Large-scale public campaigns about contentious environmental issues can be among the most effective ways to change public opinion and spark meaningful action. However, if these public campaigns aren't approached in the right way, they can actually generate increased public criticism regarding the issue. The authors of this paper discuss two public campaigns: one was publicly criticized and the other successfully raised public concern and led to federal policy changes. Specifically, the authors investigated how one-way communication can either succeed or backfire depending on the context. In the study, the authors considered whether the audience members were positioned as receivers of the information (one-way communication) or whether they were positioned as active participants in the issue (two-way). Upon finding that two-way communication was more successful in engaging the public positively, the authors then propose different ways to create two-way communication streams. Furthermore, they use their findings to develop a framework for determining appropriate approaches to public media campaigns depending on the goals, audience, and constraints, such as time and money.
The first campaign the authors discuss is Project Painted Apple, which was undertaken by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) in New Zealand. The six-year campaign (1999–2005) was a government effort to eradicate an invasive pest moth that threatened the country's horticulture industry by using aerial spraying of biological insecticide over urban communities. The program exposed residents to potential health risks. Throughout the first few years of the program, the MAF tried to keep a low public and media profile. However, as their initial eradication efforts were not succeeding, and the extent of the insecticide spraying grew, a heated public battle started in the media over the potential public health risks. The MAF responded with an advertising campaign designed to quell concerns over any long-term health effects from the spray. They also attempted to demonize the invasive painted apple moth so that residents would support the eradication effort. However, this one-way communication effort did little to dampen opposition in the media. In 2006, the moth was declared eradicated and the campaign ended.
The second campaign the authors discuss was called 0800-Smokey. In 2002, the air quality in Auckland, New Zealand, was poor because they lacked legislation to control vehicle emissions or the quality of second-hand vehicle imports. Environmental and health monitoring showed people were dying prematurely due to air pollution. The Auckland Regional Council (ARC)—the local government authority responsible for environmental protection—sought to create a public mandate for vehicle emissions and fuel quality standards. ARC began by surveying residents to find out about their concerns related to air quality; in the process, ARC found they valued clean air and particularly disliked “smoky” vehicles. Using this as the basis of their campaign, ARC built partnerships with a number of organizations, including an advertising agency that designed the campaign (which included a street theater); shop owners, who dressed their window mannequins with face masks bearing an 0800-Smokey logo; and the motor vehicle association, which provided free vehicle emissions tests. A free phone hotline, “0800 SMOKEY,” was also organized. Residents were encouraged to “Dob in a Smokey Vehicle,” which meant that they should report a smoky vehicle to ARC. “Dobbedin” vehicle owners were sent letters that outlined Auckland's air quality issue and offered free vehicle emission tests. The campaign ran for six weeks and received over 55,000 calls “dobbing in” over 27,000 vehicles. The campaign resulted in the federal government committing to legislative changes for mandatory vehicle emission testing and better fuel quality. In addition to these policy changes, surveys of residents showed that 0800-Smokey dramatically increased public awareness of the issue as a major regional environmental problem.
The authors discuss several key successes and failures of each of these campaigns, and they offer possibilities for how each of these campaigns could have been improved. Specifically, they attribute much of 0800-Smokey's success to the variety of ways in which it engaged citizens, including initial public surveys to gauge what matters to the public and providing an avenue for citizens to actively participate in the solution (through calling in their smoky neighbors or getting their smoky cars inspected). In contrast, Project Painted Apple Moth did little to consult with or engage the community. This approach excluded and alienated the residents who were affected by the spraying.
While 0800-Smokey did relatively more to understand and engage people, both of these campaigns employed largely one-way communication strategies. The authors point out that another key reason for their relative success was the context of the two campaigns. Project Painted Apple Moth was dealing with a project that could pose a potential health threat (making it controversial), whereas 0800-Smokey was attempting to remedy an existing health threat. They argue that the more contentious the issue, the more there is a need to involve affected local communities and media with interactive or participatory (two-way) approaches. Two-way communication recognizes the audience of the campaign as an active participant in negotiating the issue and playing a role in developing solutions. For example, the authors suggest Project Painted Apple Moth could have developed a representative community group, engaged with existing and trusted local networks, and involved the residents in the program through activities such as monitoring moth traps.
Finally, the authors suggest a framework for determining the appropriate amount of two-way communication for a public media campaign, taking into account three factors: campaign goals, the audience, and campaign constraints. In short, the more contentious the goals and the more impacted the audience will be, the more need there is for two-way communication. However, the authors also point out that the constraints such as the organization's willingness to co-develop solutions and dedicate time and money all need to be considered so that the goals of the campaign are realistic.
The Bottom Line
To craft successful public environmental campaigns, it is essential to take into account the context of the issue and understand the existing public opinion regarding the issue being communicated. If the program's goals are contentious, or the campaign's audience will be highly affected by the issue, using a top-down, one-way communication approach could garner criticism. In those cases, it is likely to be more effective to engage the audience in interactive approaches that allow the audience to be part of negotiating a solution, and to encourage their participation in the campaign through two-way communication.