Your safe digging campaigns are being seen
But are they changing behavior?
Awareness isn’t the problem.
Action is.
Whether the goal is increasing 811 requests, improving compliance, or driving adoption of digital tools—the challenge is the same: turning awareness into action.
Does this sound familiar?
Clear message but no action
People understand what to do but don’t follow through when it matters.
Strong campaigns but weak engagement
High reach with little interaction or behavior change.
Too much information, not enough clarity
Messaging explains everything but doesn’t make the next step obvious.
Disconnected outreach efforts
Campaigns, digital tools, and education don’t reinforce each other.
Digital that doesn’t drive action
Websites and tools exist but aren’t influencing real-world behavior.
Doing more but not seeing results
More campaigns and content but no meaningful change in outcomes.
Awareness informs.
Engagement drives action.
Awareness
fatigue is real
Audiences have seen the same messaging for years. More impressions don’t guarantee action.
Younger + hard
to reach audiences
Homeowners and next-gen excavators aren’t engaging with traditional outreach.
The risk isn’t a
lack of information
It’s lack of clarity, retention, and motivation to act. Changing the driver can change everything.
From awareness → to engagement
How 811 organizations are evolving
It’s not about reaching more people. It’s about what happens next.
The shift is toward clarity, interaction, and audience-first thinking. Messaging is simpler and easier to act on. Outreach is more interactive, turning passive awareness into active participation. And strategies are increasingly designed around how people actually behave—not how organizations assume they do.
More and more, this is happening in digital environments—meeting users where they already are.
Real examples from the field
More than awareness.
Designed to change behavior.
UDig NY Rebrand
By leveraging our extensive knowledge of UDig NY’s target audience, we designed a new website that showcases their new brand and provides a seamless user experience to obtain necessary information about proactively preventing underground damage.
Results:
- Simplified messaging and identity
- +17.5% increase in sessions
- ~40% decrease in bounce rate
- 157% ROI
JULIE Interactive Education
Makeway’s phased approach established a platform that teaches kids about safety through creativity and play.
Results:
- Gamified learning experiences
(Julie Kids, trivia, activations) - 8,835 families reached
- 100,000+ users engaged
The Shift That Matters Most
Most outreach strategies are built around visibility. But that’s not where behavior changes. The real challenge is getting someone to act on the message at the moment it matters.
Awareness → to action
Clarity over complexity
Make the next step obvious.
Participation over passive consumption
People remember what they do.
Experience over messaging
Delivery drives retention.
Relevance in the moment
Timing matters more than frequency.
Behavior over impressions
Success is action—not reach.
Who we help.
811 centers and damage prevention organizations
Looking to improve engagement and behavior change
Utility marketing & communications teams
Responsible for outreach, education, and influencing safe digging behavior
Damage prevention organizations
Focused on reducing incidents and influencing safe digging behavior
To move beyond awareness, most organizations start by focusing on how their message is actually understood.
Start with clarity
Can someone understand what to do in seconds?
Prioritize what drives behavior
Focus on what leads to action—not just reach.
Introduce interaction
Even small moments of participation can dramatically improve retention.
