Student Sustainable Travel Marketing Campaign

1. Liverpool John Moores University Student Sustainable Travel Marketing Campaign

2. To design and launch a social marketing campaign to influence student mode choice behaviour Complement and raise awareness of existing LJMU student travel plan interventions Targeted at first year students, who are most susceptible to behaviour change Student engagement and involvement essential Improve the sustainable travel choices that LJMU offers to both current and prospective students, adding value to the student experience Campaign goals ‘Competitive’ student commuting behaviour: Habitual single occupancy car use and dependency ‘Preferred’ student commuting behaviour: Kick-start a sustainable travel culture and mentality among students at LJMU

3. Phased approach Phase 1: market research and insight Focus groups and online student travel behaviour survey To better understand the key issues that influence student commuting habits Phase 2: brand development Design an exciting and engaging brand identity To accompany the campaign and all future LJMU student travel plan communications Phase 3: pre-testing and campaign launch Ensure both the brand and campaign resonate with students Create social networking sites, merchandise and viral video campaign

4. Student engagement Adverts on LJMU student homepage Plasma screen adverts across campus LJMU Facebook & Twitter posts LJMU student work placement Flyers distributed across campus Announcements on LJMU student blackboard Communication channels Presence at LJMU ‘Getting Greener’ campaign event Promotional stands at key university sites LJMU student news bulletin QR code on flyers for smartphones • Generate behavioural insight into student attitudes, perceived social norms, barriers and motivations to sustainable travel

5. Actionable insights and opportunities for behaviour change Largely female demographic of single occupancy car users Greater propensity to cycle in warm, dry summer months Currently low student uptake of cycling to LJMU Transition from first to second year – an opportunity to establish lasting sustainable travel habits Interest in online student car-sharing tool, particularly for those travelling more than 5 miles Significant market of potential ‘mode switchers’ currently driving less than 5 miles (‘cycleable’ distance) Need to target and tailor interventions to different audiences

6. Brand development Informed by sound market research and student engagement as well as learnings from other university sustainable travel campaigns Recognisable as an LJMU sub-brand Resonate strongly with students Suitable for use on a wide-range of media Instantly stand-out Complement existing LJMU student travel plan interventions Engage students and convey a strong sense of student ownership Brand identity components Simple and memorable Represent a wider social movement and culture Avoid being too ‘preachy’ or ‘corporate’ Something different

7. Brand development

8. Pre-testing • Ensure the brand, campaign merchandise and social networking sites resonate with students • Elicit student attitudes and opinion to brand names, taglines, images, colours, language etc • Use traditional in-depth focus groups as well as Facebook ‘Like’ voting competition

9. Next steps • Create social networking sites and produce campaign merchandise • Launch student script writing competition as part of a viral video campaign in collaboration with LJMU Screen School • Campaign launch in time for 2012 student intake

10. Know your target audience Engagement and communications Target and tailor interventions to different subgroups 3 key take-home messages

11. Think of a barrier or problem to increasing uptake of sustainable transport among students and/or staff… How would you overcome this barrier? Who is your target audience? How would you engage with and generate insight into your audience? What communication channels would you use? What interventions would you design and implement? How would you raise awareness and promote your interventions? How would you monitor the effectiveness of your interventions? Exercise

12. Your next steps – making the most of your EAUC Membership… Resources - visit the dedicated behaviour change EAUC resource bank section Networks - Join our Transport Planning Network Community of Practice - for College and University travel planning professionals Visit the EAUC stand for more information on this group Networks - Join our Embedding Positive Attitudes and Behaviours Community of Practice - for those wanting to identify with the challenges of changing the behaviour of staff and students Find out more about this group at 5pm today – see programme for details Recognition - want recognition for your behaviour change initiatives – enter the 2012 Green Gown Awards behaviour change category. Entries open summer 2012 Measure and improve - sign up to LiFE – www.thelifeindex.org.uk. EAUC Members receive a significant discount LiFE offers a dedicated ‘travel and transport’ framework for implementation Membership matters at www.eauc.org.uk