1. PLANNING WORKBOOK TUTORIAL MODULE 3 STEPS FOR DEVELOPING ROADWAY USER AWARENESS AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS FHWA Highway Safety Marketing, Communications, and Outreach Decision Support Tool
This tutorial explains how to use the FHWA’s Planning Workbook. There are 3 modules in the tutorial. This is Module 3, and covers “Steps for Developing Roadway User Awareness and Education Programs, which is covered in Tab 4 of the Planning Workbook.

2. The Planning Workbook is designed to help you
Plan marketing, communications, and outreach activities at the product, project, and program levels.
Think through planning decisions like a marketing and outreach professional.
Access knowledge and information relevant to FHWA safety marketing, communications, and outreach.
In using this decision support tool, please keep in mind
The tool is intended to provide guidance and help.
Not all of the guidance or help will be applicable to your project or program.
Use what you can; there are no right or wrong answers.
The purpose of the Planning Workbook is covered in this slide.

3. CHECKLIST 1. BASIC ELEMENTS OF MARKETING, COMMUNICATIONS
AND OUTREACH PLANS
What are the major benefits of my product or program for the customers or partners?
What are the major drawbacks (market barriers) for the customers or partners?
What's my message (how do I communicate the benefits and overcome the barriers?
Who are the customers or partners I must reach in order to effectively promote the product or program? How can I gain input from them? What are the most effective tools and techniques for reaching them?
What trade or professional organizations represent these customers? How can the FHWA work with them to promote this product or program?
Who are the product or program champions? How can they help?
What is the plan for distribution of marketing and outreach tools, once they are developed? What actions need to be taken? What's the schedule? How will distribution be tracked?
How will I know when I have succeeded in achieving my marketing, communications and outreach objective? What is my goal? How am I tracking progress?
This checklist lists some of the major issues that need to be addressed in marketing, communications and outreach plans. This tutorial will walk you through a process to think through these issues.

4. STEP 1: IDENTIFY OBJECTIVE KEY QUESTION: What’s my chief objective?
Which of the three objectives below most closely describes what you want to achieve? Based on your answer, turn to the appropriate section of the workbook. If none of these selections appear to apply to your objective, contact your Communications and Outreach specialist for assistance.
Implementation of a Highway Safety Product
GO TO TAB 2
What am I trying to achieve?
Increased Support for Roadway Safety Programs
GO TO TAB 3
Roadway User Behavior Change
GO TO TAB 4
The first step in planning a marketing, communications, or outreach project is to define your objective. If your objective is to change roadway user behavior, this is the correct training module for you to use. You can follow along for the rest of this training presentation by turning to Tab 4 in your Planning Workbook.

5. STEPS FOR DEVELOPING ROADWAY USER AWARENESS AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS
MODULE 3
STEPS FOR DEVELOPING ROADWAY USER AWARENESS AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS

6. It’s a whole different ballgame.
The audiences for roadway user awareness and education programs are broader than the audiences for the other types of FHWA safety marketing, outreach and communications programs. Here we are targeting various sectors of the general public, rather than groups of decision-makers and practitioners involved in the funding, management, and operations of transportation agencies.
Because the audiences are so much broader, highway safety public awareness campaigns use mass marketing strategies (advertising, media campaigns, mass mailings) which the FHWA safety program generally does not use for communications and outreach to trade and professional audiences.
Highway user education programs involve development of curricula for particular sub-sectors (students at various grade levels, adults, older drivers, commercial drivers, bicyclists, pedestrians), and devising methods for disseminating the educational materials and encouraging their use.
For both awareness and education programs, the need to bring highway safety messages to the multiplicity of language and cultural groups within the U.S. population must be considered. This generally requires publishing outreach materials in multiple languages and partnering with language and cultural organizations that can assist with message dissemination.

7. Greater resources to achieve meaningful results.
Because they need to reach broader audiences, public awareness and education programs generally (but not always) require:
Greater resources to achieve meaningful results.
Involvement of outreach, public relations and/or advertising professionals for awareness programs.
Involvement of professional educators and curriculum developers for education programs.
The audiences for roadway user awareness and education programs are broader than the audiences for the other types of FHWA safety marketing, outreach and communications programs. Here we are targeting various sectors of the general public, rather than groups of decision-makers and practitioners involved in the funding, management, and operations of transportation agencies.
Because the audiences are so much broader, highway safety public awareness campaigns use mass marketing strategies (advertising, media campaigns, mass mailings) which the FHWA safety program generally does not use for communications and outreach to trade and professional audiences.
Highway user education programs involve development of curricula for particular sub-sectors (students at various grade levels, adults, older drivers, commercial drivers, bicyclists, pedestrians), and devising methods for disseminating the educational materials and encouraging their use.
For both awareness and education programs, the need to bring highway safety messages to the multiplicity of language and cultural groups within the U.S. population must be considered. This generally requires publishing outreach materials in multiple languages and partnering with language and cultural organizations that can assist with message dissemination.

