Evaluating the effectiveness of the H2O Hero Mass Media Campaign through public opinion surveys

Session: Education, Outreach, and Citizen Science in Our Great Lakes: Engaging the Community (1)

PAUL SAWYKO, WATER EDUCATION COLLABORATIVE, paul_sawyko@rmsc.org
Christy Tyler, Rochester Institute of Technology, actsbi@rit.edu
Katrina Korfmacher, University of Rochester, katrina_korfmacher@urmc.rochester.edu
Sydney VanWinkle, Rochester Institute of Technology, sydneyrvanwinkle@aol.com
Briana Burt, Rochester Institute of Technology , bb6272@rit.edu
Todd Stevenson, Stormwater Coalition of Monroe County, tstevenson@monroecounty.gov
Elizabeth Murray, Causewave Community Partners, emurray@causewave.org

Abstract

In spring 2007 the Water Education Collaborative, Causewave Community Partners and the Stormwater Coalition launched a Mass Media Campaign featuring the H2O Hero to make the public aware of stormwater systems and watersheds, and educate them on how common residential activities can impact local water quality.  Advertising has been conducted each year since.

The primary tool utilized to measure success has been a local water quality public opinion survey.  The initial campaign survey was conducted in 2006 to gauge public awareness of, and concern for, local water quality issues and establish baseline parameters for the public awareness campaign and measuring campaign success.  Comparable surveys have been conducted at three year intervals through 2018, allowing for the tracking of public awareness and behavioral change over time and adaptive management of the program.

This presentation reviews the twelve year survey database to reveal current public opinion regarding local water quality and how it has evolved.  Key survey questions will show how the H2O Hero campaign has impacted that opinion, and identify areas that need further emphasis in the ongoing media campaign.  Methodologies utilized for these surveys and some possible inherent biases of the surveys will be also discussed.