Factorial (The Grammar Factor's twin)
September 2009
From Mary Morel
Consultant, trainer and author
www.themfactor.com.au and www.onlinegrammar.com.au
Communicating to change behaviour
Communicators have a large role to play in changing our behaviour. For example, we would not be nearly as aware of the dangers of sunbathing or speeding without regular campaigns. Issues such as climate change and obesity have become difficult ones to tackle. How can you write in such a way as to make people want to change their behaviour, particularly if there is a financial cost to changing?
A website worth looking at is http://www.cbsm.com
Dr Doug McKenzie-Mohr is a pioneer in community-based social marketing and his work draws on social psychology at the community level.
On his website, you can download his free e-book, browse a number of case studies and read articles on how to target specific behavioural changes (e.g. encouraging people to install low-flow shower heads). Each article looks at:
- why the behavioural change is important (e.g. low-flow shower heads reduce water consumption, enhance energy efficiency and lower CO2 emissions)
- what is known about the perceived barriers to change
- the most effective programs to date that foster the behavioural change.
Continuing August Factorial’s story theme, a colleague, who told me about this website, attended a workshop where Dr McKenzie-Mohr told the following anecdote. Forest vegetation in a park was being damaged by people wandering off the pathway. Signs asking people to stay off the vegetation made no difference. Research identified that people were trampling the vegetation to take photos, so the sign was replaced with a new one stating that the best place to take photos in the park was a short way ahead. Problem solved.
If only all change were so easy!
You can download Dr McKenzie-Mohr’s free book at http://www.cbsm.com/public/images/FosteringSustainableBehavior.pdf
Free?
A topical issue for websites at the moment is whether content should be free or whether we should pay for it. I thought about making my grammar tips page a members-only page, but decided to keep it free (http://www.onlinegrammar.com.au/grammar-tips-advice.html)
In his book, Free: The future of a radical price, Chris Anderson says that free content can attract attention and enhance your reputation. The challenge is to build a business model around ‘free’ and turn that attention and reputation into cash.
In keeping with his belief that free can be profitable, Anderson made free versions of his book available. Free still made the New York Times bestseller list in July, even though Anderson estimated free versions were downloaded 200,000 to 300,000 times in the first few weeks after publication.
You can download a free audiobook at http://www.wired.com/techbiz/it/magazine/17-07/mf_freer
Quote of the month
‘The improvement of understanding is for two ends: first our own increase of knowledge; secondly to enable us to deliver that knowledge to others.’
British philosopher John Locke
Regards
Mary Morel
Author of Promote Your Business and Talk Up Your Business
The M Factor
PO Box 7094, Bondi Beach, NSW 2026, Australia
www.themfactor.com.au
Ph: 61 2 9363 2972 or 0400 686 600
Email: mary@themfactor.com.au
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