US Water News Publishes Water - Use It Wisely Case Study
Is it possible to tell people they should conserve water in a way that inspires them to actually change their habits? If so, how do you convince a community of people who, for example, love their green lawns and water-thirsty shrubs to plant a more water-friendly landscape? US Water News recently published a case study that addresses the hot topic of how to develop and run an effective outreach campaign that gets people to change the way they think about and use water.
Experts agree that, to be effective, social marketing campaigns require adherence to proven principles regarding behavior change. In their book Social Marketing: Improving the Quality of Life, authors Philip Kotler, Ned Roberto and Nancy R. Lee incorporate these principles into their 12 steps to successful social marketing. Hitting the mark for water conservationists and professional communicators alike, the case study, published in March 2007, lists each of the steps (e.g., promote a single, doable behavior, make access to your message easy) and demonstrates how each one of the Water - Use It Wisely program elements achieves the desired objective. The authors contend that a social marketing campaign developed around these 12 steps inspires, empowers and ultimately achieves a change in one's daily behavior.
Water - Use It Wisely has been inspiring people to change their behavior for over six years by using this 12-step model. For the complete case study, call the Water - Use It Wisely office at 602-957-7323 or e-mail Kim Bridges.
Red Cap Suffers Jet Lag
Spotted in the vineyards of Tuscany, traveling through Ko Samui, Thailand, and at a Buddhist temple in Wenzhou, China, the Red Cap continues its incredible journey around the globe. Fishing in Canada before visiting friends in Vienna, Austria, and Mexico makes for some serious jet lag, but did not deter a stop in 
Munich for Oktoberfest. What our Red Cap's passport must look like! Its North American travels aren't too shabby either, with stops along the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland, the CNN studios in Atlanta, Georgia, Catalina Island, California and the beautiful Grand Canyon in Arizona. If you still have your cap, dust it off and take it with you wherever you go. Take a picture or two, add
it to the Red Cap album and then pass it on so it may continue its wonderful journey for conservation.
Tools to Build Awareness
Water festivals, outdoor events, and activities are unfolding as we speak. Help your community keep water conservation top-of-mind throughout the summer by distributing magnets, bookmarks and more, available in the Water - Use It Wisely Starter Package. We can have a package to you within 10 days.
Subscribe to Conserve
Announced just two months ago, the number of subscribers to the only professional water conservation e-mail discussion list is growing. If you haven't already, visit the Conserve subscription page to join this great new resource for professional water communicators. Then, put a note on your computer to remind yourself of this great resource the next time you need to bounce an idea off someone or pick someone's brain.
