the world outside - neiwpccneiwpcc.org/npsconferenceold/2016/presentations/keynote_eckl.pdf · the...

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The World Outside: What They Say (And Don’t Say) About

Why Your Work Matters To Them

Eric Eckl

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They will never see it the way you see it, but...

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“I’m going to read you a list of

environmental problems. As I read

each list, please tell me if you

personally worry about this

problem a great deal, a fair

amount, only a little, or not at all”

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What Do They Have in Common?

First

ImpressionFirst

Step

Awareness

& Attitude

Change

Big

Step

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Where Do We Go Wrong?

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We Ignore This

First

Impression

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We Confuse These

First

Step

Awareness

& Attitude

Change

Awareness

& Attitude

Change

First

Step

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“Tell me and I'll forget;

Show me and I may remember;

Involve me and I'll understand.”

-- Chinese Proverb

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“Tell me and I'll forget;

Show me and I may remember;

Involve me and I'll understand.”

-- Chinese Proverb

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“They say water is important, doesn’t that mean

they should know who we are?”*

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Southeast

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Nobody KnowsWho We Are!

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Nobody KnowsWho We Are!

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The public says water is important

-- but they don’t say they have

much interest in the inner

workings of our professional

community.

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“They say water is important, shouldn’t

complain less about what we do?” *

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“All We Ever Hear are Complaints”

18% “Not

Satisfied At

All” with

tap water

information

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“All We Ever Hear Are Complaints”

Just 2% “Very

Dissatisfied”

with their

Department of

Natural

Resources

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“All We Ever Hear are Complaints”

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I’m angry about life and I have a computer and a

phone!

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I have an anxiety

condition. And a computer. And a phone.

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The public says water is important

-- but the crackpots and chronic

complainers don’t say they will

give us a pass.

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“They say water is important, shouldn’t they talk

about it more?”

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The Rookie Mistake

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Jargon & Slang

Watershed stewardship ethic??????

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Jargon & Slang

Hydrologic regime???

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Jargon & SlangTMDL Implementation???

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The public says water is important

-- but they don’t say they want to

learn the professional jargon of

the water profession.

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“So what does it mean that they say water is so important to

them?”

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It means that if you

communicate well, they

respond well

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What Does It Mean to Communicate Well?

“Respond well” -- compared to established industry

benchmarks.

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Here are four (brief) case

studies which all show water

communications beating

industry benchmarks. (Two of these are Water Words’ projects and two are not.)

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http://www.mywaterpledge.com/

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What Does It Mean to Communicate Well?

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What Does It Mean to Communicate Well?

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The public says water is important

-- and they show it by opening

emails from water orgs more often

than other orgs

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What Does It Mean to Communicate Well?

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What Does It Mean to Communicate Well?

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What Does It Mean to Communicate Well?

71 property

owners

requested

trees

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What Does It Mean to Communicate Well?

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What Does It Mean to Communicate Well?

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The public says water is important

-- and they show it by responding

to water-related direct mail at

higher rates than most mail

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What Does It Mean to Communicate Well?

One Georgia Water Coalition member posted this webpage with a bunch of true

and important scientific information. But nothing happened.

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What Does It Mean to Communicate Well?

Another member Georgia Water Coalition member spent $500 to run Facebook

ads.

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What Does It Mean to Communicate Well?

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What Does It Mean to Communicate Well?

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The public says water is important

-- and they show it by clicking on

water-related Facebook ads at

higher rates than most ads

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What Does It Mean to Communicate Well?

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What Does It Mean to Communicate Well?

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What Does It Mean to Communicate Well?

After a one month advertising blitz,

residents’ awareness that they could

report stormwater violations jumped

800%

Residents submitted dozens of tips,

including two for serious chronic

violators.

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What Does It Mean to Communicate Well?

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What Does It Mean to Communicate Well?

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What Does It Mean to Communicate Well?

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What Does It Mean to Communicate Well?

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What Does It Mean to Communicate Well?

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What Does It Mean to Communicate Well?

$.11

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The public says water is important

-- and they show it by paying

more attention to water related TV

ads than other kinds of ads

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If you communicate well,

they respond well

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Communicating Well

First

ImpressionFirst

Step

Awareness

& Attitude

Change

Big

Step

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Some Are Particularly

Responsive

14+ million residents.

And some of them respond extra well!

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Some Are Particularly

Responsive

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Some Are Particularly

Responsive

● 2,868,532 interested in the

“outdoors”

● 1,385,795 interested in

“Green Living”

● 768,465 interested in

“environmental issues”

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Some Are Particularly

Responsive

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Some Are Particularly

Responsive

● 1,400,000 interested in

“Environmentalism”

● 830,000 interested in

“sustainability”

● 670,000 interested

“environment and wildlife”

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So What?

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Stories at the Beginning

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The Steps They Take

First

ImpressionFirst

Step

Awareness

& Attitude

Change

Big

Step

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Family Life Now

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Friends Made in Life

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Career Choice

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General Quality of Life

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“Never doubt that a small group of

thoughtful, committed citizens can

change the world. Indeed, it is the

only thing that ever has.”

-- Margaret Mead

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever

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Thank you for all the hard

work that you do to change

the world!