“I can do small things every day that will make an impact on water pollution.”

It’s such a simple statement, and it’s true. So why is it so hard to send a message that actually evokes this reaction? Unfortunately, many environmental messages accidentally evoke an entirely different reaction: “It is hard to believe that the actions of one person can really contribute to lessening water pollution.”

I pulled these quotes from test audiences that reviewed a pair of environmental public service announcements. It’s my job to help environmental organizations pretest their commercials and other marketing materials before they are released to the public. The two spots had a lot in common. For example, both of them urged everyday citizens to do their part in their daily lives to stop water pollution before it starts. Here’s the key difference, though — the producers of the more successful advertisement crafted their message to be encouraging, while the producers of the less successful advertisement crafted their message to be educational.

Environmental Messages Based on Encouragement

Tennessee Water Works produced the “Heroes” advertisement, which prompted that confident “I can do small things every day” response. Who are the “heroes” this ad is about? People like you and me, who plant trees, recycle their motor oil (instead of dumping it in the drain), and care for their lawns responsibly. This advertisement holds up the example of ordinary people doing ordinary things and tells the viewer how great it is. In just 30 seconds, the advertisement repeatedly sends the message that these people are heroes and their small actions add up to something important. According to the test panel, this message eventually sinks in.

View the video: Tennessee Water Works Environmental Video - “Heroes”

Environmental Messages Based on Education

The government of Honolulu produced the “Water for Life” commercial that prompted the second, doubt-filled reaction. This spot is educational. It shows images that reveal how trash and pollution find their way into storm drains and out into the ocean that Hawaiians love. Sure, it’s true, but the grim commercial depresses viewers with shots of murky, polluted water, garbage, and choking wildlife. According to the test audience feedback, viewers see no reason to believe that solutions are within reach or that they have a part to play in bringing them about.

View the video: Honolulu Environmental Video - “Water for Life”

And the Winner Is . . .

Environmental experts are often dismayed at how little the average citizen understands about their work. It’s easy to find yourself falling into the “if only they knew” trap — “If only they knew they lived in a watershed” or “If only they knew the storm drain went to the creek.” It is our natural tendency to produce commercials, web pages, brochures, and other materials that try to cram a whole lot of science into a tiny amount of attention. The test panel reactions to these commercials, however, underscore the shortcomings of this line of thinking. When it comes to raising environmental awareness, it turns out that encouragement is more important than education.

About the Author

Eric Eckl runs Water Words That Work, L.L.C., an environmental communication company, and writes a blog that provides tips on how to raise environmental awareness and promote conservation action. The company has developed the Due Diligence Test Panel, a service that nature protection and pollution control organizations can use to pretest their environmental message materials before publication.

Photograph: Fish Approaching by S. Brumley, Houston, Texas, U.S.A.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eric_C_Eckl

Return to the EHS Journal Home Page