Project no.: 518368

Project acronym: MAX

Project title: Successful Travel Awareness Campaigns and Mobility Management Strategies

Integrated Project

6.2 Sustainable Development1.6.2 Sustainable Surface Transport Objective3.1.1.1.3 Advancing Knowledge on innovative measures in urban transport

Title of Report:

MaxTag - Travel Awareness Campaign Guide

Status: final

Period covered: Date of preparation: 05/10/2009Start date of project: 1 Oct. 2006 Duration: 36 months

Version: Final

Prepared by: Mobiel 21

Checked by:

Verified by:

Status:

Dissemination level: Internal

Project co-funded by the European Commission within the Sixth Framework Programme (2002-2008)

Table of Contents

1 Introduction.....................................................................................................................................................4

2 A need for Travel Awareness Campaigns.....................................................................................................5

3 The MaxTag Design Framework – the 10 steps to success..........................................................................6

3.1 STAGE 1: Planning stage.........................................................................................................................7STEP 1: Campaign aim and objectives.............................................................................................................7STEP 2: Formative research: segmentation and baseline evaluation................................................................9STEP 3: Campaigning the campaign: stakeholder and political support........................................................13

Political support for a Travel Awareness Campaign...................................................................................13Stakeholders/community.............................................................................................................................14

STEP 4: Developing the Social Marketing Mix.............................................................................................16STEP 5: Shaping up the plan using SWOT analysis.......................................................................................17

Infrastructure possibly associated with the campaign.................................................................................18Regulatory and fiscal rules associated with the campaign..........................................................................20

Summary: key success factors in the planning stage......................................................................................21

3.2 STAGE 2: Implementation stage.............................................................................................................22STEP 6: Delivering the Social Marketing Mix...............................................................................................22

Campaign Message.....................................................................................................................................22Campaign Message Giver...........................................................................................................................23Campaign Media.........................................................................................................................................24Branding......................................................................................................................................................26Relationship Marketing...............................................................................................................................26

STEP 7: Monitor, evaluate and adapt.............................................................................................................28STEP 8: Document the campaign...................................................................................................................28Summary: key success factors in the implementation stage...........................................................................28

3.3 STAGE 3: Post-campaign stage..............................................................................................................29STEP 9: Post-campaign activities...................................................................................................................29

Post-campaign monitoring..........................................................................................................................29Stakeholder / community feedback.............................................................................................................30

STEP 10: The campaign legacy......................................................................................................................30Campaign extension or new campaign.......................................................................................................30

Summary: key success factors in the post-campaign stage.............................................................................30

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1 Introduction

Travel Awareness Campaigns come about in different shapes and sizes and are at the core of Mobility Management. The MAX project, an FP6 research project focusing on Mobility Management and Travel Awareness, has determined the key factors that make Travel Awareness Campaigns successful and wrapped it up in this MaxTag Travel Awareness Campaign Guide.

The guide offers practitioners step-by-step guidance in setting up successful Travel Awareness Campaigns. There are five key components:

aims and objectives;

formative research into the target audience(s);

communications with stakeholders and the community;

adapting and delivering a social marketing mix;

setting the frame for continuous monitoring and evaluation.

The guidelines are drawn from extensive research focusing on the campaign success factors and builds on

previous EU projects such as Tapestry and Emotions. When researching this guide we have:

1. analysed over 20 social marketing case studies, mainly from the fields of health and transport,

2. undertaken 35 in-depth interviews with experts and

3. conducted over 80 in-depth interviews with consumers in five countries across Europe.

The supporting evidence can be found in a series of Task Force Reports available in the Research Papers section

on the EPOMM website www.epomm.org. All case studies analysed are available at the Case Studies section of

the same website.

In addition, recommendations are offered regarding issues such as:

how to convince your decision makers to adopt Travel Awareness initiatives,

the importance of the message and message giver,

combining hard and soft elements,

campaigns with educational inputs.

The framework suggested here differs from previous projects (such as Tapestry) in the following ways:

successful campaigns adapt a social marketing ( rather than solely a marketing communications) approach.

far greater emphasis is given to the campaign planning stage and especially ‘upstream’ marketing to engage stakeholder support.

the design incorporates a continuous dialogue between the campaign team and target audience so that there’s a clear understanding as to why people don’t travel sustainably, i.e. the barriers to change.

increasing attention is paid to the campaign legacy-achieving longer lasting impact for your investment.

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2 A need for Travel Awareness Campaigns

To encourage people to change their travel behaviour there’s a need for soft as well as hard measures (new transport infrastructure and facilities). There is universal agreement about this. Lifestyles and travel choices are complex. Travel awareness campaigns which simply broadcast a message to the population are likely to have little effect. Campaigns which embrace the principles of social marketing, however, will do far better. Why?

Because, they build on insights gained from people about their travel and get closer to the enabling factors which will encourage change. This more detailed research, in the formative stage of the campaign, helps to build more finely tuned campaigns. There is a dialogue between the campaign team and the target audience on a continual basis. Equally, the changes in behaviour (numbers using new facilities, changes of attitudes, verbal feedback from residents) are monitored from the beginning to the end of the campaign so there’s constant feedback and a strong campaign legacy to take forward.

This approach is more time consuming and needs to be planned, but our research results show that this investment is worth it.

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3 The MaxTag Design Framework – the 10 steps to success

Travel Awareness Campaigns involve a three stage process-planning, implementation and post campaign stages. Whilst these are depicted as a series of consequential steps, in reality, these overlap or sometimes are undertaken in parallel. A simplified version of the campaign design framework summarised from our research is depicted in Figure 1 (see the final report from Task Force One for the full version).

Figure 1: MaxTag Design Framework - the main stages

These are 10 steps that lead to a successful campaign, from planning to post-campaign:

In the following paragraphs, all stages and steps are discussed and illustrated with best practice examples analysed by the MAX project. The full case studies can be found online at the EPOMM website in the Case Studies section..

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Het Nieuwe Rijden

3.1 STAGE 1: Planning stage

The planning stage covers the preparatory work to be done before the launch of the campaign and consists of five steps.

