DELAWARE RIVER WATERSHED FORUM OCTOBER 2014 Constituency-Building
Jul 16, 2015
D E L A W A R E R I V E R W A T E R S H E D F O R U M
O C T O B E R 2 0 1 4
Constituency-Building
Building on Themes from Last Year
Lots of great work and interested partners on this around the watershed
Need for watershed-wide messaging to raise awareness
Identifying overarching needs will help support multiple targets
Using innovative approaches that span traditional and new media will help expand opportunities
Successful communications strategies need a comprehensive plan
Presenters
Jennifer Adkins
Partnership for the Delaware Estuary
Kim Murphy
Berks Conservancy
Sue Currier
Delaware Highlands Conservancy
Delivery
Messaging
Research
Marketing & Communications Research
Objective: Enhance the sophistication of marketing and communications to build PDE’s and the Delaware Estuary’s brand locally, regionally, and nationally
Need strategies that work at three levels: Building awareness of PDE projects/programs
Increasing support for PDE as an organization
Building affinity for the Delaware Estuary
Need ways to measure success
Marketing & Communications Research
First Realization: We need help
Marketing/Communications expertise
An outside perspective
Second Realization: We need data!
15 million Delaware River Basin water users
6.7 million people in the lower Basin
The “interested public”?
Our 20,000 subscribers
Marketing & Communications Research
15 million Delaware River Basin water users
6.7 million people in the lower Basin
The “interested public”?
Our 20,000 subscribers
Tools:
Brand Audit
Focus Groups (2)
Non-Users (11)
Users (12)
Online Survey (300)
Interviews with Partners (32)
Marketing & Communications Research
Confirmed some things we suspected… Positive reputation and awareness of our “brand” among
those who know us – science, collaboration, people, environment
Low awareness of PDE and a negative perception of the Delaware River and Bay among those who don’t know us
Challenging name (unanimous across all groups!)
Opportunities for improving communications, including:
Our website
Our logo
Our publications
Marketing & Communications Research
Illuminated some new things…
Awareness of environmental groups in the region is very low, but perceptions are generally positive
• Longer life• Good health• Our future as a
country
• Positive• Healthy• Helpful
• Future• Health• Fun
• Better• Hip• Re-use
• Dedication• Incentive• Reward
• Conservancy• Education• Fundraising
• Outdoor• Nature• Green
• Disorganized• Caring• Effective
(somewhat)
• Health• Caring• Motivational
• CivicResponsibility
• Raising Awareness
• Collaborative
• Safety• Understanding• Reality
key words used to describe environmental groups
Marketing & Communications Research
Illuminated some new things…
Perceptions of the Delaware River and Bay among non-users are REALLY negative
Yuk! Disgusting!
You can’t see through it. It
looks like poop!
Unhealthy, I would never
want to drink that water,
that’s for sure
I don’t view it as anything you want
to recreate in or around. I view
more as for industrial use, for
transporting goods
My basis is mostly what I see… you see a lot of industrial use, you don’t see parks… the big tug boats and
barges.
If it’s for industry, that
means pollution
from ships…
I see people jet skiing in
Penn’s Landing –
ew!
Marketing & Communications Research
Illuminated some new things…
One of the main ways people connect to us and environmental action is through their employers
Marketing & Communications Research
Illuminated some new things… Survey respondents (300 of
PDE’s 7,000 subscribers) are:
Well-educated (90% college degree; 50% graduate degree)
On the older side (60% are over 50) and without children at home (almost 80%)
Very active on social media –79% use at least once per week
Marketing & Communications Research
Lots of new questions… If we change our communications to reach new audiences, do
we risk losing existing ones?
If people don’t understand “Estuary” is it better to avoid it, or use it as an educational opportunity?
How do we change perceptions of the Delaware River? How do these perceptions change in other areas of the watershed? How can we best use this information?
Can we segment our survey responses to compare different groups of people, gain insights into the messages that resonate most with them?
Can we do targeted additional surveying to reach the groups of people not well-represented in our research?
Marketing & Communications Research
What’s next? A multi-year communications plan for
PDE with strategies for media relations, website enhancement, social media and publications… and measuring success!
A key message platform for PDE
Focus on building a more positive image of the Delaware River and Bay, including a photo contest in 2015
New/shared research to better understand key audiences in the watershed?
J E N N I F E R A D K I N S
E X E C U T I V E D I R E C T O R
J A D K I N S @ D E L A W A R E E S T U A R Y . O R G
Thanks!