MEC UK is launching a new data-driven campaign for Transport for London (TfL), in order to help reduce road collisions across the capital. Working in partnership with TfL and Kinetic, MEC has created an innovative OOH campaign, which uses real-time contextual data and strategic media placement to serve safety messages on road and weather conditions to motorists and cyclists. “Situational Signals” is a world-first campaign, devised by MEC in response to TfL’s brief for the agency to use data and media to embed behaviour change in road users, specifically around the key issues of speeding on the road and distraction by external sources.
MEC UK is launching a new data-driven campaign for Transport for London, in order to help reduce road collisions
MEC’s strategic understanding of behaviour change underpins the campaign, with the knowledge that successfully influencing road users is predicated on timing and relevance. London-wide DOOH screens will serve targeted messaging based on multiple contextual factors informed by third party data, such as road works, diversions and traffic incidents, and current location-based weather information. The served messaging will provide contextually-relevant safety information based on parameters set around the location-based road and weather condition data. TfL Traffic API real-time data provides up to the minute information on road status, including road works, diversion and traffic incidents. Traffic flow information will change per D48 screen, referencing data from different set points to establish the rate of traffic movement. Met Office data will provide real-time weather condition updates to inform which messaging will be served.
“One Risk” by M&C Saatchi and Transport for London
The OOH activity will also include activations on bus lower rears (providing scale as the longest dwell for a roadside format) and across London’s numerous petrol station forecourts. The forecourt messaging will be defined by traffic severity, with a speeding-themed message served in low traffic and the distraction-themed message when there is high traffic volume. The OOH campaign also has supporting creative placed across radio, mobile and interactive AV, to reach its target audience at multiple touch points. The activity follows an integrated campaign by M&C Saatchi, which targeted all road users with the “One Risk” message, based around the insight that although many decisions are minor, making a bad one just once on the road is one risk too many.
London-wide DOOH screens will serve targeted messaging based on multiple contextual factors informed by third party data
Miranda Leedham, Head of Marketing Operations at TfL, said: “Much like drink driving is now sociably unacceptable, careless and dangerous road behaviours need to be considered in the same way. It only needs one person taking one risk to affect so many lives, and if this campaign ensures a single road user thinks twice, it will be worth it.” Chalya Deverill, Communications Director at MEC UK, added: “The right application of data and technology has the ability to affect behavioural change and lies at the core of this dynamic campaign. Through the use of Digital OOH screens, this campaign effectively utilises data and insights to provide users with the right message to the right situation, at the very time that a shift in behaviour is required.”
