• by Benny Thomas , Op-Ed Contributor, November 12, 2014

“In a world where charlatans and mountebanks blather on about the impending horrors of climate change … one man stood up and said ‘NO.’ One crusader faced down the might of the liberal-Birkenstock complex and dared say what many had thought, but few had the courage to utter: ‘Climate change isn’t real because the Bible says it ain’t.’ He is … the man who brought a novelist to testify at a congressional hearing on environmental science. He is … the scourge of every scientist who dares uphold a century’s worth of climate measurements against the word of God. He is … Al Gore’s worst nightmare. He is … Jim Inhofe. Coming soon. To a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee near you. Again.” 

Normally, the idea of someone in this day and age questioning climate change would not be funny. But I have to say, reading about Inhofe inspires hilarity like no other. I can only imagine the joy that must have arisen in the hearts of satirists and fake news anchors everywhere at the news. I can practically hear the cheering from the offices of “The Daily Show.” 

But this is a marketing column, so I’m going to bite back the gorge, stem the flood of panic unleashed by this gentleman and instead  look into how such belief systems can take hold — in other words, how even the most absurd ideas can take off when marketed well.

With the hope that in doing so, we can come up with some counter-measures. Because make no mistake, it’s game time for climate change activists. Time to step up to the plate and fight for the truth. Most importantly, find new ways to fight. The old ones aren’t working as well as they need to. 

So: back to the Inhofe-meister. Why is his campaign so successful? Sadly, it comes down to three words much beloved of the ad community. Insightful. Singular. Passionate. When we use these words in agencies, or the marketing community, they’re usually positive, meant to praise an outstanding and effective campaign. Well, here’s a reminder: It works for the dark side, too. Just look at the key strategic drivers of the campaign:

1. Play to the proven human tendency to blame their own woes on the conspiracies of  another  group (worked for Hitler and many many other despots through history)
2. Make a claim so outrageous that its practically unforgettable — then stick to it
3. Rant, rave, invoke the divine and generally lose no chance to jump the shark when espousing it

Inhofe has followed through diligently on all of the above. In fact, he has consistently shown that he is willing to go to any lengths to defend his beliefs and vilify his opponents. He once asked Michael Crichton, the late author of "Jurassic Park," to testify at a Senate hearing on climate change; wrote a book about the purported “hoax”; and took the fight to the enemy by claiming that “actually, global warming can be beneficial to mankind,” leading to improvements in the environment and the economy.

Don’t laugh. Learn. The antidote to this kind of madness is not a shrug and a belief that eventually rational minds will prevail. That’s idealism, not marketing. 

Instead, this reinforces another, oft-overlooked truth about marketing: you don’t have to convince everyone in order to be successful. All you need is a passionate and vocal few, and you’re in business. 

So before I get terminally depressed at the state of the asylum, let’s talk about how we can fight back. 

Let’s stop being alarmist and be a little more entertaining. Whoever said “fight fire with fire” clearly did not understand physics. You fight fire with water: and nothing douses inflammatory rhetoric faster than a splash of satire. See comic Sarah Silverman on women’s wage inequality. Much great comedy is born of anger — surely we can channel some of our frustration into a more entertaining and memorable format? 

Secondly, let’s simplify the message. How about a simple chart that shows the accelerated pace of oceans rising, glaciers melting and coastlines disappearing? How about a “We hate Our Children and Children’s Children” campaign? 

And, finally, find a way to stay top of mind. Scientists have posited that if average surface temperatures rise by 2 degrees Celsius, the effects are irreversible.  How about a “heat clock” that shows how close we are getting to that and what the effects are?

But then again, maybe this is a huge conspiracy and the evil forces of Goremania are secretly lighting thousands of forest fires, submerging tropical islands and causing unseasonable snowstorms.

In which case, could I interest you in investing in a bridge?