Montgomery Department of Solid Waste Services

Client
The Montgomery County Department of Solid Waste Services (DSWS) manages a variety of waste management programs, relying on public cooperation to help minimize landfilling through recycling and composting.

Challenge

DSWS needed to raise awareness about recycling regulations and best practices among residents of multifamily housing and occupants of nonresidential buildings, including businesses, schools, and government offices.

Enter Reingold

Reingold produced a seven-week advertising campaign in both English and Spanish, using creative messages with a layout and tone that were less regulatory-and more fresh and educational-to encourage businesses and residents to recycle. Our messages stressed recycling's added benefit to the community rather than the threat of enforcing recycling requirements. With a relatively highly educated audience, we used local newspapers as a key messenger to reach an estimated readership of 550,000. We also used a robust mix of local radio outlets to reach a sizable commuter population and ran 1,700 commercials on targeted local and cable TV stations.

Results
Reingold's campaign reached widely diverse audiences where they work and live. In one newspaper alone, seven out of 10 readers said they had read our ads. Our combined radio campaign launched 475 commercials with an estimated net reach of more than 1 million and a frequency of about six times-and one station for the first time in its history ran the Spanish and English commercials back to back. Our out-of-home print campaign in Metro stations and on trains and buses had an estimated circulation of 7.5 million. And in addition to steep discounts off rate card pricing, Reingold negotiated bonus radio and print placements, 660 bonus cross-promotional cable television spots, and an expanded out-of-home campaign.