Consumer Behaviour Assignment: There is a word limit of 600 words.

Question 2: There are three segments of people who were seen as most likely to drive through floodwater listed in this case. Identify specific marketing tactics for each segment designed to overcome the barriers for that segment avoiding floodwaters

Case Study Introduction Severe thunderstorms are the norm in the subtropical and tropical climate of Queensland from October to May. Flash flooding is a regular occurrence throughout the state in regional towns, across rural areas and in the large population centres of the southeast including Brisbane. The hilly terrain and low-lying roads throughout suburbia, as well as the main arterials, exacerbate this problem. The loss of five lives due to a severe weather event in Brisbane brought into question the relevance and awareness of 'current' messaging on the dangers of driving through floodwaters. Anecdotal evidence from media reports (and others) suggested that while previous messaging had widespread recognition, the potentially dire consequences of driving through flooded roads were either misunderstood or, worse still, unknown.

As a result of these fatalities, the Queensland Government developed a new marketing campaign in time for the flood season. The campaign picked up a local colloquialism, 'If it's flooded, forget it' (IFFI), and was designed not only to reinforce the dangers of driving through floodwaters but also to equip the population with knowledge of the consequences and the tools needed to change their attitudes and behaviours.

Objectives The overall goal of the campaign was to stop people driving through floodwaters in Queensland. Specific behavioural objectives the campaign hoped to achieve included the following: Change beliefs as to what constitutes 'floodwater' by a minimum of 5%. (Pre-campaign research reported 45% of respondents believed floodwater to be 11-30 cm deep). Increase awareness and understand as to why not to drive through water over a road and reduce the incidence of such behaviour. Increase knowledge around the unforeseen impact floodwater can have on the road beneath. Reduce the number of people who will attempt to drive through floodwater based on what others around them are doing. Reduce the number of people who believe their vehicle can handle floodwater by a minimum of 5%. (Pre-campaign research measured this at 46%). Change attitudes that familiarity and knowledge of local terrain give permission to drive through floodwater. Increase understanding that alternative safer routes are available. Identify these safter routes for the future.

Consumer insights Qualitative and quantitative research was commissioned specifically to inform the campaign and to provide the Queensland Government with a clear indication of just how much Queenslanders were not taking flooded roads seriously. Highlights from this research included: 57% of 4WD drivers would drive across a flooded road. 29% believed the speed of water doesn't matter. 29% had driven through floodwater. 25% didn't think it was that dangerous.

The problematic attitude of Queensland drivers towards flooded roads was best summed up by the following research response:

'We're smart up here, we know what you can and can't do. It's the city people, the tourists and campervans that get in trouble driving through floodwater when they don't have the local knowledge.' (Cairns, Queensland)

The research was commissioned to determine the effectiveness of the existing messaging and to identify actions to change driver knowledge, attitudes and behaviour towards floodwater. It was also used to identify the demographics most likely to drive through floodwater and to uncover their reasons for doing so.

The three most prevalent segments were: Males who have previously driven through floodwater: 30%. 4WD owners: 34%. 25-39 year old: 27%.

Critical insights for these segments included bravado and masculine belief in their own ability played a part in influencing male drivers to risk driving through floodwater. This was often matched with a misplaced confidence in the vehicle they drove. In addition, panic and fear blinded some drivers at the moment when they were confronted by water over the road, with a fear for loved ones on the other side of the water in particular compelling them to take life-threatening risks. Research also discovered that a further contributor to poor behaviour was a simple lack of knowledge of how else to behave: drivers were unaware of what alternatives exist to driving through the water.

The campaign The strategy for the campaign had a two-pronged approach: to tackle head on some of the myths and misunderstandings around driving through floodwaters (using communications) and to equip drivers with the knowledge and tools they need to predetermine an alternative action available to them (using online tools). This approach went beyond simply amplifying or dramatizing the potentially fatal outcomes, as many driver safety campaigns often do.

