Marketing and Communications Plan - Department of … · marketing and communications plan . ......
Transcript of Marketing and Communications Plan - Department of … · marketing and communications plan . ......
august 27 2010 | DRAFT
in los angeles county
marketing and communications plan
table of contents
Summary Overview 3
ProposedImplementationPlan10
Introduction 11
Program Goals and Objectives 13
Marketing and Outreach Goals and Structure 14
Strategy 18
1 CountywideMarketing(andMediaRelations)18
2 PilotMarketingAreas24
3 Trigger-EventMarketing 30
4 CityandCOGOutreach 30
5 ContractorMarketing 31
6 RealtorMarketing 34
7 RetailPartnerMarketing35
8 Multi-FamilyMarketing36
9 WholeNeighborhoodMarketing36
Evaluation 37
Descriptions of MarketingCommunications Tools 38
Descriptions of Key Messages 43
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 1
summary overview
The Statewide Challenge TheCaliforniaPublicUtilitiesCommissionrsquos (CPUC)EnergyEfficiencyStrategicPlancalls forretrofitting130000housingunitsstate-wideby2012toincreaseenergyefficiencyand reducegreenhousegasemissionsstatewide TheCPUChasprovided$111millionforutility companiestoprovidesubstantialcustomer rebatesforwholehouseenergyefficiency upgradesEnergy Upgrade CaliforniaTM isanunprecedentedstatewidecollaborative responsetoassisttheutilitiesandlocalgov-ernmentsinmeetingthatdauntingchallenge EnergyUpgradewillcreateanewindustry andtransformthemarketforenergyefficiency upgradestoexistingbuildings
Theoverarchinggoalistocreateasustainable marketforawholehouseenergy-efficiency performanceapproachthatwillleadtolong-termjobsfundedthroughtheAmerican RecoveryandReinvestmentActthatwas allocatedtocitiesandcountiesthroughoutthe nation
Energy Upgrade California in Los Angeles Countyisanallianceamongthe CountyofLosAngelestheCitieswithinthe CountySouthernCaliforniaEdisonSouthern CaliforniaGasCompanyandthemunicipally ownedutilitiesintheCountyThegoalisa ldquoone-stopshoprdquoforpropertyownerstoeasily findclearconsolidatedinformationaboutthe Programelementscertifiedcontractorsand alltherebatesincentivesandfinancingop-tionsavailable
Mostoftheapproximately34millionhous-ingunitsinLosAngelesCountywerebuilt beforestateenergyefficiencystandards(Title 24)wereimplementedbeginningintheearly 1980sApropertyownerinvestmentof$5000 to$15000toimplementasingle-familyhome energyretrofitcanoftenachieveanaverageof 20ormoreenergysavings
TheCountyanditspartnersarecollaborat-ingonawebsitecommunityoutreachand countywideadvertisingtoleverageefforts andfundingandtomaximizeparticipationin theProgrammdashwithagoalofpropertyowners completing30000energyefficiencyupgrades bysummer2013TheldquoMediaandAdvertising Flightsrdquomatrixprovidesanoverviewofsched-uleandtiming
Marketing Strategy Thestrategyisentirelyresearch-drivenfocus-ingonthosepropertyownersmostlikelyto undertakeahomeenergyupgradeMarketing andoutreacheffortswillbemulti-layeredand multi-facetedtargetingaudiencesbywhothey arewheretheyliveandtheeventsgoingonin theirlivesEffortsinclude
1 Countywide Marketing (and Media Relations)
2 Pilot Marketing Areas
3 Trigger-Event Marketing
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 3
4 City Outreach
5 Contractor Marketing
6 Realtor Marketing
7 Retail Partner Marketing
8 Multi-Family Marketing
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing
1 Countywide Marketing and Outreach
Outreachwillbeaimedattargetaudiences throughbothmainstreamandmulticultural mediaTheadvertisingwillalsospilloveronto audiencesinspecificgeographicareasAn overarchinglayerofmainstreammarketing andadvertisingwillbeaimedatthreeaudi-ences
countywide marketingoutreach tactics
Cable TV
County Events
Mass Media
Out of Home
Radio
Retail Partners
City Information
City TV
Local Media
Transit Shelters
Theaters
Billboards
Community of Interest
Newsletters
Contractor Marketing
Direct Mail to Hot Spots
Online Ads
Site Signage
Social Media
Community Newsletters
Local Events
Target Audience
4 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
ldquoEarly AdoptersrdquoThosewhoarestrong environmentalistsalreadypoisedtoldquodo therightthingrdquofortheenvironmentand whojustneedtohearaboutaprogramand rebates
ldquoRetrofit-ReadyrdquoThosewhoarealready planninghomeimprovementsandjust needalittlemoreinformationaboutwhat stepstotaketosavemoneyandldquodothe rightthingrdquofortheenvironment
ldquoRetrofit-PersuadablerdquoThosewho arethinkingabouttheirutilitybillshome comfortandtheenvironmentorour dependenceonfossilfuelsforeignoil (especiallyinlightoftherecentGulfoil spill)andwhoneedinformationabout whattypesofimprovementstheycould makeandwhatstepstotaketosaveenergy moneyandreducefossilfuelconsumption
Marketingwillfocusoneachtargetaudience providingimpressionsclosetotheirhomes andreachingouttomassaudiencesasshown intheldquotargetrdquoPropertyownerswhoarenot eligiblefororinterestedinEnergyUpgrade Californiawillfindinformationaboutoppor-tunitiesforweatherizationprogramslow-incomeratesubsidiesgreenjobstrainingand otherinitiativesavailabletoqualifiedlower incomehouseholds
Marketingandoutreachcountywidewill include
Direct MailUtilitieswillplacemessages onouterbillenvelopessenttocustom-ersTheyintendtosenddirectmailabout EnergyUpgradetoldquotargetareasrdquobasedon acombinationofenergyusageageofhome andhouseholdincome
County EventsUtilitieswillattendlarge eventssuchastheSeptember2010and 2011LACountyFairswithawholehouse
themethatincludesaminimodelhouse thatvisitorscanldquotourrdquoThereareaddition-alproposedeventsthatutilitiestheCounty orcitieswillattend
Social MediaTheProgramwillheavily usesocialmediatoreachtargetaudiences whileminimizingcostbeginningatlaunch andcontinuingthroughouttheProgram
Countywide IncentivesSeveralcon-ceptsarebeingdevelopedincludingincen-tivesforenergyassessmentsandcontrac-tors
Countywide Media BuysWithaSep-tember12010launchdatemediabuys willbespreadtoavoidtheelectionmonth ofOctober2010Buyscanincludemain-streambroadcasttelevisionaswellasUni-visionandNPRstationsSocialmediabuys includeGoogleAdWords(inEnglishand Spanish)andblogadsPrintbuysinclude in-languagepublications
Home Energy Makeover Contest HomeEnergyMakeoverContestsgener-ateatremendousamountofpublicityand havebeensuccessfullyconductedinmany otherstatesandcitiesTheconceptisto modelthebehaviortheProgramistrying toencouragebyshowingtheldquowholehouse approachrdquohoweasyupgradescanbehow muchtherebatescanreduceoverallproject costandhowmuchdifferenceupgrades canmaketoahomeTwocontestseach with5winnerswillbeconductedoneat ProgramlaunchandoneinSpring2011
Media RelationsTheProgramwill coordinateCountyutilityandCalifornia EnergyCommissionCaliforniaPublicUtili-tiesCommissioneffortsMediarelations willbeinthreephasespre-launchlaunch andmilestones
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 5
Identifying Locations of Target Audiences Thegeographiclocationoftargetaudiences willbeidentifiedthroughtwomarketanalysis efforts
Parcel-Based Market Analysis A detailedmarketanalysistosupportspecific piecesoftheoutreachandcommunications strategywillbeconductedwhichwillstart byidentifyingthelocationofaudiencesthat arereceptivetospecificoutreachstrategies Themarketanalysisisbeingconducted usingconsumermarketresearchcombined withdemographicdataandpropertychar-acteristicsdatafromtheCountyassessor Themainproductfortheanalysiswillbea separateanalysisreport(expectedAugust 2010)Thisreportwillincludecountywide ldquoheatmapsrdquothatidentifyareaswithahigh proportionoftargetpropertiesandare thereforeidealareasfortargetedmarket-ingThesemapscanbeusedforEnergy Upgradeorcontractormarketingstrate-gies
Pilot Marketing AreasTheCountywill intensifymarketingeffortsinspecificpilot marketingareaswherehighpercentagesof theEarlyAdopterandRetrofitReadyaudi-enceslive(seebelow)
2 Pilot Area Marketing TheCountyintendstostimulatethemarket andgeneratepositiveword-of-mouthby intensifyingmarketingeffortsinspecificpilot marketingareaswherebasedonextensive consumerresearchahighpercentageoftarget audienceslivePilotmarketingprogramsin thoseareaswilltesttheextentcommunity-basedmarketingpositivelyimpactsparticipa-tionrates
Todeterminewheretocreatetheintensemar-ketingpilotprogramsweusedcharacteristics basedonthestatisticallysignificantmarket researchmdashidentifyingthosewhoshowedthe highestinterestinparticipatinginanenergy upgradeWethenanalyzedneighborhoods throughoutthecountytodetermineareas wherehighpercentagesofthoseaudiences liveCharacteristicsinclude
Highpercentageofhousesbuiltbefore 1978
Highpercentageofhomeownership
Highenergyusage
Demographics ndashIncome$60000-$120000 ndashHighpercentageofcollege-educated ndashHighpercentageofpopulationage35-50 ndashHighpercentageofhouseholdswith 4+people
Additionalconsiderationsinclude
Aclusterof8000-20000homes(small enoughtoenableustoreachthemajority ofresidencesandgenerateword-of-mouth yetlargeenoughtoofferagoodsizedpool ofpeoplewithapropensitytobeinterested inanenergyupgrade)
Hasstrongneighborhoodandcommu-nityorganizationsthatwecanengageas partnersaswellasexistingcommunica-tionvehicles(municipalmainstreamand multicultural)
Offersldquospilloverrdquoopportunitiestonearby neighborhoodsthatalsohaveahighper-centageofourtargetaudiences
Basedonthemarketresearchfivepilot marketingareaswillbedevelopedatlaunch andtenphasedinduringthefollowingsix monthsOnesuggestedpilotmarketingarea
6 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Home Depot
Ace Hardware
Lowersquos
Master Builders
Great Indoors
Home Expo
isAltadenaadiverseunincorporatedcom-munityofabout40000residentsTheaver-agehouseholdincomeis$94000Morethan 50adultresidentsaremarriedwithchildren andcommuteanaverageof62milesperday towhite-collarjobsFully40oftheadults inthiscommunityhaveabachelorsdegreeor higherandareinvolvedinmanycommunity eventsandorganizationsThereareapproxi-mately12000homesinthiscommunityand 10000ofthosehomesareowner-occupied Thegraphicshowshowoutreachwouldbe concentratedinthisareaMarketingandout-reachwillinclude
altadena marketing target
Intense Grassroots Community OutreachWewillcontact10-12com-munity-basedorganizationsfaith-based organizationshomeownersassociations neighborhoodassociationsandcommunity leadersineachareaWewillprovidethese organizationswithtrainingandtoolsto becomeambassadorsfortheProgramand spreadthewordthroughouttheircommu-nities
Saturation MarketingIOUswillsend directmailtohomeownersTheCounty willcontactlocalpapersfornewsplace-mentandadssocialmediaandpotentially
Hoy La Opinioacuten
Pasadena Star News
Altadena Headlines Examiner
Boulevard Magazine
Arroyo Magazine
Pasadena Weekly
Altadena Connection
Sentinel
KLVE
KPCC Pasadena
KCBS
KROQ Pasadena
KAZN Pasadena
Church Bulletins
Summer Concert Series at Farnsworth Park
Fourth of July Fireworks at
Town amp Country Club
Black History Parade
World Music Festival in Pasadena
Haunted House at
Farnsworth Park
Art Break
Rose Parade
National Latino
Congreso
Altadena Neighborhood Association
Altadena Chamber of Commerce
Altadena Arts Council
Altadena Town Council
Faith-based Organizations
Altadena Town amp Country Club
Altadena League of
Women Voters
Altadena Historical Society
Altadena Community Improvement Center
Sheriff Support Group
Santa Coming to Farnsworth
Park
Altadena California
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 7
outdoor(bussheltersandsidesandstreet levelsignage)toincreaseimpressionsthat drivepeopletothewebsite
Energy Champion Awards Program Severalconceptsareunderconsideration todevelopacommunityincentivestrategy topromoteparticipationinlinewiththe RetrofitRampUpproposalforinnovative incentiveapproaches
3 Trigger Event Marketing Thissuiteofstrategieswillbeaimedatcap-turingenergyefficiencyopportunitiesfrom multipletriggereventsParticipantswill mainlycomethroughcontractorsrealtorsand retailpartnerspropertyownerswillhavealso seencountywideadvertisingTriggerevents include
Replacingoldornon-functioningHVAC systemsandwaterheaters
Remodelingforlife-stagechanges(growing family)orjusttorenewthehouse
Improvementsmadewhenpurchasingor sellingahouse
Complaintsabouthighenergybillsora coldhothouse
4 City and COG Outreach OutreachbyCitiesandCOGswillbecritical becauseoftheirexistingrelationshipswith localconstituenciesCitieswillbeprovided withamini-marketingplantalkingpoints videocustomizabletemplatesoffactsheets articlesfortheirnewslettersandadvertising materialssotheycandeveloplow-costout-reachtotheirresidentsCitieswithcommuni-tiestargetedinthePilotAreaMarketingplans willbeinformedandencouragedtodoout-reachtothoseareasAllCitieswillbeencour-agedto
Runstoriesinprintandonlinenewsletters
Sendinformationtoneighborhoodassocia-tionshomeownersassociationshistoric preservationdistrictsandotherappropri-atecommunityorganizations
ProvideinformationinCitypermitting officesandCityHalllobbies
Provideinformationatstrategicallylocated EnvironmentalInformationCentersandat COGofficelocations
Provideinformationinldquonewhomeown-ersrdquowelcomekits(eitherdirectlyfromthe cityorthroughtitlecompaniesmortgage brokers)
5 Contractor Marketing BPI-certifiedgeneralcontractorswillbelisted ontheEnergyUpgradeconsumerwebsite sendingmanyleadsdirectlytothemThey alsohaveaccesstotheldquoheatmapsrdquotousefor developingtheirownadvertisingcampaigns Contractorswillbeattendingorientationses-sionstoensuretheythoroughlyunderstand theProgramrebatesfinancingoptionsand canhelpguidetheircustomersthroughthe processTheywillbeprovidedwithContractor MarketingKitstoensuretheyhavekeymes-sagesathandthathavebeenresonatingwith homeownersandhaveinformationtogiveto potentialcustomerswhomayormaynothave visitedthewebsiteKitscanbesentdirectlyto contractorsordistributedattheorientation sessionsKitswillcontain
Talkingpoints
DVDofthevideo
Printedfactsheetstoleavewithcustomers (withroomfortheircontactinfo)more canbeordered
8 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Printedldquoslimjimrdquobrochuresaboutthe 8 Multi-Family Outreach wholehouseapproach
Printedin-depthbrochure(brandedby ScientificAmericanMagazine)
CDwithldquobuttonrdquotolinktoEnergyUpgrade fromtheirownwebsites
Contractorswillhaveaccesstoaseparate sectionofthewebsitewheretheywillbeable toorderadditionalcustomizablematerials ldquoon-demandrdquofindinformationaboutPro-grameventspromotionsandadvertisingany changestotheProgramandasingletrade contractordatabaseforassemblingteamsfor customerswhowouldlikesolarpanelsornew windowsforexample
6 Realtor Marketing Giventhatthenationalaveragelengthof homeownershipisroughlysixyearsreal estateagentswillbeincontactandadvising alargepercentageofthenewandexisting homeownersthatEnergyUpgradeistarget-inghomeenergyretrofitsThishighlevelof influencemakesrealtorsoneofthelargest partnergroupsRealtorKitswillbesimilarto theContractorKitsandtheywillhaveaccess tothedatabaseofgeneralandsingletrade contractors
7 Retail Partner Marketing Utilitieswillpartnerwithretailoutletsthat canincludeBestBuyCostcoSearsLowes andHomeDepotParticipatingretailoutlets willbeprovided
Informationcenters
Programcollateral
Tabletents
Windowclings
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesandsched-ulesarestillinplanningphasesandbeing developedthroughastatewideconsortium
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing Strategiesandschedulesarestillinplanning phases
Incentives and Financing Marketresearchshowsthatrebatesarepri-marymotivatorsforhomeownerstoundertake anenergyupgradeRebateswillbeavailable forconsumersfromvarioussourcesCur-rentlyutilityrebatesoffer$1000fortheBasic Pathandupto$8500forthosereaching30 energysavingsThefederalHomeStarpro-gramisstillpendingmdashitcouldofferhomeown-ersupto$3000forelementsintheBasic Pathupto$7000forthosereaching20 energysavingsandupto$13000forthose reaching45energysavingsIncentivesfrom theCountyarealsostillpending
Financingoptionsarebeinganalyzedandwill beavailableatlaunch
Allrebatesandfinancingwillbecoordinated onthewebsitewiththeultimategoalofprop-ertyownersfillingoutoneformandpopulat-ingallotherrequiredforms
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 9
Proposed Implem
entation Plan
10 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
introduction
The Statewide Challenge Californialegislation(AB32)requiresGreen HouseGas(GHG)emissionreductionto1990 levelsby2020andfurtherreductionsinGHG emissionsto80percentbelow1990levelsby 2050Theseprovisionshavebeenincorpo-ratedintothePublicUtilitiesCommissionrsquos (CPUC)2009EnergyEfficiencyStrategic Planwhichtargetsanaverage40reduction inpurchasedenergyfortheexistingbuilding stockby2020andan80reductionby2050
TheCPUCrsquosCaliforniaEnergyEfficiency StrategicPlansetsthefollowinggoalstobe reachedby2020
25ofexistinghomesexhibita70 decreaseinpurchasedenergyfrom2008 levels
75ofexistinghomesexhibita30 decreaseinpurchasedenergyfrom2008 levels
100ofexistingmulti-familyhomes exhibita40decreaseinpurchasedenergy from2008levels
TheCPUCrsquosstatewidegoalistoretrofit 130000housingunitsby2010
Additionallegislation(AB758)requiredthe CaliforniaEnergyCommission(CEC)tode-velopandimplementacomprehensiveenergy efficiencyprogramforexistingresidentialand nonresidentialbuildingstoreducetheirGHG emissionsinkeepingwithclimatechange mitigationEnergy Upgrade Californiais apartnershipbetweentheCECandtheCPUC topromoteenergyefficiencyimprovements tohomesandcommercialbuildingsfunded inpartthroughtheAmericanRecoveryand ReinvestmentAct
Market Opportunity AlongwithothercitiesacrossthestateLos AngelesCountywillalsoberequiredtocreate aClimateActionPlanandEnergyUpgrade CaliforniainLosAngelesCountywillbea centralGHGemissionreductionimplementa-tionstrategyEnergy Upgrade California in Los Angeles Countyisanallianceamong theCountyofLosAngelestheCitieswithin theCountySouthernCaliforniaEdison SouthernCaliforniaGasCompanyandthe municipallyownedutilitiesintheCountyThe
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 11
goalisaldquoone-stopshoprdquoforpropertyowners Apropertyownerinvestmentof$5000 toeasilyfindclearconsolidatedinformation abouttheProgramelementscertifiedcon-tractorsandalltherebatesincentivesand financingoptionsavailable
Mostoftheapproximately34millionhous-ingunitsinLosAngelesCountywerebuilt beforestateenergyefficiencystandards(Title 24)wereimplementedbeginninginthe early1980sMorerecentvintageresidential buildingsalsooffergreatpotentialforenergy savingsduetodeficienciesinconstruction specificationandfieldworkquality
Energyefficiencymeasuresincludeimprove-mentstoinsulationspaceheatingandair conditioningwaterheatinglightingwin-dowsanddoorssolarhotwatersystemsand otherfixeditems
to$15000forsingle-familybuildingtoimple-mentabuildingenergyretrofitcanoften achieveanaverageof20ormoreenergy savingsreduceutilitybillsimprovebuild-ingcomfortenhanceindoorairqualityand increasebuildingvalue
TheCountyanditspartnersarecollaborat-ingonawebsitecommunityoutreachand countywideadvertisingtoleverageefforts andfundingandtomaximizeparticipationin theProgrammdashwithagoalofpropertyowners completing30000energyefficiencyupgrades bysummer2013TheldquoMediaandAdvertis-ingFlightsrdquomatrixprovidesanoverviewof scheduleandtiming
12 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
programs goals and objectives
ThegoalsofEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLA Countyaretopromotejobcreationandreduce aggregategreenhousegasemissionsthrough energyandresource-savingretrofitsofexisting buildingstockthroughthreefundingsources
1 AmericanReinvestmentandRecoveryAct EnergyEfficiencyandConservationBlock Grant(EECBG)
2 USDepartmentofEnergyRetrofitRamp Up(RRU)funding
3 CaliforniaEnergyCommission Discretionarygrant
retrofit objectives by funding source
Objectivesthusfocusonspecifictargetnum-bersforcompletedretrofits
bull Retrofitabout27000single-familyhomes withanaverage20energyreduction Countywide(1605850single-familyresi-dentialhomesinLACounty)plus2600 multi-familyhomes
bull Reduceannualpurchasedenergycon-sumptioninthosehomesbyanaggregate 300billionBTUsperyearandassociated energycostsby$4millionperyear
bull Create3200jobsand
bull ReducetheCountyrsquosannualgreenhouse gasemissionsattributabletoenergycon-sumptioninitsexistingbuildingstockby 36287metrictonsCO2e
EECBG RRU CEC TOTAL
single-family Homes 15000 4200 8060 27260
multi-family Homes 0 1400 1240 2640
29900
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 13
marketing and outreach program goals and structure
1 Goals MarketingandoutreachforEnergyUpgrade CaliforniainLACountywillengageproperty ownersthrougheffectivestrategiesprovide clearandcompellinginformationaboutthe benefitsofanenergyefficiencyretrofitlist therebatesandtaxcreditsavailable(through thisProgramandthroughutilityprograms) explainfinancingoptionslistcertifiedcon-tractorsanddescribetheProgramprocessand optionsThemarketingandoutreachplanhas fivemajorgoals
1 Build broad positive awareness of the Program
2 Educate property owners to overcome barriers to participation
3 Target marketing efforts to drive participation by key audiences identified in surveys
4 Align and coordinate other marketing efforts by utilities and other partners
5 Create a sustained market for a whole-house performance approach leading to long-term behavioral change
2 Objectives ThePlanisdesignedtoachievethesemajor objectives
1 Program goals met
Marketing35-40ofProgrampar-ticipantsentertheProgramasaresultof marketingandoutreachefforts
Contractors45-50ofProgrampar-ticipantsentertheProgramasaresultof marketingbycontractors(usingmes-sagingandmaterialsdevelopedthrough thisPlan)
Partners10-15ofProgrampar-ticipantsentertheProgramasaresult ofmarketingbyothermethodssuch asrealtorsretailpartnersarchitects designersandCityefforts(usingmes-sagingandmaterialsdevelopedthrough thisPlan)
2 300000 unique hits on a robust website (or calls to the call center)
3 Virtual ldquoword-of-mouthrdquo buzz created through social media resulting in click throughs to the website
14 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
4 Communications kits available for county COG cities community leaders and environmental groups
5 Marketing kits available for partners (contractors realtors)
6 Informational materials placed with retailers cities county offices
7 50000000 mediaadvertisingin-person impressions through
Mainstreammedia(televisionradio print)storiesplaced
Multiculturalmedia(televisionradio print)storiesplaced
RadioTVPSAsplaced
CityTVprogramsplaced
PaidradioTVpromosads
Paidprintads
Communitymeetings
Targeteddirectmail
rebate structure
8 Consolidated information in a ldquoone-stop shoprdquo approach
3 Incentives and Financing Marketresearchshowsthatrebatesarepri-marymotivatorsforhomeownerstoundertake anenergyupgradeRebateswillbeavailable forconsumersfromvarioussourcesCur-rentlyutilityrebatesoffer$1000forthe BasicPathandupto$3500forthosereach-ing30energysavingsThefederalHome Starprogramisstillpendingmdashitcouldoffer homeownersupto$3000forelementsinthe BasicPath$3000forthosereaching20 energysavingsandupto$13000forthose reaching45energysavingsIncentivesfrom theCountyarealsostillpending(SeeRebate Structuretable)
Financingoptionsarebeinganalyzedandwill beavailableatlaunch
Allrebatesandfinancingwillbecoordinated onthewebsitewiththeultimategoalofprop-ertyownersfillingoutoneformandpopulat-ingallotherrequiredforms
ELEMENT COUNTy FUNdEd
FEd TAx CREdIT HOME STAR UTILITIES
Basic path tBD 30 of eligible $1000
advanced path tBD improvements up to $1500 (expires Dec 31) $2500 for 20
+$500 for 5 +$500 for 5
silver star tBD
gold star tBD
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 15
4 Coordination Between Local Government and Utilities Consumerswillbebestservedbyaunified brandandconsumermarketingcampaign consistentmessagingandastatewidewebsite portalwithonewebsiteaddressTheCounty ofLosAngelesSouthernCaliforniaEdison andSouthernCaliforniaGasCompanyhave beenworkingtogethertodevelopastrong coordinatedprogramInfacttheLosAngeles CountyProgramhasbecomeamodelforthe state
Coordinationwillalsoleverageresourcesand increasethemarketingeffectivenessoflocal governmentsandthelocalutilitiesAllma-terialswillbedevelopedcollaborativelyand costswillbesharedaccordingtothedivision ofresponsibilityThefollowingchartoutlines thekeydeliverablesandresponsibilities(next page)
16 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
marketingoutreach coordination
PROGRAM ELEMENT LEAd COMMENTS
COUNTy UTILITIES jOINT
market research X telephone surveys focus groups and market analysis
marketing communications plan X this document will direct all marketing
activities
program namelogo X
cec will own the brand and has final vote on statewide name tagline can be customized for la county
Website portal X
statewide portal linked to utility pages or sitesndashmain info and materials on this one site
advertising campaign principles development X
marketing templates X
Print and online available for cities to customize as needed
service territory media Buys (regional) X Mainstream and ethnic media buys
local media Buys (la county) X Both mainstream and ethnic media in
hotspots and la county
call center X one phone number managed by utilities county to help produce script
retail outlet materials X May include kiosks short videos
contractor marketing toolkit X tBD county will develop marketing materials
for contractors
direct mail (eg bill inserts other mailers) X
county assessor materials X
Materials included in water bills property tax bills
community-Based outreach X targeted grassroots marketing
(includes local events)
community events X X utilities attend countywide events county attends local events
public relations X X
utilities take lead for service territory county for local or supervisor-initiated PR
Home energy makeover contest X
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 17
strategy
TheProgramwilluseamulti-layeredmulti-facetedmarketingandoutreachstrategythat targetsaudiencesbyidentifyingwhotheyare wheretheyliveandtheeventsgoingonin theirlivesMarketingeffortsinclude
1 Countywide Marketing (and Media Relations)
2 Pilot Area Marketing
3 Trigger-Event Marketing
4 City Outreach
5 Contractor Marketing
6 Realtor Marketing
7 Retail Partner Marketing
8 Multi-Family Marketing
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing
1 Countywide Marketing
Thestrategyisentirelyresearch-drivenfocus-ingonthosepropertyownersmostlikelyto undertakeahomeenergyupgradeAnover-archinglayerofmainstreammarketingand advertisingwillbeaimedatthreeaudiences
1 Early AdoptersThosewhoarestrong environmentalistsalreadypoisedtoldquodo therightthingrdquofortheenvironmentand whojustneedtohearaboutaprogramand rebates
2 ldquoRetrofit-ReadyrdquoThosewhoarealready planninghomeimprovementsandjust needalittlemoreinformationaboutwhat stepstotaketosavemoneyandldquodothe rightthingrdquofortheenvironment
3 ldquoRetrofit-Persuadablerdquo Thosewho arethinkingabouttheirutilitybills homecomforttheenvironmentorour dependenceonfossilfuelsforeignoil (especiallyinlightoftherecentGulfoil spill)andwhoneedinformationabout whattypesofimprovementstheycould makeandwhatstepstotaketosave energysavemoneyandreducefossilfuel consumption
Outreachwillbeaimedattargetaudiences throughbothmainstreamandmulticultural mediaTheadvertisingwillalsospillover ontoaudiencesinspecificgeographicareas providingadditionalimpressionstothose whoarealsotargetedinthePilotMarketing AreasThiswillalsoaddtothecitiesrsquoefforts topromotetheProgramastheirresidents willalsoseethecountywidemarketingefforts
18 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Marketingwillfocusoneachtargetaudience providingimpressionsclosetotheirhomeand reachingouttomoremassaudiencesCounty-widemarketingandoutreachwillinclude tacticsinthetablebelow
The One-Stop Shop Allinformationwillbeconsolidatedina one-stopshopapproacheitherinaldquobrick andmortarrdquolocationthroughthewebsiteor callcenteroratcommunityeventsProperty ownerswillhaveeasyaccesstoinformation
abouteligibleenergyefficiencymeasures andretrofitoptionseligibilityforCounty-administeredfinancialvehiclesandincentives eligibilityforutility-sponsoredrebatesand incentivesfederalrebateandtaxcreditinfor-mationandaccesstolistsofqualifiedenergy retrofitcontractors
Propertyownerswhoarenoteligiblefororin-terestedinEnergyUpgradeCaliforniawould alsobeabletofindoutaboutopportunities forweatherizationprogramslow-incomerate
countywide marketingoutreach tactics
Cable TV
County Events
Mass Media
Out of Home
Radio
Retail Partners
City Information
City TV
Local Media
Transit Shelters
Theaters
Billboards
Community of Interest
Newsletters
Contractor Marketing
Direct Mail to Hot Spots
Online Ads
Site Signage
Social Media
Community Newsletters
Local Events
Target Audience
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 19
subsidiesgreenjobstrainingandotherinitia- Parcel-Based Market Analysistivesavailabletoqualifiedhouseholds
Identifying Locations of Target Audiences Thegeographiclocationoftargetaudiences willbeidentifiedthroughtwomarketanalysis efforts
Pilot Marketing Areas TheCountywillintensifymarketingefforts inspecificpilotmarketingareaswherehigh percentagesoftheEarlyAdopterandRetrofit ReadyaudiencesliveThesepilotmarketareas willbeidentifiedthroughdemographicanaly-sisbaseduponextensivemarketresearchas wellasadetailedanalysisofkeycommunity resourcessuchasstrongcommunitynetworks andcommunity-basedorganizationsinfluen-tiallocalmedialdquocommunityfeelrdquoetc(For moreinformationonthepilotmarketareas approachandengagementstrategiesseepage 23)
Adetailedmarketanalysisisbeingconducted tosupportspecificpiecesoftheoutreachand communicationsstrategybyidentifyingthe locationofaudiencesthatarereceptivetospe-cificoutreachstrategiesThetableonthenext pagedemonstratesthemarketanalysisaudi-ences(scenarios)andmarketstrategiesthat arebeinganalyzedtoidentifythelocationof targetaudiencesThemarketanalysisisbeing conductedusingconsumermarketresearch combinedwithdemographicdataandprop-ertycharacteristicsdatafromtheCountyas-sessorThemainproductfortheanalysiswill beaseparateanalysisreport(expectedAugust 2010)Thisreportwillincludecountywide ldquoheatmapsrdquothatidentifytheareasthathave ahighproportionoftargetpropertiesandare thereforeidealareasfortargetedmarketing ThesemapscanbeusedforEnergyUpgrade Californiaorcontractormarketingstrategies
countywide market capture cascade
Early Adopters
Retrofit ready
Retrofit persuadable
The Next Phase No way
MESSAGES
bull environment bull Fossil Fuels bull Rebates
available
AddITIONAL MESSAGES
bull save money on utility bills
bull Rebates
bull long-term attitudinal change
available AddITIONAL MESSAGES
bull Property values bull comfort bull Health bull ReBates available
20 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
market analysis scenarios
Link between Pilot Market Areas and Parcel-Based Market Analysis
Theaudiencesbeingexaminedinthepilot marketingareasoverlapwithbutarenotthe sameasthoseinthemarketanalysisThe marketanalysisthereforesupportsthepilot marketareaidentificationintwoways
1 Itaddspropertycharacteristicsgleaned fromconsumerresearchtothepilotmarket areaanalysisInthiswayScenarios1and 2(RetrofitReadyandRetrofitPersuadable) providefurtherdetailtothepilotmarket areasandallowforgeneralmarketingto
MARkET ANALySIS SCENARIO
AUdIENCE IdENTIFIEd
dATA ANALyzEd RELATEd MARkETING STRATEGy
1-early adopters retrofit ready
environmentalists ready to take action now with information about rebates
Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Pilot Marketing areas
2-retrofit persuadable
those who need information about types of improvements with emphasis on rebates and cost savings
Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Pilot Marketing areas
3a-Built environment Heating and cooling
Middle-aged to newer homes located inland that are larger and often have high ac heating bills
Property characteristics location of Home
trigger event Marketing utility Bills Pilot area Marketing
3b-Built environment-Heating
smaller older coastal homes that may have comfort issues in winter
Property characteristics location of Home
trigger event Marketing comfort Pilot Marketing areas
4-multi-family Multi-family homeowners Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Multi-family Marketing Pilot Marketing areas
5-Whole neighborhood
tracts of similarly-aged and built homes
Property characteristics location of Home
Whole neighborhood Marketing Pilot Marketing areas
bedirectedtospecificproperties(when appropriate)
2 Italsoidentifiesotherkeyaudiences (Scenarios3a3b4and5)thatcorrelate toothermarketingstrategiesasshown intableaboveTheresultsofthese scenarioswillbeoverlaidontopofthepilot marketareastoidentifyspecificparcels thatmayrespondtospecificmarketing strategiesForexamplewhenoverlaying thepropertiesidentifiedinScenario5 (Whole-NeighborhoodScenario)with thepilotmarketingareastheCounty canidentifypropertieswithinthepilot
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 21
marketingareathatwouldrespondtoa whole-neighborhoodmarketingapproach (bulkpurchasingmodelhomesasingle contractoretc)
Home Energy Makeover Contest HomeEnergyMakeoverContestsgenerate atremendousamountofpublicityandhave beensuccessfullyconductedinmanyother statesandcitiesTheyattractthousandsof entrantsTheconceptistobothgarnerfree publicityandmodelthebehaviortheProgram istryingtoencouragebyshowingtheldquowhole houseapproachrdquohoweasyupgradescanbe howmuchtherebatescanreducetheproject costandhowmuchdifferencetheymaketoa home
Thecontestwillalsodemonstratethemarket acceptanceforthehomeperformanceap-proachtotraditionalsingle-measurecontrac-torsThosecontractorswillseehowmany peopleenterthecontesttowinahomeperfor-mancemakeoverbasedonthewholehouseap-proachAllthosewhoenteredareleadswho maybeinterestedinawholehouseapproach ratherthansinglemeasures
Entrantsmustbeover18liveinLosAnge-lesCountyandownthehomeinwhichthey residethecontestcanbelimitedtothose whoreceiveservicefromSouthernCalifornia EdisonandorSouthernCaliforniaGas(in otherwordsitcanincludeorexcluderesi-dentsservedbymunicipalutilities)Entrants submitinformationabouttheirhomeand theirenergyconsumptionandgivepermis-sionfortheProgramjudgestoviewtheir energyconsumptionduringthepreviousyear Finalistsarebasedonthehighestenergycon-sumptionpersquarefootofamedian-sized homeAbout20finalistsreceivefreeenergy auditsfortheirhomesBasedontheaudit (andadditionalcriteriawewilldetermine)five winninghomesreceiveupto$15000inhome
energyimprovements(whichcanbesupple-mentedbyrebatesandadditionalfunding fromthepropertyowner)Thewinneragrees tomediacoverageanopenhouseandtoblog andorTweetduringandaftertheretrofit Wewillworkwithcontractorstogetsponsor-shipsaswellasdonatedauditsandupgrade elements
OnecontestwillbeheldinFall2010(withfive winners)andasecondcontestheldduring Springof2011(withfivewinners)
Aseparatecontestcouldbeheldformulti-familybuildingswithahigherwinning amount
Countywide Incentives TheProgramwillestablishalistofnon-profit organizationsthatareactiveinpromoting greenhomessustainabilityandotherenvi-ronmentalorcommunityprojectsEveryone intheCountywhocompletesanenergyaudit maydesignateanon-profitorganizationto receiveadonationfromtheProgramInfor-mationabouttheeligibleorganizationswill beonthewebsiteThiswillencouragethose non-profitstopromotetheProgramtotheir membersltNotethisconceptisstillbeing developedgt
Direct Mail Utilitieswillplacemessagesonouterbillen-velopessenttocustomersTheywillalsosend directmailaboutEnergyUpgradetoldquotarget areasrdquobasedonacombinationofenergy usageageofhomeandhouseholdincome DirectmailisscheduledforOctober2010
County Events Utilitieswillbeattendinglargeeventssuch astheSeptember2010and2011LACounty Fairswithawholehousethemethatincludes aminimodelhousethatvisitorscanldquotourrdquo Additionalproposedeventsinclude
22 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
bull LeagueofCitiesAnnualConference workshop(September2010)
bull PomonaHomeImprovementShow (October2010)
bull RemodelingShowattheLACountyFair (October2010)
bull CaliforniaAssociationofRealtors (October2010)
bull BuildingIndustryShow(November2010)
bull SouthernCaliforniaHomeImprovement Show(November2010)
bull NeighborWorksAmerica(February2011)
Online and Social Media TheProgramwillusesocialmediatoinex-pensivelyreachtargetaudiencesbeginningat launchandcontinuingthroughoutthePro-gramwithbriefpausesforrefiningThiswill beaccomplishedthroughoptimizingsearch wordsforsearchenginessuchasGoogleand Bingreachingappropriateindependentblogs aYouTubevideocontest(runbyamediapart-ner)andencouragingblogpostsandTweets byearlyadoptersandtheProgramitself(see DescriptionsofMarketingCommunications ToolsandDescriptionsofTargetAudiencesfor moredetails)Inadditionutilitieswilldevote spaceforinformationandalinkontheirland-ingpages
Countywide Media Buys Withalatesummerfalllaunchdatemedia buysneedtobespreadtoavoidtheelection monthofOctober2010EnergyUpgradeCali-forniainLosAngelescansponsoraweather broadcastmdashliveonlineandmobilemdashaswell as15and30spotsduringotherbroadcasts Wewillalsopurchaseliveandonlinespots withUnivisiontheSpanish-languagestation Radiobuyswillinclude15NationalPublic Radio(KPCCandKCRW)sponsorshipsand variousdrive-timespotsonEnglishandin-
languageAMandFMstationsSocialmedia buysincludeGoogleWordsandblogads(see DescriptionsofMarketingCommunications Tools)Printmediabuyswillbeinmulticul-turalpapers
(Afullmediabuyplanandschedulewillbe availableinAugust)
Countywide Media Relations TheProgramwillcoordinateCountyandutil-ityeffortsandwiththeCaliforniaEnergyCom-missionCaliforniaPublicUtilitiesCommis-sioneffortsMediarelationswillbeinthree phasespre-launchlaunchandmilestones
Pre-Launch (August ndash September)
bull DevelopandprovideaSpeakerrsquosKit withtalkingpoints
bull OrganizeCountymedialaunchevent (potentiallyenlistawillinghomeowner whosehousemightserveasalaunching padformediatours)
bull Respondtorequestsfromcities
bull Providepre-writtenarticlesforcity communitynewsletters
bull Issuepresskitsandpressrelease(in EnglishandSpanish)announcing launch
Launch (October)
bull Mediaeventtoannouncelaunchand HomeEnergyMakeoverContestpoten-tiallyon-siteatahousetodemonstrate upgrades
bull SendoutradioPSAs
Milestones (through 2013)
bull Mediaeventtoannouncewinnersofthe HomeEnergyMakeovercontest(could beconductedon-sitesurprisingthe winners)
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 23
bull ldquoRe-launchrdquopressreleaseandmedia eventinMarch2011forasecondHome EnergyMakeoverContestwithastrong ldquogetreadyforsummerrdquotheme
bull Pressreleasewhen10000thperson receivesarebate
bull Pressreleasewhenotherappropriate milestonesarereachedorthefunding forincentivesisclosetobeingdepleted
2 Pilot Marketing Areas
Itwillbecriticalforthelong-termsuccessof marketingeffortstohaveasignificantnumber ofearlysuccessesthatgeneratepositivepub-licityandword-of-mouthencouragingothers toalsoparticipateTheCountyintendsto stimulatethemarketfortheseearlyadopters byintensifyingmarketingeffortsinspecific pilotmarketingareas(withzipcodebound-aries)wherebasedonextensiveconsumer
countywide marketingoutreach tactics
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
television
ad buys on Broadcast tV univision google tV Paid county
ldquothis old Houserdquo segment on whole house per-formance and rebates while renovating house (filming in la this summer)
earned county
coverage on mainstream and multicultural sta-tions
earned utilities county
ldquoinfomercialrdquo and promos on city tV Placed county
radio
nPR sponsorship Paid county
commute time spots Paid county
coverage on california Report earned utilities county
Psas on mainstream stations Placed utilities county
spots on multicultural stations Paid county
coverage in mainstream and multicultural papers
earned utilities county
sunset Magazine green Home section earned county
ads in la times and Daily news real estate sections
Paid utilities county
ads in multicultural papers Paid county
Direct Mail to targets Paid utilities
24 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
countywide marketingoutreach tactics (conrsquot)
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
social media
Blogs (about homes environment bargains) earned county
Facebook page Placed county
ads targeted to interest in environment and or home improvements (this old House etc)
Paid county
google adWords targeted to interest in environment andor home improvements
Paid county
twitter both by the Program and by individual early adopters (with incentives)
Placed county
youtube early adopters make a video about their experience and results (with incentives)
Placed county
out of Home
Retail kiosks banners flyers links on retail websites
Placed utilities
community organizations
environmental groups and others newsletters websites email blasts
earned county
Home improvement shows booths Paid county
countywide events Paid utilities
Bloggersubject matter events Paid county
researchhighpercentagesoftargetaudiences livePilotmarketingprogramsinthoseareas willtesttheextentcommunity-basedmarket-ingpositivelyimpactsparticipationratesan effortrelatedtoRetrofitRampUpproposal requirements
Demographicdataprovidedbythemarketre-searchwillbeoverlaidwithenergyusagedata AdditionallyGIS-basedmarketanalysisatthe parcellevel(describedabove)willallowfor pinpointingofspecificneighborhoodswithin thepilotareasforoutreachthatcaninclude
door-to-doordirectmailandmarketingby contractorsaspartofaldquowholeneighbor-hoodrdquoapproachFocusingonpilotareaswill alsomeettheRetrofitRampUprequirements oftheDepartmentofEnergyFollowingisa summaryofplannedmarketingandoutreach efforts
Marketresearch-basedcriteriaforchoosing about15pilotareaswillinclude
Clusters of houses built before 1978 Thoselivinginolderhomesespecially
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 25
builtbeforeCaliforniarsquosEnergyEfficiency Standardsaremorelikelytobelievethat theirhousemightbeenergyinefficient andcouldbenefitfromenergyefficiency improvementsmdashandberesponsivetoan energyupgrade
High percentage of homeownership Thesemarketingeffortsfocusonsingle-familyresidentialhomeownerssoareas withhighrentalrateswillnotprovidea largeenoughnumberofeligibleunits
Income over $60000Thosewith incomesunder$60000didnotbelieve theywouldhavesufficientincometomake improvementsevenwithrebatesThey werenotinterestedinloans(manywith lowincomesalsofindthemselvesldquounder-waterrdquoontheirloansandthusnoteligible forsomefinancing)Inadditionwefound somepush-backinfocusgroupsabout ldquogovernmentofferingloanstopeoplewho canrsquotaffordthemafterthesub-primeloan debaclerdquo
Population with a high percentage of college-educatedThosewithacollege degreearemuchmorelikelytoindicate apreferencetomakeenergyefficiency upgradesThosewhohadcompletedsome collegeeducationarealsomorelikelyto indicateapreferenceforenergyefficiency upgradesthanthosewhohadnotcom-pletedany
Population with a high percentage of those age 35-54Thosewithchildren andorexpandingfamiliesaremorelikely tomakeimprovementsthanthoseunder 30(thereareveryfewhomeownersunder 30)andthoseover54
High percentage of households with 4+ peopleHouseholdswithmorepeople havehigherenergybillsResearchshows thatthoseinhomeswithmorethan4
peoplebelieveenergyupgradescanmakea bigimpactontheirbills
