Sustainability Victoria's Black Balloons Website

January 2007 - Present

http://www.SaveEnergy.vic.gov.au

Solutions involved

• Digital Strategy
• Screensavers
• UI Design

On the back of a successful television campaign, Sustainability Victoria asked Areeba to develop a consumer focussed online campaign to encourage positive behaviour into Victorian's day-to-day lives.

History

Sustainability Victoria is a state owned corporation whose charter is to communicate the responsible use of natural resources and the environmental impact of this consumption. Sustainability Victoria has interests in all sectors of the Victorian community, with its programs targeted at individuals, families, business and government.

One of Sustainability Victoria's best known campaigns is the greenhouse gas reduction campaign: "You have the Power. Save Energy" hallmarked by its innovative use of the "Black Balloon" that represented 50 grams of greenhouse gas emission. The black balloon is now synonymous with appliance use and energy consumption in the typical Victorian residential home.

Challenge

With a successful level of market penetration and awareness, it was determined that the campaign needed to shift from raising people's awareness to getting them to act. Areeba were asked to revamp the campaign initiative, by creating a higher level of community involvement using the website and the online medium.

Assessment of the existing website presence revealed:

• Heavy use of large blocks of text and minimal imagery and interactivity

• Bland and uninspiring language use

• No clearly defined audience

• Little to encouragement for visitors to explore the site and take the initiative to make a difference

Solution

Areeba recommended a strategic review of the website content to re-brand with a sharper, consumer driven focus, appealing to an audience wanting quick, easily digestible information in a non-threatening format. A more interactive site was designed which encouraged exploration and showed Victorians how to introduce positive behaviour into their day-to-day lives.

Information architecture and content design were revised, with visual imagery created to encourage responsible consumer behaviour. Language was updated to reinforce positive action and encourage behavioural change. Interactivity was introduced with cross linked information and points of interest and information was presented to encourage exploration of the site.

Ongoing site content can be managed using the RedDot CMS in a benchmark project for usability and accessibility.