When the city of Marquette changed to a new solid waste program, they put out a selection order form for residents
to decide on what new program they would prefer to use. 

 

The new program included carts instead of just green bags, which was the primary source for waste collection. The problem with the communication that the City of Marquette put out was that most people could not understand what their options were. Most people didn’t even know what a cart looked like and their communication did not show what a cart looked like. They also did not do a good job of comparing the cost of the new program compared to what people were currently using. In addition, they also talked about pricing in units, which actually meant monthly cost, but most people did
not understand that.

​

We ran a survey web question on The Mining Journal web site asking city residents if they understood the order form the city put out. The results came back showing 89.66% found the information sheet and order form confusing and didn’t know how to respond to the Order Form. They said they could not understand the associated cost with the new system compared to what they were currently paying. 

This is a perfect example of someone that knew the program inside and out and putting those thoughts on paper and assuming everyone would understand it. 

 

The hybrid collection system selection and order form documents produced by the city are below. Next to that is the single page promotion sheet that I designed to clear up the unanswered questions that the city form did not cover. The promotional sheet I produced showed the monthly cost of the existing program. It also showed a graphic of the carts and options for people to choose from and the monthly cost associated with their choice. This is a prime example of the wrong way and the right way of communicating with consumers. 

When I went in to the city office to order my carts, the girls in the office were very appreciative because they could use the sheet, I produced to better explain the options to city residents coming in to reserve their carts. They said that the majority of the people coming in did not understand their options. They said the graphic sheet I produced would make their jobs much easier.

I gave a design layout to Matt Luttenberg in the creative service department of the Mining Journal and he produced the actual promotion sheet. 

JRMEDIA&MARKETING would be happy to help you produce a better message to both existing customers and
potential new customers.

​