Reactions to reports from the Frameworks Institute about aging issues and communications are strong and well deserved. We’ve needed these insights for a long time. Nat Kendall-Taylor, Frameworks CEO has a new TED talk: How words change minds: The science of framing that gets at the heart of the Frameworks approach and value. Watch it! Then add your comments to mine below.My reaction to the framewosks reports? Since reading the reports I have said, repeatedly, that, “I’ve probably given more than 200 consumer presentations on this topic. The results are probably next to zeo! This reports validates that feeling. I’ve neen hitting y head agsinst the wall for too long. More and longer bike rides would have been a better use of my time.” This December 2015 blog shows that I suspected these findings. Now we all know.
Your reaction?…as you remember it from when you first read the Frameworks stuff or just now if this is new to you. This is important and worth discussing. This is a forum for that discussion. Have had it.
Happy 4th of July weekend. And summer!
Louis Tenenbaum, one of the nation's leading authorities on aging in place, is the founder of HomesRenewed, a coalition of business, consumers and nonprofits, driving policy and investment to increase the number of age-friendly homes.
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Louis, thanks for bringing this to our attention. There is a reason why good copywriters and sales representatives are paid extremely well. They can communicate a compelling message to a target audience. For instance, I’ve interacted with the salesforce for both Oracle and Microsoft and they do an extremely good job of communicating their products in “my own language”. It seems like that they can read my thoughts. But, if I had an Oracle or Microsoft engineer try to sell me a product, I wouldn’t buy anything from them.
Robert Cialdini, Dan Ariely and other social scientists have shown that emotions drive our decision making. Most people don’t care about facts or data. They want to be told a story that connects to them emotionally.
I’ve read many of the articles on aging in place and they all follow a similar pattern.
1. 90% of Older adults want to stay in their homes
2. There is an aging tsunami coming with the baby boomer population
3. We need to follow universal design concepts and support visitability
Most of the articles make it very difficult for a reader to connect and feel empowered to help. We need to tell a better story so people can be more inspired to help.
For example, this is one of the most inspirational messages that I’ve read – “I believe that this Nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to earth.” – John F. Kennedy
Kennedy’s message inspired a generation and boosted STEM in schools. Even a six year old can understand and be motivated by Kennedy’s message.
Thanks, More corroboration that we need a significantly different message if we are going to achieve a transformation of homes prepared for residents of the modern lifespan.