Part I. Developing an Outreach Campaign Plan

Step 5: Distribute the message

Once the message has been packaged in the desired format, you can proceed with distribution. Fortunately, you've already considered distribution mechanisms somewhat while researching the target audience and selecting a format. Further activity during Step 5 includes taking a close look at the level of time, resources, and work required for distributing the message. Are you going to mail all those posters? Do you need to buy mailing tubes? Do you have the addresses? Better still, is there an existing mailing you can piggyback onto so you can reach the target audience without the hassle of mailing anything yourself? Consider using existing community newsletters or utility bill-stuffers.

Common means of distribution are by direct mail, door-to-door, by phone, through targeted businesses, during presentations, as hand-outs at events, through media outlets, and by posting your message in public places. Consider which distribution method(s) is best for your group. Local governments, for example, might choose to add inserts to utility bills, whereas local community groups might prefer door-to-door visits. One of the ways the City of Fresno, California, distributed their stormwater pollution prevention message was through placemats at area fast food restaurants. Be creative in your distribution mechanisms.

Who delivers the message? In addition to deciding how you will deliver the message, you should decide who will deliver the message. Analysis of the target audience can help you determine who the most trusted members of the community are. An organization trusted by the public may be able to effectively use one of its own members. In other cases, it might be more effective to have a member of the target audience deliver the message. Many groups select local celebrities, news reporters, or other respected members of the community to communicate their messages.

The organizers of the Pequea-Mill Creek project in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, had their work cut out for them when trying to reach the watershed's Amish farmers with their message, as the Amish reject TVs, radios, and many other staples of modern living in the U.S. Project staff knew that the farmers would be tough to sway if the message came from the wrong person. Rather than using only participating local, state, and federal staff, they asked local veterinarians interested in water quality and herd health to get involved. The vets spoke to the farmers in the area and encouraged them to implement the recommended BMPs for the sake of herd health, which was valued over water quality for its own sake. The organization also used the farmers themselves to help spread the word. They formed teams of two or three farmers and took them to participating farms, where the farmer teams talked about the BMPs and their pros and cons.

In Grapevine, Texas, the "Conservation Cowboy" conducts numerous visits throughout the year within the community to promote environmental responsibility and nonpoint source pollution prevention. Conservation Cowboy often uses various props that he pulls from his blue recycle bin, including a cow bell that "Rings for Recycling." The Conservation Cowboy has been a huge hit with children and has become an effective messenger of environmental education messages.