STEP 1: Campaign aim and objectives

STEP 2: Formative research: segmentation and baseline evaluation

STEP 3: Campaigning the campaign: stakeholders and political support

STEP 4: Developing a Social Marketing Mix

STEP 5: Shaping up the plan using SWOT analysis

STEP 1: Campaign aim and objectives

Most campaigns are designed by a local or city government. The benefit of the campaign initiator being a government body includes access to funding streams for a project and the ability to assimilate a campaign into an existing policy framework. Thus, it is essential that the campaign relates to more wide-ranging government strategies, although this is not always possible, especially when it is an NGO campaign that is seeking to influence government policy from a grass roots level. The campaign initiator is sometimes different from the campaign champion- the person who will direct the campaign from its early days. Campaign champions are vital for the success of a project.

The main task in this step is to determine a clear aim and objectives; this is not only in terms of the final result, but also in terms of process. How many people do you want to reach? What behavioural change is desired? Will your campaign stand alone or be embedded in a larger project? For example, if it is to be part of a wider cycling policy then your objectives have to be related to the core objectives of the national or regional cycling policy.

The policy or strategy background of your city might also provide strategic direction and objectives – for example, on traffic levels, road safety, modal shift, environment, health, accessibility. The objectives of your campaign might relate to all of these dimensions. An example of this type of policy fit is the Dutch Ecodriving Campaign, Het Nieuwe Rijden (the Netherlands).

The aim of the Dutch Ecodriving Programme Het nieuwe rijden (HNR) was to influence car purchasing behaviour and car driving behaviour towards lower fuel use. The HNR-programme was part of the national Climate Policy Plan in order to reduce CO2-emissions in accordance with Kyoto targets. The HNR programme was, from the beginning, embedded in different policy domains. It was taken up in the Nota Mobiliteit, the policy document from the Dutch Ministry of Traffic and mobility (VenW), in the Beleidsnota Verkeersemissies, the policy document from the Dutch Ministry of Spatial planning, Living and Environment (VROM), and in the Energierapport, the policy document from the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs. The policy fit, in this case, was key in order to get the necessary funding, and governmental support of the campaign. See case study at www.epomm.org.

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Figure 2: Het Nieuwe Rijden: Campaign image

Figure 3: Race against Waste: First Phase Advertisement

Odense Cycle City

To systematise your objectives, we recommend that you use the MaxSumo tool at www.epomm.org.

Campaign objectives should be measurable (i.e. quantified) and share as many as possible of the key characteristics that are described by the acronym ‘SMART’ (as set out in the Tapestry project):

• Specific. Campaign objectives should be written and expressed in clear, simple terms so that all parties involved understand exactly what they are trying to achieve.

• Measurable. Campaign objectives should be measured precisely and accurately (quantified) so that it is easy to determine if / when the objectives have been achieved.

• Acceptable. Campaign objectives should be shared and backed by all the involved parties.

• Realistic. Campaign objectives should be attainable. Setting unrealistically high or low expectations leads to many problems including demoralised staff and wasted resources.

• Time related. Campaign objectives should specify a time frame for their accomplishment.

Campaign objectives can be formuled in terms of raising awareness, changing attitudes or changing behaviour. Tackling more than one of these objectives is more difficult; there will be a higher risk of failure by lacking focus.

Examples analysed by MAX that show SMART objectives are used in the Race Against Waste Campaign (Ireland) and Odense Cycle City (Denmark).

Race against Waste was an Irish campaign to persuade the general public to think more about what they consume and subsequently the waste they generate; to become active in preventing waste, as well as managing the waste they do produce responsibly and sustainably. This campaign had very clear, and ambitious targets from the start:

By 2005, there would be a 50% diversion of household waste away from landfill. This and other targets have been achieved.

Over fifteen years there would be:

a 65% reduction (mimimum target) in biodegradable municipal wastes to landfill sites. materials recycling of 35% of municipal waste. minimum recovery of 50% construction and demolition waste within a five year period.

For case study details see www.epomm.org

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Race against Waste

During the Odense Cycle City campaign over 50 projects were developed and implemented in the Danish city of Odense, including physical improvements, changes in regulations and campaigns.

A clear number of objectives were set:

The number of journeys by bicycle in Odense was to be increased by 20%.

The number of people who use a bicycle more than three times a week was also to increase by 20 %.

A third objective was to reduce the number of cyclists killed and injured (involving more than one party) by 20%

For case study details see www.epomm.org

Figure 4: Odense Cycle City – logo

STEP 2: Formative research: segmentation and baseline evaluation

In order to design a campaign that influences the behaviour of a target group(s) you need to understand the travel aspirations, values and constraints facing your target audience. The constraints are particularly useful as overcoming barriers are crucial to campaign design. There are two main aspects to this:

Objective person-related factors include for example age, gender, living and working conditions (which in all cases are likely to have a major impact on how they choose to travel).

Subjective person-related factors refer to individuals’ intrinsic values, attitudes and motivations to change behaviour, which is reflective of their stage position within a model called MaxSem

Most of the data for both objective and subjective person-related factors can be gathered via questionnaire surveys or in-depth interviews conducted with people in the target population group before the TA campaign is fully designed. In order to change people’s behaviour, you have to have an understanding of the subjective person related factors since these have a strong influence on how people behave. You can then use this understanding when designing the campaign.

Qualitative research involves, in most studies, focus groups, in-depth interviews or participant observation. These research methods also help to understand why people decide to travel in the way they do. They tend to be more time consuming but provide deeper insights into subjective person related factors. The use of survey questionnaires involves sampling a population and, whilst less expensive, provide a broader picture as to which factors are important, across the target population, in terms of changing behaviour. A combination of both (using mixed methods) provides a sound bedrock on which to build a campaign and a baseline evaluation which can be used for comparison later in the campaign. In most cases, campaign teams will want to establish, at least, a simple tracking survey, which sets out indicators such as number of trips by mode or changes of attitude, or shifts in attitudes or values as the campaign progresses. This may involve three or four surveys of the same group of respondents in the community.

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Figure 5: Het Nieuwe Rijden: Campaign image

This will help you to design better TA campaigns for two reasons:

Firstly, in any given population some people are more susceptible to change their travel behaviour than others. This relates partly to more subjective factors such as their attitudes and perceptions towards their current travel choices. This is one of the ways in which the target population may be segmented. For other people the barriers to modal shift are more objective: for example, if there is no bus service operating on the route for their journey, or if they have a disability that prevents them switching car trips to cycling or walking.

