Connect with us

Monthly Columns

Stanford’s Solution for the BenGil Main Street

Published

on

Dr. BJ Fogg is a persuasive genius. He’s spent his entire academic life studying it. He founded Stanford’s Persuasive Technology Lab, as well as authored several books on the topic. He’s even created his own behavioral change model called the “The Fogg Behavioral Model.” Big name companies pay him thousands of dollars to help them make their products more persuasive. When he talks about persuasion, we should listen.

Most importantly though, he may just hold the answer to our “main street” problem.  According to his Fogg Behavioral Model, 3 elements must converge at the same time for a behavior to happen (in our case, it’s shopping locally): motivation, ability, and a trigger. If all 3 of those elements happen at the very same time, our odds at changing a behavior improve exponentially.

Thus, our goal as economic architects is to motivate community members to shop, while at the same time giving them the ability to shop and triggering the “shopping switch.”   So are we currently doing that?

Motivation

Everyone loves to shop. It triggers one of our most addictive emotions: pleasure. Even in this economy, the malls are filled with seas of shoppers on the weekends. And it’s just not the 1% that’s doing the purchasing. The rest of us are doing our fair share of shopping. We’re definitely motivated to shop.

Triggers

Our triggers could be improved, but they’re not the weakest link. Right now, our best trigger is our brick and mortar stores along main street. Customers drive down main street, see an open sign or something in the window that perks their interest, they pull the car over, and before you know it, they’re making a purchase. That’s an ideal immediate trigger-behavioral scenario.

Advertisement

Our other triggers are somewhat weaker. Ads in the newspaper do an excellent job at perking someone’s interest. However, customers can’t make an immediate purchase. They may be reading the paper at night after the stores are closed, and won’t be able to make a purchase until the next morning. Worse yet, they may be reading the paper on the weekend, and not be able to make a purchase for 2-3 days. Facebook fan pages and stand alone websites face the same flaw. Inertia and procrastination are deadly when it comes to making a sale.

Ability

Bingo! This may not be the sole cause of our problems, but it’s definitely the weakest link.  Not only is our sales process inconvenient for our customers, but it’s also complex. According to Dr. Fogg’s research, simplicity is the key to ability. The easier a behavior is, the more likely it will happen. Let’s see how easy it is to purchase an item from a brick and mortar store on the BenGil main street.

When are most of our stores open? 9am -5pm Monday – Friday. When do most of our customers work? 9am-5pm Monday-Friday. Who has the most disposable income? Those customers who have a job. When can they shop? After 5pm throughout the week and on the weekends. When are we closed? After 5pm throughout the week and on the weekends. See the problem?

We’re committing a huge error. Our 3 elements to behavioral change aren’t converging at the same, critical point.  There’s too big of a delay, and it’s costing us hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. If you think I’m exaggerating, stop and think about how many cars, washers, dryers, toys, and computers are being purchased by community member from outside of our community. Just a little math will make your jaw drop. The internet, Wal-Mart, and other big box retailers who offer our customers better convenience are stealing them right out from under us.

We can’t continue to blame the customer. Do you honestly think people don’t want to shop local? No. If given the opportunity, I’d be willing to be 95% of our community members would shop locally (provided the price is reasonable). The problem lies in the complexity and inconvenience shopping locally requires.

So how do we fix it, and make sure all 3 elements converge at the same point? There are probably a hundred different solutions. We’re only limited by our imagination. Carlinville has done an excellent job at converging all three elements at the same point with their “3rd Thursday of the month” initiative.

  • Motivation: Like I said above, it doesn’t take much motivation to make people want to shop. Their marketing does more than enough to motivate customers to shop locally.
  • Triggers: They do an excellent job at triggering, in this case reminding, customers it’s the 3rd Thursday of the month. Most of the participating businesses post on their facebook pages starting the night before and continue the day of about the 3rd Thursday. The local newspaper does an excellent job promoting it in that week’s paper. I would also assume they have signs posted throughout the square reminding people about the initiative.
  • Ability: This is the element they’ve really excelled at. Instead of focusing on shopping locally, which is too generic and overwhelming, they’ve selected a SIMPLE behavior: shopping locally on 1 day out of the month.  And better yet, they’ve also made it more convenient for customers. Local businesses stay open later that night so they can reach the “working moms and dads”, which just happens to be the demographic that should care the most about shopping locally because they’re raising a family in that community.

It may not have been a hit right from the beginning, but as the initiative moves forward, the 3rd Thursday of the month and shopping locally will become synonymous with community residents. Hopefully, it will eventually become a habit.

I don’t know the exact figures, but I’d be willing to bet that the majority of participating businesses have one of their most profitable days on the 3rd Thursday of the month.

Advertisement

So how can we use Dr. Fogg’s work to our advantage in BenGil?

