Gene Talbott & Patricia Rhinehart Research Strategies, Inc.

1. Air Quality Outreach: Measuring Effectiveness & Results Gene Talbott & Patricia Rhinehart Research Strategies, Inc. Voris Williams Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham

2. Why Should You Measure • Outreach Performance Tracking provides a history and trends of your successes and failures • Outreach Performance Tracking provides guidance to “fine-tune” your program’s: • Public Education • Community Perceptions • Advertising / Social Marketing • Media Partnerships • Outreach Performance Tracking quantifies the impact of your public education / advertising / marketing and provides justification for your outreach program

3. Circumstances Prompting Performance Tracking • Birmingham area nonattainment for ozone since late 1970s • Ozone Action Program begun in 1996 to improve air quality for Atlanta Olympic Games (venues in Birmingham) • In 2001, real commitment to ozone action program from MPO; program management transferred to RPCGB • By 2002, some skeptics on MPO questioned whether annual investment of $1.4 million was producing results • In 2003, shift in program and evaluation methodology away from qualitative toward quantitative

4. Overnight (Alert Day) Surveys • Research Methodology - Conducted within 24 hours of an announcement - Sampling weighted by residential ZIP Code population • Data Retrieval Objectives - Demographic Profile - Unaided / Aided Awareness - Knowledge Levels - Daily Behavior Changes - Advertising Delivery

5. Season-End Residential Surveys • Research Methodology - Conducted end of Air Quality Alert Season - Sampling weighted by residential ZIP Code population • Data Retrieval Objectives - Demographic Profile - Lifestyle Profile - Unaided / Aided Awareness - Knowledge Levels - Daily Behavior Changes - Advertising Delivery

6. Lifestyle Profile • Vehicle Preference • Work Shift • Employment Status • Work Shift Status • Communication Channels

7. Daily Behavior Changes • Perception / Usage of Carpooling and Mass Transit • Vehicle Emission Compliance • Vehicle Refueling Practices • Daily Commuting Patterns • Outdoor Activities • Healthcare Practices

8. Advertising Delivery • Television Station Preference - By Daypart • Radio Station Preference - By Daypart • Newspaper Readerships • Other Advertising Media • Conceptual Recall - Creative Overall Effectiveness - Creative Call-to-Action

9. Season-End Business Surveys • Business Profile (category / size) • Awareness Level • Communication Channels (email / bulletin board) • Perceptions • Action Motivation Levels • Daily Procedural Changes

10. Corporate Perceptions • Seriousness of Air Quality Alerts • Economic Impact of Air Quality • Political Influence of Air Quality • Impact / Usefulness of Public Transportation • Importance of: - Mandatory Vehicle Inspections - Impact of Respiratory Healthcare Issues - Restrictions on New Industry

11. Action Motivation Levels • AQI Color Designation Prompting Change • Changes in Business Procedures • Changes from Previous Year • Willingness for Change - Fleet Refueling Practices - Vehicle Maintenance - Driving Limitations - Flex Time - Defer Production Schedules - Shorter Work Weeks / Work at Home Options - Promotion of Mass Transit / Car Pooling

12. How do we use the data? • Making better-informed media-buying decisions • Estimating emissions reductions attributable to outreach and advertising • Determining which media outlets are most effective in making the public aware of air quality alerts • Confirming importance of variable message boards along highways • Justifying expenditure of CMAQ funds as a cost-effective way of reducing emissions and improving air quality • Voluntary Air Quality Program ranks as most cost-effective program in region for reducing emissions

17. Research Strategies, Inc.Gene Talbott & Patricia Rhinehart Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham Voris Williams Email: VWilliams@rpcgb.org Email: ResearStrategies@aol.com