don’t be crabby, turn off your lights: changing behavior through social marketing

Don’t Be Crabby, Turn Off Your Lights:Changing Behavior Through Social Marketing

Megan GreenMecklenburg County

Land Use and Environmental Services AgencyAir Quality Division

Behavior Change is Possible

Pre-CampaignJan. 2011

Post-CampaignMay 2011

Follow-upJune 2011

Follow-up Dec. 2011

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

64%

90%

80%

90%

Audit Results, Building-wide

Perc

enta

ge o

f Lig

hts

Turn

ed

Off

Project Origins

Project Origins

CBSM Steps

• Narrow the Scope• Uncover Benefits and Barriers• Conduct a Baseline Audit• Develop a Campaign• Test/Pilot the Campaign• Roll-out the Campaign• Evaluate

Narrow the Scope

Target Audience:• County Employees

who work at HMC

Target Behavior:• Turning off the

lights

Uncovering Benefits and Barriers:Literature Review

Comparative feedback can

encourage formation of

social/personal norm (Siero 1996)

Programs tailored to target audience are more effective

(Daamon 2001)

Misplaced incentive: when participants

don’t directly benefit from action

(Brown 2008)

Uncovering Benefits and Barriers:Survey

Why DO you turn off lights?

1. Turn lights off out of habit. (75%)

2. It is common office practice to turn off lights at the end of the day. (65%)

Uncovering Benefits and Barriers:Survey

Why DON’T you turn off lights?

1. Someone else will turn off the lights after hours. (30%)

2. A dark workspace sends the message: “I’m not working.” (25%)

Baseline Audit

Actual photo from

Audit

Develop a Campaign

1. Increase the number of lights being turned off in unoccupied workspaces during business hours; and

2. Increase the number common area lights being turned off at the end of the day (especially over cubicles and in hallways and copy rooms).

Phase One: CRAB, You’re It!

DON’T BE “CRABBY;” TURN OFF YOUR LIGHTS!

Phase One: CRAB, You’re It!

CBSM strategies incorporated into phase one :• Make the source of your message close to

your audience• Actively involve the target audience in

achieving the goal• Use noticeable prompts• Make “Social Norms” visible

Phase Two: Adopt-A-Light

Phase Two: Adopt-A-Light

CBSM strategies incorporated into phase two:• Seek public, written commitments• Use noticeable prompts• Actively involve the target audience in

achieving the goal• Provide incentives

Pilot the Campaign

CRAB You’re It!

Roll-out the Campaign

Embrace the Unexpected

Campaign Results

Campaign Results

“Lights Out” Resource

www.airquality.charmeck.org

Final Thoughts

• CBSM works! but the process is lengthy.• Target audience survey refined the literature

review.• Focus group feedback is essential.• Management support promotes participation.• Make campaigns as personal or grass-roots as

possible.

Happy Crabbing!

Megan GreenMecklenburg County

Land Use and Environmental Services AgencyAir Quality Division

704-336-5583Megan.Green@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov