Here’s a key message strategy tip: remember that humans are pack animals.
We’re happier, healthier, and live longer when we surround ourselves with other people. Because being social is such a huge part of being human, we are actually reliant on other people, and not always in the ways you might think.
Subconsciously, we rely on others to make decisions for us.
Keep America Beautiful, an environmental organization, ran a famous public service announcement of a Native American paddling down a river filled with trash. He lands on the shore, and has more trash thrown by his feet. A single tear falls down his right cheek.
Littering actually increased i
n areas where the PSA was shown. How could this be? Because it shows people…littering! Simply seeing other people litter justified the act of littering, and made it a larger problem.
The astounding part of this is that this social influence was much stronger than the actual message of the PSA.
The power of “normal behavior” has since been shown in a number of studies, including reuse of towels in hotels. People were more likely to reuse their towels if a sign read, “2/3rds of this room’s past occupants reused their towels,” than if it said, “Reusing your towels can save thousands of gallons of water and sewage runoff.” Stunning, but true.
GuentherMedia uses behavioral research in every campaign to help the good guys win. Click here to see the bandwagon effect, combined with humor, used in the victorious campaign of State Legislator Randy Gordon.
Understanding people, respecting their intelligence and responding to their needs…
That’s how we create stories that stick.
