A Cooperative Statewide and Regional Approach to Litter Prevention and Education on the State & Regional Freeway System
Introduction
Purpose and Need
There are currently more than 6,000 miles of freeways throughout Arizona, accommodating a population of more than six million. As the number of people using our transportation corridors increases, so does the problem of roadway litter. On average, ADOT spends $2.3 million a year and 74,000 labor hours to pick up trash. Freeway litter affects every Arizonan; it can create a negative image of our state for tourists and can impact the decision of businesses considering relocating to Arizona. Safety is another concern; debris on roadways nationwide causes tens of thousands of accidents and scores of fatalities each year.
Roadway litter has been a concern of local elected officials for many years. During the development of the Regional Transportation Plan, $279 million was set aside for landscape maintenance, including litter pickup. The funding was designated to be in addition to the funding that the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) has been spending in this region for litter control and landscape maintenance. In 2003, both the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) and the State Transportation Board passed a resolution regarding state and regional funding for landscaping, litter pickup and sweeping for the state highway system. This resolution specifically addressed the development of a long-term litter prevention program. In 2004, voters approved the Regional Transportation Plan as part of Proposition 400.
Communications Goal and Strategy
In 2006, litter prevention and education efforts were begun by both MAG and ADOT to address roadway litter. The goal is to increase awareness of the roadway litter condition in Arizona and begin to lessen the severity of the problem. The strategy is to focus on education, awareness and partner participation. In year one of this long-term communications effort, initial paid and unpaid media and grass-roots community efforts are focused on stimulating awareness, informing Arizonans on the litter problem in our state, and engaging partner participation to address the problem in the MAG region and across the state.
The slogan Don’t Trash Arizona was selected by the MAG Transportation Policy Committee after presentations from California officials outlining the success of the Don’t Trash California campaign. To ensure seamless and integrated messages, MAG and ADOT are working cooperatively to integrate the statewide and regional litter education programs. By pooling resources, there is maximum efficiency and economy in implementing Don’t Trash Arizona, providing the utmost value for every dollar and increasing the scope and reach of the prevention messages.
In June 2006, ADOT selected the advertising firm Moses Anshell to conduct the statewide litter education effort. In August 2006, MAG selected the advertising and public relations firm RIESTER to implement the Litter Prevention and Education Program for the Regional Freeway System in the MAG region.
Key goals for both the statewide and regional campaigns are to identify attitudes and behaviors related to freeway litter, establish and implement a methodology to increase awareness of the freeway litter problem, and motivate motorists to avoid littering.
The regional program will strengthen and complement the overall statewide effort to reduce the volume and visibility of litter generated by Arizona residents and visitors.
Accomplishing these goals without significant paid media advertising funding requires insightful, persuasive and relevant marketing strategies and partnership programs. Assistance from the Governor’s Office in requesting partner involvement and the Governor’s participation at publicity events would greatly benefit the program.
While the campaign is integrated, statewide and regional approaches vary based on the difference between rural and urban target audience—although the primary target demographic in both campaigns is men ages 18-24 (secondary audience is 16-54, which includes younger drivers and older influencers). Media buys are being orchestrated to ensure reach and frequency throughout the state. In the outline below, regional and statewide approaches are summarized separately.
Measurements of Success
Evaluating the success of the Don’t Trash Arizona campaign is an important component of both the regional and statewide campaigns. Measurement criteria are being identified that will be used to monitor the impact and success of the program. Goals include an increase in public awareness of the litter problem and the Don’t Trash Arizona campaign; an increase in engagement by business partners, community advocates and schools; and above all, a reduction in the amount of litter in Arizona.
In January 2007, a benchmark survey was conducted by MAG and funded by ADOT to assess awareness, attitudes and perceptions of litter and to test social marketing strategies. The results will guide the campaign and serve as baseline research with which program effectiveness will be measured, including evaluating changes in residents’ awareness of the problem and in their litter behavior.
Partnerships
and Grassroots Mobilization
The success of the Don’t Trash Arizona campaign will rely heavily on the ability to develop cooperative marketing efforts with many partners, both public and private, to expand message distribution.
Regional Efforts
Cooperative Marketing
Cooperative marketing programs are a type of partnership that could be beneficial. For example, partnering with the Rental Car Center at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport could enable us to place litter bags and brochures in all rental cars. Partnering with TOSCO would permit us to remind people to dispose of their garbage while at the gas pump.
Promotions Program
MAG recommends creating a “Promotions Program” for use by local cities and towns, universities, colleges and technical schools, as well as contractors. These items would be made available for use in anti-litter campaigns in each respective area. RIESTER will design and explore the establishment of a merchandise fulfillment process for interested organizations to obtain merchandise items for use in local campaigns to reduce litter. These items can include but are not limited to: bumper stickers, trash can wraps, window clings, website banners and buttons.
The Promotions Program would be launched by distributing a limited amount of merchandise to targeted organizations, who will be encouraged to use the Promotions Program for creating awareness in their local communities. MAG will also explore the potential of demonstrating the Promotions Program for members of the news media through a press event at a high school, college, technical school or university in collaboration with and support from school leaders. Such a site is relevant to the target audiences of males between the ages of 16-24.
Quick Serve Restaurant Outreach
One of the findings from the polling research is that a substantial amount of litter comes from fast-food restaurants. MAG will explore a partnership with the Arizona Restaurant Association in Maricopa County to raise awareness about the problem through a ‘drive-through window cling’ campaign. This effort could be combined with a wastebasket ‘wrap’ for bins located in drive-through lanes.
