Cultivating Environmental Behavioural Change Through a Multifaceted Marketing Strategy

Overview

Client

Government Department of Environmental Well Being, an environment-focused NGO in South East Asia

Industry

Environment

Context

In 2018, the issue of single-use consumption had reached staggering heights. Plastic was as common as morning coffee. Recognising the urgency, the Government stepped up its game, and that’s where our role began – collaborating with the National Environment Council to drive this pivotal change toward sustainability. This was more than just a change; it was a shared commitment to a greener, cleaner future.

Services

Audience Market Research
Strategy
Content Development
Event Support
Social Media Management
Partnerships
Influencer Collaboration

Here’s how we helped the Government Department of Environmental Well-Being catalyze sustainable change by shifting public behavior towards reusable solutions and environmental consciousness.

Goals

Raise awareness among the working and aging population about the negative impacts of excessive single-use plastic consumption.
Facilitate the transition from using plastic bags for groceries to adopting reusable bags.

Target Audience

Local government bodies, municipal waste management departments, and the leadership team of major supermarket chains
Local citizens aged 25 to 75 with limited education and environmental awareness.

Insights

The campaign served as a gradual introduction to the upcoming implementation of paid plastic bags in stores, facilitating a smoother transition for shoppers.

theACT Approach

To rise to the challenge, we developed and executed a strategy with three main components:

Study of target audience behavior: We laid out a 6 months campaign in 2 phases.

We utilized a pyramid approach, involving government, local authorities, and the public. This ensured a holistic strategy to tackle concerns and upcoming plans, promoting a quick and effective community-driven transition instead of imposing changes on citizens.

The campaign used diverse activities, mediums, tones, and visuals to engage a broad target audience while staying true to its core message: “Use less plastic.”

Phase 1: Stakeholder Buy-in

Government & Local Involvement

An exclusive press conference with the Minister of Environment and Health outlining solutions and upcoming changes, exclusively for invited town council heads to rally local support and dissemination.

Engaging Key Industry Stakeholders

Conducted targeted seminars for key supermarket managers on the effects of single-use plastic and the proposed action plan.

Engaging General Public

With local authority and supermarket support secured, a 12-week cross-marketing campaign was rolled out to educate and engage the public. This phase featured:

Phase 2: Execution of 3-month Campaign

Engaging Events

Held regularly at high-foot-traffic supermarket outlets across various regions during weekends.

Multi-channel Communication

Information dissemination through SMS, neighborhood magazines, emails, and social media to cater to diverse audience preferences.

Crafted the campaign’s strategy, calendar, messaging, and content in close partnership with the stakeholder in-house manager, ensuring seamless execution.

Influencer Collaboration

Collaborated with local micro-influencers to spread the government initiatives in a light-hearted yet informative manner.

Behavioral Shift Initiative

Encouraged immediate behavioral change by gifting reusable bags to shoppers reaching a minimum spend during supermarket events.

Audio & Visual Aids

Sustained messaging through a jingle played at supermarkets, signage at public transportation spots, and radio ads on national radio.

We delivered a network of top-notch marketing campaigns with creative flair and no compromises.

Why theACT

Big and Complex Campaign Scope

This campaign was huge! We managed a ton of different activities and campaigns going on across all sorts of channels and locations.

Using our Established Connections

We used our strong partner connections to simplify vendor procurement, making project operations run smoother. We played a central role in the project’s extensive network of PR, design, and agency vendors.

Being Creative

We didn’t want to be boring, even with a tight budget. So, we still made sure that our campaign was creative and interesting. We wanted to make sure that people would really engage with it and remember it.

Results

A true community endeavor

The campaign engaged 2 government and 3 non-government entities, along with 12 small and 4 large businesses, alongside a dedicated team of over 300 volunteers.

Swift and widespread adoption

The reward program surpassed anticipated participation, attracting double the expected numbers. Participants returned consistently, often bringing along friends and family to join the events.

Enhanced client visibility and fostered more funding and collaboration prospects

Through these extensive efforts, the client discovered new partnerships and fundraising avenues, facilitating program expansion.

Prompted a secondary initiative

With support from a major bank and local eco-businesses.

These partnerships fortified the campaign’s viability and impact, underscoring a shared dedication to the cause.

Full-service behavioral change marketing for an environmental NGO