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Focusing On Schools
September 25, 2007
Our experience during this past month has shown that schools are the best way to spread the word about overfishing. No Fish In My Dish is a children's book. Schools are where to find children.
What's more, teachers spend time getting to know the subject in depth, and they devise projects to help teach the children about the issue. In our experience, teachers are much better than people at zoos and aquariums at:
We thought that zoos and aquariums would be our best bet. This month on the road in America has shown that to be wrong. Disappointingly, we found the lowest level of interest, the worst events, and nearly nonexistent support at zoos and aquariums -- the very places that are supposed to be working hard to save animals around the world. That discovery was an eye-opener. There were exceptions. The El Paso Zoo worked hard with us, and sent a representative to Loma Verde Elementary School to talk about animals on the same night that I presented our No Fish program. We hope to work with them in the future as well, but always by bringing them to our events instead of trying to create an event at the zoo. Our events are simply better, with bigger crowds. Sad to say, but zoos and aquariums don't draw people. We've had three zoo and aquarium events in three cities and all three were flops. We expended time and money getting extensive publicity on TV, radio, and in print, but nothing worked. For example, the El Paso Zoo even put an announcement on its freeway billboard showing the event, the location, and the date, but few people showed up and only a handful of books sold. Here's the sign:  At schools, by contrast, we presented to groups as large as 200 and they loved it. We know where success waits: in the classrooms and auditoriums of America's public school system. So, we've refocused our marketing plan on schools alone from now on. Below are some examples of the excellent work children at Loma Verde did around No Fish In My Dish:    Here we are in Myrtle Cooper Elementary School's cafeteria, packed with kids and their families, with a sales rate of almost 50%:  Here we are in Loma Verde Elementary School's cafeteria, again packed with kids and their families, with an equally impressive sales rate and level of enthusiasm:  Look at the line of people at Loma Verde waiting to have their book signed:  We've created a new marketing plan called "1K One Week" that will seek to sell 1,000 copies of the book in one week's time using a maximum of five schools in the same area. We will make our presentation four times in each school, as follows:
Getting The Word Out In El Paso September 20, 2007
We've been very busy in El Paso. Each day, we visit about 10 classrooms to play the "No Fish Game" demonstrating how in the past fifty years, 10 fish have become 1 fish in the world's oceans. That's more effective than telling the kids that fish stocks have declined 90%, which is a fact.
Here we are in Mrs. Oaxaca's class:  Here we are in Mrs. Chavez's class:  Here we are reading:  The children have been tons of fun, well-behaved, and enthusiastic about the book. They've drawn their own fish, written notes to me on them, and decorated their hallways and classrooms with crafts related to the story and the subject of overfishing. Loma Verde is an unusually high caliber school. It's especially touching to find this much interest in the desert, far from the ocean where you might expect people to be indifferent to a subject involving the sea. Nobody should be indifferent to this, however, and I'm happy to find that people in El Paso are not. Good thing: the situation is getting worse, not better, according to the latest from the Worldwatch Institute. Today we'll be joined at the school by two TV stations. We can't wait!
New York Aquarium September 10, 2007
I spent last Saturday talking about overfishing, reading No Fish In My Dish, and signing books for kids at the New York Aquarium at Coney Island.
I found the people there to be friendly and curious about the issue. Whole families stood with me for several minutes, listening to the situation and asking questions. I have a better feel for how the public receives the book. I watched how they flipped through it, and which illustrations caught their eyes. Here are some of the finer moments of the day:        The next stop is El Paso, where I'll be reading and discussing the book with one thousand children at Loma Verde Elementary School.
Still In Sacramento September 5, 2007
I spent a lot of time talking with Brad Simkins, owner of Book Lover's at the corner of Madison and Manzanita in Sacramento. He hosted last Friday's signing, at which this shot was taken of the two of us with a customer who heard me on the radio just moments earlier, live from the store:
 On Saturday, I was at the Sacramento Zoo all day talking with passersby at the "Where The Wild Kids Are" event. To be honest, the day wasn't what Darci and I had hoped. It was supposed to be a special event focused on No Fish In My Dish and the overfishing issue. Instead, it went more like a craft fair with me sitting at one table among other tables where various groups sold goods. I haven't sold anything in that manner since doing school fund raisers! We spoke with the zoo afterwards, explaining that I came all the way from Japan for the event, and then went on local television and radio promoting the zoo's day, only to be put on the side of the property in a dirt lot with little exposure. The zoo's marketing representative apologized, blaming an employee who no longer works there. Darci and I learned our lesson, and she quickly got in touch with the other zoos and aquariums on our publicity schedule to be sure they understood what we're trying to do, and would support me in a way that would justify my coming halfway around the world to be onsite. Already, the prospects look better for other visits. Even with the poor showing at Sacramento Zoo, all was not lost. Here I am with Christopher and his mother, with his freshly signed book:  Finally, here's how I spent most of the day:  It was the hottest weekend of the year in Sacramento, and I was there in my official No Fish uniform, looking like a pizza delivery boy. I have other colors that I'll try at future events. We're off to a choppy start, but are doing our best to get the word out on this important issue. Next stop: New York City. I arrive on Wednesday night and will do publicity leading up to my appearance at the New York Aquarium this coming Saturday. If you're in the area, don't miss it! If not, get your own copy of the book sent by Priority Mail here. Labels: California, Events
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