Texting and driving has been described as a deadly epidemic, and as more drivers take to the roads, smart phone in hand, many companies have joined the movement to make our roads safer. Public service announcements, typically reserved for government agencies and advocacy organizations, are becoming more and more commonly produced by companies looking to change the public’s eye on this issue and strengthen their corporate responsibility position.
Many of these campaigns rely heavily on scare tactics, videos and commercials so jarring that they demand our attention and inspire change. But do they work? I’m sure many of you have seen an ad that illustrates the scene of a crash so vivid that it seems as if you are actually there. It places us in the middle of the mayhem, tugging at our heart strings. These ads may get our attention—but do they actually compel us to change?
Let’s take a look at a few of the more popular videos produced by corporate players who have taken this approach with their ads.
AT&T: It Can Wait Campaign, “Close to Home”
Quebec Insurance: Don’t Text and Drive
In a 2016 article by Magdalena Cismaru and Kate Nimegeers, the pair researched the effectiveness of texting and driving campaigns and how well the content encouraged new behaviors (Cismaru & Nimegeers, 2016). What they found is that fear-based content may trigger a “boomerang effect” in a person’s intent to respond, which means a person may understand the dangers but are unable to act on it (Cismaru & Nimegeers, 2016). So while jarring content may evoke a strong emotion, it may not compel a person to act any differently.
So this begs the question, what type of content can persuade action?
According to the research, campaigns based on encouragement and supporting small steps to new behaviors may be more effective at helping us commitment to change (Cismaru & Nimegeers, 2016). Messaging that demonstrates others have made the same pledge and are making progress are particularly effective at convincing others to put down their phones (Cismaru & Nimegeers, 2016). The following ad by NewWave Studio is an example of how a softer approach and encouraging language like “take the pledge” and “we did” can work.
NewWave Studio – Take the Pledge
The article by Cismaru and Nimegeers represents just one research example, and more research on this topic may be needed to fully understand which content strategies are most effective at motivating new behaviors. Texting and driving is a serious issue in our country, and now that you’ve had a chance to watch the videos above, I’m curious to know – which content approach would be more likely to convince you to keep the phone down while you drive?
Cismaru, M. & Nimegeers, K. (2016). Keep your eyes up, don’t text and drive: A review of anti-texting while driving campaigns’ recommendations. International Review on Public and Nonprofit Marketing, 2016, 1–23.
4 Responses to Texting and Driving – Scaring Us into Action