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We’ve all been there — working hard and creating a campaign, project, program or tactic where everything is “golden” like the “Drive $marter Challenge 2008” consumer campaign on fuel efficiency. We exceeded goals, won awards, developed cutting-edge tactics, and created powerful partnerships with 19 nonprofit, governmental, trade association and for-profit entities to dramatically extend the campaign’s marketing, reach, budget, and credibility. Then, reality intervened with the economic meltdown. Getting anywhere with the 2009 campaign was like slogging through quicksand. We ultimately had one-fifth the budget of the previous year, fewer funders, and high partner expectations. To break through the clutter with fewer resources, we came up with creative, affordable tactics, including a fun video contest promoted primarily through digital and social media to boost Web site traffic, buzz, awareness, and build the audience among younger drivers. Take a look at the top four humorous videos at http://drivesmarterchallenge.org/contest. It proves that necessity and creativity is the mother of invention
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Drive $marter Challenge 2009 Fuel Efficiency Consumer Campaign
PRSA Association/Nonprofit Conference Making Less “More:” Creative Strategies
for Working With Fewer Resources
Rozanne Weissman, Marketing Communications Consultant & Business Writing Trainer
Former Senior Director of Consumer Campaigns Alliance to Save Energy
Drive $marter Challenge 2008 Quick Highlights Situation & consumer market research Creative strategies/tactics/execution Evaluation/results
Drive $marter Challenge 2009 – Creatively Overcoming Economic Challenges
Video contest Greater social media Big bang for the buck!
Questions & Feedback
Today’s Discussion
Situation Analysis in Jan. 2008
Nation's increasing oil demand created 7 yrs of rising gasoline prices, air pollution, & CO2 emissions; reduced energy security
Projected $4+ a gallon gas prices by summer 2008 would hurt lower income Americans
Consumers must be engaged to be more fuel efficient
GOALS Reduce consumer gasoline bills, vehicle miles traveled (VMT), & overall U.S. national gasoline consumption
APPROACH Highlight easy driving & vehicle maintenance actions that add up to substantial savings ($, gallons, CO2 emissions)
AUDIENCE Low/lower middle-income drivers most hurt by high prices
Goals & Target Audience
Consumer Market Research – 6 Focus Groups Fear, powerlessness, already cut gas use MONEY $$ biggest motivator to
encourage demo to "drive smarter" & reduce VMT
Drivers wanted specific monetary savings tied to every driving & maintenance tip/action to make best decisions
Stunned at impact of driving behaviors Every participant took tested tips, never
before saw financial impact
Strategy Based on Research
Theme: Drive $marter Challenge
Messaging – save hundreds of dollars on gasoline annually
Website – heart of campaign & “call to action”
Website Strategy
Interactive website calculates/personalizes TOTAL $ savings w/their specific vehicle with 6 driving & maintenance actions
Challenge (total $, gallons, CO2) multiplier Discount coupons (motivates this demo) Tips, resources, myth busters
Partner Strategy
Obtain diverse nonprofit, governmental, trade association, & for-profit partners to expand campaign’s reach, budget, credibility, & potential members
Partners would heavily promote – toolkit
Feature rotating partners on every page
Greater $ contribution, greater role
Evergreen Campaign TacticsMulti-year Perspective Online – 2 websites for
general public & media; targeted digital & social media outreach
Radio – Humorous PSAs, PSAs, negotiated 2-year rights; targeted extensive outreach/interviews
TV – B-roll, on-the-road interviews
Tip cards – Car repair, DMVs, counties, drivers’ education – 2 million; 46 organizations
Buzz-Building Tactics Songs in English & Spanish (reggaeton)
downloadable to MP3 players & iPods Mobile marketing – downloadable ring
tones, weekly tips to cell phones Podcasts w/NASCAR driver –
unexpected High-definition B-roll, :60 news clip on
video sharing sites, photos on FlickrStories
Blogger & Hispanic outreach
Media & PSA ResultsEarned media Garnered 7631+ TV, radio, newspaper, &
magazine story placements 157+ million audience impressions Hundreds of websites & blogs
Radio PSAs Delivered more than 15 x ROI total campaign
budget $15.48 million donated airtime in 6 months 762 radio stations 134,922 + airings
Evaluation – Final Campaign Results
December 2008
Results–Messaging & Actions
Sept 2008 Shelton Group’s Energy Pulse survey: Nearly 70% had “seen, heard, or read money –
saving gas tips on ways you can change your driving habits or maintain your vehicle to improve your gas mileage & save hundreds of dollars every year.”