Secondly, it is increasingly acknowledged that behavioural change does not usually occur as a one-step process but instead is a series of stages (or steps) through which individuals progress, in order to reach the final stage, a new long-term behaviour. Thus, more subtle changes in attitudes and perceptions towards alternative modes (reflecting a greater propensity to change behaviour) will occur simultaneously with actual behavioural changes.

Examples analysed by MAX that identified target groups and paid attention to monitoring and evaluation are the Het Nieuwe Rijden Campaign (the Netherlands) and the CIVITAS PrestonTravel Smart Campaign (UK) (see below).

The aim of the Dutch Ecodriving Programme Het nieuwe rijden (HNR) was to influence car purchasing behaviour and car driving behaviour towards lower fuel use.

Segmentation

The overall target group of the HNR campaign were all (potential) car drivers and bus and truck drivers. Within the HNR campaign the following campaign target group segments were defined: (1) aspirant holders of a driving licence, (2) actual holders of a driving licence, (3) fleet owners, intermediaries and network organisations. These target groups were approached at different steps in time and using different approaches.

Monitoring and evaluation

A monitoring and evaluation scheme was set up from the very start of the ecodriving campaign. The planning of the second and third step measures and targets were based on the intermediate evaluation results of the previous steps. External research institutions and consultants were contracted for setting up the monitoring instrument (Goudappel Coffeng) and implementing the annual evaluation of the HNR programme. The method has been validated by an external Dutch governmental knowledge institute (RIVM).

For case study details see www.epomm.org

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Het Nieuwe Rijden

The theoretical model1 developed within the MAX project (see www.epomm.org) and its associated stage diagnostic questions allows you to measure individuals’ readiness to change travel mode, before you implement a Travel Awareness Campaign, by categorising them into one of four stages:

Stage 1: Pre-contemplative stage. Individuals in this stage are quite happy with the way they currently make their trips (i.e. as car drivers) and at the moment have no wish, or desire to change to another mode.

Stage 2: Contemplative stage. Individuals in this stage are not as content with their current travel behaviour (as pre-contemplators). They would like to change to another way of travelling (mode), but perhaps are unsure of which mode to switch to, or have enough confidence to do so at this stage.

Stage 3: Preparation/action stage. Individuals in this stage have decided which mode they intend to switch to for some or all of their trips, and may have already tried this new mode for some of their trips.

Stage 4: Maintenance stage. Individuals in this stage have successfully replaced some or all of their trips to the ‘new’ mode and this new behaviour (way of travelling) becomes the dominant mode they use for most of their trips (a new habit has been formed).

You can then design and select your campaign measure(s) according to which stage the individuals within the target population are currently in; you may also choose to target your campaign only at people who are at one or two stages of change, rather than at people at all stages. The stages are also sometimes called segments, reflecting a process of “segmenting” target populations into different groups, based on their readiness to change their travel behaviour.

Questions that help you to group people into different stages are presented in MaxSumo, which we strongly recommend that you read. By asking these same questions before and after a Mobility Management project has been implemented, you can also establish whether the intervention has progressed people to later stages of readiness to change behaviour. If yes, this information can then be used to select the most appropriate follow-up measures in order to ‘push’ people into the final stage of long-term behavioural change; it is also a further measure of a project’s success.

1 A detailed overview of behavioural change models is available in the MAX Work Package B State-of-the-Art-Report http://www.max-success.eu/downloads/MAX_SoA_AnnexB1_1.pdf.

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CIVITAS Preston TravelSmart

- Segmenting the market -

Figure 6: TravelSmart Logo

The aim of TravelSmart is to get individuals and households to think about their every day journeys, then consider how they might change from car based trips to other modes in light of information provided by the TravelSmart adviser.

Segmentation

Segmentation took place at the initial contact stage with residents (by phone or on the doorstep). There was an initial questionnaire and travel diary which respondents mailed back along with additional information by phone and post. The target audience was segmented into three groups;

‘I’ group who were regular users of cars, did not use sustainable transport, but showed interest in the project.

‘R’ group which was split into two:

‘R Without’ These were regular users of public transport who didn’t want any more information but were given a reward for carrying out ‘good behaviour’ by using sustainable modes.

‘R With’ These were regular users of public transport who did want more information such as updates on timetables.

‘N’ Group who were not interested and would not change.

Thus, determining target audiences in this project is by use of basic segmentation according to different states of contemplation.

Monitoring and evaluationA baseline survey was implemented by Sustrans and SocialData at the beginning of the campaign. Leading on from the baseline survey, an interim monitoring exercise evaluated the subsequent TravelSmart campaign.The baseline survey was a means of informing campaign design and the scale of the intervention required, whilst the interim provided early indications of the effectiveness of the campaign. The method was a staged process involving a postal questionnaire followed by in-depth interviews. This yielded substantial data regarding the travel habits of the target population in the case study area but was considered by many as being expensive.

For case study details see www.epomm.org

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STEP 3: Campaigning the campaign: stakeholder and political support

This key success factor, identified in many of the case studies and our additional research in MAX Work Package A Task Force 22, highlights the need to generate political support for a campaign and in parallel, to develop strong links with stakeholders and the communities with which you wish to work in the campaign. In order to convince other stakeholders it will be necessary to have good case material developed as to why the campaign is worthwhile and the benefits for the population and the stakeholders clearly worked out. This is referred to as marketing ‘upstream’ and is an increasingly vital part of the mobility management process. It is particularly crucial if organisations in any given partnership need to change in order to remove barriers to campaign development.

Political support for a Travel Awareness Campaign

When introducing a Travel Awareness Campaign, one crucial pre-requisite is to secure backing from politicians and thus to seek sufficient funding.

The question is how to convince your local politicians to fund your Travel Awareness Campaign?

In order to answer that question, MAX researchers undertook 43 interviews with local and national European Mobility Week campaign coordinators throughout Europe. The European Mobility Week campaign (www.mobilityweek.eu) was chosen because it is the largest European wide campaign on sustainable mobility that takes place in over 1000 cities and towns across Europe. Therefore, local European Mobility Week-coordinators were a key target group. The main question related how they convinced their local policy makers and stakeholders to participate and organise the European Mobility Week campaign.

