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Contact: Troels Andersen. Tel. +45 6614 8814 ext. 2751email ta@odense.dk
IntroductionThe project includes drawing up a policy for improved quality of life for all road users. By using a broad range of marketing campaigns and educational material, the project will analyse the psychological and physical aspects connected with transport choices and their resultant effects on road accidents. These results will be measured for social, medical and economic impacts.
The aims of the project are to increase the number of cyclists, to develop initiatives that 'anchor' sustainable travel habits and benefit from the Cycle City identity.
ACTIVITY UPDATES:-
Marketing Campaigns:
A step in the right directionIn the spring of 2005, a health campaign involving 5000 persons will be launched. 5000 pedometers with a logo shaped like Hans Christian Andersen, will be handed out free. The aim is to focus on the daily exercise and make people aware of the importance of exercising.
In connection to this campaign, Odense will arrange walks to encourage the participants to walk by giving them ideas where to walk in Odense. Publishing a map with local paths and beautiful places highlighted.
The campaign will be interactive in the way the participants are to report back on the web site how many steps they have taken.
Go by cycle to the bakery - campaign in January 2005Odense have another promotional campaign! This time targetting people to ride their cycles when going on a short journey. The campaign, in collaboration with 32 bakers in Odense, involves handing out 15,000 small gifts and the distribution of 40,000 scratch tickets. A campaign slogan and logo identify the campaign, see image. Scratch the logo for the possibility of winning a weekend trip, a designer vacuum jug or a cake from the local baker.
Rewards for cyclists, October 2004During one week in October, 5000 small gifts were handed out to cyclists in Odense. the campaign was called: 'Thank you for the Ride!' referring to the 50,000,000 trips, cyclists in Odense ride every year. Along with a piece of chocolate or an apple, the cyclists received a postcard with some facts about cycling in Odense - plus - an invitation to participate in a competition on www.cykelby.dk
396 cyclists responded, with three winners, who each won an old fashioned handlebar basket with delicacies.
Public Exhibition, September 2004Throughout September 2004, a small exhibition was on display at the main library in Odense. The purpose of the exhibition was to show the citizens of Odense what is going on in their city. Displays include the results of many years of improving the conditions for the cyclist in Odense.
Cycle Ambassadors, September 2004Odense have set up a web site which keen cyclists can sign onto and enrol as cycle ambassadors. Their criteria being that they are good role models, an dare wiling to spread information to colleagues about the latest in cycling and new products available. These they learn about at cycle meetings and monthly newsletters. By having such role models, who are available to give advice and assistance on the groud, Odense aim to increase the number of cyclists for work and/or leisure journeys.
The campaign will run from April - December 2004. The target market is primarily 30 - 60 age group, who may have lost the habit of cycling.
86 people signed up to be cycle ambassadors, which was many more than expected. Since June they have received newsletters telling the latest about cycling, Odense Cycle City, news and good advice. They have also been invited to hear a lecturer talk about a trip across Russia, and, they have all received a small gift for their work.
The corps of cycle ambassadors will continue throughout 2004.
Talk on cycle trip, Septeber 2004In September, Odense Cycle City invited the lecturer Jens Alstrup to talk about his trip across Russia. He started out with two other cyclists in 1996. After a while they left him and he was forced to continue on his own, but eventually had to abondon the attempt. The year after he returned and he succeeded in being the first person to have crossed Russia.
150 people attended Jens talk. Before the lecture he met with a number of the cycle ambassadors to inform them about the lastest initiatives in Odense Cycle City.
Creative workshop, Summer 2004What keeps you from cycling? Is it the weather? Is it the number of kilometres? Maybe your old and boring bicycle? If that's the case, Odense may have solved the problem with a creative workshop in August. Old and ugly bikes were transformed into nicer looking bikes with a bit of paint, or flowers etc. A few people had brought their bikes to be decorated.
The workshop was combined with a small exhibition of the results of previous Health campaigns.
Body Mass Index (BMI) - Competition, May 2004A general health campaign for 30-60 year olds running during April and May 2004. It is designed to increase cycle kilometres and attract new people to cycling and is related to other 'cycle to work' campaigns. The competition encourages teams to use the bicycle for their work journeys, therefore increasing the overall kilometres of the team; which encourages keeping fitter and healthier.
