Case Studies

MONTGOMERY COUNTY VISION ZERO

Transit Advertising

Situation

Managers of the County’s Vision Zero Distracted Driving Program wanted to implement a campaign designed to deter drivers, while on the road, from texting and driving or engaging in other forms of activity that would distract them from keeping their eyes on the road. Through an earlier task order, the County had contracted for the production of bus back advertisements, so assets were already in place.

Objective

With an extremely limited advertising budget, the County looked to maximize the impact of the signage. They posted a task order, challenging the successful bidder with creating an advertising campaign that would deliver the best possible value for the investment. The plan was to run the advertising program for two months during Summer 2020.

Process

BWF reached out to two bus advertising vendors – MetroBus and RideOn. After extensive negotiation, BWF concluded that the entire budget should best be invested in just one outlet, and we selected Vector Media, the service provider for RideOn. As part of the process, BWF negotiated an extra month-and-a-half of free exposure, nearly doubling the impact of the available budget. BWF re-sized the artwork to ensure maximum exposure and facilitated all aspects of media purchasing, installation and billing with Vector Media.

Results

The result was a highly successful exposure campaign which is contributing heavily to the County’s mission to eliminate pedestrian deaths and serious injuries by 2030.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY RECYCLING

Advertising Campaign

Situation

Every year, the Montgomery County Government needs to communicate different recycling-related messaging to various publics ranging from businesses and organizations to homeowners and residents of multi-family properties. Each year, the County puts out task orders requiring contractors to provide various services ranging from creation and design of advertising assets (print and digital ads, radio commercials, web videos and TV commercials) to the placement of full scale advertising, promotion and social media campaigns.

Objective

Every time the County issues these task orders, the objectives are different. Sometimes, it’s a matter of teaching people how they can reduce waste … or increase composting and grasscycling … or how to recycle at work or at home … or how to purchase recycled items. At the expressed direction of the County, the onus is on the contractor to both create the appropriate advertising imagery and then promote that messaging through the most effective and appropriate channels to encourage a certain behavior or affect a shift in public perception and response. Over the years, BWF has been tasked with providing these services on numerous occasions.

Process:

While in some instances we were provided camera-ready artwork assets with which to work, in many cases we were engaged to create original messaging and visuals across various platforms (print, web, online, out-of-home and social media) designed to clearly communicate the required initiatives. When producing artwork, we met with the County to determine the actual message elements and gain an understanding as to the County’s desired look and feel for the visual assets. We then designed the appropriate pieces of artwork and submitted for reviews, updates and ultimately approval. In every instance when required to do so, we also created a comprehensive multi-media campaign strategy designed to effectively convey those message points during peak periods of time that correspond with the highest potential level of community compliance and engagement. This strategy served to maximize the effectiveness of all campaigns for which we were engaged.

Results:

Each year, the County’s numbers continue to grow. Businesses and households increase their percentage of recycled content while yard trim diversion numbers – representing the difference between what can be recycled and what ultimately is recycled – also increases. The examples documented herein showcase both advertising materials created and campaigns designed and ultimately implemented.

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES

Know the Risks Campaign

Situation:

Over the course of the last two decades, the FDA has approved and championed the use of various treatments including buprenorphine for medication-assisted treatment (MAT) to combat Opioid Use Disorder (OUD). During that time, they also set forth a comprehensive set of rules which, when combined with counseling and behavioral therapies, provides a whole-patient approach to the treatment of opioid dependency. When taken as prescribed, buprenorphine is both safe and effective. While the numbers of opioid-related deaths in Montgomery County are trending below both the nation and the state of Maryland overall, they are still, nonetheless alarming, with 106 reported deaths in the county alone in 2017.

Objective:

Through a prior Montgomery County task order, the Local Behavioral Health Authority (LBHA) Division of the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) created a public service announcement (PSA) designed to communicate the features and benefits of buprenorphine and MAT to various stakeholders within the community, including the general public and those in the medical field. This task order was to create and implement a campaign (Know the Risks) designed to facilitate widespread distribution of the PSA throughout the county and then to support that distribution with a creative information campaign designed to elevate and maximize its impact to the target audiences.

Process:

To deliver the PSA message to our target audiences, we relied on a variety of different tactics with multiple touch points. More than 140 specialty promotional items, in the form of an oversized pill bottle filled with a flash drive containing our PSA video, were delivered directly to physicians and qualified practitioners in the county. The PSA was also submitted to Washington, DC metro area radio and television stations which had a heavy concentration of County listeners. We converted the video PSA’s into :15 and :30 audio versions for use on radio stations. To supplement our PSAs, we ran a geo-targeted advertising campaign on Facebook and created and distributed a press release to area reporters.

Results:

The PSA ran on a variety of television, cable, and radio stations in the marketing, including WRC Ch 4 (NBC), WUSA Ch 9 (CBS), WDVM Independent TV, Comcast TV (Montgomery County), WTOP (All News), WHUR 96.3 (Urban), WASH-FM 97.1 (Mix & Variety), DC101 (Alternative), WMZQ 98.7 (Country), Big 100 (Classic Rock), Hot 99.5 (DC’s #1 Hit Station), Cool Oldies (70’s & 80’s Hits), and 104.7 Wonk-FM (News & Talk). Comcast Digital TV delivered more than 77,000 streaming impressions, while Facebook ads reached 74,000 people (viewed ad once) with a total of 175,281 impressions (number of times our message was on screen) delivered.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY RECYCLING

Recycling Center Redesign

Situation

The County’s Recycling Center on Frederick Road in Derwood serves multiple purposes. Not only is it the drop location for tons of recyclable content and the processing center for considerable quantities of material collected, but it is also a living monument and a testimonial to the legacy of Montgomery County as one of the true leaders in the nation when it comes to recycling. Everybody from school groups to visiting international dignitaries tour the facility to view the process and see the action, live and in person. In 2012 and 2013, as the visitors center found itself in dire need of repair, the County engaged BWF to provide a solution.