High energy usage Thehigherenergy usage(andbills)themorelikelypeopleare tobelievethatenergyefficiencyimprove-mentswillmakeadifferenceintheirbills
Afterlayeringthisinformationtocomeup withalistofpotentialareaswefurthercon-sidered
Clusters of 8000-20000 homesThe areashouldbelargeenoughtoprovidesub-stantialnumbersofeligibleunitsbutsmall enoughtoenablereachingmajorityofresi-dentsandgeneratingword-of-mouth
Has a diverse multicultural commu-nityAreasshouldhavestrongcommunity identitiesandsenseofplacesocommunity membersareproudofwheretheyliveand areencouragedtoimprovetheircommu-nity
Has strong neighborhood and com-munity organizationsWeneedto engagetheseorganizationsaspartnersto helpspreadtheword
Has existing communications such as newsletters blogsWeneedtoreach membersthroughexistingcrediblesources thatresidentsalreadyuseandtrust
ldquoSpill overrdquo opportunities to nearby neighborhoodsSincemarketingand mediaeffortswillpotentiallyalsobeseen byneighborsareasshouldbenearother areasthatmayalsomeettheprimary criteria
Climatetime of yearIndetermining whentorolloutthepilotswecantarget interiorareasinspringandcoastalareasin coldweather
26 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Basedonthemarketresearchcriteriafive pilotmarketingareasarescheduledforintense marketingatlaunchwithanadditional10 areasscheduledforintensemarketingin Spring2011
Thepilotmarketstrategyissupportedby theparcel-basedmarketanalysiswhichwill identifywhichneighborhoodspropertieswill bethebesttotargetusingthisapproachThe marketanalysiswillallowlimitedmarketing fundingtobeleveragedbyfocusingonthose thataremostlikelytorespondtothemarket-ingefforts
Wewillcreatemessagesandvisualsspecifical-lytailoredtoeachtargetcommunityrsquoscultural andlinguisticpreferencesImagessymbols andiconstypographycolorandoverall designcarrydifferentmeaningsindifferent culturesAmessageistypicallymosteffective ifitiscreatedwithcarefulattentiontothese idiosyncrasiesandwithintheldquoculturalmind-setrdquooftherecipientsCreatingheadlinesand taglinesdirectlyinthetargetlanguagerather thansimplytranslatingEnglishadvertising copyensuresthatcopyhasthecorrectrhythm andrhymeandisthereforemuchmore attention-grabbingandmemorable
Community Incentives Energy Champion Program Severalconceptsareunderconsiderationto developacommunityincentivestrategyto promoteparticipationinlinewiththeRetrofit RampUpproposalforinnovativeincentiveap-proachesIncentivesmaybedirectedatenergy auditscommunity-basedorganizationsthose willingtoprovidetestimonialsorblogtweet andpublicrecognitionefforts
Grassroots Community Organizing-Trainedorganizerswillpresentinformationat themeetingsof12-15influentialcommunity leadersandcommunity-basedorganizationsin
eachpilotareacapturetheircontactdataand helpspreadtheinformationtotheirmembers throughtheirnewsletterseventsandwebsites TheProgramwillprovidepre-writtencus-tomizablearticlespresentationsorvideoand websiteldquobuttonsrdquotolinktotheProgramsite Eachgroupwillbeofferedanincentiveofado-nationtotheirorganizationforeverymember whocompletesahomeenergyupgradeThis willencourageCBOvolunteerstoincrease theirmarketingeffortsFriendlyrivalrieswill beencouragedCommunitygroupswillreport namesofparticipantscheckedforjobcomple-tionbytheProgram(underdevelopment)
Community Events One-on-onefacetimewithhomeownersis anidealwaytoengagepotentialparticipants Well-trainedorganizerswillattendfiveevents ineachtargetareaprovidinghomeowners withinformation(pocketsizemultilingual handouts)andcapturingtheircontactinfor-mationforfollowupTheycanhavehome-ownerssignuponthewebsiteonsiteifappro-priateandperhapsevenhavethemprovideus withavideocommitmentldquoItookthePledgerdquo withpermissiontopostonthewebsiteAsa luretotheboothhomeownerswillbeoffered freeitemssuchaslightbulbsmagnetsand reusablecupswithcoldwater(imprintedwith thewebsite)manufacturedintheUS
Print Radio Outdoor and Out-of Home Advertising Localmediawillcoverthelaunchofthe Programandwewillstrategicallyplaceads inlocalmediaandcommunitynewsletters Outdooradvertising(smallstreet-levelbiode-gradableeco-postersbussheltersbussides) strategicallyplacedinhigh-trafficareaswillre-inforcethemessageoveraone-monthperiod
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 27
Pilot Area Example Altadena Altadenawasidentifiedasacommunitythat fitsourtargetcriteriaItisadiverseunincor-poratedcommunitywithsixneighborhoods andanapproximatepopulationof40000The averagehouseholdincomeisabout$94000 Morethan50ofadultresidentsaremarried withchildrenandcommuteanaverageof62 milesperdaytowhite-collarjobsFully40of theadultsinthiscommunityhaveabachelors
degreeorhigherandareinvolvedinmany communityeventsandorganizationsThere areapproximately12000homesinthiscom-munityand10000ofthosehomesareowner-occupiedThegraphicshowshowoutreach wouldbeconcentratedinthisarea
pilot area outreachmarketing tactics
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
radio
Psas on multicultural stations earned county
coverage in local papers earned county
ads in local and multicultural papers Paid county
outdoor
Bus shelters in area Paid county
on-street lampost signage Paid county
Billboards Paid county
social media
Blogs (relevant to the area) earned county
online ads targeted by location Paid county
listserves of neighborhood associations (through cities)
earned county
out of Home
Movie theater ads in area Paid county
lawn signs on homes in area (through contractors)
Paid county
community organizations
community meetings with incentives to organizations for participation
earnedPaid county
community events Paid county Door hangers Paid county
28 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Home Depot
Ace Hardware
Lowersquos
Master Builders
Great Indoors
Home Expo
altadena marketing target
Hoy La Opinioacuten
Pasadena Star News
Altadena Headlines Examiner
Boulevard Magazine
Arroyo Magazine
Pasadena Weekly
Altadena Connection
Sentinel
KLVE
KPCC Pasadena
KCBS
KROQ Pasadena
KAZN Pasadena
Church Bulletins
Summer Concert Series at Farnsworth Park
Fourth of July Fireworks at
Town amp Country Club
Black History Parade
World Music Festival in Pasadena
Haunted House at
Farnsworth Park
Art Break
Rose Parade
National Latino
Congreso
Altadena Neighborhood Association
Altadena Chamber of Commerce
Altadena Arts Council
Altadena Town Council
Faith-based Organizations
Altadena Town amp Country Club
Altadena League of
Women Voters
Altadena Historical Society
Altadena Community Improvement Center
Sheriff Support Group
Santa Coming to Farnsworth
Park
Altadena California
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 29
3 Trigger-Event Marketing
Thissuiteofstrategieswillbeaimedatcaptur-ingenergyefficiencyopportunitiesfrommul-tipletriggereventsParticipantswillmainly comethroughcontractorsrealtorsandretail partnerspropertyownerswillhavealsoseen countywideadvertising
trigger event marketing
4 City and COG Outreach
OutreachbyCitiesandCOGswillbecritical becauseoftheirexistingrelationshipswith localconstituenciesCitieswillbeprovided withamini-marketingplantalkingpoints videocustomizabletemplatesoffactsheets articlesfortheirnewslettersandadvertising
EvENT dESCRIPTION LEAd AGENT COLLATERAL TACTIC
1 Replace on burnout (heating air conditioners water heaters)
Homeowners either in process of replacing an item or have already done some efficiency projects
county bull Retail partners
bull HVac installers
bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors installers
bull Retail displays
2 life-stage changes (growing family)
Homeowners working with a contractor
county bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors bull ads in media for home remodels
3 Home remodel Homeowners working with an architect contractor
county bull contractors bull architects
bull Materials for contractors
bull ads in media for home remodels
3 improvements at time of purchase
Homeowners interested are preparing a new home for move-in (research shows more interest at purchase than at sale)
shared bull contractors bull Realtors bull Home
inspectors bull city permit
offices bull city welcome
kits bull Retail
bull Brochures for cities
bull ads in weekend homes for sale sections
bull Presentations to realtor groups
bull Retail displays
4 improvements at sale
House owners preparing for sale
county bull contractors bull Realtors
bull Materials for contractors
5 complaints high utility bills cold hot house
Homeowners aware of energy-saving improvements but not whole house approach
county bull contractors bull HeRs raters
bull Materials for contractors
30 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
city amp cog outreach
materialssotheycandeveloplow-costout-reachtotheirresidentsCitieswithcommuni-tiestargetedinthePilotAreaMarketingplans willbeinformedandencouragedtodoout-reachtothoseareasAllCitieswillbeencour-agedtodothefollowing
Run stories in print and online news-letters
Send information to neighborhood associations homeowners associa-tions historic preservation districts and other appropriate community organizations
Provide information in City permit-ting offices and City Hall lobbies
Provide information at strategically located Environmental Information Centers and at COG office locations
Provide information in ldquonew home-ownersrdquo welcome kits (either directly from the city or through title compa-
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAId EARNEd
LEAd
pio coordination contact all participating citiesrsquo Pios na county
letters Key messages for letters from mayors etc to constituents Provide to Pios or city managers
na county
Website links Button for cities to place on their website to link to Program site
na county
city tV informational videos and spot promos Placed county
Welcome brochure
Brochure aimed at new homeowners before they move in
na county
articles Pre-written customizable newsletter articles earned county
email blasts Pre-written customizable info spots for communityneighborhood listserves
earned county
niesmortgage brokers)
Run videos and spots on City TV stations
5 Contractor Marketing
Localcontractorsarecriticaltothesuccess ofEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLosAngeles CountyTheyprovidetheservicesthatcom-prisetheProgramandtheycanhelpmarket theProgramtopropertyownersInfactwe estimatethatupto50ofProgrampartici-pantswillentertheProgramthrougharela-tionshipwithacontractor(theymayhavealso seenmediacoverageandadvertisingwhich spurredthemtotakeaction)Thisuniquerole requiresthattheProgramtakeatwo-tiered approachofengagingthecontractormdashmoti-vatinglocalbuildingprofessionalstoundergo thetrainingandcertificationprocessandalso providingthemwiththetoolstoeffectively promotetheprogramtoexistingandnew clientsThefollowingsectiondescribesspecific
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 31
contractor target
United Brotherhood Building Industry Carpenters (Training)
Association ofSouthern California
Email Blast
Contractors Magazines
Contractor
OnlineAds
Big Box Stores
ConractorsLicensing Schools
Realtor Associations
strategiesassociatedwithbothapproaches
Forthepurposesoftheprogramcontractors aredividedintoparticularsegmentsbasedon thetypeofserviceprovidedAninitialanalysis oftheindustryrevealedthefollowinglikely categories
HomePerformance(HP)Contractors
ProductionBuilders
HVACSystemSpecialtyTrades (windowsetc)
RemodelingContractors
SolarContractors
BuildingPerformance
Institute
Southwest Regional
City Permit Association
Offices of Carpenters
Lumber Yards
StateLicensing
Board
American Instituteof Architects
LA Chapter
Outreach to Contractors TheProgramwillcoordinatewithcontractor groupsandotherbuildingprofessionaltrade organizationstoschedulebriefpresentations abouttheProgramandthecontractortraining processForlargerorganizationsthePro-grammayworkdirectlywiththecompanyto arrangeon-sitepresentationsThesepresenta-tionsareinformalinnatureandwillbeusedto promotethecertificationorientationsrequired forcontractorparticipationintheprogram
KeyMessagestoContractors
$30millioninAmericanRecoveryand ReinvestmentActmoneyisworkinginLA Countytocreateconstructionindustryjobs
32 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
EnergyUpgradeCaliforniaOffersbig rebatesandfinancingoptionsfor homeownersdoinghomeenergy efficiencyretrofits
Therewillbemarketingandadvertis-ingstatewideandlocallytopromotethe Program
Therewillbemarketingmaterialsforyou tousetomarketyourbusiness
YoumustbelicensedandBuildingPerfor-manceInstitute-certifiedtobepartofthe Program
HomeownersmustworkwithBPI-certified contractorstheyrsquollchoosefromacontrac-tordatabaseonthewebsite
KeyOutreachMethods
BuildingIndustryAssociationofSouthern California
SouthwestRegionalCouncilofCarpenters
RealtorsAssociation
UnitedBrotherhood-Carpenters(Training Program)
Citypermittingoffice
Lumberyards
AmericanInstituteofArchitectsLA Chapter(toeducatethemaswell)
ArticlesinformationinContractortrade publications(magazinesnewslettersetc) magazines
CarpentersUnionLocals
ContractorsLicenseSchools(andonline)
BigBoxHomeImprovementstores(de-pendingonIOUrelationships)
wwwcslbcagov
Emailblasttoalllicensedcontractors
Contractor Outreach to Consumers Differentopportunitiesexistfordifferent contractorsdependingontheprobablework scopeThefollowingtableoutlinesafew potentialpathwaysforhowcontractorscan participateintheProgram
contractors outreach to customers
CONTRACTOR TyPE
TRIGGER EvENT vALUE TO CONTRACTOR
BUSINESS MOdEL
Home Performance upgrade lead generation scale for high volume
Production Builder new Business Development
create new division
HVac Replacement lead generation Value-add
expand services
specialty trade lead generation Partner with certified gc
Remodeler Remodel life-stage transition
Value-add sub work to HP contractor
solar Renewables lead generation Partner with certified gc
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 33
BPI-certifiedgeneralcontractorswillbelisted ontheEnergyUpgradeconsumerwebsite sendingmanyleadsdirectlytothemThey alsohaveaccesstotheldquoheatmapsrdquotousefor developingtheirownadvertisingcampaigns
Contractorswillbeattendingorientationses-sionstoensuretheythoroughlyunderstand theProgramrebatesfinancingoptionsand canhelpguidetheircustomersthroughthe processTheywillbeprovidedwithContractor MarketingKitstoensuretheyhaveathandthe keymessagesthathavebeenresonatingwith homeownersandhaveinformationtogive topotentialcustomerswhomightormight nothavebeentothewebsiteKitscanbesent directlytocontractorsordistributedatthe orientationsessionsKitswillcontain
Talkingpoints
DVDofthevideo
Printedfactsheetstoleavewithcustomers (withroomfortheircontactinfo)more canbeordered
Printedldquoslimjimrdquoprogrambrochure
Printedlengthierbrochuresaboutthe wholehouseapproach(brandedby Scientific American Magazine)
CDwithldquobuttonrdquotolinktoEnergyUpgrade fromtheirownwebsitesandPDFsofsite signageforprinting
Contractorswillhaveaccesstoaseparatesec-tionofthewebsitewheretheywillfindinfor-mationaboutProgrameventspromotionsand advertisinganon-demandprintsectionfor additionalcopiesofbrochuresanychanges totheProgramandasingletradecontractor databaseforassemblingteamsforcustomers whowouldlikesolarpanelsornewwindows forexample
6 Realtor Marketing
Giventhatthenationalaveragelengthofhome ownershipisroughlysixyearsrealestate agentswillbeincontactandadvisingalarge percentageofthenewandexistinghomeown-ersthatEnergyUpgradeistargetingforhome energyretrofitsThishighlevelofinfluence makesrealtorsoneofthelargestpartner groups
Realestateagentswillbeengagedonthree levels
1) Outreach
2) Training
3) Support
Outreach Outreachwillbeconductedthroughavariety ofvenuesthatwillincludeCaliforniaAssocia-tionofRealtorsreg(CAR)regionalconferences heldinSouthernCaliforniapartnershipwith themanyrealtorassociationslocatedinLos AngelesCountyanddirectvisitstorealestate agentsrsquoofficesforshortpresentationsPart-nershipswiththe15-20localRealtorsAsso-ciationswillbeachievedthroughoneormore RealtorAdvisoryBoardswhichincludethe GovernmentAffairsDirectorsfromeachof theseorganizationsAselectfewoftheseor-ganizationswillbeusedaspilotsfortargeted outreachduringearlystagesoftheProgram Oncethestrategyhasbeentestedandrevised itwillberolledouttoalloftheRealtorsAs-sociationsinLosAngelesCounty
ThefallCARRealtorExpowillbethemain kickoffeventforoutreachtoindividualreal-torsandrealtorofficesEnergyUpgradeplans tohavea30-minutetalkembeddedinthe SpeakersProgramandaboothsetuponthe ExpofloortoinformrealtorsaboutthePro-gramavailabletrainingsandthesupport
34 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
toolsthathavebeendevelopedThisevent willreachthemajorityofrealtorsintheLos Angelesareabutwillnotincludethelarge populationofrealestateagentsthatarenot membersofCARToreachthispopulation emailsocialmediaandtargetedofficevisits willbeconducted
Training EnergyUpgradewillprovidetrainingforreal estateagentsintwoformsTherealestate agenttrainingmodulecurrentlyunderdevel-opmentbyBuildItGreenwillbeusedasthe maintrainingforumThistrainingmodule isexpectedtotaketwofulldaystocomplete andwillcoverpropertyassessedcleanenergy financingenergyefficientmortgagesrebate programsbuildingscienceenergyefficiency andgreenbuildingpracticesappropriateto California
Additionalweb-basedtrainingwillbeprovided tointroducerealestateagentstotheProgram andtodrivethemtogetin-persontraining throughtheBuildItGreentrainingmodule
Support Cultivatingandclosingtoolswillbegener-atedtoassistrealtorsinusingEnergyUpgrade Californiatradetoexpandtheirbusinesswhile drivinghigherlevelsofprogramparticipation RealtorKitswillbesimilartotheContractor Kitsandtheywillhaveaccesstothedatabase ofgeneralandsingletradecontractors
7 Retail Partner Marketing
Utilitieswillpartnerwithretailoutletsthat canincludeBestBuyCostcoSearsLowes andHomeDepotParticipatingretailoutlets willbeprovided
Information centersEnd-displays detailingtheEnergyUpgradeProgram withadiagramillustratingthehouseas asystemconcept(multiplecomponents thatacttogethertomaximizesavings)and actionscustomerscantaketocapturethose savingsandrebatesIn-storecustomer educationcanshiftcustomerperception ofenergyupgradesandmotivatethem toparticipateinmultipleenergy-efficient measuresinsteadofjustoneAnadditional benefitfortheretailerisassociationwith thestatewideprogram
Program collateral One-sheet takeawaysforcustomerstoreference andshare
Video Theshortvideoscanbeplayed onaloop
Table tent cardsPlacedthroughout storesectionsthatcorrelatewiththe EnergyUpgradeProgram(CFLsappli-ancesceilingfansinsulationwindows) Againthiswillencouragecustomersto performmultipleenergyupgradesinstead ofjustoneCross-promotionhelpseducate customersandencourageparticipationin multiplemeasuresthusincreasingproduct purchase
Window clings ldquoOfficialEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaInformationCenterrdquotagline bannersplacedatstorefrontThiswillpo-sitiontheretailerasanactiveparticipantin thestatewideprogramandbuildsretailer credibilityasagreenadvocate
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 35
8 Multi-Family Outreach
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesandsched-ulesarestillinplanningphasesandbeing developedthroughastatewideconsortium
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesarebeing
developed
36 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
evaluation
Theprimarygoalsofthemarketingplanareto buildpositiveawarenessoftheEnergyUp-gradeCaliforniaProgramandcreateasus-tainedmarketforawholehouseapproach(see page8)Objectivesarespecifictothoseachiev-ingthosegoalsLosAngelesCountyresidents willseemultipleiterationsofmediacoverage paidadvertisingin-storedisplayscontractor marketingandin-personpresentations(inthe pilotmarketingareas)Forexamplearesi-dentinAltadenamightseethemoreintensive marketingandoutreacheffortsThatmayspur themtoactionmdashbutiftheyalreadyhadplans toremodelorhadpreviouslyworkedwitha contractortheymightcalltheircontractorand thusactuallycometotheprogramthrough thecontractorThereforeitwillnotbeeasy todeterminepreciselywhathasmotivated eachpersontoparticipateinEnergyUpgrade Objectivestomeetinclude
About35-45ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughthemarket-ingandoutreacheffortsTomonitorwe willincludeashortsurveyaspartofthe rebateapplicationprocessaskingpartici-pantswhatdrewthemtothewebsiteand totheProgramThewebsitecanmonitor clickthroughstocontractorssitesfrom theProgramwebsiteprovidinganindica-tionofpotentialparticpantswhocameto thesitebeforehavingacontractorOnce apropertyownerinputsanaddressthe websitewillbeabletospecificallymonitor ifthatparticipantasksformultiple estimatesfromcontractorsanotherindica-
toroffindingacontractorthroughthesite
About45-50ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughcontractors Wewillaskcontractorstoprovideinfor-mationabouttheirmarketingeffortsand successratesTheywillbeabletoidentify participantsgainedthroughtheirownmar-ketingefforts
300000uniquehitsonthewebsitewhich willbemonitoredbythewebsiteFurther thewebsitewillanalyzewherevisitors camefrom(egaclickthroughfroman onlineadfromacontractorrsquoswebsite orduringthespecifictimeframeofanad campaign)
Virtualandactualldquoword-of-mouthrdquore-portedbymonitoringsocialmedia
Communicationskitsandmarketingkits availablebothphysicallyandthroughan on-demandprintsitemonitoredbyclient
Informationalmaterialsforcitiesmoni-toredbySouthBayCitiesCouncilofGov-ernments
50000000mediaadvertisingin-person impressionsmonitoredbybroadcast printonlinestatisticsandreportsfrom grassrootsmarketingefforts
Consolidatedinformationinone-stop-shop approachwillbedeliveredthroughthe website
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 37
description of marketing communication tools
PlacedEarned Social Media ThePlancallsforsocialmediatopushinfor-mationtoourtargetaudiencesincreaseper-ceptionsoftheProgramascommunity-based reachthosewhowillhelpgenerateadditional buzzindependentmarketingeffortsaboutthe Programandprovideamechanismforlisten-ingtowhatpeoplearesayingaboutEnergy Upgrademdashandrespondingwhennecessary
Online Paid Advertising Onlineadvertisingcampaignscanbeverycost-effectiveandhighlytargetedbydemographics areasofinterestandgeographicsAdsappear ontopic-relatedblogsonsearchenginepages (egGoogle)andoncontentpages(egwhen yousearchforinformationaboutarelated topicandselectawebsitetoview)
Types of Users Targetadsbyage genderincomelanguagepreferencezip codeorhotspots
Types of SearchesTargetadsbytypeof searchconductedbasedonkeywords
Adsareusuallysoldperldquoclickrdquomdashtheviewer hasclickedontheadandbeensenttothe EnergyUpgradeCAwebsiteWewillmake fourtypesofonlineadpurchases
1 Googleadsthatplaceadsbothonits searchpagesandonhundredsofwebsites targetedbytheabove
2 Networksthattargetspecificsitesand blogsthatmatchourtargetaudiences(eg HiveBlogsLosAngelesthatoffers350LA blogstochoosefrom)
3 Directlythroughselectpublishers(eg CurbedLAGreenGirlLAlocalpapers online)
4 Onlineeditionsoflocalpapersinpilot marketingareas
Twitter Twitterusersaremostlycollegegraduates haveattendedgraduateschoolandlivein householdsmakingover$50000ayear (nationally)Usersarethreetimesmorelikely tofollowbrandsandcompaniesonTwitter thanotherusersofsocialnetworkswith40 specificallyusingTwittertolearnaboutand provideopinionsonbrands
Twittercanpushthelatestdevelopmentsand newstopeoplewhohaveexpressedaninter-estedintheProgram(theymustsignupto receiveourTweetsorhavesearchedfortag wordsincludedinourTweets)Itrsquosalsoan easywayforthosewhofollowEnergyUpgrade onTwittertoshareTweetswiththeirfriends
38 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
therebygeneratingbuzzandhelpingmarket theProgramTwittercanshareProgram newsinrealtimedrivepeopletothewebsite facilitateearlyadoptersbuzzmakersreach youngerhomeownersandincreasemarketing effortsatalowcostTwittercanbeeffectively usedtocommunicatetheProgramandits milestonesinavarietyofways
bull Tweetaboutpressreleasesmajoran-nouncementsnewitemsonwebsiteor blogsmediastoriesandarticlesespecially aboutthosethataretimesensitiveandtell ouraudiencewhatishappeningwiththe Programandencouragesthemtopartici-pateorfindoutmore
bull PutaTweeticononthemainwebsiteal-lowingvisitorstothewebsitetobeginto followEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLos AngelesCountyonTwitterwithoneclick
bull FollowotherswhoTweetaboutthe ProgramaswellasthosewhoTweetabout relatedtopicsThiswillprovideanop-portunitytodirectlyrespondtoaperson whohasaquestionabouttheProgramand pointthemtoalinktothewebsite
Tweet Examples
bull ldquo100LAhomeownershavesigned upfortheProgramatwwwEnergyUpgra-deCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoReadaboutLArsquosnewenergyefficiency rebateProgramintheLAtimes httpwwwlatimesgreenblogcomrdquo
bull ldquoWanttosaveonyourutilitybills CheckoutwwwEnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoSignupfortheHomeEnergyUpgrade contestforachancetowinafree homeenergyefficiencyretrofitat EnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
Cost and Budget
SettingupaTwitteraccountisfreeasisusing anapplicationsuchasTweetDeckthathelps followotherswhoareTweetingaboutEnergy UpgradeCaliforniaTheonlysignificantcostis stafftimewhichcanbelimitedtoafewhours aweek
Facebook Facebookisalow-costandeasywayofboth marketingtheProgramandsupportingan onlinecommunityofpeopleinterestedinthe ProgramItwillreachaudienceswhoaremore likelytospendtimeonFacebookversusaweb-siteandwhomayprefertoreceiveshortreal timeProgramnewsviaFacebookratherthan emailsorwebsitesItisidealforpostinglinks tovideosandphotosrelatedtotheprojectIt complementsthewebsiteaplacewherefans oftheProgramcanfindinformationaskques-tionsandshareideasandexcitementThese fanswillgeneratebuzzbytellingtheirfriends abouttheProgramthroughFacebook
AFacebookpagewillcontaininformation abouttheProgramalinktothewebsite Programnewsvideosphotographsandother informationWhenthepageisupdatedfans willreceivelinksinemailalertingthemtothe newposts
Facebookisalsoidealforsharingthestoryof anearlyadopter(whowillalsoTweet)through updatesphotographsandvideosItlends itselfmuchmorenaturallytothispeople-fo-cusedapproachthanawebsitewhichismore formal
Additionalpoints
bull EncourageandperhapsrewardProgram adopterstosharetheirexperiencesask questionsetc
bull Setupcontrolstodeterminewhatcontent Fanscanposttothewall
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 39
bull Monitorupdatestothewallandtakedown Therearemanyexistingblogsthatcanbeused inappropriatecontent
bull Respondtoissuesquestionsandtakepart intheconversation
bull Adesignatedstaffpersonshouldmonitor thesiteitisalsoidealifseveralstaff memberspostcontentandifpartnersare activeparticipantsalthoughtheoverall strategyshouldbecentralized
Facebook Examples
Herearesomeexamplesofthetypesofpost-ingsforaFacebookpage
bull ldquoTheLATimesdescribesEnergyUpgrade CAasaperfectopportunitytobegreenand savemoneymdashintheFridaymoneysectionrdquo
bull ldquoWhydidyoudecidetoparticipatein EnergyUpgradeCATellushowyour energyefficiencyretrofitisgoingandwersquoll enteryouforachancetowina$50Home Depotgiftcardrdquo
bull ldquoWonderingwhetherEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaisrightforyouCheckoutthis videooftheSmithsinstallingnewinsula-tionandwindows--andreceivinga$3500 rebaterdquo
Cost and Budget
Relativelyfewdirectcostsstafftimewill fluctuateduringbusycalmperiodswithhigh activityatthebeginningastheProgramkicks offandafanbaseisestablishedOngoingstaff timeneededtokeeppagefreshwith3-4posts weekdailymaintenancerequiredtomonitor postingsfromfans
Blogs Blogsreachtargetaudienceswhoarealready interestedinrelatedtopicsandwhohavehigh potentialtoparticipateintheProgram
tofurthermarketingefforts
bull Identifybloggerswhowilllikelywrite positivelyabouttheProgramSendpress releasefactsheetsandPrograminforma-tiontobloggerswhowriteabouttopics suchastheenvironmentenergyefficiency homeimprovementremodelingreal estatehousingbargainssavingmoneyas wellastocompaniesthatsellsolarpanels contractorsetc
bull Bloggersarelookingfortopicalstoriesto writeaboutandwewillmaketheirnext blogposteasyBecauseEnergyUpgradeis ahighrewardoptionalProgrambloggers willwritefavorablyandhelptellthestory inafriendlyaccessibleandeasy-to-under-standway(althoughwedonrsquothavecontrol overwhattheywrite)Peoplewhoaredis-satisfiedwillwritenegativecommentsbut wewillmonitorblogsandactivelycorrect misperceptions
bull Tomonitorwhatothersarewritingabout EnergyUpgradeontheirblogswewilluse freeprogramslikeTechnoratiorGoogle Readertoscanallblogsandwebsitesthat mentiontheProgram
Blogs to Reach
Green Girl LA Blog (httpgreenlagirlcom)Thisindependent blogisfocusedonenvironmentalhap-peningsinLosAngelesArecentpostwas aboutagreennetworkingeventfeaturing TheBuildingDoctorspresentingwaysto makeyourhousemoreenergyefficient PreviouslyareporterbloggerfortheLA Timesthewriterisactiveandcoversa widevarietyofenvironmentalgreentopics happeninginLosAngeles
40 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
LA Times HomeBlog (wwwlatimesblogslatimescomhome_
blog)focusesontopicsrelatedtohouses andhashadseveralrecentpostsabout greenremodelingOneadvantageofa majornewspaperisthatthereportingis accurateandthereadershipislargerThey recentlywroteaboutauditionsforThisOld HousewhichisfeaturingaLosAngeles areahouseforasummerremodel
Bargain Babe (wwwbargainbabelatownluxecom) featuresLosAngelesbargainsYoucan searchforbargainsbyareaofLA(West-sideetc)orbytopicThisbloggerrecently wroteaboutappliancerebates
LA Times Green Remodeling (wwwlatimesblogslatimescompar-donourdustgreen_remodeling)writes aboutalltopicsrelatedtoremodelingin SouthernCaliforniawithseveralrecent postsongreentopicsArecentpostre-viewedthedifferentadvantagesofinstall-ingvarioustanklesswaterheatersPitch thatthebloggerfollowahomeenergy retrofitandhelptelltheirstoryaswellas announcebasicPrograminformation
LA Times Personal Finance wwwlatimescombusinesspersonal-finance
Home Remodeling wwwkathysremodelingblogcom
Energy Efficiency wwwlowimpactlivingcomblog
LA CreekFreak
LA Observed
LAist
YouTube PostallvideosrelatedtotheprojectonYou-TubeWewillworkwithourmediapartners todevelopacontestforearlyadopterstofilm theirexperienceandletwebsitevisitorsvote onthebestWinnerreceivesaprizetobe determined
ListServes Listservesreachgroupsofpeoplewhoare interestedinasimilartopicorwholiveina specificneighborhoodSendemailblaststo listservessuchasneighborhoodassociations homeremodelersandenvironmentalgroups withanenergyfocusCitystaffhasinforma-tionaddressesofneighborhoodandhom-eownerassociationslists
Multimedia for Presentations Website Developanengaginginformative6-8minute videofocusingoncontractorsandhomeown-ersthatcanbeusedduringpresentationsand presentedonCityTVThevideowillbeshot bothinEnglishandinSpanishandcover
bull Howtherebatesworktocreateasenseof urgencyaboutdoingtheenergyupgrades soonerratherputtingitofftotakeadvan-tageoftherebates
bull Theldquosealthenenhancerdquowholehouse concept
bull WhattheProgramelementsactuallylook likeandhowtheyareinstalledtoover-comebarrierssuchasthatonemighthave tomoveoutofthehouseortheenergy upgradesareldquouglyrdquo
bull Workingwithacontractorwhatbeing licensedandcertifiedmeansgettingmul-tiplebids
bull Financingoptions
bull Doingthepaperwork
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 41
Fromthatvideodevelop
bull Threeindividual2-minutevideosforuse onlineeachfocusingonaspecifictopicmdash
againinbothEnglishandSpanish
bull A15anda30spoteachinEnglishand SpanishforuseonCityTVandbroadcast
stations
Print Collateral Customizable fact sheetsInforma-tionsheets(onepagefrontandback)in EnglishSpanishandChinesethatcanalso bepostedonthewebsiteasPDFs
Program brochureMorehighlyde-signedforplacementinmunicipaloffices andevents
Customizable Brochure Brandedwith SunsetMagazineorNationalGeographic forcontractorsandrealtorstohandto customers
SignageBannersforeventsandstreet lamppostspostersformunicipaloffices andsmalleventsandpotentiallysignage forbussidestransitshelters
Speakers kits Countyandcitystaffwillreceivekitstoensure everyoneisfamiliarwithkeymessagesandhas informationtogivetoconstituentsThesecan besentdirectlytocitiesordistributedthrough COGsKitswillcontain
bull Talkingpoints
bull DVDofthevideo
bull PPTpresentationforpublicmeetings
bull Printedbrochuresforpermitofficesto includewithwelcomepacketsfornewho-meowners
bull Articlesandphotostheycanrunintheir onlineorprintedcitynewsletters
bull CDwithtemplatesforquickprintingand websitebuttontolinkfromtheirwebsiteto EnergyUpgradeCalifornia
42 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
description of key messages
Thefollowingmessageshadthehighestreso-nanceinpollingandfocusgroupsbothinLos AngelesCountyandtheBayArea
Primary Motivators Thefollowingtwomessagesaboutsaving moneyarekeytomotivatingalltargetaudi-encesTheyshouldbepartofeverypieceof advertisingorcollateralproduced
1 RebatesHomeownerswhomakeenergy-savinghomeimprovementscanqualifyfor a$1500federaltaxcreditandrebatesof upto$3500dependingonhowmuchthey reduceenergyconsumptionAdditional motivatorTaxcreditsonlyavailable untilDecember312010(Rebatesare preferredovertaxcreditsbecauseitrsquoscash nowratherthanlateranddependingon incomenoteveryonecangetthecredit)
2 Save on Utility Bills Upgradingahome touselessenergyandwatercanreduce utilitybillsby20ormoremdashsavingyou moneyovertime
Secondary Motivators Thefollowingmessagesarethenlayeredde-pendingonwhichaudienceisbeingtargeted
Help the EnvironmentClimate Change Weallneedtodoourparttohelp theenvironmentandslowclimatechange Makingourhomesmoregreenandenergy efficientisanimportantstepweshouldall take
Reduce Foreign OilFossil FuelsAt atimewhenwearetryingtoreduceour dependenceonforeignoilandotherfossil fuelsupgradingtheenergyefficiencyof ourhomesisanimportantstepwecanall take(Infocusgroupstheconceptofenergy independencefurtherresonatedasinde-pendencefromutilitycompaniesgetting offthegrid)
Certified Contractors Save Money Speciallytrainedandcertifiedcontractors knowhowtofindimprovementsthatthe averagehomeownerwouldnotTheiras-sessmentswillensurethatyoufindmore energysavingsandthereforesavemore moneyonyourutilitybillsAdditional motivatorContractorsarecertifiedbythe BuildingPerformanceInstituteworking withtheDepartmentofEnergyandEnvi-ronmentalProtectionAgency
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 43
Increase Property ValuesHomesthat areenergy-efficientandenvironmentally friendlyaremoreappealingtohomebuyers Theseupgradescanincreaseyourproperty value
ComfortUpgradingyourhomersquosenergy efficiencymdashinparticularupgradinginsula-tionmdashcanmakeitamorecomfortableplace toliveNomoredraftycoldroomsinthe winterorhotstuffyroomsinthesummer
Indoor Air QualityInsulationand ventilationcanreduceallergyandasthma-causingmoldandmildewimproving indoorairqualityespeciallyforinfantsand thosewithhealthconditions
Messengers Homeownersprefertoreceiveinformation fromimpartialtrustedsourcesThesemes-sengersreceivedthehighestscoresinpolling
bull Neighborsandotherhomeowners
bull Contractorthehomeownerisalready workingwithorreferredbyfriendneigh-bor
bull Architectsdesignprofessionals
bull Gasandelectricutilities
bull Environmentalorganizations
bull Homeimprovementstorestaff(when equippedwithflyers)
44 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 45
- Cover
- Table of Contents13
- Summary Overview13
- Introduction13
- Programs Goals and Objectives13
- Marketing and Outreach Program Goals and Structure13
- Strategy13
- Evaluation13
- Description of Marketing Communication Tools13
- Description of Key Messages13
-
table of contents
Summary Overview 3
ProposedImplementationPlan10
Introduction 11
Program Goals and Objectives 13
Marketing and Outreach Goals and Structure 14
Strategy 18
1 CountywideMarketing(andMediaRelations)18
2 PilotMarketingAreas24
3 Trigger-EventMarketing 30
4 CityandCOGOutreach 30
5 ContractorMarketing 31
6 RealtorMarketing 34
7 RetailPartnerMarketing35
8 Multi-FamilyMarketing36
9 WholeNeighborhoodMarketing36
Evaluation 37
Descriptions of MarketingCommunications Tools 38
Descriptions of Key Messages 43
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 1
summary overview
The Statewide Challenge TheCaliforniaPublicUtilitiesCommissionrsquos (CPUC)EnergyEfficiencyStrategicPlancalls forretrofitting130000housingunitsstate-wideby2012toincreaseenergyefficiencyand reducegreenhousegasemissionsstatewide TheCPUChasprovided$111millionforutility companiestoprovidesubstantialcustomer rebatesforwholehouseenergyefficiency upgradesEnergy Upgrade CaliforniaTM isanunprecedentedstatewidecollaborative responsetoassisttheutilitiesandlocalgov-ernmentsinmeetingthatdauntingchallenge EnergyUpgradewillcreateanewindustry andtransformthemarketforenergyefficiency upgradestoexistingbuildings
Theoverarchinggoalistocreateasustainable marketforawholehouseenergy-efficiency performanceapproachthatwillleadtolong-termjobsfundedthroughtheAmerican RecoveryandReinvestmentActthatwas allocatedtocitiesandcountiesthroughoutthe nation
Energy Upgrade California in Los Angeles Countyisanallianceamongthe CountyofLosAngelestheCitieswithinthe CountySouthernCaliforniaEdisonSouthern CaliforniaGasCompanyandthemunicipally ownedutilitiesintheCountyThegoalisa ldquoone-stopshoprdquoforpropertyownerstoeasily findclearconsolidatedinformationaboutthe Programelementscertifiedcontractorsand alltherebatesincentivesandfinancingop-tionsavailable
Mostoftheapproximately34millionhous-ingunitsinLosAngelesCountywerebuilt beforestateenergyefficiencystandards(Title 24)wereimplementedbeginningintheearly 1980sApropertyownerinvestmentof$5000 to$15000toimplementasingle-familyhome energyretrofitcanoftenachieveanaverageof 20ormoreenergysavings
TheCountyanditspartnersarecollaborat-ingonawebsitecommunityoutreachand countywideadvertisingtoleverageefforts andfundingandtomaximizeparticipationin theProgrammdashwithagoalofpropertyowners completing30000energyefficiencyupgrades bysummer2013TheldquoMediaandAdvertising Flightsrdquomatrixprovidesanoverviewofsched-uleandtiming
Marketing Strategy Thestrategyisentirelyresearch-drivenfocus-ingonthosepropertyownersmostlikelyto undertakeahomeenergyupgradeMarketing andoutreacheffortswillbemulti-layeredand multi-facetedtargetingaudiencesbywhothey arewheretheyliveandtheeventsgoingonin theirlivesEffortsinclude
1 Countywide Marketing (and Media Relations)
2 Pilot Marketing Areas
3 Trigger-Event Marketing
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 3
4 City Outreach
5 Contractor Marketing
6 Realtor Marketing
7 Retail Partner Marketing
8 Multi-Family Marketing
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing
1 Countywide Marketing and Outreach
Outreachwillbeaimedattargetaudiences throughbothmainstreamandmulticultural mediaTheadvertisingwillalsospilloveronto audiencesinspecificgeographicareasAn overarchinglayerofmainstreammarketing andadvertisingwillbeaimedatthreeaudi-ences
countywide marketingoutreach tactics
Cable TV
County Events
Mass Media
Out of Home
Radio
Retail Partners
City Information
City TV
Local Media
Transit Shelters
Theaters
Billboards
Community of Interest
Newsletters
Contractor Marketing
Direct Mail to Hot Spots
Online Ads
Site Signage
Social Media
Community Newsletters
Local Events
Target Audience
4 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
ldquoEarly AdoptersrdquoThosewhoarestrong environmentalistsalreadypoisedtoldquodo therightthingrdquofortheenvironmentand whojustneedtohearaboutaprogramand rebates
ldquoRetrofit-ReadyrdquoThosewhoarealready planninghomeimprovementsandjust needalittlemoreinformationaboutwhat stepstotaketosavemoneyandldquodothe rightthingrdquofortheenvironment
ldquoRetrofit-PersuadablerdquoThosewho arethinkingabouttheirutilitybillshome comfortandtheenvironmentorour dependenceonfossilfuelsforeignoil (especiallyinlightoftherecentGulfoil spill)andwhoneedinformationabout whattypesofimprovementstheycould makeandwhatstepstotaketosaveenergy moneyandreducefossilfuelconsumption
Marketingwillfocusoneachtargetaudience providingimpressionsclosetotheirhomes andreachingouttomassaudiencesasshown intheldquotargetrdquoPropertyownerswhoarenot eligiblefororinterestedinEnergyUpgrade Californiawillfindinformationaboutoppor-tunitiesforweatherizationprogramslow-incomeratesubsidiesgreenjobstrainingand otherinitiativesavailabletoqualifiedlower incomehouseholds
Marketingandoutreachcountywidewill include
Direct MailUtilitieswillplacemessages onouterbillenvelopessenttocustom-ersTheyintendtosenddirectmailabout EnergyUpgradetoldquotargetareasrdquobasedon acombinationofenergyusageageofhome andhouseholdincome
County EventsUtilitieswillattendlarge eventssuchastheSeptember2010and 2011LACountyFairswithawholehouse
themethatincludesaminimodelhouse thatvisitorscanldquotourrdquoThereareaddition-alproposedeventsthatutilitiestheCounty orcitieswillattend
Social MediaTheProgramwillheavily usesocialmediatoreachtargetaudiences whileminimizingcostbeginningatlaunch andcontinuingthroughouttheProgram
Countywide IncentivesSeveralcon-ceptsarebeingdevelopedincludingincen-tivesforenergyassessmentsandcontrac-tors
Countywide Media BuysWithaSep-tember12010launchdatemediabuys willbespreadtoavoidtheelectionmonth ofOctober2010Buyscanincludemain-streambroadcasttelevisionaswellasUni-visionandNPRstationsSocialmediabuys includeGoogleAdWords(inEnglishand Spanish)andblogadsPrintbuysinclude in-languagepublications
Home Energy Makeover Contest HomeEnergyMakeoverContestsgener-ateatremendousamountofpublicityand havebeensuccessfullyconductedinmany otherstatesandcitiesTheconceptisto modelthebehaviortheProgramistrying toencouragebyshowingtheldquowholehouse approachrdquohoweasyupgradescanbehow muchtherebatescanreduceoverallproject costandhowmuchdifferenceupgrades canmaketoahomeTwocontestseach with5winnerswillbeconductedoneat ProgramlaunchandoneinSpring2011
Media RelationsTheProgramwill coordinateCountyutilityandCalifornia EnergyCommissionCaliforniaPublicUtili-tiesCommissioneffortsMediarelations willbeinthreephasespre-launchlaunch andmilestones
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 5
Identifying Locations of Target Audiences Thegeographiclocationoftargetaudiences willbeidentifiedthroughtwomarketanalysis efforts
Parcel-Based Market Analysis A detailedmarketanalysistosupportspecific piecesoftheoutreachandcommunications strategywillbeconductedwhichwillstart byidentifyingthelocationofaudiencesthat arereceptivetospecificoutreachstrategies Themarketanalysisisbeingconducted usingconsumermarketresearchcombined withdemographicdataandpropertychar-acteristicsdatafromtheCountyassessor Themainproductfortheanalysiswillbea separateanalysisreport(expectedAugust 2010)Thisreportwillincludecountywide ldquoheatmapsrdquothatidentifyareaswithahigh proportionoftargetpropertiesandare thereforeidealareasfortargetedmarket-ingThesemapscanbeusedforEnergy Upgradeorcontractormarketingstrate-gies
Pilot Marketing AreasTheCountywill intensifymarketingeffortsinspecificpilot marketingareaswherehighpercentagesof theEarlyAdopterandRetrofitReadyaudi-enceslive(seebelow)
2 Pilot Area Marketing TheCountyintendstostimulatethemarket andgeneratepositiveword-of-mouthby intensifyingmarketingeffortsinspecificpilot marketingareaswherebasedonextensive consumerresearchahighpercentageoftarget audienceslivePilotmarketingprogramsin thoseareaswilltesttheextentcommunity-basedmarketingpositivelyimpactsparticipa-tionrates
