Information, communication and marketing

Master Class Cycle PlanningBolzano, 21st October 2005

Thomas Krag Mobility Advice

Information, communication and

marketing

Contents

Master Class Cycle PlanningThomas Krag Mobility Advice

1. A theoretical framework

2. Information hardware – signposting and other facilities

3. Information software – campaigns ond other means

4. Elements of a communication strategy

Pre-assumption (target group)


Planners and politicians from a city which has the

aim to increase the volume of bicycle traffic.

1. Theory – the objective tree


Overall objective:Improving urban living conditions

Subsidiary objective N:Improving urban mobility

Sub-subsidiary objective N’:Increasing cycle use

Subsidiary objective 1:...

Subsidiary objective 2:...

Subsidiary objective ...:...

Sub-sub-subsidiary objective 1: Physical measures

Sub-sub-subsidiary objective 2: Soft measures

1. Theory


More cycling trips are created by a mixture of:

1. Hard measures(new road design, signs, cycle lanes, cycle

tracks, paths...) and

2. Soft measures(information, communication, marketing)

In any case, increasing cycle traffic means

changing human behaviour and

individuals’ habits.

1. Theory


WARNING

Promoting cycling is not only a question of changing the physical conditions.

(often, however, staff with main skills in the area of road design are asked to increase cycle traffic)

1. Theory – defining marketing


Marketing means

to make a communication about a product or service a purpose of which is to encourage recipients of the communication to purchase or use the product or service

or, in this connection:

Marketing means making the citizens cycle more by communication means.

1. Theory on behavioural change


”I cycle regularly”

”I tried, and cycle now and then””I would like

to try cycling””Cycling

might be an option””Cycling is

not relevant for me”

Stages of change –model:

1. Theory on behavioural change


Cycle promotion can thus be rephrased as

1. promoting individuals moving up the stairs

2. preventing individuals moving down the stairs.

1. Means “getting new customers” – which is difficult and expensive.

2. Means ”keeping existing customers” – which is easier.

Preventing people from moving down – e.g. giving up cycling - should therefore be given priority.

1. Theory – city opportunities







Make cycling a

good alterna-

tive

Raise interest

for cycling

Give good

personal argu-ments

for cycling

Make cycling enjoy-able

Give good

oppor-tunities to try

cycling

Municipal tasks:

1. Theory – evaluation







Where are we?

Year by year, or before/after a campaign activity

?

10%38%

25%15%

12%

2. Information hardware


2. Signposting


2. Signposting


Why make signposting for cyclists?

• To help bicycle users finding their way

• To explain how to use special facilities

• To signpost targets of special interest to bicycle users

• To raise the image of cycling

2. Signposting


Different types of signing

• Horisontal signing (road marking)

• Vertical signposts

• Other vertical signing

2. Signposting


Different purposes of signing

• Guidance on how to position in streets and crossings

• Warning other road users to take care of cyclists

• Route guidance for everyday purposes

• Route guidance for touristic purposes

2. Signposting


Demands to signs for cyclists

• Coherent system

• Easy to recognize

• Nice design, clear information

• Sufficiently big letters to be read en route

2. Signposting


Challenges in signage for cyclists

• Lack of good system

• Legal barriers to sign in an efficient way.

Good standards do however exist (e.g. Germany (NRW), Switzerland, Denmark).

2. Signposting


Swiss examples

2. Signposting


From the Danish guidelines

2. Signposting


Intensive signing will

• raise the awareness of cycling (in all cases)

• raise the profile of cycling (if it is done well)

2. Other information hardware


”Bicycle barometre”



Green wave for cyclists



Nice design is marketing in itself

3. Information software


Information software is (in this respect)

all non-physical means aiming at getting more people on bicycles.

(Safety-promotion is related, but is a different matter.)

3. Information software - examples


• Information from the city- Website information- Magazines- City maps for cyclists- Electronic bicycle route planners- Gimmicks

• Campaigns- Advertisement campaigns- Other sorts of campaigns

• Press coverage- Intentional- Unintentional



Websites



Websites



A magazine about cycling and cycle policy



City maps for cyclists

Lots of examples from several countries.

A city map for cyclists should:

• be a normal, detailed city map og high quality with street names and information on medium and long range public transport

• include information of special interest to cyclists (bicycle shops, bicycle parking, slopes, bicycle access, ...).



Electronic bicycle route planners

Quite a few have been provided – e.g. Dublin (Ireland), NRW/Germany, Aalborg and Odense (Denmark)

The electronic planners usually can:

• find the shortest route

• find the safest route

• show the result on a map as well as in writing.



Gimmicks (funny, creative things)

• Typical promotion gifts – if possible of cycling relevance.

• Malmo (Sweden): Book on famous people who cycled in Malmo – distributed to all households!

