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Similar to Alternative Media - Audiences that Don't Read (20)
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Alternative Media - Audiences that Don't Read
- 1. Communicating with Audiences that don’t read Kit Jenkins, ABC Chair IABC Research Foundation The audience for this presentation was composed of communications professionals from all over the world. Most of them were members of the International Association of Business Communicators who was hosting the conference. As you can see by this title slide, I was the chair of the IABC Research Foundation at that time.
- 2. Communicating with Audiences that don’t read Explore the importance of research to help you develop your global communication plans Hear examples from Thailand, Jamaica, and S. Africa Learn proven ways to communicate with audiences that don’t read What’s in it for me? This slide states what the audience will get out of this presentation.
- 3. Research is the key Find out why your audience acts/thinks the way it does Document your findings to prove them Use solid secondary research if primary is too expensive IABC Research Foundation HR consultants (AON, Watson Wyatt, Mercer, Towers Perrin) Since I am representing a research foundation, it is not unlikely that I would tie my success to research, as this slide indicates. I want to promote this free service to our members and make others want to be members so they can get the research. But also, my conclusions are not theoretical projections drawn in an ivory tower; rather they are based on talking to the people who are actually working this area of alternative media.
- 4. Case Study: Thailand Faced environmental degradation at Songklha Lake Needed to engage local villagers in solving the problem High literacy but low level of empowerment Increase awareness of issue & understanding of solutions In 2004 I was the Director of Webster University’s Thai campus. I participated in a weekend field trip with the Buddhist Studies students and professor Ted Mayer. We joined many monks in southern Thailand to bring attention to the environmental degradation that industrialization was wreaking on the area around Songklha Lake. It was revelatory to me to see how the locals used alternative ways to get the message across to villagers. The audience didn’t have any sophisticated media.
- 6. Solution: Thailand Draw on cultural relationship with monks Tap into deep cultural & religious connection with Buddhism Call attention to situation without confrontation Walk around lake and through villages in meditation It is helpful to understand the culture of the environment in which you want to communicate. This is true whether your communication crosses borders from you or not, but it is essential, essential, that you know the right words, images and approaches for your audience. Thais are deeply Buddhist; the religion permeates every day life. By working with monks, environmentalists were able to take their message to the villagers and be sure of a hearing. Avoiding conflict is a general Thai personality trait; the audience would prefer not to create a confrontation.
- 7. villagers and monks in discussion
- 9. monks and villagers crossing river
- 10. Results: Thailand Ordained trees to prevent deforestation Held educational seminars for villagers Created a physical communication for all to see Cultural trivia – if a monk ordains a tree by draping the tree in ribbons, it becomes holy and cannot be cut down. The monks used their spiritual power to influence the population, particularly developers, and stop more punishment to the land and water there.
- 11. monks villagers creating banner
- 12. save your mother earth banner
- 13. Results: Thailand (Cont’) Developed local solutions Water testing committee The water testing committee grew out of a compromise. The villagers would test the water regularly and report the results. The water company would correct any anomalies. Both sides felt they were now able to participate in good water management and the monks helped everyone stay focused on a bigger picture. Religious leaders rarely get involved in these day to day issues in any culture. But you could imagine the spiritual leader in a Muslim or Catholic country with similar ability to persuade. It worked in this instance.
- 14. Case Study: Jamaica Schooling of various levels of quality throughout the island Government developed a benchmark testing system (National Assessment Programme) Public was not cooperating with pre-testing for kindergarten children This project was managed by Ms Berl Francis of Jamaica. A well-known public relations professional on that island, she had achieved great success with her awareness plan for HIV/AIDS. The government turned to her once again for help in getting parents to have their pre-schoolers assessed. “That’s government’s job,” many said, and refused to heed the government’s call. Ms Francis worked with a psychologist to discover what values drove those opinions and designed an awareness campaign with culturally appropriate techniques.
- 15. Solution: Jamaica • Feature stories in press Comic strips Media campaign with interviews and infomercials Bashment parties Goals achieved! What is a bashment party? It’s an animation at a market with lots of music, color and dancing. For this project, Ms Francis engaged a well known Jamaican comedienne and her troupe to act out a funny story (written by the comedienne and Francis) about assessing the youngsters. A stage was set up at the market, music drew an interested crowd and the drama entertained the audience the ideas the government wanted to impress on them.
- 16. Results: Jamaica Gain support for the testing process from the public Create wide public awareness and support Gain active support of the educational professionals Educate parents on benefits of testing The awareness campaign did create a positive atmosphere for assessing pre-schoolers and was considered a success.
- 17. Case Study: S. Africa One of S. Africa’s oldest life insurance companies, Old Mutual Demutualize--go public--stock exchange listing Low literacy rate with 11 different languages Complex subject Not only vote, but vote yes The shift for the insurance company required communicating complex information to an audience that couldn’t read English. Many of them can’t read any written word. Notice this point – 11 different languages. All materials must be translated into all those languages. Can you imagine the design challenges that would offer? Not only was this a complex subject but the audience had to do an action with this information, not only vote, but vote yes. The S. African cartoons in the following slides are lively examples.