Based on this research, here are some guidelines for success:

1. Establish direct contact with local politicians so as to understand their needs and constraints.

2. Refer to succesfull travel awareness campaigns in your own region or country.

3. Present success stories in other cities, regions or countries related to Mobility Management (for inspiration use the EPOMM website WPA Case Study section at www.epomm.org or examples highlighted in this campaign guide). This may include a study visit to show politicians other good examples.

4. Make it a positive story using both rational and emotional arguments. There is a need to highlight the multiplicity of benefits: environmental , health, improved accessibility, improved quality of life in the city. Point out that travel awareness campaigns are part of the overall strategic city mobility plan or framework, and not just a one-off idea. For example, the MAX Cotral demonstration project highlights the way in which the regional transport authority presents all of the benefits in the proposed mobility management project. For case study details see www.epomm.org.

5. Raise support at the same time from other stakeholders such as local transport operators, police, environmental agencies, sports associations, health departments or associations, national road associations, business owners, transport/environment or health departments of universities, etcetera.

6. Invite politicians to participate in various mobility management events, such as national meetings, panel discussions, workshops, etc. They will appreciate the contact with stakeholders to gain assurance that the campaign has broad support. There is also the potential for positive press coverage.

2 MAX Work Package A Task Force 2 focused on campaign activities targeted at policy makers and stakeholders (campaigning-the-campaign). The research into “campaigning the campaign” aimed to investigate the main aspects related to the awareness raising process for convincing policy makers and stakeholders to implement sustainable transport campaigns. The purpose was to understand the process before the campaign has started, when the relevant actors may have to be convinced to make or support a travel awareness campaign.

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The Traffic Snake Game

More details on this research and further recommendations (eg. on cultural differences in Europe) can be found online at the EPOMM website at www.epomm.org. Interesting examples of how these recommendations were applied in the MAX demonstrations Cotral (Rome) and the city of Tallinn (Estonia) can be found here also.

Stakeholders/community

The second major task is to build a stakeholder network and thirdly to forge strong links with the community involved in your campaign. The community refers to the group of people living or working in the area in which the campaign is directed. There is a need to brief stakeholders, and secure commitment to the campaign, including funding. This is done by forming partnerships; doing so strengthens the impact of the campaign.

Examples analysed by MAX that have placed emphasis on community and stakeholder involvement are the Traffic Snake Game Campaign (Belgium) and the case of European Mobility Week in the city of León (Spain).

The Traffic Snake Game is an awareness raising campaign organised in primary schools in Flanders every year. The main purpose of the Traffic Snake Game is to promote sustainable travel modes for home-school traffic. In The main purpose of the Traffic Snake Game is to promote sustainable travel modes for home-school traffic. In most of the schools that participate in the TSG-campaign, a working group on traffic is actively engaged. Within these working groups, one or more teachers are involved, usually also the school manager and often some parents.

In almost every school it is one particular teacher or the school manager him/herself that really leads the campaign.

For case study details see www.epomm.org

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Figure 7: Traffic Snake Game – the snake banner

European Mobility Week, León

Many key actors are involved in León, Spain, in the European Mobility Week for what concerns public bodies: at national level the Ministry of Environment; at regional level, the Government of Castilla and León. However the main actor is the Municipality of León. At the Municipality, three departments were involved: the Depertment of Environment and Sustainable Development, the Department of Transport, and the Department of Civil Protection. In terms of policy makers, it is important that the role taken by the Councillors of Environment and of Transport and the participation of the Police and Civil Protection Department. Several stakeholders and associations participate in the EMW, for example, Alesa, local transport company, and Urbaser, a big waste management company. The most important participants have been primary schools, whose participation mobilised more people, parents and relatives, and provided the main impact at the events.

For case study details see www.epomm.org

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Figure 8: EMW León 2007 presentation by the local politicians (Environment and Transport councillor)

STEP 4: Developing the Social Marketing Mix

The Social Marketing Mix is, obviously, drawn from the wider principles of marketing but is not just the four P`s (Product, Price, Promotion and Place). It certainly builds on these core four elements and also two others from the augmented mix, People and Processes. Thus, a campaign team should decide on the best usage of the 6 P`s.

Product or Social Idea

This is the offer (your main idea or social good) made to the target audience. This will be, in terms of benefits, associated with changed behaviour, such as cleaner air, fewer deaths on the road, a better life for children in the community, less polluted city centre.

Price

In the context of Social Marketing, it is about the personal costs to an individual or household in adopting a changed behaviour such as longer journeys to work, more physical exercise, less convenience, higher car parking charges. These are, of course, perceived benefits too, for example, in improving health but for most people such factors will be seen as the price to pay for change. Our research indicates that people are very receptive to ideas to improve personal health in relation to everyday transport.

Place

The campaign should offer the optimum places where people can gain more information, or take part personally in the campaign such as exhibitions and workshops in open public spaces and community facilities and where interaction between the campaign team and the population can take place such as on public transport, in car parks, etcetera

Promotion

Marketing Social Communications is vital to any campaign and the core to this is the message-what, from whom and how. In social marketing, communication elements increasingly include viral marketing (through blogs, web pages, word of mouth marketing and public relations) because this is how people are communicating. The use of web tools such as Facebook and Twitter, is spreading rapidly as an informal communications medium.

People

The delivery of a campaign often involves strong interpersonal communication between campaign organisers and their customers. It is not a matter of personal selling. At its best it is a continuous dialogue which can be very useful in campaign development. This is particularly the case at a local level where personal involvement of campaign staff in local meetings and events is a way to engage people who avoid other forms of communication.

Processes

Social Marketing also involves processes which need to give people confidence that they can approach the campaign team to discuss matters, offer opinions and be involved. This includes responses to telephone calls, e-mails and handling feedback in a systematic and personal way.

In reality, it is vital that all elements of the Social Marketing Mix are included, but the extent to which elements are utilised depends on the scale and scope of the campaign, population size to be covered (local, regional, national) and the budget available. When drafting your initial Social Marketing Mix plan, it is worthwhile checking your approach with benchmark criteria and a checklist set out by the National Social Marketing Centre.

