Curbside Value Partnership

Top five things to keep in mind when planning a campaign

In case you missed the KAB Webinar, “Campaign Planning 101” or just need a refresher, we are posting the top 5 take-aways to get you in the campaign planning spirit. We have developed this list from working one on one with communities across the country.

1. Understand your barriers and needs.
Take a good, hard look at your program and think through the barriers (real or perceived) that are keeping residents from recycling.  Do residents not have bins or carts? Is there confusion about what can and cannot be recycled? Are collection days too infrequent or hard to remember? Do you live in a city with high turn-over of residents? All of these things need to be considered when planning as they’ll be things you’ll want to address in your education campaign. 
 
2. Target the right people.
Who should your campaign target? Who are those mostly likely to become diligent recyclers?  Unless you have piles of money to spend on education, we recommend focusing first on those most likely to be motivated versus those hardest to reach. Then take a hard look at these people and consider the best ways to reach them. Where do they frequent? What do they read? Watch? Listen to? Whom do they trust in the community? Tailor your campaign to reach that audience. 

3. Don’t go it alone… engage everyone!
The more who are involved in your campaign, the more successful it will be!  Other stakeholders in your community (local businesses, other organizations, etc.) can greatly increase the impact of your efforts. Ask for campaign information to be included in newsletters, on Web sites, etc. Third parties can help spread messages within their networks. Consider local businesses that could join  your campaign in exchange for inclusion in promotional materials. This is one place not be selfish. Share the campaign and involve everyone you can. 

4. Be creative, diverse and consistent.
Think of the new campaign as your recycling program’s “brand image.” What do you want that image to say about your program? Do you want it to say “I’m a typical government campaign, so feel free to ignore me” or “Hey check this out!  I’m something unusual and have something useful to tell you about.”  Also, make sure the look and feel of your campaign is consistent across all mediums. This reinforces credibility in your program and tells your residents that the city and/or your organization considers recycling to be an important service. 

5. Don’t forget the important step of measurement.
Of course start by measuring a breakout of materials collected but don’t stop there.  Consider collecting data on the number of new bins or carts ordered, calls to your customer service hotline and visitors to your Web site. Conduct an observation of set-outs of a particular neighborhood or ask a team of volunteers to monitor set out rates for specific routes. Monitor media coverage received by your campaign or mentions in the blogosphere or on Facebook and Twitter. Pay attention to the quantity and quality of others who engage in the campaign. Gauge the impact of your campaign so you can demonstrate the return on investment, especially to those allocating education dollars!

We hope your community finds something valuable from these take-aways. Have some others?  Please share them at info@recyclecurbside.org or comment below!

Also, check out our new Campaign Planning Resource Center, which houses various planning materials that will help you further with your strategic campaign planning.  

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