Objective

The goal of this project was to create a museum-style exhibit that would serve as both a backdrop and a showcase for everybody who visited the facility. The County wanted an infographic-style design that illustrated the entire recycling process from disposal at the consumer level to the ultimate repurposing of recycled materials. The room also needed visual elements that showcased other forms of recycling and waste reduction including reuse, composting and grasscycling. Additionally, the project required production of a brochure to help support those activities.

Process

This visitors center required a major design overhaul, and that’s precisely what BWF delivered. We essentially tore down all existing imagery and created new artwork and other supporting structures to replace all the existing materials. This included not only the infographic wall, but the front wall, cut out nooks and Plexiglas display columns that showcased recycled content and materials.

Results

The end result was a new, dynamic showcase for the County’s overall recycling effort that delivered the Department’s story in a clear, concise and compelling way. But that’s not where this story ends. Changes in policies, tactics and requirements dictated the need for new, updated information; and so, in 2017, under a separate task order, BWF redesigned the infographic artwork in such a way as to most effectively communicate the new and improved approach to recycling. The photos included herein show both the original 2013 redesign and the revised project from 2017.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY RECYCLING

MCPS Recycling Art Project

Situation

The County is always looking for ways to impact youths in our community relative to the importance of – and rationale behind – recycling at points in their lives when such communication can have a lasting impact on both their understanding and their ultimate behavior. To affect such a long-lasting change, the County developed a school-driven recycling artwork contest, designed to encourage students to communicate various elements associated with recycling and waste reduction through artwork and design. With BWF’s help, this program was implemented in both County public and private schools.

Objective

The idea behind the school recycling art contest is the creation of an annual activity to provide students in the County the opportunity to design and submit art projects that communicate the importance of reducing waste, reusing materials, and supporting recycling for cleaner land, air and water, as well as promoting the County’s goal to reduce waste and recycle 70 percent by 2020. Contest winners were to be recognized at an Earth Day reception in April of each year. Originally designed as a poster contest, the parameters were expanded to include sculpture as well as digital design for high school students.

Process

Following receipt of our Purchase Order and Notice To Proceed, the BWF team reached out to more than a hundred public and private schools in the County to encourage art teachers and administrators to integrate the contest into their curriculum in order to encourage students to communicate to one another – through their own words and images – a different selected theme each year, focusing around some aspect of recycling. We provided the schools with the contest rules, requirements and parameters and then worked with the schools to procure the submissions. Working with the local art community (artists, educators and owners of retail art shops), we enlisted the services of professionals to serve as judges and select the winning submissions in three different age categories. We then worked with the County to host an Awards Ceremony, which took place in the Executive Office Building cafeteria each April. For this ceremony, we created premium award items (ranging from tote bags, lunch boxes and mouse pads to blankets) and procured $25 gift cards for each winner. We invited all the winners to the ceremony, along with the judges, and helped the County manage the event..

Results

For six consecutive years, BWF ran a flawless program that was met with high levels of satisfaction from both participants and County personnel. At the end of the day, the winners collected their submissions – and their prizes – and everybody went home happy

MONTGOMERY COUNTY RECYCLING

Recycling Awareness Week

Situation

Virtually every year since we have been on the contract, the Montgomery County Government has engaged Brotman•Winter•Fried (BWF) to design, develop and implement a series of recycling awareness events. This weeklong program was designed to promote recycling awareness in Montgomery County and to recognize businesses, multi-family properties, individuals, schools, and residents that have made outstanding efforts or contributions to Montgomery County’s recycling program.

Objective

Montgomery County has set several moving goals – initially 50 percent, later 70 percent and eventually 100 percent -- of which solid waste is recycled content. In order to achieve these objectives, all County businesses and residents must be made aware of the need to become involved in the County’s recycling program and must recycle as much material as possible. The goal of Recycling Awareness Week is to both promote awareness of the County’s recycling goal and to recognize those businesses, multi-family properties, individuals, schools, and residents that have worked and are working to achieve these goals. The weeklong series of events also increase awareness of the County’s SORRT and TRRAC programs (for businesses and multi-unit residential communities) along with the resources that are available to maximize successful and efficient recycling and waste reduction efforts.

Process

BWF developed a two-pronged approach designed to enhance recycling programs within the County. For four days, BWF visited 12 County elementary schools to present a 45-minute assembly focused on the importance of recycling. The presentation, packaged as a magic show to engage the younger audience, encouraged students and teachers to improve recycling techniques both in the classroom and in their homes. BWF was responsible for contracting the magician, securing the school locations, working with school personnel to ensure proper assembly space, and for the overall flow of each day’s events. Also, during the week, BWF hosted the Recycling Awards Ceremony, focused on acknowledging businesses and individuals who pushed the County closer to their recycling goal. Working alongside venue staff, appropriate catering was selected and audio/visual equipment was secured and tested. Proper room layout was arranged, and multiple site visits ensured that the hotel was in clear understanding of the client objectives. BWF created and placed all hotel signage and designed the program in concert with Department efforts. Various vendors were also secured, including a professional photographer and recycle awards manufacturer. Additionally, BWF was responsible for creating and distributing all invitations to award recipients and special guests, as well as confirming registration through an online RSVP system. Onsite at the event, BWF managed registration while also maintaining constant communication with all venue staff and third-party vendors.

Results

For nearly 20 years, County personnel have been thrilled with a flawlessly executed week of events during all assemblies and award ceremonies and continue to select BWF on an annual basis to manage this event. County participation in the recycling programs consistently increases as awareness of its simplicity continues to spread through this BWF outreach.