An Overview
We’ve all seen the advertisements—on TV, bus benches, billboards, and online—“Call or Click Before You Dig”. In April of 2018, the Alberta Common Ground Alliance (ACGA) approached Edge to run a marketing campaign to promote a bill currently in legislation. It seeks to mandate a unified nationwide system for locating underground lines. As it stands, a large amount of infrastructure gets missed due to unregulated industry participation. The goal of the campaign was to encourage stakeholders within affected industries to visit a micro- website, which directed them to send a pre-written letter of support to their local member of parliament.
The Challenge
Each April, the Canadian Common Ground Alliance (the ACGA’s parent organization) hosts Dig Safe Month, a month dedicated to the promotion and awareness of safe digging practices. In our approach, we put ourselves ‘in the shoes’ of the average internet consumer. We noticed in previous Dig Safe campaigns, the targeting was exclusively towards those industries with first hand contact with digging- oilfield workers, foremen, construction crews, and the like.
For this year’s campaign, we recognized that any Canadian with an internet connection could be a potential supporter of this bill. We knew that our marketing strategy had to reach out to the average person. Our goal was simple: engage the user’s interest, explain the issue without jargon, and drive the viewer to take action via the micro-website.
Our Execution
In previous campaigns, the ads were designed to grab the attention of the key stakeholders: pictures of excavators, construction sites, and bold statements of facts. As the digital marketing agency handling the ad campaign, we sought to reach the average viewer—in addition to the regular stakeholders—we now needed to develop a fresh design palette that would have a wider appeal.
Building from Dig Safe’s colours, images, and facts, we designed a lighthearted, animated palette using Material Design principles. Our series of videos, animated GIFs, and banner ads showcased bright colours, catchy copywriting, and a playful aesthetic. The issue of safe digging is serious and industrial in nature, but we believed that even with a lighter approach, the core message of the campaign would be clearly communicated.
The Results
By bringing a new, creative edge to this campaign, we saw an increase in impressions, a doubling in click-rates, and view counts that far exceeded industry standards on video ads — all accomplished on less ad-spending compared to previous years. Taking a fresh, creative approach to our marketing proved efficient and effective.
Edge Marketing and Design likes to see things a little differently. Our diversion from the standard go-to marketing style gave us a vast improvement over the expected outcomes and we can do the same for you. Give us a call today for free consultation.
See how Edge Marketing can boost your business today.
Posted: June 21, 2018
