Understanding your target audiences

You know which behavior of your target audiences should change. You know which behavior is wrong and which behavior is right for your goal. But most people do not really understand why their target audiences behave the way they do.

A message for everybody, is heard by no one

Before you start to communicate, you first need to understand the people you want to influence. Why? Because a message for everybody, is heard by no one. The message will not connect to current behavior, beliefs and attitudes. It will not result in behavior change.

What do you need to know to understand behavior?

You cannot influence the way people think, feel and act without understanding them first. You need to know:

• The benefits and costs of the behavior you want to influence
• The beliefs, attitudes and knowledge related to your goal and desired behavior change

Knowing benefits and costs

People experience benefits and costs from any change in behavior. We are not only talking about money. Think also of:

• Positive and negative experiences: do they enjoy it?
• Effort of the behavior: how easy is it?
• Status: what impression does it make?
• Social pressure: how do their friends and family feel about current and desired behavior?
• Culture and tradition: since when do they behave this way?

Knowing beliefs, attitudes and knowledge

• Beliefs are what your target audiences assume to be true, for instance: ‘Stray tigers should be killed, it is the only way to deal with them.’ ‘The villager who kills a stray tiger is a hero.’
• Attitudes is how they feel about it: ‘I hate stray tigers!’ ‘I am proud of the villagers who kill stray tigers.’
• Knowledge is what they know about it: ‘Stray tigers often wound and kill villagers.’

Case examples

Below are two examples of a prize winning projects showcasing that understanding and respecting target audiences is a key success factor for behavior change.

Changing habits

 “I am Anwar Kamal. I feel proud to be the Vice President of the Chunoti Co-Management Committee from Bangladesh. I have loved the Chunoti forest all my life. This wonderful forest lies South of Chittagong city. It used to be green all year round with tropical trees and areas of sungrass, which were used for many purposes. The forest is the home of many animals, birds, and rare plants. Even elephants ….Read more

Small steps towards the larger goal

“My name is Silio Lalaqila and I am the Treasurer of the Sisi Initiative. I am from the Island of Vanua Levu that is situated in the North of Fiji. The mountainous peninsula of Natewa Tunuloa on the island is rich of forests. At sunrise you can hear the songs of many birds. One of them is the Sisi, the rare Fijian silktail bird, that we are all proud of. In the days  my grandparents the people in our small indigenous communities were….Read more

Video: Listening leads to the right intervention