Workshop TR 6.4, Thursday 22 June, 9.00 - 10.30

Mass media campaigns

Rusell Greig, Bikewest, Department of Transport WA, Perth, Western Australia Cycle Instead. Social Marketing Campaign to Promote Cycling The Department of Transport in Western Australia has used social marketing techniques in an attempt to reverse the decline in cycling participation. The ‘Cycle Instead’ campaign, derived from models of health behaviour change, was the first in a series of mass-media efforts designed to reposition cycling in the market place as a healthy way of making a short journey. Pre-campaign qualitative and quantitative research indicated the factors most important to people’s decisions about cycling, what made people consider cycling at all, and explored some of the negative and positive perceptions of cycling. Focus groups were conducted with people with a range of attitudes including people who had positive attitudes towards cycling but who rarely cycled. The subsequent media campaign was then developed around some of the more salient factors emerging from this research for a target audience that had positive attitudes to cycling.  Later phases will be developed for other target groups. The campaign used mass media including television, press and radio.  A range of supporting merchandise was also developed. The campaign identity and development will be detailed in this presentation as well as the results of the post campaign research. Examples of the advertisements and merchandise will be available. The appropriate target group would be those involved in trying to promote cycling in its own right such as other transport agencies, advocacy groups and health agencies. Feedback on other marketing initiatives would be welcome as well as suggestions for improving the efficacy of this campaign.

Richard Saulnier, Vice President, Marketing & Communication, ‘Tour de l'Ile de Montréal’, Canada A television programme devoted to cycling In the Canadian province of Quebec, over 99% of households have a television. French-speaking Quebecois spend an average of 26.5 hours per week watching television. In 1999, the ‘Tour de l’Île de Montréal’, a part of Vélo Québec, produced a series of thirteen 30-minute television programs on cycling. These shows were broadcast in peak-time on Radio-Canada, which is the largest French-language public TV network in Canada. This series is unique because it focuses on cycling activities for the general public — on urban, tourist and recreational cycling — and not on competitive cycling as is usually the case. Using an entertaining magazine format, each programme presented a variety of stories; types of bikes and equipment, road safety advice, basic cycling techniques as well as a weekly route that the host of the programme cycles with a local celebrity. Viewers were also asked a question about the programme’s content, and those with correct answer were eligible for prizes. The series’ success has brought about 13 new programs produced by the same team for Radio-Canada during this spring and summer. It is quite exceptional for an organisation that promotes cycling to have access to a peak-time slot on a major network venue. Using excerpts from the 1999 and 2000 series, the speaker will discuss the concept and philosophy behind the series, and describe aspects of its production; funding, co-production and broadcasting agreements. He will demonstrate that television can be a powerful public-education tool, and an incomparable means of promoting the development of a new urban culture based on cycling.