Challenge, Solution and Results: Ceres Advocacy Campaign
Challenge:
Several state renewable energy policies were at risk, including a Renewable Portfolio Standard in Ohio and a bill to help expand solar power in North Carolina. We needed to engage constituents in key states to help swing the pendulum in favor of clean energy policies.
Solution:
We built a targeted campaign around renewable energy and the economic benefits of stable policies. The messaging was delivered through traditional PR and engaging on social media, with the goal of shifting the tenor of public statements about clean energy policy among officials in: Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina and Ohio.
We identified targets and influencers in each state and delivered key messaging to them, adjusting tactics as needed throughout the campaign. These included:
- Engaging with key decision makers and their influencers on social media platforms by monitoring for conversations they were having about renewable energy;
- Media monitoring that allowed the campaign to tap into momentum of related news or events;
- Original content development, including infographics, videos and memes that converted important but complex information into easily understood, sharable content; and
- Leveraging local businesses in each state to earn op-ed placements in top tier local publications.
Results:
- More than 80 influencers engaged, with over 100 individual engagements, during a 5-month period
- Engaged in conversations with targets such as MN State Senator Kevin Dahle and NC State Senator Szoka, as well as businesses like Anderson Corporation and 3M. We also engaged with key in-state advocacy organizations and media like the Charleston Business Journal
- The reach*, and thus the echo chamber for this effort, was very high, at 690,000+ people
*Reach ="The sum of all the followers of all 'Unique People.'” via Simply Measured
