Staticfuzzsquealclick . . .
“You’re listening to 97.7, WROD, The Road. It’s currently 90 degrees at 9:17 and WROD is asking you to buckle up out there and stay clear of those making a living in work zones. Did you know that over 40,000 were killed in work zones last year? And most were motorists just like you, so please stay alert and always drive safely.
“Let’s get back to the tunes after a brief check of your morning commute. You’re listening to WROD, The Road, America’s transportation station.” Staticfuzzsquealclick . . .
VIDEO: Traffic congestion on a local street with ambulance on emergency call stuck in the back.
VOICEOVER: Each year gridlock in the U.S. tightens its grip on the motorist community.
VIDEO: Show close-up of ambulance at a standstill, blaring its horn trying to move through traffic.
VOICEOVER: According to the Texas Transportation Institute’s Urban Mobility Study, Americans now spend more time in bumper-to-bumper traffic than ever before.
VIDEO: Show extreme close-up of ambulance at a standstill, lights flashing and constant horn.
VOICEOVER: What if your help was stuck in traffic? End the congestion crisis. Contact your local senator or representative and urge more funding for road and bridge construction.
It’s exactly what this industry needs—a voice for radio and a face for television. The problem is we are always on the outside. Whether it’s on the road or alongside of it, somebody is always looking at a project through some sort of window attached to a car, building or house. The transportation construction industry needs to get inside. Better yet, inside the heads of everyone who drives on or over a road or bridge.
The two examples I provided above—owning a radio station and a television commercial—are ways of grabbing a spot next to those who could make a difference. OK, so taking over the airwaves might be a little costly, but think of the constant exposure to a targeted audience. I particularly like the commercial spot. It’s short, sweet and hits the audience where it counts.
Triggering my thoughts of a media blitz was the American Association of Highway & Transportation Officials meeting during the 50th anniversary of the interstate in late June. The challenge was how to get our message out there. The debate followed the same tone that has been ringing for years. There isn’t enough media coverage of the funding shortfalls, the president never mentions the problem in his state of the union address, and so on and so on.
It’s time for this industry to stop camping itself under the slight chance of free publicity. We need to hire a professional public relations firm leading up to the next election. Industry associations do an incredible job trying to swing the bat for road and bridge contractors, but it doesn’t hurt to add a paid slugger to the lineup.
The cold reality is, if we continue to come up short on the funding end, countries like China and India will pass us in racecars. We are already in a global economy, one that will bank its bucks on the ability to import and export at a fierce pace. China’s new interstate system’s sole purpose is to move commerce. In fact, experts predict in the next 20 years it will be the leading power of this global economy. It is building the infrastructure, no matter the cost.
It’s time for this industry to make the investment to get noticed—before the world labels us as outsiders.