Todeterminewheretocreatetheintensemar-ketingpilotprogramsweusedcharacteristics basedonthestatisticallysignificantmarket researchmdashidentifyingthosewhoshowedthe highestinterestinparticipatinginanenergy upgradeWethenanalyzedneighborhoods throughoutthecountytodetermineareas wherehighpercentagesofthoseaudiences liveCharacteristicsinclude
Highpercentageofhousesbuiltbefore 1978
Highpercentageofhomeownership
Highenergyusage
Demographics ndashIncome$60000-$120000 ndashHighpercentageofcollege-educated ndashHighpercentageofpopulationage35-50 ndashHighpercentageofhouseholdswith 4+people
Additionalconsiderationsinclude
Aclusterof8000-20000homes(small enoughtoenableustoreachthemajority ofresidencesandgenerateword-of-mouth yetlargeenoughtoofferagoodsizedpool ofpeoplewithapropensitytobeinterested inanenergyupgrade)
Hasstrongneighborhoodandcommu-nityorganizationsthatwecanengageas partnersaswellasexistingcommunica-tionvehicles(municipalmainstreamand multicultural)
Offersldquospilloverrdquoopportunitiestonearby neighborhoodsthatalsohaveahighper-centageofourtargetaudiences
Basedonthemarketresearchfivepilot marketingareaswillbedevelopedatlaunch andtenphasedinduringthefollowingsix monthsOnesuggestedpilotmarketingarea
6 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Home Depot
Ace Hardware
Lowersquos
Master Builders
Great Indoors
Home Expo
isAltadenaadiverseunincorporatedcom-munityofabout40000residentsTheaver-agehouseholdincomeis$94000Morethan 50adultresidentsaremarriedwithchildren andcommuteanaverageof62milesperday towhite-collarjobsFully40oftheadults inthiscommunityhaveabachelorsdegreeor higherandareinvolvedinmanycommunity eventsandorganizationsThereareapproxi-mately12000homesinthiscommunityand 10000ofthosehomesareowner-occupied Thegraphicshowshowoutreachwouldbe concentratedinthisareaMarketingandout-reachwillinclude
altadena marketing target
Intense Grassroots Community OutreachWewillcontact10-12com-munity-basedorganizationsfaith-based organizationshomeownersassociations neighborhoodassociationsandcommunity leadersineachareaWewillprovidethese organizationswithtrainingandtoolsto becomeambassadorsfortheProgramand spreadthewordthroughouttheircommu-nities
Saturation MarketingIOUswillsend directmailtohomeownersTheCounty willcontactlocalpapersfornewsplace-mentandadssocialmediaandpotentially
Hoy La Opinioacuten
Pasadena Star News
Altadena Headlines Examiner
Boulevard Magazine
Arroyo Magazine
Pasadena Weekly
Altadena Connection
Sentinel
KLVE
KPCC Pasadena
KCBS
KROQ Pasadena
KAZN Pasadena
Church Bulletins
Summer Concert Series at Farnsworth Park
Fourth of July Fireworks at
Town amp Country Club
Black History Parade
World Music Festival in Pasadena
Haunted House at
Farnsworth Park
Art Break
Rose Parade
National Latino
Congreso
Altadena Neighborhood Association
Altadena Chamber of Commerce
Altadena Arts Council
Altadena Town Council
Faith-based Organizations
Altadena Town amp Country Club
Altadena League of
Women Voters
Altadena Historical Society
Altadena Community Improvement Center
Sheriff Support Group
Santa Coming to Farnsworth
Park
Altadena California
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 7
outdoor(bussheltersandsidesandstreet levelsignage)toincreaseimpressionsthat drivepeopletothewebsite
Energy Champion Awards Program Severalconceptsareunderconsideration todevelopacommunityincentivestrategy topromoteparticipationinlinewiththe RetrofitRampUpproposalforinnovative incentiveapproaches
3 Trigger Event Marketing Thissuiteofstrategieswillbeaimedatcap-turingenergyefficiencyopportunitiesfrom multipletriggereventsParticipantswill mainlycomethroughcontractorsrealtorsand retailpartnerspropertyownerswillhavealso seencountywideadvertisingTriggerevents include
Replacingoldornon-functioningHVAC systemsandwaterheaters
Remodelingforlife-stagechanges(growing family)orjusttorenewthehouse
Improvementsmadewhenpurchasingor sellingahouse
Complaintsabouthighenergybillsora coldhothouse
4 City and COG Outreach OutreachbyCitiesandCOGswillbecritical becauseoftheirexistingrelationshipswith localconstituenciesCitieswillbeprovided withamini-marketingplantalkingpoints videocustomizabletemplatesoffactsheets articlesfortheirnewslettersandadvertising materialssotheycandeveloplow-costout-reachtotheirresidentsCitieswithcommuni-tiestargetedinthePilotAreaMarketingplans willbeinformedandencouragedtodoout-reachtothoseareasAllCitieswillbeencour-agedto
Runstoriesinprintandonlinenewsletters
Sendinformationtoneighborhoodassocia-tionshomeownersassociationshistoric preservationdistrictsandotherappropri-atecommunityorganizations
ProvideinformationinCitypermitting officesandCityHalllobbies
Provideinformationatstrategicallylocated EnvironmentalInformationCentersandat COGofficelocations
Provideinformationinldquonewhomeown-ersrdquowelcomekits(eitherdirectlyfromthe cityorthroughtitlecompaniesmortgage brokers)
5 Contractor Marketing BPI-certifiedgeneralcontractorswillbelisted ontheEnergyUpgradeconsumerwebsite sendingmanyleadsdirectlytothemThey alsohaveaccesstotheldquoheatmapsrdquotousefor developingtheirownadvertisingcampaigns Contractorswillbeattendingorientationses-sionstoensuretheythoroughlyunderstand theProgramrebatesfinancingoptionsand canhelpguidetheircustomersthroughthe processTheywillbeprovidedwithContractor MarketingKitstoensuretheyhavekeymes-sagesathandthathavebeenresonatingwith homeownersandhaveinformationtogiveto potentialcustomerswhomayormaynothave visitedthewebsiteKitscanbesentdirectlyto contractorsordistributedattheorientation sessionsKitswillcontain
Talkingpoints
DVDofthevideo
Printedfactsheetstoleavewithcustomers (withroomfortheircontactinfo)more canbeordered
8 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Printedldquoslimjimrdquobrochuresaboutthe 8 Multi-Family Outreach wholehouseapproach
Printedin-depthbrochure(brandedby ScientificAmericanMagazine)
CDwithldquobuttonrdquotolinktoEnergyUpgrade fromtheirownwebsites
Contractorswillhaveaccesstoaseparate sectionofthewebsitewheretheywillbeable toorderadditionalcustomizablematerials ldquoon-demandrdquofindinformationaboutPro-grameventspromotionsandadvertisingany changestotheProgramandasingletrade contractordatabaseforassemblingteamsfor customerswhowouldlikesolarpanelsornew windowsforexample
6 Realtor Marketing Giventhatthenationalaveragelengthof homeownershipisroughlysixyearsreal estateagentswillbeincontactandadvising alargepercentageofthenewandexisting homeownersthatEnergyUpgradeistarget-inghomeenergyretrofitsThishighlevelof influencemakesrealtorsoneofthelargest partnergroupsRealtorKitswillbesimilarto theContractorKitsandtheywillhaveaccess tothedatabaseofgeneralandsingletrade contractors
7 Retail Partner Marketing Utilitieswillpartnerwithretailoutletsthat canincludeBestBuyCostcoSearsLowes andHomeDepotParticipatingretailoutlets willbeprovided
Informationcenters
Programcollateral
Tabletents
Windowclings
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesandsched-ulesarestillinplanningphasesandbeing developedthroughastatewideconsortium
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing Strategiesandschedulesarestillinplanning phases
Incentives and Financing Marketresearchshowsthatrebatesarepri-marymotivatorsforhomeownerstoundertake anenergyupgradeRebateswillbeavailable forconsumersfromvarioussourcesCur-rentlyutilityrebatesoffer$1000fortheBasic Pathandupto$8500forthosereaching30 energysavingsThefederalHomeStarpro-gramisstillpendingmdashitcouldofferhomeown-ersupto$3000forelementsintheBasic Pathupto$7000forthosereaching20 energysavingsandupto$13000forthose reaching45energysavingsIncentivesfrom theCountyarealsostillpending
Financingoptionsarebeinganalyzedandwill beavailableatlaunch
Allrebatesandfinancingwillbecoordinated onthewebsitewiththeultimategoalofprop-ertyownersfillingoutoneformandpopulat-ingallotherrequiredforms
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 9
Proposed Implem
entation Plan
10 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
introduction
The Statewide Challenge Californialegislation(AB32)requiresGreen HouseGas(GHG)emissionreductionto1990 levelsby2020andfurtherreductionsinGHG emissionsto80percentbelow1990levelsby 2050Theseprovisionshavebeenincorpo-ratedintothePublicUtilitiesCommissionrsquos (CPUC)2009EnergyEfficiencyStrategic Planwhichtargetsanaverage40reduction inpurchasedenergyfortheexistingbuilding stockby2020andan80reductionby2050
TheCPUCrsquosCaliforniaEnergyEfficiency StrategicPlansetsthefollowinggoalstobe reachedby2020
25ofexistinghomesexhibita70 decreaseinpurchasedenergyfrom2008 levels
75ofexistinghomesexhibita30 decreaseinpurchasedenergyfrom2008 levels
100ofexistingmulti-familyhomes exhibita40decreaseinpurchasedenergy from2008levels
TheCPUCrsquosstatewidegoalistoretrofit 130000housingunitsby2010
Additionallegislation(AB758)requiredthe CaliforniaEnergyCommission(CEC)tode-velopandimplementacomprehensiveenergy efficiencyprogramforexistingresidentialand nonresidentialbuildingstoreducetheirGHG emissionsinkeepingwithclimatechange mitigationEnergy Upgrade Californiais apartnershipbetweentheCECandtheCPUC topromoteenergyefficiencyimprovements tohomesandcommercialbuildingsfunded inpartthroughtheAmericanRecoveryand ReinvestmentAct
Market Opportunity AlongwithothercitiesacrossthestateLos AngelesCountywillalsoberequiredtocreate aClimateActionPlanandEnergyUpgrade CaliforniainLosAngelesCountywillbea centralGHGemissionreductionimplementa-tionstrategyEnergy Upgrade California in Los Angeles Countyisanallianceamong theCountyofLosAngelestheCitieswithin theCountySouthernCaliforniaEdison SouthernCaliforniaGasCompanyandthe municipallyownedutilitiesintheCountyThe
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 11
goalisaldquoone-stopshoprdquoforpropertyowners Apropertyownerinvestmentof$5000 toeasilyfindclearconsolidatedinformation abouttheProgramelementscertifiedcon-tractorsandalltherebatesincentivesand financingoptionsavailable
Mostoftheapproximately34millionhous-ingunitsinLosAngelesCountywerebuilt beforestateenergyefficiencystandards(Title 24)wereimplementedbeginninginthe early1980sMorerecentvintageresidential buildingsalsooffergreatpotentialforenergy savingsduetodeficienciesinconstruction specificationandfieldworkquality
Energyefficiencymeasuresincludeimprove-mentstoinsulationspaceheatingandair conditioningwaterheatinglightingwin-dowsanddoorssolarhotwatersystemsand otherfixeditems
to$15000forsingle-familybuildingtoimple-mentabuildingenergyretrofitcanoften achieveanaverageof20ormoreenergy savingsreduceutilitybillsimprovebuild-ingcomfortenhanceindoorairqualityand increasebuildingvalue
TheCountyanditspartnersarecollaborat-ingonawebsitecommunityoutreachand countywideadvertisingtoleverageefforts andfundingandtomaximizeparticipationin theProgrammdashwithagoalofpropertyowners completing30000energyefficiencyupgrades bysummer2013TheldquoMediaandAdvertis-ingFlightsrdquomatrixprovidesanoverviewof scheduleandtiming
12 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
programs goals and objectives
ThegoalsofEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLA Countyaretopromotejobcreationandreduce aggregategreenhousegasemissionsthrough energyandresource-savingretrofitsofexisting buildingstockthroughthreefundingsources
1 AmericanReinvestmentandRecoveryAct EnergyEfficiencyandConservationBlock Grant(EECBG)
2 USDepartmentofEnergyRetrofitRamp Up(RRU)funding
3 CaliforniaEnergyCommission Discretionarygrant
retrofit objectives by funding source
Objectivesthusfocusonspecifictargetnum-bersforcompletedretrofits
bull Retrofitabout27000single-familyhomes withanaverage20energyreduction Countywide(1605850single-familyresi-dentialhomesinLACounty)plus2600 multi-familyhomes
bull Reduceannualpurchasedenergycon-sumptioninthosehomesbyanaggregate 300billionBTUsperyearandassociated energycostsby$4millionperyear
bull Create3200jobsand
bull ReducetheCountyrsquosannualgreenhouse gasemissionsattributabletoenergycon-sumptioninitsexistingbuildingstockby 36287metrictonsCO2e
EECBG RRU CEC TOTAL
single-family Homes 15000 4200 8060 27260
multi-family Homes 0 1400 1240 2640
29900
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 13
marketing and outreach program goals and structure
1 Goals MarketingandoutreachforEnergyUpgrade CaliforniainLACountywillengageproperty ownersthrougheffectivestrategiesprovide clearandcompellinginformationaboutthe benefitsofanenergyefficiencyretrofitlist therebatesandtaxcreditsavailable(through thisProgramandthroughutilityprograms) explainfinancingoptionslistcertifiedcon-tractorsanddescribetheProgramprocessand optionsThemarketingandoutreachplanhas fivemajorgoals
1 Build broad positive awareness of the Program
2 Educate property owners to overcome barriers to participation
3 Target marketing efforts to drive participation by key audiences identified in surveys
4 Align and coordinate other marketing efforts by utilities and other partners
5 Create a sustained market for a whole-house performance approach leading to long-term behavioral change
2 Objectives ThePlanisdesignedtoachievethesemajor objectives
1 Program goals met
Marketing35-40ofProgrampar-ticipantsentertheProgramasaresultof marketingandoutreachefforts
Contractors45-50ofProgrampar-ticipantsentertheProgramasaresultof marketingbycontractors(usingmes-sagingandmaterialsdevelopedthrough thisPlan)
Partners10-15ofProgrampar-ticipantsentertheProgramasaresult ofmarketingbyothermethodssuch asrealtorsretailpartnersarchitects designersandCityefforts(usingmes-sagingandmaterialsdevelopedthrough thisPlan)
2 300000 unique hits on a robust website (or calls to the call center)
3 Virtual ldquoword-of-mouthrdquo buzz created through social media resulting in click throughs to the website
14 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
4 Communications kits available for county COG cities community leaders and environmental groups
5 Marketing kits available for partners (contractors realtors)
6 Informational materials placed with retailers cities county offices
7 50000000 mediaadvertisingin-person impressions through
Mainstreammedia(televisionradio print)storiesplaced
Multiculturalmedia(televisionradio print)storiesplaced
RadioTVPSAsplaced
CityTVprogramsplaced
PaidradioTVpromosads
Paidprintads
Communitymeetings
Targeteddirectmail
rebate structure
8 Consolidated information in a ldquoone-stop shoprdquo approach
3 Incentives and Financing Marketresearchshowsthatrebatesarepri-marymotivatorsforhomeownerstoundertake anenergyupgradeRebateswillbeavailable forconsumersfromvarioussourcesCur-rentlyutilityrebatesoffer$1000forthe BasicPathandupto$3500forthosereach-ing30energysavingsThefederalHome Starprogramisstillpendingmdashitcouldoffer homeownersupto$3000forelementsinthe BasicPath$3000forthosereaching20 energysavingsandupto$13000forthose reaching45energysavingsIncentivesfrom theCountyarealsostillpending(SeeRebate Structuretable)
Financingoptionsarebeinganalyzedandwill beavailableatlaunch
Allrebatesandfinancingwillbecoordinated onthewebsitewiththeultimategoalofprop-ertyownersfillingoutoneformandpopulat-ingallotherrequiredforms
ELEMENT COUNTy FUNdEd
FEd TAx CREdIT HOME STAR UTILITIES
Basic path tBD 30 of eligible $1000
advanced path tBD improvements up to $1500 (expires Dec 31) $2500 for 20
+$500 for 5 +$500 for 5
silver star tBD
gold star tBD
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 15
4 Coordination Between Local Government and Utilities Consumerswillbebestservedbyaunified brandandconsumermarketingcampaign consistentmessagingandastatewidewebsite portalwithonewebsiteaddressTheCounty ofLosAngelesSouthernCaliforniaEdison andSouthernCaliforniaGasCompanyhave beenworkingtogethertodevelopastrong coordinatedprogramInfacttheLosAngeles CountyProgramhasbecomeamodelforthe state
Coordinationwillalsoleverageresourcesand increasethemarketingeffectivenessoflocal governmentsandthelocalutilitiesAllma-terialswillbedevelopedcollaborativelyand costswillbesharedaccordingtothedivision ofresponsibilityThefollowingchartoutlines thekeydeliverablesandresponsibilities(next page)
16 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
marketingoutreach coordination
PROGRAM ELEMENT LEAd COMMENTS
COUNTy UTILITIES jOINT
market research X telephone surveys focus groups and market analysis
marketing communications plan X this document will direct all marketing
activities
program namelogo X
cec will own the brand and has final vote on statewide name tagline can be customized for la county
Website portal X
statewide portal linked to utility pages or sitesndashmain info and materials on this one site
advertising campaign principles development X
marketing templates X
Print and online available for cities to customize as needed
service territory media Buys (regional) X Mainstream and ethnic media buys
local media Buys (la county) X Both mainstream and ethnic media in
hotspots and la county
call center X one phone number managed by utilities county to help produce script
retail outlet materials X May include kiosks short videos
contractor marketing toolkit X tBD county will develop marketing materials
for contractors
direct mail (eg bill inserts other mailers) X
county assessor materials X
Materials included in water bills property tax bills
community-Based outreach X targeted grassroots marketing
(includes local events)
community events X X utilities attend countywide events county attends local events
public relations X X
utilities take lead for service territory county for local or supervisor-initiated PR
Home energy makeover contest X
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 17
strategy
TheProgramwilluseamulti-layeredmulti-facetedmarketingandoutreachstrategythat targetsaudiencesbyidentifyingwhotheyare wheretheyliveandtheeventsgoingonin theirlivesMarketingeffortsinclude
1 Countywide Marketing (and Media Relations)
2 Pilot Area Marketing
3 Trigger-Event Marketing
4 City Outreach
5 Contractor Marketing
6 Realtor Marketing
7 Retail Partner Marketing
8 Multi-Family Marketing
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing
1 Countywide Marketing
Thestrategyisentirelyresearch-drivenfocus-ingonthosepropertyownersmostlikelyto undertakeahomeenergyupgradeAnover-archinglayerofmainstreammarketingand advertisingwillbeaimedatthreeaudiences
1 Early AdoptersThosewhoarestrong environmentalistsalreadypoisedtoldquodo therightthingrdquofortheenvironmentand whojustneedtohearaboutaprogramand rebates
2 ldquoRetrofit-ReadyrdquoThosewhoarealready planninghomeimprovementsandjust needalittlemoreinformationaboutwhat stepstotaketosavemoneyandldquodothe rightthingrdquofortheenvironment
3 ldquoRetrofit-Persuadablerdquo Thosewho arethinkingabouttheirutilitybills homecomforttheenvironmentorour dependenceonfossilfuelsforeignoil (especiallyinlightoftherecentGulfoil spill)andwhoneedinformationabout whattypesofimprovementstheycould makeandwhatstepstotaketosave energysavemoneyandreducefossilfuel consumption
Outreachwillbeaimedattargetaudiences throughbothmainstreamandmulticultural mediaTheadvertisingwillalsospillover ontoaudiencesinspecificgeographicareas providingadditionalimpressionstothose whoarealsotargetedinthePilotMarketing AreasThiswillalsoaddtothecitiesrsquoefforts topromotetheProgramastheirresidents willalsoseethecountywidemarketingefforts
18 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Marketingwillfocusoneachtargetaudience providingimpressionsclosetotheirhomeand reachingouttomoremassaudiencesCounty-widemarketingandoutreachwillinclude tacticsinthetablebelow
The One-Stop Shop Allinformationwillbeconsolidatedina one-stopshopapproacheitherinaldquobrick andmortarrdquolocationthroughthewebsiteor callcenteroratcommunityeventsProperty ownerswillhaveeasyaccesstoinformation
abouteligibleenergyefficiencymeasures andretrofitoptionseligibilityforCounty-administeredfinancialvehiclesandincentives eligibilityforutility-sponsoredrebatesand incentivesfederalrebateandtaxcreditinfor-mationandaccesstolistsofqualifiedenergy retrofitcontractors
Propertyownerswhoarenoteligiblefororin-terestedinEnergyUpgradeCaliforniawould alsobeabletofindoutaboutopportunities forweatherizationprogramslow-incomerate
countywide marketingoutreach tactics
Cable TV
County Events
Mass Media
Out of Home
Radio
Retail Partners
City Information
City TV
Local Media
Transit Shelters
Theaters
Billboards
Community of Interest
Newsletters
Contractor Marketing
Direct Mail to Hot Spots
Online Ads
Site Signage
Social Media
Community Newsletters
Local Events
Target Audience
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 19
subsidiesgreenjobstrainingandotherinitia- Parcel-Based Market Analysistivesavailabletoqualifiedhouseholds
Identifying Locations of Target Audiences Thegeographiclocationoftargetaudiences willbeidentifiedthroughtwomarketanalysis efforts
Pilot Marketing Areas TheCountywillintensifymarketingefforts inspecificpilotmarketingareaswherehigh percentagesoftheEarlyAdopterandRetrofit ReadyaudiencesliveThesepilotmarketareas willbeidentifiedthroughdemographicanaly-sisbaseduponextensivemarketresearchas wellasadetailedanalysisofkeycommunity resourcessuchasstrongcommunitynetworks andcommunity-basedorganizationsinfluen-tiallocalmedialdquocommunityfeelrdquoetc(For moreinformationonthepilotmarketareas approachandengagementstrategiesseepage 23)
Adetailedmarketanalysisisbeingconducted tosupportspecificpiecesoftheoutreachand communicationsstrategybyidentifyingthe locationofaudiencesthatarereceptivetospe-cificoutreachstrategiesThetableonthenext pagedemonstratesthemarketanalysisaudi-ences(scenarios)andmarketstrategiesthat arebeinganalyzedtoidentifythelocationof targetaudiencesThemarketanalysisisbeing conductedusingconsumermarketresearch combinedwithdemographicdataandprop-ertycharacteristicsdatafromtheCountyas-sessorThemainproductfortheanalysiswill beaseparateanalysisreport(expectedAugust 2010)Thisreportwillincludecountywide ldquoheatmapsrdquothatidentifytheareasthathave ahighproportionoftargetpropertiesandare thereforeidealareasfortargetedmarketing ThesemapscanbeusedforEnergyUpgrade Californiaorcontractormarketingstrategies
countywide market capture cascade
Early Adopters
Retrofit ready
Retrofit persuadable
The Next Phase No way
MESSAGES
bull environment bull Fossil Fuels bull Rebates
available
AddITIONAL MESSAGES
bull save money on utility bills
bull Rebates
bull long-term attitudinal change
available AddITIONAL MESSAGES
bull Property values bull comfort bull Health bull ReBates available
20 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
market analysis scenarios
Link between Pilot Market Areas and Parcel-Based Market Analysis
Theaudiencesbeingexaminedinthepilot marketingareasoverlapwithbutarenotthe sameasthoseinthemarketanalysisThe marketanalysisthereforesupportsthepilot marketareaidentificationintwoways
1 Itaddspropertycharacteristicsgleaned fromconsumerresearchtothepilotmarket areaanalysisInthiswayScenarios1and 2(RetrofitReadyandRetrofitPersuadable) providefurtherdetailtothepilotmarket areasandallowforgeneralmarketingto
MARkET ANALySIS SCENARIO
AUdIENCE IdENTIFIEd
dATA ANALyzEd RELATEd MARkETING STRATEGy
1-early adopters retrofit ready
environmentalists ready to take action now with information about rebates
Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Pilot Marketing areas
2-retrofit persuadable
those who need information about types of improvements with emphasis on rebates and cost savings
Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Pilot Marketing areas
3a-Built environment Heating and cooling
Middle-aged to newer homes located inland that are larger and often have high ac heating bills
Property characteristics location of Home
trigger event Marketing utility Bills Pilot area Marketing
3b-Built environment-Heating
smaller older coastal homes that may have comfort issues in winter
Property characteristics location of Home
trigger event Marketing comfort Pilot Marketing areas
4-multi-family Multi-family homeowners Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Multi-family Marketing Pilot Marketing areas
5-Whole neighborhood
tracts of similarly-aged and built homes
Property characteristics location of Home
Whole neighborhood Marketing Pilot Marketing areas
bedirectedtospecificproperties(when appropriate)
2 Italsoidentifiesotherkeyaudiences (Scenarios3a3b4and5)thatcorrelate toothermarketingstrategiesasshown intableaboveTheresultsofthese scenarioswillbeoverlaidontopofthepilot marketareastoidentifyspecificparcels thatmayrespondtospecificmarketing strategiesForexamplewhenoverlaying thepropertiesidentifiedinScenario5 (Whole-NeighborhoodScenario)with thepilotmarketingareastheCounty canidentifypropertieswithinthepilot
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 21
marketingareathatwouldrespondtoa whole-neighborhoodmarketingapproach (bulkpurchasingmodelhomesasingle contractoretc)
Home Energy Makeover Contest HomeEnergyMakeoverContestsgenerate atremendousamountofpublicityandhave beensuccessfullyconductedinmanyother statesandcitiesTheyattractthousandsof entrantsTheconceptistobothgarnerfree publicityandmodelthebehaviortheProgram istryingtoencouragebyshowingtheldquowhole houseapproachrdquohoweasyupgradescanbe howmuchtherebatescanreducetheproject costandhowmuchdifferencetheymaketoa home
Thecontestwillalsodemonstratethemarket acceptanceforthehomeperformanceap-proachtotraditionalsingle-measurecontrac-torsThosecontractorswillseehowmany peopleenterthecontesttowinahomeperfor-mancemakeoverbasedonthewholehouseap-proachAllthosewhoenteredareleadswho maybeinterestedinawholehouseapproach ratherthansinglemeasures
Entrantsmustbeover18liveinLosAnge-lesCountyandownthehomeinwhichthey residethecontestcanbelimitedtothose whoreceiveservicefromSouthernCalifornia EdisonandorSouthernCaliforniaGas(in otherwordsitcanincludeorexcluderesi-dentsservedbymunicipalutilities)Entrants submitinformationabouttheirhomeand theirenergyconsumptionandgivepermis-sionfortheProgramjudgestoviewtheir energyconsumptionduringthepreviousyear Finalistsarebasedonthehighestenergycon-sumptionpersquarefootofamedian-sized homeAbout20finalistsreceivefreeenergy auditsfortheirhomesBasedontheaudit (andadditionalcriteriawewilldetermine)five winninghomesreceiveupto$15000inhome
energyimprovements(whichcanbesupple-mentedbyrebatesandadditionalfunding fromthepropertyowner)Thewinneragrees tomediacoverageanopenhouseandtoblog andorTweetduringandaftertheretrofit Wewillworkwithcontractorstogetsponsor-shipsaswellasdonatedauditsandupgrade elements
OnecontestwillbeheldinFall2010(withfive winners)andasecondcontestheldduring Springof2011(withfivewinners)
Aseparatecontestcouldbeheldformulti-familybuildingswithahigherwinning amount
Countywide Incentives TheProgramwillestablishalistofnon-profit organizationsthatareactiveinpromoting greenhomessustainabilityandotherenvi-ronmentalorcommunityprojectsEveryone intheCountywhocompletesanenergyaudit maydesignateanon-profitorganizationto receiveadonationfromtheProgramInfor-mationabouttheeligibleorganizationswill beonthewebsiteThiswillencouragethose non-profitstopromotetheProgramtotheir membersltNotethisconceptisstillbeing developedgt
Direct Mail Utilitieswillplacemessagesonouterbillen-velopessenttocustomersTheywillalsosend directmailaboutEnergyUpgradetoldquotarget areasrdquobasedonacombinationofenergy usageageofhomeandhouseholdincome DirectmailisscheduledforOctober2010
County Events Utilitieswillbeattendinglargeeventssuch astheSeptember2010and2011LACounty Fairswithawholehousethemethatincludes aminimodelhousethatvisitorscanldquotourrdquo Additionalproposedeventsinclude
22 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
bull LeagueofCitiesAnnualConference workshop(September2010)
bull PomonaHomeImprovementShow (October2010)
bull RemodelingShowattheLACountyFair (October2010)
bull CaliforniaAssociationofRealtors (October2010)
bull BuildingIndustryShow(November2010)
bull SouthernCaliforniaHomeImprovement Show(November2010)
bull NeighborWorksAmerica(February2011)
Online and Social Media TheProgramwillusesocialmediatoinex-pensivelyreachtargetaudiencesbeginningat launchandcontinuingthroughoutthePro-gramwithbriefpausesforrefiningThiswill beaccomplishedthroughoptimizingsearch wordsforsearchenginessuchasGoogleand Bingreachingappropriateindependentblogs aYouTubevideocontest(runbyamediapart-ner)andencouragingblogpostsandTweets byearlyadoptersandtheProgramitself(see DescriptionsofMarketingCommunications ToolsandDescriptionsofTargetAudiencesfor moredetails)Inadditionutilitieswilldevote spaceforinformationandalinkontheirland-ingpages
Countywide Media Buys Withalatesummerfalllaunchdatemedia buysneedtobespreadtoavoidtheelection monthofOctober2010EnergyUpgradeCali-forniainLosAngelescansponsoraweather broadcastmdashliveonlineandmobilemdashaswell as15and30spotsduringotherbroadcasts Wewillalsopurchaseliveandonlinespots withUnivisiontheSpanish-languagestation Radiobuyswillinclude15NationalPublic Radio(KPCCandKCRW)sponsorshipsand variousdrive-timespotsonEnglishandin-
languageAMandFMstationsSocialmedia buysincludeGoogleWordsandblogads(see DescriptionsofMarketingCommunications Tools)Printmediabuyswillbeinmulticul-turalpapers
(Afullmediabuyplanandschedulewillbe availableinAugust)
Countywide Media Relations TheProgramwillcoordinateCountyandutil-ityeffortsandwiththeCaliforniaEnergyCom-missionCaliforniaPublicUtilitiesCommis-sioneffortsMediarelationswillbeinthree phasespre-launchlaunchandmilestones
Pre-Launch (August ndash September)
bull DevelopandprovideaSpeakerrsquosKit withtalkingpoints
bull OrganizeCountymedialaunchevent (potentiallyenlistawillinghomeowner whosehousemightserveasalaunching padformediatours)
bull Respondtorequestsfromcities
bull Providepre-writtenarticlesforcity communitynewsletters
bull Issuepresskitsandpressrelease(in EnglishandSpanish)announcing launch
Launch (October)
bull Mediaeventtoannouncelaunchand HomeEnergyMakeoverContestpoten-tiallyon-siteatahousetodemonstrate upgrades
bull SendoutradioPSAs
Milestones (through 2013)
bull Mediaeventtoannouncewinnersofthe HomeEnergyMakeovercontest(could beconductedon-sitesurprisingthe winners)
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 23
bull ldquoRe-launchrdquopressreleaseandmedia eventinMarch2011forasecondHome EnergyMakeoverContestwithastrong ldquogetreadyforsummerrdquotheme
bull Pressreleasewhen10000thperson receivesarebate
bull Pressreleasewhenotherappropriate milestonesarereachedorthefunding forincentivesisclosetobeingdepleted
2 Pilot Marketing Areas
Itwillbecriticalforthelong-termsuccessof marketingeffortstohaveasignificantnumber ofearlysuccessesthatgeneratepositivepub-licityandword-of-mouthencouragingothers toalsoparticipateTheCountyintendsto stimulatethemarketfortheseearlyadopters byintensifyingmarketingeffortsinspecific pilotmarketingareas(withzipcodebound-aries)wherebasedonextensiveconsumer
countywide marketingoutreach tactics
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
television
ad buys on Broadcast tV univision google tV Paid county
ldquothis old Houserdquo segment on whole house per-formance and rebates while renovating house (filming in la this summer)
earned county
coverage on mainstream and multicultural sta-tions
earned utilities county
ldquoinfomercialrdquo and promos on city tV Placed county
radio
nPR sponsorship Paid county
commute time spots Paid county
coverage on california Report earned utilities county
Psas on mainstream stations Placed utilities county
spots on multicultural stations Paid county
coverage in mainstream and multicultural papers
earned utilities county
sunset Magazine green Home section earned county
ads in la times and Daily news real estate sections
Paid utilities county
ads in multicultural papers Paid county
Direct Mail to targets Paid utilities
24 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
countywide marketingoutreach tactics (conrsquot)
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
social media
Blogs (about homes environment bargains) earned county
Facebook page Placed county
ads targeted to interest in environment and or home improvements (this old House etc)
Paid county
google adWords targeted to interest in environment andor home improvements
Paid county
twitter both by the Program and by individual early adopters (with incentives)
Placed county
youtube early adopters make a video about their experience and results (with incentives)
Placed county
out of Home
Retail kiosks banners flyers links on retail websites
Placed utilities
community organizations
environmental groups and others newsletters websites email blasts
earned county
Home improvement shows booths Paid county
countywide events Paid utilities
Bloggersubject matter events Paid county
researchhighpercentagesoftargetaudiences livePilotmarketingprogramsinthoseareas willtesttheextentcommunity-basedmarket-ingpositivelyimpactsparticipationratesan effortrelatedtoRetrofitRampUpproposal requirements
Demographicdataprovidedbythemarketre-searchwillbeoverlaidwithenergyusagedata AdditionallyGIS-basedmarketanalysisatthe parcellevel(describedabove)willallowfor pinpointingofspecificneighborhoodswithin thepilotareasforoutreachthatcaninclude
door-to-doordirectmailandmarketingby contractorsaspartofaldquowholeneighbor-hoodrdquoapproachFocusingonpilotareaswill alsomeettheRetrofitRampUprequirements oftheDepartmentofEnergyFollowingisa summaryofplannedmarketingandoutreach efforts
Marketresearch-basedcriteriaforchoosing about15pilotareaswillinclude
Clusters of houses built before 1978 Thoselivinginolderhomesespecially
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 25
builtbeforeCaliforniarsquosEnergyEfficiency Standardsaremorelikelytobelievethat theirhousemightbeenergyinefficient andcouldbenefitfromenergyefficiency improvementsmdashandberesponsivetoan energyupgrade
High percentage of homeownership Thesemarketingeffortsfocusonsingle-familyresidentialhomeownerssoareas withhighrentalrateswillnotprovidea largeenoughnumberofeligibleunits
Income over $60000Thosewith incomesunder$60000didnotbelieve theywouldhavesufficientincometomake improvementsevenwithrebatesThey werenotinterestedinloans(manywith lowincomesalsofindthemselvesldquounder-waterrdquoontheirloansandthusnoteligible forsomefinancing)Inadditionwefound somepush-backinfocusgroupsabout ldquogovernmentofferingloanstopeoplewho canrsquotaffordthemafterthesub-primeloan debaclerdquo
Population with a high percentage of college-educatedThosewithacollege degreearemuchmorelikelytoindicate apreferencetomakeenergyefficiency upgradesThosewhohadcompletedsome collegeeducationarealsomorelikelyto indicateapreferenceforenergyefficiency upgradesthanthosewhohadnotcom-pletedany
Population with a high percentage of those age 35-54Thosewithchildren andorexpandingfamiliesaremorelikely tomakeimprovementsthanthoseunder 30(thereareveryfewhomeownersunder 30)andthoseover54
High percentage of households with 4+ peopleHouseholdswithmorepeople havehigherenergybillsResearchshows thatthoseinhomeswithmorethan4
peoplebelieveenergyupgradescanmakea bigimpactontheirbills
High energy usage Thehigherenergy usage(andbills)themorelikelypeopleare tobelievethatenergyefficiencyimprove-mentswillmakeadifferenceintheirbills
Afterlayeringthisinformationtocomeup withalistofpotentialareaswefurthercon-sidered
Clusters of 8000-20000 homesThe areashouldbelargeenoughtoprovidesub-stantialnumbersofeligibleunitsbutsmall enoughtoenablereachingmajorityofresi-dentsandgeneratingword-of-mouth
Has a diverse multicultural commu-nityAreasshouldhavestrongcommunity identitiesandsenseofplacesocommunity membersareproudofwheretheyliveand areencouragedtoimprovetheircommu-nity
Has strong neighborhood and com-munity organizationsWeneedto engagetheseorganizationsaspartnersto helpspreadtheword
Has existing communications such as newsletters blogsWeneedtoreach membersthroughexistingcrediblesources thatresidentsalreadyuseandtrust
ldquoSpill overrdquo opportunities to nearby neighborhoodsSincemarketingand mediaeffortswillpotentiallyalsobeseen byneighborsareasshouldbenearother areasthatmayalsomeettheprimary criteria
Climatetime of yearIndetermining whentorolloutthepilotswecantarget interiorareasinspringandcoastalareasin coldweather
26 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Basedonthemarketresearchcriteriafive pilotmarketingareasarescheduledforintense marketingatlaunchwithanadditional10 areasscheduledforintensemarketingin Spring2011
Thepilotmarketstrategyissupportedby theparcel-basedmarketanalysiswhichwill identifywhichneighborhoodspropertieswill bethebesttotargetusingthisapproachThe marketanalysiswillallowlimitedmarketing fundingtobeleveragedbyfocusingonthose thataremostlikelytorespondtothemarket-ingefforts
Wewillcreatemessagesandvisualsspecifical-lytailoredtoeachtargetcommunityrsquoscultural andlinguisticpreferencesImagessymbols andiconstypographycolorandoverall designcarrydifferentmeaningsindifferent culturesAmessageistypicallymosteffective ifitiscreatedwithcarefulattentiontothese idiosyncrasiesandwithintheldquoculturalmind-setrdquooftherecipientsCreatingheadlinesand taglinesdirectlyinthetargetlanguagerather thansimplytranslatingEnglishadvertising copyensuresthatcopyhasthecorrectrhythm andrhymeandisthereforemuchmore attention-grabbingandmemorable
Community Incentives Energy Champion Program Severalconceptsareunderconsiderationto developacommunityincentivestrategyto promoteparticipationinlinewiththeRetrofit RampUpproposalforinnovativeincentiveap-proachesIncentivesmaybedirectedatenergy auditscommunity-basedorganizationsthose willingtoprovidetestimonialsorblogtweet andpublicrecognitionefforts
Grassroots Community Organizing-Trainedorganizerswillpresentinformationat themeetingsof12-15influentialcommunity leadersandcommunity-basedorganizationsin
eachpilotareacapturetheircontactdataand helpspreadtheinformationtotheirmembers throughtheirnewsletterseventsandwebsites TheProgramwillprovidepre-writtencus-tomizablearticlespresentationsorvideoand websiteldquobuttonsrdquotolinktotheProgramsite Eachgroupwillbeofferedanincentiveofado-nationtotheirorganizationforeverymember whocompletesahomeenergyupgradeThis willencourageCBOvolunteerstoincrease theirmarketingeffortsFriendlyrivalrieswill beencouragedCommunitygroupswillreport namesofparticipantscheckedforjobcomple-tionbytheProgram(underdevelopment)
Community Events One-on-onefacetimewithhomeownersis anidealwaytoengagepotentialparticipants Well-trainedorganizerswillattendfiveevents ineachtargetareaprovidinghomeowners withinformation(pocketsizemultilingual handouts)andcapturingtheircontactinfor-mationforfollowupTheycanhavehome-ownerssignuponthewebsiteonsiteifappro-priateandperhapsevenhavethemprovideus withavideocommitmentldquoItookthePledgerdquo withpermissiontopostonthewebsiteAsa luretotheboothhomeownerswillbeoffered freeitemssuchaslightbulbsmagnetsand reusablecupswithcoldwater(imprintedwith thewebsite)manufacturedintheUS
Print Radio Outdoor and Out-of Home Advertising Localmediawillcoverthelaunchofthe Programandwewillstrategicallyplaceads inlocalmediaandcommunitynewsletters Outdooradvertising(smallstreet-levelbiode-gradableeco-postersbussheltersbussides) strategicallyplacedinhigh-trafficareaswillre-inforcethemessageoveraone-monthperiod
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 27
Pilot Area Example Altadena Altadenawasidentifiedasacommunitythat fitsourtargetcriteriaItisadiverseunincor-poratedcommunitywithsixneighborhoods andanapproximatepopulationof40000The averagehouseholdincomeisabout$94000 Morethan50ofadultresidentsaremarried withchildrenandcommuteanaverageof62 milesperdaytowhite-collarjobsFully40of theadultsinthiscommunityhaveabachelors
degreeorhigherandareinvolvedinmany communityeventsandorganizationsThere areapproximately12000homesinthiscom-munityand10000ofthosehomesareowner-occupiedThegraphicshowshowoutreach wouldbeconcentratedinthisarea
pilot area outreachmarketing tactics
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
radio
Psas on multicultural stations earned county
coverage in local papers earned county
ads in local and multicultural papers Paid county
outdoor
Bus shelters in area Paid county
on-street lampost signage Paid county
Billboards Paid county
social media
Blogs (relevant to the area) earned county
online ads targeted by location Paid county
listserves of neighborhood associations (through cities)
earned county
out of Home
Movie theater ads in area Paid county
lawn signs on homes in area (through contractors)
Paid county
community organizations
community meetings with incentives to organizations for participation
earnedPaid county
community events Paid county Door hangers Paid county
28 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Home Depot
Ace Hardware
Lowersquos
Master Builders
Great Indoors
Home Expo
altadena marketing target
Hoy La Opinioacuten
Pasadena Star News
Altadena Headlines Examiner
Boulevard Magazine
Arroyo Magazine
Pasadena Weekly
Altadena Connection
Sentinel
KLVE
KPCC Pasadena
KCBS
KROQ Pasadena
KAZN Pasadena
Church Bulletins
Summer Concert Series at Farnsworth Park
Fourth of July Fireworks at
Town amp Country Club
Black History Parade
World Music Festival in Pasadena
Haunted House at
Farnsworth Park
Art Break
Rose Parade
National Latino
Congreso
Altadena Neighborhood Association
Altadena Chamber of Commerce
Altadena Arts Council
Altadena Town Council
Faith-based Organizations
Altadena Town amp Country Club
Altadena League of
Women Voters
Altadena Historical Society
Altadena Community Improvement Center
Sheriff Support Group
Santa Coming to Farnsworth
Park
Altadena California
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 29
3 Trigger-Event Marketing
Thissuiteofstrategieswillbeaimedatcaptur-ingenergyefficiencyopportunitiesfrommul-tipletriggereventsParticipantswillmainly comethroughcontractorsrealtorsandretail partnerspropertyownerswillhavealsoseen countywideadvertising
trigger event marketing
4 City and COG Outreach
OutreachbyCitiesandCOGswillbecritical becauseoftheirexistingrelationshipswith localconstituenciesCitieswillbeprovided withamini-marketingplantalkingpoints videocustomizabletemplatesoffactsheets articlesfortheirnewslettersandadvertising
EvENT dESCRIPTION LEAd AGENT COLLATERAL TACTIC
1 Replace on burnout (heating air conditioners water heaters)
Homeowners either in process of replacing an item or have already done some efficiency projects
county bull Retail partners
bull HVac installers
bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors installers
bull Retail displays
2 life-stage changes (growing family)
Homeowners working with a contractor
county bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors bull ads in media for home remodels
3 Home remodel Homeowners working with an architect contractor
county bull contractors bull architects
bull Materials for contractors
bull ads in media for home remodels
3 improvements at time of purchase
Homeowners interested are preparing a new home for move-in (research shows more interest at purchase than at sale)
shared bull contractors bull Realtors bull Home
inspectors bull city permit
offices bull city welcome
kits bull Retail
bull Brochures for cities
