Alternative fuels campaign gets thumbs up from South Yorkshire drivers

Fuelling Change, developed by Sheffield-based marketing agency Diva Creative for Care4Air, helped people compare the benefits of battery electric, plug-in hybrid, range-extended electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles through an easy-to-use website.

Positive, factual information addressed common misconceptions about the technologies currently on the market that cropped up repeatedly in pre-campaign research.

Events at shopping centres in Sheffield, Doncaster, Barnsley and Rotherham also gave members of the public the chance to see available models for themselves, discuss options with car dealerships on site and book test drives.

Animated videos and social media activity then provided more detail on different fuel types.

A post-campaign survey found that 90 per cent of those who had seen Fuelling Change were now aware of ULEVs – a significant increase from the baseline awareness level of 54 per cent.

More than a thousand people are believed to have been engaged in person, with the campaign having exceeded expectations in terms of event footfall, video views, website traffic and media coverage.

It follows numerous climate change protests across South Yorkshire that sought to raise awareness of poor air quality caused by petrol and diesel emissions.

The latest figures from the Department for Transport show that ULEVs are becoming an increasingly popular choice, with the third quarter of 2018 seeing a 12 per cent increase in the number of new registrations from the same period in 2017.

The vast majority (89 per cent) of ULEVs registered between July and September 2018 were eligible for plug-in grants that can provide discounts to consumers of as much as £3,500 – a major incentive when coupled with potential savings on fuel costs and vehicle tax savings.

Natalie Ralph, account director at Diva Creative, said: “There are so many misconceptions around alternatively fuelled vehicles and their benefits, so it was a good challenge to create a campaign that helps explain things clearly.

“Combining simple information with beautifully illustrated designs and animations has helped Fuelling Change be positively received by both our client and the public.

“And having the public engage directly with car dealerships at our events helped create an integrated campaign that has seen a shift in attitudes towards considering alternatively fuelled vehicles as a viable option in South Yorkshire.”

For more information about Fuelling Change, visit www.fuellingchange.co.uk.