ROBSON%20BROWN

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ROBSON BROWN

• LOCAL LESSONS - GLOBAL ISSUES
• Marketing Travel Awareness in Rural Areas
• Case Study - North Yorkshire

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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

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Who are Robson Brown
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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

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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

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Marketing not information
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Marketing not information
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Marketing not information
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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

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Our approach
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Our approach

• We didnt 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

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Desk research

• DfT
• CfIT
• Lobby groups
• Official statitics
• Our own research

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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

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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.

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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?

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Research issues

• Current travel patterns
• Car usage
• Perceived advantages of not using the car
• Attitudes towards concept names, straplines,
  advertising concepts and marketing ideas

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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

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What the people said

• addicted to the car
• Its so easy to just throw the kids in the car.
• Weve got a walking club already, but you still
  need a car to drive to the start of the walk.
• If mine wasnt available I would take my husband
  to work and then use his car. Or I could get a
  car from my brothers garage.

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What the people said

• poor alternatives
• Now isnt a good time to be talking about
  trains.
• Buses arent family friendly as there is no
  room for prams, no one helps you get on or off.

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What the people said

• why should we?
• Weve got a lot more to lose (from not using
  cars) than people in urban areas. And theres no
  pollution in the Dales.
• The power stations in the area give out so much
  pollution that our efforts wouldnt have any
  effect.
• There must have been twenty RAF Tornadoes that
  flew over today. They dont care about
  polluting.

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What the people said

• green lifestyles?
• If theres someone that hasnt 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.

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What the people said - ad prompts

• Favourite of a minority
• A bit 'techy
• 'Not forceful or sharp'

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What the people said - ad prompts
Next time you fill up the car - use people

• Cheap and tacky. - for a limited audience.
• Havent got seat belts on
• Too many (people) on that back seat.
• Why 4 young girls? may appeal to someone else

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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 isnt- but I
  can see that sitting in a car all day isnt good
  for me

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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

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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

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What the people said - concepts

• Drivewise, Travelwise, Clean Air County, Living
  Streets
• Its 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
  dont have streets here
• DriveLess, THRIVE, Are You Doing Your Bit?
• Blunt and judgemental. No ones 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

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What the people said - concepts

• If its not far, forget the car
• Appealing
• Seen as snappy and fun
• Its not saying its bad to have a car, just
  think
• A reachable goal
• Overall favourite of pensioners
• Overall favourite of commuters

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Prompted responses
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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

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Dont 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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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The campaign

• Simple, consistent message
• to engage audience
• The message
• Remember - it isnt 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

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The campaign
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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.

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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

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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 youre competing against!
• Aim to punch above your weight!

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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 6618Account Director
  stepheng_at_robson-brown.co.uk