Three ways to bring future success into the present.

Written by

Kevin Smith

There is a big difference between right and right now. None of us are working on problems with near-term solutions. Most of us are tackling issues that are decades, if not centuries, in the making. Our work demands a long view, abundant patience and faith in possibilities –  an insistence on progress over expediency.

Meanwhile, we live in an increasingly instant world. What used to involve a trip to the library and hours of research is now a Google Search away. On top of that is the depth, degree of detail and curated knowledge AI offers. We hold an immediate answer to almost any question in the palm of our hand.

When it comes to social impact, how do we reconcile a culture of instant gratification with the need for sustained commitment? We have to bring later into the now because an increasingly impatient public needs to understand your end game to stay engaged. 

Although that’s a logical conclusion, it’s one cause marketers have consistently failed to achieve. Here’s how to succeed.

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1

Stop underestimating your audience. Telling the public what they already know serves no one. Your audience understands their needs. Infantilizing them isn’t persuasive, it’s disrespectful. Yet messaging restating the obvious is prolific, covering issues from public health to poverty. It isn’t working. For example, a study of the impact of financial education found that interventions resulted in a mere 0.1 percent variance in behaviors. Related research led by Wharton marketing professor Wendy De La Rosa found that 92 percent of low-income Americans can list three or more steps to improve their financial security. What’s needed isn’t instruction with a side of willpower, but environmental changes. Predatory lending and credit card debt aren’t choices, they’re damaging necessities. An outcome-based depiction of your issue’s solution is much more impactful than reiterating the obvious. Imagine an effort to reduce financial shame and advocate for universal bank accounts replacing outbound instruction. Or a message that envisions how an increase in the minimum wage would impact the working poor.

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2

Reframe the issue. One of the pleasures of my job is cohosting a series of interviews with cause leaders called the Science of Good. It’s been a powerful reminder of how much we have in common regardless of purpose, tenure or geography. I’m reminded of a conversation we had last year with an executive from Prevent Child Abuse America who explained that the abusive alcohol-fueled father may be what’s dramatized on television, but it isn’t the most common reality. Abuse is more often neglect by a parent forced to choose between a paycheck and parental supervision. This more accurate depiction of the issue both widens its appeal and focuses advocates on more targeted solutions.

Misperceptions like this and dated tropes are pervasive. One example we’ve recently addressed is the time-worn dialogue extolling an inextricable link between mental illness and homelessness. Our clients at Mental Illness Recovery Center, Inc. (MIRCI) provide behavioral healthcare, stable and affordable housing and a collection of other support services. A rebranding effort reshaped a problem-based conversation into an aspirational appeal to both funders and clients.

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3

Tap into the future self. Most of us are inherent optimists, especially when it comes to our future behavior. The present self doesn’t save money for retirement, today’s demands are too great. But we believe that we’ll do better years from now. In the future, we’ll eat better, exercise more and check in with our relatives more frequently. This bias is called low future self-continuity. Many nonprofits have capitalized on this predilection with annual pledge drives. Our future selves not only live healthier lives, they’re also more generous. Not all pledges are kept, but 70 to 90 percent are. What a nice reminder that folks are inherently kind. Too few public education campaigns embrace the power of good intentions. For example, if more substance misuse campaigns depicted the promise of recovery rather than the grip of addiction, I believe we could help more people. There’s a tendency to focus on the crisis rather than a descriptive vision of a better future. We can and should do better.

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All of us are in the business of solving intricate problems, so it’s natural to focus on what’s wrong. But remember, the people you are working to serve, your financial supporters and your team need to know that solutions are attainable. Even if your desired outcome is far away, bringing it into the now will show everyone what’s right.

Take care,

Kevin

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Kevin Smith, Principal   Kevin helps clients apply the principles of behavioral science to communications strategies that compel people to adopt life-changing behaviors. He has recently directed communications for the largest statewide contraceptive access initiative in the US, resulting in a 58% reduction in the number of unwanted pregnancies.

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