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Much criticism has been aimed at the Occupy Wall Street movement for not having a clear set of demands. It’s obvious that frustration towards Wall Street’s harmful impact on “Main Street” and its corrupting influence on our political system is a motivating factor of these protests, but the lack of a specific platform or official leadership has resulted in confusion among many casual observers.

However, these demonstrations have clearly struck a nerve, because the “#Occupy” protests are growing rapidly, spreading across the country and garnering respectable coverage from mainstream media. At this early stage, it’s unclear if the “Big Tent” approach will be the nascent movement’s key to success or whether that all-inclusive ethos will lead to a premature demise as various factions vie for control.  But it’s undeniable that the protesters have used several brilliant communications strategies to gain so much support in such a short amount of time.

Here are 5 lessons from Occupy Wall Street to consider when trying to gain traction for your cause:

Let Your Target Audience be the Protagonists
“We are the 99 Percent” has become a motto of this movement. In this narrative, anyone who has been disenfranchised by Wall Street’s greed can be a hero by stepping up to fight back. This has inspired thousands of debt-burdened students, laid off workers and victims of foreclosures – the early adopters of the Occupy Wall Street movement – to share their own compelling stories on this website. The lesson here is that people don’t just want to “support” a cause; they want to be a part of the cause.

Use Powerful Visuals to Gain Traction
After more than a week of occupation, the only images most Americans had seen in the sparse media coverage were photos of dreadlocked kids, topless women and people with gray beards banging bongos. The Occupy Wall Street “brand” got a huge bump in mainstream credibility and attention when hundreds of airline pilots dressed in their work uniforms joined the protest to call for fair wages and benefits. The iconic images featuring a sea of well-dressed, middle class professionals undoubtedly made the decision of other unions to throw their considerable weight behind the tent-dwellers in Zucotti Park much easier.

Track Coverage in Real Time
When pushing a controversial agenda, controlling the narrative is crucial – and the key to doing this successfully is constantly monitoring mainstream and social media coverage. Was the mass arrest on the Brooklyn Bridge last weekend the result of a reckless act of civil disobedience or a trap set up by the NYPD to ensnare peaceful demonstrators? That answer depends on who you’re talking to, but this savvy screengrab showing how the New York Times changed their version of events was a major win for those pushing police conspiracy story:

Monitor the Opposition
At Fenton, we always advise our clients to familiarize themselves with media outlets before talking with them. Sometimes heading into hostile territory can be strategic, like President Obama’s interview with Bill O’Reilly, but you need to be prepared or else your frustrated response can play right into their hands.  One of the most popular viral videos to come out of Occupy Wall Street so far has featured a calm, intelligent protester challenging the not so “Fair and Balanced” agenda of a FoxNews reporter. FoxNews never aired the footage, but a bystander’s video of the interview turned the quick-witted interviewee into an Internet sensation.

Tap into Cultural Symbols for Inspiration and Brand Association
From the earliest stages, Occupy Wall Street organizers have made explicit comparisons between their vision and the successful occupation of Tahir Square that led to the rapid downfall of Egypt’s dictator earlier this year. Most Americans associate the Egyptian occupation with images of joyous crowds celebrating their liberation from tyranny. Connecting that inspirational victory with the potential for Americans angry about Wall Street’s powerful influence over our government to do something about it was a smart branding strategy.

Make no mistake – while Occupy Wall Street may seem at times like a disorganized mob at times, they have some communications strategists on their side who know exactly what it takes to win.