Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
This presentation is released under a Creative Commons 3.0 license. For more information:
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/
Water Words That Work Make a Splash With Your Communications
Eric Eckl 7/23/2008
Water is a high priority for Americans
Gallup Poll, 2008
Water is a high priority for Virginians
Water is a high priority for Kentuckians
Water Still Tops Global Warming!
Before Lunch
• Good News: Americans care a lot about clean water
• The Action X Factor • Communications Examples: Theirs and Ours • Changing With the Times • The Water Words That Work Method • Q&A
After Lunch
• Exercises • Q&A
12,000 Participants!
What’s the X Factor?
“Recently bought environmentally friendly products.”
What’s the X Factor?
“Reminded others to be environmentally conscious”
What’s the X Factor?
“Voted for the candidate with the best environmental record”
What’s the X Factor?
“Recently donated to organizations that support environmental causes”
Confidence that the action matters!
Communications Examples:
Theirs and Ours
WE make mistakes like this ALL THE TIME!
“Biodiversity”
TMDL Impervious surface
Hydrograph Nonpoint source pollution
And so forth… And so on…
“Watershed”
Photo: Flickr, Fernando Dall D’aqua
“Watershed” by Education
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
G.E.D High School Some College B.A, B.S. MBA, Ph.D.
41% 47%
58%
69% 77%
3 out of 4 U.S. adults do not have college educations
“Watershed” by Race
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Black Asian Hispanic White
36%
53% 58%
65%
Minorities will be 50% of the population by 2050
“Watershed” by Gender
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Women Men
36%
64%
Who They Trust
Where they get their information
Changing With The Times
Goodbye: Mass Media
Hello:“Nonpoint Source Information”
More And More Choices
Reaching Smaller and Smaller Audiences
Source: Advertising Age, February, 2008
Recent Trends in News Consumption
Pew Research Center: Trends 2005
“Watched TV news yesterday”
“Read newspaper yesterday”
“Listened to radio news yesterday”
“Read a news magazine yesterday”
At the same news consumption falls…
Roper Starch: Americans' Low "Energy IQ:" A Risk to Our Energy Future, 2002
“Water pollution laws do not go far enough”
“Environmental laws do not go far enough”
“Endangered species laws do not go far enough”
“Wetlands laws do not go far enough”
Science News Buzz Politicians
Act
Prob
lem
Solu
tion
The Old Paradigm
Science Translation Campaign Target
Audience Acts
Prob
lem
Solu
tion
The New Paradigm
The Water Words
That Work
Method
The Water Words Method
1. Remove your shop talk 2. Build confidence with show and tell 3. Insert the words that work
Step One: Identify Your Shop Talk
A: Polluted Runoff
B: Stormwater
A: Open Space
B: Natural Area
A: Recreation
B: Family activities
A: Watershed management
B: Land and water conservation
A: Family vacations
B: Tourism
A: Runaway Development
B: Sprawl
A: Riparian
B: Riverbank
A: Clean water
B: Water Quality
A: Endangered species
B: Wildlife
A: Environmentalist
B: Conservationist ?
Step Two: Build Their Confidence with
Show and Tell
Primatologists’ Wisdom
“Monkey See, Monkey Do”
Monkey See, Monkey Do
Monkey See, Monkey Do
“Together, we can save a life”
Monkey See, Monkey Do
Monkey See, Monkey Do
Monkey See?
Monkey See?
Monkey See?
Step Three: Insert the
Water Words that Work
Give People Confidence
• Give them confidence that they understand you!
• Give them confidence that their actions matter!
When describing issues
• Nature protection • Pollution control • Enough clean water • Wildlife conservation
Benefits and Consequences • Future Generations • Healthy • Family & Children • Safe • Trends
Don’t Just Agree With Me, Do Something!
• You Can Make a Difference
• It affects you
• What you can do
• Working together
• Save Money
Take My Side, Not Theirs
• Accountability • Corporations (are
bad)/Businesses (are good)
• Choice • Fair • Balance • Planning Ahead
• Responsible • Freedom • Investment • Law
Takeaways
• Public attitudes are supportive and changing very slowly
• But how everyday citizens learn about the world around them is changing very quickly
• Broad social trends are putting enormous pressure on us to communicate in a clear and compelling manner.
Takeaways
The Water Words That Work method is a three step process for translating scientific
and legal documentation into action language for everyday citizens.
http://waterwordsthatwork.com
