Page 9 - InCommand Volume 36

Exploring the Role of Digital Media in Future Fire Prevention Programs
Commonly, advertisers argue that it takes three to seven exposures before a message connects with its audience. This alone may cause you to question the efficacy of in-school Fire Prevention visits. However, that is not the whole story. American ExpressTM argues that, well-crafted messages that manage to surprise, delight and inform its audience, while focusing on a meaningful and urgent benefit, “is going to break through sooner and take root more permanently” (Killian, 2011). Certainly, our time-tested and honored tradition of Fire Prevention school visits are capable of meeting that high bar. One should not discount the multiplicative benefit of at-home storytelling and the resulting family discussion sparked by the day’s earlier events. However, if our intentions are pure, our efforts must extend well beyond a single week’s effort and span a broader period if we are to be successful.
The data is clear, if you want to communicate effectively with tweens and teens, you should be incorporating media technology into your fire prevention programs. You now have some tools
to know where to begin searching for your intended audience
and how to craft a targeted message (and your corresponding brand) using the medium that your budget allows. Perhaps that includes video ads on YouTube or 15-second spots on Pandora, or maybe even banner ads on Instagram or mobile gaming services. Presenting personal presentations in the classroom remains an important activity, but rather than spending coveted public dollars on giveaways, perhaps it is time to transition that investment toward the devices that are already in students’ hands and before their eyes for nearly five to seven hours a day, every day, all year long.
Do you have success stories to share by using digital media technology? Please share your story with others so that we may all benefit from what you have experienced!
References
CSM. (2019). The Common Sense Census: Media Use by Tweens and Teens | Common Sense Media. Common Sense Media, 1–61.
Killian, R. (2011). Why The Frequency Of Your Message
Matters (Again And Again). American Express. https://www. americanexpress.com/en-us/business/trends-and-insights/articles/ why-the-frequency-of-your-message-matters-again-and-again/
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