COURSE TITLE:  Public Outreach—“Selling the 3R’s: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”

GENERAL COURSE DESCRIPTION
The purpose of this course will be to learn the essentials of effective public outreach strategies that can be used to sell 3R behaviors to the public. We will explore a variety of techniques for reaching and engaging target audiences, shaping citizen behavior, and measuring the effectiveness of your efforts.

Key Learning Objectives:

  1. Gain an understanding of Social Marketing and how it differs from Commercial Marketing;
  2. Learn the basics of Community-Based Social Marketing;
  3. Understand the basics of Diffusion of Innovations theory;
  4. Be able to develop a solid outreach campaign strategy; and
  5. Leave with the ability to write an effective RFP for outreach services.

COURSE OUTLINE

Component #1
A.
 INTRODUCTIONS: Instructor and students will introduce themselves and give a short explanation of the reason for taking the course/the type of outreach challenges they are facing.
B.
 GRADING: Instructor will review the requirements for passing the course and answer questions.
Component #2

LECTURE
Part 1
I.
 Other Names for Public Outreach
II.
 What is Conventional Marketing? How Does it Differ from Social Marketing?
III.
 History of Social Marketing, including CBSM
IV.
 Common Pitfalls & How to Avoid Them
V.
 Overview of Useful Outreach Models
A.
 Downsides to the Carrot/Stick Approach
 
B.
 Diffusion of Innovations Theory
Part 2
 
C.
 Jacquie Ottman’s Green Market Categories
 
D.
 Tipping Point Theory
VI.
 Research/Evaluation
VII.
 Project Planning
VIII.
 Writing an Effective RFP

Component #3

Class Activity
Attendees will break into groups. Each group will share their “real-life” social marketing samples brought into class and analyze them using the principles learned in class. The team will choose one campaign and present their analysis to the rest of the class.

Class will discuss the team presentations.

Component #4

CLOSE

  • Final Observations
  • Resources
  • Review of post-class assignment

PREREQUISITES
Pre-Class Assignment: Read Fostering Sustainable Behavior--Chapters 1 & 6; Green Marketing—Chapter 2 & 6 [See Course Materials below.]

CLASS PROJECT
Pre-Class Assignment
Identify a recent or current, real-world public outreach campaign and obtain samples of the campaign materials. (This could include a brochure, a flyer, a recycling guide, a photo of a bus shelter ad, a transcript of a TV or radio PSA, a website, etc. Be sure your samples include at least one tangible/non-digital item.) Spend an hour or so researching the context for the campaign, finding out as much as possible re: the sponsoring agency, what their overall mission is, specifically what the target behavior for this particular campaign is, who they are targeting, how long the campaign has been going on, whether they have quantifiable goals for the campaign, how they plan to measure the results of the campaign, etc. [Plan to do more than just online research, including phone calls to key players.]

NOTE: This could be an actual campaign from one of the students’ agencies or companies.

Post-Class Assignment
TBD

TESTING/COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Students must achieve a score of at least 75 out of 100 points in order to pass the class. Points will be earned as follows:

  1. Doing Pre-Class Assignments*………………………………..up to 20 pts.
  2. Attending lecture portion of class…………………………………….30 pts.
  3. Participating in class activity……………………………………...….20 pts.
  4. Test………………………………….……………………………up to 30 pts.

TOTAL POSSIBLE SCORE……………………………………….………100 pts.

*Reading and “real world” campaign research.

COURSE MATERIALS
Recommended materials

Fostering Sustainable Behavior: An Introduction to Community-Based Social Marketing (Education for Sustainability Series)
Author: Doug McKenzie-Mohr, William Smith
Publisher: New Society Publishers (June 29, 1999)
ISBN-10: 0865714061; ISBN-13: 978-0865714069

Green Marketing: Opportunity for Innovation
Author: Jacquelyn A. Ottman
Publisher: BookSurge Publishing (May 14, 2004)
ISBN-10: 1594570787; ISBN-13: 978-1594570780

INSTRUCTORS

Shana Levy McCracken, MA, Green MBA
Principal, Gigantic Idea Studio, Inc.
Shana has worked in environmental communications since 1989. She specializes in the art and science of “selling behaviors” or social marketing. She has worked in the non-profit, private and government sectors — all within the environmental arena. She has extensive expertise in solid waste management and is very knowledgeable about the industry. Shana teaches green & social marketing at Cal State University East Bay and Dominican University.

Shana holds a bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences with a minor in Conservation & Resource Studies from UC Berkeley, a Master’s in Culture, Ecology & Sustainable Community, and an MBA in Environmental Entrepreneurship from the Green MBA program now at Dominican University. She has also completed a certificate program in Applied Critical Thinking for Change Management with the Institute for Environmental Entrepreneurship.