Non-ACs) are typically at the start of the journey, with lower empathy and stronger justifications for animal use. They often maintain emotional distance or adopt an "ignorance is bliss" approach to avoid discomfort.
• Progress along the journey hinges on narratives. Stories highlighting animals' rich inner lives and suffering deepen empathy, while narratives depicting animals as inferior, or existing for human use, stall progress.
• Justifications for animal use are often based on the "4Ns" (Nice, Necessary, Natural, Normal). Challenging the "natural" and "necessary" narratives is key to nudging people forward.
• Identity is a key leverage point. ACs identify as "good animal lovers," while Non-ACs see themselves as "average consumers." Messaging should reinforce these positive identities while offering an aspirational identity of an "empowered citizen" to encourage engagement beyond consumerism.
• Carefully managed cognitive dissonance (the tension between one's beliefs and actions) can motivate change, but only if a clear, achievable path forward is visible.
• Perspective-taking is a powerful tool to enhance empathy. Encouraging people to adopt an animal's viewpoint is more effective at shifting attitudes and behaviors than facts alone.
• Making less visible animals (e.g., farmed animals) more familiar by highlighting their intelligence, emotions, and individuality can strengthen empathy and support for their freedom.
• Systemic messaging resonates more than individual consumer-focused messaging. To move stalled ACs forward, messaging should acknowledge their progress and shift their identity from "ethical shopper" to "engaged citizen" focused on collective actions and systemic change.
• To engage Non-ACs, messaging should use vivid, non-graphic stories that highlight psychological harm, employ trusted voices to normalize plant-based shifts, and begin with widely opposed issues (like zoo confinement) before linking to farmed animals.