Boulder's Walk & Bike Month
Pivot worked with the city of Boulder, GO Boulder and Community Cycles to promote the efforts of Walk & Bike Month, Boulder’s first annual month-long event featuring pedestrian and bicycle friendly activities and initiatives to educate and change behaviors around transportation. The month culminates in the official Bike to Work Day, in which participants leave their car keys behind and opt to either bike or walk. Organizers of Walk & Bike Month sought to increase participation and sponsorship from previous years and to maintain a sense of awareness surrounding the purpose of the month. In addition, event organizers wanted to sustain momentum throughout the month and target multiple audiences—from seniors through kids.
Tactics:
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Continuous media outreach and monitoring
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Delivering detailed press kits to targeted media
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Tying into local carbon reduction efforts, including the thermometer in downtown Boulder
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Drafting and distributing more than 50 press releases for events, activities, performers, fundraisers held throughout the month
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Pitching feature stories in local and regional press
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Drafting and submitting articles, letters to the editor, editorial pieces
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Facilitating radio and TV interviews with key Walk & Bike Month organizers
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Developing and distributing a weekly e-newsletter highlighting important updates and events
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Taking and submitting photos to the media
Outcomes: The overall results of this comprehensive campaign surpassed all expectations. Public relations efforts resulted in 30 articles, 14 photos with captions, three Walk & Bike Month-related editorials, two letters to the editor, a political cartoon, an online video and more than 60 event listings. A radio and TV interview with Walk & Bike Month organizers aired during the month as well.
Additionally, participation in Bike to Work Day jumped by almost 50% this year, with more than 7,500 Boulder Bike to Work Day commuters. Due to the excitement generated around Walk & Bike Month, corporate sponsorship grew significantly; in addition, the number of organizations participating in Bike to Work Day jumped from 150 to 260 this year, a 73% increase. Events throughout the month were very well attended and more than 2,600 cyclists biked to work for the first time. Audiences that had not traditionally been targeted, such as seniors, became involved, resulting in record turnouts for multiple Seniors on Bikes rides. As excitement built for Walk & Bike Month, so did registration for Bike to Work Day and the number of subscribers to the weekly newsletter. By the end of the month, 22,000 people had received the weekly update via email. Organizers are very pleased with outcomes and have high hopes for building on this success in 2009.
