Re:Maybe buses should be free
by hawkharris on Wednesday June 19, 2013 @08:08PM
(#5909324)
That's an interesting point. The problem doesn't stem from things being free as much as from people's perception of free things.
My former professor, who specialized in developing public relations campaigns for social causes, used to say that it's best to avoid words like "public" and "free" because it makes people think of lower-quality things — public rest rooms, for instance.
It's better for campaigns to use language that doesn't conjure these associations — or, in some cases, charge a nominal fee.
For example, a nonprofit whose mission was to give away condoms in Africa ended up charging a small price for each condom; message testing showed that the audience didn't trust free contraception, so, ironically, charging for the product made it more accessible.
My former professor, who specialized in developing public relations campaigns for social causes, used to say that it's best to avoid words like "public" and "free" because it makes people think of lower-quality things — public rest rooms, for instance.
It's better for campaigns to use language that doesn't conjure these associations — or, in some cases, charge a nominal fee.
For example, a nonprofit whose mission was to give away condoms in Africa ended up charging a small price for each condom; message testing showed that the audience didn't trust free contraception, so, ironically, charging for the product made it more accessible.