As conservationists, we often grapple with how to effectively motivate people to adopt more environmentally friendly behaviors. Whether it’s reducing consumption of wildlife products, embracing sustainable lifestyles, or supporting conservation policies, changing human behavior is critical for achieving our goals.
In our recent paper, “Designing celebrity-endorsed behavioral interventions in conservation,” published in Conservation Biology, my coauthors and I present a framework for strategically leveraging celebrity endorsement to inspire conservation behavior change.
Through a case study focused on reducing wild meat consumption in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, we demonstrate a 5-step process for developing effective celebrity-endorsed interventions:
- Select an endorser model that resonates with the target audience
- Choose a celebrity that embodies the desired attributes, based on audience research
- Develop an endorsement strategy and communications approach
- Test and refine the intervention with the target audience
- Implement the intervention and evaluate its impact
While celebrity endorsement is not a silver bullet, our research highlights its potential as a powerful tool when applied thoughtfully and informed by social science. By following this systematic approach, conservation practitioners can design more impactful campaigns that tap into the influence of celebrities to drive positive change.
The guidance we provide is practical and adaptable to a wide range of conservation contexts. Whether you’re working to protect endangered species, promote sustainable resource use, or address climate change, celebrity endorsement can be a valuable addition to your behavior change toolkit.
I invite you to read our open-access paper to dive deeper into the celebrity endorsement framework and learn from our Vietnam case study. Together, we can harness the power of strategic communication to create a more sustainable future for people and the planet.