In response to a multi-year surge in fatal and serious pedestrian and bicycle crashes and epidemic levels of chronic diseases in Ohio, the Ohio Departments of Health and Transportation teamed up to encourage more Ohioans to choose active transportation and to make it safer for them to walk, bike and bus. This is one of the first joint agency initiatives of its kind in the nation. Qualitative research informed message and creative development, including focus groups and key leader interviews. The integrated, multi-channel campaign is called Your Move Ohio. It began with a pilot in fall 2016 and launched statewide in May 2017 with statewide advertising, media relations, a launch event, a robust social media campaign, educational materials and a website (yourmove.ohio.gov). The goal is for Ohioans to “Think outside your car. Walk. Bike Bus.”
To help Central Ohio communities proactively prepare for a population growth that is expected to be dramatically different from the past, Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) in collaboration with the Columbus 2020, ULI Columbus and stakeholders, created the insight2050 initiative. MurphyEpson was hired to help educate government officials on planning solutions that would allow them to best handle the growth without sacrificing their current identity and quality of life. As part of the public awareness strategy, MurphyEpson developed insight2050 messaging, graphics, a social media toolkit and content to be used in e-newsletters and news releases. Public information officers were engaged and equipped with a social media toolkit to help disseminate insight2050 data to their communities in easy to understand language. MurphyEpson and sister agency Engage Public Affairs, LLC also provided strategic guidance to the MORPC Planning Academy, community leaders and development officials on how to build community trust and consensus for new development initiatives.
MurphyEpson created messaging, graphics and a multi-channel outreach program to increase recycling cart adoption and usage by more than 200,000 Columbus households. Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman served as the brand ambassador in media interviews and photo opportunities — even personally delivering the first cart in each phase of the rollout. Program elements included a Facebook contest, go-to website, Recycling Band, Recycling Segway, volunteer ambassador speaking tour, automated calls, exhibits and event displays, poster placements, sponsored prizes, monthly newsletters and a Columbus Dispatch special section insert. In all, this esteemed program built a cart acceptance rate of 98 percent, an 85 percent participation rate and is exceeding estimates on collected recycling tonnage.
When the City of Columbus Department of Public Utilities needed to remind people that picking up after their pets to help keep our water clean is the law, MurphyEpson created the PUP campaign. Our idea was to present this serious, slightly smelly, subject in a way that was memorable and humorous. A street team and custom-made PUP wagon full of free pet prizes grabbed attention and PUP pledge signups at community events and bark parks. The Mayor became the grand “poo-bah” and news stories and blog posts gave the “poop scoop.” Utility bill inserts were mailed to 314,000 residents and PUP partners (vets, groomers, stores and animal shelters) distributed 20,000 PUP tip/pledge cards. Park signage, Facebook pages, a website and hotline all built buzz. MurphyEpson’s multi-pronged, grassroots-based outreach strategy persuaded thousands of dog owners to take the PUP pledge tipping the City’s GreenSpot program over the 10,000-member milestone.