This was presented at the Ohio Environmental Council's 2009 Clean Water Conference by Eric Eckl.

1. This presentation is released under a
Creative Commons 3.0 license. For
more information:
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/
Monday, September 21, 2009

2. Water Words That Work
Make a Splash With Your Communications
Eric Eckl
10/02/2009
Monday, September 21, 2009

3. Introduction
“…much more effective than
our previous approaches.”
– Andrew Pelloso,
Indiana Department of Environmental Management
3
Monday, September 21, 2009

4. Introduction
“...get a better response
since I started… I get more
questions than I used to
get.”
– Ted Withrow,
Kentucky Division of Water
4
Monday, September 21, 2009

5. Introduction
“... we received more response via
phone calls, emails, and notes....than
anything we have previously done. You
have a made us a believer.”
-- Jeremiah Johnson
Beckley (WV) Sanitary Board
5
Monday, September 21, 2009

6. 12,000 Participants!
Monday, September 21, 2009

7. What’s the X Factor?
Recently Bought Environmentally Friendly Products 7
Monday, September 21, 2009

8. What’s the X Factor?
0.6
60%
0.45
38% 0.3
0.15
Group A 0
Group B
Recently Bought Environmentally Friendly Products 7
Monday, September 21, 2009

9. What’s the X Factor?
Recently Bought Environmentally Friendly Products 7
Monday, September 21, 2009

10. What’s the X Factor?
Reminded others to be environmentally conscious 8
Monday, September 21, 2009

11. What’s the X Factor?
0.5
47%
0.375
0.25
27%
0.125
Group A 0
Group B
Reminded others to be environmentally conscious 8
Monday, September 21, 2009

12. What’s the X Factor?
Reminded others to be environmentally conscious 8
Monday, September 21, 2009

13. What’s the X Factor?
Voted for the candidate with the best environmental record 9
Monday, September 21, 2009

14. What’s the X Factor?
0.4
32% 0.3
0.2
17% 0.1
Group A 0
Group B
Voted for the candidate with the best environmental record 9
Monday, September 21, 2009

15. What’s the X Factor?
Voted for the candidate with the best environmental record 9
Monday, September 21, 2009

16. What’s the X Factor?
Recently donated to environmental causes 10
Monday, September 21, 2009

17. What’s the X Factor?
0.3
30%
0.225
18% 0.15
0.075
Group A 0
Group B
Recently donated to environmental causes 10
Monday, September 21, 2009

18. What’s the X Factor?
Recently donated to environmental causes 10
Monday, September 21, 2009

19. Monday, September 21, 2009

20. Confidence
Monday, September 21, 2009

21. Group B agrees with this statement:
“The actions of a single person like
me won’t make any difference…”
12
Monday, September 21, 2009

22. This Presentation
Monday, September 21, 2009

23. This Presentation
• Confidence is the key to conservation actions
from citizens -- not information
Monday, September 21, 2009

24. This Presentation
• Confidence is the key to conservation actions
from citizens -- not information
• Ohioans think what you do is important and they
want you to succeed
Monday, September 21, 2009

25. This Presentation
• Confidence is the key to conservation actions
from citizens -- not information
• Ohioans think what you do is important and they
want you to succeed
• But our poor communications saps citizens’
confidence in themselves
Monday, September 21, 2009

26. This Presentation
• Confidence is the key to conservation actions
from citizens -- not information
• Ohioans think what you do is important and they
want you to succeed
• But our poor communications saps citizens’
confidence in themselves
• Our poor communications amount to de facto
elitism that exclude many people
Monday, September 21, 2009

27. This Presentation
• Confidence is the key to conservation actions
from citizens -- not information
• Ohioans think what you do is important and they
want you to succeed
• But our poor communications saps citizens’
confidence in themselves
• Our poor communications amount to de facto
elitism that exclude many people
• We can’t count on the media to improve our
sloppy or thoughtless communication for much
longer
Monday, September 21, 2009

28. This Presentation:
The Water Words That Work Method
14
Monday, September 21, 2009

29. Water is a High Priority
15
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30. Water is a High Priority
15
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31. Water is a High Priority
16
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32. Water is a High Priority
16
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33. Corroboration
17
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34. Corroboration
17
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35. Corroboration
18
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36. Corroboration
18
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37. Water Still Tops
Global Warming!
Monday, September 21, 2009

38. Water Still Tops
Global Warming!
Monday, September 21, 2009

39. Water Still Tops
Global Warming!
Monday, September 21, 2009

40. Communications and Confidence
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41. Monday, September 21, 2009

42. Monday, September 21, 2009

43. Monday, September 21, 2009

44. Monday, September 21, 2009

45. Monday, September 21, 2009

46. Monday, September 21, 2009

47. Monday, September 21, 2009

48. Monday, September 21, 2009

49. “Biodiversity”
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50. “Biodiversity”
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51. “Biodiversity”
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52. Monday, September 21, 2009

