Creating Change with The Clean Air Campaign^®

Overview

The Clean Air Campaign works to motivate Georgians to take action to improve air quality and reduce traffic congestion. Formed in 1996, the not-for-profit focuses exclusively on voluntary solutions to metro Atlanta’s air quality problem by offering a variety of programs and services, including free employer assistance; public information and health advisories; financial incentives; and the creation of educational programs for schools.

Objectives

Since beginning its relationship in 1998, Cookerly has been charged with developing a campaign that: educates metro Atlanta commuters, employers and school communities, its link to traffic congestion and the benefits of alternative commuting habits; builds brand awareness for the organization; generates sponsorship support; and ultimately, changes driving behavior to reduce single occupancy vehicle use and reduce emissions.

Strategy and Tactics

With the aid of primary research, Cookerly creates an integrated campaign to effect behavior change among target audiences: commuters, employers, teachers, children and their families. The key differentiating factor between social marketing and other forms of marketing is that benefits accrue to the individual rather than to the marketer’s organization. Strategically, that means the development and execution of a plan to motivate people to make changes because the individual and business benefits outweigh any associated costs or sacrifices. Tactics are targeted to reach specific audiences and effect specific behaviors:

Media Relations/Public Information:
Cookerly positioned The Clean Air Campaign as the one-stop shop for traffic mitigation and air quality information. Media relations tactics employed include media training of staff and stakeholders, deskside briefings with reporters, proactive story development, byline articles and releases, promotional and media events, and maintenance of an online Press Center, among others.

Targeting Employers:
Employers are in a position to empower commuters to change their driving habits, and so the agency developed specific business-to-business collateral marketing tools and tactics for employers. Additionally, the annual PACE Awards were created to recognize outstanding employer programs.

Children’s Education:
To utilize schools as a conduit for change, the agency developed the structure of an education program, and helped create BAIR, the Better Air Bear. The agency created a 10-page activity book and script and promoted BAIR through the media and community appearances.

Supporting Regional Efforts:
The nine local transportation management associations (TMAs) and the regional ridematching database, RideSmart, are supported via media relations and customized collateral, as well and message points and promotional support.

Web-Based Communications:
To maintain relationships with the organization’s constituencies, the agency creates two electronic newsletters, one for each target audience: commuters and employers. In addition, Cookerly created a Web-based toolkit of marketing materials for the employer Partners.

Social Media:
Social networks present an ideal place for clean commuting and environmental exchange and stories. Cookerly launched The Clean Air Campaign into Web 2.0 along multiple paths: engaging bloggers locally and nationally to write about clean commuting; creating a blog for The Clean Air Campaign’s new website; creating organizational pages on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn; and communicating regularly with those engaged.

Leveraging Corporate Partnerships:
Currently, 20 percent of funding for The Clean Air Campaign comes from private sponsorships. The agency helped develop a sponsorship strategy, marketing sponsorship packages, and provides ongoing consultative support.

Results

2008 was a record-breaking year for media coverage and program participation. Nine hundred placements equaled more than 884 million impressions, and thousands of metro Atlanta commuters switched to a commute alternative.

Social media efforts also enjoyed tremendous success. Highly-read bloggers regularly report on Clean Air Campaign and clean commuting activities. Within the first few months, The Clean Air Campaign’s Facebook page had more than 700 fans and Twitter is closing in on 600 followers – both continue to grow.

Most importantly, the campaign is effecting behavioral change. Participation rates went up 300 percent for the incentive programs aimed at getting people who drive alone to make the switch to an alternative. Employer partnership in The Clean Air Campaign grew by more than 250 percent in just three years. And in 2008, RideSmart received 175 percent more applications from commuters looking for carpool, vanpool and bike partners than it did the previous year.

Cookerly has been recognized for its work from the International Association of Business Communicators, in addition to being a six-time winner of the Phoenix Award for Best Public Service Campaign.