Marketing in the Public Sector: A Roadmap for Improved Performance

Chapter 4. Setting Motivating Prices, Incentives, and Disincentives

“When we launched the Click It or Ticket campaign in Washington State, part of me worried we were opening Pandora’s box—Pandora’s really BIG box! Focus group participants (comprised of people who said they didn’t wear their seat belts) told us they hated the Click it or Ticket slogan. They raged at the moderator, ‘You do that and I’ll call the Governor!’ I worried I’d have to defend it in front of legislative hearings. Still, I knew our more positive, coaching messages like ‘We love you, buckle up’ had run their course. The state’s seat belt use rate had hovered near 80% for six years running. With 550 to 600 vehicle occupant deaths yearly, only a very different, more aggressive ...