53. Monday, September 21, 2009

54. Monday, September 21, 2009

55. Monday, September 21, 2009

56. TMDL
Impervious surface
Hydrograph
Nonpoint source pollution
And so forth…
And so on…
Monday, September 21, 2009

57. Monday, September 21, 2009

58. Monday, September 21, 2009

59. Monday, September 21, 2009

60. Monday, September 21, 2009

61. What’s A Watershed?
31
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62. What’s A Watershed?
32
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63. What’s A Watershed?
52% 48%
Guess Right
Guess Wrong
32
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64. What’s A Watershed?
33
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65. What’s A Watershed?
It’s a drain pool!
33
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66. What’s A Watershed?
34
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67. What’s A Watershed?
0.8
77%
69% 0.6
58%
47% 0.4
0.2
Education 0
High School Some College B.A./B.S. MBA, Ph.D.
34
Monday, September 21, 2009

68. What’s A Watershed?
0.8
77%
69% 0.6
58%
47%
70%
0.4
0.2
Education 0
High School Some College B.A./B.S. MBA, Ph.D.
34
Monday, September 21, 2009

69. What’s A Watershed?
35
Monday, September 21, 2009

70. What’s A Watershed?
Where
you go to the bathroom?
35
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71. What’s A Watershed?
36
Monday, September 21, 2009

72. What’s A Watershed?
0.7
64%
0.525
36% 0.35
0.175
By Gender 0
Women Men
36
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73. What’s A Watershed?
37
Monday, September 21, 2009

74. What’s A Watershed?
Water...Shed...?
37
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75. What’s A Watershed?
38
Monday, September 21, 2009

76. What’s A Watershed?
0.7
65%
53% 58% 0.525
36% 0.35
0.175
By Race 0
Black Asian Hispanic Caucasian
38
Monday, September 21, 2009

77. What’s A Watershed?
0.7
65%
53% 58% 0.525
36%
24%
0.35
0.175
By Race 0
Black Asian Hispanic Caucasian
38
Monday, September 21, 2009

78. What’s a Watershed?
39
Monday, September 21, 2009

79. What’s a Watershed?
Sweating, I guess?
39
Monday, September 21, 2009

80. What’s a Watershed?
English First Language
English Second Language
40
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81. What’s a Watershed?
18%
82%
English First Language
English Second Language
40
Monday, September 21, 2009

82. Changing With The Times
Monday, September 21, 2009

83. Where they get
their information
Monday, September 21, 2009

84. Where they get
their information
Monday, September 21, 2009

85. Where they get
their information
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86. Monday, September 21, 2009

87. Goodbye: Mass Media
Monday, September 21, 2009

88. Goodbye: Mass Media
Hello:“Nonpoint
Source Information”
Monday, September 21, 2009

89. More And More Choices
Reaching Smaller and Smaller
Audiences
Monday, September 21, 2009

90. Monday, September 21, 2009

91. Source: Advertising Age, February, 2008
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92. Monday, September 21, 2009

93. Monday, September 21, 2009

94. Monday, September 21, 2009

95. Monday, September 21, 2009

96. Monday, September 21, 2009

97. Monday, September 21, 2009

98. Monday, September 21, 2009

99. Monday, September 21, 2009

100. Monday, September 21, 2009

101. Old School
50
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102. Old School
50
Monday, September 21, 2009

103. New School
51
Monday, September 21, 2009

104. New School
51
Monday, September 21, 2009

105. Recap
Monday, September 21, 2009

106. Recap
• Confidence is the key to conservation actions
from citizens -- not information
Monday, September 21, 2009

107. Recap
• Confidence is the key to conservation actions
from citizens -- not information
• Ohioans think what you do is important and they
want you to succeed
Monday, September 21, 2009

108. Recap
• Confidence is the key to conservation actions
from citizens -- not information
• Ohioans think what you do is important and they
want you to succeed
• But our poor communications saps citizens’
confidence in themselves
Monday, September 21, 2009

109. Recap
• Confidence is the key to conservation actions
from citizens -- not information
• Ohioans think what you do is important and they
want you to succeed
• But our poor communications saps citizens’
confidence in themselves
• Our poor communications amount to de facto
elitism that exclude many people
Monday, September 21, 2009

110. Recap
• Confidence is the key to conservation actions
from citizens -- not information
• Ohioans think what you do is important and they
want you to succeed
• But our poor communications saps citizens’
confidence in themselves
• Our poor communications amount to de facto
elitism that exclude many people
• We can’t count on the media to improve our
sloppy or thoughtless communication for much
longer
Monday, September 21, 2009

111. This Presentation:
The Water Words That Work Method
53
Monday, September 21, 2009