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STEP 5: Shaping up the plan using SWOT analysis

In this step, you are asked to take a step back and have a look at the information gathered. Before implementing the campaign, the work of the planning stage should be brought together to form a revised plan. Ideally, this should take into account:

The wider policy objectives which are applicable to the campaign

Clear aims and objectives

An understanding of attitudes, behaviour, barriers and motivation drawn from formative research and a plan for monitoring and evaluation

When it comes to setting up your plan for monitoring and evaluation (MEP), the MAX tool MaxSumo explains and helps how to do this. MaxSumo helps you to work systematically and gain know-how about suitable evaluation methods, based on a careful selection of what are called assessment levels (shown in Figure 9, below), which help you to identify what exactly it is that you want to monitor. Not all levels need to be measured for every campaign – again, MaxSumo gives guidance on which ones to select, and then how to measure them.

Figure 5: MaxSumo assessment levels

MaxSumo can be used both for an evaluation of a campaign as well as for an evaluation of “campaigning the campaign”. When using MaxSumo for the evaluation of a campaign the complete MaxSumo process can be used, see MaxSumo chapter 2. How to use MaxSumo for an evaluation of “campaigning the campaign”is described more in detail in MaxSumo, chapter 2.2.2. Step 2: Define the target group and in Appendix 3: MaxSumo templates (see Template 1 and Tempalte 2 for the Indirect target group) .

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A SWOT-analysis of the external environment:

The SWOT analysis3 is a useful analytical tool to encourage the campaign team to review the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats associated with the design of the campaign and the way in which it is intended to build on the opportunities and minimise the threats. For example, a strength might be the strong interest of a wide range of stakeholders. The associated threat might be that these partners have divergent views on how to proceed. The management response might be to hold workshops to build consensus before the campaign is implemented and this may add an additional month to the schedule. Thus, the SWOT is best used as a diagnostic tool to review the internal development of the campaign and the potential external threats to be overcome as you proceed. It is more than a one hour paper exercise, it is part of the process of re-evaluation at this transitionary stage. It will include:

an overview of the stakeholders and the community and their commitment.

an overview of physical, regulatory and fiscal interventions and integrate this into the campaign design.

an overview of all data collected to date from the target audiences.

an overview of timescales and resource base.

the development of core opportunities and how to maximise these.

Of these dimensions it is important to review the development of infrastructure possibly associated with the campaign and regulatory or fiscal measures that might be adopted as part of the overall Mobility Management approach in your city or region. They are summarised below.

Infrastructure possibly associated with the campaign

Infrastructure, in the context of a Travel Awareness Campaign, refers to the installation of some physical facilities or means that were installed before or within the lifetime of the campaign which is expected to have an effect on travel behavioural change. This can include the absence or presence of bike lanes, easily accessible pavements and squares for pedestrians, the absence or presence of tram or bus lines, etcetera. The presence or absence of all of these factors can play a part in the success of your campaign. Without adequate infrastructure selling your message of changing travel attitudes or behaviour becomes a very difficult task when there are real travel constraints.

Examples analysed by MAX that have put substantial efforts into building infrastructure for sustainable means of transport and at the same time used travel awareness campaigns to get people changing attitudes or behaviour are the Bolzano Corporate Cycling Campaign (Italy) and the Métro Sul do Tejo, city of Almada (Portugal).

3 A more extensive SWOT description can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SWOT_analysis

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Figure 6: Bolzano Corporate Cycling - logo

Bolzano Corporate Cycling

Métro Sul do Tejo, City of Almeida

Synchronous development of hard and soft measures was a main success factor of the strong modal shift towards more bicycle traffic in the city of Bolzano. Branding of cycling and a comprehensive awareness strategy that used also hardware elements like signposting, roadmarking as a chance to establish a corporate design for cycling on the one hand and a coherent very visible bike network, good services and cycling racks on the other hand were the building blocks of the success.

For case study details see www.epomm.org

Because of growing commuter travel, the city of Almada (Portugal) decided to construct an extra tram line in the city. Works started in 2003 and in November 2008 the new tram line was fully operational. A Travel Awareness Campaign was launched before the construction phase started, to raise awarenesss on the project.

For case study details see www.epomm.org

The case studies of Almada and Bolzano clearly demonstrate that an overall programme for sustainable mobility is very successful if it combines communicative, soft measures with hard measures (infrastructure).

It is important to have clear goals and complex, integrated planning. This can be made more efficient and target orientated if the needs and demands of the target group are closely analyed beforehand.

Examples demonstrate that success is achieved when awareness and marketing activities are not only an attachment to infrastructure but an integral part of a soft mobility strategy.

Communication measures have to start before infrastructure activitie s and need to continue after completion of infrastructural work. Awareness activities were connected with long-term planning in all three case studies. Therefore, it is important to provide sufficient budget for communication measures and marketing even after the implementation of infrastructural measures.

The case of Bolzano clearly demonstrated that especially the development of a Corporate Identity (“Bici Bolzano”) is extremely successful, because it made bicycle traffic into a noticeable part of the urban identity. It triggered a critical process in the awareness of decision makers that achieved a long-term effect, measurable in the increase of the percentage of bicycle traffic.

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Figure 11: The new bio-diesel buses presented during the EMW León

European Mobility Week, León

In addition, the skillful utilization of public space (signposting, bicycle rental stations, extensive banners on buildings, etc.) for a permanent increase in awareness is a factor that should be considered in the design of new travel awareness raising campaigns.

The MAX case-study of Amada demonstrates that long-term awareness activities may prepare the ground for changes that result in limitations for car traffic. It was also demonstrated that a communication plan, focused separately on the different levels of a campaign is an important tool to effectively provide information as well as positive messages during the entire lenghth of a project.

In the application of Thun (also studied by MAX) it was recognized and demonstrated that large road construction projects bear a big chance to achieve permanent behavioural changes if they are combined with appropriate awareness activities.

The application of Maribor shows that it is extremely difficult to improve the acceptance and utilisation of an already existing infrastructure with subsequent awareness raising campaigns.

Regulatory and fiscal rules associated with the campaign

Regulatory and fiscal rules refer to regulatory and economical measures which could benefit or prevent the intended outcomes of the campaign. These include congestion charges, zero-emission zones, free PT, paid parking, restricted car parking, etc. Knowledge of these existing or planned regulations will ensure that the campaign is not held back by unintended consequences ensuing from a change in fiscal policies.