8. The guidance in this tutorial will help your team:
The suggested steps that follow assume that you are working with partner organizations.
The guidance in this tutorial will help your team:
Focus efforts.
Broaden partnerships.
Leverage resources.
The suggested steps that follow assume that you are working with partner organizations. This tutorial steps you through questions that will help the team that is planning your roadway user awareness and education program to focus its efforts; broaden partnerships; and leverage resources in order to achieve greater results.

9. STEP 2: SEEK AND CONVENE PARTNERS KEY QUESTIONS: What organizations share an interest in this highway user awareness and education issue? How can we motivate them to provide resources and work jointly on highway user awareness and education activities? How can we convene partnership meetings and support partnership activities?
As an FHWA Safety Program staff member, you may not be able to bring major resources for public awareness and education campaigns to the table. What you can do, however, is equally—or perhaps more—important. You can organize and convene a broad range of partners to work together on highway safety awareness and education campaigns. Partnerships are especially helpful in assisting with broad-scale information dissemination, which is one of the major challenges in public awareness and education programs.
For example, a safety engineer in the FHWA New Jersey Division Office organized a “12 Months of Traffic Safety” public outreach campaign, which highlights a different traffic safety issue each month of the year, using New Jersey-specific brochures and posters. The FHWA staffer brought together representatives from the New Jersey DOT, the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety, the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, the New Jersey Department of Education, the Insurance Council of New Jersey, and the AAA Club of New Jersey to plan and implement the campaign. The campaign is funded by a public-private partnership.
No FHWA funds were used. About 20,000 brochures are distributed each month. Distribution channels include State Police, local police departments, MVC inspection stations and regional offices, legislators, driving schools, driver education programs, the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, insurance companies, AAA offices, NJDOT community relations, metropolitan planning organizations, New Jersey Transit, local traffic safety advocacy groups, and transportation management associations.

10. STEP 2: SEEK AND CONVENE PARTNERS KEY QUESTIONS: What organizations share an interest in this highway user awareness and education issue? How can we motivate them to provide resources and work jointly on highway user awareness and education activities? How can we convene partnership meetings and support partnership activities?
As an FHWA Safety Program staff member, you may not be able to bring major resources for public awareness and education campaigns to the table. What you can do, however, is equally—or perhaps more—important. You can organize and convene a broad range of partners to work together on highway safety awareness and education campaigns. Partnerships are especially helpful in assisting with broad-scale information dissemination, which is one of the major challenges in public awareness and education programs.
For example, a safety engineer in the FHWA New Jersey Division Office organized a “12 Months of Traffic Safety” public outreach campaign, which highlights a different traffic safety issue each month of the year, using New Jersey-specific brochures and posters. The FHWA staffer brought together representatives from the New Jersey DOT, the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety, the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, the New Jersey Department of Education, the Insurance Council of New Jersey, and the AAA Club of New Jersey to plan and implement the campaign. The campaign is funded by a public-private partnership.
No FHWA funds were used. About 20,000 brochures are distributed each month. Distribution channels include State Police, local police departments, MVC inspection stations and regional offices, legislators, driving schools, driver education programs, the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, insurance companies, AAA offices, NJDOT community relations, metropolitan planning organizations, New Jersey Transit, local traffic safety advocacy groups, and transportation management associations.

11. STEP 2: SEEK AND CONVENE PARTNERS, continued
Convening a committee or working group with representation from all of the partners is an excellent way to manage a public awareness or public education campaign.
Tab 9: Guidance on Key Influencers of Highway Safety Audiences, lists many of the major associations that are involved with highway safety issues.
Cast a broad net in searching for potential partners. Tab 9 - Guidance on Key Influencers of Highway Safety Audiences, lists many of the major associations that are involved with highway safety issues. However, this list is primarily geared toward issues related to highway safety engineering. Take the time to talk to people outside the highway safety engineering community to learn about potential partners who do not traditionally work with the FHWA Safety Program.
Convening a committee or working group with representation from all of the partners is an excellent way to manage a public awareness or public education campaign.

12. STEP 3: REACH OUT TO OTHER DOT AGENCIES AND OFFICES Key Questions: Who else within DOT has experience in managing highway safety awareness and education programs similar to the one we are planning?
Tab 10: Guidance on Highway Safety Roles of DOT Agencies and Offices, will help you determine whom to contact. Ask about:
Previous DOT-sponsored campaigns.
Potential partners:
Public interest groups.
Trade and professional organizations.
Industry groups and coalitions.
Take the time, early on, to talk with contacts at other DOT agencies and offices who have experience in highway safety public awareness and education programs. Tab 10 – Guidance on the Highway Safety Roles of DOT Agencies and Offices, will help you determine whom to contact. The DOT staff contacts will be able to tell you about previous campaigns that DOT has sponsored, and to help you identify additional public interest groups, trade and professional associations, industry groups and coalitions that may have previous experience in campaigns similar to the one you are considering. Seek out these potential partners to join your team and help you plan an effective campaign.