Before and after the competition, each individual was asked to input his or her height and weight onto the web site - anonymously of course! Only the team was identified. The web site showed the BMI related to the average of the other men and women during the competition. After the competition the avarage Body Mass Index was almost the same as before the competition. But the campaign was a success after all because it focused on the daily exercise or the lack of exercise. The competition made the participants aware of the importance of daily exercise.
Campaign - 'Get on your bike and get rid of the sack'Being over weight is recognised as a major health problem in Denmark and is part of the national health debate. The concept of 'a sack of potatoes' is often used when referring to men who are over weight. The latest health campaign in Odense, funded by the Target project, used this concept to target men aged 30 - 60 years to encourage them to take more exercise through cycling rather than using the car.
The 'Get Rid of the Sack' campaign ran for six months in 2003 with high profile advertising through a variety of medias - in the newspapers, bus adverts, TV-spots, households mailing shots of Go-cards and 'the sack' itself meeting people in the streets of Odense.
Analysis of the campaign showed very encouraging results with 75% of people remembering the campaign and 11% saying that the campaign has made them cycle more often than before.
Cycle Swop, Summer 2003This multi-event campaign targets young people to encourage good cycle behaviour. By paying attention to their particular needs, our aim is to influence children's travel habits in the expectation they would continue to use the bicycle throughout their adult years. As part of the marketing strategy, Odense acknowledged the 'demand power' children can have on their parents.
This project ran from August - September 2003, directly targeting children aged 6-10 years. It used a range of initiatives that both entertained and educated children about their bikes and road safety issues. Advertising the event was key, using posters in schools throughout the region, they also targeted 11 school junior clubs and sent out 19,000 invitations for the Cycle Swop event. The event was an enormous success with activities ranging from:
To entertain the children and show them how versatile bikes can be, a BMX demonstration show was held as part of the cycle circus.
For the very young, Cycle Duck made several appearances with give-away balloons and cycle displays.
Guided cycle tours for seniors There are a growing number of elderly people in the Odense region who are seeking a healthy and active life style. This campaign built upon the needs of the target group aged 60-70 years, to encourage more seniors to keep active and healthy, by providing a variety of cycle tours and information guides for the surrounding districts.
Odense developed eleven routes of four different types of tours - historical, flora, fauna and environmental. Information leaflets were published so that individuals could undertake the tours independently and were advertised in a variety of newspapers and appropriate journals. To encourage participation, Odense offered the first 140 participants a special 'tour bag'.
Over 10,000 guides were distributed. During the first two months about 250 seniors took part.
Take your exercise with you in the carThis year long campaign started in January 2004 and is aimed primarily at commuting female drivers. The campaign intends to encourage flexible transport choices for the commutor and/or leisure journeys, and to increase daily exercise.
Odense promoted the campaign by visiting companies to present the cycling concept and exhibit the folding bike. The lightweight aluminium-folding bike has three gears for ease of use, and is fitted with a cycle computer meter to calculate the mileage for the first year of use.
To encourage cycling, Odense initially purchased the bikes - cost price kr. 3995; then sold them to the customer at minus 2 kr/km in year 1. The use of quality prizes was used to further encourage participation - a trip to Amsterdam for the person who cycled furthest !!
Additional promotions included 150 radio spots during am and pm peak travel times on The Voice and Radio Diablo; advertisements in 9 district magazines and press releases.
Folding basketAlthough Odense encourages all age groups to cycle more often for sustainable as well as health reasons, it is acknowledged that cycles are bad to carry luggage. This campaign looked at solutions to the problem and designed a new 'invisible' side-mounted, folding basket.
1000 people signed up to test the basket on the intranet. With this information Odense will evaluation of the folding basket.
Electronic cycles for senior citizensElectronic cycles are useful for infirm persons, usually seniors, to get out and about more. General advertisements and a display at a seniors clubs were used to promote the idea. Intending to measure the mileage by using cycle computers and reservation calendar.
Although three contracts were made, the project has been stopped.