The Scottish Government

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ISBN 0 7559 2875 X (Web only publication)

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Campaign overview

• In 2004 a major TV advertising campaign, entitled Broadband for Scotland, was launched. The campaign particularly targeted those people most likely to be computer literate and likely to adopt broadband.
• Research was conducted just before the main advertising launch in December 2003. The research was intended, firstly, to examine general public perceptions and knowledge of Broadband for Scotland. Secondly, the research was used to assess public awareness of the small-scale press and radio advertising that preceded the launch of the national campaign.
• The research was conducted using a face-to-face omnibus survey of 1000 people across Scotland.

Highlights

• Initially, 51% of those who had heard of broadband stated that they were not interested in investing in broadband in their home. Of those who were interested, 61% stated that they were planning on investing in broadband in their home in the following six months (25%) or on a longer timescale (36%). A small proportion of the sample (14%) already had broadband at the time of the research.
• When asked to name the benefits of broadband, 33% of those who had heard of broadband cited faster connection, while 15% mentioned the ability to use the phone and internet at the same time. A large minority of respondents (40%) stated that they did not know the benefits of broadband.
• When asked about the barriers that had prevented them from getting broadband, 30% of those interested in broadband cited the cost, while a further 22% cited access to service.
• TV was the medium through which the highest proportion of respondents had seen broadband advertising (46%).
• Over half of those questioned (56%) said they had seen or heard the Broadband for Scotland campaign.

Implications

• The small-scale press and radio advertising that preceded the main launch of the campaign achieved a good level of recall, given the relatively low spend in comparison to other campaigns.
• This survey indicates that there were a small number of computer users who were "early adopters" - peoplewho were ready to buy broadband but, in certain areas, were restricted by access. The majority of respondents, however, were still to be convinced of the benefits of broadband.
• These results suggest that the most appropriate approach for the Broadband for Scotland campaign (and the approach that was adopted) is to educate and inform the public about the benefits of broadband, relative to its cost.