Creative Design For Marketing Recyclable Cups In The University Of Wollongong

Executive Summary

This creative design targets brand loyalists and favourable brand switches. The brand loyalists have a strong desire use recyclable cups because they are convinced that is the only way they can help reduce the global carbon footprint. On the other hand, the favourable brand switches need to be initiated so as to switch from using non-recyclable cups to recyclable ones. With the use of posters and public relations, we expect to convince these two sections of the target audience to successfully embrace recyclable cups. Once the brand loyalists have accepted the recyclable cups, it will be very easy for the favourable brand switches to follow suit.

Target Audience

The target audience are University of Wollongong coffee consumers (students, visitors, and members of staff). While using Kotler and Armstrong (2007) loyalty sub-segments, this target audience can be categorised into brand loyalists, favourable brand switches, other-brand switches, other-brand loyalists, and new category users. Brand loyalists and favourable brand switches are environmentally sensitive students who have a strong desire to use recyclable cups. Further, other-brand switches and other-brand loyalists are students who are willing to use recyclable cups but lack the will power to do so, while new category users are students who do not like using recyclable cups but would not mind using them if their peers are using them. We will target the brand loyalists and favourable brand switches.

In a nutshell, the students are aware that using non-recyclable cups poses a serious environmental risk and they could reduce this risk if they agree to use recyclable cups. But they are aware that using recyclable cups is inconveniencing as it will require washing and prior planning to carry around in the campus. The students are therefore an example of a loyalty-based target audience because the successful use of the recyclable cups will entirely depend on the level and consistency of their buy-in (loyalty). To this effect, the most suitable integrated marketing communication strategy should seek to convince the students that using recyclable cups is a collective duty and not just an issue of convenience or lack of it. It is therefore wise to reason that a socially appealing, probing, and interactive strategy would be appropriate for marketing the recyclable cups.

Objectives

We expect to convince the “brand loyalists” section of the target audience to agree to use recyclable cups when drinking coffee in on-campus cafes.

We expect to convince the “brand loyalists” section of the target audience to lobby their peers into using recyclable cups when drinking coffee in on-campus cafes.

We expect to successfully convince the “favourable brand switches” section of the target audience to switch from using non-recyclable cups to recyclable ones.

We expect to successfully convince the “favourable brand switches” section of the target audience to be our brand ambassadors.

Creative Strategy

To the lovers of the environment, recyclable cups is the practical solution to the run-away problem of non-degradable waste materials dubbed in landfills that ultimately contribute to the increase of the global carbon footprint. In addition, the recyclable cups are not only environmentally friendly but will bring a whole personalised experience in drinking coffee in on-campus cafes because they will be reusable on several occasions. The target customers will also get a value for their money because they will not be required to pay for coffee cups with every purchase of coffee in on-campus cafes.

The process of developing the recyclable cups was a culmination of several days of deliberations with peers and mentors alike. My environmental conservations instincts were aroused by the large number of non-recyclable cups that the University of Wollongong send to the landfills every week and I imagined something must be done to reduce this trend, as a matter of urgency. While, at home washing my dishes, I realised every student should be obligated to exercise a sense of responsibility and bring their cups in college. Using recyclable cups will not only make the environment clean but will also help the students a strong sense of responsibility in planning to carry a recyclable cup, wash recyclable cup and take care of the recyclable cup.

To gain the attention of the target population, we plan to use outdoor advertising, that is, the use of large posters emblazoned on the campus walls and notice boards. The posters will carry two contrasting pictures. One picture will show plastic cups lying on landfills and another will show a student washing a cup. The main objective of these posters will be to provoke students’ thoughts regarding environmental pollution as well as to give them an alternative solution. In addition, we plan to use public relations as a tool to woe the target audience in accepting our brand not only as an alternative way to address the run-away environmental pollution issue but also as part of embracing trending conventions in the college.

Public relations will work best for the “favourable brand switches” section of the target audiences because it will create a personalised effect on them hence changing their attitudes. This argument is based on the notion that each of the two categories of the target audience has a different category of need, brand awareness, brand attitude and brand purchase intention (Stern, 2005). While the brand loyalists are most likely to purchase the recyclable cups, the favourable brand switches are only able to do so after the loyalists. Posters will create a visual image of the impact of the brand, but it is the public relations activities that will shorten the gap between what the target audiences believes is good (not using non-recyclable cups) and making an actionable effort to purchase recyclable cups (behaviour). For example, holding publicity sessions within the campus will go a long way in imparting the need for change among students. We will use popular personalities (celebrities) to create the feeling that the use of recyclable cups is a “cool” thing that popular students such as rugby players are in support of this noble cause (Sniehotta, 2009). This is in tandem with the theory of planned behaviour which seeks to shorten the gap between what one believes and what he or she is ready to undertake.

References

Sniehotta, F.F. (2009). ‘An experimental test of the theory of planned behaviour’. Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being, 1, 257–270.

Stern, P.C. (2005). Understanding individuals’ environmentally significant behaviour’. Environmental Law Reporter: News and Analysis, 35, 10785–10790.

Kotler, P. and Armstrong, G. (2007). Principles of marketing. 12 ed. Prentice hall, New Jersey, NJ.