Collection of Cycle Concepts 2012.pdf - Fietsberaad

CAMPAIGNS AND COMMUNICATIONS
AWARENESS:
awareness of
issues/solutions
ACCEPTANCE:
of the need for change
ATTITUDES/PERCEPTIONS:
attitude to and perception of
cycling and other transport
The behaviour modification
process. 5.2
CONSOLIDATION:
maintaining
behavior change
ACTION:
give cycling a try
the need for change. The purpose of active
engagement is to break down people’s ingrained
habits, allowing them to find out for themselves,
but first they need to be coaxed out of their
comfort zones, throw prejudices or anxiety to the
winds, and immerse themselves into something
new - and they have to do it more than once.
So it is possible to get people to change their
behavior and form new habits (see the behavior
modification section.)
their heads or that it has nothing to do with
them, the campaign will have no impact, but
merely be experienced as random noise. The
target audience’s needs, situation and wishes
need to be clearly identified in advance if the
campaign is to be experienced as relevant.
Generally speaking, the more homogenous
the target group, the more effective the
communication. If you aim at everyone you hit
no one.
Active involvement
People need to feel that they themselves have
a say in changing their transport habits or
attitudes if they are to get actively involved in a
campaign. The choice to change transport mode
or behaviour is up to the individual, no one
else. Cycling campaigns should therefore never
lecture, apply pressure or preach to potential
participants; campaigns need to offer something
the participants want, and campaigns have to
show that here is a choice worth considering.
The annual, nationwide “We cycle to work”
campaign draws attention to cycling as a
potential transport mode to and from work
by means of communications and marketing,
but what actually involves people actively is an
enjoyable common activity that participants
wish to be part of. You and your co-workers
are on the same team, and the participants
motivate each other. At the same time you see
yourself reflected in colleagues that already cycle,
reinforcing the idea that you can bike to work
instead of drive. As part of a team you try the
new transport mode for a month. This has proved
highly effective: Every year 10,000 new cyclists
are inspired to cycle by the “We cycle to work”
campaign, and they continue cycling after the
campaign is over.
Relevance
In addition to getting participants actively
engaged and involved, campaigns need to be
personally relevant. The “We bike to work”
campaigns, for example, are irrelevant if it is
impossible to bike to work. This may seem
obvious, but is important nevertheless. If the
target audience feel that the campaign is above
Immediacy and ownership
Immediacy is an important parameter in a
campaign. No matter whether the campaign
is local or national, whether the target group
is broad or narrow, people have to feel the
campaign addresses their immediate concerns in
their daily lives. Many communities successfully
incorporate local activities into national
campaigns since it is easier for citizens to identify
with a local campaign than a national one. For
example, there is a national right-turn campaign
(see diagram on p. 29) featuring TV spots,
outdoor advertising, and other marketing, but it
includes a local element in which school children
get to watch the road from the seat of a lorry.
Another example is the nation-wide “Mind the
side streets!” campaign (see diagram on p. 30),
which is a national platform but contains local
elements: the local authorities are the actual
campaign senders since they designate the
intersections where the warning markings are
painted.
It is crucial when carrying out local activities
to involve local stakeholders, thereby bringing
extra resources as well as familiar spokesmen
into the community. Those selected need to be
sufficiently informed and motivated about the
campaign so that afterwards they can continue
to run the campaign on their own or, even
better, implement new initiatives. It is vital that
the selected stakeholders are able to anchor the
campaign and consolidate behaviour changes.
The immediacy of personal relationships is an
important factor at the workplace and in schools.
When a school class or a group of co-workers
collectively agree to cycle, this creates more
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