(One-way communication)
Often our primary outreach or education goal is simply to
ensure that our target audience* has the information people
need to take an action that they have already committed to.
We may want to get the word out about a meeting or public
participation opportunity, or we may want to provide instructions
to individuals or groups who know what they want to do.
Sometimes we may want to provide
a more general message, such as a stewardship message, to
begin a process of raising awareness about a topic.
For more information about when to use one-way communication,
consult one or more of the following Knowledge Areas:
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Accomplish
What?
navigation
Introduction
Decide
on a strategy
Provide
information
Communicate
Educate
Build
capacity
*NOTE:
A target audience is a segment of the population
that has a specific opportunity to take action on
the problem you have identified. The target audience may also
be a segment of the population that is specifically affected
by the problem you have identified. |
QUICK TIPS
1. Communicate broadly using multiple venues (newsletters, town
meetings, TV, festivals, etc.).
2. Before developing your information message, use social marketing
techniques to improve understanding of target audience needs.
- Identify and address individual barriers to preferred
behavior (e.g. a tag on an outside faucet helps residents to remember
when to water);
- Identify and address social or structural barriers
to preferred behavior (e.g. encourage recycling by providing curbside
pick-up)
3. If addressing behaviors in your information initiative, present
behaviors that:
- Provide immediate, observable consequences.
- Are similar to what people already do.
- Do not require a lot of steps or training.
- Are relatively low cost in terms of time, energy, money, materials.
REFERENCES
Getting In Step, A Guide for Conducting Watershed Campaigns
- available from U.S. EPA:
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