Radio Taxis Group has a proud reputation as a pioneer of green transport in the UK. In 2005 it was the first transport company to become CarbonNeutral®, offsetting unavoidable emissions from its offices and its fleet of over 3,000 black cabs. Since then RTG has continued to work to reduce its carbon footprint and minimise its impact on the environment.

Objectives
We had two clear objectives for the launch: to build the brand position of Radio Taxis as a partner of choice with its business customers; and to convince drivers (all of whom are self employed) that the fuel was good to put in their tank.

Solution
Bio-fuels, whilst an important part of the eco portfolio, are not glamorous and remain difficult to publicise. Moreover as a London-centric company, Radio Taxis historically found that much of its activity was deemed irrelevant to audiences outside of the capital.
It was of paramount importance to make the story more attractive by providing a clear context, strong visual imagery and news-worthy yet credible spokespeople. We approached Ken Livingstone, then Mayor of London, to act as a champion for the fuel from a London and green perspective. With our ‘black cabs go green’ theme we then built on the greening of a British icon extending our reach beyond the M25.
The launch was at City Hall immediately prior to the Mayor’s weekly news conference, boosting media attendance and ensuring it featured in ‘questions to the Mayor’. “Green is the new Black” liveried cabs with Tower Bridge as the backdrop delivered the story visual. Expert commentators for business press communicated the benefits of using RTG as part of the supply chain - whilst the pictures brought the story to life.

Result
In the month after the launch we received over £9 million pounds worth of positive coverage, with stories running across 4 networks in the US, in the Middle East and in the UK. Ongoing news and features appeared in the London regional titles as well as in local and trade media. The response from drivers has been extremely positive with more than 20 per cent of the fleet using the fuel, citing improved miles per gallon, a smoother drive and less emissions.