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Looking for Social Marketing Practitioner for Recycling Presentation in Maine
2018-12-11 13:14:49 UTC
I was contacted by Maine Solid Waste Recycling committee looking for someone to speak at their spring conference about behavior change and social marketing. Their preference is for someone with experience using social marketing/behavior change related to recycling. Please send any suggestions to me at Kathy.M.Hoppe@maine.gov - thanks for the help.
Kathy Hoppe
Maine Department of Environmental Protection
United States -
Re: Developing a brand for municipal social marketing initiatives
2017-12-15 09:14:00 UTC
A number of years ago Maine's regulated MS4 communities, Maine DEP's 319 program, Maine's Pesticide Control Board, Cooperative Extension Water unit and a few others started a collaboration known as Think Blue Maine. We were attempting to do just what Doug encourages, come up with a common brand and have it 'everywhere'. We realized we were all encouraging the same behaviors but none of us had the staff or budget to go big or do a thorough job. Our hope was by working together and using the same images on both materials produced together as well as our own materials the effort would appear bigger than it was and increase the odds that someone would hear or see a message multiple times. We used focus groups and phone surveys to track some of our impact. Check out both www.thinkbluemaine.org and https://cfpub.epa.gov/npstbx/. The EPA site has some of our survey results and materials.
In my opinion our success (and we do have it documented) was based on a number of factors (1) we started with the target audience and used focus groups and surveys to understand them and develop messages and materials based on them not on us, (2) the collaboration allowed for leveraging different talents, funding, and coverage/distribution, and (3) people saw and heard similar messages and images from a variety of sources in many different places.
Have fun and good luck with your effort.
Kathy
Kathy Hoppe
Maine Department of Environmental Protection
United States -
Looking for Stencil Message Testing Results
2016-04-27 15:24:17 UTC
Is anyone aware of or has anyone done any message testing related to storm drain stencils? I know the general rule is to tell people what we want them to do rather than what we don't want them to do. Hence 'Keep Our Waters Clean' vs. 'Don't dump', but has anyone tested various messages for storm drains? I am wondering how "Only Rain Down the Drain" will play? I wonder if people will make the connection? Plus thinking about the research I have read over the years that "clean water" plays well - if "Keep Water Clean, Drains to Stream" would be more effective or less effective?
Thanks for any help.
Kathy Hoppe
Maine Department of Environmental Protection
United States -
Swimming Pool Discharges
2013-12-05 12:59:49 UTC
I am looking for information to help the communities I work with address pool discharges. Has anyone developed an outreach effort to get people to follow local BMPs when emptying pool water? Has the effort been evaluated to see if the target audience saw your effort, are aware how to dispose of pool water, and if they actually followed through with proper disposal(behavior)? What tools were used to reach people? What were the barriers? (This ties back to the MS4 regulatory program).
Thanks for the help.
Kathy Hoppe
Maine Department of Environmental Protection
United States -
Re: Free PSAs
2013-08-12 09:46:01 UTC
Hey Alex - Thanks for sharing. They might be a bit more in your face than 'normal' but given what people listen to such as talk radio it might be where we are going these days to get people's attention. Anyway, curious how these have been used (local TV? FB ????) and has there been any evaluation?
Kathy
Kathy Hoppe
Maine Department of Environmental Protection
United States -
Re: Programs to Promote Proper Maintenance of Septic Systems
2010-12-01 09:22:27 UTC
While I have no personal experience with Septic Socials, it is an outreach tool that communities in Southern Maine are usig. I believe there are others around the US also using them. Here is a link to an invitation in the town of Kittery Maine http://www.kittery.org/Pages/KitteryME_News/Place%20old%20News%20in%20this%20folder/S02A0B591 While this one is at a very public place, I have heard they are also being done in nieghborhoods where people gather at someone's home.
Kathy Hoppe
Maine Department of Environmental Protection
United States -
Re: Looking for Research on Planting Vegetated Buffers to improve water quality.