The European Mobility Week (EMW) in León, Spain, has been a good occasion to show and present to the citizens the new mobility measures integrated in the Municipal Planning. On one side, some measures were tested during the EMW to see how people responded. On the other side, the reduction of taxes for electrical or hybrid vehicles were introduced.

For case study details see www.epomm.org

Each campaign will have its own set of tasks to complete at this point, relevant to its aims and focus. Although the next section of this guide refers to the actual delivery of the campaign, it is useful to become familiar with the relevant processes before actually undertaking them. Therefore it is also advised that considerations of the implementation stage should be addressed, before finalising the design of the campaign.

Summary: key success factors in the planning stage

Obtaining the most complete picture of the target audience: The more that is understood about the target audience, the clearer and more effective the formulation of methods to change their behaviour

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Understanding models of human behaviour: Use this as a basis for designing the campaign. Look for the model which best suits the goals of the campaign being designed.

Referring to previous studies and the knowledge bank: Understand the bigger picture by reading academic research, reports, accounts of previously successful campaigns, and obtaining information from experts.

Understanding the barriers and motivations and how they affect the campaign’s target audience: This will help the campaign remove a lot of the resistance to what it hopes to achieve4.

Research different methods of segmentation: By understanding more about segmenting, a campaign designer will be better informed as to the most appropriate way of dividing the target audience.

Robust sampling strategy: If collecting primary data, make sure the sample is an accurate reflection and is representative of the population

Effective data collection: Such as obtaining high response rates from surveys

Clear aims of what the research has to achieve: They must also fit with the aims of the campaign.

Assess the important variables: Invest time to find out which data is needed instead of collecting only that which is easy to acquire.

Understand the wants and needs of the target audience: This particularly applies to transport in their local area. The surveys for the Bolzano Corporate Cycling campaign demonstrated that the majority of the population (93%) were in favour of marked restriction of car traffic and a promotion of bicycle mobility in Bolzano. The empirical analyses on mobility behaviour were the basis for the implementation of this project.

If necessary, research is conducted by an independent agency: Obtain the expertise of specialist research agencies, who can conduct objective research

Other important considerations:

In the campaigns aimed at the general public the sampling strategy for the formative research should attempt to obtain a representative distribution of the population.

In campaigns aimed at recruiting stakeholders, there are two audiences: decision policy makers that decide on participation and resources and other stakeholders that are possible participants in the campaign organisation

3.2 STAGE 2: Implementation stage

Thus, the planning stage, in reality, overlaps with the implementation stage. The implementation of the campaign is where the investment in the planning stage should bring rewards.

This includes three key steps:

4 In the case of campaigns aimed at the public, these barriers are related to changing travel behaviour. In the case of campaigns aimed at decision-makers, the barriers include a lack of resources, fear of creating negative publicity and pressure from different interest groups (for instance car lobbying groups). More detailed information on this can be found in Section 3 on campaigning the campaign

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STEP 6: Delivering the Social Marketing Mix

STEP 7: Monitor, evaluate and adapt

STEP 8: Document the campaign

As discussed previously, it is likely that much of the development work for the campaign will have been undertaken in the planning stage and in shaping up the plan. Thus, much of the work at this stage is about delivery and feedback.

STEP 6: Delivering the Social Marketing Mix

From your formative research, you should have a clear overview of targets and the aspirations and barriers which exist in relation to behavioural change. What will your Social Marketing Mix shape up like?

The Social Marketing Mix in this case refers to a range of different types of social marketing measures which can be used separately or preferably together in order to change travel behaviour among the targeted segments. As outlined in Step 4, it is essential to have in place plans for the roll out of the Social Marketing Mix.

In this step we advise you on the campaign message, the campaign message giver, the campaign media, branding and relationship marketing.

Campaign Message

The campaign message is the cornerstone of social communication and the social marketing campaign as a whole. The key question is:

what should your message be,

who will deliver this message and

through which media?

It is a part of the campaign which has to be identifed and remembered by the target audience to have any impact on their behaviour at all.

MAX dedicated a considerable amount of research time to understanding the effects of messages which are aimed at changing travel behaviour. Many campaigns incorporate a mix of emotional and rational elements. It is argued that emotional arguments are important to engage people but from the cases and experts we contacted we concluded that rational arguments need to follow through for the campaign to have effect.

Qualitative research performed by the MAX team in UK, Italy, Greece, Lithuania and Belgium showed that realistic, rational messages emphasing health arguments were indicated as most influencial by the public. People reacted positively to Travel Awareness Campaigns when they felt travel behaviour change could lead to personal (and social) tangible benefits such as health improvement, time savings, money savings and/or increase of comfort and safety.

No real differences were identified between the target groups studied (group 1: people younger than 30, group 2: 30 to 50 year olds and group 3: people over 50), nor real gender differences were found.

An example analysed by MAX was Race against Waste (Ireland) that was designed to shock the general public by using dramatic scenes and then engage in more rational arguments.

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Race against Waste

Race against Waste was an Irish campaign to persuade members of the public to think more about what they consume and subsequently the waste they generate; to become active in preventing waste, as well as managing the waste they do produce responsibly and sustainably.

The advertising, PR and Communications Activity had to communicate a national message with local relevance upon which people would act. The campaign message involved a series of variations on the same theme, avoiding the negative consequences of a previously unchecked build-up of waste in Ireland, by taking action. The message also varied over time, as the campaign was split into phases which were aimed at firstly alerting the public to the serious nature of the problem (using emotion), and then informing them of the actions to take to help make a difference (rational).

Case study details on www.epomm.org

Campaign Message Giver

A second question is who should present the message? MAX qualtitative research showed the message giver should be someone believable, trustworthy in the eyes of the target audience, and easy to relate to in the context of the campaign. Experts and scientists are more likely to be preferred but also people drawn from everyday life. Celebrities are preferred in the UK and Lithuania, but not in the other countries studied. Our research shows that politicians should not be the main message givers in the communications campaign although they may be featured in some publicity features.

We recommend that the best approach is to use people who the target audience can relate to, i.e people who represent everyday life in the locality.

The three most valuable message givers are: citizens and lobby groups, experts on transport and environmental issues, and mayors and councillors from other cities. Depending on the nature of the message or the type of stakeholder one or another message giver should be used.

