Don’t Convince the Convinced

All visitor experience projects have a point of view. Should our target audience be people that already agree? Or don’t?

A client of mine once told me how they budget PR campaigns on social issues. There are five groups: Strong Agrees > Weak Agrees > Fence-Sitters and Don’t-Cares > Weak Disagrees > Strong Disagrees. These echo the stock answers we all choose from, when we fill out any opinion survey.

Side note: Fence-Sitters and Don’t-Cares are both middles, but Fence-Sitters want convincing, and Don’t-Cares ... don’t care.

Each mind takes energy to change. You don’t use budgets on Strong Agrees, Strong Disagrees, or Don't-Cares. They’re all convinced. That leaves Weak Agrees, Fence-Sitters and Weak Disagrees. Weak Disagrees may or may not budge, but they’re expensive to convince.

So aim first for Weak Agrees. They're partway to you already. Budget permitting, aim next for Fence-Sitters. Move those two, and some Weak Disagrees might come along for free.

This logic applies equally to exhibitions.

Here’s the thing:
Spending resources to convince visitors of a point of view? Focus on Weak Agrees, then Fence-Sitters. Don’t convince the convinced. You’re wasting your budget.

Warmly,
Jonathan