Value modes and perceptions of the English sea

by Livvy Drake

What do you think of the English Sea? Wonderful, grey and dull or scary and unknown?

In The Natural History Consortium Communicate talk from 2020, Ian Rowlands from Incredible Oceans highlighted a correlation between the VALUES MODES people fell into and their perception.

Pioneers = Wonderful

Prospectors = Grey and dull

Settlers = Scary and unknown

Maslow’s value modes

These value modes are based around Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, and based on the need for shelter, safety and up to self-actualisation. And the idea is that people can move from one segment to another and back again. Each category: Settler, Prospector and Pioneer has 4 sub-sections.

In short:

Settlers are motivated by family, local community and safety

Prospectors are motivated by personal success and status

Pioneers by ethical concerns, fairness, equality and justice

These are especially useful to better understand different people types and to change communications and messaging accordingly. Ian Rowlands suggested that Incredible Oceans have adapted their messages about the ocean to make it relatable to people’s value system rather than trying to change their values.

Want to delve deeper?

Here are some resources to better understand this theory:

Take the test and find out what value type you fall under.

Watch the incredible oceans’ discussion

Sign up for the Understanding your audience’s behaviour on-demand recording

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