A case study, Fit for Life (Finland), provides information on the campaign message giver. More information on campaign message givers can be found in the MAX Work Package A Task Force 35 research paper on campaign message givers at www.epomm.org.

5 MAX Work Package A Task Force 3 investigated one particular aspect in the campaign design more in detail, namely what messages work best to enhance travel behavioural changes and what is a credible messenger to bring the message. Different types of messages and imagery (positive versus negative tone, appealing to emotions or rational information, arguments related to health, environment and economy) and different role models were explored and tested on their effectiveness.

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Figure 13: Race against Waste: campaign ad

Figure 14: Fit for Life – campaign image

Fit for Life

The Fit for Life Programme aimed to encourage regular physical activity among sedentary people (40–60-year-olds) through local projects. The programme tested a combination of top-down and bottom-up models of promoting health-enhancing physical activity through financial, communication, training and consultation support for a wide variety of small-to-medium local projects.

Message givers were well-liked national celebrities, for example a former Miss Finland was used as a model for one of the DVDs. However, celebrities can become of less interest to the public and in some cases fall out of favour and become a liability. The people featured in the “fitness calendars” were a real couple and information about their progress in losing weight by following the guidance was disseminated for example in press releases as encouragement and real life example.

For case study details see www.epomm.org

Campaign Media

The medium (sometimes referred to as the communication channel) used in any campaign refers to the means used to convey the message. This will vary according to the objectives of the campaign, the budget available and expertise of the agency involved in finding ways to reach the target audience.

There are a multitude of different mediums used in a campaign which include:

Printed material: Posters, billboards, leaflets

TV, cinema and radio adverts

Newspapers and magazines

Adverts on products (ie on the back of buses, on the back of cereal packets)

Electronic forms (websites, social networking sites, newsletters)

When planning a campaign involving communications, choice of the medium depends on the target audience. Certain mediums are associated with targetted age groups, for example, the internet is more likely to be attractive to a younger audience, whilst some radio stations are associated with older people.

Examples analysed by MAX that showed a great diversity of media was used in the Binge Drinking Campaign (UK) and the VERB Campaign (US).

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Binge Drinking

Figure 7: Binge Drinking Campaign – poster

VERB

The Binge Drinking campaign was developed by the Scottish Government to encourage people to take responsibility for their actions and responsibility when drinking; to raise awareness of the potential negative impacts of binge drinking and to encourage more moderate drinking amongst 16-35 year olds.The campaign used a mix of media – TV, radio and poster advertisements. At the same time, two communication leaflets were in circulation with the titles “What’s in a drink” and “Sensible drinking” with a purely informative content.Additionally, internet advertising had been developed. This activity soughtto target, younger drinkers who are frequent users of Microsoft Hotmailand Microsoft MSN. Page dominant adverts targeted women and men, using separate creative executions, inviting them to the alcohol website ‘Drinking Time Machine’. This medium matches the audience lifestyle and, as a web-based activity, uptake and usage were easily measured .

For case study details see www.epomm.org

The VERB campaign in the US was designed to increase physical activity among children aged 9–13 years (called ‘tweens’ in the US). The campaign’s strategy was to surround tweens (the primary target audience) with messages from multiple points of influence, including television, print, radio, internet, community outreach, events, schools, local and national partnerships, and public relations. The VERB team took the messages directly to ‘tweens’ using kid language and through kid media channels, channels that kids valued (e.g., Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, ABC Disney, Sports Illustrated for Kids, Teen People). VERB aimed to be a ‘for-kids-by-kids’ brand and campaign.

For case study details see www.epomm.org

Branding

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Figure 16: VERB Yellowball

Bolzano Corporate Cycling

Figure 8: Bolzano Corporate Cycling - logo

Figure 9: VERB – campaign image

VERB

There is also a question of branding. Most marketing communications involve the development of a brand personality (the nature of the brand, imagery, colour schemes and words used, logos used as icons of identity you are seeking to project). Thus, it is likely that your team will identify (and pilot a name/identity using focus groups at least) an acceptable name for your campaign. Whilst developing a brand is a good way to achieve a memorable image it is not a pre-requisite of campaign development. We stress-it is a strong message that counts and branding is used to enhance it.

The Bolzano Corporate Cycling is a good example for the branding of a sustainable mobility mode as part of the city identity. Logo, slogan, colour - the brand "Bici Bolzano- Fahrrad Bozen" is integrated from the letter head of the community paper, to transport and tourism related printing products and design of infrastructure elements. The brand is very visible and very well recognised by citizens and visitors.

For case study details see www.epomm.org

Relationship Marketing

Relationship marketing is an approach which recognises that marketing can benefit from being a multi-faceted social process. As the term suggests, this marketing technique seeks to encourage a relationship (rather than a simple exchange) with the target group. Feedback is encouraged and this process of communication is two way and driven to a certain extent by the audience. In the case of travel awareness, these techniques usually involve personal communication with the target audience. In some cases, such as TravelSmart projects, the approach involves the ideal position of ‘one to one’ marketing, but most campaigns cannot afford this level of expenditure and intensity.

The VERB campaign was designed to increase physical activity among children aged 9–13 years (called ‘tweens’ in the US). VERB used a broad mix of campaign tactics to reach tweens and their parents. The campaign was designed to surround tweens at home, in school, and in the community to give VERB visible presence in their everyday lives. The campaign’s strategy was to surround tweens with messages from multiple points of influence, and also relationship marketing. VERB set up community-based events and grassroots marketing. VERB participated in existing community events, including cultural festivals. At these grassroots community events, VERB hosted an activity zone, a dedicated space for tweens to try out different activities such as kicking a soccer ball, dancing, performing

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martial arts, or other activities. Another community-based tactic is the use of street teams, teams of five to eight college-aged men and women hired to engage tweens in being physically active at events and tween hangouts, including malls, parks, and community centres. Street teams create buzz about VERB and build affinity for the brand as tweens tell their friends and siblings about their fun experiences and show off their VERB gifts. The street teams distribute VERB-branded gifts to tweens, such as foot bags, T-shirts, temporary tattoos, and Frisbee disks.

