I just got off the phone with the programing director for one of Houston's main "activist" radio stations. We were discussing broadcasting public service announcements for my upcoming classes in Edible Wild Plants and also Practical Emergency Preparedness at the Houston Arboretum. She hated the idea of an emergency preparedness class. According to her "preparedness doesn't sell" and it makes a lousy presentation/class. In her thirty years of radio she has come to the conclusion that people DO NOT want to be reminded that things can go wrong. They do not want their illusion of safety ruined. She admitted she was without power for five days after hurricane Ike, had a miserable time and didn't know what to do...but she's not interested in learning what to do for next time!! Nor does she think anyone else wants to learn, either.

It boggles my mind...

-Blast, understanding Doug Ritter's pain a bit more

I think she is right that people don't like being reminded that things go wrong. Thats not a reason to stop talking. Good grief. It all comes down to delivery.

Sell Benefits/Results and it makes more sense. Instead of saying, "If you don't buy a generator you will be without power if yours goes out." While true, people look at it like Chicken Little. When delivered as, "Those that physically, psychologically and emotionally did the best after XYZ event where those that were able to meet the needs of their family for food and warmth...from a generator." blah blah blah.

Screw her, I'd go to em.

I am reminded of the ostrich with his/her head in the sand...it knows the lion is going to eat it, it just doesn't want to see it coming.

It might not sell, but it certainly saves!

Lets face it, she's probably right. But if it gets you ten attendees, so be it. She didn't say no, right? If she did, let it be known that she decided that people don't need or want to stay alive when you are talking to her rivals.

Preparedness doesn't sell...

Someone needs to tell Les Stroud, Bear Grylls and all of the folks producing the disaster preparedness shows on Discovery and Nat Geo. I Survivied this, survivng that... Yeah, no one wants to be reminded that disasters happen.

Perhaps she doesn't know how to sell it or maybe you could attack it from a different angle that she thinks she could sell.

And I didn't intend that to sound so snarky.

What really bothers me is the radio station contacted me about doing free public service announcements for my edible wild plant classes. They consider that a green thing and wanted to push it. I figured the emergency preps class would serve even a wider audience but the lady hated the idea. The preparedness class is already set up at the same place I do my plant classes, all I wanted was for the radio station to promote it like they wanted to do with the plant class.

Oh well.
-Blast

The local public TV station in Los Angeles, KCET, regularly shows an earthquake preparedness program that lasts two hours, I believe. It is a standard during their fund drives, so it must "sell" to some degree

Many people out here learn to pay some attention to preparedness.

One other thing. Around here the cable companies haqve "public access" channel. These often feature announcements of events and classes for all kinds of things. Usually the consist of a static screen that is displayed for about 15-20 seconds or so. Something like that in the Houston area might net all the students you could handle.

People tend to shy away from things negative, or negative people. Since Emergency Management is all about negativity (well, what we prepare for), people will not see it as positive, until it's too late.

So, you might try spinning it to be positive. I remember a generator company showing commercials in Florida after the Hurricanes of 2004, showing a family being "comfortable and having fun" in their house with their trusty generator. I think there were some specs about how long the fuel would last, but they made the behemoth look like it belonged in the yard and was the source of the family's enjoyment.

Maybe you can try the infomercial approach? "Are you tired of your elderly family members freezing up in their beds? Thirsty as hell but not a drop to drink from the taps? Tired of electronic entertainment that doesn't function when the electricity is out? Introducing the FEMA approved 72 hour disaster kit. Includes water, gloves, pry bar, blanket and MORE! If you call within the next 15 minutes, we'll throw in a Pocket Survival Pak by Doug Ritter for FREE! That's a $30 value!"

I love the irony. Its only an extra 6 words. "edible plant class *followed by an emergency preparedness seminar*"

I guess she doesn't read any popular magazines, which are inundated with the topic.