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Faced with a negative image in the public's mind, the North American steel industry launched a $100M five-year campaign to change consumer perception about steel and thereby win back customers. Results four years on show a growing success.
The SteelAlliance is an industry-wide organisation of more than 130 US and Canadian steel producers and affiliated organisations that have joined together in an unprecedented coalition to educate consumers about the benefits of steel.
The alliance was set up in 1995 as a response to a loss of customers who were selecting alternative materials. Opinion polls showed, for example, that woman aged 25-54 were selecting plastic and aluminium over steel in their purchasing habits. They perceived steel and the steel industry as old fashioned and dirty. Manufacturers of goods were promoting alternatives to steel to capitalise on this perception.
When the public were asked about their awareness of steel, two negative responses were received for every positive one. Chief of the positive responses was 'Steel is strong; but the chief negative responses were: 'Steel rusts and steel mills are dirty', and, 'I thought the steel mills in North America shut down in the 1970s'.
In view of these responses a US$100M campaign was launched aimed at the general public and sponsored by some 130 steelmakers, both integrated and EAF based.
It was recognised that the campaign needed to be long-term - a five-year commitment was accepted. It also needed to be based on consumer research, and had to be supported by at least three-quarters of all North American steelmakers.
It was recognised that consumer professionals, not steel professionals, should develop the campaign. It was to be multimedia in its promotion, usmg TV, radio, newsprint and the web.
The campaign had to be a mixture of advertising and public relations. Typical examples of the promotion material are presented in the illustrations (Fig 1).
Typical text aimed at the general public summarises the main applications of steel emphasising strength, safety and recyclability.
* The campaign on automotive steels emphasise strength, safety and recyclability. It states:
- Today's newest steels increase the strength of the car's body by as much as 30%. As with previous forms of the material, the new steel becomes stronger upon impact, protecting passengers...