Changing Behavior of Individuals & Communities · Changing Behavior of Individuals & Communities: Motivating & Mobilizing, Social Norms, Networking. ... communications goals and objectives

Changing Behavior of Individuals & Communities:

Motivating & Mobilizing, Social Norms, Networking

Background

• For over 8 years, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR Change a Light, Change the World (CAL) Campaign has inspired Americans to take a small action that makes a big difference in protecting our environment– Choosing a CFL that has earned the

ENERGY STAR for energy efficiency

Approach

• In 2007, ENERGY STAR designed a new approach for the campaign to drive even greater awareness and sustained behavior change

• This approach included three distinct strategies:– A new campaign model to clearly define roles,

communications goals and objectives for invested parties

– A multi-media strategy to build awareness for and better market ENERGY STAR qualified lighting

– Social marketing framework designed to activate inspired individuals and organizations in the cause

New Campaign Model

• The new model outlined communications objectives and focused resources within distinct category, product, and social marketing strategies

Category

Marketing

Social

Marketing

Product

Marketing

EPA/DOE

Traditional Partners: Retailers,

Manufacturers, EEPS

Non-Traditional Partners: Grassroots Orgs., Non-Profits, Community Groups

Communications Platform

• ENERGY STAR Change a Light Pledge– A way for individuals to commit to being more energy-

efficient

• Stronger focus on global warming– Join the fight against global warming with ENERGY

STAR

• Partner activation– Allowed partners to customize the campaign to meet

the needs of their target audience

Communications Materials

Multi Media Strategy

• National media strategy used to differentiate Change a Light from other CFL campaigns and leverage resources

• Media goal was to elevate the campaign’s status and to engage and educate Americans

• Campaign launched on October 3, 2007 (official Change a Light Day) and ran through the fall– Mass media communications– Launch events– Earned media support– Social marketing tactics– Partner promotions

Launch/Media Events

• 20-day coast-to-coast bus tour– Elevate campaign’s status– Local/national partner involvement– Sustained media coverage opportunities

• 16 events across the country– Launched at Disneyland– Culminated on NBC’s Today Show in New York– Four EPA hosted media events– 12 consumer events designed and executed by

local sponsors• Face-to-face education and media exposure

reached millions of consumers across the nation

• The events were supported with signage, interactive displays and an online presence

Launch Photos - Disneyland in Anaheim, CA with Sylvania

Consumer Events

• Organized and implemented by local sponsor(s)– 25 proposals received, ten were chosen– Each event encouraged consumers to begin saving energy at home,

starting with changing a light• Local sponsors decided upon the event venue and all logistics

including media outreach, ENERGY STAR-qualified compact fluorescent light procurement, and any related store promotion– The bus attended their event, set out the education center and staff

interacted with consumers– The goal was to get consumers to walk away with an ENERGY STAR-

qualified light or branded piece of collateral, ENERGY STAR information and a conscious understanding of how this small change at home impacts the big picture and connects them to others across the country doing the same

• The bus tour team coordinated all logistics with local sponsors through weekly calls and a comprehensive checklist

Consumer Event Photos

Media Events

• School Media Events– Held at schools in Denver, Chicago, and Atlanta that had demonstrated

efforts toward energy efficiency– Designed as a casual forum where the media could interact with kids

and learn about the tour– Media was invited to see students tour the bus’ education center and

learn about the importance of energy efficiency in relation to climate change

• Boston Media Event– Special event that tied Boston’s historical significance with the

campaign goals– Boston’s “second revolution” in lighting was held at Navy Yard– Media event visual was the lighting of the Old North Church steeple with

several Sylvania ENERGY STAR-labeled CFLs. When the steeple was lit, Paul Revere began his revolutionary ride on a mountain bike

Media Event Photos

Times Square Photo

Bus Tour Web Pages

Partner Activation

• “Pledge Driver” program created to provide a simple unifying action for organizations to rally against– Provided partners with sense of ownership in campaign – Allowed the ability to strategically recruit and activate a base of

participating organizations to inspire and reach their own base of consumers

• Pledge Drivers were given upgraded access to specially-designed support materials, including turnkey creative templates and targeted messaging points

• To help spur “passive competition,” top performing Pledge Drivers received recognition for their efforts

A Successful Campaign

• The 2007 Change a Light campaign received unprecedented success– Substantial growth in partner activation

• Over 1,100 organizations (a 50% increase over 2006 campaign)

– Significant media impressions• 125 million media impressions garnered through earned media and

free placement in print, broadcast and online, including features on The Ellen Show, The Today Show, Boston Globe, Atlanta Journal Constitution Reuters, and CNNMoney.com

– Historic pledge levels • More than 1.5 Million pledged to Change a Light

– Overall increase in ENERGY STAR CFL awareness and sales• U.S. sales of CFLs in 2007 nearly double those in 2006 ~ 290

million bulbs

Key Learnings

• Aspirational Message– Messaging communicated to consumers that through their

purchase they can have a positive impact on the environment– Provided a single call-to-action/rally cry for consumers to carry

across the country• Unified Tactic/Partner Activation

– Change a Light Pledge Program provided a simple action for partners to drive big results online

– Provided partners with sense of ownership in campaign • Engaging Partner and Media Tactic

– Bus Tour provided a strong media draw that literally showed a growing movement of individuals joining in the fight against global warming

– Tour proved an exciting and unifying tactic that drew partners together towards a common goal