The Frustration of Ignored Messaging

We see it all the time.  People ignore important messaging that gets them in trouble, creates unintended consequences or worse, costs them their life.

HMA Public Relations has been involved in many educational campaigns over the years in which vital messaging was a part of the campaign. They have involved healthcare initiatives, suggested behavior modifications and public safety directives, to name a few.

While it’s rewarding to recall efforts designed to create awareness for such things as mountain lions and safety around them, tips on keeping children safe around swimming pools, understanding the dangers of drug abuse, learning how to avoid scalding in the home and many others, there always seem to be a few messages that the public ignores on a regular basis.

Among the few that come to mind first are:

• Reading a warning or hearing a report about excessive heat related to hiking on Arizona’s mountain trails, often ending with a 911 call for a mountain rescue.
• Not abiding by a “Don’t Feed The Animals” sign which results in the animal becoming sick or becoming too familiar with humans and then having to be euthanized.
• Seeing – and then driving past – the “Don’t Cross When Flooded” sign at flooded roadway, resulting in a car being washed downstream while putting the occupants’ lives in danger.
• Hearing instructions from a law enforcement officer and then doing something different.

I’m sure just about every communications pro has a few on their list, too.