For case study details see www.epomm.org

STEP 7: Monitor, evaluate and adapt

Good preparation during the planning stage of the campaign as well as during the monitoring phases makes the actual evaluation comparatively simple to complete. The MAX tool MaxSumo, provides a rational framework for doing this. When doing the evaluation according to MaxSumo you follow the monitoring and evaluation plan (MEP) that you have developed in the planning stage of the campaign, see STEP 5. In this way MaxSumo helps you to work systematically both with the monitoring and evaluation.

There is another approach to monitoring which is less formal than the MaxSumo model but nevertheless is useful in fine tuning a campaign as it progresses. Attitudinal changes and issues regarding real barriers can also be registered by the use of campaign consumer panels, discussion groups and workshops where feedback can be more immediate. Attention to these matters allows campaign champions to ensure that the campaign is more finely tuned towards the needs of different segments, for example those who are ready to change behaviour and those who are not.

STEP 8: Document the campaign

We recommend that campaign teams document campaigns for future reference and transferability.

This is partly to do with building a database and store of material for future campaigns and partly to collect a library of visual and aural records throughout the life of the campaign. Thus, there is a need to collect

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photographs and media-clips as well as hard evaluation data, costs and lessons learned throughout the campaign progression. It might be useful when building your next campaign – see STEP 1.

Summary: key success factors in the implementation stage

Based on what is described above on the implementation stage of Travel Awareness Campaigns the following factors are considered to be the most important:

1. Deliver appropriate measures to the well researched segments

2. Use the full services marketing mix as well as social communication elements

3. Monitor your campaign progress throughout rather than just using a before and after study

4. Document your campaign throughout so that there is a library of material at the end of the campaign

5. Market upstream to ensure continued involvement and support of stakeholders

3.3 STAGE 3: Post-campaign stage

The post-campaign stage is a period of reflection, and crucially, where the lasting value of the campaign is distilled. It is important to take the view that the life-cycle of a campaign extends beyond its natural end (i.e. when the activity of the implementation of the project stops), and that the project itself is laying the foundations for further activity.

It is important to engage with the stakeholders and community at this stage, a process which can raise further awareness, maintain continued commitment and ensure that the intended behavioural change is secured. Additionally the evaluation of the campaign effect is carried out using the post-campaign continuous monitoring process. The campaign may then result in further extension (continue the same campaign), multiplication (begin similar campaigns using the same design) or a new campaign.

It involves two steps:

STEP 9: Post-campaign activities

STEP 10: The campaign legacy

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STEP 9: Post-campaign activities

Post-campaign monitoring

The evaluation and monitoring programme that was already established in STEP 7 of the implementation stage should be revisited in the post-campaign phase. This is an important part of the finalisation of the campaign, and if done properly, should provide an accurate picture of its impacts on travel behaviour of the target group(s). The MaxSumo tool (described in STEP 5 and 7) provides guidance. This may be undertaken several months or possibly one year after the formal delivery of the campaign. This depends on the objectives of the campaign. Behavioural change takes a longer time to achieve than other objectives, such as simple awareness campaigns, which are often monitored through recall studies.

We cannot be prescriptive about what constitutes success in any particular campaign. A change in attitudes and approaches by stakeholders might be a key finding in some campaigns; incremental changes in behaviour could be a crucial step forward in another. In some cases, modal shift might be recorded as a result of a new facility being introduced in association with an accompanying travel awareness scheme. Thus, the fundamental point is to set realistic aims and objectives (not all of which need to be quantifiable measures) and record progress toward these. Justification of the value for money in engaging in the campaign relies on more than hard data; that is why we advocate that you document other evidence in addition to formal surveys.

This stage allows you to gather and analyse all available data collected during the campaign. It is essential to monitor three elements:

The community: through a tracking survey6 (started in the baseline evaluation) and qualitative feedback (level and type of comment being made)

The stakeholders: this should involve modifications such as level of interest, strategic or management changes in relation to the campaign

Politicans: through level of commitment to the campaign from inception to conclusion

Stakeholder / community feedback

Engaging with the community and stakeholders after the campaign is an important part of the post-campaign process, as it gives the opportunity to draw out the value of the campaign, continue relations with stakeholders for future projects, and reflect on the impact of the campaign. This also provides an opportunity for the people involved in the campaign from both sides to put forward any of their ideas regarding the campaign, or future campaigns. Additionally the campaign should be publicised further for example by providing campaign information on MaxEva, and any available results of success conveyed to the media and public to reinforce the message of the campaign. Activities during this stage include:

dissemination workshops,

open days and other publicity events which are aimed at ensuring that the behaviour change is maintained,

awards and rewards for particular achievement are also a part of this process.

STEP 10: The campaign legacy

Campaign extension or new campaign

6 A tracking survey is a survey which is repeated several times to monitor changes against duration (time) following campaign inputs

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After the completion of the campaign, there are several options for the continuation of publicising the beneficial results of the campaign as well as indicating what did not work. This will principally involve the use of internet portals which portray best practice and allow transferability of ideas and methods. Thus, it is recommended that you use the ELTIS and the EPOMM website for this purpose. It is also useful to consider to delivering results at international conferences and workshops.

The documented campaign also allows the campaign team to consider the following:

Campaign Extensions: This may mean a revival of the implementation stage, using the same area and target audience, by either following the same process or modifying the approach based on the evaluation of its success. It is possible, for example, that a campaign has been very successful in raising awareness but that there’s an opportunity to encourage changed behaviour through the introduction of a new cycle route or other facility.

Modified Campaigns: Modified campaigns which copy the life cycle of the old model (because it has been proven to be successful) may be run in different areas, perhaps in larger areas, and over longer timescales. This was the case with Bike It in the UK. As the campaign gained successes and attracted more government funding it was rolled out to other parts of the UK.

New campaign: Or a different approach might be taken, which might retain elements of the old campaign or base its design on knowledge resulting from the delivery of the old campaign.

Summary: key success factors in the post-campaign stage

Thus, to ensure a successful campaign legacy the following benchmarks need to be achieved:

A fully documented campaign library which allows the campaign team and other stakeholders to access detailed results.

A reflective post campaign report which is used as a basis for campaign extensions and modifications in due course.

International recognition of the findings and analysis of the campaign by using ELTIS or EPOMM websites at www.eltis.org or www.epomm.org.

The preparation of papers and presentations to use for internal and external dissemination.

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