Communicating for Today and Tomorrow

As presented in this article from Biodiversity Connections Special Report of 2003, environmental advocates are working to achieve two different and obtainable communications goals at the same time, which may be thought of as sending motivational messages in the short-term and doing constituency-building in the long-term. This article presents public opinion research from the Great Lakes, United States, region, focusing particularly on Wisconsin, to aid in communication decision making on these two goals.

The research suggests that environmental advocates in this region can energise a base of support if they:

• "Focus on a threat to residents’ health, recreation, well-being, or security that is already apparent...
• Present a solution to the threat...
• Place people in the solution, [i.e., give them something to do that is meaningful.]...
• Make sure what you are asking of your supporters is timely, relevant and will have some impact..."

The author describes how to build a broader constituency in the region by the following strategies:

1. "Creating greater appreciation is not the same as creating more knowledge. [This] research in the Great Lakes states and elsewhere suggests that education of facts about the environment does not guarantee appreciation. [For example, the author] found that the residents most committed to ocean protection were not those who had the most knowledge about the oceans, but rather those who had an emotional connection to the oceans from events in their lives.
2. Find the values that will be more salient than facts. ...[A]sserting that something remote to people’s lives is an urgent problem does not increase saliency, or even educate, because it will fail to command attention...
3. Repeat your same message of values with information. ...[I]nclude a consistent values message, followed by a piece of information that will lead to greater appreciation."

In conclusion, the author states that both goals of motivating in the short-term and constituency building in the long-term are achievable.