- Campaigns
SHIFT-ING the conversation
A Transportation Marketing & Public Outreach Strategy for Statewide Behavioral Change
Inspiring behavioral change is hard—especially at the scale of an entire state. Across every road, every community, and every type of driver, the challenge isn’t just awareness. It’s influence.
That’s what SHIFT set out to do. Not as a traditional transportation safety campaign, but as a shift in how Idahoans think about the road—moving beyond rules and regulations toward a shared sense of responsibility. SOVRN partnered with the Idaho Transportation Department to develop a strategic transportation marketing and public outreach approach capable of carrying that message consistently across every touchpoint.
Challenge
The objective was straightforward: safer roads. But the reality behind it was far more complex.
Each safety issue—speeding, seatbelt use, distracted driving, impairment—comes with its own behaviors, audiences, and data sets. Within many public sector marketing environments, these efforts can become fragmented, operating as standalone campaigns that compete for attention rather than reinforce a unified message. Awareness is generated, but behavior doesn’t always follow.
In a system where infrastructure communication and public understanding directly impact outcomes, that gap matters. ITD didn’t need more campaigns. They needed alignment—a more cohesive transportation communication strategy that could connect multiple initiatives, build momentum over time, and resonate with people in a more human way.
Solution
SHIFT was designed as a system, not a series of campaigns. At its core is a simple but powerful idea: when people stop seeing each other as drivers, cyclists, or pedestrians—and start seeing each other as people—behavior begins to change.
From there, the work focused on precision and consistency. Using crash and traffic data, messaging was developed to support targeted public outreach campaigns—addressing specific behaviors and audiences, then deployed across channels in a way that felt coordinated rather than episodic. Each initiative, whether focused on impaired driving or seatbelt usage, contributed to a broader narrative instead of standing alone.
The system extended across every layer of execution—from campaign frameworks aligned with national transportation safety initiatives to creative designed for digital, outdoor, social, and video. The tone remained human and direct, avoiding institutional language in favor of something more relatable and actionable. Even supporting efforts, like the development of the “Good Move” platform to promote public transportation, reinforced a unified infrastructure and mobility communication strategy.
Their work has created a new standard of excellence at our agency.
— Idaho Transportation Deptartment
Outcomes
SHIFT brought alignment to how ITD communicates across the state. Campaigns are no longer isolated—they build on each other, reinforcing a consistent message over time.
This created a more cohesive and scalable transportation marketing approach, allowing ITD to address multiple safety challenges without diluting impact. Messaging is clearer, delivery is more coordinated, and communication has shifted from reactive to strategic.
Most importantly, the work has changed how the message is received. By grounding communication in a human-centered idea and delivering it consistently across public outreach efforts, SHIFT moves beyond awareness and begins to influence behavior—making the consequences of everyday decisions on the road more visible, and more personal.
They’re not just creative—they’re intentional, responsive and deeply committed to work that makes a difference. Their team feels like a true extension of ours: easy to collaborate with, always prepared and solution oriented.
— Bill K, Program Supervisor, ITD
