Transcript 1999 r&a - P2 InfoHouse

ROBSON BROWN
LOCAL LESSONS - GLOBAL ISSUES
Marketing Travel Awareness in Rural Areas
Case Study - North Yorkshire
Who are Robson Brown
 An award winning full service communications agency
 Based in Newcastle upon Tyne
 Appointed by North Yorkshire County Council to handle
the Travel Awareness project
 Stephen Green
ACCOUNT DIRECTOR
Who are Robson Brown
Local lessons - global issues
 North Yorkshire is a massive geographical area
– the largest county in the UK in terms of area covered
– from the coast to the dales
– a varied demographic spread
 Some unique issues created by a significant rural
population
– but actually an ideal starting point for developing a
marketing approach for Travel Awareness
 Equally applicable to urban areas
Marketing not information
 Understanding the motivations and dynamics of our
audience (customers) is central to our approach
 We need to meet their expectations in order to have any
impact
– in the same way that any product or service would be
marketed
 Especially as we are competing against the marketing
activities of motor manufacturers
– with huge budgets
Marketing not information
Marketing not information
Marketing not information
Marketing and communication
issues
 Influencing actions and altering behaviour patterns relies
on the ability to control a large number of external factors
– regardless of the mindset amongst people to use the
car less or otherwise
– our exercise could not influence these external factors
 Differing circumstances of the people across North
Yorkshire
 Communication needs to acknowledge these restrictions
and limitations
Our approach
Our approach
 We didn’t prepare any creative work initially!
 Desk research
– to establish background
– to identify other campaigns
 Research focus groups
– to test concepts developed through desk research
amongst our audiences
 Preparation of a strategy and creative approach
Desk research
 DfT
 CfIT
 Lobby groups
 Official statitics
 Our own research
Desk research
 Commission for Integrated Transport report published in
2001 suggests that
– transport is the most important issue locally especially congestion - and that people were prepared
for fast radical action to improve the situation
– four in ten are now willing to pay more taxes in order
to have a better public transport system
– two thirds of people say more must be done to
persuade parents not to take children to school by car
– there is massive support for park and ride
schemes, bus lanes and innovative measures
Research method
 Three focus groups were conducted each lasting
approximately an hour and a half
 There was a mix of females and males in each group
 All respondents drove a car and had access to it at all
time
 The groups took place in North Yorkshire, with
respondents from Reeth, Barlby and Knaresborough.
Research model
The model was based on the idea of promoting
alternatives to
single car occupancy in three key stages
1. Short term awareness of immediate journey options
- ‘is the car best for this journey?’
2. Medium term consideration of alternative modes of
transport
- ‘is the bus really that bad?!’
3.Long term lifestyle choices
- ‘do I really want to be dependent on the car?’
Research issues
 Current travel patterns
 Car usage
 Perceived advantages of not using the car
 Attitudes towards concept names, straplines, advertising
concepts and marketing ideas
Research concepts
 Better health
 Cleaner air to breathe
 Less social isolation
 Fewer road accidents
 Less time and resources wasted
 Save money
 Opportunities to do something
What the people said
‘addicted to the car’
 Its so easy to just ‘throw the kids in the car.’
 ‘We’ve got a walking club already, but you still need a car
to drive to the start of the walk.’
 If mine wasn’t available ‘I would take my husband to work
and then use his car.’ Or ‘I could get a car from my
brother’s garage.’
What the people said
‘poor alternatives’
 ‘Now isn’t a good time to be talking about trains.’
 ‘Buses aren’t ‘family friendly’ as there is no room for
prams, no one helps you get on or off.’
What the people said
‘why should we?’
 ‘We’ve got a lot more to lose (from not using cars) than
people in urban areas. And there’s no pollution in the
Dales.’
 ‘The power stations in the area give out so much pollution
that our efforts wouldn’t have any effect.’
 ‘There must have been twenty RAF Tornadoes that flew
over today. They don’t care about polluting.’
What the people said
‘green lifestyles?’
 ‘If there’s someone that hasn’t got a car we double up.’
 ‘I take someone everywhere I go if I can.’
 ‘You might see someone at the bus stop getting shivers, if
you know them you give them a lift.’
What the people said - ad prompts
 Favourite of a minority
 A bit 'techy’
 'Not forceful or sharp'
What the people said - ad prompts
Next time you fill up
the car - use people
 ‘Cheap and tacky.’ - for a limited audience.
 ‘Haven’t got seat belts on’
 ‘Too many (people) on that back seat.’
 ‘Why 4 young girls?’ may appeal to someone else
What the people said - ad prompts
I am so relaxed and stress-free
since I gave up driving
No more queuing - just an
exhilarating start to the day
 ‘Not on the roads around here it isn’t’
- but I can see that sitting in a car all day isn’t good for me
What the people said - ad prompts
The best way to reduce air pollution
- sweaty feet
 Negative response
 Memorable and quite funny
 Some not sure of the message
What the people said - ad prompts
Your car is causing
serious congestion
 Liked - relevant, pricks your conscience
 Would help to sway you
 Inclusion of children it 'brings the point across more.'