13. STEP 4: DEFINE PRIMARY TARGET AUDIENCE(S) KEY QUESTIONS: Who are we trying to reach? Why? Where do they live? What do we know about them?
Are you trying to reach all roadway users? Just drivers? Just pedestrians? Just bicyclists? Older drivers, younger drivers? Students? Nationwide—or just some regions? Just a State? Just a city? If it is a nationwide campaign, are you focusing on cities, suburbs, or rural areas?
What are the demographics of the geographic areas you are targeting? Are non-English speakers a substantial portion of the population?

14. STEP 4: DEFINE PRIMARY TARGET AUDIENCE(S), continued
Do the crash statistics back up your audience choices?
For example, if the data show that older drivers are disproportionately involved in pedestrian crashes in your State, you may want to consider targeting them as a distinct audience sub-sector in your statewide pedestrian safety awareness campaign.
Do the crash statistics back up your audience choices? For example, if data show that older drivers are disproportionately involved in pedestrian crashes in your State, you may want to consider targeting them as a distinct audience sub-sector in your Statewide pedestrian safety awareness campaign.
Keep in mind that if you don’t have a lot of resources, you still may be able to make progress by implementing a modest campaign targeted at a relatively small but strategic audience, especially if you create a broad partnership to assist with information dissemination.

15. To research previous campaigns:
STEP 5: DO YOUR HOMEWORK KEY QUESTIONS: Who has conducted similar campaigns in the past? What strategies did they use? How successful were they? What were the lessons they learned? Are there any outreach or education materials already available that could be used or adapted for use in the current campaign?
To research previous campaigns:
Do a web search.
Call the organizations that have published highway safety awareness and education materials.
Take the time to do your homework. Often it is possible to use or adapt outreach materials (brochures, posters, advertisements, slogans, public service announcements) from previous campaigns, which will save both time and money.
Researching previous campaigns can start with a Web search. Call the organizations that have published highway safety awareness and education materials and ask for information about how they managed the campaigns; what the outcomes were; and lessons learned.

16. Establish a way to measure progress.
STEP 6: ESTABLISH CAMPAIGN GOAL(S) KEY QUESTIONS: What behavior change(s) do we seek from the target audience(s) of highway users? How will we measure the behavior change? How much change are we trying to achieve? During what time frame?
Use outcomes of previous similar programs to set realistic and achievable goals.
Establish a way to measure progress.
Establishing clear quantitative goals for public awareness and education programs will enable you to track the cost-effectiveness of resource expenditures for your public awareness and education campaigns. Having done your homework, you will be aware of the outcomes of similar programs that have been conducted in the past. This knowledge will help you set realistic and achievable goals for your program.

17. STEP 7: SEEK TARGET MARKET INPUT KEY QUESTIONS: How do members of the target audience(s) perceive the highway safety concerns we are dealing with? What outreach strategies work best for these audiences? What messages are most effective?
Learn about each target audience from members of that audience group. Options include:
Focus groups.
Opinion surveys.
Interviews.
Before developing outreach and education materials, take the time to learn more about each target audience. Focus groups are often used for this purpose, because they provide an opportunity to probe more deeply into issues as they are raised by participants. Opinion surveys also are used, but they tend to be more static, and results can be more difficult to interpret; another problem is that answers can only be as good as the questions asked, and it can be difficult to phrase effective questions without good knowledge of the audience. Other options are talking to the staffs of trade associations or publications that address this audience, or consulting community leaders.
The purpose of learning about the target audience is to determine their baseline attitudes about the highway safety behavior that is the subject of your campaign. Knowing how they currently think about the behavior will enable you to craft messages for changing the current attitude and the behavior. Another purpose is to test the effectiveness of various message options.
Finally, you can learn what outreach strategies will work best for the specific target audience(s). Public service announcements? Community meetings? Brochures? Bus or train ads?

18. Ask representatives of the target audience(s) to review drafts.
STEP 8: TEST DRAFT OUTREACH AND EDUCATION MATERIALS KEY QUESTION: How do members of the target audience(s) react to the draft materials? What suggestions do they have for improvements?
Ask representatives of the target audience(s) to review drafts.
Make modifications to ensure that the outreach and education materials will have the greatest possible impact.
Continue to seek input from members of the target audience(s) as you develop the campaign. Ask representatives of the target audience(s) to review any draft outreach and education materials to ensure that the materials will have the greatest possible impact.

19. For further assistance in developing your marketing, communications, and outreach plan, contact:
Janet Ewing
Communications and Outreach Program Manager
FHWA Office of Safety
Depending on the complexity of your outreach and education program, you may need help from an outreach professional. By thinking through the steps presented in this tutorial, you will be better prepared to work efficiently with an expert. Do not hesitate to ask for help if you need it.