Share this story

Comments

comments

Letters to the Editor

Letter: Domestic violence is prevalent in Macoupin County

Published

on

Dear Editor,

Domestic Violence within Macoupin County is prevalent. It is destructive and can be both physical and psychological. It can affect anyone of any age, gender, race, or sexual orientation. It may include behaviors meant to scare, physically harm, or control a partner. While every relationship is different – domestic violence generally involves an unequal power dynamic in which one partner tries to assert control over the other in a variety of ways. The following statistics are all according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

We can see domestic violence inside the home: through the use and control of household pets. In one study, 85% of survivors who experienced co-occurring animal abuse reported that the behavior of their pets had changed. An even higher percentage of survivors who reported partners had harmed or killed their pet, have also reported their partner for domestic violence. We can also see an increase usage of firearms within the intimate partner violence home. A survey of contacts by the National Domestic Violence Hotline found (of those with access to firearms):  

  • 10% said their abusers had fired a gun during an argument.  
  • 67% believed their abusers were capable of killing them. 

We can see domestic violence inside our schools: as partner violence is not exclusive to the home. There are many instances of violence between dating partners that begin in high school. Nearly 1.5 million high school students in the United States are physically abused by dating partners every year. Within those relationships, 13.4% of male high school students report being physically or sexually abused by a dating partner.  

We can see domestic violence inside our community: Macoupin County provides a specific set of needs for those victims and survivors of domestic violence. There are several complex concerns within a violent relationship that come to light once action has been taken. Safe Families sees a few main re-occurring concerns within the county:  

  • Survivors have fewer financial resources, making them more financially dependent on an abusive partner.  
  • The lack of rental units or other affordable housing options makes it more difficult for survivors to leave spouses or co-habiting abusers.  

The Macoupin County Safe Families program provides support for residents as they journey the emotional endeavors to leave behind domestic violence. As a contributor to that experience, we will be hosting a Domestic Violence Awareness Walk on October 7th on the Carlinville Square. An event shirt will be included with a ticket sale. The online tickets will close 09/29 at 5pm. Tickets will be sold at 9am day-of event at the Safe Families booth. More information about the Awareness Walk can be found on our website at mcphd@mcphd.net. We urge Macoupin County residents to join us and rally against domestic violence together.  

Juliet Wooldridge and Lilly Booth

Domestic Violence Advocate Coordinators
Community Health Worker
Macoupin County Safe Families

Advertisement
Share this story

Comments

comments

Continue Reading

Letters to the Editor

Letter: National Health Center Week is week of August 6

Published

on

Dear Editor,

Community Health Centers are the backbone of our nation’s primary health care system. We design innovative, integrated primary care based on what services communities need most — ensuring access to affordable, quality healthcare for over 30 million people. In addition to creating jobs and saving lives, collectively we save American taxpayers $24 billion a year in health care costs by preventing and managing chronic diseases.

Community Health Centers are not ordinary medical clinics; we are also problem-solvers who reach beyond the exam room to care for the whole person by providing access to necessities like food, transportation, and housing. Community Health Centers care for everyone, regardless of insurance status. Nationwide during hurricanes, floods, and fires, and locally during the pandemic, Community Health Centers are first on the scene and are vital to keeping America healthy.

The 2023 theme of National Health Center Week is ‘The Roadmap to a Stronger America.’ Community Health Centers serve as the beacon of strength, service, and care in their communities. In moments of pain and loss, we offer support and love. In moments of triumph, we offer hope and a vision for the future. This year’s National Health Center Week theme takes us on a virtual road trip across America, highlighting the achievements and amazing work being done at Community Health Centers in every state and territory. Celebrate the uniqueness of our community and get to know others as we journey across the U.S. together!

Each day of National Health Center Week is dedicated to a particular focus area. We will be working with community partners to recognize and celebrate each of the following focus groups in our community.

As part of National Health Center Week 2023, we invite you to support Macoupin Community Health Centers, Inc. to celebrate our mission and accomplishments.

Christy Blank
CEO/Public Health Administrator
Macoupin Community Health Centers, Inc.
Macoupin County Public Health Department

Advertisement
Share this story

Comments

comments

Continue Reading

Letters to the Editor

Letter: Drobney family thanks the community

Published

on

To the great people of Macoupin County.

Although several months have past, the family of Bridget Drobney would like to extend their deepest gratitude for the overwhelming love and support that we received during the recent attempt to secure the release of one of Bridget’s rapist/murderers. We are truly grateful for the numerous letters that were written and sent to the Governor of our state, the Illinois Prison Review Board, and the personal outreach to our family; all of which demonstrated your unwavering love and support. Your efforts were instrumental in persuading the Governor and members of the Prison Review Board to deny clemency for Bridget’s murderer.

While it remains a possibility for the individuals involved in Bridget’s kidnapping, rape and murder to annually petition for clemency, The Drobney family takes solace in knowing that the exceptional people of Macoupin County will steadfastly oppose any such requests and stand ready to fight should the matter of clemency arise again. We are particularly grateful to retired Macoupin County State’s Attorney, Vincent Moreth, as well as the current members of the Macoupin County State’s Attorney’s Office, under the leadership of State Attorney, Jordan Garrison. Their unwavering dedication and support was evident as they traveled to Chicago to represent Bridget and the Drobney family during the clemency hearing.

Once again, we express our sincerest appreciation for your profound support and unwavering commitment to justice. Your solidarity has been a source of strength for us during these difficult years. We will keep you in our prayers and will be forever grateful to the people of Macoupin County.

Sincerely,
The Drobney Family

Share this story

Comments

comments

Continue Reading

Trending

×

We need your support. If you value having timely, accurate news about your community, please become one of our subscribers. Subscribe