 Makes a point, though an unpleasant one
What the people said - concepts
Drivewise, Travelwise, Clean Air County, Living Streets
 ‘It’s a huge area, includes the cities. Not fair to put it all in
one county’
 ‘I like the idea but it sounds rather urban. We don’t have
streets here’
DriveLess, THRIVE, Are You Doing Your Bit?
 ‘Blunt and judgemental. No one’s telling me I should drive
less’
 ‘Nice but a bit vague / ambiguous’
Use the Car Less - Appreciate It More
 ‘OK - it does make you think’
What the people said - concepts
If it’s not far, forget the car
 Appealing
 Seen as ‘snappy’ and ‘fun’
 ‘It’s not saying it’s bad to have a car, just think’
 ‘A reachable goal’
 Overall favourite of pensioners
 Overall favourite of commuters
Prompted responses
MAINLY AN
ADVANTAGE
MIXED RESPONSE
MAINLY A
DISADVANTAGE
Cost
Health
Developmental
benefits for children
Reducing congestion
Preserve townscape
Fun
Someone else driving
(safe, route and traffic
hassle)
Reducing pollution
Preserve landscape
Being part of solution
Time
Ability to work
Sociability
Preserve local
community
Feel good
Thinking global acting
local
Research conclusions
 Differing circumstances of groups clearly influenced their
responses
 All groups responded best to the ideas they perceived as
achievable
 Selfish motivation for taking an action seemed to be the
most effective way to achieve a result
 Groups did not respond well to broad and global
concepts
 Lifestyle choices are likely to difficult to influence
– largely due to inertia
– people are very defensive regarding their
major life decisions
Don’t let them put up barriers
 Communicate with our audience in such a way that they
– are prepared to listen
– feel that there is a possibility that they can contribute
in some way to reducing car use
 Guard against preaching or bullying
– likely to disengage the audience
– making them feel defensive regarding their car use
– or even aggressive in their desire to perpetuate their
reliance on the car
The marketing plan - stage 3
 Issues
– long term, infrequent consideration for most
– lifestyle decisions to live in remote areas
 Implications
– few will be in the market for our messages
– other factors (noise) at time of key life choices will
impact on willingness to listen to our messages
The marketing plan - stage 2
 Issues
– lack of control over external factors - buses, trains
– length of journeys a barrier to alternatives such as
cycling
– people with cars already see that they have invested and so want to make use of it
– lack of opportunities for home working
– impact of internet shopping on local communities
 Implications
– any activity needs to be selectively targeted in
locations where alternatives are viable
– i.e. good public transport links, short
urban commutes
The marketing plan - stage 1
 Issues
– short trips easiest to influence
– key to success is breaking / altering habit
– frequent opportunities for consideration of car use
– opportunity to reward existing behaviour
– guard against 'allowing' long car journeys
 Implications
– applicable to almost all car users at some time
– vehicle for pushing all aspects of car dependency
– opportunity to communicate issues relating
to Stages 2 & 3
The marketing plan - stage 1
 Objectives
– engage as many people as possible
– ensure that people think about car use at relevant
times
– ensure that we don't switch people offImplications
 Strategy
– communicate frequently and consistently
– simple and relevant messages - executions linked to
media options
– use selfish motivation - i.e. health and
safety issues
The campaign
 Simple, consistent message
– to engage audience
 The message
– Remember - it isn’t hard as you think to leave the car
behind for short journeys - you might feel better for it
 Execution linked to activity and media choice
The campaign
Getting the message across
 North Yorkshire is one of the most difficult areas to cover!
– large geographical area
– dispersed and rural population
 Reasonable local press
 Very limited outdoor opportunities
 Make use of council links
– bus operators, bus information sites
– libraries, leisure centres, post offices, etc.
Where next?
 Discussions with other Travel Awareness officers
– re. extending the campaign across a wider area
– taking advantage of regional media opportunities
– opportunity for cost-efficiencies, more exposure and
greater impact
 Flexible approach can be tailored locally to address
specific issues
 Discussions with bus operators to extend the
campaign into stage 2
– concepts and research
Summary
 Marketing not information
 Treat you audience as a customer
 Remove barriers to action
 Ensure that you can deliver
 Be single minded and consistent
 Keep repeating the message
 Share resources and experience
 Remember who and what you’re competing against!
 Aim to punch above your weight!
The commercial
 NYCC are prepared to share the concept!
 Robson Brown can provide
– professional advice on planning and creative
development to fit your specific circumstances
– professional advice and cost-effective buying for all
types of local, regional and national media
opportunities
 STEPHEN GREEN 0191 244 6618
Account Director [email protected]