Cork Cycling Festival

Cork Cycling Festival is on this week. Take a look at www.corkcyclingfestival.com for ideas on promoting cycling.

Promoting Cycling in Ireland

Cork city centre will be transformed into a temporary, living art gallery later today, as cyclists take part in the 'World Naked Bike Ride event'.50 artists will paint the cyclists who will then cycle through the city's streets. The aim is to demonstrate how vulnerable cyclists are on the roads. It is hoped to highlight opposition to the so-called 'car culture' and the world's dependence on fossil fuels.

See Our CIVITAS MIMOSA Partner City Funchal At Work on Sustainable Mobility Behaviour Change Campaigns

Now more than halfway through the 4 year EC CIVITAS MIMOSA programme, see for yourself how one of our partner cities, Funchal in Madeira have been working on behaviour change campaigns to increase user satisfaction in sustainable mobility and decrease air pollution.

Interactions to Host Workshop on The Image of Public Transport in Tallinn, Estonia

On June 17th, Interactions will host a workshop in Tallinn, Estonia on the Image of Public Transport, featuring a number of top international speakers on public transport marketing and behavioural change including Dublin Bus. The workshop promises to be a lively event with around 60 European public transport professionals attending to learn more about attracting & retaining customers whilst discovering innovative quality & communication management practices.

The workshop will cover:

• The Psychology of Customer Satisfaction Tried and Tested Frameworks 
• Develop a Quality Model for Service Delivery 
• Monitoring and Measurement of Service Quality 
• Communications & Branding

Part of the workshop includes a site visit to view a unique behavioural change campaign in progress entitled 'Knitting Grafitti' under the direction of Tallinn Transport Department. Pillars of the underground bus terminal and one regular bus will be literally covered in coloured woollen knitting. Knitted scarves will cover seats and stickers imprinted with knitted scarves will cover the outside of the bus. Already a big hit internationally, it is hoped that the wonderful colours and textures of the handmade crafts will make the bus terminal and vehicle warm, friendly and inviting.

A 'Before and After Behaviour Change Evaluation Study' will be implemented to gather feedback from customers who ride on the transport. The study will form a demonstration case study for the EC's sustainable urban mobility programme CIVITAS MIMOSA programme, for which Interactions acts as dissemination manager.

For more information on this please see: http://www.civitas-initiative.org/event.phtml?archiv=&event_id=395

 

Ministers, Council Members & Business Come Out In Force for Sustainable Transport Conference in Wicklow

May 27th saw the Interactions team make a visit to our local town of Bray for the Southern & Eastern Regional Assembly's Conference on Promoting Sustainable Transport.   

Well how things have changed over the last 5 years! It was a full house at the Mermaids Art Theatre with the audience ranging from business people to minisiters and council members, all eager to know more about sustainability and transport as opposed to the ghostly subject of property. With some senior national decision makers on the panel facing tough questions from the audience, it proved an extremely interesting forum to find out the future plans not only for the South Eastern region but for Ireland's transport system.

First up was Richard Bruton, Minister for Enterprise, Jobs & Innovation, talking 'positively' about his department's focus on financially facilitating the 'Life Sciences Industry' - products & services in the areas of health & food, sustainable transport and IT Applications. All good news. Now lets see the actual plan and if the banks can help!

Next came the shocking but invaluable news that petrol prices are predicted to rise to €2 per litre by 2013. Is this sustainable for our small island! According to James Nix, Transport & Planning co-ordinator for the Irish Environmental Network, it certainly is not and we really have to come up with a realistic framework in regards to planning across all sectors of the economy be it passenger and freight.

The National Transport Authority's CEO, Gerry Murphy, then spoke of prioritising areas for national transport planning i.e. city hubs and corresponding cuts for areas such as rural transport. Basically, rural transport will only get capital investment if any for items such as vehicles. Areas such as manpower, organisation and infrastructural improvements will have to be come from communities themselves.

Freight Transport - Utrecht Electric Goods Train

The Minister for Enterprise and the NTA's CEO were kept on their toes with tough audience questions and statements. Many questions centred around what plans were in place to offset the rise in the petrol prices to encourage commercial enterprise in an already critical time of banking non-lending and contracted demand. It has to be said that the answers seemed rather vague!

Then came talk of the long awaited but high unlikely Smart Cities Programme.  Developed under the former Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey, it was designed to create a number of sustainable transport hubs. Quite a large amount of Councils including Limerick (represented at the Conference) had submitted lengthy and costly bids for this. But with more than a years delay in announcing the chosen cities, we will have to see if the programme does go ahead at all. A more definitive Yes or No would allow Councils to exit limbo land, make use of their current vital data and take the next step of looking for alternatives for finance such as Europe or private financing as in the case of London. A lot can be done between now and 2013. The impact of €2 per litre combined with an outdated inefficient transport system ain't a pretty picture. 

Leisure & Tourist Transport

Obviously, small talk amongst the audience members produced some interesting opportunities on the horizon such as the area of Sustainable Leisure Transport e.g. tourist bike networks. Councils need to think sideways for financial investment when it comes to making their transport plans a reality. Funds and support are most definitely there, what with the EC's financial commitment to sustainable leisure transport via FP7, the Department of Enterprise's focus on Life Science and Tourism and of course ongoing co-operation from neighbouring Councils through the Inter regional Assembly. 

