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Case study
70% of the target audience in Ealing got the message on recycling thanks to the council's 2016 digital campaign
Recycling remains a key priority for central government with a commitment to achieve 50% recycling rates in all areas of the country by 2020 (and now a host of other measures and targets in its Waste Strategy 2023).
The London Borough of Ealing had steadily improved its own recycling rates – which stood at 43% in the third quarter of 2015 – but had ambitions of its own: to reach the 50% target two years early.
Environmental impact aside, upping recycling rates makes economic sense when you realise Ealing spent £10million in landfill taxes in the financial year 2014-15.
A waste management service overhaul needed to start realising £1.7million in annual savings by 2018, through the introduction of wheelie bins for households and alternating waste and recycling collections on a two-week basis instead of the current weekly kerbside collections for both.
With the launch of the new scheme set for early June 2016, a council-wide awareness campaign was essential. Direct mail to all households was planned, but low open rates meant a digital solution was needed to make sure the whole borough was briefed in time.
CAN’s Citizen Reach digital plan identified websites favoured by Ealing households through their online profiles and generated 1.5million ad impressions over the course of the two-week campaign.
Through careful monitoring of interaction rates, and constant optimisation during the campaign, 70% of the target audience was reached and engagement rates exceeded benchmarks by over 400%.
Remarketing to those who had shown an initial interest in the campaign – but may not have read all the details when they clicked through to the Ealing website – resulted in a response rate 60% stronger than the first stage.
Head of Marketing at Ealing Council, Keith Lewis, said: “The data we received back will enable us to optimise our offline channels and the performance of our future campaigns.”
Read more on how to reach the right people with your digital campaigns. Or contact CAN to arrange a chat.