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=  = = = =**TAP that WATER - UTM** =

o **Objectives: ** Our objective is to increase awareness of the harms of bottled water and to inform students of alternatives to bottled water. o **Goals: **We hope to decrease bottled water consumption on campus by 10-15% over a six-month period among UTM students and to increase sales of affordable reusable water bottles o **Audience: ** Our campaign will target UTM students. o **Key Message: **   > > <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; color: black;"> > <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> **<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> Strategy: **<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Our campaign’s strategy is to communicate our existence as well as to communicate the negative impacts of bottled water and the benefits of tap water and reusable bottles. Also, our campaign wishes to promote the new refill stations to be created throughout the UTM campus. o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> **<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Tactics: **<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: windowtext; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: windowtext; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> ·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> **<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Measurement **<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> With approximately 10,500 students enrolled at UTM, during the six-month campaign the following should be achieved: -<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> the decrease of bottled water sales at UTM by 10-15% -<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> the increase of reusable water bottles at UTM by 50% -<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> 4000 unique visitors to our campaign’s website -<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> 3000 views of our online videos -<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> 3000 group members for the campaign’s Facebook page -<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> 1750 subscribers for the campaign’s Twitter network -<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> An average of 100 participants for each taste test -<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> An average of 1000 visitors for each “Water Cool Talk” event
 * <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Communication Strategy: **
 * 1) **<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Bottled water is unhealthy: **<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> Many studies suggest that bottled water can be harmful to people’s health. The plastic from which water bottles are made of are believed to leak chemicals into drinking <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">water. Some chemicals, for example, mimic estrogens and have been linked to breast and ovarian cancers as well as childhood developmental problems ("Science Matters: Message in a Bottle." 2008). Water bottles are also vulnerable to a considerable amount of bacteria growth. Even at room temperature bacteria growth increases substantially within 30 days ("Questions and Answers on Bottled Water." 2008). Lastly, bottled water consumption has been linked to tooth decay. Tap water has been found to reduce tooth decay by 15% since it is fluoridated—while its bottled counterpart is fluoride free ("In Depth: Consumers: Bottled water" 2008).
 * 1) **<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Bottled water is detrimental to the environment: **<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Bottled water consumption is especially <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">harmful to the environment. The damage done to the Earth during the production of bottled water alone is devastating. The production of water bottles for one year for only the American market requires the equivalent of more than 17 million barrels of oil in energy and, in turn, creates 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide (Petty and Trudeau 2008). There is additional harm done when the energy wasted during transportation, refrigeration and disposal is taken into account. Also, 85% of water bottles are thrown into the garbage, as opposed to a recycling bin ("Science Matters: Message in a Bottle." 2008). Water bottles take 1,000 years to biodegrade and in the process leak chemicals into ground water and enter the food chain (Llanos 2005).
 * 1) **<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Bottled water is expensive: **<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Enormous profits are made from bottled water. A number of companies, including Coca Cola and Pepsi (Dasani and Aquafina, respectively), charge consumers twice since they bottle the tap water taxpayers pay for. In addition, the mark up is enormous. A litre of bottled water costs around two to three dollars when the equivalent amount of water taken from the tap costs less than a penny.
 * 1) **<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Tap water is a great alternative: **<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> Tap water is a healthier, more environmentally friendly and more inexpensive alternative to <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">bottled water. Tap water is more stringently tested than bottled water. In some cases, municipal water supplies are inspected on a daily basis whereas bottled water supplies are inspected once every three years (Petty and Trudeau 2008). <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> In addition, tap water does not sit in plastic bottles for long periods of time making it less vulnerable to the <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">problems bottled water faces. Tap water is also much more inexpensive than bottled water. For example, a litre and a half of Aquafina costs about $2.70, while the same amount of water costs only 1/500th of a cent if taken from the Montreal tap system (Clarke 2007).