Communication strategy The campaign took an innovative approach to developing the communication mix by establishing a 'CX loop' (customer experience loop) borrowed from marketing practices usually reserved for commercial brands seeking to increase sales. CX loops are essentially communications opportunities and customer touch points, mapped against a neoclassical customer purchase life cycle, where the agency considers how to best massage consumers from a state of basic brand awareness through to consideration, enquiry, purchase, maintained purchase/loyalty and ultimately advocacy. Advocacy from one consumer to another helps grow and feed awareness/consideration and the whole cycle can start again for a new consumer.

This campaign took the same approach but looped instead the core stages of the trans-theoretical behaviour change model (pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation to act, action and maintenance of action). An 'advocacy' stage was added in order to ensure that the communication mix had the right touch points and channels to facilitate word of mouth and viral/ digital spread. Ultimately, this led to a campaign that intelligently harnessed paid media channels such as TV, print and outdoor but also had a strong element of social media (in particular, Facebook) and targeted online display units, mobile advertising and rich media/ content marketing (including Yutube pre-rolls). TV advertising offered the best means for mass market reach and frequency. The critical addition compared to many other government campaigns was the invitation for drivers to also participate online and engage with an innovative, interactive new website.

Interactive website While TV advertising could remind people of the perils and danger of driving through floodwater, the interactive website included an interactive open-source map drawing on multiple government databases where Queensland drivers could: Identify roads near them that were currently flooded. Identify roads near them that have been known to flood in recent years. Make suggestions for alternative routes to drive around that flood spot. Discover another driver's preferred alternative route.

The online platform thus enabled consumers to 'Make your Plan B' and allowed Queensland drivers to both give and receive knowledge in a single experience. This made for a marketing campaign that was two-way and participatory and allowed Queenslanders to feel they were playing a part, contributing to the safety of others. The online platform included crowdsourced flood roads maps, which involved consumers sharing real-time information about flooded roads to help others plan an alternative route, as well as tips and tools for planning a route.

Consumers were fully involved in the co-creation of the data used in this real-time flood map. By engaging with the online map they were able to add content and share knowledge with regards to the best alternative route around any well-known flood spot. In social media a strong emphasis was placed on sharing stories and passing the message on to someone who perhaps needed to be mindful of the message the campaign was hoping to communicate.

Campaign activity was also informed by--and then moderated in reaction to- social media performance as well as ongoing map analytics. Each week a review was undertaken looking at how media activity had or had not driven engagement, and then either messaging or media tactics would be tweaked accordingly to optimise campaign performance.

Results and learning The campaign has been instrumental in changing Queensland drivers' understanding of flooded roads as well as their attitudes and intentions towards staying safe. These are critical developments in the ongoing battle to avert tragedy and to ensure that fewer Queenslanders are lost to floodwater each year. Key campaign results included: Message awareness Unprompted recall - 70%, up from 67% in the previous year. Prompted recall - 82%, up from 70% in the previous year.

Online engagement Map engagement: 168 000 unique visitors. Social media: CTR (click-through rate) 0.3% to 0.8%.

Knowledge change - defining floodwater Up to 10 cm of water on the road: 50%, up from 35% pre-campaign. 21 - 30 cm of water on the road: 12%, down from 21% pre-campaign.

Attitude change driving through floodwater I would never attempt to drive through floodwater: 55%, an increase from 49% in the previous year.

Behavioural change - driving through floodwater I have driven through floodwater: 24%, a decrease from 29% in the previous year. 79% will try to make other arrangements. 59% will make sure they have a back-up plan in the event of flooding.

The campaign was so successful in changing knowledge, attitudes and behaviours about driving through floodwaters that it was repeated for the following year's flood season, during which time a greater emphasis was placed on the existence and usefulness of the online tool. In social media there was also an increase in the number of geospecific posts targeted to individual local communities as these had performed particularly well during the campaign.