Successful transport decision-making - Osmose

FS 20: Awareness campaigns
Vol 2 - Table of Contents
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T6
What is an awareness campaign?
Awareness campaigns, as their name suggests, seek to raise
levels of awareness concerning a particular problem or issue.
They may be aimed at the general public, at certain
communities (e.g. local residents, businesses), or at staff within
the organisations directly involved in the project. Such
campaigns may be associated with a particular project, but
more often provide a basis on which to promote a series of
strategies and schemes designed to promote more sustainable
transport (e.g. TravelWise in the UK).
Where the campaign is linked to a particular project, raising
awareness may be intended to increase recognition of the
need for the project (e.g. because it is designed to improve air
quality), to change perceptions and attitudes, to encourage
direct involvement through the various planned engagement
activities, or to encourage changes in organisational or
personal behaviour.
How to raise awareness of a project
or policy initiative?
Awareness raising requires the use of a variety of tools,
including the media, advertising, posters, leaflets, and local
events. In order to maximise cost-effectiveness and success, it
is important to:
Be aware of your target audience(s) and the messages
that are most likely to be recognised and have the intended
effect; and
To link the campaign to a series of local initiatives and
events, both to increase awareness and credibility.
Long-running awareness campaigns often have their own
identity (logo, carton character, etc.) and strap lines - reducing
the various issues being addressed by the campaign down to
a few simple phrases.
Who do they target?
Awareness campaigns can be designed to target key actors,
such as politicians, community leaders, the media, business
leaders, public transport operators and interest groups with the
aim to:
Persuade them of the benefits of the campaign and project;
Build a consensus on the problem;
Secure a budget;
Encourage their support of the project; and
Reduce the chances of opposition.
Running a campaign for the public aims to:
Increase the public knowledge and awareness of the
project and of sustainable transport solutions;
Encourage public acceptance of the project; and
Get people to rethink their travel behaviour.
When should awareness campaigns
be used?
General awareness campaigns are likely to have started well in
advance of this particular project. Where an awareness
campaign is directly linked to the project, it should begin as
soon as project funding has been secured and the programme
of work agreed, in order to raise awareness of the project and
the need for it. It is often the starting point for engagement and
other marketing activities.
Awareness campaigns can also be used early in the project life
to make the goals and content of a project known to politicians,
institutions and the public. Changing public attitudes generally
takes a considerable amount of time and effort and
consequently an awareness campaign might be run throughout
the life of the project and well into the implementation stage.
NOTES
Stakeholders participating in a cycle awareness campaign.
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