 * **<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Posters and Display Stands: **<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Posters promoting our campaign will be placed around the UTM campus:
 * //<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Areas that sell food and drink //<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> – this will create awareness and remind students of our cause as they are in line purchasing food at a cafeteria or at a vending machine and convince them to not purchase bottled water and choose our suggested alternatives.
 * //<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Gym //<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> – this can create awareness and remind students and gym members, who may be currently bringing bottled water to the gym. This can educate them and convince them to start choosing our suggested alternatives.
 * //<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Bulletin Boards //<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> – Posters can be placed on bulletin boards in buildings such as Kaneff Centre, North Building and South Building and can be viewed as students are in the halls and waiting for their classes to begin.
 * **<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Website: **<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">An official website will be created for our campaign. It will have extensive information about our campaign and cause. The site will be updated with the latest news and events regarding our campaign. A media section will be featured to display photos and videos of events and promotions. Also, there will be a link to contact members of our campaign as well as a discussion board where students and visitors can express their opinions, comments and ideas related to our cause.
 * **<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: windowtext; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">VideoCasting: **<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: windowtext; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Original videos will be produced by members of our campaign will be uploaded and shared online through video sharing websites such as Youtube.com. These will initially consist of video commercials promoting our campaign and our cause. New videos will be periodically posted to update students of the progress of our campaign as well as videos that will inform students of any news and events. The content of these videos will grab student’s attention and create interest in the cause and will provide a link to the campaign’s website. Also, it will generate discussion on its comments section as well as virally spread online to related pages.
 * **<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Facebook **<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">: A Facebook group will be created to keep UTM students aware of what is going on with the campaign. It will act as a platform for students to ask questions, make comments and offer suggestions. The group will be primarily for UTM students and will help attract more students to the campaign. The page will be updated regularly to let students know about upcoming projects and events and the progress of projects already underway.
 * **<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: windowtext; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Twitter **<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: windowtext; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">: Using twitter students will receive short updates on the campaign (such as upcoming events around campus and progress of current projects). Messages could be accessed by member’s cell phones as well as their computers. Twitter will make communication to students quick and simple. It will also act as an outlet for students to discuss bottled water and for them to contribute ideas to the campaign.
 * **<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: windowtext; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">On-campus events **<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: windowtext; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">: Events will be set up in busy places around campus to spread awareness among students of the harms of bottled water. This is an important tactic to implement since it will help us reach students not already aware of the campaign. Events will include water taste testing and “Water Cooler Talk.” The former will give students the opportunity to blindly taste test tap water against bottled water—similar tests have found that 75% of participants preferred the taste of tap water. The latter will be more of an informational event educating students about the harms of bottled water and the benefits of drinking tap water. “Water Cooler Talk” booths will be set up in high-traffic locations around campus. There, informative pamphlets will be distributed, games will be played (with reusable water bottles given as prizes) and students will be given an opportunity to sign petitions. The petitions will be sent to UTM administration to make the campus a bottled water free zone. <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">

Clarke, Tony. "Bottled water companies just swimming in profits." __Polaris Institute__. 29 Nov. 2007. 27 Jan. 2009 < [] >.

"In Depth: Consumers: Bottled water." __CBC.ca__. 20 Aug. 2008. 27 Jan. 2009 <http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/consumers/bottled-water.html>. Llanos, Miguel. "Plastic bottles pile up as mountains of waste." __Msnbc.com__. 3 Mar. 2005. 26 Jan. 2009 < [] >. Petty, Sean, and Justin Trudeau. "The case against bottled water." __HealthZone.ca__. 11 Aug. 2008. 26 Jan. 2009 < [] >. "Questions and Answers on Bottled Water." __Health Canada Web site__. 08 July 2008. 05 Feb. 2009 <http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/securit/facts-faits/faqs_bottle_water-eau_embouteillee-eng.php>. "Science Matters: Message in a Bottle." __David Suzuki Foundation__. 2008. 27 Jan. 2009 <http://www.davidsuzuki.org/about_us/Dr_David_Suzuki/Article_Archives/weekly05160801.asp>.