1/6 If we want to change someone’s behaviour, first we need to understand their motivations. This holds true when reducing consumer demand for wildlife products also.

We designed a framework of motivations for wildlife use, w/ 5 main motivational categories.
#SSWGTC20 @SCB_SSWG

2/6 #SSWGTC20

Experiential = hedonistic pleasure, novelty, and curiosity
Social = strengthen social relationships
Functional = practical use
Financial = monetary value
Spiritual = spiritual needs, protection, luck, or fortune in business/life

Example application for orchids:

3/6 #SSWGTC20

This represents a lot of work by a lot of great people. The framework went through multiple rounds of refinement based on feedback from stakeholders with a wide array of expertise.
Preprint: https://osf.io/preprints/socarxiv/7vjrg/

Up next, some things to consider when using it

4/6 #SSWGTC20

Remember, consumers may be driven by multiple motivations. E.g., Indonesian songbird owners.

Economic techniques such as choice modelling could help quantify the relative strength of different motivations.

See: http://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0134787

5/6 The framework focuses on end consumers, but other actors in the trade chain could also be driving demand

Eg, seahorses used as a remedy in TCM. Before choosing a target audience, need to know whether they are specifically requested by patients or suggested by practitioners

6/6 Our framework will help conservationists segment consumers based on psychographics and explore novel interventions.

It underlines the importance of consumer research and collabs with local actors, promoting a more systematic approach to reducing demand in IWT!

#SSWGTC20

Thanks to @orchiddelirium @AnotherBobSmith @verissimodiogo @SaraEppel @WanderMeijer
@Traffic_Science and all the coauthors not yet on twitter!