3. Campaigns - examples


”Other sorts of campaigns”

• Bicycle to work

• Bicycle to school

• Shopping by bicycle

• Test-biker for a period of time

• Organised cycle rides

• Try to leave the car



Bicycle to work (as done in Denmark)

Enroll and pay (3,5 Euro p p)

Form a team (4-16 persons)

Assign a team

contact

Report behaviour on team sheet

Send in team sheet for lottery

Final draw (chance ~

cycling days)



Bicycle to work (as done in Denmark)

• 3-4 weeks campaign period

• A magazine is provided to all participants

• A newsletter is sent to the contact persons

• Enrollment and reports is done by the contact persons (and can be done electronically)

• Small and big rewards are in play – some of them especially for the contact persons

• The campaign is upscaled to 100,000 persons – but was originally done in a single city. It can be carried out at all levels.



Shopping by bicycle (as done in Flanders, Belgium)

• Cooperation between NGO, municipalities and shopkeepers(99 resp. 7,000 in 2002)

• Rewards sponsored by shopkeepersor municipalities

• Cards used 2 weeks for the registra-tion of those who shop by bicycle

• Lottery (draw) with the best chances for most active shoppers

• Lots of positive publicity – and 2,5 million km cycled.



BikeBus’ters (test bikers, Aarhus, Denmark)

• 175 persons tried to cycle for one year

• 2-8 km home-work distance, former car users

• free bicycles, accessories and bus tickets

• manned secretariat

• health checks throughout the project

• transport behaviour investigated in depth

• total cost 385,000 Euro.







Try to leave the car - can families do it? (2001)

Investigation May 2002



Try to leave the car- places of work (2002)



Try to leave the car - training course for individuals (2003)

3. Campaigns – main issues


Main issues depend on country, city, traditions, etc, but...

• personal health and well-being

• winning opportunities

• collegiality

• sport (exercise)

• fun

seem usually to be important, while

• environment

is of less importance from the individual point of view.

3. Press


Several possibilities

• national/regional newspapers

• local newspapers

• radio, TV (not least local/regional channels)

• news on the web.

Main opportunities

• it is cheap - and fast.

Main disadvantage

• it is outside your (full) control.

3. Press


How does it work?

The press loves news – the more local the media is, the better chance that even small stories are taken.

The press also loves conflicts.

News about the city’s bicycle programme are easy to control – and the press can be an excellent co-operation partner.

Conflicts are much more difficult to manage, and should generally be avoided (but will always be a potential risk).

Press-releases are one way to work – but once a good relationship has been built, a phone call is often sufficient.

It is all a matter of symbiosis – both parties gain.

4. Communication strategy


You need to know what to communicate

1. Develop first a cycle policy and an action plan.

2. Develop then a communication strategy as part of the action plan.



Elements in a communication strategy• Logo/design line• Provision of relevant information material

- website (formation, editing)- magazines, newsletters, info leaflets- cyclists’ maps- electronic bicycle route planners- gimmicks

• Public hearings• Guidelines on how to treat questions from the public• How and when to communicate physical activities• How and when to communicate campaigns



logo/design lineinfo leaflet on policyguidelines on public comm.public hearing on policywebsite formationwebsite maintenanceinfo leaflet on progressnewslettercycle map of the citycampaign 1campaign 2 (annual)campaign 3info on physical measure 1info on physical measure 2info on physical measure 3info on physical measure 4

year 1 year 2 year 3



Gimmicks

http://www.steka.dk/frames/main/content.asp?page=visProdukt&produktID=174



Communication strategy evaluationCan be done by simple, internal self-evaluation (did we do what we wished to do – and did it work?). Be aware of the contact price (number of aware people per Euro spent).

Could be done by user surveys using the stages of change-model (and, in case such surveys are carried out, it is a good idea to include relevant questions on how city information has been received).

Easy and highly recommendable is however:

• Require media surveillance (press clippings, reports on radio/TV passages).

Some references


SignpostingSwiss system In Italian): www.svizzera-in-bici.ch

German (NRW) system (In German): www.radverkehrsnetz.nrw.de/RVN_schilder01.html

Danish system:On the web (in Danish): www.vejregler.dk/pls/vrdad/vr_layout.vis?p_gren_id=3310Publication (in Danish): ”Vejregler for vejvisning på cykel- og vandreruter”Publication (shorthand version, in English): ”Signing for cyclists and hikers in Denmark”The publications can be ordered at Vejdirektoratet (Road Directorate) [email protected].

Electronic cycle route plannersNordrhein Westfalen (Germany): www.radroutenplaner.nrw.de

Dublin (Ireland): www.dto-journeyplanner.ie

Odense (Denmark): www.cyclecity.dk/rute.aspAalborg (Denmark): www.aalborg-trafikinfo.dk/dynmenu/jump.asp?url=asplinks/cykelrute.htm&n1=2&n2=3

http://www.svizzera-in-bici.ch/

http://www.radverkehrsnetz.nrw.de/RVN_schilder01.html

http://www.vejregler.dk/pls/vrdad/vr_layout.vis?p_gren_id=3310

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.radroutenplaner.nrw.de/

http://www.dto-journeyplanner.ie/

http://www.cyclecity.dk/rute.asp



http://www.aalborg-trafikinfo.dk/dynmenu/jump.asp?url=asplinks/cykelrute.htm&n1=2&n2=3






Thank you for your attention


More information is available at:

www.thomaskrag.com

[email protected]

http://www.thomaskrag.com/

mailto:[email protected]

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Information, communication and marketing