bull ads in weekend homes for sale sections
bull Presentations to realtor groups
bull Retail displays
4 improvements at sale
House owners preparing for sale
county bull contractors bull Realtors
bull Materials for contractors
5 complaints high utility bills cold hot house
Homeowners aware of energy-saving improvements but not whole house approach
county bull contractors bull HeRs raters
bull Materials for contractors
30 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
city amp cog outreach
materialssotheycandeveloplow-costout-reachtotheirresidentsCitieswithcommuni-tiestargetedinthePilotAreaMarketingplans willbeinformedandencouragedtodoout-reachtothoseareasAllCitieswillbeencour-agedtodothefollowing
Run stories in print and online news-letters
Send information to neighborhood associations homeowners associa-tions historic preservation districts and other appropriate community organizations
Provide information in City permit-ting offices and City Hall lobbies
Provide information at strategically located Environmental Information Centers and at COG office locations
Provide information in ldquonew home-ownersrdquo welcome kits (either directly from the city or through title compa-
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAId EARNEd
LEAd
pio coordination contact all participating citiesrsquo Pios na county
letters Key messages for letters from mayors etc to constituents Provide to Pios or city managers
na county
Website links Button for cities to place on their website to link to Program site
na county
city tV informational videos and spot promos Placed county
Welcome brochure
Brochure aimed at new homeowners before they move in
na county
articles Pre-written customizable newsletter articles earned county
email blasts Pre-written customizable info spots for communityneighborhood listserves
earned county
niesmortgage brokers)
Run videos and spots on City TV stations
5 Contractor Marketing
Localcontractorsarecriticaltothesuccess ofEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLosAngeles CountyTheyprovidetheservicesthatcom-prisetheProgramandtheycanhelpmarket theProgramtopropertyownersInfactwe estimatethatupto50ofProgrampartici-pantswillentertheProgramthrougharela-tionshipwithacontractor(theymayhavealso seenmediacoverageandadvertisingwhich spurredthemtotakeaction)Thisuniquerole requiresthattheProgramtakeatwo-tiered approachofengagingthecontractormdashmoti-vatinglocalbuildingprofessionalstoundergo thetrainingandcertificationprocessandalso providingthemwiththetoolstoeffectively promotetheprogramtoexistingandnew clientsThefollowingsectiondescribesspecific
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 31
contractor target
United Brotherhood Building Industry Carpenters (Training)
Association ofSouthern California
Email Blast
Contractors Magazines
Contractor
OnlineAds
Big Box Stores
ConractorsLicensing Schools
Realtor Associations
strategiesassociatedwithbothapproaches
Forthepurposesoftheprogramcontractors aredividedintoparticularsegmentsbasedon thetypeofserviceprovidedAninitialanalysis oftheindustryrevealedthefollowinglikely categories
HomePerformance(HP)Contractors
ProductionBuilders
HVACSystemSpecialtyTrades (windowsetc)
RemodelingContractors
SolarContractors
BuildingPerformance
Institute
Southwest Regional
City Permit Association
Offices of Carpenters
Lumber Yards
StateLicensing
Board
American Instituteof Architects
LA Chapter
Outreach to Contractors TheProgramwillcoordinatewithcontractor groupsandotherbuildingprofessionaltrade organizationstoschedulebriefpresentations abouttheProgramandthecontractortraining processForlargerorganizationsthePro-grammayworkdirectlywiththecompanyto arrangeon-sitepresentationsThesepresenta-tionsareinformalinnatureandwillbeusedto promotethecertificationorientationsrequired forcontractorparticipationintheprogram
KeyMessagestoContractors
$30millioninAmericanRecoveryand ReinvestmentActmoneyisworkinginLA Countytocreateconstructionindustryjobs
32 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
EnergyUpgradeCaliforniaOffersbig rebatesandfinancingoptionsfor homeownersdoinghomeenergy efficiencyretrofits
Therewillbemarketingandadvertis-ingstatewideandlocallytopromotethe Program
Therewillbemarketingmaterialsforyou tousetomarketyourbusiness
YoumustbelicensedandBuildingPerfor-manceInstitute-certifiedtobepartofthe Program
HomeownersmustworkwithBPI-certified contractorstheyrsquollchoosefromacontrac-tordatabaseonthewebsite
KeyOutreachMethods
BuildingIndustryAssociationofSouthern California
SouthwestRegionalCouncilofCarpenters
RealtorsAssociation
UnitedBrotherhood-Carpenters(Training Program)
Citypermittingoffice
Lumberyards
AmericanInstituteofArchitectsLA Chapter(toeducatethemaswell)
ArticlesinformationinContractortrade publications(magazinesnewslettersetc) magazines
CarpentersUnionLocals
ContractorsLicenseSchools(andonline)
BigBoxHomeImprovementstores(de-pendingonIOUrelationships)
wwwcslbcagov
Emailblasttoalllicensedcontractors
Contractor Outreach to Consumers Differentopportunitiesexistfordifferent contractorsdependingontheprobablework scopeThefollowingtableoutlinesafew potentialpathwaysforhowcontractorscan participateintheProgram
contractors outreach to customers
CONTRACTOR TyPE
TRIGGER EvENT vALUE TO CONTRACTOR
BUSINESS MOdEL
Home Performance upgrade lead generation scale for high volume
Production Builder new Business Development
create new division
HVac Replacement lead generation Value-add
expand services
specialty trade lead generation Partner with certified gc
Remodeler Remodel life-stage transition
Value-add sub work to HP contractor
solar Renewables lead generation Partner with certified gc
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 33
BPI-certifiedgeneralcontractorswillbelisted ontheEnergyUpgradeconsumerwebsite sendingmanyleadsdirectlytothemThey alsohaveaccesstotheldquoheatmapsrdquotousefor developingtheirownadvertisingcampaigns
Contractorswillbeattendingorientationses-sionstoensuretheythoroughlyunderstand theProgramrebatesfinancingoptionsand canhelpguidetheircustomersthroughthe processTheywillbeprovidedwithContractor MarketingKitstoensuretheyhaveathandthe keymessagesthathavebeenresonatingwith homeownersandhaveinformationtogive topotentialcustomerswhomightormight nothavebeentothewebsiteKitscanbesent directlytocontractorsordistributedatthe orientationsessionsKitswillcontain
Talkingpoints
DVDofthevideo
Printedfactsheetstoleavewithcustomers (withroomfortheircontactinfo)more canbeordered
Printedldquoslimjimrdquoprogrambrochure
Printedlengthierbrochuresaboutthe wholehouseapproach(brandedby Scientific American Magazine)
CDwithldquobuttonrdquotolinktoEnergyUpgrade fromtheirownwebsitesandPDFsofsite signageforprinting
Contractorswillhaveaccesstoaseparatesec-tionofthewebsitewheretheywillfindinfor-mationaboutProgrameventspromotionsand advertisinganon-demandprintsectionfor additionalcopiesofbrochuresanychanges totheProgramandasingletradecontractor databaseforassemblingteamsforcustomers whowouldlikesolarpanelsornewwindows forexample
6 Realtor Marketing
Giventhatthenationalaveragelengthofhome ownershipisroughlysixyearsrealestate agentswillbeincontactandadvisingalarge percentageofthenewandexistinghomeown-ersthatEnergyUpgradeistargetingforhome energyretrofitsThishighlevelofinfluence makesrealtorsoneofthelargestpartner groups
Realestateagentswillbeengagedonthree levels
1) Outreach
2) Training
3) Support
Outreach Outreachwillbeconductedthroughavariety ofvenuesthatwillincludeCaliforniaAssocia-tionofRealtorsreg(CAR)regionalconferences heldinSouthernCaliforniapartnershipwith themanyrealtorassociationslocatedinLos AngelesCountyanddirectvisitstorealestate agentsrsquoofficesforshortpresentationsPart-nershipswiththe15-20localRealtorsAsso-ciationswillbeachievedthroughoneormore RealtorAdvisoryBoardswhichincludethe GovernmentAffairsDirectorsfromeachof theseorganizationsAselectfewoftheseor-ganizationswillbeusedaspilotsfortargeted outreachduringearlystagesoftheProgram Oncethestrategyhasbeentestedandrevised itwillberolledouttoalloftheRealtorsAs-sociationsinLosAngelesCounty
ThefallCARRealtorExpowillbethemain kickoffeventforoutreachtoindividualreal-torsandrealtorofficesEnergyUpgradeplans tohavea30-minutetalkembeddedinthe SpeakersProgramandaboothsetuponthe ExpofloortoinformrealtorsaboutthePro-gramavailabletrainingsandthesupport
34 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
toolsthathavebeendevelopedThisevent willreachthemajorityofrealtorsintheLos Angelesareabutwillnotincludethelarge populationofrealestateagentsthatarenot membersofCARToreachthispopulation emailsocialmediaandtargetedofficevisits willbeconducted
Training EnergyUpgradewillprovidetrainingforreal estateagentsintwoformsTherealestate agenttrainingmodulecurrentlyunderdevel-opmentbyBuildItGreenwillbeusedasthe maintrainingforumThistrainingmodule isexpectedtotaketwofulldaystocomplete andwillcoverpropertyassessedcleanenergy financingenergyefficientmortgagesrebate programsbuildingscienceenergyefficiency andgreenbuildingpracticesappropriateto California
Additionalweb-basedtrainingwillbeprovided tointroducerealestateagentstotheProgram andtodrivethemtogetin-persontraining throughtheBuildItGreentrainingmodule
Support Cultivatingandclosingtoolswillbegener-atedtoassistrealtorsinusingEnergyUpgrade Californiatradetoexpandtheirbusinesswhile drivinghigherlevelsofprogramparticipation RealtorKitswillbesimilartotheContractor Kitsandtheywillhaveaccesstothedatabase ofgeneralandsingletradecontractors
7 Retail Partner Marketing
Utilitieswillpartnerwithretailoutletsthat canincludeBestBuyCostcoSearsLowes andHomeDepotParticipatingretailoutlets willbeprovided
Information centersEnd-displays detailingtheEnergyUpgradeProgram withadiagramillustratingthehouseas asystemconcept(multiplecomponents thatacttogethertomaximizesavings)and actionscustomerscantaketocapturethose savingsandrebatesIn-storecustomer educationcanshiftcustomerperception ofenergyupgradesandmotivatethem toparticipateinmultipleenergy-efficient measuresinsteadofjustoneAnadditional benefitfortheretailerisassociationwith thestatewideprogram
Program collateral One-sheet takeawaysforcustomerstoreference andshare
Video Theshortvideoscanbeplayed onaloop
Table tent cardsPlacedthroughout storesectionsthatcorrelatewiththe EnergyUpgradeProgram(CFLsappli-ancesceilingfansinsulationwindows) Againthiswillencouragecustomersto performmultipleenergyupgradesinstead ofjustoneCross-promotionhelpseducate customersandencourageparticipationin multiplemeasuresthusincreasingproduct purchase
Window clings ldquoOfficialEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaInformationCenterrdquotagline bannersplacedatstorefrontThiswillpo-sitiontheretailerasanactiveparticipantin thestatewideprogramandbuildsretailer credibilityasagreenadvocate
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 35
8 Multi-Family Outreach
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesandsched-ulesarestillinplanningphasesandbeing developedthroughastatewideconsortium
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesarebeing
developed
36 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
evaluation
Theprimarygoalsofthemarketingplanareto buildpositiveawarenessoftheEnergyUp-gradeCaliforniaProgramandcreateasus-tainedmarketforawholehouseapproach(see page8)Objectivesarespecifictothoseachiev-ingthosegoalsLosAngelesCountyresidents willseemultipleiterationsofmediacoverage paidadvertisingin-storedisplayscontractor marketingandin-personpresentations(inthe pilotmarketingareas)Forexamplearesi-dentinAltadenamightseethemoreintensive marketingandoutreacheffortsThatmayspur themtoactionmdashbutiftheyalreadyhadplans toremodelorhadpreviouslyworkedwitha contractortheymightcalltheircontractorand thusactuallycometotheprogramthrough thecontractorThereforeitwillnotbeeasy todeterminepreciselywhathasmotivated eachpersontoparticipateinEnergyUpgrade Objectivestomeetinclude
About35-45ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughthemarket-ingandoutreacheffortsTomonitorwe willincludeashortsurveyaspartofthe rebateapplicationprocessaskingpartici-pantswhatdrewthemtothewebsiteand totheProgramThewebsitecanmonitor clickthroughstocontractorssitesfrom theProgramwebsiteprovidinganindica-tionofpotentialparticpantswhocameto thesitebeforehavingacontractorOnce apropertyownerinputsanaddressthe websitewillbeabletospecificallymonitor ifthatparticipantasksformultiple estimatesfromcontractorsanotherindica-
toroffindingacontractorthroughthesite
About45-50ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughcontractors Wewillaskcontractorstoprovideinfor-mationabouttheirmarketingeffortsand successratesTheywillbeabletoidentify participantsgainedthroughtheirownmar-ketingefforts
300000uniquehitsonthewebsitewhich willbemonitoredbythewebsiteFurther thewebsitewillanalyzewherevisitors camefrom(egaclickthroughfroman onlineadfromacontractorrsquoswebsite orduringthespecifictimeframeofanad campaign)
Virtualandactualldquoword-of-mouthrdquore-portedbymonitoringsocialmedia
Communicationskitsandmarketingkits availablebothphysicallyandthroughan on-demandprintsitemonitoredbyclient
Informationalmaterialsforcitiesmoni-toredbySouthBayCitiesCouncilofGov-ernments
50000000mediaadvertisingin-person impressionsmonitoredbybroadcast printonlinestatisticsandreportsfrom grassrootsmarketingefforts
Consolidatedinformationinone-stop-shop approachwillbedeliveredthroughthe website
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 37
description of marketing communication tools
PlacedEarned Social Media ThePlancallsforsocialmediatopushinfor-mationtoourtargetaudiencesincreaseper-ceptionsoftheProgramascommunity-based reachthosewhowillhelpgenerateadditional buzzindependentmarketingeffortsaboutthe Programandprovideamechanismforlisten-ingtowhatpeoplearesayingaboutEnergy Upgrademdashandrespondingwhennecessary
Online Paid Advertising Onlineadvertisingcampaignscanbeverycost-effectiveandhighlytargetedbydemographics areasofinterestandgeographicsAdsappear ontopic-relatedblogsonsearchenginepages (egGoogle)andoncontentpages(egwhen yousearchforinformationaboutarelated topicandselectawebsitetoview)
Types of Users Targetadsbyage genderincomelanguagepreferencezip codeorhotspots
Types of SearchesTargetadsbytypeof searchconductedbasedonkeywords
Adsareusuallysoldperldquoclickrdquomdashtheviewer hasclickedontheadandbeensenttothe EnergyUpgradeCAwebsiteWewillmake fourtypesofonlineadpurchases
1 Googleadsthatplaceadsbothonits searchpagesandonhundredsofwebsites targetedbytheabove
2 Networksthattargetspecificsitesand blogsthatmatchourtargetaudiences(eg HiveBlogsLosAngelesthatoffers350LA blogstochoosefrom)
3 Directlythroughselectpublishers(eg CurbedLAGreenGirlLAlocalpapers online)
4 Onlineeditionsoflocalpapersinpilot marketingareas
Twitter Twitterusersaremostlycollegegraduates haveattendedgraduateschoolandlivein householdsmakingover$50000ayear (nationally)Usersarethreetimesmorelikely tofollowbrandsandcompaniesonTwitter thanotherusersofsocialnetworkswith40 specificallyusingTwittertolearnaboutand provideopinionsonbrands
Twittercanpushthelatestdevelopmentsand newstopeoplewhohaveexpressedaninter-estedintheProgram(theymustsignupto receiveourTweetsorhavesearchedfortag wordsincludedinourTweets)Itrsquosalsoan easywayforthosewhofollowEnergyUpgrade onTwittertoshareTweetswiththeirfriends
38 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
therebygeneratingbuzzandhelpingmarket theProgramTwittercanshareProgram newsinrealtimedrivepeopletothewebsite facilitateearlyadoptersbuzzmakersreach youngerhomeownersandincreasemarketing effortsatalowcostTwittercanbeeffectively usedtocommunicatetheProgramandits milestonesinavarietyofways
bull Tweetaboutpressreleasesmajoran-nouncementsnewitemsonwebsiteor blogsmediastoriesandarticlesespecially aboutthosethataretimesensitiveandtell ouraudiencewhatishappeningwiththe Programandencouragesthemtopartici-pateorfindoutmore
bull PutaTweeticononthemainwebsiteal-lowingvisitorstothewebsitetobeginto followEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLos AngelesCountyonTwitterwithoneclick
bull FollowotherswhoTweetaboutthe ProgramaswellasthosewhoTweetabout relatedtopicsThiswillprovideanop-portunitytodirectlyrespondtoaperson whohasaquestionabouttheProgramand pointthemtoalinktothewebsite
Tweet Examples
bull ldquo100LAhomeownershavesigned upfortheProgramatwwwEnergyUpgra-deCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoReadaboutLArsquosnewenergyefficiency rebateProgramintheLAtimes httpwwwlatimesgreenblogcomrdquo
bull ldquoWanttosaveonyourutilitybills CheckoutwwwEnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoSignupfortheHomeEnergyUpgrade contestforachancetowinafree homeenergyefficiencyretrofitat EnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
Cost and Budget
SettingupaTwitteraccountisfreeasisusing anapplicationsuchasTweetDeckthathelps followotherswhoareTweetingaboutEnergy UpgradeCaliforniaTheonlysignificantcostis stafftimewhichcanbelimitedtoafewhours aweek
Facebook Facebookisalow-costandeasywayofboth marketingtheProgramandsupportingan onlinecommunityofpeopleinterestedinthe ProgramItwillreachaudienceswhoaremore likelytospendtimeonFacebookversusaweb-siteandwhomayprefertoreceiveshortreal timeProgramnewsviaFacebookratherthan emailsorwebsitesItisidealforpostinglinks tovideosandphotosrelatedtotheprojectIt complementsthewebsiteaplacewherefans oftheProgramcanfindinformationaskques-tionsandshareideasandexcitementThese fanswillgeneratebuzzbytellingtheirfriends abouttheProgramthroughFacebook
AFacebookpagewillcontaininformation abouttheProgramalinktothewebsite Programnewsvideosphotographsandother informationWhenthepageisupdatedfans willreceivelinksinemailalertingthemtothe newposts
Facebookisalsoidealforsharingthestoryof anearlyadopter(whowillalsoTweet)through updatesphotographsandvideosItlends itselfmuchmorenaturallytothispeople-fo-cusedapproachthanawebsitewhichismore formal
Additionalpoints
bull EncourageandperhapsrewardProgram adopterstosharetheirexperiencesask questionsetc
bull Setupcontrolstodeterminewhatcontent Fanscanposttothewall
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 39
bull Monitorupdatestothewallandtakedown Therearemanyexistingblogsthatcanbeused inappropriatecontent
bull Respondtoissuesquestionsandtakepart intheconversation
bull Adesignatedstaffpersonshouldmonitor thesiteitisalsoidealifseveralstaff memberspostcontentandifpartnersare activeparticipantsalthoughtheoverall strategyshouldbecentralized
Facebook Examples
Herearesomeexamplesofthetypesofpost-ingsforaFacebookpage
bull ldquoTheLATimesdescribesEnergyUpgrade CAasaperfectopportunitytobegreenand savemoneymdashintheFridaymoneysectionrdquo
bull ldquoWhydidyoudecidetoparticipatein EnergyUpgradeCATellushowyour energyefficiencyretrofitisgoingandwersquoll enteryouforachancetowina$50Home Depotgiftcardrdquo
bull ldquoWonderingwhetherEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaisrightforyouCheckoutthis videooftheSmithsinstallingnewinsula-tionandwindows--andreceivinga$3500 rebaterdquo
Cost and Budget
Relativelyfewdirectcostsstafftimewill fluctuateduringbusycalmperiodswithhigh activityatthebeginningastheProgramkicks offandafanbaseisestablishedOngoingstaff timeneededtokeeppagefreshwith3-4posts weekdailymaintenancerequiredtomonitor postingsfromfans
Blogs Blogsreachtargetaudienceswhoarealready interestedinrelatedtopicsandwhohavehigh potentialtoparticipateintheProgram
tofurthermarketingefforts
bull Identifybloggerswhowilllikelywrite positivelyabouttheProgramSendpress releasefactsheetsandPrograminforma-tiontobloggerswhowriteabouttopics suchastheenvironmentenergyefficiency homeimprovementremodelingreal estatehousingbargainssavingmoneyas wellastocompaniesthatsellsolarpanels contractorsetc
bull Bloggersarelookingfortopicalstoriesto writeaboutandwewillmaketheirnext blogposteasyBecauseEnergyUpgradeis ahighrewardoptionalProgrambloggers willwritefavorablyandhelptellthestory inafriendlyaccessibleandeasy-to-under-standway(althoughwedonrsquothavecontrol overwhattheywrite)Peoplewhoaredis-satisfiedwillwritenegativecommentsbut wewillmonitorblogsandactivelycorrect misperceptions
bull Tomonitorwhatothersarewritingabout EnergyUpgradeontheirblogswewilluse freeprogramslikeTechnoratiorGoogle Readertoscanallblogsandwebsitesthat mentiontheProgram
Blogs to Reach
Green Girl LA Blog (httpgreenlagirlcom)Thisindependent blogisfocusedonenvironmentalhap-peningsinLosAngelesArecentpostwas aboutagreennetworkingeventfeaturing TheBuildingDoctorspresentingwaysto makeyourhousemoreenergyefficient PreviouslyareporterbloggerfortheLA Timesthewriterisactiveandcoversa widevarietyofenvironmentalgreentopics happeninginLosAngeles
40 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
LA Times HomeBlog (wwwlatimesblogslatimescomhome_
blog)focusesontopicsrelatedtohouses andhashadseveralrecentpostsabout greenremodelingOneadvantageofa majornewspaperisthatthereportingis accurateandthereadershipislargerThey recentlywroteaboutauditionsforThisOld HousewhichisfeaturingaLosAngeles areahouseforasummerremodel
Bargain Babe (wwwbargainbabelatownluxecom) featuresLosAngelesbargainsYoucan searchforbargainsbyareaofLA(West-sideetc)orbytopicThisbloggerrecently wroteaboutappliancerebates
LA Times Green Remodeling (wwwlatimesblogslatimescompar-donourdustgreen_remodeling)writes aboutalltopicsrelatedtoremodelingin SouthernCaliforniawithseveralrecent postsongreentopicsArecentpostre-viewedthedifferentadvantagesofinstall-ingvarioustanklesswaterheatersPitch thatthebloggerfollowahomeenergy retrofitandhelptelltheirstoryaswellas announcebasicPrograminformation
LA Times Personal Finance wwwlatimescombusinesspersonal-finance
Home Remodeling wwwkathysremodelingblogcom
Energy Efficiency wwwlowimpactlivingcomblog
LA CreekFreak
LA Observed
LAist
YouTube PostallvideosrelatedtotheprojectonYou-TubeWewillworkwithourmediapartners todevelopacontestforearlyadopterstofilm theirexperienceandletwebsitevisitorsvote onthebestWinnerreceivesaprizetobe determined
ListServes Listservesreachgroupsofpeoplewhoare interestedinasimilartopicorwholiveina specificneighborhoodSendemailblaststo listservessuchasneighborhoodassociations homeremodelersandenvironmentalgroups withanenergyfocusCitystaffhasinforma-tionaddressesofneighborhoodandhom-eownerassociationslists
Multimedia for Presentations Website Developanengaginginformative6-8minute videofocusingoncontractorsandhomeown-ersthatcanbeusedduringpresentationsand presentedonCityTVThevideowillbeshot bothinEnglishandinSpanishandcover
bull Howtherebatesworktocreateasenseof urgencyaboutdoingtheenergyupgrades soonerratherputtingitofftotakeadvan-tageoftherebates
bull Theldquosealthenenhancerdquowholehouse concept
bull WhattheProgramelementsactuallylook likeandhowtheyareinstalledtoover-comebarrierssuchasthatonemighthave tomoveoutofthehouseortheenergy upgradesareldquouglyrdquo
bull Workingwithacontractorwhatbeing licensedandcertifiedmeansgettingmul-tiplebids
bull Financingoptions
bull Doingthepaperwork
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 41
Fromthatvideodevelop
bull Threeindividual2-minutevideosforuse onlineeachfocusingonaspecifictopicmdash
againinbothEnglishandSpanish
bull A15anda30spoteachinEnglishand SpanishforuseonCityTVandbroadcast
stations
Print Collateral Customizable fact sheetsInforma-tionsheets(onepagefrontandback)in EnglishSpanishandChinesethatcanalso bepostedonthewebsiteasPDFs
Program brochureMorehighlyde-signedforplacementinmunicipaloffices andevents
Customizable Brochure Brandedwith SunsetMagazineorNationalGeographic forcontractorsandrealtorstohandto customers
SignageBannersforeventsandstreet lamppostspostersformunicipaloffices andsmalleventsandpotentiallysignage forbussidestransitshelters
Speakers kits Countyandcitystaffwillreceivekitstoensure everyoneisfamiliarwithkeymessagesandhas informationtogivetoconstituentsThesecan besentdirectlytocitiesordistributedthrough COGsKitswillcontain
bull Talkingpoints
bull DVDofthevideo
bull PPTpresentationforpublicmeetings
bull Printedbrochuresforpermitofficesto includewithwelcomepacketsfornewho-meowners
bull Articlesandphotostheycanrunintheir onlineorprintedcitynewsletters
bull CDwithtemplatesforquickprintingand websitebuttontolinkfromtheirwebsiteto EnergyUpgradeCalifornia
42 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
description of key messages
Thefollowingmessageshadthehighestreso-nanceinpollingandfocusgroupsbothinLos AngelesCountyandtheBayArea
Primary Motivators Thefollowingtwomessagesaboutsaving moneyarekeytomotivatingalltargetaudi-encesTheyshouldbepartofeverypieceof advertisingorcollateralproduced
1 RebatesHomeownerswhomakeenergy-savinghomeimprovementscanqualifyfor a$1500federaltaxcreditandrebatesof upto$3500dependingonhowmuchthey reduceenergyconsumptionAdditional motivatorTaxcreditsonlyavailable untilDecember312010(Rebatesare preferredovertaxcreditsbecauseitrsquoscash nowratherthanlateranddependingon incomenoteveryonecangetthecredit)
2 Save on Utility Bills Upgradingahome touselessenergyandwatercanreduce utilitybillsby20ormoremdashsavingyou moneyovertime
Secondary Motivators Thefollowingmessagesarethenlayeredde-pendingonwhichaudienceisbeingtargeted
Help the EnvironmentClimate Change Weallneedtodoourparttohelp theenvironmentandslowclimatechange Makingourhomesmoregreenandenergy efficientisanimportantstepweshouldall take
Reduce Foreign OilFossil FuelsAt atimewhenwearetryingtoreduceour dependenceonforeignoilandotherfossil fuelsupgradingtheenergyefficiencyof ourhomesisanimportantstepwecanall take(Infocusgroupstheconceptofenergy independencefurtherresonatedasinde-pendencefromutilitycompaniesgetting offthegrid)
Certified Contractors Save Money Speciallytrainedandcertifiedcontractors knowhowtofindimprovementsthatthe averagehomeownerwouldnotTheiras-sessmentswillensurethatyoufindmore energysavingsandthereforesavemore moneyonyourutilitybillsAdditional motivatorContractorsarecertifiedbythe BuildingPerformanceInstituteworking withtheDepartmentofEnergyandEnvi-ronmentalProtectionAgency
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 43
Increase Property ValuesHomesthat areenergy-efficientandenvironmentally friendlyaremoreappealingtohomebuyers Theseupgradescanincreaseyourproperty value
ComfortUpgradingyourhomersquosenergy efficiencymdashinparticularupgradinginsula-tionmdashcanmakeitamorecomfortableplace toliveNomoredraftycoldroomsinthe winterorhotstuffyroomsinthesummer
Indoor Air QualityInsulationand ventilationcanreduceallergyandasthma-causingmoldandmildewimproving indoorairqualityespeciallyforinfantsand thosewithhealthconditions
Messengers Homeownersprefertoreceiveinformation fromimpartialtrustedsourcesThesemes-sengersreceivedthehighestscoresinpolling
bull Neighborsandotherhomeowners
bull Contractorthehomeownerisalready workingwithorreferredbyfriendneigh-bor
bull Architectsdesignprofessionals
bull Gasandelectricutilities
bull Environmentalorganizations
bull Homeimprovementstorestaff(when equippedwithflyers)
44 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 45
- Cover
- Table of Contents13
- Summary Overview13
- Introduction13
- Programs Goals and Objectives13
- Marketing and Outreach Program Goals and Structure13
- Strategy13
- Evaluation13
- Description of Marketing Communication Tools13
- Description of Key Messages13
-
summary overview
The Statewide Challenge TheCaliforniaPublicUtilitiesCommissionrsquos (CPUC)EnergyEfficiencyStrategicPlancalls forretrofitting130000housingunitsstate-wideby2012toincreaseenergyefficiencyand reducegreenhousegasemissionsstatewide TheCPUChasprovided$111millionforutility companiestoprovidesubstantialcustomer rebatesforwholehouseenergyefficiency upgradesEnergy Upgrade CaliforniaTM isanunprecedentedstatewidecollaborative responsetoassisttheutilitiesandlocalgov-ernmentsinmeetingthatdauntingchallenge EnergyUpgradewillcreateanewindustry andtransformthemarketforenergyefficiency upgradestoexistingbuildings
Theoverarchinggoalistocreateasustainable marketforawholehouseenergy-efficiency performanceapproachthatwillleadtolong-termjobsfundedthroughtheAmerican RecoveryandReinvestmentActthatwas allocatedtocitiesandcountiesthroughoutthe nation
Energy Upgrade California in Los Angeles Countyisanallianceamongthe CountyofLosAngelestheCitieswithinthe CountySouthernCaliforniaEdisonSouthern CaliforniaGasCompanyandthemunicipally ownedutilitiesintheCountyThegoalisa ldquoone-stopshoprdquoforpropertyownerstoeasily findclearconsolidatedinformationaboutthe Programelementscertifiedcontractorsand alltherebatesincentivesandfinancingop-tionsavailable
Mostoftheapproximately34millionhous-ingunitsinLosAngelesCountywerebuilt beforestateenergyefficiencystandards(Title 24)wereimplementedbeginningintheearly 1980sApropertyownerinvestmentof$5000 to$15000toimplementasingle-familyhome energyretrofitcanoftenachieveanaverageof 20ormoreenergysavings
TheCountyanditspartnersarecollaborat-ingonawebsitecommunityoutreachand countywideadvertisingtoleverageefforts andfundingandtomaximizeparticipationin theProgrammdashwithagoalofpropertyowners completing30000energyefficiencyupgrades bysummer2013TheldquoMediaandAdvertising Flightsrdquomatrixprovidesanoverviewofsched-uleandtiming
Marketing Strategy Thestrategyisentirelyresearch-drivenfocus-ingonthosepropertyownersmostlikelyto undertakeahomeenergyupgradeMarketing andoutreacheffortswillbemulti-layeredand multi-facetedtargetingaudiencesbywhothey arewheretheyliveandtheeventsgoingonin theirlivesEffortsinclude
1 Countywide Marketing (and Media Relations)
2 Pilot Marketing Areas
3 Trigger-Event Marketing
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 3
4 City Outreach
5 Contractor Marketing
6 Realtor Marketing
7 Retail Partner Marketing
8 Multi-Family Marketing
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing
1 Countywide Marketing and Outreach
Outreachwillbeaimedattargetaudiences throughbothmainstreamandmulticultural mediaTheadvertisingwillalsospilloveronto audiencesinspecificgeographicareasAn overarchinglayerofmainstreammarketing andadvertisingwillbeaimedatthreeaudi-ences
countywide marketingoutreach tactics
Cable TV
County Events
Mass Media
Out of Home
Radio
Retail Partners
City Information
City TV
Local Media
Transit Shelters
Theaters
Billboards
Community of Interest
Newsletters
Contractor Marketing
Direct Mail to Hot Spots
Online Ads
Site Signage
Social Media
Community Newsletters
Local Events
Target Audience
4 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
ldquoEarly AdoptersrdquoThosewhoarestrong environmentalistsalreadypoisedtoldquodo therightthingrdquofortheenvironmentand whojustneedtohearaboutaprogramand rebates
ldquoRetrofit-ReadyrdquoThosewhoarealready planninghomeimprovementsandjust needalittlemoreinformationaboutwhat stepstotaketosavemoneyandldquodothe rightthingrdquofortheenvironment
ldquoRetrofit-PersuadablerdquoThosewho arethinkingabouttheirutilitybillshome comfortandtheenvironmentorour dependenceonfossilfuelsforeignoil (especiallyinlightoftherecentGulfoil spill)andwhoneedinformationabout whattypesofimprovementstheycould makeandwhatstepstotaketosaveenergy moneyandreducefossilfuelconsumption
Marketingwillfocusoneachtargetaudience providingimpressionsclosetotheirhomes andreachingouttomassaudiencesasshown intheldquotargetrdquoPropertyownerswhoarenot eligiblefororinterestedinEnergyUpgrade Californiawillfindinformationaboutoppor-tunitiesforweatherizationprogramslow-incomeratesubsidiesgreenjobstrainingand otherinitiativesavailabletoqualifiedlower incomehouseholds
Marketingandoutreachcountywidewill include
Direct MailUtilitieswillplacemessages onouterbillenvelopessenttocustom-ersTheyintendtosenddirectmailabout EnergyUpgradetoldquotargetareasrdquobasedon acombinationofenergyusageageofhome andhouseholdincome
County EventsUtilitieswillattendlarge eventssuchastheSeptember2010and 2011LACountyFairswithawholehouse
themethatincludesaminimodelhouse thatvisitorscanldquotourrdquoThereareaddition-alproposedeventsthatutilitiestheCounty orcitieswillattend
Social MediaTheProgramwillheavily usesocialmediatoreachtargetaudiences whileminimizingcostbeginningatlaunch andcontinuingthroughouttheProgram
Countywide IncentivesSeveralcon-ceptsarebeingdevelopedincludingincen-tivesforenergyassessmentsandcontrac-tors
Countywide Media BuysWithaSep-tember12010launchdatemediabuys willbespreadtoavoidtheelectionmonth ofOctober2010Buyscanincludemain-streambroadcasttelevisionaswellasUni-visionandNPRstationsSocialmediabuys includeGoogleAdWords(inEnglishand Spanish)andblogadsPrintbuysinclude in-languagepublications
Home Energy Makeover Contest HomeEnergyMakeoverContestsgener-ateatremendousamountofpublicityand havebeensuccessfullyconductedinmany otherstatesandcitiesTheconceptisto modelthebehaviortheProgramistrying toencouragebyshowingtheldquowholehouse approachrdquohoweasyupgradescanbehow muchtherebatescanreduceoverallproject costandhowmuchdifferenceupgrades canmaketoahomeTwocontestseach with5winnerswillbeconductedoneat ProgramlaunchandoneinSpring2011
Media RelationsTheProgramwill coordinateCountyutilityandCalifornia EnergyCommissionCaliforniaPublicUtili-tiesCommissioneffortsMediarelations willbeinthreephasespre-launchlaunch andmilestones
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 5
Identifying Locations of Target Audiences Thegeographiclocationoftargetaudiences willbeidentifiedthroughtwomarketanalysis efforts
Parcel-Based Market Analysis A detailedmarketanalysistosupportspecific piecesoftheoutreachandcommunications strategywillbeconductedwhichwillstart byidentifyingthelocationofaudiencesthat arereceptivetospecificoutreachstrategies Themarketanalysisisbeingconducted usingconsumermarketresearchcombined withdemographicdataandpropertychar-acteristicsdatafromtheCountyassessor Themainproductfortheanalysiswillbea separateanalysisreport(expectedAugust 2010)Thisreportwillincludecountywide ldquoheatmapsrdquothatidentifyareaswithahigh proportionoftargetpropertiesandare thereforeidealareasfortargetedmarket-ingThesemapscanbeusedforEnergy Upgradeorcontractormarketingstrate-gies
Pilot Marketing AreasTheCountywill intensifymarketingeffortsinspecificpilot marketingareaswherehighpercentagesof theEarlyAdopterandRetrofitReadyaudi-enceslive(seebelow)
2 Pilot Area Marketing TheCountyintendstostimulatethemarket andgeneratepositiveword-of-mouthby intensifyingmarketingeffortsinspecificpilot marketingareaswherebasedonextensive consumerresearchahighpercentageoftarget audienceslivePilotmarketingprogramsin thoseareaswilltesttheextentcommunity-basedmarketingpositivelyimpactsparticipa-tionrates
Todeterminewheretocreatetheintensemar-ketingpilotprogramsweusedcharacteristics basedonthestatisticallysignificantmarket researchmdashidentifyingthosewhoshowedthe highestinterestinparticipatinginanenergy upgradeWethenanalyzedneighborhoods throughoutthecountytodetermineareas wherehighpercentagesofthoseaudiences liveCharacteristicsinclude
Highpercentageofhousesbuiltbefore 1978
Highpercentageofhomeownership
Highenergyusage
Demographics ndashIncome$60000-$120000 ndashHighpercentageofcollege-educated ndashHighpercentageofpopulationage35-50 ndashHighpercentageofhouseholdswith 4+people
Additionalconsiderationsinclude
Aclusterof8000-20000homes(small enoughtoenableustoreachthemajority ofresidencesandgenerateword-of-mouth yetlargeenoughtoofferagoodsizedpool ofpeoplewithapropensitytobeinterested inanenergyupgrade)
Hasstrongneighborhoodandcommu-nityorganizationsthatwecanengageas partnersaswellasexistingcommunica-tionvehicles(municipalmainstreamand multicultural)
Offersldquospilloverrdquoopportunitiestonearby neighborhoodsthatalsohaveahighper-centageofourtargetaudiences
Basedonthemarketresearchfivepilot marketingareaswillbedevelopedatlaunch andtenphasedinduringthefollowingsix monthsOnesuggestedpilotmarketingarea
6 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Home Depot
Ace Hardware
Lowersquos
Master Builders
Great Indoors
Home Expo
isAltadenaadiverseunincorporatedcom-munityofabout40000residentsTheaver-agehouseholdincomeis$94000Morethan 50adultresidentsaremarriedwithchildren andcommuteanaverageof62milesperday towhite-collarjobsFully40oftheadults inthiscommunityhaveabachelorsdegreeor higherandareinvolvedinmanycommunity eventsandorganizationsThereareapproxi-mately12000homesinthiscommunityand 10000ofthosehomesareowner-occupied Thegraphicshowshowoutreachwouldbe concentratedinthisareaMarketingandout-reachwillinclude
altadena marketing target
Intense Grassroots Community OutreachWewillcontact10-12com-munity-basedorganizationsfaith-based organizationshomeownersassociations neighborhoodassociationsandcommunity leadersineachareaWewillprovidethese organizationswithtrainingandtoolsto becomeambassadorsfortheProgramand spreadthewordthroughouttheircommu-nities
Saturation MarketingIOUswillsend directmailtohomeownersTheCounty willcontactlocalpapersfornewsplace-mentandadssocialmediaandpotentially
Hoy La Opinioacuten
Pasadena Star News
Altadena Headlines Examiner
Boulevard Magazine
Arroyo Magazine
Pasadena Weekly
Altadena Connection
Sentinel
KLVE
KPCC Pasadena
KCBS
KROQ Pasadena
KAZN Pasadena
Church Bulletins
Summer Concert Series at Farnsworth Park
Fourth of July Fireworks at
Town amp Country Club
Black History Parade
World Music Festival in Pasadena
Haunted House at
Farnsworth Park
Art Break
Rose Parade
National Latino
Congreso
Altadena Neighborhood Association
Altadena Chamber of Commerce
Altadena Arts Council
Altadena Town Council
Faith-based Organizations
Altadena Town amp Country Club
Altadena League of
Women Voters
Altadena Historical Society
Altadena Community Improvement Center
Sheriff Support Group
Santa Coming to Farnsworth
Park
Altadena California
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 7
outdoor(bussheltersandsidesandstreet levelsignage)toincreaseimpressionsthat drivepeopletothewebsite
Energy Champion Awards Program Severalconceptsareunderconsideration todevelopacommunityincentivestrategy topromoteparticipationinlinewiththe RetrofitRampUpproposalforinnovative incentiveapproaches
3 Trigger Event Marketing Thissuiteofstrategieswillbeaimedatcap-turingenergyefficiencyopportunitiesfrom multipletriggereventsParticipantswill mainlycomethroughcontractorsrealtorsand retailpartnerspropertyownerswillhavealso seencountywideadvertisingTriggerevents include
Replacingoldornon-functioningHVAC systemsandwaterheaters
Remodelingforlife-stagechanges(growing family)orjusttorenewthehouse
Improvementsmadewhenpurchasingor sellingahouse
Complaintsabouthighenergybillsora coldhothouse
4 City and COG Outreach OutreachbyCitiesandCOGswillbecritical becauseoftheirexistingrelationshipswith localconstituenciesCitieswillbeprovided withamini-marketingplantalkingpoints videocustomizabletemplatesoffactsheets articlesfortheirnewslettersandadvertising materialssotheycandeveloplow-costout-reachtotheirresidentsCitieswithcommuni-tiestargetedinthePilotAreaMarketingplans willbeinformedandencouragedtodoout-reachtothoseareasAllCitieswillbeencour-agedto
Runstoriesinprintandonlinenewsletters
Sendinformationtoneighborhoodassocia-tionshomeownersassociationshistoric preservationdistrictsandotherappropri-atecommunityorganizations
ProvideinformationinCitypermitting officesandCityHalllobbies
Provideinformationatstrategicallylocated EnvironmentalInformationCentersandat COGofficelocations
Provideinformationinldquonewhomeown-ersrdquowelcomekits(eitherdirectlyfromthe cityorthroughtitlecompaniesmortgage brokers)
5 Contractor Marketing BPI-certifiedgeneralcontractorswillbelisted ontheEnergyUpgradeconsumerwebsite sendingmanyleadsdirectlytothemThey alsohaveaccesstotheldquoheatmapsrdquotousefor developingtheirownadvertisingcampaigns Contractorswillbeattendingorientationses-sionstoensuretheythoroughlyunderstand theProgramrebatesfinancingoptionsand canhelpguidetheircustomersthroughthe processTheywillbeprovidedwithContractor MarketingKitstoensuretheyhavekeymes-sagesathandthathavebeenresonatingwith homeownersandhaveinformationtogiveto potentialcustomerswhomayormaynothave visitedthewebsiteKitscanbesentdirectlyto contractorsordistributedattheorientation sessionsKitswillcontain
Talkingpoints
DVDofthevideo
Printedfactsheetstoleavewithcustomers (withroomfortheircontactinfo)more canbeordered
8 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Printedldquoslimjimrdquobrochuresaboutthe 8 Multi-Family Outreach wholehouseapproach
Printedin-depthbrochure(brandedby ScientificAmericanMagazine)
CDwithldquobuttonrdquotolinktoEnergyUpgrade fromtheirownwebsites
Contractorswillhaveaccesstoaseparate sectionofthewebsitewheretheywillbeable toorderadditionalcustomizablematerials ldquoon-demandrdquofindinformationaboutPro-grameventspromotionsandadvertisingany changestotheProgramandasingletrade contractordatabaseforassemblingteamsfor customerswhowouldlikesolarpanelsornew windowsforexample
6 Realtor Marketing Giventhatthenationalaveragelengthof homeownershipisroughlysixyearsreal estateagentswillbeincontactandadvising alargepercentageofthenewandexisting homeownersthatEnergyUpgradeistarget-inghomeenergyretrofitsThishighlevelof influencemakesrealtorsoneofthelargest partnergroupsRealtorKitswillbesimilarto theContractorKitsandtheywillhaveaccess tothedatabaseofgeneralandsingletrade contractors
7 Retail Partner Marketing Utilitieswillpartnerwithretailoutletsthat canincludeBestBuyCostcoSearsLowes andHomeDepotParticipatingretailoutlets willbeprovided
Informationcenters
Programcollateral
Tabletents
Windowclings
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesandsched-ulesarestillinplanningphasesandbeing developedthroughastatewideconsortium
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing Strategiesandschedulesarestillinplanning phases
Incentives and Financing Marketresearchshowsthatrebatesarepri-marymotivatorsforhomeownerstoundertake anenergyupgradeRebateswillbeavailable forconsumersfromvarioussourcesCur-rentlyutilityrebatesoffer$1000fortheBasic Pathandupto$8500forthosereaching30 energysavingsThefederalHomeStarpro-gramisstillpendingmdashitcouldofferhomeown-ersupto$3000forelementsintheBasic Pathupto$7000forthosereaching20 energysavingsandupto$13000forthose reaching45energysavingsIncentivesfrom theCountyarealsostillpending
Financingoptionsarebeinganalyzedandwill beavailableatlaunch
Allrebatesandfinancingwillbecoordinated onthewebsitewiththeultimategoalofprop-ertyownersfillingoutoneformandpopulat-ingallotherrequiredforms
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 9
Proposed Implem
entation Plan
10 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
introduction
The Statewide Challenge Californialegislation(AB32)requiresGreen HouseGas(GHG)emissionreductionto1990 levelsby2020andfurtherreductionsinGHG emissionsto80percentbelow1990levelsby 2050Theseprovisionshavebeenincorpo-ratedintothePublicUtilitiesCommissionrsquos (CPUC)2009EnergyEfficiencyStrategic Planwhichtargetsanaverage40reduction inpurchasedenergyfortheexistingbuilding stockby2020andan80reductionby2050
TheCPUCrsquosCaliforniaEnergyEfficiency StrategicPlansetsthefollowinggoalstobe reachedby2020
25ofexistinghomesexhibita70 decreaseinpurchasedenergyfrom2008 levels
75ofexistinghomesexhibita30 decreaseinpurchasedenergyfrom2008 levels
