Last year, CGA conducted a member survey to determine the tools and resources members needed to best reach their professional and general public audiences with the 811 safety message. As a result of this research, as well as damage data from recent Damage Information Reporting Tool (DIRT) Reports, CGA has developed a new 811 tagline to reflect the ongoing evolution of the damage prevention industry, and reinforce the importance of consistent use of 811 for every project.
CGA is proud to present the new national 811 tagline:
According to the Damage Information Reporting Tool (DIRT) Report, year after year “no notification made to the 811 center” is the number one root cause of damages. Awareness of 811 is high among professionals, yet 60% of damages reported in 2021 were caused by contractors, demonstrating that many are aware of the 811 process but still fail to contact 811 before they dig.
This prompted the Educational Programs & Marketing Committee to launch an 811 Revamp Task Team, which has been working on shifting from an 811 strategy focused on awareness to one focused on behavioral change. The updated 811 tagline emphasizes the fundamental relationship between 811 and safety, while also promoting the need for consistency and contacting 811 for every project, regardless of its size and scope.
The new tagline is relevant to both professionals and homeowners and instills a sense of responsibility and accountability in the individual who is digging.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a seasoned professional or a homeowner digging for the very first time. Your safety and the safety of those around you—whether that be your work crew or your neighbors—is in your hands, and every dig should always start with 811.
The new tagline, paired with the existing 811 logo, features all capital letters and repetitive language with “EVERY DIG. EVERY TIME.” in bold to communicate a sense of strength and urgency. Because it does not state a specific method to use when contacting 811, the new tagline is applicable to both online locate requests and phone calls.
CGA has also released a new animation for the 811 logo on its own and paired with the new tagline to help members make their 811 messaging more eye-catching across a variety of media. The new tagline and animation can be accessed in a variety of file types here. (Prior to downloading you will need to sign the 811 logo terms of use. Upon signing you will be redirected to the downloads page.) Please note that the original 811 tagline will remain available for member use.
We encourage you to include the new animation and tagline in your upcoming National Safe Digging Month (NSDM) activations and outreach through your social media, website, presentations, promotions and more to spread the word about this exciting new chapter for the 811 brand. For more NSDM resources, check out CGA’s National Safe Digging Month toolkit, which includes new infographics, social media post examples, proclamations, case studies featuring creative initiatives and more. CGA also recently published its new excavator-focused NSDM toolkit, which offers tools to more effectively reach the excavator audience with key messages related to excavator-specific damage prevention practices.
We appreciate your dedication to damage prevention, and look forward to seeing the new national 811 tagline and animation across the country this National Safe Digging Month!