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| Hungary
Residential CFL campaign| Main Campaign Components | Assessment of the residential CFL campaigns’ activities Residential Sector To address the market barriers, a residential CFL campaign was launched by ELI-Hungary. The main of objectives of the campaign were:
ELI-Hungary was faced with the following main communications challenges:
The main stakeholders of the campaign were the manufacturers, the retailers / wholesalers and the NGOs. The residential campaign was implemented in two consecutive lighting seasons. The first phase of the campaign (October 2001 – February 2002) was run in two counties of Hungary, with a total population of 1.1 million (out of 10 million). It was a test or demonstrational campaign. Following the conclusion and evaluation of the first phase, the second phase (October 2002 – February 2003) was run on a nation wide level, with some elements focusing on just 8 selected counties out of the nineteen.
The emphasised areas of the ELI campaign The two phases of the campaign were implemented by E-misszió Environmental Association (environmental NGO) and KONKAM Studio (communication company).
The main aim of the campaign is the popularisation of quality CFLs, explaining the benefits of using CFLs, helping people realize the difference amongst the various CFLs available in the market.
The TV spot used in the first phase referred to CFLs as the cheapest source of light after natural light. This spot was too abstract, therefore during the next phase a totally different approach was used (Figure 4) based on the well accepted and awarded TV spot used in the Bohemian residential CFL campaign.
The information film explains – through the everyday life of an ordinary family – why and how CFLs can be used at home. The film had a good reception; therefore the local TVs have continued to broadcast it, even after the campaign period.
DM leaflet about the CFLs (2001-2002) During the 1st phase’s regional campaign the ELI Program successfully made an agreement with the local utilities operating in the campaign areas. The companies in question took on the responsibility of mailing to all their clients the ELI leaflets about CFLs together with the monthly electricity bills. The ELI Program had planned to repeat this very effective and successful direct mail action during the 2nd phase, but due to the languidity of the utilities this was not possible.
Electrometer appliances were manufactured for the comparison of incandescent lamps and CFLs and to demonstrate the available saving potential. These electrometers were available for the campaign activities such as school and retail programs.
Table electrometer
Standing electrometer Other POS materials such as different posters, shelf talkers, danglers, etc. were also used in the campaigns. In parallel with the broadcasting of the TV spot and information film, a radio spot was also aired. Based on the disseminated information radio and TV quiz games were arranged. The winners of the quizzes received a selection of CFLs as one of the in kind contribution of the the three major lighting manufacturers present in the Hungarian market - GE, Osram, and Philips. Both phases of the campaign started with a press campaign in the local newspapers and press conferences in each county capital. These newspapers published a dozen press ads and articles about the advantage of the CFL usage. The ELI’s CFL promoter – just in the framework of the regional campaign – visited all the significant retail units in the two counties (small and large, alike), specialised and general, individual ones and units belonging to big chains. Following long discussions a relatively reasonable number of big hypermarkets, chain stores (Tesco, Metro, Cora and DIY shops like Praktiker, Baumax, OBI, etc.) were included into the campaign activity. They were convinced to exhibit the ELI’s POS materials, which were placed by the merchandise teams of the the three major lighting manufacturers present in the Hungarian market - GE, Osram, and Philips.. These teams regularly refill the empty shelves and place the manufacturers’ own POS materials. School presentations were appropriate tools to involve pupils, teachers and parents in the campaign. The ELI teams – formulated from experts of the local NGOs, teachers having experience in energy efficiency awareness raising – performed close to 900 school presentations for more than 26,000 pupils. The presentations covered (1) conserving electricity (reducing CO2 emissions), (2) conserving fuel (also reducing CO2 emissions), (3) conserving water, (4) reduction of paper use, (5) reduction of waste generation, and (6) activities to care for nature. “Energy Champion Competitions” were announced in both phases of the campaign which were designed for school pupils who had to make a lighting energy audit in their own home. The energy audits contained calculations for the possible savings with the optimal use of CFLs. The school teachers received an information package: posters, data sheet and a calculation guide, which helped them, advise and assist their pupils in compiling their applications. Participation was rather active throughout the entire campaign period. The pupils preparing the best papers received bikes and packages of CFLs as a prize.
The teachers and pupils were very enthusiastic and therefore the majority of the school presentations were found to be successful. Teachers received the guide for the presentations, and the presented slides were made available to them, to enable them to give presentations or lectures in the future, as well. During the first phase presentations were organised for opinion leaders (e.g. local MPs, well-known personalities of the local society), but it was always difficult to do, from an organisational point of view. Very often due to the lack of interest there was no sense in organising the meetings. Therefore this activity was not repeated in the second phase. Assessment of the residential CFL campaigns’ activities In the beginning of the ELI program signs of expansion on the Hungarian CFL market were detected. By the end of the second phase of the CFL campaign (2003 spring), however, the surveys showed a saturated market on the current price level of CFLs in which it is difficult to increase sales amounts.
The awareness of the technology became very strong: it increased by 50% from the end of 1999 (96% of the purchase decision makers of families claimed to have heard about CFLs in April 2003).In Hungary the no-name poor quality CFLs showed up in volume in 2000. In 2003 the foreseen CFL sales will be doubled compare to 1999 of which 60% will be the products of the the three major lighting manufacturers present in the Hungarian market - GE, Osram, and Philips. This means that there was no considerable increase (15-20%) in sold CFLs but a major switch in the sales mix in favour of the higher quality, longer lifetime CFLs was detectable. The market tendency towards better quality products is due to the synergic impact of the suppliers’ own marketing efforts, the promotion policies of the large stores and the ELI program itself. Furthermore, it was a good sign, that the sellers tend to promote quality CFLs and neglect bulk products, because the margin of good quality CFLs is higher and bulk products are very often among the ‘top defect’ products. Therefore the bulk products often get “de-listed”. One of the important results of the ELI Program is that the the three major lighting manufacturers present in the Hungarian market - GE, Osram, and Philips– based on the earlier joint efforts in the framework of the ELI program – plan to join their communication resources, activities to promote quality CFLs during the next lighting season. Such a common effort could sustain in the long run. |