100ofexistingmulti-familyhomes exhibita40decreaseinpurchasedenergy from2008levels
TheCPUCrsquosstatewidegoalistoretrofit 130000housingunitsby2010
Additionallegislation(AB758)requiredthe CaliforniaEnergyCommission(CEC)tode-velopandimplementacomprehensiveenergy efficiencyprogramforexistingresidentialand nonresidentialbuildingstoreducetheirGHG emissionsinkeepingwithclimatechange mitigationEnergy Upgrade Californiais apartnershipbetweentheCECandtheCPUC topromoteenergyefficiencyimprovements tohomesandcommercialbuildingsfunded inpartthroughtheAmericanRecoveryand ReinvestmentAct
Market Opportunity AlongwithothercitiesacrossthestateLos AngelesCountywillalsoberequiredtocreate aClimateActionPlanandEnergyUpgrade CaliforniainLosAngelesCountywillbea centralGHGemissionreductionimplementa-tionstrategyEnergy Upgrade California in Los Angeles Countyisanallianceamong theCountyofLosAngelestheCitieswithin theCountySouthernCaliforniaEdison SouthernCaliforniaGasCompanyandthe municipallyownedutilitiesintheCountyThe
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 11
goalisaldquoone-stopshoprdquoforpropertyowners Apropertyownerinvestmentof$5000 toeasilyfindclearconsolidatedinformation abouttheProgramelementscertifiedcon-tractorsandalltherebatesincentivesand financingoptionsavailable
Mostoftheapproximately34millionhous-ingunitsinLosAngelesCountywerebuilt beforestateenergyefficiencystandards(Title 24)wereimplementedbeginninginthe early1980sMorerecentvintageresidential buildingsalsooffergreatpotentialforenergy savingsduetodeficienciesinconstruction specificationandfieldworkquality
Energyefficiencymeasuresincludeimprove-mentstoinsulationspaceheatingandair conditioningwaterheatinglightingwin-dowsanddoorssolarhotwatersystemsand otherfixeditems
to$15000forsingle-familybuildingtoimple-mentabuildingenergyretrofitcanoften achieveanaverageof20ormoreenergy savingsreduceutilitybillsimprovebuild-ingcomfortenhanceindoorairqualityand increasebuildingvalue
TheCountyanditspartnersarecollaborat-ingonawebsitecommunityoutreachand countywideadvertisingtoleverageefforts andfundingandtomaximizeparticipationin theProgrammdashwithagoalofpropertyowners completing30000energyefficiencyupgrades bysummer2013TheldquoMediaandAdvertis-ingFlightsrdquomatrixprovidesanoverviewof scheduleandtiming
12 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
programs goals and objectives
ThegoalsofEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLA Countyaretopromotejobcreationandreduce aggregategreenhousegasemissionsthrough energyandresource-savingretrofitsofexisting buildingstockthroughthreefundingsources
1 AmericanReinvestmentandRecoveryAct EnergyEfficiencyandConservationBlock Grant(EECBG)
2 USDepartmentofEnergyRetrofitRamp Up(RRU)funding
3 CaliforniaEnergyCommission Discretionarygrant
retrofit objectives by funding source
Objectivesthusfocusonspecifictargetnum-bersforcompletedretrofits
bull Retrofitabout27000single-familyhomes withanaverage20energyreduction Countywide(1605850single-familyresi-dentialhomesinLACounty)plus2600 multi-familyhomes
bull Reduceannualpurchasedenergycon-sumptioninthosehomesbyanaggregate 300billionBTUsperyearandassociated energycostsby$4millionperyear
bull Create3200jobsand
bull ReducetheCountyrsquosannualgreenhouse gasemissionsattributabletoenergycon-sumptioninitsexistingbuildingstockby 36287metrictonsCO2e
EECBG RRU CEC TOTAL
single-family Homes 15000 4200 8060 27260
multi-family Homes 0 1400 1240 2640
29900
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 13
marketing and outreach program goals and structure
1 Goals MarketingandoutreachforEnergyUpgrade CaliforniainLACountywillengageproperty ownersthrougheffectivestrategiesprovide clearandcompellinginformationaboutthe benefitsofanenergyefficiencyretrofitlist therebatesandtaxcreditsavailable(through thisProgramandthroughutilityprograms) explainfinancingoptionslistcertifiedcon-tractorsanddescribetheProgramprocessand optionsThemarketingandoutreachplanhas fivemajorgoals
1 Build broad positive awareness of the Program
2 Educate property owners to overcome barriers to participation
3 Target marketing efforts to drive participation by key audiences identified in surveys
4 Align and coordinate other marketing efforts by utilities and other partners
5 Create a sustained market for a whole-house performance approach leading to long-term behavioral change
2 Objectives ThePlanisdesignedtoachievethesemajor objectives
1 Program goals met
Marketing35-40ofProgrampar-ticipantsentertheProgramasaresultof marketingandoutreachefforts
Contractors45-50ofProgrampar-ticipantsentertheProgramasaresultof marketingbycontractors(usingmes-sagingandmaterialsdevelopedthrough thisPlan)
Partners10-15ofProgrampar-ticipantsentertheProgramasaresult ofmarketingbyothermethodssuch asrealtorsretailpartnersarchitects designersandCityefforts(usingmes-sagingandmaterialsdevelopedthrough thisPlan)
2 300000 unique hits on a robust website (or calls to the call center)
3 Virtual ldquoword-of-mouthrdquo buzz created through social media resulting in click throughs to the website
14 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
4 Communications kits available for county COG cities community leaders and environmental groups
5 Marketing kits available for partners (contractors realtors)
6 Informational materials placed with retailers cities county offices
7 50000000 mediaadvertisingin-person impressions through
Mainstreammedia(televisionradio print)storiesplaced
Multiculturalmedia(televisionradio print)storiesplaced
RadioTVPSAsplaced
CityTVprogramsplaced
PaidradioTVpromosads
Paidprintads
Communitymeetings
Targeteddirectmail
rebate structure
8 Consolidated information in a ldquoone-stop shoprdquo approach
3 Incentives and Financing Marketresearchshowsthatrebatesarepri-marymotivatorsforhomeownerstoundertake anenergyupgradeRebateswillbeavailable forconsumersfromvarioussourcesCur-rentlyutilityrebatesoffer$1000forthe BasicPathandupto$3500forthosereach-ing30energysavingsThefederalHome Starprogramisstillpendingmdashitcouldoffer homeownersupto$3000forelementsinthe BasicPath$3000forthosereaching20 energysavingsandupto$13000forthose reaching45energysavingsIncentivesfrom theCountyarealsostillpending(SeeRebate Structuretable)
Financingoptionsarebeinganalyzedandwill beavailableatlaunch
Allrebatesandfinancingwillbecoordinated onthewebsitewiththeultimategoalofprop-ertyownersfillingoutoneformandpopulat-ingallotherrequiredforms
ELEMENT COUNTy FUNdEd
FEd TAx CREdIT HOME STAR UTILITIES
Basic path tBD 30 of eligible $1000
advanced path tBD improvements up to $1500 (expires Dec 31) $2500 for 20
+$500 for 5 +$500 for 5
silver star tBD
gold star tBD
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 15
4 Coordination Between Local Government and Utilities Consumerswillbebestservedbyaunified brandandconsumermarketingcampaign consistentmessagingandastatewidewebsite portalwithonewebsiteaddressTheCounty ofLosAngelesSouthernCaliforniaEdison andSouthernCaliforniaGasCompanyhave beenworkingtogethertodevelopastrong coordinatedprogramInfacttheLosAngeles CountyProgramhasbecomeamodelforthe state
Coordinationwillalsoleverageresourcesand increasethemarketingeffectivenessoflocal governmentsandthelocalutilitiesAllma-terialswillbedevelopedcollaborativelyand costswillbesharedaccordingtothedivision ofresponsibilityThefollowingchartoutlines thekeydeliverablesandresponsibilities(next page)
16 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
marketingoutreach coordination
PROGRAM ELEMENT LEAd COMMENTS
COUNTy UTILITIES jOINT
market research X telephone surveys focus groups and market analysis
marketing communications plan X this document will direct all marketing
activities
program namelogo X
cec will own the brand and has final vote on statewide name tagline can be customized for la county
Website portal X
statewide portal linked to utility pages or sitesndashmain info and materials on this one site
advertising campaign principles development X
marketing templates X
Print and online available for cities to customize as needed
service territory media Buys (regional) X Mainstream and ethnic media buys
local media Buys (la county) X Both mainstream and ethnic media in
hotspots and la county
call center X one phone number managed by utilities county to help produce script
retail outlet materials X May include kiosks short videos
contractor marketing toolkit X tBD county will develop marketing materials
for contractors
direct mail (eg bill inserts other mailers) X
county assessor materials X
Materials included in water bills property tax bills
community-Based outreach X targeted grassroots marketing
(includes local events)
community events X X utilities attend countywide events county attends local events
public relations X X
utilities take lead for service territory county for local or supervisor-initiated PR
Home energy makeover contest X
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 17
strategy
TheProgramwilluseamulti-layeredmulti-facetedmarketingandoutreachstrategythat targetsaudiencesbyidentifyingwhotheyare wheretheyliveandtheeventsgoingonin theirlivesMarketingeffortsinclude
1 Countywide Marketing (and Media Relations)
2 Pilot Area Marketing
3 Trigger-Event Marketing
4 City Outreach
5 Contractor Marketing
6 Realtor Marketing
7 Retail Partner Marketing
8 Multi-Family Marketing
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing
1 Countywide Marketing
Thestrategyisentirelyresearch-drivenfocus-ingonthosepropertyownersmostlikelyto undertakeahomeenergyupgradeAnover-archinglayerofmainstreammarketingand advertisingwillbeaimedatthreeaudiences
1 Early AdoptersThosewhoarestrong environmentalistsalreadypoisedtoldquodo therightthingrdquofortheenvironmentand whojustneedtohearaboutaprogramand rebates
2 ldquoRetrofit-ReadyrdquoThosewhoarealready planninghomeimprovementsandjust needalittlemoreinformationaboutwhat stepstotaketosavemoneyandldquodothe rightthingrdquofortheenvironment
3 ldquoRetrofit-Persuadablerdquo Thosewho arethinkingabouttheirutilitybills homecomforttheenvironmentorour dependenceonfossilfuelsforeignoil (especiallyinlightoftherecentGulfoil spill)andwhoneedinformationabout whattypesofimprovementstheycould makeandwhatstepstotaketosave energysavemoneyandreducefossilfuel consumption
Outreachwillbeaimedattargetaudiences throughbothmainstreamandmulticultural mediaTheadvertisingwillalsospillover ontoaudiencesinspecificgeographicareas providingadditionalimpressionstothose whoarealsotargetedinthePilotMarketing AreasThiswillalsoaddtothecitiesrsquoefforts topromotetheProgramastheirresidents willalsoseethecountywidemarketingefforts
18 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Marketingwillfocusoneachtargetaudience providingimpressionsclosetotheirhomeand reachingouttomoremassaudiencesCounty-widemarketingandoutreachwillinclude tacticsinthetablebelow
The One-Stop Shop Allinformationwillbeconsolidatedina one-stopshopapproacheitherinaldquobrick andmortarrdquolocationthroughthewebsiteor callcenteroratcommunityeventsProperty ownerswillhaveeasyaccesstoinformation
abouteligibleenergyefficiencymeasures andretrofitoptionseligibilityforCounty-administeredfinancialvehiclesandincentives eligibilityforutility-sponsoredrebatesand incentivesfederalrebateandtaxcreditinfor-mationandaccesstolistsofqualifiedenergy retrofitcontractors
Propertyownerswhoarenoteligiblefororin-terestedinEnergyUpgradeCaliforniawould alsobeabletofindoutaboutopportunities forweatherizationprogramslow-incomerate
countywide marketingoutreach tactics
Cable TV
County Events
Mass Media
Out of Home
Radio
Retail Partners
City Information
City TV
Local Media
Transit Shelters
Theaters
Billboards
Community of Interest
Newsletters
Contractor Marketing
Direct Mail to Hot Spots
Online Ads
Site Signage
Social Media
Community Newsletters
Local Events
Target Audience
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 19
subsidiesgreenjobstrainingandotherinitia- Parcel-Based Market Analysistivesavailabletoqualifiedhouseholds
Identifying Locations of Target Audiences Thegeographiclocationoftargetaudiences willbeidentifiedthroughtwomarketanalysis efforts
Pilot Marketing Areas TheCountywillintensifymarketingefforts inspecificpilotmarketingareaswherehigh percentagesoftheEarlyAdopterandRetrofit ReadyaudiencesliveThesepilotmarketareas willbeidentifiedthroughdemographicanaly-sisbaseduponextensivemarketresearchas wellasadetailedanalysisofkeycommunity resourcessuchasstrongcommunitynetworks andcommunity-basedorganizationsinfluen-tiallocalmedialdquocommunityfeelrdquoetc(For moreinformationonthepilotmarketareas approachandengagementstrategiesseepage 23)
Adetailedmarketanalysisisbeingconducted tosupportspecificpiecesoftheoutreachand communicationsstrategybyidentifyingthe locationofaudiencesthatarereceptivetospe-cificoutreachstrategiesThetableonthenext pagedemonstratesthemarketanalysisaudi-ences(scenarios)andmarketstrategiesthat arebeinganalyzedtoidentifythelocationof targetaudiencesThemarketanalysisisbeing conductedusingconsumermarketresearch combinedwithdemographicdataandprop-ertycharacteristicsdatafromtheCountyas-sessorThemainproductfortheanalysiswill beaseparateanalysisreport(expectedAugust 2010)Thisreportwillincludecountywide ldquoheatmapsrdquothatidentifytheareasthathave ahighproportionoftargetpropertiesandare thereforeidealareasfortargetedmarketing ThesemapscanbeusedforEnergyUpgrade Californiaorcontractormarketingstrategies
countywide market capture cascade
Early Adopters
Retrofit ready
Retrofit persuadable
The Next Phase No way
MESSAGES
bull environment bull Fossil Fuels bull Rebates
available
AddITIONAL MESSAGES
bull save money on utility bills
bull Rebates
bull long-term attitudinal change
available AddITIONAL MESSAGES
bull Property values bull comfort bull Health bull ReBates available
20 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
market analysis scenarios
Link between Pilot Market Areas and Parcel-Based Market Analysis
Theaudiencesbeingexaminedinthepilot marketingareasoverlapwithbutarenotthe sameasthoseinthemarketanalysisThe marketanalysisthereforesupportsthepilot marketareaidentificationintwoways
1 Itaddspropertycharacteristicsgleaned fromconsumerresearchtothepilotmarket areaanalysisInthiswayScenarios1and 2(RetrofitReadyandRetrofitPersuadable) providefurtherdetailtothepilotmarket areasandallowforgeneralmarketingto
MARkET ANALySIS SCENARIO
AUdIENCE IdENTIFIEd
dATA ANALyzEd RELATEd MARkETING STRATEGy
1-early adopters retrofit ready
environmentalists ready to take action now with information about rebates
Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Pilot Marketing areas
2-retrofit persuadable
those who need information about types of improvements with emphasis on rebates and cost savings
Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Pilot Marketing areas
3a-Built environment Heating and cooling
Middle-aged to newer homes located inland that are larger and often have high ac heating bills
Property characteristics location of Home
trigger event Marketing utility Bills Pilot area Marketing
3b-Built environment-Heating
smaller older coastal homes that may have comfort issues in winter
Property characteristics location of Home
trigger event Marketing comfort Pilot Marketing areas
4-multi-family Multi-family homeowners Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Multi-family Marketing Pilot Marketing areas
5-Whole neighborhood
tracts of similarly-aged and built homes
Property characteristics location of Home
Whole neighborhood Marketing Pilot Marketing areas
bedirectedtospecificproperties(when appropriate)
2 Italsoidentifiesotherkeyaudiences (Scenarios3a3b4and5)thatcorrelate toothermarketingstrategiesasshown intableaboveTheresultsofthese scenarioswillbeoverlaidontopofthepilot marketareastoidentifyspecificparcels thatmayrespondtospecificmarketing strategiesForexamplewhenoverlaying thepropertiesidentifiedinScenario5 (Whole-NeighborhoodScenario)with thepilotmarketingareastheCounty canidentifypropertieswithinthepilot
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 21
marketingareathatwouldrespondtoa whole-neighborhoodmarketingapproach (bulkpurchasingmodelhomesasingle contractoretc)
Home Energy Makeover Contest HomeEnergyMakeoverContestsgenerate atremendousamountofpublicityandhave beensuccessfullyconductedinmanyother statesandcitiesTheyattractthousandsof entrantsTheconceptistobothgarnerfree publicityandmodelthebehaviortheProgram istryingtoencouragebyshowingtheldquowhole houseapproachrdquohoweasyupgradescanbe howmuchtherebatescanreducetheproject costandhowmuchdifferencetheymaketoa home
Thecontestwillalsodemonstratethemarket acceptanceforthehomeperformanceap-proachtotraditionalsingle-measurecontrac-torsThosecontractorswillseehowmany peopleenterthecontesttowinahomeperfor-mancemakeoverbasedonthewholehouseap-proachAllthosewhoenteredareleadswho maybeinterestedinawholehouseapproach ratherthansinglemeasures
Entrantsmustbeover18liveinLosAnge-lesCountyandownthehomeinwhichthey residethecontestcanbelimitedtothose whoreceiveservicefromSouthernCalifornia EdisonandorSouthernCaliforniaGas(in otherwordsitcanincludeorexcluderesi-dentsservedbymunicipalutilities)Entrants submitinformationabouttheirhomeand theirenergyconsumptionandgivepermis-sionfortheProgramjudgestoviewtheir energyconsumptionduringthepreviousyear Finalistsarebasedonthehighestenergycon-sumptionpersquarefootofamedian-sized homeAbout20finalistsreceivefreeenergy auditsfortheirhomesBasedontheaudit (andadditionalcriteriawewilldetermine)five winninghomesreceiveupto$15000inhome
energyimprovements(whichcanbesupple-mentedbyrebatesandadditionalfunding fromthepropertyowner)Thewinneragrees tomediacoverageanopenhouseandtoblog andorTweetduringandaftertheretrofit Wewillworkwithcontractorstogetsponsor-shipsaswellasdonatedauditsandupgrade elements
OnecontestwillbeheldinFall2010(withfive winners)andasecondcontestheldduring Springof2011(withfivewinners)
Aseparatecontestcouldbeheldformulti-familybuildingswithahigherwinning amount
Countywide Incentives TheProgramwillestablishalistofnon-profit organizationsthatareactiveinpromoting greenhomessustainabilityandotherenvi-ronmentalorcommunityprojectsEveryone intheCountywhocompletesanenergyaudit maydesignateanon-profitorganizationto receiveadonationfromtheProgramInfor-mationabouttheeligibleorganizationswill beonthewebsiteThiswillencouragethose non-profitstopromotetheProgramtotheir membersltNotethisconceptisstillbeing developedgt
Direct Mail Utilitieswillplacemessagesonouterbillen-velopessenttocustomersTheywillalsosend directmailaboutEnergyUpgradetoldquotarget areasrdquobasedonacombinationofenergy usageageofhomeandhouseholdincome DirectmailisscheduledforOctober2010
County Events Utilitieswillbeattendinglargeeventssuch astheSeptember2010and2011LACounty Fairswithawholehousethemethatincludes aminimodelhousethatvisitorscanldquotourrdquo Additionalproposedeventsinclude
22 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
bull LeagueofCitiesAnnualConference workshop(September2010)
bull PomonaHomeImprovementShow (October2010)
bull RemodelingShowattheLACountyFair (October2010)
bull CaliforniaAssociationofRealtors (October2010)
bull BuildingIndustryShow(November2010)
bull SouthernCaliforniaHomeImprovement Show(November2010)
bull NeighborWorksAmerica(February2011)
Online and Social Media TheProgramwillusesocialmediatoinex-pensivelyreachtargetaudiencesbeginningat launchandcontinuingthroughoutthePro-gramwithbriefpausesforrefiningThiswill beaccomplishedthroughoptimizingsearch wordsforsearchenginessuchasGoogleand Bingreachingappropriateindependentblogs aYouTubevideocontest(runbyamediapart-ner)andencouragingblogpostsandTweets byearlyadoptersandtheProgramitself(see DescriptionsofMarketingCommunications ToolsandDescriptionsofTargetAudiencesfor moredetails)Inadditionutilitieswilldevote spaceforinformationandalinkontheirland-ingpages
Countywide Media Buys Withalatesummerfalllaunchdatemedia buysneedtobespreadtoavoidtheelection monthofOctober2010EnergyUpgradeCali-forniainLosAngelescansponsoraweather broadcastmdashliveonlineandmobilemdashaswell as15and30spotsduringotherbroadcasts Wewillalsopurchaseliveandonlinespots withUnivisiontheSpanish-languagestation Radiobuyswillinclude15NationalPublic Radio(KPCCandKCRW)sponsorshipsand variousdrive-timespotsonEnglishandin-
languageAMandFMstationsSocialmedia buysincludeGoogleWordsandblogads(see DescriptionsofMarketingCommunications Tools)Printmediabuyswillbeinmulticul-turalpapers
(Afullmediabuyplanandschedulewillbe availableinAugust)
Countywide Media Relations TheProgramwillcoordinateCountyandutil-ityeffortsandwiththeCaliforniaEnergyCom-missionCaliforniaPublicUtilitiesCommis-sioneffortsMediarelationswillbeinthree phasespre-launchlaunchandmilestones
Pre-Launch (August ndash September)
bull DevelopandprovideaSpeakerrsquosKit withtalkingpoints
bull OrganizeCountymedialaunchevent (potentiallyenlistawillinghomeowner whosehousemightserveasalaunching padformediatours)
bull Respondtorequestsfromcities
bull Providepre-writtenarticlesforcity communitynewsletters
bull Issuepresskitsandpressrelease(in EnglishandSpanish)announcing launch
Launch (October)
bull Mediaeventtoannouncelaunchand HomeEnergyMakeoverContestpoten-tiallyon-siteatahousetodemonstrate upgrades
bull SendoutradioPSAs
Milestones (through 2013)
bull Mediaeventtoannouncewinnersofthe HomeEnergyMakeovercontest(could beconductedon-sitesurprisingthe winners)
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 23
bull ldquoRe-launchrdquopressreleaseandmedia eventinMarch2011forasecondHome EnergyMakeoverContestwithastrong ldquogetreadyforsummerrdquotheme
bull Pressreleasewhen10000thperson receivesarebate
bull Pressreleasewhenotherappropriate milestonesarereachedorthefunding forincentivesisclosetobeingdepleted
2 Pilot Marketing Areas
Itwillbecriticalforthelong-termsuccessof marketingeffortstohaveasignificantnumber ofearlysuccessesthatgeneratepositivepub-licityandword-of-mouthencouragingothers toalsoparticipateTheCountyintendsto stimulatethemarketfortheseearlyadopters byintensifyingmarketingeffortsinspecific pilotmarketingareas(withzipcodebound-aries)wherebasedonextensiveconsumer
countywide marketingoutreach tactics
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
television
ad buys on Broadcast tV univision google tV Paid county
ldquothis old Houserdquo segment on whole house per-formance and rebates while renovating house (filming in la this summer)
earned county
coverage on mainstream and multicultural sta-tions
earned utilities county
ldquoinfomercialrdquo and promos on city tV Placed county
radio
nPR sponsorship Paid county
commute time spots Paid county
coverage on california Report earned utilities county
Psas on mainstream stations Placed utilities county
spots on multicultural stations Paid county
coverage in mainstream and multicultural papers
earned utilities county
sunset Magazine green Home section earned county
ads in la times and Daily news real estate sections
Paid utilities county
ads in multicultural papers Paid county
Direct Mail to targets Paid utilities
24 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
countywide marketingoutreach tactics (conrsquot)
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
social media
Blogs (about homes environment bargains) earned county
Facebook page Placed county
ads targeted to interest in environment and or home improvements (this old House etc)
Paid county
google adWords targeted to interest in environment andor home improvements
Paid county
twitter both by the Program and by individual early adopters (with incentives)
Placed county
youtube early adopters make a video about their experience and results (with incentives)
Placed county
out of Home
Retail kiosks banners flyers links on retail websites
Placed utilities
community organizations
environmental groups and others newsletters websites email blasts
earned county
Home improvement shows booths Paid county
countywide events Paid utilities
Bloggersubject matter events Paid county
researchhighpercentagesoftargetaudiences livePilotmarketingprogramsinthoseareas willtesttheextentcommunity-basedmarket-ingpositivelyimpactsparticipationratesan effortrelatedtoRetrofitRampUpproposal requirements
Demographicdataprovidedbythemarketre-searchwillbeoverlaidwithenergyusagedata AdditionallyGIS-basedmarketanalysisatthe parcellevel(describedabove)willallowfor pinpointingofspecificneighborhoodswithin thepilotareasforoutreachthatcaninclude
door-to-doordirectmailandmarketingby contractorsaspartofaldquowholeneighbor-hoodrdquoapproachFocusingonpilotareaswill alsomeettheRetrofitRampUprequirements oftheDepartmentofEnergyFollowingisa summaryofplannedmarketingandoutreach efforts
Marketresearch-basedcriteriaforchoosing about15pilotareaswillinclude
Clusters of houses built before 1978 Thoselivinginolderhomesespecially
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 25
builtbeforeCaliforniarsquosEnergyEfficiency Standardsaremorelikelytobelievethat theirhousemightbeenergyinefficient andcouldbenefitfromenergyefficiency improvementsmdashandberesponsivetoan energyupgrade
High percentage of homeownership Thesemarketingeffortsfocusonsingle-familyresidentialhomeownerssoareas withhighrentalrateswillnotprovidea largeenoughnumberofeligibleunits
Income over $60000Thosewith incomesunder$60000didnotbelieve theywouldhavesufficientincometomake improvementsevenwithrebatesThey werenotinterestedinloans(manywith lowincomesalsofindthemselvesldquounder-waterrdquoontheirloansandthusnoteligible forsomefinancing)Inadditionwefound somepush-backinfocusgroupsabout ldquogovernmentofferingloanstopeoplewho canrsquotaffordthemafterthesub-primeloan debaclerdquo
Population with a high percentage of college-educatedThosewithacollege degreearemuchmorelikelytoindicate apreferencetomakeenergyefficiency upgradesThosewhohadcompletedsome collegeeducationarealsomorelikelyto indicateapreferenceforenergyefficiency upgradesthanthosewhohadnotcom-pletedany
Population with a high percentage of those age 35-54Thosewithchildren andorexpandingfamiliesaremorelikely tomakeimprovementsthanthoseunder 30(thereareveryfewhomeownersunder 30)andthoseover54
High percentage of households with 4+ peopleHouseholdswithmorepeople havehigherenergybillsResearchshows thatthoseinhomeswithmorethan4
peoplebelieveenergyupgradescanmakea bigimpactontheirbills
High energy usage Thehigherenergy usage(andbills)themorelikelypeopleare tobelievethatenergyefficiencyimprove-mentswillmakeadifferenceintheirbills
Afterlayeringthisinformationtocomeup withalistofpotentialareaswefurthercon-sidered
Clusters of 8000-20000 homesThe areashouldbelargeenoughtoprovidesub-stantialnumbersofeligibleunitsbutsmall enoughtoenablereachingmajorityofresi-dentsandgeneratingword-of-mouth
Has a diverse multicultural commu-nityAreasshouldhavestrongcommunity identitiesandsenseofplacesocommunity membersareproudofwheretheyliveand areencouragedtoimprovetheircommu-nity
Has strong neighborhood and com-munity organizationsWeneedto engagetheseorganizationsaspartnersto helpspreadtheword
Has existing communications such as newsletters blogsWeneedtoreach membersthroughexistingcrediblesources thatresidentsalreadyuseandtrust
ldquoSpill overrdquo opportunities to nearby neighborhoodsSincemarketingand mediaeffortswillpotentiallyalsobeseen byneighborsareasshouldbenearother areasthatmayalsomeettheprimary criteria
Climatetime of yearIndetermining whentorolloutthepilotswecantarget interiorareasinspringandcoastalareasin coldweather
26 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Basedonthemarketresearchcriteriafive pilotmarketingareasarescheduledforintense marketingatlaunchwithanadditional10 areasscheduledforintensemarketingin Spring2011
Thepilotmarketstrategyissupportedby theparcel-basedmarketanalysiswhichwill identifywhichneighborhoodspropertieswill bethebesttotargetusingthisapproachThe marketanalysiswillallowlimitedmarketing fundingtobeleveragedbyfocusingonthose thataremostlikelytorespondtothemarket-ingefforts
Wewillcreatemessagesandvisualsspecifical-lytailoredtoeachtargetcommunityrsquoscultural andlinguisticpreferencesImagessymbols andiconstypographycolorandoverall designcarrydifferentmeaningsindifferent culturesAmessageistypicallymosteffective ifitiscreatedwithcarefulattentiontothese idiosyncrasiesandwithintheldquoculturalmind-setrdquooftherecipientsCreatingheadlinesand taglinesdirectlyinthetargetlanguagerather thansimplytranslatingEnglishadvertising copyensuresthatcopyhasthecorrectrhythm andrhymeandisthereforemuchmore attention-grabbingandmemorable
Community Incentives Energy Champion Program Severalconceptsareunderconsiderationto developacommunityincentivestrategyto promoteparticipationinlinewiththeRetrofit RampUpproposalforinnovativeincentiveap-proachesIncentivesmaybedirectedatenergy auditscommunity-basedorganizationsthose willingtoprovidetestimonialsorblogtweet andpublicrecognitionefforts
Grassroots Community Organizing-Trainedorganizerswillpresentinformationat themeetingsof12-15influentialcommunity leadersandcommunity-basedorganizationsin
eachpilotareacapturetheircontactdataand helpspreadtheinformationtotheirmembers throughtheirnewsletterseventsandwebsites TheProgramwillprovidepre-writtencus-tomizablearticlespresentationsorvideoand websiteldquobuttonsrdquotolinktotheProgramsite Eachgroupwillbeofferedanincentiveofado-nationtotheirorganizationforeverymember whocompletesahomeenergyupgradeThis willencourageCBOvolunteerstoincrease theirmarketingeffortsFriendlyrivalrieswill beencouragedCommunitygroupswillreport namesofparticipantscheckedforjobcomple-tionbytheProgram(underdevelopment)
Community Events One-on-onefacetimewithhomeownersis anidealwaytoengagepotentialparticipants Well-trainedorganizerswillattendfiveevents ineachtargetareaprovidinghomeowners withinformation(pocketsizemultilingual handouts)andcapturingtheircontactinfor-mationforfollowupTheycanhavehome-ownerssignuponthewebsiteonsiteifappro-priateandperhapsevenhavethemprovideus withavideocommitmentldquoItookthePledgerdquo withpermissiontopostonthewebsiteAsa luretotheboothhomeownerswillbeoffered freeitemssuchaslightbulbsmagnetsand reusablecupswithcoldwater(imprintedwith thewebsite)manufacturedintheUS
Print Radio Outdoor and Out-of Home Advertising Localmediawillcoverthelaunchofthe Programandwewillstrategicallyplaceads inlocalmediaandcommunitynewsletters Outdooradvertising(smallstreet-levelbiode-gradableeco-postersbussheltersbussides) strategicallyplacedinhigh-trafficareaswillre-inforcethemessageoveraone-monthperiod
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 27
Pilot Area Example Altadena Altadenawasidentifiedasacommunitythat fitsourtargetcriteriaItisadiverseunincor-poratedcommunitywithsixneighborhoods andanapproximatepopulationof40000The averagehouseholdincomeisabout$94000 Morethan50ofadultresidentsaremarried withchildrenandcommuteanaverageof62 milesperdaytowhite-collarjobsFully40of theadultsinthiscommunityhaveabachelors
degreeorhigherandareinvolvedinmany communityeventsandorganizationsThere areapproximately12000homesinthiscom-munityand10000ofthosehomesareowner-occupiedThegraphicshowshowoutreach wouldbeconcentratedinthisarea
pilot area outreachmarketing tactics
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
radio
Psas on multicultural stations earned county
coverage in local papers earned county
ads in local and multicultural papers Paid county
outdoor
Bus shelters in area Paid county
on-street lampost signage Paid county
Billboards Paid county
social media
Blogs (relevant to the area) earned county
online ads targeted by location Paid county
listserves of neighborhood associations (through cities)
earned county
out of Home
Movie theater ads in area Paid county
lawn signs on homes in area (through contractors)
Paid county
community organizations
community meetings with incentives to organizations for participation
earnedPaid county
community events Paid county Door hangers Paid county
28 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Home Depot
Ace Hardware
Lowersquos
Master Builders
Great Indoors
Home Expo
altadena marketing target
Hoy La Opinioacuten
Pasadena Star News
Altadena Headlines Examiner
Boulevard Magazine
Arroyo Magazine
Pasadena Weekly
Altadena Connection
Sentinel
KLVE
KPCC Pasadena
KCBS
KROQ Pasadena
KAZN Pasadena
Church Bulletins
Summer Concert Series at Farnsworth Park
Fourth of July Fireworks at
Town amp Country Club
Black History Parade
World Music Festival in Pasadena
Haunted House at
Farnsworth Park
Art Break
Rose Parade
National Latino
Congreso
Altadena Neighborhood Association
Altadena Chamber of Commerce
Altadena Arts Council
Altadena Town Council
Faith-based Organizations
Altadena Town amp Country Club
Altadena League of
Women Voters
Altadena Historical Society
Altadena Community Improvement Center
Sheriff Support Group
Santa Coming to Farnsworth
Park
Altadena California
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 29
3 Trigger-Event Marketing
Thissuiteofstrategieswillbeaimedatcaptur-ingenergyefficiencyopportunitiesfrommul-tipletriggereventsParticipantswillmainly comethroughcontractorsrealtorsandretail partnerspropertyownerswillhavealsoseen countywideadvertising
trigger event marketing
4 City and COG Outreach
OutreachbyCitiesandCOGswillbecritical becauseoftheirexistingrelationshipswith localconstituenciesCitieswillbeprovided withamini-marketingplantalkingpoints videocustomizabletemplatesoffactsheets articlesfortheirnewslettersandadvertising
EvENT dESCRIPTION LEAd AGENT COLLATERAL TACTIC
1 Replace on burnout (heating air conditioners water heaters)
Homeowners either in process of replacing an item or have already done some efficiency projects
county bull Retail partners
bull HVac installers
bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors installers
bull Retail displays
2 life-stage changes (growing family)
Homeowners working with a contractor
county bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors bull ads in media for home remodels
3 Home remodel Homeowners working with an architect contractor
county bull contractors bull architects
bull Materials for contractors
bull ads in media for home remodels
3 improvements at time of purchase
Homeowners interested are preparing a new home for move-in (research shows more interest at purchase than at sale)
shared bull contractors bull Realtors bull Home
inspectors bull city permit
offices bull city welcome
kits bull Retail
bull Brochures for cities
bull ads in weekend homes for sale sections
bull Presentations to realtor groups
bull Retail displays
4 improvements at sale
House owners preparing for sale
county bull contractors bull Realtors
bull Materials for contractors
5 complaints high utility bills cold hot house
Homeowners aware of energy-saving improvements but not whole house approach
county bull contractors bull HeRs raters
bull Materials for contractors
30 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
city amp cog outreach
materialssotheycandeveloplow-costout-reachtotheirresidentsCitieswithcommuni-tiestargetedinthePilotAreaMarketingplans willbeinformedandencouragedtodoout-reachtothoseareasAllCitieswillbeencour-agedtodothefollowing
Run stories in print and online news-letters
Send information to neighborhood associations homeowners associa-tions historic preservation districts and other appropriate community organizations
Provide information in City permit-ting offices and City Hall lobbies
Provide information at strategically located Environmental Information Centers and at COG office locations
Provide information in ldquonew home-ownersrdquo welcome kits (either directly from the city or through title compa-
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAId EARNEd
LEAd
pio coordination contact all participating citiesrsquo Pios na county
letters Key messages for letters from mayors etc to constituents Provide to Pios or city managers
na county
Website links Button for cities to place on their website to link to Program site
na county
city tV informational videos and spot promos Placed county
Welcome brochure
Brochure aimed at new homeowners before they move in
na county
articles Pre-written customizable newsletter articles earned county
email blasts Pre-written customizable info spots for communityneighborhood listserves
earned county
niesmortgage brokers)
Run videos and spots on City TV stations
5 Contractor Marketing
Localcontractorsarecriticaltothesuccess ofEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLosAngeles CountyTheyprovidetheservicesthatcom-prisetheProgramandtheycanhelpmarket theProgramtopropertyownersInfactwe estimatethatupto50ofProgrampartici-pantswillentertheProgramthrougharela-tionshipwithacontractor(theymayhavealso seenmediacoverageandadvertisingwhich spurredthemtotakeaction)Thisuniquerole requiresthattheProgramtakeatwo-tiered approachofengagingthecontractormdashmoti-vatinglocalbuildingprofessionalstoundergo thetrainingandcertificationprocessandalso providingthemwiththetoolstoeffectively promotetheprogramtoexistingandnew clientsThefollowingsectiondescribesspecific
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 31
contractor target
United Brotherhood Building Industry Carpenters (Training)
Association ofSouthern California
Email Blast
Contractors Magazines
Contractor
OnlineAds
Big Box Stores
ConractorsLicensing Schools
Realtor Associations
strategiesassociatedwithbothapproaches
Forthepurposesoftheprogramcontractors aredividedintoparticularsegmentsbasedon thetypeofserviceprovidedAninitialanalysis oftheindustryrevealedthefollowinglikely categories
HomePerformance(HP)Contractors
ProductionBuilders
HVACSystemSpecialtyTrades (windowsetc)
RemodelingContractors
SolarContractors
BuildingPerformance
Institute
Southwest Regional
City Permit Association
Offices of Carpenters
Lumber Yards
StateLicensing
Board
American Instituteof Architects
LA Chapter
Outreach to Contractors TheProgramwillcoordinatewithcontractor groupsandotherbuildingprofessionaltrade organizationstoschedulebriefpresentations abouttheProgramandthecontractortraining processForlargerorganizationsthePro-grammayworkdirectlywiththecompanyto arrangeon-sitepresentationsThesepresenta-tionsareinformalinnatureandwillbeusedto promotethecertificationorientationsrequired forcontractorparticipationintheprogram
KeyMessagestoContractors
$30millioninAmericanRecoveryand ReinvestmentActmoneyisworkinginLA Countytocreateconstructionindustryjobs
32 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
EnergyUpgradeCaliforniaOffersbig rebatesandfinancingoptionsfor homeownersdoinghomeenergy efficiencyretrofits
Therewillbemarketingandadvertis-ingstatewideandlocallytopromotethe Program
Therewillbemarketingmaterialsforyou tousetomarketyourbusiness
YoumustbelicensedandBuildingPerfor-manceInstitute-certifiedtobepartofthe Program
HomeownersmustworkwithBPI-certified contractorstheyrsquollchoosefromacontrac-tordatabaseonthewebsite
KeyOutreachMethods
BuildingIndustryAssociationofSouthern California
SouthwestRegionalCouncilofCarpenters
RealtorsAssociation
UnitedBrotherhood-Carpenters(Training Program)
Citypermittingoffice
Lumberyards
AmericanInstituteofArchitectsLA Chapter(toeducatethemaswell)
ArticlesinformationinContractortrade publications(magazinesnewslettersetc) magazines
CarpentersUnionLocals
ContractorsLicenseSchools(andonline)
BigBoxHomeImprovementstores(de-pendingonIOUrelationships)
wwwcslbcagov
Emailblasttoalllicensedcontractors
Contractor Outreach to Consumers Differentopportunitiesexistfordifferent contractorsdependingontheprobablework scopeThefollowingtableoutlinesafew potentialpathwaysforhowcontractorscan participateintheProgram
contractors outreach to customers
CONTRACTOR TyPE
TRIGGER EvENT vALUE TO CONTRACTOR
BUSINESS MOdEL
Home Performance upgrade lead generation scale for high volume
Production Builder new Business Development
create new division
HVac Replacement lead generation Value-add
expand services
specialty trade lead generation Partner with certified gc
Remodeler Remodel life-stage transition
Value-add sub work to HP contractor
solar Renewables lead generation Partner with certified gc
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 33
BPI-certifiedgeneralcontractorswillbelisted ontheEnergyUpgradeconsumerwebsite sendingmanyleadsdirectlytothemThey alsohaveaccesstotheldquoheatmapsrdquotousefor developingtheirownadvertisingcampaigns
Contractorswillbeattendingorientationses-sionstoensuretheythoroughlyunderstand theProgramrebatesfinancingoptionsand canhelpguidetheircustomersthroughthe processTheywillbeprovidedwithContractor MarketingKitstoensuretheyhaveathandthe keymessagesthathavebeenresonatingwith homeownersandhaveinformationtogive topotentialcustomerswhomightormight nothavebeentothewebsiteKitscanbesent directlytocontractorsordistributedatthe orientationsessionsKitswillcontain
Talkingpoints
DVDofthevideo
Printedfactsheetstoleavewithcustomers (withroomfortheircontactinfo)more canbeordered
Printedldquoslimjimrdquoprogrambrochure
Printedlengthierbrochuresaboutthe wholehouseapproach(brandedby Scientific American Magazine)
CDwithldquobuttonrdquotolinktoEnergyUpgrade fromtheirownwebsitesandPDFsofsite signageforprinting
Contractorswillhaveaccesstoaseparatesec-tionofthewebsitewheretheywillfindinfor-mationaboutProgrameventspromotionsand advertisinganon-demandprintsectionfor additionalcopiesofbrochuresanychanges totheProgramandasingletradecontractor databaseforassemblingteamsforcustomers whowouldlikesolarpanelsornewwindows forexample
6 Realtor Marketing
Giventhatthenationalaveragelengthofhome ownershipisroughlysixyearsrealestate agentswillbeincontactandadvisingalarge percentageofthenewandexistinghomeown-ersthatEnergyUpgradeistargetingforhome energyretrofitsThishighlevelofinfluence makesrealtorsoneofthelargestpartner groups
Realestateagentswillbeengagedonthree levels
1) Outreach
2) Training
3) Support
Outreach Outreachwillbeconductedthroughavariety ofvenuesthatwillincludeCaliforniaAssocia-tionofRealtorsreg(CAR)regionalconferences heldinSouthernCaliforniapartnershipwith themanyrealtorassociationslocatedinLos AngelesCountyanddirectvisitstorealestate agentsrsquoofficesforshortpresentationsPart-nershipswiththe15-20localRealtorsAsso-ciationswillbeachievedthroughoneormore RealtorAdvisoryBoardswhichincludethe GovernmentAffairsDirectorsfromeachof theseorganizationsAselectfewoftheseor-ganizationswillbeusedaspilotsfortargeted outreachduringearlystagesoftheProgram Oncethestrategyhasbeentestedandrevised itwillberolledouttoalloftheRealtorsAs-sociationsinLosAngelesCounty
ThefallCARRealtorExpowillbethemain kickoffeventforoutreachtoindividualreal-torsandrealtorofficesEnergyUpgradeplans tohavea30-minutetalkembeddedinthe SpeakersProgramandaboothsetuponthe ExpofloortoinformrealtorsaboutthePro-gramavailabletrainingsandthesupport
34 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
toolsthathavebeendevelopedThisevent willreachthemajorityofrealtorsintheLos Angelesareabutwillnotincludethelarge populationofrealestateagentsthatarenot membersofCARToreachthispopulation emailsocialmediaandtargetedofficevisits willbeconducted
