How marketing can help generate action and deliver change on social issues: an amalgamation of a few presentations I've done recently. (If you would like me to present this or similar to your organisation, please feel free to get in contact)

1. IT’S BEEN A LONG TIME COMING
how to generate action and
deliver change on social issues
(Jon Howard: Quiet Storm)

2. What can get
unexpected people
taking to the streets?

3. Inspiration from multiple sources
(not speaking with an agenda…or a book!)

4. …and personal experience

6. The question to answer:
how to overcome this…

7. Or perhaps more perplexingly
(and annoyingly)…
…but end up not acting
on, or even contradicting,
these beliefs?
What about when
people do claim to
believe something…
What strategies are there for
plugging this ‘Value-Action Gap’?

8. Theme to develop:
what if we turn convention on
its head, and explore changing
behaviour directly rather than
via first changing beliefs?

9. Where we will end up:
Top 12 tips for delivering change 1. Have vision
2. Be impactful
3. Avoid worthiness
4. Be positive
5. Define action
6. Give reasons
7. Seem achievable
8. Make it easy
9. Imply scale
10. Deliver results
11. Reward support
12. Create ritual
But first some theory…

10. Bad news: just giving people
the facts is rarely enough
No matter how compelling we
think our evidence is, other
things always get in the way

11. The brain favours established,
easy to follow paths…reinforcing
those same beliefs and behaviours
Neurologically…
Autopilot kicks in:
use of habit & shortcuts

12. The brain favours actions with
positive outcomes that release
a ‘feel good’ hit
Whereas stress and expected
negative outcomes suppress
this chemical release
Chemically…

13. Compounded by herd behaviour: doing what
everyone else does is both easy and feels good
Socially…

15. “sounds great,
where do I sign up”

16. Often, we’re not
even aware that
behaviour needs
to change

17. Emotionally potent shock tactics
can make an issue salient
But salience is no guarantee of change,
and can reinforce negative behaviour

18. Using challenging messages on negative or
distressing social issues, especially where
‘I’ am part of the ‘problem’, can lead to
fatigue and even rejection
Challenge what seems normative behaviour,
making me feel bad, and I will push back

19. Where beliefs and behaviour fight
each other, we tend to modify beliefs
to reflect (‘wrong’) behaviour…
Psychologically = cognitive dissonance
…then look for ‘proof’ to justify this
behaviour and ‘new’ beliefs

20. An unwillingness or inability to
change that we then
presuppose of others as well
“they’ve only got themselves to blame”

21. And even when you do believe (in theory)…
…sometimes there are just too
many barriers to action

22. So an ‘issue’ which is
clear and public…
And which people seem to ‘get’…
78% think chickens are kept in poor conditions
72% say think ‘welfare’ when buying chicken
83% expect retailers to ensure welfare standards
(RSPCA research)

23. “Consumers deliberately reject information on animal
welfare due to the emotional response it provokes,
making it difficult to raise awareness of the issue”
(RSPCA)
But though apparently on-side, most
would rather keep their heads in the sand
to avoid a complex ‘feel bad’ issue

24. Why it’s hard to
argue people
into change
Too expensive
Too big
Too ugly

25. In fact, where choice is difficult
we’d sometimes not have to make it

26. But where choice does exist, it’s hard to
change attitudes even when insignificant
(we tend to prefer what we bought last)

27. Focusing on beliefs means (at best)
maximising those (genuinely)
predisposed rather than delivering
widespread change

28. Although the radical can
be normalised and change
can happen even on the
most intractable issues
It can just take time,
unfortunately, which we
don’t always have

29. For the same reason, we
can’t rely on politicians
and legislation either
Policy change takes time, and usually
follows broader social beliefs
(the end game not the start point)

30. But “what difference
can I make?”
But “what’s in it
for me?”
But “what do you actually
want me to do?”
Question: is there a way to short
circuit the stages of prevarication
people typically go through?

