Estonia has hosted Rally Estonia since 2010. This year, a startup called KWOTA collaborated with Rally Estonia to positively contribute to society by addressing the carbon footprint associated with this rally event.
The mission was simple: encourage as many rally-goers as possible to purchase tokens. By buying these tokens, fans lent their support to material producers, providing them with financial backing to prioritise recycled materials over virgin resources in their production of goods. This sustainable approach significantly reduces CO2 emissions by a minimum of 50%, aiding in the fight against climate change.
Goals
Traditionally, motorsports fans are often associated with a lack of environmental consciousness, mainly because of the sport they follow. So, we had a big task ahead of us: making our targeted audience care about the environmental campaign and raising their awareness of how they could reduce their own and their favourite sports event’s carbon footprint so it could also endure in the future. We had three weeks to take the most out of PR.
Objectives and strategy
The objectives we needed to focus on and complete in three weeks were as follows:
- Raise awareness. Educate people about the purpose and benefits of carbon credit tokens, including where the money goes and how they contribute to Rally Estonia.
- Facilitate purchasing. Encourage and guide individuals towards the buying process of carbon credit tokens, ensuring they take action to support the cause.
The campaign’s strategy was to engage and activate individuals by addressing the key question ’’Ready for the future?’’ and stating ’’Your contribution matters.’’. The underlying idea behind this message was to empower fans and give them a voice in shaping the event’s trajectory. By posing this question, the campaign aimed to prompt enthusiasts to reflect on their desire to see Rally Estonia thrive in the coming years. To translate this support into action, the campaign encouraged fans to contribute to carbon credit tokens that will compensate Rally Estonia and their carbon footprint, benefit small manufacturers in Estonia, and show that Rally Estonia fans belong at the top regarding cooperation and caring about sustainability.
Before launching the campaign, we needed to identify our target audience, their media preferences, and the most effective channels to reach them. After creating a profile of a rally sports fan, we determined that the most effective ways to engage with them were through radio and television or by offering participation rewards.
To capture people’s attention, we needed to find a strong spokesperson who shared the campaign’s values, was media-ready, and held significance for rally fans. Thanks to the strong relationship between KWOTA and Rally Estonia, we secured Urmo Aava as our spokesperson. Aava, a former Estonian rally driver with seven years of experience in the World Rally Championship, also serves as the director of Rally Estonia.
Results
During the three weeks, we focused on activities that delivered quick results and had the most significant possible positive impact on the company. The strategy we developed took us to rally fans with a clear message that appealed to their community and raised awareness of the partnership in the international motorsport media. For example, a story by renowned sports journalist Reiner Kuhn on KWOTA in the World Rally Championships (WRC) news will still be published in December.
8
media coverage in Estonia
2
stories in the international media
reaching more than 200K
people through the media
Meta team
Lily Mägi Consultant
Annabret Helena Järv Assistant
Video author: KWOTA. Link to the video on their YouTube channel here.