Training EnergyUpgradewillprovidetrainingforreal estateagentsintwoformsTherealestate agenttrainingmodulecurrentlyunderdevel-opmentbyBuildItGreenwillbeusedasthe maintrainingforumThistrainingmodule isexpectedtotaketwofulldaystocomplete andwillcoverpropertyassessedcleanenergy financingenergyefficientmortgagesrebate programsbuildingscienceenergyefficiency andgreenbuildingpracticesappropriateto California
Additionalweb-basedtrainingwillbeprovided tointroducerealestateagentstotheProgram andtodrivethemtogetin-persontraining throughtheBuildItGreentrainingmodule
Support Cultivatingandclosingtoolswillbegener-atedtoassistrealtorsinusingEnergyUpgrade Californiatradetoexpandtheirbusinesswhile drivinghigherlevelsofprogramparticipation RealtorKitswillbesimilartotheContractor Kitsandtheywillhaveaccesstothedatabase ofgeneralandsingletradecontractors
7 Retail Partner Marketing
Utilitieswillpartnerwithretailoutletsthat canincludeBestBuyCostcoSearsLowes andHomeDepotParticipatingretailoutlets willbeprovided
Information centersEnd-displays detailingtheEnergyUpgradeProgram withadiagramillustratingthehouseas asystemconcept(multiplecomponents thatacttogethertomaximizesavings)and actionscustomerscantaketocapturethose savingsandrebatesIn-storecustomer educationcanshiftcustomerperception ofenergyupgradesandmotivatethem toparticipateinmultipleenergy-efficient measuresinsteadofjustoneAnadditional benefitfortheretailerisassociationwith thestatewideprogram
Program collateral One-sheet takeawaysforcustomerstoreference andshare
Video Theshortvideoscanbeplayed onaloop
Table tent cardsPlacedthroughout storesectionsthatcorrelatewiththe EnergyUpgradeProgram(CFLsappli-ancesceilingfansinsulationwindows) Againthiswillencouragecustomersto performmultipleenergyupgradesinstead ofjustoneCross-promotionhelpseducate customersandencourageparticipationin multiplemeasuresthusincreasingproduct purchase
Window clings ldquoOfficialEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaInformationCenterrdquotagline bannersplacedatstorefrontThiswillpo-sitiontheretailerasanactiveparticipantin thestatewideprogramandbuildsretailer credibilityasagreenadvocate
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 35
8 Multi-Family Outreach
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesandsched-ulesarestillinplanningphasesandbeing developedthroughastatewideconsortium
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesarebeing
developed
36 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
evaluation
Theprimarygoalsofthemarketingplanareto buildpositiveawarenessoftheEnergyUp-gradeCaliforniaProgramandcreateasus-tainedmarketforawholehouseapproach(see page8)Objectivesarespecifictothoseachiev-ingthosegoalsLosAngelesCountyresidents willseemultipleiterationsofmediacoverage paidadvertisingin-storedisplayscontractor marketingandin-personpresentations(inthe pilotmarketingareas)Forexamplearesi-dentinAltadenamightseethemoreintensive marketingandoutreacheffortsThatmayspur themtoactionmdashbutiftheyalreadyhadplans toremodelorhadpreviouslyworkedwitha contractortheymightcalltheircontractorand thusactuallycometotheprogramthrough thecontractorThereforeitwillnotbeeasy todeterminepreciselywhathasmotivated eachpersontoparticipateinEnergyUpgrade Objectivestomeetinclude
About35-45ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughthemarket-ingandoutreacheffortsTomonitorwe willincludeashortsurveyaspartofthe rebateapplicationprocessaskingpartici-pantswhatdrewthemtothewebsiteand totheProgramThewebsitecanmonitor clickthroughstocontractorssitesfrom theProgramwebsiteprovidinganindica-tionofpotentialparticpantswhocameto thesitebeforehavingacontractorOnce apropertyownerinputsanaddressthe websitewillbeabletospecificallymonitor ifthatparticipantasksformultiple estimatesfromcontractorsanotherindica-
toroffindingacontractorthroughthesite
About45-50ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughcontractors Wewillaskcontractorstoprovideinfor-mationabouttheirmarketingeffortsand successratesTheywillbeabletoidentify participantsgainedthroughtheirownmar-ketingefforts
300000uniquehitsonthewebsitewhich willbemonitoredbythewebsiteFurther thewebsitewillanalyzewherevisitors camefrom(egaclickthroughfroman onlineadfromacontractorrsquoswebsite orduringthespecifictimeframeofanad campaign)
Virtualandactualldquoword-of-mouthrdquore-portedbymonitoringsocialmedia
Communicationskitsandmarketingkits availablebothphysicallyandthroughan on-demandprintsitemonitoredbyclient
Informationalmaterialsforcitiesmoni-toredbySouthBayCitiesCouncilofGov-ernments
50000000mediaadvertisingin-person impressionsmonitoredbybroadcast printonlinestatisticsandreportsfrom grassrootsmarketingefforts
Consolidatedinformationinone-stop-shop approachwillbedeliveredthroughthe website
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 37
description of marketing communication tools
PlacedEarned Social Media ThePlancallsforsocialmediatopushinfor-mationtoourtargetaudiencesincreaseper-ceptionsoftheProgramascommunity-based reachthosewhowillhelpgenerateadditional buzzindependentmarketingeffortsaboutthe Programandprovideamechanismforlisten-ingtowhatpeoplearesayingaboutEnergy Upgrademdashandrespondingwhennecessary
Online Paid Advertising Onlineadvertisingcampaignscanbeverycost-effectiveandhighlytargetedbydemographics areasofinterestandgeographicsAdsappear ontopic-relatedblogsonsearchenginepages (egGoogle)andoncontentpages(egwhen yousearchforinformationaboutarelated topicandselectawebsitetoview)
Types of Users Targetadsbyage genderincomelanguagepreferencezip codeorhotspots
Types of SearchesTargetadsbytypeof searchconductedbasedonkeywords
Adsareusuallysoldperldquoclickrdquomdashtheviewer hasclickedontheadandbeensenttothe EnergyUpgradeCAwebsiteWewillmake fourtypesofonlineadpurchases
1 Googleadsthatplaceadsbothonits searchpagesandonhundredsofwebsites targetedbytheabove
2 Networksthattargetspecificsitesand blogsthatmatchourtargetaudiences(eg HiveBlogsLosAngelesthatoffers350LA blogstochoosefrom)
3 Directlythroughselectpublishers(eg CurbedLAGreenGirlLAlocalpapers online)
4 Onlineeditionsoflocalpapersinpilot marketingareas
Twitter Twitterusersaremostlycollegegraduates haveattendedgraduateschoolandlivein householdsmakingover$50000ayear (nationally)Usersarethreetimesmorelikely tofollowbrandsandcompaniesonTwitter thanotherusersofsocialnetworkswith40 specificallyusingTwittertolearnaboutand provideopinionsonbrands
Twittercanpushthelatestdevelopmentsand newstopeoplewhohaveexpressedaninter-estedintheProgram(theymustsignupto receiveourTweetsorhavesearchedfortag wordsincludedinourTweets)Itrsquosalsoan easywayforthosewhofollowEnergyUpgrade onTwittertoshareTweetswiththeirfriends
38 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
therebygeneratingbuzzandhelpingmarket theProgramTwittercanshareProgram newsinrealtimedrivepeopletothewebsite facilitateearlyadoptersbuzzmakersreach youngerhomeownersandincreasemarketing effortsatalowcostTwittercanbeeffectively usedtocommunicatetheProgramandits milestonesinavarietyofways
bull Tweetaboutpressreleasesmajoran-nouncementsnewitemsonwebsiteor blogsmediastoriesandarticlesespecially aboutthosethataretimesensitiveandtell ouraudiencewhatishappeningwiththe Programandencouragesthemtopartici-pateorfindoutmore
bull PutaTweeticononthemainwebsiteal-lowingvisitorstothewebsitetobeginto followEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLos AngelesCountyonTwitterwithoneclick
bull FollowotherswhoTweetaboutthe ProgramaswellasthosewhoTweetabout relatedtopicsThiswillprovideanop-portunitytodirectlyrespondtoaperson whohasaquestionabouttheProgramand pointthemtoalinktothewebsite
Tweet Examples
bull ldquo100LAhomeownershavesigned upfortheProgramatwwwEnergyUpgra-deCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoReadaboutLArsquosnewenergyefficiency rebateProgramintheLAtimes httpwwwlatimesgreenblogcomrdquo
bull ldquoWanttosaveonyourutilitybills CheckoutwwwEnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoSignupfortheHomeEnergyUpgrade contestforachancetowinafree homeenergyefficiencyretrofitat EnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
Cost and Budget
SettingupaTwitteraccountisfreeasisusing anapplicationsuchasTweetDeckthathelps followotherswhoareTweetingaboutEnergy UpgradeCaliforniaTheonlysignificantcostis stafftimewhichcanbelimitedtoafewhours aweek
Facebook Facebookisalow-costandeasywayofboth marketingtheProgramandsupportingan onlinecommunityofpeopleinterestedinthe ProgramItwillreachaudienceswhoaremore likelytospendtimeonFacebookversusaweb-siteandwhomayprefertoreceiveshortreal timeProgramnewsviaFacebookratherthan emailsorwebsitesItisidealforpostinglinks tovideosandphotosrelatedtotheprojectIt complementsthewebsiteaplacewherefans oftheProgramcanfindinformationaskques-tionsandshareideasandexcitementThese fanswillgeneratebuzzbytellingtheirfriends abouttheProgramthroughFacebook
AFacebookpagewillcontaininformation abouttheProgramalinktothewebsite Programnewsvideosphotographsandother informationWhenthepageisupdatedfans willreceivelinksinemailalertingthemtothe newposts
Facebookisalsoidealforsharingthestoryof anearlyadopter(whowillalsoTweet)through updatesphotographsandvideosItlends itselfmuchmorenaturallytothispeople-fo-cusedapproachthanawebsitewhichismore formal
Additionalpoints
bull EncourageandperhapsrewardProgram adopterstosharetheirexperiencesask questionsetc
bull Setupcontrolstodeterminewhatcontent Fanscanposttothewall
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 39
bull Monitorupdatestothewallandtakedown Therearemanyexistingblogsthatcanbeused inappropriatecontent
bull Respondtoissuesquestionsandtakepart intheconversation
bull Adesignatedstaffpersonshouldmonitor thesiteitisalsoidealifseveralstaff memberspostcontentandifpartnersare activeparticipantsalthoughtheoverall strategyshouldbecentralized
Facebook Examples
Herearesomeexamplesofthetypesofpost-ingsforaFacebookpage
bull ldquoTheLATimesdescribesEnergyUpgrade CAasaperfectopportunitytobegreenand savemoneymdashintheFridaymoneysectionrdquo
bull ldquoWhydidyoudecidetoparticipatein EnergyUpgradeCATellushowyour energyefficiencyretrofitisgoingandwersquoll enteryouforachancetowina$50Home Depotgiftcardrdquo
bull ldquoWonderingwhetherEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaisrightforyouCheckoutthis videooftheSmithsinstallingnewinsula-tionandwindows--andreceivinga$3500 rebaterdquo
Cost and Budget
Relativelyfewdirectcostsstafftimewill fluctuateduringbusycalmperiodswithhigh activityatthebeginningastheProgramkicks offandafanbaseisestablishedOngoingstaff timeneededtokeeppagefreshwith3-4posts weekdailymaintenancerequiredtomonitor postingsfromfans
Blogs Blogsreachtargetaudienceswhoarealready interestedinrelatedtopicsandwhohavehigh potentialtoparticipateintheProgram
tofurthermarketingefforts
bull Identifybloggerswhowilllikelywrite positivelyabouttheProgramSendpress releasefactsheetsandPrograminforma-tiontobloggerswhowriteabouttopics suchastheenvironmentenergyefficiency homeimprovementremodelingreal estatehousingbargainssavingmoneyas wellastocompaniesthatsellsolarpanels contractorsetc
bull Bloggersarelookingfortopicalstoriesto writeaboutandwewillmaketheirnext blogposteasyBecauseEnergyUpgradeis ahighrewardoptionalProgrambloggers willwritefavorablyandhelptellthestory inafriendlyaccessibleandeasy-to-under-standway(althoughwedonrsquothavecontrol overwhattheywrite)Peoplewhoaredis-satisfiedwillwritenegativecommentsbut wewillmonitorblogsandactivelycorrect misperceptions
bull Tomonitorwhatothersarewritingabout EnergyUpgradeontheirblogswewilluse freeprogramslikeTechnoratiorGoogle Readertoscanallblogsandwebsitesthat mentiontheProgram
Blogs to Reach
Green Girl LA Blog (httpgreenlagirlcom)Thisindependent blogisfocusedonenvironmentalhap-peningsinLosAngelesArecentpostwas aboutagreennetworkingeventfeaturing TheBuildingDoctorspresentingwaysto makeyourhousemoreenergyefficient PreviouslyareporterbloggerfortheLA Timesthewriterisactiveandcoversa widevarietyofenvironmentalgreentopics happeninginLosAngeles
40 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
LA Times HomeBlog (wwwlatimesblogslatimescomhome_
blog)focusesontopicsrelatedtohouses andhashadseveralrecentpostsabout greenremodelingOneadvantageofa majornewspaperisthatthereportingis accurateandthereadershipislargerThey recentlywroteaboutauditionsforThisOld HousewhichisfeaturingaLosAngeles areahouseforasummerremodel
Bargain Babe (wwwbargainbabelatownluxecom) featuresLosAngelesbargainsYoucan searchforbargainsbyareaofLA(West-sideetc)orbytopicThisbloggerrecently wroteaboutappliancerebates
LA Times Green Remodeling (wwwlatimesblogslatimescompar-donourdustgreen_remodeling)writes aboutalltopicsrelatedtoremodelingin SouthernCaliforniawithseveralrecent postsongreentopicsArecentpostre-viewedthedifferentadvantagesofinstall-ingvarioustanklesswaterheatersPitch thatthebloggerfollowahomeenergy retrofitandhelptelltheirstoryaswellas announcebasicPrograminformation
LA Times Personal Finance wwwlatimescombusinesspersonal-finance
Home Remodeling wwwkathysremodelingblogcom
Energy Efficiency wwwlowimpactlivingcomblog
LA CreekFreak
LA Observed
LAist
YouTube PostallvideosrelatedtotheprojectonYou-TubeWewillworkwithourmediapartners todevelopacontestforearlyadopterstofilm theirexperienceandletwebsitevisitorsvote onthebestWinnerreceivesaprizetobe determined
ListServes Listservesreachgroupsofpeoplewhoare interestedinasimilartopicorwholiveina specificneighborhoodSendemailblaststo listservessuchasneighborhoodassociations homeremodelersandenvironmentalgroups withanenergyfocusCitystaffhasinforma-tionaddressesofneighborhoodandhom-eownerassociationslists
Multimedia for Presentations Website Developanengaginginformative6-8minute videofocusingoncontractorsandhomeown-ersthatcanbeusedduringpresentationsand presentedonCityTVThevideowillbeshot bothinEnglishandinSpanishandcover
bull Howtherebatesworktocreateasenseof urgencyaboutdoingtheenergyupgrades soonerratherputtingitofftotakeadvan-tageoftherebates
bull Theldquosealthenenhancerdquowholehouse concept
bull WhattheProgramelementsactuallylook likeandhowtheyareinstalledtoover-comebarrierssuchasthatonemighthave tomoveoutofthehouseortheenergy upgradesareldquouglyrdquo
bull Workingwithacontractorwhatbeing licensedandcertifiedmeansgettingmul-tiplebids
bull Financingoptions
bull Doingthepaperwork
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 41
Fromthatvideodevelop
bull Threeindividual2-minutevideosforuse onlineeachfocusingonaspecifictopicmdash
againinbothEnglishandSpanish
bull A15anda30spoteachinEnglishand SpanishforuseonCityTVandbroadcast
stations
Print Collateral Customizable fact sheetsInforma-tionsheets(onepagefrontandback)in EnglishSpanishandChinesethatcanalso bepostedonthewebsiteasPDFs
Program brochureMorehighlyde-signedforplacementinmunicipaloffices andevents
Customizable Brochure Brandedwith SunsetMagazineorNationalGeographic forcontractorsandrealtorstohandto customers
SignageBannersforeventsandstreet lamppostspostersformunicipaloffices andsmalleventsandpotentiallysignage forbussidestransitshelters
Speakers kits Countyandcitystaffwillreceivekitstoensure everyoneisfamiliarwithkeymessagesandhas informationtogivetoconstituentsThesecan besentdirectlytocitiesordistributedthrough COGsKitswillcontain
bull Talkingpoints
bull DVDofthevideo
bull PPTpresentationforpublicmeetings
bull Printedbrochuresforpermitofficesto includewithwelcomepacketsfornewho-meowners
bull Articlesandphotostheycanrunintheir onlineorprintedcitynewsletters
bull CDwithtemplatesforquickprintingand websitebuttontolinkfromtheirwebsiteto EnergyUpgradeCalifornia
42 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
description of key messages
Thefollowingmessageshadthehighestreso-nanceinpollingandfocusgroupsbothinLos AngelesCountyandtheBayArea
Primary Motivators Thefollowingtwomessagesaboutsaving moneyarekeytomotivatingalltargetaudi-encesTheyshouldbepartofeverypieceof advertisingorcollateralproduced
1 RebatesHomeownerswhomakeenergy-savinghomeimprovementscanqualifyfor a$1500federaltaxcreditandrebatesof upto$3500dependingonhowmuchthey reduceenergyconsumptionAdditional motivatorTaxcreditsonlyavailable untilDecember312010(Rebatesare preferredovertaxcreditsbecauseitrsquoscash nowratherthanlateranddependingon incomenoteveryonecangetthecredit)
2 Save on Utility Bills Upgradingahome touselessenergyandwatercanreduce utilitybillsby20ormoremdashsavingyou moneyovertime
Secondary Motivators Thefollowingmessagesarethenlayeredde-pendingonwhichaudienceisbeingtargeted
Help the EnvironmentClimate Change Weallneedtodoourparttohelp theenvironmentandslowclimatechange Makingourhomesmoregreenandenergy efficientisanimportantstepweshouldall take
Reduce Foreign OilFossil FuelsAt atimewhenwearetryingtoreduceour dependenceonforeignoilandotherfossil fuelsupgradingtheenergyefficiencyof ourhomesisanimportantstepwecanall take(Infocusgroupstheconceptofenergy independencefurtherresonatedasinde-pendencefromutilitycompaniesgetting offthegrid)
Certified Contractors Save Money Speciallytrainedandcertifiedcontractors knowhowtofindimprovementsthatthe averagehomeownerwouldnotTheiras-sessmentswillensurethatyoufindmore energysavingsandthereforesavemore moneyonyourutilitybillsAdditional motivatorContractorsarecertifiedbythe BuildingPerformanceInstituteworking withtheDepartmentofEnergyandEnvi-ronmentalProtectionAgency
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 43
Increase Property ValuesHomesthat areenergy-efficientandenvironmentally friendlyaremoreappealingtohomebuyers Theseupgradescanincreaseyourproperty value
ComfortUpgradingyourhomersquosenergy efficiencymdashinparticularupgradinginsula-tionmdashcanmakeitamorecomfortableplace toliveNomoredraftycoldroomsinthe winterorhotstuffyroomsinthesummer
Indoor Air QualityInsulationand ventilationcanreduceallergyandasthma-causingmoldandmildewimproving indoorairqualityespeciallyforinfantsand thosewithhealthconditions
Messengers Homeownersprefertoreceiveinformation fromimpartialtrustedsourcesThesemes-sengersreceivedthehighestscoresinpolling
bull Neighborsandotherhomeowners
bull Contractorthehomeownerisalready workingwithorreferredbyfriendneigh-bor
bull Architectsdesignprofessionals
bull Gasandelectricutilities
bull Environmentalorganizations
bull Homeimprovementstorestaff(when equippedwithflyers)
44 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 45
- Cover
- Table of Contents13
- Summary Overview13
- Introduction13
- Programs Goals and Objectives13
- Marketing and Outreach Program Goals and Structure13
- Strategy13
- Evaluation13
- Description of Marketing Communication Tools13
- Description of Key Messages13
-
4 City Outreach
5 Contractor Marketing
6 Realtor Marketing
7 Retail Partner Marketing
8 Multi-Family Marketing
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing
1 Countywide Marketing and Outreach
Outreachwillbeaimedattargetaudiences throughbothmainstreamandmulticultural mediaTheadvertisingwillalsospilloveronto audiencesinspecificgeographicareasAn overarchinglayerofmainstreammarketing andadvertisingwillbeaimedatthreeaudi-ences
countywide marketingoutreach tactics
Cable TV
County Events
Mass Media
Out of Home
Radio
Retail Partners
City Information
City TV
Local Media
Transit Shelters
Theaters
Billboards
Community of Interest
Newsletters
Contractor Marketing
Direct Mail to Hot Spots
Online Ads
Site Signage
Social Media
Community Newsletters
Local Events
Target Audience
4 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
ldquoEarly AdoptersrdquoThosewhoarestrong environmentalistsalreadypoisedtoldquodo therightthingrdquofortheenvironmentand whojustneedtohearaboutaprogramand rebates
ldquoRetrofit-ReadyrdquoThosewhoarealready planninghomeimprovementsandjust needalittlemoreinformationaboutwhat stepstotaketosavemoneyandldquodothe rightthingrdquofortheenvironment
ldquoRetrofit-PersuadablerdquoThosewho arethinkingabouttheirutilitybillshome comfortandtheenvironmentorour dependenceonfossilfuelsforeignoil (especiallyinlightoftherecentGulfoil spill)andwhoneedinformationabout whattypesofimprovementstheycould makeandwhatstepstotaketosaveenergy moneyandreducefossilfuelconsumption
Marketingwillfocusoneachtargetaudience providingimpressionsclosetotheirhomes andreachingouttomassaudiencesasshown intheldquotargetrdquoPropertyownerswhoarenot eligiblefororinterestedinEnergyUpgrade Californiawillfindinformationaboutoppor-tunitiesforweatherizationprogramslow-incomeratesubsidiesgreenjobstrainingand otherinitiativesavailabletoqualifiedlower incomehouseholds
Marketingandoutreachcountywidewill include
Direct MailUtilitieswillplacemessages onouterbillenvelopessenttocustom-ersTheyintendtosenddirectmailabout EnergyUpgradetoldquotargetareasrdquobasedon acombinationofenergyusageageofhome andhouseholdincome
County EventsUtilitieswillattendlarge eventssuchastheSeptember2010and 2011LACountyFairswithawholehouse
themethatincludesaminimodelhouse thatvisitorscanldquotourrdquoThereareaddition-alproposedeventsthatutilitiestheCounty orcitieswillattend
Social MediaTheProgramwillheavily usesocialmediatoreachtargetaudiences whileminimizingcostbeginningatlaunch andcontinuingthroughouttheProgram
Countywide IncentivesSeveralcon-ceptsarebeingdevelopedincludingincen-tivesforenergyassessmentsandcontrac-tors
Countywide Media BuysWithaSep-tember12010launchdatemediabuys willbespreadtoavoidtheelectionmonth ofOctober2010Buyscanincludemain-streambroadcasttelevisionaswellasUni-visionandNPRstationsSocialmediabuys includeGoogleAdWords(inEnglishand Spanish)andblogadsPrintbuysinclude in-languagepublications
Home Energy Makeover Contest HomeEnergyMakeoverContestsgener-ateatremendousamountofpublicityand havebeensuccessfullyconductedinmany otherstatesandcitiesTheconceptisto modelthebehaviortheProgramistrying toencouragebyshowingtheldquowholehouse approachrdquohoweasyupgradescanbehow muchtherebatescanreduceoverallproject costandhowmuchdifferenceupgrades canmaketoahomeTwocontestseach with5winnerswillbeconductedoneat ProgramlaunchandoneinSpring2011
Media RelationsTheProgramwill coordinateCountyutilityandCalifornia EnergyCommissionCaliforniaPublicUtili-tiesCommissioneffortsMediarelations willbeinthreephasespre-launchlaunch andmilestones
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 5
Identifying Locations of Target Audiences Thegeographiclocationoftargetaudiences willbeidentifiedthroughtwomarketanalysis efforts
Parcel-Based Market Analysis A detailedmarketanalysistosupportspecific piecesoftheoutreachandcommunications strategywillbeconductedwhichwillstart byidentifyingthelocationofaudiencesthat arereceptivetospecificoutreachstrategies Themarketanalysisisbeingconducted usingconsumermarketresearchcombined withdemographicdataandpropertychar-acteristicsdatafromtheCountyassessor Themainproductfortheanalysiswillbea separateanalysisreport(expectedAugust 2010)Thisreportwillincludecountywide ldquoheatmapsrdquothatidentifyareaswithahigh proportionoftargetpropertiesandare thereforeidealareasfortargetedmarket-ingThesemapscanbeusedforEnergy Upgradeorcontractormarketingstrate-gies
Pilot Marketing AreasTheCountywill intensifymarketingeffortsinspecificpilot marketingareaswherehighpercentagesof theEarlyAdopterandRetrofitReadyaudi-enceslive(seebelow)
2 Pilot Area Marketing TheCountyintendstostimulatethemarket andgeneratepositiveword-of-mouthby intensifyingmarketingeffortsinspecificpilot marketingareaswherebasedonextensive consumerresearchahighpercentageoftarget audienceslivePilotmarketingprogramsin thoseareaswilltesttheextentcommunity-basedmarketingpositivelyimpactsparticipa-tionrates
Todeterminewheretocreatetheintensemar-ketingpilotprogramsweusedcharacteristics basedonthestatisticallysignificantmarket researchmdashidentifyingthosewhoshowedthe highestinterestinparticipatinginanenergy upgradeWethenanalyzedneighborhoods throughoutthecountytodetermineareas wherehighpercentagesofthoseaudiences liveCharacteristicsinclude
Highpercentageofhousesbuiltbefore 1978
Highpercentageofhomeownership
Highenergyusage
Demographics ndashIncome$60000-$120000 ndashHighpercentageofcollege-educated ndashHighpercentageofpopulationage35-50 ndashHighpercentageofhouseholdswith 4+people
Additionalconsiderationsinclude
Aclusterof8000-20000homes(small enoughtoenableustoreachthemajority ofresidencesandgenerateword-of-mouth yetlargeenoughtoofferagoodsizedpool ofpeoplewithapropensitytobeinterested inanenergyupgrade)
Hasstrongneighborhoodandcommu-nityorganizationsthatwecanengageas partnersaswellasexistingcommunica-tionvehicles(municipalmainstreamand multicultural)
Offersldquospilloverrdquoopportunitiestonearby neighborhoodsthatalsohaveahighper-centageofourtargetaudiences
Basedonthemarketresearchfivepilot marketingareaswillbedevelopedatlaunch andtenphasedinduringthefollowingsix monthsOnesuggestedpilotmarketingarea
6 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Home Depot
Ace Hardware
Lowersquos
Master Builders
Great Indoors
Home Expo
isAltadenaadiverseunincorporatedcom-munityofabout40000residentsTheaver-agehouseholdincomeis$94000Morethan 50adultresidentsaremarriedwithchildren andcommuteanaverageof62milesperday towhite-collarjobsFully40oftheadults inthiscommunityhaveabachelorsdegreeor higherandareinvolvedinmanycommunity eventsandorganizationsThereareapproxi-mately12000homesinthiscommunityand 10000ofthosehomesareowner-occupied Thegraphicshowshowoutreachwouldbe concentratedinthisareaMarketingandout-reachwillinclude
altadena marketing target
Intense Grassroots Community OutreachWewillcontact10-12com-munity-basedorganizationsfaith-based organizationshomeownersassociations neighborhoodassociationsandcommunity leadersineachareaWewillprovidethese organizationswithtrainingandtoolsto becomeambassadorsfortheProgramand spreadthewordthroughouttheircommu-nities
Saturation MarketingIOUswillsend directmailtohomeownersTheCounty willcontactlocalpapersfornewsplace-mentandadssocialmediaandpotentially
Hoy La Opinioacuten
Pasadena Star News
Altadena Headlines Examiner
Boulevard Magazine
Arroyo Magazine
Pasadena Weekly
Altadena Connection
Sentinel
KLVE
KPCC Pasadena
KCBS
KROQ Pasadena
KAZN Pasadena
Church Bulletins
Summer Concert Series at Farnsworth Park
Fourth of July Fireworks at
Town amp Country Club
Black History Parade
World Music Festival in Pasadena
Haunted House at
Farnsworth Park
Art Break
Rose Parade
National Latino
Congreso
Altadena Neighborhood Association
Altadena Chamber of Commerce
Altadena Arts Council
Altadena Town Council
Faith-based Organizations
Altadena Town amp Country Club
Altadena League of
Women Voters
Altadena Historical Society
Altadena Community Improvement Center
Sheriff Support Group
Santa Coming to Farnsworth
Park
Altadena California
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 7
outdoor(bussheltersandsidesandstreet levelsignage)toincreaseimpressionsthat drivepeopletothewebsite
Energy Champion Awards Program Severalconceptsareunderconsideration todevelopacommunityincentivestrategy topromoteparticipationinlinewiththe RetrofitRampUpproposalforinnovative incentiveapproaches
3 Trigger Event Marketing Thissuiteofstrategieswillbeaimedatcap-turingenergyefficiencyopportunitiesfrom multipletriggereventsParticipantswill mainlycomethroughcontractorsrealtorsand retailpartnerspropertyownerswillhavealso seencountywideadvertisingTriggerevents include
Replacingoldornon-functioningHVAC systemsandwaterheaters
Remodelingforlife-stagechanges(growing family)orjusttorenewthehouse
Improvementsmadewhenpurchasingor sellingahouse
Complaintsabouthighenergybillsora coldhothouse
4 City and COG Outreach OutreachbyCitiesandCOGswillbecritical becauseoftheirexistingrelationshipswith localconstituenciesCitieswillbeprovided withamini-marketingplantalkingpoints videocustomizabletemplatesoffactsheets articlesfortheirnewslettersandadvertising materialssotheycandeveloplow-costout-reachtotheirresidentsCitieswithcommuni-tiestargetedinthePilotAreaMarketingplans willbeinformedandencouragedtodoout-reachtothoseareasAllCitieswillbeencour-agedto
Runstoriesinprintandonlinenewsletters
Sendinformationtoneighborhoodassocia-tionshomeownersassociationshistoric preservationdistrictsandotherappropri-atecommunityorganizations
ProvideinformationinCitypermitting officesandCityHalllobbies
Provideinformationatstrategicallylocated EnvironmentalInformationCentersandat COGofficelocations
Provideinformationinldquonewhomeown-ersrdquowelcomekits(eitherdirectlyfromthe cityorthroughtitlecompaniesmortgage brokers)
5 Contractor Marketing BPI-certifiedgeneralcontractorswillbelisted ontheEnergyUpgradeconsumerwebsite sendingmanyleadsdirectlytothemThey alsohaveaccesstotheldquoheatmapsrdquotousefor developingtheirownadvertisingcampaigns Contractorswillbeattendingorientationses-sionstoensuretheythoroughlyunderstand theProgramrebatesfinancingoptionsand canhelpguidetheircustomersthroughthe processTheywillbeprovidedwithContractor MarketingKitstoensuretheyhavekeymes-sagesathandthathavebeenresonatingwith homeownersandhaveinformationtogiveto potentialcustomerswhomayormaynothave visitedthewebsiteKitscanbesentdirectlyto contractorsordistributedattheorientation sessionsKitswillcontain
Talkingpoints
DVDofthevideo
Printedfactsheetstoleavewithcustomers (withroomfortheircontactinfo)more canbeordered
8 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Printedldquoslimjimrdquobrochuresaboutthe 8 Multi-Family Outreach wholehouseapproach
Printedin-depthbrochure(brandedby ScientificAmericanMagazine)
CDwithldquobuttonrdquotolinktoEnergyUpgrade fromtheirownwebsites
Contractorswillhaveaccesstoaseparate sectionofthewebsitewheretheywillbeable toorderadditionalcustomizablematerials ldquoon-demandrdquofindinformationaboutPro-grameventspromotionsandadvertisingany changestotheProgramandasingletrade contractordatabaseforassemblingteamsfor customerswhowouldlikesolarpanelsornew windowsforexample
6 Realtor Marketing Giventhatthenationalaveragelengthof homeownershipisroughlysixyearsreal estateagentswillbeincontactandadvising alargepercentageofthenewandexisting homeownersthatEnergyUpgradeistarget-inghomeenergyretrofitsThishighlevelof influencemakesrealtorsoneofthelargest partnergroupsRealtorKitswillbesimilarto theContractorKitsandtheywillhaveaccess tothedatabaseofgeneralandsingletrade contractors
7 Retail Partner Marketing Utilitieswillpartnerwithretailoutletsthat canincludeBestBuyCostcoSearsLowes andHomeDepotParticipatingretailoutlets willbeprovided
Informationcenters
Programcollateral
Tabletents
Windowclings
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesandsched-ulesarestillinplanningphasesandbeing developedthroughastatewideconsortium
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing Strategiesandschedulesarestillinplanning phases
Incentives and Financing Marketresearchshowsthatrebatesarepri-marymotivatorsforhomeownerstoundertake anenergyupgradeRebateswillbeavailable forconsumersfromvarioussourcesCur-rentlyutilityrebatesoffer$1000fortheBasic Pathandupto$8500forthosereaching30 energysavingsThefederalHomeStarpro-gramisstillpendingmdashitcouldofferhomeown-ersupto$3000forelementsintheBasic Pathupto$7000forthosereaching20 energysavingsandupto$13000forthose reaching45energysavingsIncentivesfrom theCountyarealsostillpending
Financingoptionsarebeinganalyzedandwill beavailableatlaunch
Allrebatesandfinancingwillbecoordinated onthewebsitewiththeultimategoalofprop-ertyownersfillingoutoneformandpopulat-ingallotherrequiredforms
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 9
Proposed Implem
entation Plan
10 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
introduction
The Statewide Challenge Californialegislation(AB32)requiresGreen HouseGas(GHG)emissionreductionto1990 levelsby2020andfurtherreductionsinGHG emissionsto80percentbelow1990levelsby 2050Theseprovisionshavebeenincorpo-ratedintothePublicUtilitiesCommissionrsquos (CPUC)2009EnergyEfficiencyStrategic Planwhichtargetsanaverage40reduction inpurchasedenergyfortheexistingbuilding stockby2020andan80reductionby2050
TheCPUCrsquosCaliforniaEnergyEfficiency StrategicPlansetsthefollowinggoalstobe reachedby2020
25ofexistinghomesexhibita70 decreaseinpurchasedenergyfrom2008 levels
75ofexistinghomesexhibita30 decreaseinpurchasedenergyfrom2008 levels
100ofexistingmulti-familyhomes exhibita40decreaseinpurchasedenergy from2008levels
TheCPUCrsquosstatewidegoalistoretrofit 130000housingunitsby2010
Additionallegislation(AB758)requiredthe CaliforniaEnergyCommission(CEC)tode-velopandimplementacomprehensiveenergy efficiencyprogramforexistingresidentialand nonresidentialbuildingstoreducetheirGHG emissionsinkeepingwithclimatechange mitigationEnergy Upgrade Californiais apartnershipbetweentheCECandtheCPUC topromoteenergyefficiencyimprovements tohomesandcommercialbuildingsfunded inpartthroughtheAmericanRecoveryand ReinvestmentAct
Market Opportunity AlongwithothercitiesacrossthestateLos AngelesCountywillalsoberequiredtocreate aClimateActionPlanandEnergyUpgrade CaliforniainLosAngelesCountywillbea centralGHGemissionreductionimplementa-tionstrategyEnergy Upgrade California in Los Angeles Countyisanallianceamong theCountyofLosAngelestheCitieswithin theCountySouthernCaliforniaEdison SouthernCaliforniaGasCompanyandthe municipallyownedutilitiesintheCountyThe
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 11
goalisaldquoone-stopshoprdquoforpropertyowners Apropertyownerinvestmentof$5000 toeasilyfindclearconsolidatedinformation abouttheProgramelementscertifiedcon-tractorsandalltherebatesincentivesand financingoptionsavailable
Mostoftheapproximately34millionhous-ingunitsinLosAngelesCountywerebuilt beforestateenergyefficiencystandards(Title 24)wereimplementedbeginninginthe early1980sMorerecentvintageresidential buildingsalsooffergreatpotentialforenergy savingsduetodeficienciesinconstruction specificationandfieldworkquality
Energyefficiencymeasuresincludeimprove-mentstoinsulationspaceheatingandair conditioningwaterheatinglightingwin-dowsanddoorssolarhotwatersystemsand otherfixeditems
to$15000forsingle-familybuildingtoimple-mentabuildingenergyretrofitcanoften achieveanaverageof20ormoreenergy savingsreduceutilitybillsimprovebuild-ingcomfortenhanceindoorairqualityand increasebuildingvalue
TheCountyanditspartnersarecollaborat-ingonawebsitecommunityoutreachand countywideadvertisingtoleverageefforts andfundingandtomaximizeparticipationin theProgrammdashwithagoalofpropertyowners completing30000energyefficiencyupgrades bysummer2013TheldquoMediaandAdvertis-ingFlightsrdquomatrixprovidesanoverviewof scheduleandtiming
12 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
programs goals and objectives
ThegoalsofEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLA Countyaretopromotejobcreationandreduce aggregategreenhousegasemissionsthrough energyandresource-savingretrofitsofexisting buildingstockthroughthreefundingsources
1 AmericanReinvestmentandRecoveryAct EnergyEfficiencyandConservationBlock Grant(EECBG)
2 USDepartmentofEnergyRetrofitRamp Up(RRU)funding
3 CaliforniaEnergyCommission Discretionarygrant
retrofit objectives by funding source
Objectivesthusfocusonspecifictargetnum-bersforcompletedretrofits
bull Retrofitabout27000single-familyhomes withanaverage20energyreduction Countywide(1605850single-familyresi-dentialhomesinLACounty)plus2600 multi-familyhomes
bull Reduceannualpurchasedenergycon-sumptioninthosehomesbyanaggregate 300billionBTUsperyearandassociated energycostsby$4millionperyear
bull Create3200jobsand
bull ReducetheCountyrsquosannualgreenhouse gasemissionsattributabletoenergycon-sumptioninitsexistingbuildingstockby 36287metrictonsCO2e
EECBG RRU CEC TOTAL
single-family Homes 15000 4200 8060 27260
multi-family Homes 0 1400 1240 2640
29900
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 13
marketing and outreach program goals and structure
1 Goals MarketingandoutreachforEnergyUpgrade CaliforniainLACountywillengageproperty ownersthrougheffectivestrategiesprovide clearandcompellinginformationaboutthe benefitsofanenergyefficiencyretrofitlist therebatesandtaxcreditsavailable(through thisProgramandthroughutilityprograms) explainfinancingoptionslistcertifiedcon-tractorsanddescribetheProgramprocessand optionsThemarketingandoutreachplanhas fivemajorgoals
1 Build broad positive awareness of the Program
2 Educate property owners to overcome barriers to participation
3 Target marketing efforts to drive participation by key audiences identified in surveys
4 Align and coordinate other marketing efforts by utilities and other partners
5 Create a sustained market for a whole-house performance approach leading to long-term behavioral change
2 Objectives ThePlanisdesignedtoachievethesemajor objectives
1 Program goals met
Marketing35-40ofProgrampar-ticipantsentertheProgramasaresultof marketingandoutreachefforts
Contractors45-50ofProgrampar-ticipantsentertheProgramasaresultof marketingbycontractors(usingmes-sagingandmaterialsdevelopedthrough thisPlan)
Partners10-15ofProgrampar-ticipantsentertheProgramasaresult ofmarketingbyothermethodssuch asrealtorsretailpartnersarchitects designersandCityefforts(usingmes-sagingandmaterialsdevelopedthrough thisPlan)
2 300000 unique hits on a robust website (or calls to the call center)
3 Virtual ldquoword-of-mouthrdquo buzz created through social media resulting in click throughs to the website
14 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
4 Communications kits available for county COG cities community leaders and environmental groups
5 Marketing kits available for partners (contractors realtors)
6 Informational materials placed with retailers cities county offices
7 50000000 mediaadvertisingin-person impressions through
Mainstreammedia(televisionradio print)storiesplaced
Multiculturalmedia(televisionradio print)storiesplaced
RadioTVPSAsplaced
CityTVprogramsplaced
PaidradioTVpromosads
Paidprintads
Communitymeetings
Targeteddirectmail
rebate structure
8 Consolidated information in a ldquoone-stop shoprdquo approach
3 Incentives and Financing Marketresearchshowsthatrebatesarepri-marymotivatorsforhomeownerstoundertake anenergyupgradeRebateswillbeavailable forconsumersfromvarioussourcesCur-rentlyutilityrebatesoffer$1000forthe BasicPathandupto$3500forthosereach-ing30energysavingsThefederalHome Starprogramisstillpendingmdashitcouldoffer homeownersupto$3000forelementsinthe BasicPath$3000forthosereaching20 energysavingsandupto$13000forthose reaching45energysavingsIncentivesfrom theCountyarealsostillpending(SeeRebate Structuretable)
Financingoptionsarebeinganalyzedandwill beavailableatlaunch
Allrebatesandfinancingwillbecoordinated onthewebsitewiththeultimategoalofprop-ertyownersfillingoutoneformandpopulat-ingallotherrequiredforms
ELEMENT COUNTy FUNdEd
FEd TAx CREdIT HOME STAR UTILITIES
Basic path tBD 30 of eligible $1000
advanced path tBD improvements up to $1500 (expires Dec 31) $2500 for 20
+$500 for 5 +$500 for 5
silver star tBD
gold star tBD
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 15
4 Coordination Between Local Government and Utilities Consumerswillbebestservedbyaunified brandandconsumermarketingcampaign consistentmessagingandastatewidewebsite portalwithonewebsiteaddressTheCounty ofLosAngelesSouthernCaliforniaEdison andSouthernCaliforniaGasCompanyhave beenworkingtogethertodevelopastrong coordinatedprogramInfacttheLosAngeles CountyProgramhasbecomeamodelforthe state
Coordinationwillalsoleverageresourcesand increasethemarketingeffectivenessoflocal governmentsandthelocalutilitiesAllma-terialswillbedevelopedcollaborativelyand costswillbesharedaccordingtothedivision ofresponsibilityThefollowingchartoutlines thekeydeliverablesandresponsibilities(next page)
16 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
marketingoutreach coordination
PROGRAM ELEMENT LEAd COMMENTS
COUNTy UTILITIES jOINT
market research X telephone surveys focus groups and market analysis
marketing communications plan X this document will direct all marketing
activities
program namelogo X
cec will own the brand and has final vote on statewide name tagline can be customized for la county
Website portal X
statewide portal linked to utility pages or sitesndashmain info and materials on this one site
advertising campaign principles development X
marketing templates X
Print and online available for cities to customize as needed
service territory media Buys (regional) X Mainstream and ethnic media buys
local media Buys (la county) X Both mainstream and ethnic media in
hotspots and la county
call center X one phone number managed by utilities county to help produce script
retail outlet materials X May include kiosks short videos
contractor marketing toolkit X tBD county will develop marketing materials
for contractors
direct mail (eg bill inserts other mailers) X
county assessor materials X
Materials included in water bills property tax bills
community-Based outreach X targeted grassroots marketing
(includes local events)
community events X X utilities attend countywide events county attends local events
public relations X X
utilities take lead for service territory county for local or supervisor-initiated PR
Home energy makeover contest X
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 17
strategy
TheProgramwilluseamulti-layeredmulti-facetedmarketingandoutreachstrategythat targetsaudiencesbyidentifyingwhotheyare wheretheyliveandtheeventsgoingonin theirlivesMarketingeffortsinclude
1 Countywide Marketing (and Media Relations)
2 Pilot Area Marketing
3 Trigger-Event Marketing
4 City Outreach
5 Contractor Marketing
6 Realtor Marketing
7 Retail Partner Marketing
8 Multi-Family Marketing
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing
1 Countywide Marketing
Thestrategyisentirelyresearch-drivenfocus-ingonthosepropertyownersmostlikelyto undertakeahomeenergyupgradeAnover-archinglayerofmainstreammarketingand advertisingwillbeaimedatthreeaudiences
1 Early AdoptersThosewhoarestrong environmentalistsalreadypoisedtoldquodo therightthingrdquofortheenvironmentand whojustneedtohearaboutaprogramand rebates
2 ldquoRetrofit-ReadyrdquoThosewhoarealready planninghomeimprovementsandjust needalittlemoreinformationaboutwhat stepstotaketosavemoneyandldquodothe rightthingrdquofortheenvironment
3 ldquoRetrofit-Persuadablerdquo Thosewho arethinkingabouttheirutilitybills homecomforttheenvironmentorour dependenceonfossilfuelsforeignoil (especiallyinlightoftherecentGulfoil spill)andwhoneedinformationabout whattypesofimprovementstheycould makeandwhatstepstotaketosave energysavemoneyandreducefossilfuel consumption
Outreachwillbeaimedattargetaudiences throughbothmainstreamandmulticultural mediaTheadvertisingwillalsospillover ontoaudiencesinspecificgeographicareas providingadditionalimpressionstothose whoarealsotargetedinthePilotMarketing AreasThiswillalsoaddtothecitiesrsquoefforts topromotetheProgramastheirresidents willalsoseethecountywidemarketingefforts
18 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Marketingwillfocusoneachtargetaudience providingimpressionsclosetotheirhomeand reachingouttomoremassaudiencesCounty-widemarketingandoutreachwillinclude tacticsinthetablebelow
