
Click it or Ticket is a model social marketing program showing how success is possible by combining enforcement with communication outreach. The first step was to re-define the product benefits - using set belts were made important not to save your life, but to keep you from getting "busted" by the police. A new law was passed by the North Carolina legislature which made it possible for police to stop and ticket motorist who were not wearing their seat belt.
Communication aspect of campaign
Success of the initial Click It or Ticket program depended upon the effectiveness of its marketing and media campaigns and the level of public visibility it was able to achieve. To bring the necessary public attention to the Click It or Ticket message and to publicize the checkpoint effort, state officials utilized a variety of media and events before and after each phase of the program. During the campaign's first year, more than $150,000 worth of television, radio and newspaper ads were purchased across the state. Television and radio spots delivered PSAs (Public Service Announcements) at strategic times throughout the year to convey the campaign's precautionary seat belt messages and to warn drivers about the potential $25 ticket for not complying with the State's mandatory usage law. The campaign also conducted regular media outreach through press releases, op-eds, and program statistics for each county published in local newspapers. News coverage of the program The office of the Governor's Highway Safety Program also held special media events featuring prominent politicians and celebrities to generate press coverage for its campaigns. In addition to these measures, the current campaign also utilizes the Internet to publicize its message and to illustrate the program's results.
Summary
Country/State:
State of North Carolina, USA
Target Audience:
General population of North Carolina, automobile drivers and passengers.
Objectives:
The Click It or Ticket program was initiated to:1. Increase seat belt and child safety restraint usage in North Carolina.2. Decrease the number of fatalities and serious injuries in auto accidents.3. Decrease the economic costs associated with auto-related accidents.
Media/Marketing:
Earned Media, television and radio advertisements, billboards, posters, political and celebrity events, media outreach, and police checkpoints.
Donors/Sponsors:
North Carolina Department of Transportation/Governor's Highway Safety Program, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the North Carolina Department of Insurance, and the Highway Safety Research Center of the University of North Carolina (HSRC).
Duration:
1993 - Present