Oxford Direct Services (ODS) is a local authority trading company – a ground-breaking, social enterprise-inspired organisation set up and wholly-owned by Oxford City Council to deliver services across Oxfordshire.
As ODS moved into its second year, Twelve worked with the team to showcase its pioneering role in green transport across national, local and trade press.
The campaign kicked off with cutting edge electric vehicle technology – retractable EV charging points. ODS was instrumental in a pioneering project to install ‘pop-up’ on-street charging points, designed by Urban Electric.
Known as ‘OxPops’, these charging points are app-operated and retract underground when not in use reducing on street clutter. Although this was pilot project, the pop-up chargers will play an essential role in helping Oxford become the UK’s first zero emission city.
It was important for ODS to raise awareness of its EV expertise amongst its core audiences, including other local authorities and businesses, who might commission ODS to install similar infrastructure on their behalf.
Twelve worked with all partners involved to highlight the benefits of the pilot project, ensured each partner was equally represented and secured media coverage in national, local and key trade titles including Sunday Times, Daily Mail, This Is Money, Business Innovation Magazine and Fleet News.
Through the six month sustained media relations programme,
Twelve helped showcase ODS’s and City Council’s commitment to doing good through green transport.
An Oxford first
In June 2020, ODS, which operates one of the county’s largest electric vehicle fleets with 334 vehicles, worked in collaboration with Innogy to install Oxford’s first 50kw rapid electric charger at the company’s Cowley depot. The installation formed part of the £41m Energy Superhub Oxford Project, led by City Council and Pivot Power.
Through a thought leadership programme which highlighted ODS’s experience managing EV fleets and incorporated the addition of world-class EV technology, Twelve secured over thirty pieces of press coverage in local publications such as Oxford Mail and This is Oxfordshire and core trade including EV Fleetworld, Commercial Fleet, Fleet News, Green Fleet and Electronic Specifier to name a few.
“Twelve repurposed an OxPops action video to became that day’s top hitting feature on the Daily Mail front page.”
