Campaigns and actions: some recent Dutch experiences

Campaigns and actions:
some recent Dutch experiences
Gerjan Huis in ’t Veld
november 15 2013
Stop Prijsmisleiding!
Action ‘Travel Prices’ 17 - 21 june 2013
What’s the problem?
• Research February 2013: none of 60 travel companies are 100% fair about their prices. Extra insurances, extra costs
for cleaning, sheets, et cetera.
• Survey April 2013: misleading prices are the number one
source of irritation for consumers
• Hidden / extra costs, vague additional costs, extra options on opt‐in basis (mostly travel insurance)
• The advertised price is never the final price
We received hundreds of online complaints on this issue
Preparation
• We chose 8 companies from the complaints
• We selected different sectors: tour operators, ticket sites, holiday parks, bus travel agencies
• We selected different malpractices
• Our aim: companies must change their behaviour
and advertise in a more consumer friendly way
• Our strategy: ‘naming & shaming’, playful actions, online video’s and virals
Action week
• Day 1: press release, zeppelin above highway A4 (near
Schiphol Airport), visit to World Ticket Center with camera, online video, updated press release at the end of the day
• Day 2: visit to Solmar Tours with “king” and camera
• Day 3: “vinkjesdag”, sent three holiday parks a cage with a “finch”, an online call to “release the “finches”, online video
• Day 4: visit to Center Parcs with director Bart Combée and
his big pillow, online video, final press release
Results
All 8 companies adapted their online advertising practices
Much media attention (especially the first press release)
Much support from consumers
4 new video’s
Dutch Consumer Authority (ACM) declares misleading prices a top priority in their enforcement actions
• Follow up in October: holiday parks change their behaviour
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Action
#Beltegoed
Maak tegoeden voor
bellen, sms’en en
internet een jaar
houdbaar!
Consumers loose call minutes and sms every month
What is the problem?
•
Bundels of mobile telephone subscribtions
are made for everage users, but ‘everage
consumers’ don’t exist
•
Extra bundel costs are three times as high
as normal costs
•
Consumers choose big bundels to avoid
extra bundel costs,
but
•
They loose the unused minutes and sms
every month without any compensation
(video)
Therefore: action #Beltegoed
Therefore we asked mobile credits as a buffer
+ We demand a credit with a validity for one year
+ We asked the providers for one year; no response.
Then we asked the politians to change this.
Actions
22 February 2013 Petitie for longer lasting mobile
credits. More than 37.500 Dutch consumers signed
our petition.
16 April 2013. Actie in The Hague (near Parliament).
We offered the petition and released the results of
our research for the ‘mobile leak’: every month
Dutch consumers loose € 68 miljoen on mobile
credits for call minutes, SMS and internet data.
(video)
Much media attention for ‘mobile leak’
Radio, NOS journaal (17:00 uur en 20:00 uur), RTL Nieuws (16:00, 18:00 en 19:30 uur),
online media (nu.nl, tweakers.net), kranten (zoals de Volkskrant en AD)
Results so far
May 2013
Minister Kamp (Economic Affairs) called the ‘mobile leak’ a ‘serious problem’ and
annouced his talks with the telecom sector about it. In september he will report back
to the Parliament.
October 2013
Minister Kamp gives the telecom sector
half a year to solve the problem. He
expects mobile subscription options
without the ‘leak’. If not realised he
threats with new legislation on this
point next year.
Fraud and waste in health care
Geef je reactie!
Poll
De consument moet zijn bijdrage leveren aan het betaalbaar houden van de
zorg door:
 Meer zorg zelf te betalen
2%
 Genoegen te nemen met goedkope zorg als dat medisch gezien voldoende is
26%
 Minder naar de huisarts te gaan
2%
 Niet voor alle kwaaltjes behandeling te willen
22%
 Meer premie te betalen
1%
 Meer te doen aan preventie / gezonde leefstijl
47%
U heeft al gestemd
737 keer gestemd
Veelgestelde vragen over de campagne
Mondzorg
Consumentenbond onderzocht
Laatste nieuws
•Tandarts Eurosmile fraudeert met valse rekeningen
•Per Januari 2013 weer vaste tarieven
•Vrije tarieven mondzorg blijven minimaal tot november
•Geen concurrentie bij tandartsen
•Gestegen tandartstarieven door vrije prijzen?
Suggesties
Mortgage interest rates
•
Campaign against too high
mortgage rates
Campaign on guarantees
Garantie Checker: > 25.000 gebruikers
Sitebezoek: > 35.000 unieke bezoekers
Some lessons
•
Be ambitious in your campaign aims, but don’t target too high or too pretentious
•
Broad, long running “umbrella” campaigns don’t work; small and quick actions do
•
Offer your supporters a direct perspective for action and give them practical tools
•
Use smart marketing techniques to reach supporters and to seduce them to
participate in your campaign
•
‘Naming & shaming’ works for companies (especially when the camera runs…)
•
‘Follow the Anger’: mostly practical consumer irritations, seldom political issues
•
Bring - where and when possible - an international dimension into your campaign
•
Be online, but also on mobile devices and in social media
•
Follow up on the campaign, also in advocacy and policy, stays important, and
often requires much patience and a long term perspective…
Questions, remarks?
•
Thanks for your attention!