A shining example is the 18km cycle/walk way created  2 years ago from the old railway line from Newport to Mulranny in Co. Mayo. Attracting huge numbers of people walking, running and cycling, this has been a big hit with both tourists, locals and the economy alike. To see just how good it is take a look here.  http://www.mayowalks.ie/WalkingTrails/Greenway/Newport-MulrannyGreenway/

See you in Mayo!

written by Helen Mullarkey

Whether It Be Business Or Life Or A Bit of Both, Blaise Brosnan's New Book 'Jack' Is Just The Ticket!

MD, Eileen O'Connell at 'Jack' Book Launch

Speaking at the launch of Blaise Brosnan's new book 'Jack: Business Lessons from Life, Life Lessons from Business', Irish Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Brendan Howlin commented "Blaise Brosnan is an amazing man. He speaks softly but with compelling wisdom; and he can communicate equally effectively with his eyes and facial expression. So too, I think, does Jack'

Blaise Brosnan, business mentor and trainer, has facilitated more than 2000 business people to stand back from the fuss of their day-to-day activity and decide how best to drive their business forward and achieve their objectives. In this, his 2nd book, he uses the life story of Jack and surrounding influences on him to give concrete advice that will benefit anyone in business.

Interactions is lucky enough to have benefited from Blaise's mentoring and training and was delighted to be at the launch.

Minister Howlin concluded by saying: 'Blaise Brosnan is a wise man. In his readable, clear and incisive book he shares his wisdom with us. We are better for the experience - if we choose to be.'

We'd love to hear your thoughts on the book!

The book is available from bookshops, Amazon and on Kindle.

Going For Growth Forum 2011 - Interactions Joins The Team!

Pictured here are Eileen O'Connell (MD of Interactions), Carmel Grogan (Craft Cuts), Frances Keane (Personally Speaking) and Lulu O'Sullivan (GiftsDirect)

Taking the step to realign, adapt and forge ahead has become the new mantra for many Irish companies today. Having worked in European market research and behaviour change for than 20 years, Interactions is not one to rest on their laurels. Managing Director, Eileen O'Connell has been taking part in Going for Growth, a 6-month programme for women entrepreneurs focused on growth.  

Interactions Ltd is in the current Going for Growth cycle with lead entrepreneur Lulu O'Sullivan of GiftsDirect.ie. The Going for Growth National Forum (28-29th March 2011) was attended by sixty women entrepreneurs - who between them have a turnover of €42 million and employ almost 500 people - and who together with lead entrepreneurs and experts are now focusing on how they can further grow their businesses. 

Funded by the European Social Fund, Enterprise Ireland and the Equality for Women Measure, Department of Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs, this vital and proactive network aims to boost Ireland's service and product competitiveness both at home and abroad.

Key Social Marketing Trends from the World Social Marketing Conference

Key Scial Marketing Findings f

Just over a month go, Interactions took part in  the 2 day World Social  Marketing Conference. Held in Citywest Hotel, it was attended  by more than 500 international delegates working in social marketing, behavioural change, strategic communications, community engagement and policy development. Even the Dalai Lama was spotted milling about in the hotel foyer on the last day - adding to the feeling of positivity & goodwill already in abundance. 

For Interactions, as leading market research and behaviour change experts here in Ireland & Europe, it was a great opportunity to hear and share knowledge with other leading international thinkers and practitioners and adapt it to our work. Between giving 3 presentations, chatting to delegates at our stand and attending more than 20 other presentations, it was a whirlwind of knowledge transfer. 

Presentations & Workshops given by Interactions included: 

Get It Right 1st Time: Behaviour Change Communications: EU's Sustainable Transport CIVITAS MIMOSA - Managing Director, Eileen O'Connell

Market Research Using Personal Construct Psychology Theory - Director John Porter

Branding Workshop on Sustainable Transport - The Interactions Team  
 Summary of Key Points: To help keep you up to date on the latest international findings on

To help you keep up to date on the latest international trends on behaviour change & social marketing, we've compiled for you a quick summary from the event:

• The new UK government adopts an Inside-Out Approach to Behaviour Change - Starting with Front Line Assets Staff & Policy. The cash strapped UK government aims to maximise social marketing effectiveness by integrating it first within their organisation via policy and staff rather than purely as an add-on communication strategy at the end. They are in the process of formulating staff social market research, communications guidelines and communications training to harness the ambassador role of policy and staff (nurses, doctors, bus drivers) to effect behavioural change on its target audience.

• Go Beyond Differences & Share Knowledge with groups to leverage power & open doors.

• Engage & Empower Communities, giving them the skills to help themselves for the long-term.

• Social Marketing Partnership is now seen as the new framework to replace Sponsorship, allowing for all parties to reap better results from a delineated and agreed set of shared and non-shared objectives that resonates with target audience. Intermediate bodies are to play a greater role in brokering and evaluating agreements to ensure longevity of relationship. 

• Ethical Codes specific for each communication campaign are increasingly required by companies to cope with the unexpected and inevitable crisis management scenarios that occur when carrying out communications, most notably when it comes to social media.

• Need to always think 3 dimensionally when it comes to target audiences.

• Make Friends in Unusual Places.

• Information Technology most notably the Internet has the largest and most positive impact on the following groups: low income, uneducated and women.