The perfect customer

Yesterday I got my hands on a slide presentation about a biogas project in which I will be involved working with the communications strategy. It contained the objectives from the project management so far and the comments from the customer, a medium sized city in Sweden. And I must say I love the comments:

Objective: Make people aware of the fact that biogas is a clean fuel
Comment: Yes, but priority one is to improve people's recycling behavior (so we get biomass to produce the gas)

Objective: Make people proud of the fact that we are way ahead in the environmental area compared to other cities
Comment: Yes, but priority one is to improve people's recycling behavior

Objective: Make people understand how recycling decreases the contribution of green house gases
Comment: Yes, but priority one is to improve people's recycling behavior

Between the lines I read: Guys, you are on the track, but don't fly away!

Oh God, don't I love that kind of customer!

In my work as a communications consultant working to change people's behavior I am so tired of customers who like to do something else. Like affecting people's knowledge or their attitude. Often the objectives like above may have a positive impact on people's behavior. But far to often it hasn't.

Do you want people to improve their recycling behavior, here are some ideas:

- Pay them
- Reconstruct their kitchens
- Improve information in the waste areas
- Tell them they make a great job
- Thank them

Do you need to educate them about the Kyoto treaty? I hope I have made my point. Do you need to understand the construction of an Otto engine in order to drive a car?