The Campaign

Western Australia has the worst rate of road death in the country. Some regions are amongst highest in the world. After repositioning themselves as ‘For the Better’, the Royal Automobile Club of Western Australia tasked us to create a road safety advocacy campaign to address the appalling statistic – by way of bringing to life their new positioning. Objectives were to deliver against: • Awareness of issue • Brand preference • NPS • Forward thinking & progressive brand perception After investigating the state’s road safety statistics for the last decade, we uncovered an alarming insight – alcohol and speed were no longer the biggest killers. It was driver inattention. The challenge was, there was too little information available to run an effective campaign for change. This insight led to the creative idea of a car that’s only powered when the driver is paying attention, using neuro-technology – RAC’s Attention Powered Car. The innovation became a vehicle for both awareness and research into the issue to inform a 6-month state-wide integrated education campaign. Key events included a live-road study around the state with locals behind the wheel and a series of experiments to find the worst causes. And while the campaign was supported in paid media, it was PR that did the heaviest lifting in generating awareness and keeping the education piece top of mind.

The Brief

The goal for the RAC was to live up to their new positioning ‘For the Better’, by being seen as the driving force for a better Western Australia. Awareness of the issue was a key reflection of this this, with brand preference and NPS as secondary measures. The target market was all drivers, with particular a focus on 18-36 who perceived the brand as dated and irrelevant. It was regarded that an innovative approach would help shift this brand perception In addition, there was an overwhelming long-term desire to affect behaviour and save lives.

Results

• Inattention awareness in WA 56% • Forward thinking brand perception + 36% • Brand preference + 16% • NPS + 68% • 55 + million earned media impressions. • First ever live road study on issue with 27 members of the public. • 6 feature news stories on national network TV. • Fact uncovered: Driver inattention occurs at least once every minute. • Invited to share findings at World Congress of Intelligent Transport Systems. • Attention Powered Car now used as education tool at RAC’s Driver Training Centre. • A wearable ‘hat’ version of technology has been commissioned as a result of the innovation’s success at teaching ‘attentive’ driving.

Execution

Chapter 1: Establish problem/action. 6wks Launching with a ‘world first road safety innovation’ gave the campaign immediate traction in local press, national network TV, global newswires and tech blogs. Chapter 2: Prove vulnerability. 4wks We invited members of the public on road trip with the Attention Powered Car. Personal stories were shared online to different target audiences. Regular updates in current affairs programs were secured with the discovery of key fact; on average, drivers lose attention once every minute. Chapter 3: Find causes/solutions. 10wks Experiments were carried out to collect data against different variables. We shared the most alarming of these through social media and press. i.e. Eating is just as distracting as using your mobile phone while driving. Chapter 4: Here’s what we can do. 8wks A final push of our key findings were pushed through press, online, blogs and again through current affairs programs.

The Situation

Driver inattention is the biggest killer on WA roads. Yet no one knew it. Apart from mobile phones, little research had been carried in the area. As driver inattention includes everything from mental distractions to physical distractions, it was both complex to communicate and prove. RAC’s Attention Powered Car changed the game. It could demonstrate the problem in real-time, and with its neuro-measuring capabilities, research the issue like never before. RAC’s PR opportunity/problem • A world first road safety innovation • A global cause that no one was talking about • A way to test causes and solutions • A 6-month ongoing education/engagement piece

The Strategy

The strategy for the campaign was a multi-channel, multi-phased approach that followed a single story arc. PR played a big role throughout in amplifying key points. Chapter 1: Establish the problem and what we’re doing about it. • The biggest killer on our roads isn’t alcohol or speed – it’s inattention • RAC’s created the ‘world’s first’ Attention Powered Car to tackle the problem. Chapter 2: Prove that we’re all at risk. • A road trip around Western Australia with drivers from all walks of life. Chapter 3: Find worst causes and possible solutions. • Experiments to collect data, test causes and possible solutions. • Test, bust myths, learn and share. Chapter 4: Here’s what we can all do to make the roads safer. • Solidify data, research and insights. • Share as driver education piece