More than 70% said they had taken 4 specific fuel efficiency actions (featured in our calculator)
Research/Evaluation High gas prices & housing situation created
high receptivity for D$C money-saving gas tips that add up to big savings
1st time since 1980, vehicle miles traveled (VMT) & overall US gas consumption declined…documented by DOE, IEA, Gallup Poll
Awards & Recognition Numerous awards for total D$C campaign
Separate awards for interactive website & radio & billboard PSAs
Transportation Research Board poster board presentation at Jan. 2009 convention with 10,000 people from around the world
Covered 3 times in PR Week
Drive $marter Challenge
2009 Campaign
Challenges
2009 Campaign Challenges… and then the Economic Meltdown ….
1/5 of last year’s budget
2 funders rather than 6
High expectations after last year’s results
Lower gasoline prices = not in news daily
2009 Campaign Opportunities Excellent tactics that can be updated
& further promoted
Outstanding partners who can extend campaign’s marketing & reach
News & consumer interest because of tough economy so change messaging
Brainstorm creative solutions
‘Refreshing’ Campaign
Low-cost solutions Updated calculator, tips, tip cards with new May 2009 $ amounts, new coupons, new partners
New :60 news segment turned into podcast to video sharing websites & DirecTV, updated B-roll on broadband site
RMT. Alliance President & API w/national radio networks & syndicated talk shows = huge reach
Promoted English & Spanish radio PSAs – NAB, e-mail marketing, negotiations
2009 Campaign Brainstorming
No-cost/low – cost ‘blue sky’
ideas – contest to build buzz
D$C 2009 Video Contest
Worked with C3 to develop contest & microsite
Video Contest Strategy GOAL: Increase buzz, awareness, action, web traffic, younger audience, partner engagement, coverage Contestants use 1 or more fuel efficiency tips from D$C website in 2-minute video; public voting for top 10 Eligible entrants received $25 gift card from ExxonMobil & Car Care Guide from Car Care Council. Target film schools, digital, & social media (money-saving/frugality trend, travel, auto/race car enthusiasts, contests)
Obtained 65 videos!
Social Media StrategySocial media – Facebook, twitter, YouTube, Flickr Video contestants, Alliance, partners extensively used Facebook, twitter, YouTube 1158 fans of the Alliance Facebook page & 750 Twitter followers More than 665 hits to video website tracked by bit.ly resulted from "tweets“/retweet strategy from personal twitter account @PRlady007 Contest promo video on video sharing websites Winners on YouTube; all entries on YouTube Energy efficiency day at baseball Stadium on Flickr
Partner Engagement Strategy
Donated prizes, judges, fun!
Grand Prize: $5,000 from ExxonMobil
Second Prize: Choice between VIP NASCAR or Indy Race Package (latter
includes ride in 2- seater bio diesel racecar with pro-driver)
Third Prize: Whichever prize not selected by 2nd prize winner
Fourth Prize: Transportation Efficiency Package –
1-year AAA membership, 4 Michelin Energy Saver All
Season Tires, 2 Silver Spoke League of American Bicyclists memberships
17 Partners Multiply Impact
Energy Efficiency Day at the baseball game. Promoted D$C w/Alliance at new LEED-certified Washington, DC Nationals Park– tips on Jumbo-tron, 30,000 cobranded tip cards, booth, Energy Hog with Screech
Challenged nation’s 3,066 counties to take Drive $marter Challenge, 60+ counties participated & publicized. Winners honored
New Broadband ‘Twist’Updated B-roll footage Creative tactic–offered B-roll, other elements to video contestants
NEW :60 TV news story aired 7 times on DirectTV,1.48 million viewer impressions; podcast for video sharing websites
Focus on Radio – NationalNegotiated great price for national RMT launch May 19 –Alliance & API on radionetworks & syndicated shows- Fox, AP, CNN, Metro Networks, Bobby Likis’ Car Clinic Result: 6395 Stations, 8 million listeners
Additionally, Bobby Likis featured video contest on radio show, Youtube feed with video, website, “Tweets”
Focus on Radio – Local
5 humorous English and Spanish Radio PSAs – 926 Stations 155,599 times $17.538 million donated media
Local radio news & talk shows Nation’s Capital – WAMU, WTOP 60 Pennsylvania stations St. Louis station – reaches 44 states at night
Print & Digital Media Tips, D$C website, video contest featured: 92 print publications – 7.23 million circulation,15+ million impressions, including New York Daily News, Chicago Tribune, San Diego Union-Tribune
650+ websites & blogs – some featuring finalists/4 winning videos – OpEdNews.com, Frugal Dutchess, about.com Sandra's contest blog, Examiner.com, Car Gurus blog, smartmoney.com/Wall Street Journal, Radio TV Interview Report, Fox business, hot indie news.com, Tips for Green Travel Guide, auto channel, Treehugger.com
D$C Web Results
Web site Results*: Saving more & more every day…• 185,766 unique visitors
• 54,240 Challenge participants
• $24.5 million
• 10.5 million gallons of gas
• 117,500 metric tons of CO2
• 9,095 Mobil I coupons downloaded
• 51% increase in traffic during contest timeframe compared to same
time 2008 * As of December 2009
Video Contest #2
Click Photo
Questions & Discussion
