Evaluation of our recent walking campaign finds 9,000 adults in Moray and Aberdeenshire now walking more for short journeys, instead of driving.
Campaign manager Susan Jeynes reports on the findings from the second iteration of our fun and engaging A Wee Walk Works Wonders campaign.
Following a successful pilot of A Wee Walk Works Wonders in March 2024, we ran a follow-up version of the campaign in the autumn, in Moray and Aberdeenshire.
A Wee Walk was designed to encourage Scots to leave the car at home for short journeys. This time, the messaging was adapted to reflect the time of year, and encourage people to continue to walk in winter. The new message was “A Wee Walk Works Wonders Whatever the Weather”.
In addition to our media campaign, we worked with Living Streets Scotland to engage with parents of schoolchildren. We used a Travel Tracker to record how many car journeys parents had replaced with walking over a four-week period. Tying in with Living Streets’ WOW programme in schools, the challenge was promoted through a series of local events.
The Travel Tracker recorded 245 participants, who walked an average of four extra journeys throughout the challenge. This is in addition to the 8,705 people who started walking more as a result of the media campaign.
More journeys on foot
The colourful campaign characters and memorable catchphrase have encouraged Scots to walk more.
The number of adults in Moray and Aberdeenshire who said they were choosing to walk instead of drive as a result of the campaign is in line with the results achieved in these areas in March, despite the time of year.
The media campaign had a huge reach – 76% of those surveyed recalled seeing the campaign, with 97% saying that the advertising caught their attention.
Everyone who had seen the campaign felt that it was relevant to them, and 85% said they now have a better understanding of the benefits of walking.
Key takeaways
Our autumn iteration of A Wee Walk Works Wonders has once again delivered remarkable results. Here are the highlights:
- Whatever the weather: An incredible 9,000 adults in Moray and Aberdeenshire are now walking more for short journeys instead of driving, even during the colder months.
- Unprecedented campaign recall: Nearly everyone who saw the campaign remembered it without prompting—an impressive testament to the impact of our creative messaging.
- Partnering for impact: Collaborating with Living Streets Scotland helped us reach parents and schoolchildren, with over 200 participants walking an average of four extra journeys during the challenge.
The enthusiasm we’ve seen proves that walking can inspire behaviour change year-round. With such fantastic results in just 4 weeks, we’re excited to explore opportunities to expand A Wee Walk to other regions of Scotland.
Imagine the difference it would make to both health and the environment if we could encourage more of us to walk instead of jumping in the car for those everyday short trips…
