Draft Communications and Promotion Plan As of 9/17/08

Draft Communications and Promotion Plan as of 9/17/08

Overview

Soaring asphalt prices are creating unprecedented opportunities for concrete to gain share in parking lots, streets, and local roads—large markets where in most if not all regions asphalt has a commanding market share. Asphalt has always enjoyed the advantage of lower initial cost. Concrete has always been perceived as the higher priced but longer-lasting material.

Now, with asphalt prices up 34% for the first eight months of 2008, concrete for the first time is more competitive in terms of initial costs to go along with its long-standing advantage in life-cycle costs.

Objectives

Position concrete parking lots, streets, and local roads as competitive with asphalt on initial placement costs superior to asphalt for life-cycle costs.

Provide concrete producers, contractors, and other industry stakeholders with the knowledge and tools they need to promote concrete for parking lots, streets, and low-volume roads, including the knowledge of the scale of the potential.

Recruit, educate, and train contractors to both grow and meet demand with profitable operations and high-quality products.

Educate engineers and other specifiers not familiar with concrete paving design and detailing skills.

Position cement and concrete products as sustainable solutions for paving.

Audience / Issues / Messages / Tactics
Concrete contractors not currently involved in paving / In some regions, the lack of qualified contractors will limit ability to take advantage of opportunities.
Quality and workmanship need to be addressed; they could become barriers to market share.
Contractors need training in bidding, estimating, and construction procedures to ensure profitable operations. / In a down construction market, contractors have the chance to develop new long-term market opportunities in concrete paving.
Rising oil prices make concrete competitive with asphalt in terms of both life-cycle and initial costs.
Apart from high oil prices, asphalt prices are rising from a lower supply resulting from changes in how oil is refined.
Concrete is the sustainable solution for paving, offering durability and energy savings. / Recruitment, education, and training:
ASCC/NRMCA contractor training
ASCC: Engage equipment suppliers in efforts
Outreach/communications:
Paving: The New Realities—PCA media outreach and regional events
Other: to be determined
Asphalt paving contractors / Asphalt contractors have existing customer base.
Roller-compacted concrete can be placed with asphalt equipment. / High oil prices are here to stay, which makes asphalt less competitive and opens up new opportunities in concrete paving products.
Apart from high oil prices, asphalt prices are rising from a lower supply resulting from changes in how oil is refined.
Some cement-based products, such as roller-compacted concrete, can be placed with asphalt equipment.
Concrete is the sustainable solution for paving, offering durability and energy savings. / Recruitment, education, and training:
Engage equipment suppliers in efforts
RCC demos and seminars presented by PCA regional groups.
Outreach/communications:
Paving: The New Realities—PCA media outreach and regional events
Other: to be determined
Internal (State RMCs, RPGs, ACPA chapters, members of PCA/NRMCA) / Awareness and education on scale of potential
Perception that high asphalt prices are temporary.
Need to reset priorities for market development programs and tactics. / High oil prices are here to stay, which makes asphalt less competitive and opens up new opportunities in concrete paving products.
Apart from high oil prices, asphalt prices are rising from a lower supply resulting from changes in how oil is refined.
Rising oil prices make concrete competitive with asphalt in terms of both life-cycle and initial costs.
Concrete is the sustainable solution for paving, offering durability and energy savings. / Opportunity education:
NRMCA outreach to members
Promotion training:
NRMCA promotion and train the trainer courses for parking lots
Outreach/communications:
Paving: The New Realities—PCA media outreach and regional events
Other: to be determined
Specifiers and influencers (facility managers, building owners, developers, public works officials, consulting engineers) / Pre-existing notion by specifiers that carbon dioxide content makes concrete a contributor not a solution.
Perception that high asphalt prices are temporary may lead to putting projects on hold rather than looking for alternatives.
Contractor availability could be an issue in some regions.
Lack of experience and confidence with concrete paving.
Lack of well-developed specifications and procedures. / Rising oil prices make concrete competitive with asphalt in terms of both life-cycle and initial costs.
Apart from high oil prices, asphalt prices are rising from a lower supply resulting from changes in how oil is refined.
Concrete is the sustainable solution for paving, offering durability and energy savings. / Education:
NRMCA design engineer seminars
Involvement with specifying groups in their collective bodies (AIA, USGBC) with education programs by all industry stakeholders.
Outreach/communications:
Paving: The New Realities—PCA media outreach and regional events.
Integrate messages into Concrete Answers Series Web sites for specifiers
Other: to be determined