31. But “what’s in it
for me?”
“I do feel sorry for the polar bears”

32. But “what difference
can I make?”
“There’s a river in my street”

33. “I really want to help”
But “what do you actually
want me to do?”

34. 80% of factors influencing
pro-environmental behaviour
have nothing to do with
knowledge or awareness
And the irony…?

35. Ancient wisdom…
“tell me and I forget
show me and I remember
involve me and I understand”
(Confucius)

36. Which points to an alternative approach:
don’t try to convert thru argument, but get
people doing something without noticing
(especially if ‘doing good’ rather than ‘stopping bad’)
Harness the power of cognitive dissonance:
or change behaviour and beliefs will follow

37. “You are all going to die horribly”
Ineffectiveness showed even fear
can’t overcome fixed behaviour

38. Whereas handing out free condoms was
effective as it worked with behaviour
Always better to go with the flow

39. When you had to travel, recycling was
often too much hassle even for believers

40. Doorstep collection means even cynics
become do-ers as it’s too easy to avoid
Especially when the neighbours
are joining in as well

41. Conventionally:
“it’s terrible”
“it’s huge”
“you are part of
the problem”
= a ‘feel bad’ black hole
(so why bother?)
Or on an even bigger scale, Third World poverty…

42. How Live Aid changed (and fed) the World:
not a guilt trip but a charity revolution
A big, famous idea not just a cause
Fun, positive, involving
Definitely something in it for me
Small, easy ways to make a difference
Everyone’s doing it (can’t miss out)

44. But significant increase if say
“this is what other guests do”
The power of ‘everyone else’…

46. Back to where we began…
But how do we put these into action?
1. Have vision
2. Be impactful
3. Avoid worthiness
4. Be positive
5. Define action
6. Give reasons
7. Seem achievable
8. Make it easy
9. Imply scale
10. Deliver results
11. Reward support
12. Create ritual

47. 1. Have a clear simple vision
The badge you want people to wear, and
banner you want them to march under

49. 2. Make sure people know
Invisibility changes nothing for anyone

51. 3. Don’t turn off people
with your worthiness
No issue worth fighting for should be boring!

53. 4. Anchor everything
in positive emotions
If people ‘feel good’ not ‘feel bad’
they are more likely to get on board

55. 5. Tell people clearly what
you want from them
The power of “do this…now”
(even the scam merchants recognise it!)

57. 6. Give a ‘reason why’
action is needed
Still need the facts that (post) justify action,
and form foundations of new beliefs

59. 7. Have outcomes that
seem achievable
This is how you make
a difference

61. 8. Make it (seem)
natural and easy to do
Use simple actions, sign posts
and short cuts to maximise involvement

64. Exploit the power of social
presence, proof…and pressure
9. Imply ‘everyone’ is doing ‘it’

67. 10. Make sure to deliver
on your promises
Disillusionment is the quickest
way to kill a movement

69. Even if that is just gratitude, answer
the ‘what’s in it for me?’ question
11. Give something back

71. Ritual marries action and belief, making
it harder to stop than to keep on going
12. Ritualise new behaviour

74. Steps to changing the world
1. Have vision
2. Be impactful
3. Avoid worthiness
4. Be positive
5. Define action
6. Give reasons
7. Seem achievable
8. Make it easy
9. Imply scale
10. Deliver results
11. Reward support
12. Create ritual

75. …and even if an issue they don’t especially believe in,
their united self interest might change the world
Bring people together in simple, feel good
activities they don’t want to miss out on…

76. The beginning!

77. EMAIL: jon@quietstorm.co.uk
BLOG: jonhoward.typepad.com/livingbrands
TWITTER: twitter.com/jon_howard
LINKEDIN: linkedin.com/in/jonathanhoward
FACEBOOK: facebook.com/profile.php?id=641466769
Thank you!
(NOTE: IF YOU WOULD LIKE ME TO
PRESENT THIS OR SIMILAR TO
YOUR ORGANISATION, PLEASE FEEL
FREE TO GET IN CONTACT )