Request ID: FOI-2840-2122 Date published: 29 March 2022
You asked
I am making a request under the freedom of information act. I require information regarding the amount of money spent advertising The ULEZ since Implementation of The ULEZ. I also request a breakdown of where this advertising budget has been spent in relation to it's Geographical regions. In particular I am seeking information regarding any advertising campaigns to inform the population of Gloucestershire of its implementation, and rules relating to its use.
The ULEZ expansion covering all areas within London’s North and South Circular Roads was implemented on 25 October 2021. In advance of the expansion, we launched a large-scale multi-channel information campaign on 5 October 2020 targeting both private and commercial vehicle owners in London and the surrounding areas with the aim of raising awareness of the expansion.
Advertising continued to run after 25 October 2021 and will continue to do so until the end of March 2022. In the run up to the expanded zone being implemented we spent £2,345,959 on advertising. Post the expansion, our advertising spend was £114,595. In addition, we also ran advertising on posters at key roadside locations within London, as well as on the public transport network. Whilst TfL did not pay to access this media, the value of the poster media utilised pre-expansion was £2,921,908 and post expansion, the value of this media was £555,191. The advertising channels we used which had a reach beyond London were radio, TV, video on demand and national specialist press titles. We did not run advertising in channels specifically reaching Gloucestershire as we had to focus our efforts on using channels that would cost effectively reach as many drivers as possible. However, a number of press releases were issued during the course of the campaign and they achieved widespread coverage. Articles appeared in national broadsheets such as the Financial Times, The Times, Guardian and Independent. There were a series of media events that resulted in the BBC and ITV interviewing the Mayor of London about the ULEZ and it was discussed on BBC London Radio and LBC. The following advertising channels were used to raise awareness and provide detailed information about how the ULEZ operated supported by detailed information on the TfL website including a downloadable leaflet and maps:
Radio – from Oct ’20, radio advertising which has an overspill of 25-30 miles radius outside of London (subject to the terrain) ran on the following stations: Absolute Radio, Capital London, Gold London, Heart London, Jazz FM, Kiss (London and network), LBC, Magic and Radio X London, Sunrise and Smooth London. We spent £81,429 on radio advertising post the ULEZ expansion to Dec ’21. The map below shows the radio transmission area:
TV and video on demand (VOD) –from 4-24 Oct ’21we spent £500,000 on TV and VOD advertising. Whilst the airtime was predominately aimed at London, ITV and Channel 4 airtime has an overspill of up to 50 miles outside of London subject to the terrain. The advert explained where the expanded zone would operate, the launch date and how to check your vehicle and appeared on ITV, Channel 4, London Live and video on demand channels. See below coverage maps.
ITV coverage map: Channel 4 coverage map:
Specialist presstitles – we spent £50,352 on adverts in the following national titles from Oct ‘20: What Van? Business Car, Fleet World, Van Fleet World, Van User, Electrical Contracting News, Electrical Time Magazine, Heating and Plumbing Monthly, Motorcycle News, What Car? And Route One.
In addition, we ran advertising in other media channels focussed on the London region namely:
Pan London and regional press titles – adverts appeared in the Evening Standard and Metro and in the following regional press titles:Barnet Borough Times, Brent & Kilburn Times, Bromley & Lewisham News Shopper, Barking & Dagenham Post, Camden New Journal, Docklands & East London Advertiser, Enfield Independent, Greenwich Info, Richmond Times, Ilford & Woodford Recorder, Islington & Hackney Gazette, Islington Tribune, Newham & Stratford Recorder, Southwark News, Wandsworth & Wimbledon Times, West London Gazette, Wharf Life, KCW Today, Your Local Guardian.
Social media – social media adverts ran on Facebook and Instagram. We spent £4,500 on paid social after the expansion of the ULEZ to Nov 2021.
Roadside posters -these ran in London with adverts at key roadside locations, on bus shelters and large format cross-track posters on the tube from Oct ‘20 – Dec ‘21. Posters also appeared on the public transport network.
Digital display adverts and online video – including London targeting via Waze, a wayfinding navigation app providing information to drivers of the new expanded boundary and where it operates. Online video also targeted London drivers via third party websites providing visual clarity on the area where the ULEZ expands up to. We spent £5,000 on display and online video after the expansion of the ULEZ to Dec 2021.
Digital radio – targeted “London auto owners” and priority London boroughs with high levels of non-compliant vehicles. We spent £18,666 after the expansion of the ULEZ to Dec 2021.
In addition to the advertising and before the expansion of the ULEZ on 25 Oct 2021, the following activity took place:
Letters - 1,068,486 letters sent to registered keepers of non-compliant vehicles seen in the zone via the DVLA during Jul, Aug, Sep and Oct 2021. We don’t hold details of the registered keepers, so we are unable to advise how many of these letters reached drivers outside London.
Emails - over 5 million emails were sent to customers registered on the TfL database from Oct ’20 – Oct ’21. During this period, c. 2.5m registered TfL customers who do not have a London Postcode associated with their TfL record were sent emails. In addition, over 2 million emails were sent to registered customers on the TfL database post the expansion of the ULEZ
Leaflet door drop - 633,659 leaflets were distributed from 11-28 Jan 2021 to residents living within a 1.1km radius outside the boundary and 1.875km radius inside the boundary of the expanded zone.
Face to face leafleting – from 28 Aug – 15 Oct 2021, we distributed 80,000 leaflets across 22 London boroughs, focusing on visiting locations with high natural footfall.
Stakeholder engagement - meetings were held with national bodies including the RAC, AA, British Vehicle Rental and Licensing Association, British Retail Confederation, National Market Traders Federation, the Royal College of Nurses, the TUC, and most of these included pieces on the ULEZ expansion in their national and/or regional publications.
Signage – early warning signage was installed at entrances to the expanded zone between Jul and Sep 2021, explaining the ULEZ was coming on 25 Oct 2021. In addition, circa130 electronic variable message signs on main roads throughout London were in place two weeks ahead of the zone expanding to raise awareness of the start date of the scheme. These remained in place two weeks after the expansion, followed by permanent signage at every entry point along the boundary and along key arterial approaches.
If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for any reason, please do not hesitate to contact me. Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal as well as information on copyright and what to do if you would like to re-use any of the information we have disclosed. Yours sincerely Eva Hextall FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