The One-Stop Shop Allinformationwillbeconsolidatedina one-stopshopapproacheitherinaldquobrick andmortarrdquolocationthroughthewebsiteor callcenteroratcommunityeventsProperty ownerswillhaveeasyaccesstoinformation
abouteligibleenergyefficiencymeasures andretrofitoptionseligibilityforCounty-administeredfinancialvehiclesandincentives eligibilityforutility-sponsoredrebatesand incentivesfederalrebateandtaxcreditinfor-mationandaccesstolistsofqualifiedenergy retrofitcontractors
Propertyownerswhoarenoteligiblefororin-terestedinEnergyUpgradeCaliforniawould alsobeabletofindoutaboutopportunities forweatherizationprogramslow-incomerate
countywide marketingoutreach tactics
Cable TV
County Events
Mass Media
Out of Home
Radio
Retail Partners
City Information
City TV
Local Media
Transit Shelters
Theaters
Billboards
Community of Interest
Newsletters
Contractor Marketing
Direct Mail to Hot Spots
Online Ads
Site Signage
Social Media
Community Newsletters
Local Events
Target Audience
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 19
subsidiesgreenjobstrainingandotherinitia- Parcel-Based Market Analysistivesavailabletoqualifiedhouseholds
Identifying Locations of Target Audiences Thegeographiclocationoftargetaudiences willbeidentifiedthroughtwomarketanalysis efforts
Pilot Marketing Areas TheCountywillintensifymarketingefforts inspecificpilotmarketingareaswherehigh percentagesoftheEarlyAdopterandRetrofit ReadyaudiencesliveThesepilotmarketareas willbeidentifiedthroughdemographicanaly-sisbaseduponextensivemarketresearchas wellasadetailedanalysisofkeycommunity resourcessuchasstrongcommunitynetworks andcommunity-basedorganizationsinfluen-tiallocalmedialdquocommunityfeelrdquoetc(For moreinformationonthepilotmarketareas approachandengagementstrategiesseepage 23)
Adetailedmarketanalysisisbeingconducted tosupportspecificpiecesoftheoutreachand communicationsstrategybyidentifyingthe locationofaudiencesthatarereceptivetospe-cificoutreachstrategiesThetableonthenext pagedemonstratesthemarketanalysisaudi-ences(scenarios)andmarketstrategiesthat arebeinganalyzedtoidentifythelocationof targetaudiencesThemarketanalysisisbeing conductedusingconsumermarketresearch combinedwithdemographicdataandprop-ertycharacteristicsdatafromtheCountyas-sessorThemainproductfortheanalysiswill beaseparateanalysisreport(expectedAugust 2010)Thisreportwillincludecountywide ldquoheatmapsrdquothatidentifytheareasthathave ahighproportionoftargetpropertiesandare thereforeidealareasfortargetedmarketing ThesemapscanbeusedforEnergyUpgrade Californiaorcontractormarketingstrategies
countywide market capture cascade
Early Adopters
Retrofit ready
Retrofit persuadable
The Next Phase No way
MESSAGES
bull environment bull Fossil Fuels bull Rebates
available
AddITIONAL MESSAGES
bull save money on utility bills
bull Rebates
bull long-term attitudinal change
available AddITIONAL MESSAGES
bull Property values bull comfort bull Health bull ReBates available
20 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
market analysis scenarios
Link between Pilot Market Areas and Parcel-Based Market Analysis
Theaudiencesbeingexaminedinthepilot marketingareasoverlapwithbutarenotthe sameasthoseinthemarketanalysisThe marketanalysisthereforesupportsthepilot marketareaidentificationintwoways
1 Itaddspropertycharacteristicsgleaned fromconsumerresearchtothepilotmarket areaanalysisInthiswayScenarios1and 2(RetrofitReadyandRetrofitPersuadable) providefurtherdetailtothepilotmarket areasandallowforgeneralmarketingto
MARkET ANALySIS SCENARIO
AUdIENCE IdENTIFIEd
dATA ANALyzEd RELATEd MARkETING STRATEGy
1-early adopters retrofit ready
environmentalists ready to take action now with information about rebates
Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Pilot Marketing areas
2-retrofit persuadable
those who need information about types of improvements with emphasis on rebates and cost savings
Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Pilot Marketing areas
3a-Built environment Heating and cooling
Middle-aged to newer homes located inland that are larger and often have high ac heating bills
Property characteristics location of Home
trigger event Marketing utility Bills Pilot area Marketing
3b-Built environment-Heating
smaller older coastal homes that may have comfort issues in winter
Property characteristics location of Home
trigger event Marketing comfort Pilot Marketing areas
4-multi-family Multi-family homeowners Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Multi-family Marketing Pilot Marketing areas
5-Whole neighborhood
tracts of similarly-aged and built homes
Property characteristics location of Home
Whole neighborhood Marketing Pilot Marketing areas
bedirectedtospecificproperties(when appropriate)
2 Italsoidentifiesotherkeyaudiences (Scenarios3a3b4and5)thatcorrelate toothermarketingstrategiesasshown intableaboveTheresultsofthese scenarioswillbeoverlaidontopofthepilot marketareastoidentifyspecificparcels thatmayrespondtospecificmarketing strategiesForexamplewhenoverlaying thepropertiesidentifiedinScenario5 (Whole-NeighborhoodScenario)with thepilotmarketingareastheCounty canidentifypropertieswithinthepilot
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 21
marketingareathatwouldrespondtoa whole-neighborhoodmarketingapproach (bulkpurchasingmodelhomesasingle contractoretc)
Home Energy Makeover Contest HomeEnergyMakeoverContestsgenerate atremendousamountofpublicityandhave beensuccessfullyconductedinmanyother statesandcitiesTheyattractthousandsof entrantsTheconceptistobothgarnerfree publicityandmodelthebehaviortheProgram istryingtoencouragebyshowingtheldquowhole houseapproachrdquohoweasyupgradescanbe howmuchtherebatescanreducetheproject costandhowmuchdifferencetheymaketoa home
Thecontestwillalsodemonstratethemarket acceptanceforthehomeperformanceap-proachtotraditionalsingle-measurecontrac-torsThosecontractorswillseehowmany peopleenterthecontesttowinahomeperfor-mancemakeoverbasedonthewholehouseap-proachAllthosewhoenteredareleadswho maybeinterestedinawholehouseapproach ratherthansinglemeasures
Entrantsmustbeover18liveinLosAnge-lesCountyandownthehomeinwhichthey residethecontestcanbelimitedtothose whoreceiveservicefromSouthernCalifornia EdisonandorSouthernCaliforniaGas(in otherwordsitcanincludeorexcluderesi-dentsservedbymunicipalutilities)Entrants submitinformationabouttheirhomeand theirenergyconsumptionandgivepermis-sionfortheProgramjudgestoviewtheir energyconsumptionduringthepreviousyear Finalistsarebasedonthehighestenergycon-sumptionpersquarefootofamedian-sized homeAbout20finalistsreceivefreeenergy auditsfortheirhomesBasedontheaudit (andadditionalcriteriawewilldetermine)five winninghomesreceiveupto$15000inhome
energyimprovements(whichcanbesupple-mentedbyrebatesandadditionalfunding fromthepropertyowner)Thewinneragrees tomediacoverageanopenhouseandtoblog andorTweetduringandaftertheretrofit Wewillworkwithcontractorstogetsponsor-shipsaswellasdonatedauditsandupgrade elements
OnecontestwillbeheldinFall2010(withfive winners)andasecondcontestheldduring Springof2011(withfivewinners)
Aseparatecontestcouldbeheldformulti-familybuildingswithahigherwinning amount
Countywide Incentives TheProgramwillestablishalistofnon-profit organizationsthatareactiveinpromoting greenhomessustainabilityandotherenvi-ronmentalorcommunityprojectsEveryone intheCountywhocompletesanenergyaudit maydesignateanon-profitorganizationto receiveadonationfromtheProgramInfor-mationabouttheeligibleorganizationswill beonthewebsiteThiswillencouragethose non-profitstopromotetheProgramtotheir membersltNotethisconceptisstillbeing developedgt
Direct Mail Utilitieswillplacemessagesonouterbillen-velopessenttocustomersTheywillalsosend directmailaboutEnergyUpgradetoldquotarget areasrdquobasedonacombinationofenergy usageageofhomeandhouseholdincome DirectmailisscheduledforOctober2010
County Events Utilitieswillbeattendinglargeeventssuch astheSeptember2010and2011LACounty Fairswithawholehousethemethatincludes aminimodelhousethatvisitorscanldquotourrdquo Additionalproposedeventsinclude
22 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
bull LeagueofCitiesAnnualConference workshop(September2010)
bull PomonaHomeImprovementShow (October2010)
bull RemodelingShowattheLACountyFair (October2010)
bull CaliforniaAssociationofRealtors (October2010)
bull BuildingIndustryShow(November2010)
bull SouthernCaliforniaHomeImprovement Show(November2010)
bull NeighborWorksAmerica(February2011)
Online and Social Media TheProgramwillusesocialmediatoinex-pensivelyreachtargetaudiencesbeginningat launchandcontinuingthroughoutthePro-gramwithbriefpausesforrefiningThiswill beaccomplishedthroughoptimizingsearch wordsforsearchenginessuchasGoogleand Bingreachingappropriateindependentblogs aYouTubevideocontest(runbyamediapart-ner)andencouragingblogpostsandTweets byearlyadoptersandtheProgramitself(see DescriptionsofMarketingCommunications ToolsandDescriptionsofTargetAudiencesfor moredetails)Inadditionutilitieswilldevote spaceforinformationandalinkontheirland-ingpages
Countywide Media Buys Withalatesummerfalllaunchdatemedia buysneedtobespreadtoavoidtheelection monthofOctober2010EnergyUpgradeCali-forniainLosAngelescansponsoraweather broadcastmdashliveonlineandmobilemdashaswell as15and30spotsduringotherbroadcasts Wewillalsopurchaseliveandonlinespots withUnivisiontheSpanish-languagestation Radiobuyswillinclude15NationalPublic Radio(KPCCandKCRW)sponsorshipsand variousdrive-timespotsonEnglishandin-
languageAMandFMstationsSocialmedia buysincludeGoogleWordsandblogads(see DescriptionsofMarketingCommunications Tools)Printmediabuyswillbeinmulticul-turalpapers
(Afullmediabuyplanandschedulewillbe availableinAugust)
Countywide Media Relations TheProgramwillcoordinateCountyandutil-ityeffortsandwiththeCaliforniaEnergyCom-missionCaliforniaPublicUtilitiesCommis-sioneffortsMediarelationswillbeinthree phasespre-launchlaunchandmilestones
Pre-Launch (August ndash September)
bull DevelopandprovideaSpeakerrsquosKit withtalkingpoints
bull OrganizeCountymedialaunchevent (potentiallyenlistawillinghomeowner whosehousemightserveasalaunching padformediatours)
bull Respondtorequestsfromcities
bull Providepre-writtenarticlesforcity communitynewsletters
bull Issuepresskitsandpressrelease(in EnglishandSpanish)announcing launch
Launch (October)
bull Mediaeventtoannouncelaunchand HomeEnergyMakeoverContestpoten-tiallyon-siteatahousetodemonstrate upgrades
bull SendoutradioPSAs
Milestones (through 2013)
bull Mediaeventtoannouncewinnersofthe HomeEnergyMakeovercontest(could beconductedon-sitesurprisingthe winners)
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 23
bull ldquoRe-launchrdquopressreleaseandmedia eventinMarch2011forasecondHome EnergyMakeoverContestwithastrong ldquogetreadyforsummerrdquotheme
bull Pressreleasewhen10000thperson receivesarebate
bull Pressreleasewhenotherappropriate milestonesarereachedorthefunding forincentivesisclosetobeingdepleted
2 Pilot Marketing Areas
Itwillbecriticalforthelong-termsuccessof marketingeffortstohaveasignificantnumber ofearlysuccessesthatgeneratepositivepub-licityandword-of-mouthencouragingothers toalsoparticipateTheCountyintendsto stimulatethemarketfortheseearlyadopters byintensifyingmarketingeffortsinspecific pilotmarketingareas(withzipcodebound-aries)wherebasedonextensiveconsumer
countywide marketingoutreach tactics
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
television
ad buys on Broadcast tV univision google tV Paid county
ldquothis old Houserdquo segment on whole house per-formance and rebates while renovating house (filming in la this summer)
earned county
coverage on mainstream and multicultural sta-tions
earned utilities county
ldquoinfomercialrdquo and promos on city tV Placed county
radio
nPR sponsorship Paid county
commute time spots Paid county
coverage on california Report earned utilities county
Psas on mainstream stations Placed utilities county
spots on multicultural stations Paid county
coverage in mainstream and multicultural papers
earned utilities county
sunset Magazine green Home section earned county
ads in la times and Daily news real estate sections
Paid utilities county
ads in multicultural papers Paid county
Direct Mail to targets Paid utilities
24 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
countywide marketingoutreach tactics (conrsquot)
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
social media
Blogs (about homes environment bargains) earned county
Facebook page Placed county
ads targeted to interest in environment and or home improvements (this old House etc)
Paid county
google adWords targeted to interest in environment andor home improvements
Paid county
twitter both by the Program and by individual early adopters (with incentives)
Placed county
youtube early adopters make a video about their experience and results (with incentives)
Placed county
out of Home
Retail kiosks banners flyers links on retail websites
Placed utilities
community organizations
environmental groups and others newsletters websites email blasts
earned county
Home improvement shows booths Paid county
countywide events Paid utilities
Bloggersubject matter events Paid county
researchhighpercentagesoftargetaudiences livePilotmarketingprogramsinthoseareas willtesttheextentcommunity-basedmarket-ingpositivelyimpactsparticipationratesan effortrelatedtoRetrofitRampUpproposal requirements
Demographicdataprovidedbythemarketre-searchwillbeoverlaidwithenergyusagedata AdditionallyGIS-basedmarketanalysisatthe parcellevel(describedabove)willallowfor pinpointingofspecificneighborhoodswithin thepilotareasforoutreachthatcaninclude
door-to-doordirectmailandmarketingby contractorsaspartofaldquowholeneighbor-hoodrdquoapproachFocusingonpilotareaswill alsomeettheRetrofitRampUprequirements oftheDepartmentofEnergyFollowingisa summaryofplannedmarketingandoutreach efforts
Marketresearch-basedcriteriaforchoosing about15pilotareaswillinclude
Clusters of houses built before 1978 Thoselivinginolderhomesespecially
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 25
builtbeforeCaliforniarsquosEnergyEfficiency Standardsaremorelikelytobelievethat theirhousemightbeenergyinefficient andcouldbenefitfromenergyefficiency improvementsmdashandberesponsivetoan energyupgrade
High percentage of homeownership Thesemarketingeffortsfocusonsingle-familyresidentialhomeownerssoareas withhighrentalrateswillnotprovidea largeenoughnumberofeligibleunits
Income over $60000Thosewith incomesunder$60000didnotbelieve theywouldhavesufficientincometomake improvementsevenwithrebatesThey werenotinterestedinloans(manywith lowincomesalsofindthemselvesldquounder-waterrdquoontheirloansandthusnoteligible forsomefinancing)Inadditionwefound somepush-backinfocusgroupsabout ldquogovernmentofferingloanstopeoplewho canrsquotaffordthemafterthesub-primeloan debaclerdquo
Population with a high percentage of college-educatedThosewithacollege degreearemuchmorelikelytoindicate apreferencetomakeenergyefficiency upgradesThosewhohadcompletedsome collegeeducationarealsomorelikelyto indicateapreferenceforenergyefficiency upgradesthanthosewhohadnotcom-pletedany
Population with a high percentage of those age 35-54Thosewithchildren andorexpandingfamiliesaremorelikely tomakeimprovementsthanthoseunder 30(thereareveryfewhomeownersunder 30)andthoseover54
High percentage of households with 4+ peopleHouseholdswithmorepeople havehigherenergybillsResearchshows thatthoseinhomeswithmorethan4
peoplebelieveenergyupgradescanmakea bigimpactontheirbills
High energy usage Thehigherenergy usage(andbills)themorelikelypeopleare tobelievethatenergyefficiencyimprove-mentswillmakeadifferenceintheirbills
Afterlayeringthisinformationtocomeup withalistofpotentialareaswefurthercon-sidered
Clusters of 8000-20000 homesThe areashouldbelargeenoughtoprovidesub-stantialnumbersofeligibleunitsbutsmall enoughtoenablereachingmajorityofresi-dentsandgeneratingword-of-mouth
Has a diverse multicultural commu-nityAreasshouldhavestrongcommunity identitiesandsenseofplacesocommunity membersareproudofwheretheyliveand areencouragedtoimprovetheircommu-nity
Has strong neighborhood and com-munity organizationsWeneedto engagetheseorganizationsaspartnersto helpspreadtheword
Has existing communications such as newsletters blogsWeneedtoreach membersthroughexistingcrediblesources thatresidentsalreadyuseandtrust
ldquoSpill overrdquo opportunities to nearby neighborhoodsSincemarketingand mediaeffortswillpotentiallyalsobeseen byneighborsareasshouldbenearother areasthatmayalsomeettheprimary criteria
Climatetime of yearIndetermining whentorolloutthepilotswecantarget interiorareasinspringandcoastalareasin coldweather
26 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Basedonthemarketresearchcriteriafive pilotmarketingareasarescheduledforintense marketingatlaunchwithanadditional10 areasscheduledforintensemarketingin Spring2011
Thepilotmarketstrategyissupportedby theparcel-basedmarketanalysiswhichwill identifywhichneighborhoodspropertieswill bethebesttotargetusingthisapproachThe marketanalysiswillallowlimitedmarketing fundingtobeleveragedbyfocusingonthose thataremostlikelytorespondtothemarket-ingefforts
Wewillcreatemessagesandvisualsspecifical-lytailoredtoeachtargetcommunityrsquoscultural andlinguisticpreferencesImagessymbols andiconstypographycolorandoverall designcarrydifferentmeaningsindifferent culturesAmessageistypicallymosteffective ifitiscreatedwithcarefulattentiontothese idiosyncrasiesandwithintheldquoculturalmind-setrdquooftherecipientsCreatingheadlinesand taglinesdirectlyinthetargetlanguagerather thansimplytranslatingEnglishadvertising copyensuresthatcopyhasthecorrectrhythm andrhymeandisthereforemuchmore attention-grabbingandmemorable
Community Incentives Energy Champion Program Severalconceptsareunderconsiderationto developacommunityincentivestrategyto promoteparticipationinlinewiththeRetrofit RampUpproposalforinnovativeincentiveap-proachesIncentivesmaybedirectedatenergy auditscommunity-basedorganizationsthose willingtoprovidetestimonialsorblogtweet andpublicrecognitionefforts
Grassroots Community Organizing-Trainedorganizerswillpresentinformationat themeetingsof12-15influentialcommunity leadersandcommunity-basedorganizationsin
eachpilotareacapturetheircontactdataand helpspreadtheinformationtotheirmembers throughtheirnewsletterseventsandwebsites TheProgramwillprovidepre-writtencus-tomizablearticlespresentationsorvideoand websiteldquobuttonsrdquotolinktotheProgramsite Eachgroupwillbeofferedanincentiveofado-nationtotheirorganizationforeverymember whocompletesahomeenergyupgradeThis willencourageCBOvolunteerstoincrease theirmarketingeffortsFriendlyrivalrieswill beencouragedCommunitygroupswillreport namesofparticipantscheckedforjobcomple-tionbytheProgram(underdevelopment)
Community Events One-on-onefacetimewithhomeownersis anidealwaytoengagepotentialparticipants Well-trainedorganizerswillattendfiveevents ineachtargetareaprovidinghomeowners withinformation(pocketsizemultilingual handouts)andcapturingtheircontactinfor-mationforfollowupTheycanhavehome-ownerssignuponthewebsiteonsiteifappro-priateandperhapsevenhavethemprovideus withavideocommitmentldquoItookthePledgerdquo withpermissiontopostonthewebsiteAsa luretotheboothhomeownerswillbeoffered freeitemssuchaslightbulbsmagnetsand reusablecupswithcoldwater(imprintedwith thewebsite)manufacturedintheUS
Print Radio Outdoor and Out-of Home Advertising Localmediawillcoverthelaunchofthe Programandwewillstrategicallyplaceads inlocalmediaandcommunitynewsletters Outdooradvertising(smallstreet-levelbiode-gradableeco-postersbussheltersbussides) strategicallyplacedinhigh-trafficareaswillre-inforcethemessageoveraone-monthperiod
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 27
Pilot Area Example Altadena Altadenawasidentifiedasacommunitythat fitsourtargetcriteriaItisadiverseunincor-poratedcommunitywithsixneighborhoods andanapproximatepopulationof40000The averagehouseholdincomeisabout$94000 Morethan50ofadultresidentsaremarried withchildrenandcommuteanaverageof62 milesperdaytowhite-collarjobsFully40of theadultsinthiscommunityhaveabachelors
degreeorhigherandareinvolvedinmany communityeventsandorganizationsThere areapproximately12000homesinthiscom-munityand10000ofthosehomesareowner-occupiedThegraphicshowshowoutreach wouldbeconcentratedinthisarea
pilot area outreachmarketing tactics
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
radio
Psas on multicultural stations earned county
coverage in local papers earned county
ads in local and multicultural papers Paid county
outdoor
Bus shelters in area Paid county
on-street lampost signage Paid county
Billboards Paid county
social media
Blogs (relevant to the area) earned county
online ads targeted by location Paid county
listserves of neighborhood associations (through cities)
earned county
out of Home
Movie theater ads in area Paid county
lawn signs on homes in area (through contractors)
Paid county
community organizations
community meetings with incentives to organizations for participation
earnedPaid county
community events Paid county Door hangers Paid county
28 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Home Depot
Ace Hardware
Lowersquos
Master Builders
Great Indoors
Home Expo
altadena marketing target
Hoy La Opinioacuten
Pasadena Star News
Altadena Headlines Examiner
Boulevard Magazine
Arroyo Magazine
Pasadena Weekly
Altadena Connection
Sentinel
KLVE
KPCC Pasadena
KCBS
KROQ Pasadena
KAZN Pasadena
Church Bulletins
Summer Concert Series at Farnsworth Park
Fourth of July Fireworks at
Town amp Country Club
Black History Parade
World Music Festival in Pasadena
Haunted House at
Farnsworth Park
Art Break
Rose Parade
National Latino
Congreso
Altadena Neighborhood Association
Altadena Chamber of Commerce
Altadena Arts Council
Altadena Town Council
Faith-based Organizations
Altadena Town amp Country Club
Altadena League of
Women Voters
Altadena Historical Society
Altadena Community Improvement Center
Sheriff Support Group
Santa Coming to Farnsworth
Park
Altadena California
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 29
3 Trigger-Event Marketing
Thissuiteofstrategieswillbeaimedatcaptur-ingenergyefficiencyopportunitiesfrommul-tipletriggereventsParticipantswillmainly comethroughcontractorsrealtorsandretail partnerspropertyownerswillhavealsoseen countywideadvertising
trigger event marketing
4 City and COG Outreach
OutreachbyCitiesandCOGswillbecritical becauseoftheirexistingrelationshipswith localconstituenciesCitieswillbeprovided withamini-marketingplantalkingpoints videocustomizabletemplatesoffactsheets articlesfortheirnewslettersandadvertising
EvENT dESCRIPTION LEAd AGENT COLLATERAL TACTIC
1 Replace on burnout (heating air conditioners water heaters)
Homeowners either in process of replacing an item or have already done some efficiency projects
county bull Retail partners
bull HVac installers
bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors installers
bull Retail displays
2 life-stage changes (growing family)
Homeowners working with a contractor
county bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors bull ads in media for home remodels
3 Home remodel Homeowners working with an architect contractor
county bull contractors bull architects
bull Materials for contractors
bull ads in media for home remodels
3 improvements at time of purchase
Homeowners interested are preparing a new home for move-in (research shows more interest at purchase than at sale)
shared bull contractors bull Realtors bull Home
inspectors bull city permit
offices bull city welcome
kits bull Retail
bull Brochures for cities
bull ads in weekend homes for sale sections
bull Presentations to realtor groups
bull Retail displays
4 improvements at sale
House owners preparing for sale
county bull contractors bull Realtors
bull Materials for contractors
5 complaints high utility bills cold hot house
Homeowners aware of energy-saving improvements but not whole house approach
county bull contractors bull HeRs raters
bull Materials for contractors
30 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
city amp cog outreach
materialssotheycandeveloplow-costout-reachtotheirresidentsCitieswithcommuni-tiestargetedinthePilotAreaMarketingplans willbeinformedandencouragedtodoout-reachtothoseareasAllCitieswillbeencour-agedtodothefollowing
Run stories in print and online news-letters
Send information to neighborhood associations homeowners associa-tions historic preservation districts and other appropriate community organizations
Provide information in City permit-ting offices and City Hall lobbies
Provide information at strategically located Environmental Information Centers and at COG office locations
Provide information in ldquonew home-ownersrdquo welcome kits (either directly from the city or through title compa-
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAId EARNEd
LEAd
pio coordination contact all participating citiesrsquo Pios na county
letters Key messages for letters from mayors etc to constituents Provide to Pios or city managers
na county
Website links Button for cities to place on their website to link to Program site
na county
city tV informational videos and spot promos Placed county
Welcome brochure
Brochure aimed at new homeowners before they move in
na county
articles Pre-written customizable newsletter articles earned county
email blasts Pre-written customizable info spots for communityneighborhood listserves
earned county
niesmortgage brokers)
Run videos and spots on City TV stations
5 Contractor Marketing
Localcontractorsarecriticaltothesuccess ofEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLosAngeles CountyTheyprovidetheservicesthatcom-prisetheProgramandtheycanhelpmarket theProgramtopropertyownersInfactwe estimatethatupto50ofProgrampartici-pantswillentertheProgramthrougharela-tionshipwithacontractor(theymayhavealso seenmediacoverageandadvertisingwhich spurredthemtotakeaction)Thisuniquerole requiresthattheProgramtakeatwo-tiered approachofengagingthecontractormdashmoti-vatinglocalbuildingprofessionalstoundergo thetrainingandcertificationprocessandalso providingthemwiththetoolstoeffectively promotetheprogramtoexistingandnew clientsThefollowingsectiondescribesspecific
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 31
contractor target
United Brotherhood Building Industry Carpenters (Training)
Association ofSouthern California
Email Blast
Contractors Magazines
Contractor
OnlineAds
Big Box Stores
ConractorsLicensing Schools
Realtor Associations
strategiesassociatedwithbothapproaches
Forthepurposesoftheprogramcontractors aredividedintoparticularsegmentsbasedon thetypeofserviceprovidedAninitialanalysis oftheindustryrevealedthefollowinglikely categories
HomePerformance(HP)Contractors
ProductionBuilders
HVACSystemSpecialtyTrades (windowsetc)
RemodelingContractors
SolarContractors
BuildingPerformance
Institute
Southwest Regional
City Permit Association
Offices of Carpenters
Lumber Yards
StateLicensing
Board
American Instituteof Architects
LA Chapter
Outreach to Contractors TheProgramwillcoordinatewithcontractor groupsandotherbuildingprofessionaltrade organizationstoschedulebriefpresentations abouttheProgramandthecontractortraining processForlargerorganizationsthePro-grammayworkdirectlywiththecompanyto arrangeon-sitepresentationsThesepresenta-tionsareinformalinnatureandwillbeusedto promotethecertificationorientationsrequired forcontractorparticipationintheprogram
KeyMessagestoContractors
$30millioninAmericanRecoveryand ReinvestmentActmoneyisworkinginLA Countytocreateconstructionindustryjobs
32 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
EnergyUpgradeCaliforniaOffersbig rebatesandfinancingoptionsfor homeownersdoinghomeenergy efficiencyretrofits
Therewillbemarketingandadvertis-ingstatewideandlocallytopromotethe Program
Therewillbemarketingmaterialsforyou tousetomarketyourbusiness
YoumustbelicensedandBuildingPerfor-manceInstitute-certifiedtobepartofthe Program
HomeownersmustworkwithBPI-certified contractorstheyrsquollchoosefromacontrac-tordatabaseonthewebsite
KeyOutreachMethods
BuildingIndustryAssociationofSouthern California
SouthwestRegionalCouncilofCarpenters
RealtorsAssociation
UnitedBrotherhood-Carpenters(Training Program)
Citypermittingoffice
Lumberyards
AmericanInstituteofArchitectsLA Chapter(toeducatethemaswell)
ArticlesinformationinContractortrade publications(magazinesnewslettersetc) magazines
CarpentersUnionLocals
ContractorsLicenseSchools(andonline)
BigBoxHomeImprovementstores(de-pendingonIOUrelationships)
wwwcslbcagov
Emailblasttoalllicensedcontractors
Contractor Outreach to Consumers Differentopportunitiesexistfordifferent contractorsdependingontheprobablework scopeThefollowingtableoutlinesafew potentialpathwaysforhowcontractorscan participateintheProgram
contractors outreach to customers
CONTRACTOR TyPE
TRIGGER EvENT vALUE TO CONTRACTOR
BUSINESS MOdEL
Home Performance upgrade lead generation scale for high volume
Production Builder new Business Development
create new division
HVac Replacement lead generation Value-add
expand services
specialty trade lead generation Partner with certified gc
Remodeler Remodel life-stage transition
Value-add sub work to HP contractor
solar Renewables lead generation Partner with certified gc
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 33
BPI-certifiedgeneralcontractorswillbelisted ontheEnergyUpgradeconsumerwebsite sendingmanyleadsdirectlytothemThey alsohaveaccesstotheldquoheatmapsrdquotousefor developingtheirownadvertisingcampaigns
Contractorswillbeattendingorientationses-sionstoensuretheythoroughlyunderstand theProgramrebatesfinancingoptionsand canhelpguidetheircustomersthroughthe processTheywillbeprovidedwithContractor MarketingKitstoensuretheyhaveathandthe keymessagesthathavebeenresonatingwith homeownersandhaveinformationtogive topotentialcustomerswhomightormight nothavebeentothewebsiteKitscanbesent directlytocontractorsordistributedatthe orientationsessionsKitswillcontain
Talkingpoints
DVDofthevideo
Printedfactsheetstoleavewithcustomers (withroomfortheircontactinfo)more canbeordered
Printedldquoslimjimrdquoprogrambrochure
Printedlengthierbrochuresaboutthe wholehouseapproach(brandedby Scientific American Magazine)
CDwithldquobuttonrdquotolinktoEnergyUpgrade fromtheirownwebsitesandPDFsofsite signageforprinting
Contractorswillhaveaccesstoaseparatesec-tionofthewebsitewheretheywillfindinfor-mationaboutProgrameventspromotionsand advertisinganon-demandprintsectionfor additionalcopiesofbrochuresanychanges totheProgramandasingletradecontractor databaseforassemblingteamsforcustomers whowouldlikesolarpanelsornewwindows forexample
6 Realtor Marketing
Giventhatthenationalaveragelengthofhome ownershipisroughlysixyearsrealestate agentswillbeincontactandadvisingalarge percentageofthenewandexistinghomeown-ersthatEnergyUpgradeistargetingforhome energyretrofitsThishighlevelofinfluence makesrealtorsoneofthelargestpartner groups
Realestateagentswillbeengagedonthree levels
1) Outreach
2) Training
3) Support
Outreach Outreachwillbeconductedthroughavariety ofvenuesthatwillincludeCaliforniaAssocia-tionofRealtorsreg(CAR)regionalconferences heldinSouthernCaliforniapartnershipwith themanyrealtorassociationslocatedinLos AngelesCountyanddirectvisitstorealestate agentsrsquoofficesforshortpresentationsPart-nershipswiththe15-20localRealtorsAsso-ciationswillbeachievedthroughoneormore RealtorAdvisoryBoardswhichincludethe GovernmentAffairsDirectorsfromeachof theseorganizationsAselectfewoftheseor-ganizationswillbeusedaspilotsfortargeted outreachduringearlystagesoftheProgram Oncethestrategyhasbeentestedandrevised itwillberolledouttoalloftheRealtorsAs-sociationsinLosAngelesCounty
ThefallCARRealtorExpowillbethemain kickoffeventforoutreachtoindividualreal-torsandrealtorofficesEnergyUpgradeplans tohavea30-minutetalkembeddedinthe SpeakersProgramandaboothsetuponthe ExpofloortoinformrealtorsaboutthePro-gramavailabletrainingsandthesupport
34 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
toolsthathavebeendevelopedThisevent willreachthemajorityofrealtorsintheLos Angelesareabutwillnotincludethelarge populationofrealestateagentsthatarenot membersofCARToreachthispopulation emailsocialmediaandtargetedofficevisits willbeconducted
Training EnergyUpgradewillprovidetrainingforreal estateagentsintwoformsTherealestate agenttrainingmodulecurrentlyunderdevel-opmentbyBuildItGreenwillbeusedasthe maintrainingforumThistrainingmodule isexpectedtotaketwofulldaystocomplete andwillcoverpropertyassessedcleanenergy financingenergyefficientmortgagesrebate programsbuildingscienceenergyefficiency andgreenbuildingpracticesappropriateto California
Additionalweb-basedtrainingwillbeprovided tointroducerealestateagentstotheProgram andtodrivethemtogetin-persontraining throughtheBuildItGreentrainingmodule
Support Cultivatingandclosingtoolswillbegener-atedtoassistrealtorsinusingEnergyUpgrade Californiatradetoexpandtheirbusinesswhile drivinghigherlevelsofprogramparticipation RealtorKitswillbesimilartotheContractor Kitsandtheywillhaveaccesstothedatabase ofgeneralandsingletradecontractors
7 Retail Partner Marketing
Utilitieswillpartnerwithretailoutletsthat canincludeBestBuyCostcoSearsLowes andHomeDepotParticipatingretailoutlets willbeprovided
Information centersEnd-displays detailingtheEnergyUpgradeProgram withadiagramillustratingthehouseas asystemconcept(multiplecomponents thatacttogethertomaximizesavings)and actionscustomerscantaketocapturethose savingsandrebatesIn-storecustomer educationcanshiftcustomerperception ofenergyupgradesandmotivatethem toparticipateinmultipleenergy-efficient measuresinsteadofjustoneAnadditional benefitfortheretailerisassociationwith thestatewideprogram
Program collateral One-sheet takeawaysforcustomerstoreference andshare
Video Theshortvideoscanbeplayed onaloop
Table tent cardsPlacedthroughout storesectionsthatcorrelatewiththe EnergyUpgradeProgram(CFLsappli-ancesceilingfansinsulationwindows) Againthiswillencouragecustomersto performmultipleenergyupgradesinstead ofjustoneCross-promotionhelpseducate customersandencourageparticipationin multiplemeasuresthusincreasingproduct purchase
Window clings ldquoOfficialEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaInformationCenterrdquotagline bannersplacedatstorefrontThiswillpo-sitiontheretailerasanactiveparticipantin thestatewideprogramandbuildsretailer credibilityasagreenadvocate
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 35
8 Multi-Family Outreach
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesandsched-ulesarestillinplanningphasesandbeing developedthroughastatewideconsortium
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesarebeing
developed
36 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
evaluation
Theprimarygoalsofthemarketingplanareto buildpositiveawarenessoftheEnergyUp-gradeCaliforniaProgramandcreateasus-tainedmarketforawholehouseapproach(see page8)Objectivesarespecifictothoseachiev-ingthosegoalsLosAngelesCountyresidents willseemultipleiterationsofmediacoverage paidadvertisingin-storedisplayscontractor marketingandin-personpresentations(inthe pilotmarketingareas)Forexamplearesi-dentinAltadenamightseethemoreintensive marketingandoutreacheffortsThatmayspur themtoactionmdashbutiftheyalreadyhadplans toremodelorhadpreviouslyworkedwitha contractortheymightcalltheircontractorand thusactuallycometotheprogramthrough thecontractorThereforeitwillnotbeeasy todeterminepreciselywhathasmotivated eachpersontoparticipateinEnergyUpgrade Objectivestomeetinclude
About35-45ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughthemarket-ingandoutreacheffortsTomonitorwe willincludeashortsurveyaspartofthe rebateapplicationprocessaskingpartici-pantswhatdrewthemtothewebsiteand totheProgramThewebsitecanmonitor clickthroughstocontractorssitesfrom theProgramwebsiteprovidinganindica-tionofpotentialparticpantswhocameto thesitebeforehavingacontractorOnce apropertyownerinputsanaddressthe websitewillbeabletospecificallymonitor ifthatparticipantasksformultiple estimatesfromcontractorsanotherindica-
toroffindingacontractorthroughthesite
About45-50ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughcontractors Wewillaskcontractorstoprovideinfor-mationabouttheirmarketingeffortsand successratesTheywillbeabletoidentify participantsgainedthroughtheirownmar-ketingefforts
300000uniquehitsonthewebsitewhich willbemonitoredbythewebsiteFurther thewebsitewillanalyzewherevisitors camefrom(egaclickthroughfroman onlineadfromacontractorrsquoswebsite orduringthespecifictimeframeofanad campaign)
Virtualandactualldquoword-of-mouthrdquore-portedbymonitoringsocialmedia
Communicationskitsandmarketingkits availablebothphysicallyandthroughan on-demandprintsitemonitoredbyclient
Informationalmaterialsforcitiesmoni-toredbySouthBayCitiesCouncilofGov-ernments
50000000mediaadvertisingin-person impressionsmonitoredbybroadcast printonlinestatisticsandreportsfrom grassrootsmarketingefforts
Consolidatedinformationinone-stop-shop approachwillbedeliveredthroughthe website
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 37
description of marketing communication tools
PlacedEarned Social Media ThePlancallsforsocialmediatopushinfor-mationtoourtargetaudiencesincreaseper-ceptionsoftheProgramascommunity-based reachthosewhowillhelpgenerateadditional buzzindependentmarketingeffortsaboutthe Programandprovideamechanismforlisten-ingtowhatpeoplearesayingaboutEnergy Upgrademdashandrespondingwhennecessary
Online Paid Advertising Onlineadvertisingcampaignscanbeverycost-effectiveandhighlytargetedbydemographics areasofinterestandgeographicsAdsappear ontopic-relatedblogsonsearchenginepages (egGoogle)andoncontentpages(egwhen yousearchforinformationaboutarelated topicandselectawebsitetoview)
Types of Users Targetadsbyage genderincomelanguagepreferencezip codeorhotspots
Types of SearchesTargetadsbytypeof searchconductedbasedonkeywords
Adsareusuallysoldperldquoclickrdquomdashtheviewer hasclickedontheadandbeensenttothe EnergyUpgradeCAwebsiteWewillmake fourtypesofonlineadpurchases
1 Googleadsthatplaceadsbothonits searchpagesandonhundredsofwebsites targetedbytheabove
2 Networksthattargetspecificsitesand blogsthatmatchourtargetaudiences(eg HiveBlogsLosAngelesthatoffers350LA blogstochoosefrom)
3 Directlythroughselectpublishers(eg CurbedLAGreenGirlLAlocalpapers online)
4 Onlineeditionsoflocalpapersinpilot marketingareas
Twitter Twitterusersaremostlycollegegraduates haveattendedgraduateschoolandlivein householdsmakingover$50000ayear (nationally)Usersarethreetimesmorelikely tofollowbrandsandcompaniesonTwitter thanotherusersofsocialnetworkswith40 specificallyusingTwittertolearnaboutand provideopinionsonbrands
Twittercanpushthelatestdevelopmentsand newstopeoplewhohaveexpressedaninter-estedintheProgram(theymustsignupto receiveourTweetsorhavesearchedfortag wordsincludedinourTweets)Itrsquosalsoan easywayforthosewhofollowEnergyUpgrade onTwittertoshareTweetswiththeirfriends
38 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
therebygeneratingbuzzandhelpingmarket theProgramTwittercanshareProgram newsinrealtimedrivepeopletothewebsite facilitateearlyadoptersbuzzmakersreach youngerhomeownersandincreasemarketing effortsatalowcostTwittercanbeeffectively usedtocommunicatetheProgramandits milestonesinavarietyofways
bull Tweetaboutpressreleasesmajoran-nouncementsnewitemsonwebsiteor blogsmediastoriesandarticlesespecially aboutthosethataretimesensitiveandtell ouraudiencewhatishappeningwiththe Programandencouragesthemtopartici-pateorfindoutmore
bull PutaTweeticononthemainwebsiteal-lowingvisitorstothewebsitetobeginto followEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLos AngelesCountyonTwitterwithoneclick
bull FollowotherswhoTweetaboutthe ProgramaswellasthosewhoTweetabout relatedtopicsThiswillprovideanop-portunitytodirectlyrespondtoaperson whohasaquestionabouttheProgramand pointthemtoalinktothewebsite
Tweet Examples
bull ldquo100LAhomeownershavesigned upfortheProgramatwwwEnergyUpgra-deCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoReadaboutLArsquosnewenergyefficiency rebateProgramintheLAtimes httpwwwlatimesgreenblogcomrdquo
bull ldquoWanttosaveonyourutilitybills CheckoutwwwEnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoSignupfortheHomeEnergyUpgrade contestforachancetowinafree homeenergyefficiencyretrofitat EnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
Cost and Budget
SettingupaTwitteraccountisfreeasisusing anapplicationsuchasTweetDeckthathelps followotherswhoareTweetingaboutEnergy UpgradeCaliforniaTheonlysignificantcostis stafftimewhichcanbelimitedtoafewhours aweek
Facebook Facebookisalow-costandeasywayofboth marketingtheProgramandsupportingan onlinecommunityofpeopleinterestedinthe ProgramItwillreachaudienceswhoaremore likelytospendtimeonFacebookversusaweb-siteandwhomayprefertoreceiveshortreal timeProgramnewsviaFacebookratherthan emailsorwebsitesItisidealforpostinglinks tovideosandphotosrelatedtotheprojectIt complementsthewebsiteaplacewherefans oftheProgramcanfindinformationaskques-tionsandshareideasandexcitementThese fanswillgeneratebuzzbytellingtheirfriends abouttheProgramthroughFacebook
AFacebookpagewillcontaininformation abouttheProgramalinktothewebsite Programnewsvideosphotographsandother informationWhenthepageisupdatedfans willreceivelinksinemailalertingthemtothe newposts
Facebookisalsoidealforsharingthestoryof anearlyadopter(whowillalsoTweet)through updatesphotographsandvideosItlends itselfmuchmorenaturallytothispeople-fo-cusedapproachthanawebsitewhichismore formal
Additionalpoints
bull EncourageandperhapsrewardProgram adopterstosharetheirexperiencesask questionsetc
bull Setupcontrolstodeterminewhatcontent Fanscanposttothewall
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 39
bull Monitorupdatestothewallandtakedown Therearemanyexistingblogsthatcanbeused inappropriatecontent
bull Respondtoissuesquestionsandtakepart intheconversation
bull Adesignatedstaffpersonshouldmonitor thesiteitisalsoidealifseveralstaff memberspostcontentandifpartnersare activeparticipantsalthoughtheoverall strategyshouldbecentralized
Facebook Examples
Herearesomeexamplesofthetypesofpost-ingsforaFacebookpage
bull ldquoTheLATimesdescribesEnergyUpgrade CAasaperfectopportunitytobegreenand savemoneymdashintheFridaymoneysectionrdquo
bull ldquoWhydidyoudecidetoparticipatein EnergyUpgradeCATellushowyour energyefficiencyretrofitisgoingandwersquoll enteryouforachancetowina$50Home Depotgiftcardrdquo
bull ldquoWonderingwhetherEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaisrightforyouCheckoutthis videooftheSmithsinstallingnewinsula-tionandwindows--andreceivinga$3500 rebaterdquo
Cost and Budget
Relativelyfewdirectcostsstafftimewill fluctuateduringbusycalmperiodswithhigh activityatthebeginningastheProgramkicks offandafanbaseisestablishedOngoingstaff timeneededtokeeppagefreshwith3-4posts weekdailymaintenancerequiredtomonitor postingsfromfans
Blogs Blogsreachtargetaudienceswhoarealready interestedinrelatedtopicsandwhohavehigh potentialtoparticipateintheProgram
tofurthermarketingefforts