2010-05-12 16:46:57 UTC
Maine DEP and our partners (Soil & Water Conservation Districts, lake associations, water districts) have been trying for years to promote the use of buffers. We have tried a number of methods from workshops, walk-n-talks, demonstrations, Clean Water Act 319 funds for cost share, development of materials like our Buffer Handbook
http://www.maine.gov/dep/blwq/docwatershed/bufa.htm and most recently LakeSmart http://www.maine.gov/dep/blwq/doclake/lakesmart/
We have done some focus groups and limited evaluation. (some can be found at http://www.maine.gov/dep/blwq/doceducation/nps/outreach.htm - I apologize it isnt all there and this page is not exclusive to buffers but NPS/stormwater issues in general). We have attempted to identify barriers as well as incentives. One of the observations I have made and was indirectly supported by focus group results, is that it is easier to get people to plant a buffer where one presently does not exist if they are a new property owner or in the process of redoing. It seems new property owners have the mental mind set to change things while those who have lived some place for a while are less likely to invest and change their landscape unless they are undertaking a house remodeling project. Catching new landowners seems to be important.
We have also done some work with norms which we are applying through the LakeSmart program. Trying to push the norm to be a buffer and a lawn to be the exception.
And while not a norming message sorta the reverse, we do say things like we dont want our lakes to be like Massachusetts (sorry Massachusetts) this is Maine.
We have also done some research on the use of terms frankly buffer sucks. We are now trying to use more visually appealing terms a ribbon of forest, interesting variety of shoreline plants, shoreline gardens habitat
There are a multitude of barriers and trying to over come enough of them to make a difference seems to be a challenge. Right now we are pinning our hopes on LakeSmart .
Kathy Hoppe
Maine Department of Environmental Protection
United States -
Focus Groups or Other Studies Regarding Cigarette Butt Litter
2009-03-23 16:12:55 UTC
One of our regulated stormwater comunities has decided to tackle cigarette butt litter but they have no social marketing research data such as focus groups, phone surveys or anything else. They would like to know barriers, incentives and words that work. Does anyone know of any such research and willing to share?
Thanks
Kathy Hoppe
Maine Department of Environmental Protection
United States -
Annual Nonpoint Source Pollution Conference
2009-03-11 09:39:21 UTC
Since 1990, New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC), in partnership with its member states, has been coordinating the Annual Nonpoint Source (NPS) Pollution Conference, the premier forum in our region for sharing information and improving communication on NPS pollution issues and projects. The three-day conference brings together all those in New England and New York State involved in NPS pollution management, including participants from state, federal, and municipal governments, private sector, academia, and watershed organizations. Please save the dates for the 20th Annual NPS Conference to be held on May 18-20, 2009, in Portland, Maine.
This years event features sessions focused on Outreach Evaluations, LID, Stakeholder Involvement,and more.
For more information, http://www.neiwpcc.org/npsconference
Kathy Hoppe
Maine Department of Environmental Protection
United States -
5th National Conference on NPS/Stormwater Outreach
2009-03-10 10:29:03 UTC
Registration is now open for the Fifth National Conference on Nonpoint Source and Stormwater Outreach May 11-14 in Portland, Oregon. The theme for this conference is "Achieving Results with Tight Budgets." Learn more about the conference, jointly sponsored by EPA and USDA CSREES, at: www.epa.gov/nps/outreach2009
The first 150 registrants will receive a $100 discount. The registration page is online at: www.epa.gov/nps/outreach2009/registration.html
Monday, May 11, is reserved for pre-conference workshops. There are 3 full-day workshops:
1) Changing Public Behavior Workshop - Learn to Apply Social Assessment to Water Management Strategies
2) Getting in Step - A Workshop on Conducting Effective Stormwater/NPS Outreach Campaigns
3) Eyes on the Prize - Morning Session: An Evaluation Primer for NPS and Stormwater Programs. Afternoon Session: Overview of Social Indicators Evaluation System & Applied Survey Development Skills and 1 half-day workshop: Onsite Wastewater Education - Research-based Outreach Strategies to Help Minimize NPS Pollution Risks
On Wednesday evening, May 13, the conference will host the People's Choice Awards to spotlight the best new radio and TV public service announcements. The deadline for submitting PSAs has been extended from March 2 to March 13. More information on the People's Choice Awards is available at:
www.epa.gov/nps/outreach2009/pca.html
Kathy Hoppe
United States
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