You know which behavior of your target audiences should change. You know which behavior is wrong and which behavior is right for your goal. But most people do not really understand why their target audiences behave the way they do.
Do you truly understand the behavior of your target audience? What is their current attitude and knowledge? What is in it for them?
A message for everybody, is heard by no one
Before you start to communicate, you first need to understand the people you want to influence. Why? Because a message for everybody, is heard by no one. The message will not connect to current behavior, beliefs and attitudes. It will not result in behavior change.
What do you need to know to understand behavior?
You cannot influence the way people think, feel and act without understanding them first. You need to know:
The benefits and costs of the behavior you want to influence
The beliefs, attitudes and knowledge related to your goal and desired behavior change
Knowing benefits and costs
People experience benefits and costs from any change in behavior. We are not only talking about money. Think also of:
Positive and negative experiences: do they enjoy it?
Effort of the behavior: how easy is it?
Status: what impression does it make?
Social pressure: how do their friends and family feel about current and desired behavior?
Culture and tradition: since when do they behave this way?
Knowing beliefs, attitudes and knowledge
Beliefs are what your target audiences assume to be true, for instance: ‘Stray tigers should be killed, it is the only way to deal with them.’ ‘The villager who kills a stray tiger is a hero.’
Attitudes is how they feel about it: ‘I hate stray tigers!’ ‘I am proud of the villagers who kill stray tigers.’
Knowledge is what they know about it: ‘Stray tigers often wound and kill villagers.’
OUR STORY OF REZVIN: Listening as first step to save the Sundarbans’ tigers
Rezvin fell in love with nature when she was a child, always watching the playful birds in her garden, listening to their songs. After studying zoology, she was proud to join WildTeam, an organization dedicated to protecting the Sundarbans and the magnificent tigers living in it. The Sundarbans is an amazing, huge mangrove forest in Bangladesh. Beautiful rivers meander and host dolphins, fish, crabs and rare crocodiles. During the black nights there is a magic silence. The sky is full of twinkling stars. Just before daybreak, the bright green colors of the trees come back. Birds start singing. Thirsty deer drink water from their ponds. Somewhere in the deep dark forest the mighty tiger hides….dating apps for teenagers under 18
Case examples
Below are two examples of a prize winning projects showcasing that understanding and respecting target audiences is a key success factor for behavior change.
Changing habits
“I am Anwar Kamal. I feel proud to be the Vice President of the Chunoti Co-Management Committee from Bangladesh. I have loved the Chunoti forest all my life. This wonderful forest lies South of Chittagong city. It used to be green all year round with tropical trees and areas of sungrass, which were used for many purposes. The forest is the home of many animals, birds, and rare plants. Even elephants ….Read more
Small steps towards the larger goal
“My name is Silio Lalaqila and I am the Treasurer of the Sisi Initiative. I am from the Island of Vanua Levu that is situated in the North of Fiji. The mountainous peninsula of Natewa Tunuloa on the island is rich of forests. At sunrise you can hear the songs of many birds. One of them is the Sisi, the rare Fijian silktail bird, that we are all proud of. In the days my grandparents the people in our small indigenous communities were….Read more