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Communicating Transition
Graham Strouts and Davie Philip, Zone 5
… When we try to communicate the ideas being explored in the Powerdown Toolkit we run into what might be called “the environmentalists dilemma”- we are trying to get over a message few people want to hear- if they did, the world would be a very different place- it would already be in transition!
In thinking about this issue let us consider the spectrum of responses, from the “cornucopians” who believe the markets will resolve everything as price spikes send a signal to put more investment into renewables; to the “doomers” who see Peak oil as heralding in a collapse of civilisation.
Somehow we need to bridge the gap between the two: the “cornucopians” need to be challenged because the evidence we have looked at does not support their case: the flow of cheap energy will surely decline and with it the “business as usual” scenarios we have become accustomed to over the past couple of generations, with its implicit faith in technological progress and ever-increasing prosperity.
The “doomer” stance on the other hand, while providing a valuable balance to the complacency of doing nothing, may lead to paralysis and fear that “there is nothing we can do”.
Somewhere in between we have Transition: On the one hand, it is imperative that we promote a message that things will change, that many expectations will never be met, and that cosmetic adjustments will not be enough to plug the energy gap.
We must prepare psychologically for the changes ahead because there will surely be less of some things: less traffic jams, less pollution, less waste; less stress maybe, less running on the treadmill to service our debts, and less mind-numbing “reality” TV.
Alongside this however there must be an emphasis on the benefits there may be in living in a low-energy world, for there will surely be more of other things:
- more time with the family, more time in close and meaningful connection with the natural world;
-more creativity as we are called to draw upon the full wealth of our ingenuity to respond to the challenges ahead; - there will be the opportunity for a resurgence of the community as globalisation retreats, and a rediscovery of a sense of place and connection;
- local food, local music, local culture will make a resurgence giving us a new sense of identity.
It is crucial to include ideas and openings for positive action when outlining the difficulties we may have to face. Even a small positive collective action- planting a tree for example- can go a long way to creating a sense of community empowerment. Early, easy-to-achieve sense of success will provide a strong foundation for continuing with optimism and positive energy.
This is the introduction to the 10th and final episode of the Powerdown Toolkit 10-week community learning course created by the Cultivate Center in Dublin. It has an accompanying TV show with a 30-minute episode accompanying each week of the course, soon to be aired on Dublin Community TV.
(29 May 2009)
Empathy Marketing 101
Gary Olson , Znet
… Empathylabs of Philadelphia advertises, “Looking For That First Mover Advantage? Try Empathy.” As consultants to Fortune 500 companies, they promise clients that “Empathy enables our work to forge emotional connections between your audience and your brand…”
Marketing consultant Patricia Fripp counsels “If you want your marketing to make money for you, focus on your customers’ feelings and beliefs. Unless you can convince them that you understand them and their problems — that you’re empathetic — they’re probably not going to buy from you.”
Yet another empathy guru advises that professional coaching is helpful because empathy is a skill that requires training. She defines empathy marketing as the application of influence “in a manner that does not feel like an attempt to persuade others.”
This literature sometimes reads like a scene from Invasion of the Body Snatchers but here we see commodified empathy being practiced by specialists honing their skills in order to pass as normal human beings. To avoid detection as marketing zombies, here are just a few (I’m not making these up) prescriptions and examples:
1.) Convince potential customers that “we feel for you” that our brand truly cares about you — and do it in a believable and meaningful manner. For example, Bank of America ads say “We’re working to help people stay in their homes, not just buy them.” Allstate insurance has a compassionate father figure (Dennis Haysbert) oozing empathic lines about the importance of family and friends while pushing multiple insurance policies.
2.) Drug makers Biogen and Elan empathy marketing strategy features a simulator that allows doctors to step into the shoes of a multiple sclerosis patient. According to Stephen Heuser of the Boston Globe, pharma companies are betting that a more empathetic doctor will prescribe more of their drugs.
… This draws into a sharp relief a lesson for the left: In framing public policy issues we shouldn’t shy away from creative and explicit appeals to our intrinsic empathic nature, to solidarity, cooperation, and mutual benefit. Such an appeal is both entirely consistent with recent neuroscience discoveries and a potentially powerful tool for an anti-market “marketing” strategy. [6]
Gary Olson chairs the political science department at Moravian College in Bethlehem, PA.
(1 June 2009)
Miller-McCune Receives Utne Independent Press Award
Press release, Miller-McCune
Utne, the nation’s leading magazine of alternative ideas, announced that Miller-McCune won the Utne Independent Press Award in the category of Science & Technology Coverage.
“Over the course of 2008, Miller-McCune proved that ‘solidly researched solutions for the country’s major problems’ can grace magazine pages in an engaging, accurate, and accessible fashion,” says David Schimke, Utne editor.
On its Web site, Utne reveals some of what drew it to honor Miller-McCune: “”Is this the future of the war on drugs?’ the November-December 2008 cover booms. The piece inside unpacks an unprecedented experiment in public health: a supervised injection site for Vancouver heroin addicts. Every article rivals the cover stories for bang and punch. The ethical differences between liberals and conservatives. Why global aging will extend U.S. dominance. The health benefits of designing nature-like spaces indoors. Miller-McCune uplifts public discourse with decidedly non-wonky panache.”
… Miller-McCune, a national print magazine, and its online cousin, Miller-McCune.com, are published by the Miller-McCune Center for Research, Media and Public Policy, a nonprofit public benefit corporation founded in September 2007 by Sara Miller McCune, founder of Sage Publications, a leading international publisher of academic books and journals. In addition to its magazine and Web site, the Santa Barbara, Calif.-based center offers internship and fellowship programs that guide developing journalists interested in policy solutions.
(19 May 2009)
Just discovered Miller-McCune (“Turning Research into Solutions.”) which began publication last year and is already making a name for itself for clearly explaining scientific research. -BA
