MARKETING
MAPS
First, people could take a wider
look at where, on a regional
level, each of the projects was
taking place.
Interactive maps were a big part
of the user-focused marketing
strategy, as McCord says they
understood that, above all,
motorists needed information
about how to navigate the maze
of construction that surrounded
them in all directions.
“When you’re dealing with a lot
of people who are from outside
of the area,” she says, “You
need to make it really clear and
concise and easy for people to
find their way around and look
at these things and say, ‘Oh,
that’s where that project is. That
makes sense.’ Or, ‘This is what
they’re doing or that’s where
this major detour is.’”
The maps they created allowed
motorists to find a variety of
information about the projects
that affected them.
They could then zoom in and click
on an individual project to find
out what routes were affected, as
well as get a general description
of the project.
McCord explains why the
maps took on an even greater
importance, given who they
were targeting with them.
“We had plenty of wonderful
coverage from the TV stations,”
she says, “And we have an
ongoing relationship with a
radio station where we do traffic
updates. But for those who
aren’t queued in to that media,
we needed a way to get out
there what was going on with a
project, what was going to be in
place once it was complete.”
If they still wanted more
information, they could click a
link that would take them to a
separate page with updates on
the project’s status, expected
start and completion dates, and
an even more detailed map.
SOCIAL
As with the rest of the campaign,
McCord says that before they
decided on a social media
approach, it was essential that
they understood not only what
platform(s) would work best with
the content they were producing
but also how the audience was
going to interact with it.
One Facebook
post about
a closure on
the Lewis &
Clark Bridge
was seen by
roughly 50,000
people.
“One of the things (the DOT)
was able to tell us,” McCord
says, “Was that Williston was
really a Facebook town. And we
had to take that into account
when coming up with a social
media strategy.
“Facebook has definitely been
the cornerstone. It’s the most
flexible. We could link to videos,
put videos on there and now
they even auto launch. We can
put a 20 MB video up there and
it’s no big deal.”
And while Absolute also created
a YouTube channel and Twitter
and Google Plus accounts for
the DOT, it was the content
compatibility coupled with an
intimate understanding of who
was most likely to seek out
the information that ultimately
led them to a Facebook-heavy
approach.
“Those who are old enough to
care enough to like our page
and come and watch our
videos,” McCord explains, “Are
going to be old enough to find
Facebook to be a source of
information. So we’re reaching
a much broader audience. If
you think about Snapchat or
Instagram or some of the things
that the younger kids use,
they're not looking for traffic
information.”
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