Water Words Cbi
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Transcript of Water Words Cbi
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 Eckl7/17/2008
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 in themselves
What’s the X Factor?
Group A: “High Danger, High Efficacy”
Group B: “High Danger, Low Efficacy”
Before Lunch
• Introductions• Communications Misfires• Americans care a lot about clean water• Challenge #1: Confusion• Challenge #2: Diffusion• The Water Words That Work Method• Q&A
After Lunch
• Exercises• Q&A
It is hard for experts to successfully communicate
to non-experts
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!
Challenge #1:Confusion
“Biodiversity”
TMDLImpervious surface
HydrographNonpoint source pollution
And so forth…And so on…
“Watershed”
Photo: Flickr, Fernando Dall D’aqua
“Watershed” by Education
3 out of 4 U.S. adults do not have college educations
“Watershed” by Race
Minorities will be 50% of the population by 2050
“Watershed” by Gender
Who They Trust
Where they get their information
Challenge #1:Confusion
Challenge #2:Diffusion
Old School!
Goodbye: Mass Media
Hello:“Nonpoint Source Information”
Media Choices are Exploding
Source: Advertising Age, February, 2008
Two Trendwatchers
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”
Challenge #2:Diffusion
Pro
ble
m
So
luti
on
The Old Paradigm
If you YouTube script says:
• “If VDOT doesn’t stop sprawl, all that new impervious surface will cause so much non-point source pollution that it will jeopardize our biodiversity.”
They’ll hear:
• “If VDOT doesn’t stop sprawl, all that new impervious surface will cause so much non-point source pollution that it will jeopardize our biodiversity.”
Pro
ble
m
So
luti
on
The New Paradigm
The Water Words
That Work
Method
The Water Words Method
1. Remove your shop talk2. Build confidence with show and tell3. 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
Takeaways
• Public attitudes are supportive and changing very slowly
• But how we learn about the world around us 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
