Communicating CSP’s Value - Mark Sokolove Presentation from CSP Today Conference

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Communicating CSP’s Value:Generating Attention to Reach Critical

Audience Segments

CSP Today USALas Vegas, NVJune 26, 2013

Table of Contents

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1. Positive Growth, but Still an Uphill Climb2. Ways to Win Them Over/Best Practices3. Lessons Learned/Success Stories

Let’s Start With The Positives…

3 out of 4 Americans support the development of utility-scale

solar on public landshttp://www.seia.org/cs/news_detail?pressrelease.id=1670

Source of clean, reliable and

dispatchable power

Strong job creation potential

All projects, regardless of merit, need or value, start with varying degrees of opposition

• Property value and proximity to housing• Environmental issues• Land/Ag. use issues• Restrictive taxes & policies• Price of natural gas• RPS rollback attempts

What We’re Up Against

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Ways to Win Them Over:Five Campaign Components

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1. Create a strategic campaign playbook2. Use consistent message throughout your

organization3. Define what attacks you can live with4. Reach out proactively to grasstops and

grassroots5. Use multiple tools and channels to reach

various audiences

Ways to Win Them Over:Communications Planning Methodology

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Ways To Win Them Over: Building Grasstops Support

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• Outreach to elected officials• Press and editorial board tours, power

plant visits• Local business leader engagement• Local educational institutions

Ways To Win Them Over: Building Grassroots Support

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• Letters to the editor• Email campaigns• Flyering• Town halls and

workshops• Door-to-door

Ways To Win Them Over: Media Channels To Use

• Earned media• Paid advertising• Microsites• Social media• Peer-to-peer contact

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Ways To Win Them Over: Powermapping

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Grasstops• Interest group leaders• Local elected officials• 3rd party validators

Grassroots / Community• Local networks• Recreational networks• Church networks• Professional networks• Neighborhood networks

Senator, Chair, Commerce & Labor

Committee

Director, Governor’s

Office of Energy

County Commissioners

AssemblymanBLM Las

Vegas Field Office

Mayor

Area Chamber of Commerce

Executive Director, Nevada Cattlemen’s

Association

Neighborhood associations

Religious organizationsPresident, Sierra Club

Ways To Win Them Over: Powermapping the Grasstops

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The wind farm “means jobs and tax revenue for the local community and that of course, is good for this school district.”

Local school superintendent

Message and Messenger

Channels Outcome

• Local parents

• Residents concerned about the budget

• Property owners

Audience

• Local media outlets

• Community meetings

• Social networks

• Increased public support for your project

How It Works Together

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Lessons Learned: Be Clear & Consistent Across Channels

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Lessons Learned: Communicate Locally

“We've got sun in abundance here in the San Joaquin Valley. We must continue to strive to maximize our potential as food producers, but there's more than one way to fuel America's needs. And the valley's west side is the ideal place to do it.”

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Lessons Learned: Matching Tactics & Tools To Your Audience

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Ways to Win Them Over:Five Campaign Components

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1. Create a strategic campaign playbook through communications planning

2. Use consistent message throughout your organization

3. Define what attacks you can live with4. Reach out proactively to grasstops and

grassroots5. Use multiple tools and channels to reach

various audiences

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Thank You

Mark [email protected]

@msokolove