Statewide Efforts
The Arizona Department of Transportation also recognizes the need for partnerships to augment paid media efforts. Statewide efforts would include:
Don’t Trash Arizona Task Force
The Arizona Department of Transportation recommends the development of a Don’t Trash Arizona Task Force to initiate a grassroots partnership campaign. ADOT recommends leveraging the Governor’s Conference on Tourism to solicit participation in the Don’t Trash Arizona Partner Program. Partners could include local businesses, city officials and community groups statewide, emphasizing the importance of litter prevention in support of a healthy tourism-based economy. Organizations joining the program would receive advertising and publicity materials for use within their organizations, and they would sign an agreement stating the ways the organization will contribute to the campaign, such as placing a litter barrel with a Don’t Trash AZ decal in a public area.
Super Bowl Committee
The Don’t Trash Arizona Task Force would explore a partnership with the Super Bowl Committee to promote Don’t Trash Arizona anti-litter efforts leading up to the 2008 Super Bowl in Glendale.
Public Relations and Education
Regional Efforts
Maricopa County Top 10 Litter Hot Spots
MAG and ADOT will work together to elevate awareness of Maricopa County’s most littered sections of freeway. Currently, ADOT logs details about sections of freeway with excessive litter problems on a quarterly basis. The log includes numbers of trash bags collected, man hours, and costs.
This important data will be used to create a “Top 10 Litter Hot Spots” report, which report would serve as a message platform to invigorate litter awareness. It is recommended that the report be revealed at a press event with Governor Janet Napolitano, Councilwoman Peggy Bilsten and others key stakeholders in this effort. Members of local Girl and Boy Scout troops would be invited and would help put the problem into perspective by holding large photographs of litter seen along Maricopa County’s freeways. Using data specific to other parts of the state, a similar event could be held in communities outside of Maricopa County. ADOT would utilize highway reader boards to coincide with the release of the Hot Spots report.
MAG is exploring post-event public relations initiatives, including online zip code litter listings and quarterly updates to the “Top 10 Litter” list that would be distributed to members of the news media.
“Take Pride in Arizona”/Survey Findings Press Conference
Given the important findings of the baseline survey regarding litter awareness in Arizona, it is recommended that survey findings be revealed along with the new advertising that supports the “Take Pride in Arizona” strategy. MAG recommends holding a collaborative press event with Governor Janet Napolitano, Councilwoman Peggy Bilsten and others to reveal the survey results from the litter baseline study. Besides highlighting survey findings, the event would be a call to action for the public to put a stop to litter along our freeways. The event would reveal the intention to form community partnerships and grassroots efforts to heighten litter awareness.
Time tax: Litter contributes to traffic delays
A “Top 10” list of the most obstructive items retrieved from freeways by the Arizona Department of Transportation would be released. According to ADOT, most of these items are from unsecured loads and have the potential of causing traffic delays and even accidents. MAG will conduct outreach to contractors regarding unstable loads and conduct deskside briefings with television and radio traffic reporters to inform them about the time tax and litter contribution to traffic delays.
Statewide Efforts
Community Youth Group and Traveling Art Exhibit
The Don’t Trash Arizona Task Force would also engage “child advocates” from community youth groups such as Boys and Girls Clubs, YMCA and other summer kids programs. Ideas include using poster contest winners to create a traveling “Art Can” garbage can art exhibit to visit cities throughout the state for a period of one month in each city. The Art Can exhibit will be promoted via public relations to media statewide.
Statewide College Campus Cleanup Event(s)
The Campus Cleanup Program encourages all students to get involved in litter prevention activities on their campuses and in their communities. Cleanup activities give students a personal look at how litter effects their immediate environments. Don’t Trash Arizona will provide participating colleges with an online toolkit to aid in the organization and execution of campus and community cleanup events.
Elementary School Education Tour and Essay Contest
ADOT recommends a Don’t Trash Arizona elementary school tour centered around Earth Day on April 22, 2008. A presentation would be developed aimed at teaching children about the negative impacts of littering on the environment. Children would be invited to participate in a statewide essay contest that will serve as the basis for establishing an anti-litter summit to draw increased media attention.
Advertising
Because most people who litter are men between the ages of 18 to 24, both RIESTER and Moses Anshell recommend radio as the primary media vehicle for paid advertising. In addition to providing necessary reach of the target audience and cost effective frequency in airing the education messages, radio stations excel in delivering customized promotions to increase listener interaction with the station and advertisers. Additionally, radio is considered to be a highly effective medium because many people are driving on state and regional highways while listening to the radio, and we can reach them in their vehicle where the behavior occurs.
Summary
While there are some differences in the campaigns, we believe the state and regional efforts complement each other and create a synergistic approach to addressing the problem of roadway litter. We believe the campaign would benefit greatly from the involvement of the Governor’s Office in these efforts. Potential participation could include the Governor’s participation in the public relations events noted above, specifically in the “Hot Spots” press conference that would be scheduled in early March. Litter-related talking points are available for her use during speaking engagements and radio shows. We believe that assistance from the Governor’s Office in requesting partner involvement would also greatly benefit the program. Depending on the desired level of participation, other opportunities are available and we would be happy to explore them with the Governor’s Office.
Upcoming events/Press Opportunities
• Top Ten Hot Spots Press Conference – Early March 2007
• Radio Advertising – Selected buys mid-February 2007 through June 2008
• Survey Findings Press Conference – Date TBD
