Objective and brief
London suffers from some of the poorest air quality in Europe. This has an adverse effect on all who live and work in the Capital. The aim of the proposed Low Emissions Zone is to discourage the most polluting vehicles from driving within the London area thus reducing emissions and improving air quality.
Transport for London wanted a three stage direct mail campaign to create awareness amongst HGV/LGV Operators that the LEZ will be rolled out February 2008 and that they needed to be compliant. Unlike most other DM campaigns, this was not offer-led or optional. Coverage had to be 100% as otherwise drivers and operators could unknowingly be subject to a high financial charge for not having a compliant vehicle . That meant obvious targets such as Haulage companies but also obscure targets, ranging from British Dressage clubs in Doncaster to puppet theatres in Penzance - all had to receive the communication as they may come into contact with the zone in the future.
Strategy
Responding to an interesting and challenging brief, Tri-Direct and Chemistry had to apply keen insight to data selections to track down: 1) all HGVs in the UK 2) smaller commercial vehicles (transit van size) 3) contact details for owners/drivers of vehicles used to transport animals and livestock and the large vehicles used in the construction and engineering industries.
The clever bit:
The first major challenge, before the data planning and purchase could begin, was for Chemistry and Tri-Direct to identify every business and organisation which may be affected by the new LEZ for both HGV vehicles and LGV vehicles. Every contact required a named contact.
Step One - We needed to source comprehensive databases of businesses which used HGV and LGV vehicles. Examples of the range of businesses involved included nine UK-based circuses, water and dam constructors and tug boat services.
Step Two - Further research had to be carried out to identify if the members of an organisation, both public and private, were recorded. Where data did not exist on the open market, organisations such as The Scout Association had to be contacted to verify how members could be addressed. This lent an extra stratum to the work over and above the traditional planning process.
Step 3 - A further challenge was to contact all the smaller and more obscure businesses, clubs and not-for-profit organisations; ranging from florists and polo clubs, to ambulance services and all UK schools, village social clubs and vicars, plus individuals with hobbies which involve using larger vehicles such as vintage car and motor home owners.
The outcome
150k companies, individuals and organisations, delivering over half a million records, were mailed.
Testimonial from client
“The data strategy was integral to the success of maximising data penetration. The intelligent investigation into data sources and the detailed data strategy has enabled TfL to contact over 500,000 targeted individuals and businesses to ensure awareness of the scheme, and provide information on how and when to act if affected by the zone.” Miranda Leedham, TfL -Group Marcomms Manager.
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