2013 Year-end SummarY report

Water – Use It WiselyHow can a shovel save you hundreds of gallons of water a year?

A shovel is just one of the more than 100 everyday water-saving devices featured in the Water – Use It Wisely water conservation campaign. At the heart of this successful movement is a partnership between several Arizona cities and local private organizations. Together, the partners orchestrate landscape workshops, classroom visits, media interviews, public events and more to spread water awareness throughout the Valley. This Year-End Summary Report is a reflection of the campaign partners’ top accomplishments over the past year. These achievements help Arizonans appreciate and conserve our most precious resource, water. After all, there are a number of ways to save water, and they all start with you.

A Refreshed Water-Use It Wisely Site Makes a SplashThe worldwide web is constantly evolving, and for WUIW to keep its spot as the most-visited water conservation website, it was time to update. Not only does the WUIW website have a new look and feel; it has also been optimized for better audience reach and top-notch user experience.

The Big Reveal

About UsWhat began in 1999 as a joint effort between Mesa, Phoenix and Scottsdale to launch a water conservation campaign is now the largest conservation movement of its kind. Today, more than 400 private and public entities throughout North America tap into Water – Use It Wisely. Fifteen partners drive Arizona’s WUIW coalition, sharing a commitment to sustaining our most precious resource by reducing our water use.

The Arizona Water Partners are:

» AMWUA » EPCOR Water » Global Water Resources » Salt River Project

And the Cities of:

» Avondale » Chandler » Fountain Hills » Glendale » Mesa » Peoria

Our Mission:

Keep water conservation in the forefront of people’s minds by combining funds for better buying power and to maximize media exposure.

Contact Us:

If you are interested in becoming a partner, please email us at jointhecause@wateruseitwisely.com.

» Phoenix » Queen Creek » Scottsdale » Surprise » Tempe

77#

Dig up that old shrub and replace it with a low water-use plant.SAVINGS = 550 GAl/YEAR

» Optimized to be responsive on all mobile devices.

» Design upgrades for easier navigation.

» Users can now search for content using a “search field.”

» The homepage now features “sliders,” which call attention to WUIW’s current events and initiatives.

» Our latest blog posts are now front and center on the homepage.

» The site is now highly focused for an Arizona audience. It addresses water challenges and conservation practices specific to our region.

The site refresh began with a “heat mapping analysis,” which showed which areas of the site visitors were clicking on most often.

The WUIW homepage makes a splash with a new look and easier navigation.

Shareable Tip Posters

The 100+ Ways to Conserve tips are the cornerstone of the WUIW campaign, and with 4x the traffic of other pages on the WUIW website, they are also our most popular content. We learned through heat mapping, however, that only 25% of users were scrolling beyond tip #50.

To get visitors interacting with all of our water-saving tips, we moved away from our traditional list format, instead taking a highly visual approach. Visitors are now able to explore a colorful grid of tip posters, each of which can be downloaded, printed and shared with family and friends via e-mail, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest. Users can also sort the tips by category, or choose to view the tips in an organized list.

The dynamic nature of the posters aims to keep visitors on the site for a longer period of time and lower bounce rates. In addition, the “learn More” option underneath each tip will direct users to other relevant pages on the WUIW website.

TelevisionThe Spring TV Media Buy took place over a four-week period during April and May.Channel 3:

» Placed 148 (:30) spots during Good Morning America and morning, evening and weekend news programming.

» Placed 44 (:05) spots on weather sponsorship billboards.

» The partners were showcased in two 4-minute in-studio interviews and one on-location interview at the Glendale Tree Trail that aired on Your Life A to Z. Segments aired in the respective 9-10 am timeframe and were repeated on Saturdays 10-11 am.

Channel 3 TV spots generated 4,275,760 impressions on adults ages 25-54.

Channel 15:

» Placed 186 (:30) spots during the morning, evening and late news.

» Placed 80 (:30) spots on the LiveWell cable network and 16 (:05) sponsorship billboards during newscasts.

» WUIW was featured on The List in a water-related Q&A session during the 4:30-5 pm broadcast. The WUIW quizzes were seen 20 times and had more than 30 promos.

» The partners participated in four 4-minute in-studio segments on Sonoran Living with Terri Ouellette over a four-week period. Segments repeated on the LiveWell network and were featured on ABC15.com as well.

Channel 15 TV spots generated 4,358,580 impressions on adults ages 25-54.

WebOn AZfamily.com, visitors were greeted by a floating Wayne Drop on the homepage, WUIW banners on the weather page and a feature on their Quick links section. WUIW was also featured in two email blasts to 175,000 opt-in recipients. These web elements directed visitors to the WUIW Home Water Challenge.

AZfamily.com generated 3,523,475 impressions via AZfamily display, mobile and premium publisher sites such as Forbes, USA Today and Newsweek. Continued...

Tip #01 There are a number of ways to save water, and they all start with you.

