Paul Schmidt on the Craft of Delivering a Successful Message

Vistas & Voices

In this episode, I engage in a fascinating conversation with Paul Schmidt, a lecturer in management communications at the Ivey School of Business and manager of the Writing Support Center at the University of Western Ontario.

Paul shares insights on making impactful changes to how we use language to communicate effectively about sustainability and conservation efforts. We discuss the importance of emotional connection, factual storytelling, positive messaging, and empathy in crafting messages that resonate with diverse audiences and encourage behavioral change. This episode highlights the challenges and necessary strategies for delivering successful sustainability messages to inspire action.

04:12 Challenges in Sustainability Communication

05:34 Defining Sustainability

07:56 Tailoring Messages to Different Audiences

09:07 Pragmatic Approaches to Sustainability

13:20 Building Trust in Sustainability Efforts

17:06 Behavioral Change and Positive Messaging

26:45 Reaching Younger Audiences

28:58 Making Sustainability Fun

30:07 Reframing Sustainability Messaging

31:21 Shifts in Sustainable Practices

32:49 Transparent Communication and Empathy

35:44 The Power of Storytelling

38:27 Crafting Relatable Stories

44:27 Collaborative Efforts in Storytelling

45:52 Final Thoughts and Reflections

51:56 Closing Remarks and Call to Action