- 21. Solution: S. Africa Mail pack: color-coded materials for visual identification Cartoons: strong visual element Radio soap operas: story telling Talk shows: personal connection Call center: one on one relationship Advertising: reinforce cartoon message The talk shows were particularly effective because regular listeners felt their friend, the talk show host, was telling them about the vote, not a stranger or impersonal print advertisement. That direct connection is very important in this society. Think about how these techniques could be used in your country. Some are appropriate but others are not.
- 22. Results: S. Africa Worked because it drew on an oral culture with emphasis on personal contact 64% voted 99.5% voted yes Know your culture!
- 23. Conclusion Study your audience and how they communicate at home Don’t assume you already know what’s best Do your homework--research Get into someone else’s skin Back to research. Taking the time to really look at how the situation is set up can give you wonderful insights.
Editor's Notes
- The audience for this presentation was composed of communications professionals from all over the world. Most of them were members of the International Association of Business Communicators who was hosting the conference. As you can see by this title slide, I was the chair of the IABC Research Foundation at that time .
- What’s in it for me? This slide states what the audience will get out of this presentation.
- Since I am representing a research foundation, it is not unlikely that I would tie my success to research, as this slide indicates. I want to promote this free service to our members and make others want to be members so they can get the research. But also, my conclusions are not theoretical projections drawn in an ivory tower; rather they are based on talking to the people who are actually working this area of alternative media.
- In 2004 I was the Director of Webster University’s Thai campus. I participated in a weekend field trip with the Buddhist Studies students and professor Ted Mayer. We joined many monks in southern Thailand to bring attention to the environmental degradation that industrialization was wreaking on the area around Songklha Lake. It was revelatory to me to see how the locals used alternative ways to get the message across to villagers. The audience didn’t have any sophisticated media.
- It helpful to understand the culture of the environment in which you want to communicate. This is true whether your communication crosses borders from you or not, but it is essential, essential, that you know the right words, images and approaches for your audience. Thais are deeply Buddhist; the religion permeates every day life. By working with monks, environmentalists were able to take their message to the villagers and be sure of a hearing. Avoiding conflict is a general Thai personality trait; the audience would prefer not to create a confrontation.
- Cultural trivia – if a monk ordains a tree by draping the tree in ribbons, it becomes holy and cannot be cut down. The monks used their spiritual power to influence the population, particularly developers, and stop more punishment to the land and water there. The water testing committee grew out of a compromise. The villagers would test the water regularly and report the results. The water company would correct any anomalies. Both sides felt they were now able to participate in good water management and the monks helped everyone stay focused on a bigger picture. Religious leaders rarely get involved in these day to day issues in any culture. But you could imagine the spiritual leader in a Muslim or Catholic country with similar ability to persuade. It worked in this instance.
- Cultural trivia – if a monk ordains a tree by draping the tree in ribbons, it becomes holy and cannot be cut down. The monks used their spiritual power to influence the population, particularly developers, and stop more punishment to the land and water there. The water testing committee grew out of a compromise. The villagers would test the water regularly and report the results. The water company would correct any anomalies. Both sides felt they were now able to participate in good water management and the monks helped everyone stay focused on a bigger picture. Religious leaders rarely get involved in these day to day issues in any culture. But you could imagine the spiritual leader in a Muslim or Catholic country with similar ability to persuade. It worked in this instance.
- This project was managed by Ms Berl Francis of Jamaica. A well-known public relations professional on that island, she had achieved great success with her awareness plan for HIV/AIDS. The government turned to her once again for help in getting parents to have their pre-schoolers assessed. “That’s government’s job,” many said, and refused to heed the government’s call. Ms Francis worked with a psychologist to discover what values drove those opinions and designed an awareness campaign with culturally appropriate techniques.
- What is a bashment party? It’s an animation at a market with lots of music, color and dancing. For this project, Ms Francis engaged a well known Jamaican comedienne and her troupe to act out a funny story (written by the comedienne and Francis) about assessing the youngsters. A stage was set up at the market, music drew an interested crowd and the drama entertained the audience the ideas the government wanted to impress on them.
- The awareness campaign did create a positive atmosphere for assessing pre-schoolers and was considered a success.
- The shift for the insurance company required communicating complex information to an audience that couldn’t read English. Many of them can’t read any written word. Notice this point – 11 different languages. All materials must be translated into all those languages. Can you imagine the design challenges that would offer? Not only was this a complex subject but the audience had to do an action with this information, not only vote, but vote yes.
- The talk shows were particularly effective because regular listeners felt their friend, the talk show host, was telling them about the vote, not a stranger or impersonal print advertisement. That direct connection is very important in this society. Think about how these techniques could be used in your country. Some are appropriate but others are not.
- Know your culture!
- Back to research. Taking the time to really look at how the situation is set up can give you wonderful insights.