how grade school humor helps deliver a serious message · 02.10.2017 · how grade school humor...
TRANSCRIPT
Poop & ButtsHow Grade School Humor Helps Deliver a Serious Message
Brenda Zollitsch
Principal
BMZ Consulting
Belle Ryder
Assistant Town Manager
Town of Orono
MS4 Permits● MCMs 1 & 2
○ Public Education & Outreach
○ Public Involvement & Participation
● Cookbook approach (If it worked before,
it will work again)○ Follow the Flow
○ Ducky Ads
○ Stenciling “REDUCE YOUR USE OF LAWN
CHEMICALS DRAINS TO STREAM”
○ Think Blue Maine
Stormwater Education = Snooze Fest● Target Audience:
30 - 55 year old homeowners who do their own lawn maintenance○ MS4 Permit Education
○ Garden Show (aka “The Choir”)
■ Mow Better, Overseeding, Weeds, Using Water Wisely
■ Compost Tea, Ground Cover, Fertilizing, Ants
● Street & Stream Clean-ups & Stenciling Events○ Broader Audience
○ Same Approach
■ Lots of facts, not much fun “The Federal Environmental Protection Agency regulates storm
water in urbanized areas. Maine elected to have delegated
authority to self regulate and oversees permit and plan
development. The EPA however has authority to see to it that
the Maine General Permit and the local Municipal Stormwater
Plans are adhered to including local audits and punitive fines.”
Stormwater Education Stagnation
If we’re boring ourselves,
what are we doing to people
who don’t know/care about
stormwater?
A New Path
Many conversations at the Bangor Area
regional stormwater meetings led to a
new commitment to evaluate the
branding, messages, and tools used to
achieve permit compliance.
We blithely set out….
How to Change?
RECOGNIZE THE NEED
TO CHANGE● Ask lots of questions!
○ Particularly of people who don’t
know/understand stormwater
● Find other people who care
about Stormwater!○ SMART program
○ Davis Conservation Foundation
○ John Sage Foundation
● Spend your money on things
you don’t know how to do!
● Be willing to put in the work!
Without spending a lot of your own money!
Asking Questions of Others● Questions for the Target Audience
○ Do you recognize our “brand”?
○ Do you understand our message?
○ What would it take to get you to listen?
● Questions for the Funders○ Do you recognize our “brand”?
○ Do you understand our message?
○ What can we do to make our project
valuable to you?
● Questions for other Stakeholders○ Do you recognize our “brand”?
○ Do you understand our message?
○ What do you think we could do better?
Asking Questions of Yourself● What works (or what do you have to do)?
○ A Regional Public Event
○ Local Stenciling Events
○ Regional message building
● What doesn’t work?○ Bored teammates
○ Stencils worn out/hard to read
○ Old messages
● What is our expertise?○ Public Infrastructure, Engineers,
Scientists, Planning
● What expertise do we need?○ Marketing, Education
● How much can we afford to invest?○ Not much with tax dollars
● What to tackle first?
Stormdrain Stencils Funding Source
John Sage Foundation ($4,000)
To evaluate language, tools,
engagement used for
stenciling
Process
● Used a marketing firm to review current
message and develop a new message
● Hired an intern
● Focus Groups
Stormdrain StencilsResults
We are not as smart as we thought we were…
● New message and image
● Use markers appropriate to location
● Engage “opinion leaders”○ Might be community leaders
○ Might be kids
SMART Program
Rising Juniors and Seniors Tasked To:
● Collect important water data via probes
and sampling.
● Build and use wireless sensor network
units and interfaces.
● Learn to do chemical water analysis on
samples.
● Use on-line mapping and modeling tools.
● Assist community water district managers
to implement their stormwater
management plans.
● Help tell the stormwater “story” through
outreach activities.
They are NOT:
● Trained scientists
● Steeped in permit language
● Married to particular ideas
They ARE:
● Smart
● Steeped in today’s technology
● Eager and Excited
● Engaging younger kids
Creating a Diverse STEM Pathway
with Community Water Research
Build from Success
Video was well-received!
Time to relax!?
Nope
● Build a new display
● Make a video game
● Get it done in a month
Use Kids As a Force MultiplierSpeak at their level (3rd-5th Grade)
Give kids easy action items
Use humor to reinforce the message
Try multiple approaches to deliver the message