Pertinent Perils

Dreaming of Oscar Gold

Will you be among the tens of millions of viewers watching the live broadcast of the Academy Awards for Motion Pictures (the “Oscars”) tonight? Apparently, it is not just the actors, directors and film studios dreaming of Oscar gold. The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, blogged about an Oscar award going to a movie depicting characters impacted by disasters. They titled the category “The Best Pictures of Resilience”.

I, too, had envisioned a scenario in which a highly entertaining movie could motivate its audience to prepare for disasters. I had blogged about San Andreas, The Movie which had effectively informed its large audience about the severity of earthquakes and the necessary safety measures. I had imagined a sequel to the movie in which the star attempts to rebuild his life, business and community in the aftermath of the disaster as the movie audience learns about the long-term consequences of disasters.

What can we do to make our information about disaster preparedness resonate with audiences in the way that the blockbuster movies do so effectively? I have invested some effort into examining more effective disaster communications. After reading the book Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die, I enrolled in the accompanying course offered by Decker Communications. After being informed by more effective communication strategies, our messages may not be entertaining. But at least they will be memorable.