Awareness >> Action

Although I know the internet doesn't necessarily need another blog post about the devastation in Haiti, I can't turn my eyes away. The Google Trends data of the past few days shows a steady stream of people searching for information about the latest developments in the catastrophe and the relief efforts that are underway. A few months ago, a colleague of mine went on a humanitarian aid trip to Haiti and in the process has inspired me to open my eyes to the people I share the world with. The people in Haiti have been struggling to survive for years and now they are in the center of the world's hearts. Knowing that thousands of internet users are seeking more information about the horror in Haiti is encouraging, however there is a big difference between being aware and actually doing something in response. Just in case you've been living under a rock, you can send help by contacting any organization on this list from the AP and Haiti needs that. Help.

Many of us here in the brand marketing world are very familiar with the MESSAGE > ATTITUDE CHANGE > BEHAVIOR CHANGE process. But what can organizations do to go beyond awareness and move people to act? Motivation has been studied for years, think Pavlov's dogs or Prelinger's hungry rats. The science has to be applied.
We cannot overlook the power of reinforcement. When the lottery jumps back down to a mere 10 million, its quite reinforcing to know someone won. People are desperate for feedback and want to feel connected and understand the end result of their actions.
There is a sense of diffused responsibility that people too often have. We believe someone else must be acting and, therefore, we don't need to. And when we all make this assumption, action doesn't happen.
When it comes to behavior, its seems the intrinsic motivators work best-- those things that you enjoy just because you do and make you feel that what you're doing matters.
More and more of these organizations are allowing people to donate to specific relief efforts, ie. water, medical supplies, education. Autonomy is key to behavior change.