By 
“I can do little things every day that will have an impact on water pollution.”
It’s such a simple statement, and it’s true. So why is it so difficult to send a message, whether on the radio, online or in print, that really elicits that reaction? Unfortunately, many environmental messages accidentally evoke a completely different reaction:
“It’s hard to believe that one person’s actions can actually contribute to reducing water pollution.”
I pulled those quotes from test audiences who reviewed a couple of environmental public service announcements. My job is to help environmental organizations test their commercials and other marketing materials before they are released to the public. The two points had much in common. Both urged ordinary citizens to do their part in their daily lives to stop water pollution before it starts. But here’s the key difference: The producers of the most successful ad designed their message to encourage. The producers of the less successful ad designed their message to be educational.
Tennessee Water Works produced the “Heroes” ad, eliciting the confident response of “I can do small things every day.” Who are the “heroes” this ad is about? People like you and me, who plant trees, recycle their motor oil (instead of pouring it down the drain), and take care of their lawns responsibly. This ad presents the example of ordinary people doing ordinary things and tells the viewer how good it is. In just 30 seconds, the ads repeatedly send the message that these people are heroes and that their small actions add up to something big. According to the test panel, this message finally penetrates.
The Honolulu government produced the “Water for Life” commercial that provoked the second doubtful reaction. This place is educational. It features images that reveal how trash and pollution find their way into the storm drains and ocean that Hawaiians love. Sure is true. But it’s grim, turning off viewers with shots of murky, polluted water, trash, and suffocating wildlife. Based on feedback from the test audience, viewers see reason to believe that solutions are within reach, or that they have a role to play in making them happen.
Environmental experts are often dismayed by how little the average citizen understands about their work. It’s easy to fall into the “if only they knew” trap: “If only they knew they lived in a watershed”, “If only they knew the storm drain went into the creek”. It is our natural tendency to produce commercials, web pages, brochures, and other materials that attempt to pack all the science into a small amount of attention. But test panel reactions to these commercials underscore the shortcomings of this line of thinking. When it comes to raising environmental awareness, it turns out that encouragement is even more important than education.