Don’t tell us to save water, show us how.

Spring Media Buy2012 was an election year, so in lieu of the usual Fall Media Buy, WUIW put those funds toward the website refresh. As a part of the 2013 Spring Media Buy strategy, WUIW had a stronger presence on TV and web.

Through partnerships with Channel 3 and 15, the WUIW partners were featured in short interview segments on live television. Each week they discussed different topics, ranging from “Water Awareness Month” to “leak detection” to “water-wise container gardening.” Supplemental efforts online including banner ads, video pre-roll and email blasts, drove media impressions on these channels as well.

Spring Media Buy impressions (TV +Web) totaled 12,029,340!

Web ContinuedABC15.com visitors were exposed to banner ads and a (:15) pre-roll spot prior to news reports for 85,000 video player runs. WUIW was featured in four weekly “Breaking News” email blasts to 25,000 opt-in recipients.

ABC15.com generated 895,000 impressions.

WUIW Website Traffic During Spring Media BuyWebsite traffic got a boost from the Spring Media Buy. The site received more than 134,341 unique visitors who viewed pages on the site more than 229,000 times. The Home Water Challenge, driven largely by AZfamily.com, received roughly 12,500 visits, and altogether, 84% of visitors were new to the site.

In the News

» Congressional Hearing: At the Water and Power Senate subcommittee in July, director of AMWUA, Kathy Ferris, presented testimony regarding the BOR Colorado Basin Water Supply and Demand Study. She referenced Arizona’s conservation efforts, noting the success of the WUIW campaign.

» The Phoenix Zoo Wild Times Magazine July/August issue featured indoor and outdoor water tips and directed users to the Water – Use It Wisely website.

» Arizona Republic: In April, Water – Use It Wisely tips were featured in the Thrifty living column of an article by Sue Doerfler about Water Awareness Month.

» Frontdoors News Network: John Smith, our favorite Green Plumber and owner of R2K Plumbing, discussed some simple and FREE ways to save water on Frontdoors News Network. In the video interview, John directed viewers to the Water - Use It Wisely website to learn more about saving water.

» SRP’s Together We Conserve website featured advice from Water – Use It Wisely.

Events » Water – Use It Wisely Day at the Arizona Science Center on October 20, 2012.

» The One for Water 4-Miler race on March 9, 2013 during Fix-a-leak Week.

» SRP’s Water Conservation Expo on March 2, 2013.

» Earth Day at the Phoenix Zoo on April 20, 2013, attended by over 7,500 people.

500,000

900,000

1,300,000

1,700,000

2,100,000

2,500,000

2,900,000

3,300,000

3,700,000

4,100,000

4,500,000

Spring Media Buy 2013 ImpressionsTotal Impressions: 12,029,340

Channel 15Channel 15Channel 3Channel 3

TV TV

WEB

WEB

Social Media

Social media is becoming an increasingly important way to connect with audiences. last year alone, we saw how a simple Twitter strategy could garner high engagement and numerous impressions among relevant audiences. This year, we dove headfirst into a robust social media effort designed to reach more Arizonans, especially on Facebook.

FacebookIn fall 2012, WUIW’s Facebook page design was updated, and a strategy was developed to begin actively engaging users on a daily basis. The page’s reach, initially about 200 people per month, grew to nearly 2,000 per month in less than a year, the majority of whom were Phoenix-area residents.

TwitterWUIW already had great traction on Twitter, due in part to a prior strategy of sharing 3-4 WUIW water conservation tips daily. As a second phase, we created more engagement by answering questions, personally thanking those who shared or commented on our content, supporting partner channels, sharing blog posts and more.

Our Twitter account experienced significant growth this year, especially in the local market.

BlogBlog updates with original content from the WUIW partners and guest content kept the site fresh and buzzing with activity. The Guest Blogger Guidelines helped facilitate submissions from relevant groups such as our local Benjamin Franklin Plumbing and Niagara Conservation.

Looking Forward Below are some high points for the

‘13-’14 fiscal year.

» Radio opportunities with Rosie-On-The House

» Interviews on Channel 3

» Pinterest Specialty Boards

» Celebrate AZ Water Photo Sharing Activity

» Monthly Email Newsletter

» Water-Saving Toolkit landing Page

In addition to being showcased in city halls, libraries and other municipal buildings from Chandler to Surprise this year, the tower was also featured at the Smithsonian Institute’s Green Revolution Exhibit at the Tempe Center for the Arts.

Water Tower TourStanding 16 feet tall and constructed from 136 one-gallon jugs, the WUIW water-use pyramid represents the average Arizonan’s daily water consumption. The physical representation never fails to widen eyes and create a sense of urgency around water conservation.

Twitter Followers

Summer 2013Fall 20120

3,500

4,000

4,500

5,000

WUIW Facebook Reach

2012-2013 Peak2012 Baseline0 USERS

500

1,000

1,500

2,000