Social marketing and ever-greening

As with any campaign position, there is the reverse psychology element, whereby if you tell people to do X, build a permeable garden or a smaller Outdoor room, that they will wish to do the opposite.   We need to look at the spin-offs of what we are promoting.  Designers of outdoor rooms may have started with good intentions, but found that by generating a market for outdoor rooms, they are generating a demand for cheap, unsustainable resources.    

As campaigners, we  need to be aware of the audience we are addressing.  Also be mindful that expressing an opinion against the opponent may come back to bite you.   I know that by writing this blog, I have learned to tone down the things I say, as I don't really want to get up any one's nose, so to speak.  (Some of my earlier blogs were a tad more cynical than necessary.)  Decide whether taking a more neutral or even-tempered approach you bring out more empathy from your audience, rather than getting too carried away, and scaring your audience away. 

For my other website, converseconserve.com I am reading a very comprehensive behaviour change article by the Australian Public Service Commission which is very enlightening.  Telephone calls = not effective.  Face to face communication = very effective. That's why sustainable landscapers need to be ever-present at community markets and festivals,   produce swaps, public forums, school fetes and kitchen gardens, shopping centre sausage sizzles, and mingling with all aspects of society where possible.  

My Vision: Comics Go Green

I had a funny premonition the other night, as I finished a great autobiography by Barry Humphries, one of the cleverest, most creative Australians alive.  My vision was of Edna Everage strutting the stage with a bunch of native flowers eg Red Flowering Gum (aka Corymbia Ficifolia) which, by the way, does come in a range of stunning colours.  Gladies are out, and Gum is in for a Housewife Superstar, in my vision. She could have her own TV series along with other celebrities where they feature eco-tips in a light-hearted way.  What we need to do is inject a new spin in to sustainable gardening so the public don't see us gardeners (or greenies for that matter) as boring folk, whose only excitement is getting their finger-nails dirty, and dishing up a bowl of homegrown vegetable stew!

Talking to friends recently

        After the dinner I felt like sharing some photos from
              NYC evoking lounge room with glamorous cushions!
Hope to get back one day! 

I got talking with some people at a dinner I had recently, that it might be time we slowed down pushing the whole sustainability band-wagon, as a purely green related 'stunt' and instead promoted the cause under some other banner, eg economics, health etcetera.

I do have to say that bleary eyed and under the influence of alcohol, they looked back at me blankly, and abit askance.

I have long been interested in the way we market the campaign to the public, and ways of making greenie lifestyles more appealing.

Perhaps folks will be more interested to change behaviour if it's promoted to help them get fitter, or to slim down, or help save them money.  I note that all of these benefits go with gardening, and lowering your carbon footprint in the garden (as decks, paved areas and the like do cost a packet).

And so saying, in my spare wee hours of the night, I have set up a website called www.converseconserve.com   It's a place where we can share ideas about promoting sustainability. Green marketing from a different angle.

Strange association

Just got off the phone from my son's paternal grandmother and she is well into her 70's and just played 18 holes of golf, then went shopping and also took the dog for a walk all in the one afternoon.   I nearly fell off my chair!

Zing in 2 spring

There is something to be said for doing all your own home maintenance and strange about how looking after your local environment means you are looking after YOURSELF TOO.  

Speaking of which here are some more little catch-phrases we could use in this campaign. 

Nature needs nurturing by ourselves, using our better nature.    

Got a bee in my bonnet about outdoor rooms but the bonnets are just not flattering to the bees, I'm afraid. 

Looking after trees. Now that is a good deed.

I plan to research how much carbon is sequestered by having large trees on your property.