Use appeals to pride and emotion to unlock resistance
When Tanzania’s public health team explored “sugar daddy” scandals, no one wanted to shame wealthy men directly. The Elephant needed a safe target. So they created Fataki — an older charmer who tries and fails to woo schoolgirls on every corner.
Local artists filmed ten-second radio spots: Fataki suggests chicken and chips in a café, but staffers quietly unlock a back door and whisk the girl away. Because Fataki never wins, people began to laugh along. The new persona let friends, parents, and waitresses intervene without fear of being harsh — they could all unite in mocking the silly Fool.
Within four months, 44% of Morogorans could name “Fataki” unprompted, and 75% admitted they’d talked about him with friends. By turning shame into humor and structuring the narrative in every town square, they reshaped a taboo. Behavior became contagious — everyone knew what to mock and thus what to avoid.
You start by isolating the feeling — embarrassment, fear, indifference — and invent a caricature name that embodies the behavior. Then you produce a few brief, funny anecdotes where the persona always fails. Place those stories on every channel — posters, e-mails, memos — so friends and colleagues can laugh at the persona, rally the herd, and crowd out the unwanted habit. It’s surprisingly effective.
What You'll Achieve
You’ll spark emotion and pride through friendly mockery, breaking down the barriers of direct confrontation. Social norms shift as people adopt the new in-group language and rally to exclude the old behavior.
Design a Person-Saving Message
Pinpoint the emotional knot
Ask: What feeling is blocking progress? Fear? Embarrassment? Identify that single emotion so you can address it directly.
Create a compelling persona
Invent a character or catchy name — like “Fataki” or “Designated Driver” — that crystallizes the bad behavior you want to change in a way people can mock.
Commission short scenarios
Write or record three brief stories showing your persona failing at seduction, lawn litter, or unsafe driving. Keep each under 90 seconds or 150 words.
Seep the norm through stories
Deploy these stories in multiple channels — posters, radio spots, team bulletins — until the new persona becomes the joke, not the target individual.
Reflection Questions
- What negative behavior does your team privately resent but won’t mention?
- How could you personify or parody that habit so people laugh instead of bristle?
- Which channels will spread your short stories fastest?
Personalization Tips
- At school, call tardy students “Sleepyheads” in public announcements to shame lateness into extinction.
- In finance, dub risky spending “Credit Kraken” and share three office parables of its late-night raids.
- At home, tease your family about “Leftover Larry” who never loads the dishwasher, and watch the habit evaporate.
Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard
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