bull Identifybloggerswhowilllikelywrite positivelyabouttheProgramSendpress releasefactsheetsandPrograminforma-tiontobloggerswhowriteabouttopics suchastheenvironmentenergyefficiency homeimprovementremodelingreal estatehousingbargainssavingmoneyas wellastocompaniesthatsellsolarpanels contractorsetc
bull Bloggersarelookingfortopicalstoriesto writeaboutandwewillmaketheirnext blogposteasyBecauseEnergyUpgradeis ahighrewardoptionalProgrambloggers willwritefavorablyandhelptellthestory inafriendlyaccessibleandeasy-to-under-standway(althoughwedonrsquothavecontrol overwhattheywrite)Peoplewhoaredis-satisfiedwillwritenegativecommentsbut wewillmonitorblogsandactivelycorrect misperceptions
bull Tomonitorwhatothersarewritingabout EnergyUpgradeontheirblogswewilluse freeprogramslikeTechnoratiorGoogle Readertoscanallblogsandwebsitesthat mentiontheProgram
Blogs to Reach
Green Girl LA Blog (httpgreenlagirlcom)Thisindependent blogisfocusedonenvironmentalhap-peningsinLosAngelesArecentpostwas aboutagreennetworkingeventfeaturing TheBuildingDoctorspresentingwaysto makeyourhousemoreenergyefficient PreviouslyareporterbloggerfortheLA Timesthewriterisactiveandcoversa widevarietyofenvironmentalgreentopics happeninginLosAngeles
40 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
LA Times HomeBlog (wwwlatimesblogslatimescomhome_
blog)focusesontopicsrelatedtohouses andhashadseveralrecentpostsabout greenremodelingOneadvantageofa majornewspaperisthatthereportingis accurateandthereadershipislargerThey recentlywroteaboutauditionsforThisOld HousewhichisfeaturingaLosAngeles areahouseforasummerremodel
Bargain Babe (wwwbargainbabelatownluxecom) featuresLosAngelesbargainsYoucan searchforbargainsbyareaofLA(West-sideetc)orbytopicThisbloggerrecently wroteaboutappliancerebates
LA Times Green Remodeling (wwwlatimesblogslatimescompar-donourdustgreen_remodeling)writes aboutalltopicsrelatedtoremodelingin SouthernCaliforniawithseveralrecent postsongreentopicsArecentpostre-viewedthedifferentadvantagesofinstall-ingvarioustanklesswaterheatersPitch thatthebloggerfollowahomeenergy retrofitandhelptelltheirstoryaswellas announcebasicPrograminformation
LA Times Personal Finance wwwlatimescombusinesspersonal-finance
Home Remodeling wwwkathysremodelingblogcom
Energy Efficiency wwwlowimpactlivingcomblog
LA CreekFreak
LA Observed
LAist
YouTube PostallvideosrelatedtotheprojectonYou-TubeWewillworkwithourmediapartners todevelopacontestforearlyadopterstofilm theirexperienceandletwebsitevisitorsvote onthebestWinnerreceivesaprizetobe determined
ListServes Listservesreachgroupsofpeoplewhoare interestedinasimilartopicorwholiveina specificneighborhoodSendemailblaststo listservessuchasneighborhoodassociations homeremodelersandenvironmentalgroups withanenergyfocusCitystaffhasinforma-tionaddressesofneighborhoodandhom-eownerassociationslists
Multimedia for Presentations Website Developanengaginginformative6-8minute videofocusingoncontractorsandhomeown-ersthatcanbeusedduringpresentationsand presentedonCityTVThevideowillbeshot bothinEnglishandinSpanishandcover
bull Howtherebatesworktocreateasenseof urgencyaboutdoingtheenergyupgrades soonerratherputtingitofftotakeadvan-tageoftherebates
bull Theldquosealthenenhancerdquowholehouse concept
bull WhattheProgramelementsactuallylook likeandhowtheyareinstalledtoover-comebarrierssuchasthatonemighthave tomoveoutofthehouseortheenergy upgradesareldquouglyrdquo
bull Workingwithacontractorwhatbeing licensedandcertifiedmeansgettingmul-tiplebids
bull Financingoptions
bull Doingthepaperwork
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 41
Fromthatvideodevelop
bull Threeindividual2-minutevideosforuse onlineeachfocusingonaspecifictopicmdash
againinbothEnglishandSpanish
bull A15anda30spoteachinEnglishand SpanishforuseonCityTVandbroadcast
stations
Print Collateral Customizable fact sheetsInforma-tionsheets(onepagefrontandback)in EnglishSpanishandChinesethatcanalso bepostedonthewebsiteasPDFs
Program brochureMorehighlyde-signedforplacementinmunicipaloffices andevents
Customizable Brochure Brandedwith SunsetMagazineorNationalGeographic forcontractorsandrealtorstohandto customers
SignageBannersforeventsandstreet lamppostspostersformunicipaloffices andsmalleventsandpotentiallysignage forbussidestransitshelters
Speakers kits Countyandcitystaffwillreceivekitstoensure everyoneisfamiliarwithkeymessagesandhas informationtogivetoconstituentsThesecan besentdirectlytocitiesordistributedthrough COGsKitswillcontain
bull Talkingpoints
bull DVDofthevideo
bull PPTpresentationforpublicmeetings
bull Printedbrochuresforpermitofficesto includewithwelcomepacketsfornewho-meowners
bull Articlesandphotostheycanrunintheir onlineorprintedcitynewsletters
bull CDwithtemplatesforquickprintingand websitebuttontolinkfromtheirwebsiteto EnergyUpgradeCalifornia
42 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
description of key messages
Thefollowingmessageshadthehighestreso-nanceinpollingandfocusgroupsbothinLos AngelesCountyandtheBayArea
Primary Motivators Thefollowingtwomessagesaboutsaving moneyarekeytomotivatingalltargetaudi-encesTheyshouldbepartofeverypieceof advertisingorcollateralproduced
1 RebatesHomeownerswhomakeenergy-savinghomeimprovementscanqualifyfor a$1500federaltaxcreditandrebatesof upto$3500dependingonhowmuchthey reduceenergyconsumptionAdditional motivatorTaxcreditsonlyavailable untilDecember312010(Rebatesare preferredovertaxcreditsbecauseitrsquoscash nowratherthanlateranddependingon incomenoteveryonecangetthecredit)
2 Save on Utility Bills Upgradingahome touselessenergyandwatercanreduce utilitybillsby20ormoremdashsavingyou moneyovertime
Secondary Motivators Thefollowingmessagesarethenlayeredde-pendingonwhichaudienceisbeingtargeted
Help the EnvironmentClimate Change Weallneedtodoourparttohelp theenvironmentandslowclimatechange Makingourhomesmoregreenandenergy efficientisanimportantstepweshouldall take
Reduce Foreign OilFossil FuelsAt atimewhenwearetryingtoreduceour dependenceonforeignoilandotherfossil fuelsupgradingtheenergyefficiencyof ourhomesisanimportantstepwecanall take(Infocusgroupstheconceptofenergy independencefurtherresonatedasinde-pendencefromutilitycompaniesgetting offthegrid)
Certified Contractors Save Money Speciallytrainedandcertifiedcontractors knowhowtofindimprovementsthatthe averagehomeownerwouldnotTheiras-sessmentswillensurethatyoufindmore energysavingsandthereforesavemore moneyonyourutilitybillsAdditional motivatorContractorsarecertifiedbythe BuildingPerformanceInstituteworking withtheDepartmentofEnergyandEnvi-ronmentalProtectionAgency
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 43
Increase Property ValuesHomesthat areenergy-efficientandenvironmentally friendlyaremoreappealingtohomebuyers Theseupgradescanincreaseyourproperty value
ComfortUpgradingyourhomersquosenergy efficiencymdashinparticularupgradinginsula-tionmdashcanmakeitamorecomfortableplace toliveNomoredraftycoldroomsinthe winterorhotstuffyroomsinthesummer
Indoor Air QualityInsulationand ventilationcanreduceallergyandasthma-causingmoldandmildewimproving indoorairqualityespeciallyforinfantsand thosewithhealthconditions
Messengers Homeownersprefertoreceiveinformation fromimpartialtrustedsourcesThesemes-sengersreceivedthehighestscoresinpolling
bull Neighborsandotherhomeowners
bull Contractorthehomeownerisalready workingwithorreferredbyfriendneigh-bor
bull Architectsdesignprofessionals
bull Gasandelectricutilities
bull Environmentalorganizations
bull Homeimprovementstorestaff(when equippedwithflyers)
44 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 45
- Cover
- Table of Contents13
- Summary Overview13
- Introduction13
- Programs Goals and Objectives13
- Marketing and Outreach Program Goals and Structure13
- Strategy13
- Evaluation13
- Description of Marketing Communication Tools13
- Description of Key Messages13
-
ldquoEarly AdoptersrdquoThosewhoarestrong environmentalistsalreadypoisedtoldquodo therightthingrdquofortheenvironmentand whojustneedtohearaboutaprogramand rebates
ldquoRetrofit-ReadyrdquoThosewhoarealready planninghomeimprovementsandjust needalittlemoreinformationaboutwhat stepstotaketosavemoneyandldquodothe rightthingrdquofortheenvironment
ldquoRetrofit-PersuadablerdquoThosewho arethinkingabouttheirutilitybillshome comfortandtheenvironmentorour dependenceonfossilfuelsforeignoil (especiallyinlightoftherecentGulfoil spill)andwhoneedinformationabout whattypesofimprovementstheycould makeandwhatstepstotaketosaveenergy moneyandreducefossilfuelconsumption
Marketingwillfocusoneachtargetaudience providingimpressionsclosetotheirhomes andreachingouttomassaudiencesasshown intheldquotargetrdquoPropertyownerswhoarenot eligiblefororinterestedinEnergyUpgrade Californiawillfindinformationaboutoppor-tunitiesforweatherizationprogramslow-incomeratesubsidiesgreenjobstrainingand otherinitiativesavailabletoqualifiedlower incomehouseholds
Marketingandoutreachcountywidewill include
Direct MailUtilitieswillplacemessages onouterbillenvelopessenttocustom-ersTheyintendtosenddirectmailabout EnergyUpgradetoldquotargetareasrdquobasedon acombinationofenergyusageageofhome andhouseholdincome
County EventsUtilitieswillattendlarge eventssuchastheSeptember2010and 2011LACountyFairswithawholehouse
themethatincludesaminimodelhouse thatvisitorscanldquotourrdquoThereareaddition-alproposedeventsthatutilitiestheCounty orcitieswillattend
Social MediaTheProgramwillheavily usesocialmediatoreachtargetaudiences whileminimizingcostbeginningatlaunch andcontinuingthroughouttheProgram
Countywide IncentivesSeveralcon-ceptsarebeingdevelopedincludingincen-tivesforenergyassessmentsandcontrac-tors
Countywide Media BuysWithaSep-tember12010launchdatemediabuys willbespreadtoavoidtheelectionmonth ofOctober2010Buyscanincludemain-streambroadcasttelevisionaswellasUni-visionandNPRstationsSocialmediabuys includeGoogleAdWords(inEnglishand Spanish)andblogadsPrintbuysinclude in-languagepublications
Home Energy Makeover Contest HomeEnergyMakeoverContestsgener-ateatremendousamountofpublicityand havebeensuccessfullyconductedinmany otherstatesandcitiesTheconceptisto modelthebehaviortheProgramistrying toencouragebyshowingtheldquowholehouse approachrdquohoweasyupgradescanbehow muchtherebatescanreduceoverallproject costandhowmuchdifferenceupgrades canmaketoahomeTwocontestseach with5winnerswillbeconductedoneat ProgramlaunchandoneinSpring2011
Media RelationsTheProgramwill coordinateCountyutilityandCalifornia EnergyCommissionCaliforniaPublicUtili-tiesCommissioneffortsMediarelations willbeinthreephasespre-launchlaunch andmilestones
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 5
Identifying Locations of Target Audiences Thegeographiclocationoftargetaudiences willbeidentifiedthroughtwomarketanalysis efforts
Parcel-Based Market Analysis A detailedmarketanalysistosupportspecific piecesoftheoutreachandcommunications strategywillbeconductedwhichwillstart byidentifyingthelocationofaudiencesthat arereceptivetospecificoutreachstrategies Themarketanalysisisbeingconducted usingconsumermarketresearchcombined withdemographicdataandpropertychar-acteristicsdatafromtheCountyassessor Themainproductfortheanalysiswillbea separateanalysisreport(expectedAugust 2010)Thisreportwillincludecountywide ldquoheatmapsrdquothatidentifyareaswithahigh proportionoftargetpropertiesandare thereforeidealareasfortargetedmarket-ingThesemapscanbeusedforEnergy Upgradeorcontractormarketingstrate-gies
Pilot Marketing AreasTheCountywill intensifymarketingeffortsinspecificpilot marketingareaswherehighpercentagesof theEarlyAdopterandRetrofitReadyaudi-enceslive(seebelow)
2 Pilot Area Marketing TheCountyintendstostimulatethemarket andgeneratepositiveword-of-mouthby intensifyingmarketingeffortsinspecificpilot marketingareaswherebasedonextensive consumerresearchahighpercentageoftarget audienceslivePilotmarketingprogramsin thoseareaswilltesttheextentcommunity-basedmarketingpositivelyimpactsparticipa-tionrates
Todeterminewheretocreatetheintensemar-ketingpilotprogramsweusedcharacteristics basedonthestatisticallysignificantmarket researchmdashidentifyingthosewhoshowedthe highestinterestinparticipatinginanenergy upgradeWethenanalyzedneighborhoods throughoutthecountytodetermineareas wherehighpercentagesofthoseaudiences liveCharacteristicsinclude
Highpercentageofhousesbuiltbefore 1978
Highpercentageofhomeownership
Highenergyusage
Demographics ndashIncome$60000-$120000 ndashHighpercentageofcollege-educated ndashHighpercentageofpopulationage35-50 ndashHighpercentageofhouseholdswith 4+people
Additionalconsiderationsinclude
Aclusterof8000-20000homes(small enoughtoenableustoreachthemajority ofresidencesandgenerateword-of-mouth yetlargeenoughtoofferagoodsizedpool ofpeoplewithapropensitytobeinterested inanenergyupgrade)
Hasstrongneighborhoodandcommu-nityorganizationsthatwecanengageas partnersaswellasexistingcommunica-tionvehicles(municipalmainstreamand multicultural)
Offersldquospilloverrdquoopportunitiestonearby neighborhoodsthatalsohaveahighper-centageofourtargetaudiences
Basedonthemarketresearchfivepilot marketingareaswillbedevelopedatlaunch andtenphasedinduringthefollowingsix monthsOnesuggestedpilotmarketingarea
6 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Home Depot
Ace Hardware
Lowersquos
Master Builders
Great Indoors
Home Expo
isAltadenaadiverseunincorporatedcom-munityofabout40000residentsTheaver-agehouseholdincomeis$94000Morethan 50adultresidentsaremarriedwithchildren andcommuteanaverageof62milesperday towhite-collarjobsFully40oftheadults inthiscommunityhaveabachelorsdegreeor higherandareinvolvedinmanycommunity eventsandorganizationsThereareapproxi-mately12000homesinthiscommunityand 10000ofthosehomesareowner-occupied Thegraphicshowshowoutreachwouldbe concentratedinthisareaMarketingandout-reachwillinclude
altadena marketing target
Intense Grassroots Community OutreachWewillcontact10-12com-munity-basedorganizationsfaith-based organizationshomeownersassociations neighborhoodassociationsandcommunity leadersineachareaWewillprovidethese organizationswithtrainingandtoolsto becomeambassadorsfortheProgramand spreadthewordthroughouttheircommu-nities
Saturation MarketingIOUswillsend directmailtohomeownersTheCounty willcontactlocalpapersfornewsplace-mentandadssocialmediaandpotentially
Hoy La Opinioacuten
Pasadena Star News
Altadena Headlines Examiner
Boulevard Magazine
Arroyo Magazine
Pasadena Weekly
Altadena Connection
Sentinel
KLVE
KPCC Pasadena
KCBS
KROQ Pasadena
KAZN Pasadena
Church Bulletins
Summer Concert Series at Farnsworth Park
Fourth of July Fireworks at
Town amp Country Club
Black History Parade
World Music Festival in Pasadena
Haunted House at
Farnsworth Park
Art Break
Rose Parade
National Latino
Congreso
Altadena Neighborhood Association
Altadena Chamber of Commerce
Altadena Arts Council
Altadena Town Council
Faith-based Organizations
Altadena Town amp Country Club
Altadena League of
Women Voters
Altadena Historical Society
Altadena Community Improvement Center
Sheriff Support Group
Santa Coming to Farnsworth
Park
Altadena California
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 7
outdoor(bussheltersandsidesandstreet levelsignage)toincreaseimpressionsthat drivepeopletothewebsite
Energy Champion Awards Program Severalconceptsareunderconsideration todevelopacommunityincentivestrategy topromoteparticipationinlinewiththe RetrofitRampUpproposalforinnovative incentiveapproaches
3 Trigger Event Marketing Thissuiteofstrategieswillbeaimedatcap-turingenergyefficiencyopportunitiesfrom multipletriggereventsParticipantswill mainlycomethroughcontractorsrealtorsand retailpartnerspropertyownerswillhavealso seencountywideadvertisingTriggerevents include
Replacingoldornon-functioningHVAC systemsandwaterheaters
Remodelingforlife-stagechanges(growing family)orjusttorenewthehouse
Improvementsmadewhenpurchasingor sellingahouse
Complaintsabouthighenergybillsora coldhothouse
4 City and COG Outreach OutreachbyCitiesandCOGswillbecritical becauseoftheirexistingrelationshipswith localconstituenciesCitieswillbeprovided withamini-marketingplantalkingpoints videocustomizabletemplatesoffactsheets articlesfortheirnewslettersandadvertising materialssotheycandeveloplow-costout-reachtotheirresidentsCitieswithcommuni-tiestargetedinthePilotAreaMarketingplans willbeinformedandencouragedtodoout-reachtothoseareasAllCitieswillbeencour-agedto
Runstoriesinprintandonlinenewsletters
Sendinformationtoneighborhoodassocia-tionshomeownersassociationshistoric preservationdistrictsandotherappropri-atecommunityorganizations
ProvideinformationinCitypermitting officesandCityHalllobbies
Provideinformationatstrategicallylocated EnvironmentalInformationCentersandat COGofficelocations
Provideinformationinldquonewhomeown-ersrdquowelcomekits(eitherdirectlyfromthe cityorthroughtitlecompaniesmortgage brokers)
5 Contractor Marketing BPI-certifiedgeneralcontractorswillbelisted ontheEnergyUpgradeconsumerwebsite sendingmanyleadsdirectlytothemThey alsohaveaccesstotheldquoheatmapsrdquotousefor developingtheirownadvertisingcampaigns Contractorswillbeattendingorientationses-sionstoensuretheythoroughlyunderstand theProgramrebatesfinancingoptionsand canhelpguidetheircustomersthroughthe processTheywillbeprovidedwithContractor MarketingKitstoensuretheyhavekeymes-sagesathandthathavebeenresonatingwith homeownersandhaveinformationtogiveto potentialcustomerswhomayormaynothave visitedthewebsiteKitscanbesentdirectlyto contractorsordistributedattheorientation sessionsKitswillcontain
Talkingpoints
DVDofthevideo
Printedfactsheetstoleavewithcustomers (withroomfortheircontactinfo)more canbeordered
8 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Printedldquoslimjimrdquobrochuresaboutthe 8 Multi-Family Outreach wholehouseapproach
Printedin-depthbrochure(brandedby ScientificAmericanMagazine)
CDwithldquobuttonrdquotolinktoEnergyUpgrade fromtheirownwebsites
Contractorswillhaveaccesstoaseparate sectionofthewebsitewheretheywillbeable toorderadditionalcustomizablematerials ldquoon-demandrdquofindinformationaboutPro-grameventspromotionsandadvertisingany changestotheProgramandasingletrade contractordatabaseforassemblingteamsfor customerswhowouldlikesolarpanelsornew windowsforexample
6 Realtor Marketing Giventhatthenationalaveragelengthof homeownershipisroughlysixyearsreal estateagentswillbeincontactandadvising alargepercentageofthenewandexisting homeownersthatEnergyUpgradeistarget-inghomeenergyretrofitsThishighlevelof influencemakesrealtorsoneofthelargest partnergroupsRealtorKitswillbesimilarto theContractorKitsandtheywillhaveaccess tothedatabaseofgeneralandsingletrade contractors
7 Retail Partner Marketing Utilitieswillpartnerwithretailoutletsthat canincludeBestBuyCostcoSearsLowes andHomeDepotParticipatingretailoutlets willbeprovided
Informationcenters
Programcollateral
Tabletents
Windowclings
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesandsched-ulesarestillinplanningphasesandbeing developedthroughastatewideconsortium
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing Strategiesandschedulesarestillinplanning phases
Incentives and Financing Marketresearchshowsthatrebatesarepri-marymotivatorsforhomeownerstoundertake anenergyupgradeRebateswillbeavailable forconsumersfromvarioussourcesCur-rentlyutilityrebatesoffer$1000fortheBasic Pathandupto$8500forthosereaching30 energysavingsThefederalHomeStarpro-gramisstillpendingmdashitcouldofferhomeown-ersupto$3000forelementsintheBasic Pathupto$7000forthosereaching20 energysavingsandupto$13000forthose reaching45energysavingsIncentivesfrom theCountyarealsostillpending
Financingoptionsarebeinganalyzedandwill beavailableatlaunch
Allrebatesandfinancingwillbecoordinated onthewebsitewiththeultimategoalofprop-ertyownersfillingoutoneformandpopulat-ingallotherrequiredforms
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 9
Proposed Implem
entation Plan
10 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
introduction
The Statewide Challenge Californialegislation(AB32)requiresGreen HouseGas(GHG)emissionreductionto1990 levelsby2020andfurtherreductionsinGHG emissionsto80percentbelow1990levelsby 2050Theseprovisionshavebeenincorpo-ratedintothePublicUtilitiesCommissionrsquos (CPUC)2009EnergyEfficiencyStrategic Planwhichtargetsanaverage40reduction inpurchasedenergyfortheexistingbuilding stockby2020andan80reductionby2050
TheCPUCrsquosCaliforniaEnergyEfficiency StrategicPlansetsthefollowinggoalstobe reachedby2020
25ofexistinghomesexhibita70 decreaseinpurchasedenergyfrom2008 levels
75ofexistinghomesexhibita30 decreaseinpurchasedenergyfrom2008 levels
100ofexistingmulti-familyhomes exhibita40decreaseinpurchasedenergy from2008levels
TheCPUCrsquosstatewidegoalistoretrofit 130000housingunitsby2010
Additionallegislation(AB758)requiredthe CaliforniaEnergyCommission(CEC)tode-velopandimplementacomprehensiveenergy efficiencyprogramforexistingresidentialand nonresidentialbuildingstoreducetheirGHG emissionsinkeepingwithclimatechange mitigationEnergy Upgrade Californiais apartnershipbetweentheCECandtheCPUC topromoteenergyefficiencyimprovements tohomesandcommercialbuildingsfunded inpartthroughtheAmericanRecoveryand ReinvestmentAct
Market Opportunity AlongwithothercitiesacrossthestateLos AngelesCountywillalsoberequiredtocreate aClimateActionPlanandEnergyUpgrade CaliforniainLosAngelesCountywillbea centralGHGemissionreductionimplementa-tionstrategyEnergy Upgrade California in Los Angeles Countyisanallianceamong theCountyofLosAngelestheCitieswithin theCountySouthernCaliforniaEdison SouthernCaliforniaGasCompanyandthe municipallyownedutilitiesintheCountyThe
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 11
goalisaldquoone-stopshoprdquoforpropertyowners Apropertyownerinvestmentof$5000 toeasilyfindclearconsolidatedinformation abouttheProgramelementscertifiedcon-tractorsandalltherebatesincentivesand financingoptionsavailable
Mostoftheapproximately34millionhous-ingunitsinLosAngelesCountywerebuilt beforestateenergyefficiencystandards(Title 24)wereimplementedbeginninginthe early1980sMorerecentvintageresidential buildingsalsooffergreatpotentialforenergy savingsduetodeficienciesinconstruction specificationandfieldworkquality
Energyefficiencymeasuresincludeimprove-mentstoinsulationspaceheatingandair conditioningwaterheatinglightingwin-dowsanddoorssolarhotwatersystemsand otherfixeditems
to$15000forsingle-familybuildingtoimple-mentabuildingenergyretrofitcanoften achieveanaverageof20ormoreenergy savingsreduceutilitybillsimprovebuild-ingcomfortenhanceindoorairqualityand increasebuildingvalue
TheCountyanditspartnersarecollaborat-ingonawebsitecommunityoutreachand countywideadvertisingtoleverageefforts andfundingandtomaximizeparticipationin theProgrammdashwithagoalofpropertyowners completing30000energyefficiencyupgrades bysummer2013TheldquoMediaandAdvertis-ingFlightsrdquomatrixprovidesanoverviewof scheduleandtiming
12 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
programs goals and objectives
ThegoalsofEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLA Countyaretopromotejobcreationandreduce aggregategreenhousegasemissionsthrough energyandresource-savingretrofitsofexisting buildingstockthroughthreefundingsources
1 AmericanReinvestmentandRecoveryAct EnergyEfficiencyandConservationBlock Grant(EECBG)
2 USDepartmentofEnergyRetrofitRamp Up(RRU)funding
3 CaliforniaEnergyCommission Discretionarygrant
retrofit objectives by funding source
Objectivesthusfocusonspecifictargetnum-bersforcompletedretrofits
bull Retrofitabout27000single-familyhomes withanaverage20energyreduction Countywide(1605850single-familyresi-dentialhomesinLACounty)plus2600 multi-familyhomes
bull Reduceannualpurchasedenergycon-sumptioninthosehomesbyanaggregate 300billionBTUsperyearandassociated energycostsby$4millionperyear
bull Create3200jobsand
bull ReducetheCountyrsquosannualgreenhouse gasemissionsattributabletoenergycon-sumptioninitsexistingbuildingstockby 36287metrictonsCO2e
EECBG RRU CEC TOTAL
single-family Homes 15000 4200 8060 27260
multi-family Homes 0 1400 1240 2640
29900
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 13
marketing and outreach program goals and structure
1 Goals MarketingandoutreachforEnergyUpgrade CaliforniainLACountywillengageproperty ownersthrougheffectivestrategiesprovide clearandcompellinginformationaboutthe benefitsofanenergyefficiencyretrofitlist therebatesandtaxcreditsavailable(through thisProgramandthroughutilityprograms) explainfinancingoptionslistcertifiedcon-tractorsanddescribetheProgramprocessand optionsThemarketingandoutreachplanhas fivemajorgoals
1 Build broad positive awareness of the Program
2 Educate property owners to overcome barriers to participation
3 Target marketing efforts to drive participation by key audiences identified in surveys
4 Align and coordinate other marketing efforts by utilities and other partners
5 Create a sustained market for a whole-house performance approach leading to long-term behavioral change
2 Objectives ThePlanisdesignedtoachievethesemajor objectives
1 Program goals met
Marketing35-40ofProgrampar-ticipantsentertheProgramasaresultof marketingandoutreachefforts
Contractors45-50ofProgrampar-ticipantsentertheProgramasaresultof marketingbycontractors(usingmes-sagingandmaterialsdevelopedthrough thisPlan)
Partners10-15ofProgrampar-ticipantsentertheProgramasaresult ofmarketingbyothermethodssuch asrealtorsretailpartnersarchitects designersandCityefforts(usingmes-sagingandmaterialsdevelopedthrough thisPlan)
2 300000 unique hits on a robust website (or calls to the call center)
3 Virtual ldquoword-of-mouthrdquo buzz created through social media resulting in click throughs to the website
14 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
4 Communications kits available for county COG cities community leaders and environmental groups
5 Marketing kits available for partners (contractors realtors)
6 Informational materials placed with retailers cities county offices
7 50000000 mediaadvertisingin-person impressions through
Mainstreammedia(televisionradio print)storiesplaced
Multiculturalmedia(televisionradio print)storiesplaced
RadioTVPSAsplaced
CityTVprogramsplaced
PaidradioTVpromosads
Paidprintads
Communitymeetings
Targeteddirectmail
rebate structure
8 Consolidated information in a ldquoone-stop shoprdquo approach
3 Incentives and Financing Marketresearchshowsthatrebatesarepri-marymotivatorsforhomeownerstoundertake anenergyupgradeRebateswillbeavailable forconsumersfromvarioussourcesCur-rentlyutilityrebatesoffer$1000forthe BasicPathandupto$3500forthosereach-ing30energysavingsThefederalHome Starprogramisstillpendingmdashitcouldoffer homeownersupto$3000forelementsinthe BasicPath$3000forthosereaching20 energysavingsandupto$13000forthose reaching45energysavingsIncentivesfrom theCountyarealsostillpending(SeeRebate Structuretable)
Financingoptionsarebeinganalyzedandwill beavailableatlaunch
Allrebatesandfinancingwillbecoordinated onthewebsitewiththeultimategoalofprop-ertyownersfillingoutoneformandpopulat-ingallotherrequiredforms
ELEMENT COUNTy FUNdEd
FEd TAx CREdIT HOME STAR UTILITIES
Basic path tBD 30 of eligible $1000
advanced path tBD improvements up to $1500 (expires Dec 31) $2500 for 20
+$500 for 5 +$500 for 5
silver star tBD
gold star tBD
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 15
4 Coordination Between Local Government and Utilities Consumerswillbebestservedbyaunified brandandconsumermarketingcampaign consistentmessagingandastatewidewebsite portalwithonewebsiteaddressTheCounty ofLosAngelesSouthernCaliforniaEdison andSouthernCaliforniaGasCompanyhave beenworkingtogethertodevelopastrong coordinatedprogramInfacttheLosAngeles CountyProgramhasbecomeamodelforthe state
Coordinationwillalsoleverageresourcesand increasethemarketingeffectivenessoflocal governmentsandthelocalutilitiesAllma-terialswillbedevelopedcollaborativelyand costswillbesharedaccordingtothedivision ofresponsibilityThefollowingchartoutlines thekeydeliverablesandresponsibilities(next page)
16 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
marketingoutreach coordination
PROGRAM ELEMENT LEAd COMMENTS
COUNTy UTILITIES jOINT
market research X telephone surveys focus groups and market analysis
marketing communications plan X this document will direct all marketing
activities
program namelogo X
cec will own the brand and has final vote on statewide name tagline can be customized for la county
Website portal X
statewide portal linked to utility pages or sitesndashmain info and materials on this one site
advertising campaign principles development X
marketing templates X
Print and online available for cities to customize as needed
service territory media Buys (regional) X Mainstream and ethnic media buys
local media Buys (la county) X Both mainstream and ethnic media in
hotspots and la county
call center X one phone number managed by utilities county to help produce script
retail outlet materials X May include kiosks short videos
contractor marketing toolkit X tBD county will develop marketing materials
for contractors
direct mail (eg bill inserts other mailers) X
county assessor materials X
Materials included in water bills property tax bills
community-Based outreach X targeted grassroots marketing
(includes local events)
community events X X utilities attend countywide events county attends local events
public relations X X
utilities take lead for service territory county for local or supervisor-initiated PR
Home energy makeover contest X
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 17
strategy
TheProgramwilluseamulti-layeredmulti-facetedmarketingandoutreachstrategythat targetsaudiencesbyidentifyingwhotheyare wheretheyliveandtheeventsgoingonin theirlivesMarketingeffortsinclude
1 Countywide Marketing (and Media Relations)
2 Pilot Area Marketing
3 Trigger-Event Marketing
4 City Outreach
5 Contractor Marketing
6 Realtor Marketing
7 Retail Partner Marketing
8 Multi-Family Marketing
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing
1 Countywide Marketing
Thestrategyisentirelyresearch-drivenfocus-ingonthosepropertyownersmostlikelyto undertakeahomeenergyupgradeAnover-archinglayerofmainstreammarketingand advertisingwillbeaimedatthreeaudiences
1 Early AdoptersThosewhoarestrong environmentalistsalreadypoisedtoldquodo therightthingrdquofortheenvironmentand whojustneedtohearaboutaprogramand rebates
2 ldquoRetrofit-ReadyrdquoThosewhoarealready planninghomeimprovementsandjust needalittlemoreinformationaboutwhat stepstotaketosavemoneyandldquodothe rightthingrdquofortheenvironment
3 ldquoRetrofit-Persuadablerdquo Thosewho arethinkingabouttheirutilitybills homecomforttheenvironmentorour dependenceonfossilfuelsforeignoil (especiallyinlightoftherecentGulfoil spill)andwhoneedinformationabout whattypesofimprovementstheycould makeandwhatstepstotaketosave energysavemoneyandreducefossilfuel consumption
Outreachwillbeaimedattargetaudiences throughbothmainstreamandmulticultural mediaTheadvertisingwillalsospillover ontoaudiencesinspecificgeographicareas providingadditionalimpressionstothose whoarealsotargetedinthePilotMarketing AreasThiswillalsoaddtothecitiesrsquoefforts topromotetheProgramastheirresidents willalsoseethecountywidemarketingefforts
18 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Marketingwillfocusoneachtargetaudience providingimpressionsclosetotheirhomeand reachingouttomoremassaudiencesCounty-widemarketingandoutreachwillinclude tacticsinthetablebelow
The One-Stop Shop Allinformationwillbeconsolidatedina one-stopshopapproacheitherinaldquobrick andmortarrdquolocationthroughthewebsiteor callcenteroratcommunityeventsProperty ownerswillhaveeasyaccesstoinformation
abouteligibleenergyefficiencymeasures andretrofitoptionseligibilityforCounty-administeredfinancialvehiclesandincentives eligibilityforutility-sponsoredrebatesand incentivesfederalrebateandtaxcreditinfor-mationandaccesstolistsofqualifiedenergy retrofitcontractors
Propertyownerswhoarenoteligiblefororin-terestedinEnergyUpgradeCaliforniawould alsobeabletofindoutaboutopportunities forweatherizationprogramslow-incomerate
countywide marketingoutreach tactics
Cable TV
County Events
Mass Media
Out of Home
Radio
Retail Partners
City Information
City TV
Local Media
Transit Shelters
Theaters
Billboards
Community of Interest
Newsletters
Contractor Marketing
Direct Mail to Hot Spots
Online Ads
Site Signage
Social Media
Community Newsletters
Local Events
Target Audience
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 19
subsidiesgreenjobstrainingandotherinitia- Parcel-Based Market Analysistivesavailabletoqualifiedhouseholds
Identifying Locations of Target Audiences Thegeographiclocationoftargetaudiences willbeidentifiedthroughtwomarketanalysis efforts
Pilot Marketing Areas TheCountywillintensifymarketingefforts inspecificpilotmarketingareaswherehigh percentagesoftheEarlyAdopterandRetrofit ReadyaudiencesliveThesepilotmarketareas willbeidentifiedthroughdemographicanaly-sisbaseduponextensivemarketresearchas wellasadetailedanalysisofkeycommunity resourcessuchasstrongcommunitynetworks andcommunity-basedorganizationsinfluen-tiallocalmedialdquocommunityfeelrdquoetc(For moreinformationonthepilotmarketareas approachandengagementstrategiesseepage 23)
Adetailedmarketanalysisisbeingconducted tosupportspecificpiecesoftheoutreachand communicationsstrategybyidentifyingthe locationofaudiencesthatarereceptivetospe-cificoutreachstrategiesThetableonthenext pagedemonstratesthemarketanalysisaudi-ences(scenarios)andmarketstrategiesthat arebeinganalyzedtoidentifythelocationof targetaudiencesThemarketanalysisisbeing conductedusingconsumermarketresearch combinedwithdemographicdataandprop-ertycharacteristicsdatafromtheCountyas-sessorThemainproductfortheanalysiswill beaseparateanalysisreport(expectedAugust 2010)Thisreportwillincludecountywide ldquoheatmapsrdquothatidentifytheareasthathave ahighproportionoftargetpropertiesandare thereforeidealareasfortargetedmarketing ThesemapscanbeusedforEnergyUpgrade Californiaorcontractormarketingstrategies
countywide market capture cascade
Early Adopters
Retrofit ready
Retrofit persuadable
The Next Phase No way
MESSAGES
bull environment bull Fossil Fuels bull Rebates
available
AddITIONAL MESSAGES
bull save money on utility bills
bull Rebates
bull long-term attitudinal change
available AddITIONAL MESSAGES
bull Property values bull comfort bull Health bull ReBates available
20 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
market analysis scenarios
Link between Pilot Market Areas and Parcel-Based Market Analysis
Theaudiencesbeingexaminedinthepilot marketingareasoverlapwithbutarenotthe sameasthoseinthemarketanalysisThe marketanalysisthereforesupportsthepilot marketareaidentificationintwoways
1 Itaddspropertycharacteristicsgleaned fromconsumerresearchtothepilotmarket areaanalysisInthiswayScenarios1and 2(RetrofitReadyandRetrofitPersuadable) providefurtherdetailtothepilotmarket areasandallowforgeneralmarketingto
MARkET ANALySIS SCENARIO
AUdIENCE IdENTIFIEd
dATA ANALyzEd RELATEd MARkETING STRATEGy
1-early adopters retrofit ready
environmentalists ready to take action now with information about rebates
Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Pilot Marketing areas
2-retrofit persuadable
those who need information about types of improvements with emphasis on rebates and cost savings
Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Pilot Marketing areas
3a-Built environment Heating and cooling
Middle-aged to newer homes located inland that are larger and often have high ac heating bills
Property characteristics location of Home
trigger event Marketing utility Bills Pilot area Marketing
3b-Built environment-Heating
smaller older coastal homes that may have comfort issues in winter
Property characteristics location of Home
trigger event Marketing comfort Pilot Marketing areas
4-multi-family Multi-family homeowners Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Multi-family Marketing Pilot Marketing areas
5-Whole neighborhood
tracts of similarly-aged and built homes
Property characteristics location of Home
Whole neighborhood Marketing Pilot Marketing areas
bedirectedtospecificproperties(when appropriate)
2 Italsoidentifiesotherkeyaudiences (Scenarios3a3b4and5)thatcorrelate toothermarketingstrategiesasshown intableaboveTheresultsofthese scenarioswillbeoverlaidontopofthepilot marketareastoidentifyspecificparcels thatmayrespondtospecificmarketing strategiesForexamplewhenoverlaying thepropertiesidentifiedinScenario5 (Whole-NeighborhoodScenario)with thepilotmarketingareastheCounty canidentifypropertieswithinthepilot
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 21
marketingareathatwouldrespondtoa whole-neighborhoodmarketingapproach (bulkpurchasingmodelhomesasingle contractoretc)
Home Energy Makeover Contest HomeEnergyMakeoverContestsgenerate atremendousamountofpublicityandhave beensuccessfullyconductedinmanyother statesandcitiesTheyattractthousandsof entrantsTheconceptistobothgarnerfree publicityandmodelthebehaviortheProgram istryingtoencouragebyshowingtheldquowhole houseapproachrdquohoweasyupgradescanbe howmuchtherebatescanreducetheproject costandhowmuchdifferencetheymaketoa home
Thecontestwillalsodemonstratethemarket acceptanceforthehomeperformanceap-proachtotraditionalsingle-measurecontrac-torsThosecontractorswillseehowmany peopleenterthecontesttowinahomeperfor-mancemakeoverbasedonthewholehouseap-proachAllthosewhoenteredareleadswho maybeinterestedinawholehouseapproach ratherthansinglemeasures
Entrantsmustbeover18liveinLosAnge-lesCountyandownthehomeinwhichthey residethecontestcanbelimitedtothose whoreceiveservicefromSouthernCalifornia EdisonandorSouthernCaliforniaGas(in otherwordsitcanincludeorexcluderesi-dentsservedbymunicipalutilities)Entrants submitinformationabouttheirhomeand theirenergyconsumptionandgivepermis-sionfortheProgramjudgestoviewtheir energyconsumptionduringthepreviousyear Finalistsarebasedonthehighestenergycon-sumptionpersquarefootofamedian-sized homeAbout20finalistsreceivefreeenergy auditsfortheirhomesBasedontheaudit (andadditionalcriteriawewilldetermine)five winninghomesreceiveupto$15000inhome
energyimprovements(whichcanbesupple-mentedbyrebatesandadditionalfunding fromthepropertyowner)Thewinneragrees tomediacoverageanopenhouseandtoblog andorTweetduringandaftertheretrofit Wewillworkwithcontractorstogetsponsor-shipsaswellasdonatedauditsandupgrade elements
OnecontestwillbeheldinFall2010(withfive winners)andasecondcontestheldduring Springof2011(withfivewinners)
Aseparatecontestcouldbeheldformulti-familybuildingswithahigherwinning amount
Countywide Incentives TheProgramwillestablishalistofnon-profit organizationsthatareactiveinpromoting greenhomessustainabilityandotherenvi-ronmentalorcommunityprojectsEveryone intheCountywhocompletesanenergyaudit maydesignateanon-profitorganizationto receiveadonationfromtheProgramInfor-mationabouttheeligibleorganizationswill beonthewebsiteThiswillencouragethose non-profitstopromotetheProgramtotheir membersltNotethisconceptisstillbeing developedgt
Direct Mail Utilitieswillplacemessagesonouterbillen-velopessenttocustomersTheywillalsosend directmailaboutEnergyUpgradetoldquotarget areasrdquobasedonacombinationofenergy usageageofhomeandhouseholdincome DirectmailisscheduledforOctober2010
County Events Utilitieswillbeattendinglargeeventssuch astheSeptember2010and2011LACounty Fairswithawholehousethemethatincludes aminimodelhousethatvisitorscanldquotourrdquo Additionalproposedeventsinclude
22 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
bull LeagueofCitiesAnnualConference workshop(September2010)
bull PomonaHomeImprovementShow (October2010)
bull RemodelingShowattheLACountyFair (October2010)
bull CaliforniaAssociationofRealtors (October2010)
bull BuildingIndustryShow(November2010)
bull SouthernCaliforniaHomeImprovement Show(November2010)
bull NeighborWorksAmerica(February2011)
Online and Social Media TheProgramwillusesocialmediatoinex-pensivelyreachtargetaudiencesbeginningat launchandcontinuingthroughoutthePro-gramwithbriefpausesforrefiningThiswill beaccomplishedthroughoptimizingsearch wordsforsearchenginessuchasGoogleand Bingreachingappropriateindependentblogs aYouTubevideocontest(runbyamediapart-ner)andencouragingblogpostsandTweets byearlyadoptersandtheProgramitself(see DescriptionsofMarketingCommunications ToolsandDescriptionsofTargetAudiencesfor moredetails)Inadditionutilitieswilldevote spaceforinformationandalinkontheirland-ingpages
Countywide Media Buys Withalatesummerfalllaunchdatemedia buysneedtobespreadtoavoidtheelection monthofOctober2010EnergyUpgradeCali-forniainLosAngelescansponsoraweather broadcastmdashliveonlineandmobilemdashaswell as15and30spotsduringotherbroadcasts Wewillalsopurchaseliveandonlinespots withUnivisiontheSpanish-languagestation Radiobuyswillinclude15NationalPublic Radio(KPCCandKCRW)sponsorshipsand variousdrive-timespotsonEnglishandin-
languageAMandFMstationsSocialmedia buysincludeGoogleWordsandblogads(see DescriptionsofMarketingCommunications Tools)Printmediabuyswillbeinmulticul-turalpapers
(Afullmediabuyplanandschedulewillbe availableinAugust)
Countywide Media Relations TheProgramwillcoordinateCountyandutil-ityeffortsandwiththeCaliforniaEnergyCom-missionCaliforniaPublicUtilitiesCommis-sioneffortsMediarelationswillbeinthree phasespre-launchlaunchandmilestones
Pre-Launch (August ndash September)
bull DevelopandprovideaSpeakerrsquosKit withtalkingpoints
bull OrganizeCountymedialaunchevent (potentiallyenlistawillinghomeowner whosehousemightserveasalaunching padformediatours)
bull Respondtorequestsfromcities
bull Providepre-writtenarticlesforcity communitynewsletters
bull Issuepresskitsandpressrelease(in EnglishandSpanish)announcing launch
Launch (October)
bull Mediaeventtoannouncelaunchand HomeEnergyMakeoverContestpoten-tiallyon-siteatahousetodemonstrate upgrades
bull SendoutradioPSAs
Milestones (through 2013)
bull Mediaeventtoannouncewinnersofthe HomeEnergyMakeovercontest(could beconductedon-sitesurprisingthe winners)
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 23
bull ldquoRe-launchrdquopressreleaseandmedia eventinMarch2011forasecondHome EnergyMakeoverContestwithastrong ldquogetreadyforsummerrdquotheme
bull Pressreleasewhen10000thperson receivesarebate
bull Pressreleasewhenotherappropriate milestonesarereachedorthefunding forincentivesisclosetobeingdepleted
2 Pilot Marketing Areas
Itwillbecriticalforthelong-termsuccessof marketingeffortstohaveasignificantnumber ofearlysuccessesthatgeneratepositivepub-licityandword-of-mouthencouragingothers toalsoparticipateTheCountyintendsto stimulatethemarketfortheseearlyadopters byintensifyingmarketingeffortsinspecific pilotmarketingareas(withzipcodebound-aries)wherebasedonextensiveconsumer
countywide marketingoutreach tactics
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
television
ad buys on Broadcast tV univision google tV Paid county
ldquothis old Houserdquo segment on whole house per-formance and rebates while renovating house (filming in la this summer)
earned county
coverage on mainstream and multicultural sta-tions
earned utilities county
ldquoinfomercialrdquo and promos on city tV Placed county
radio
nPR sponsorship Paid county
commute time spots Paid county
coverage on california Report earned utilities county
Psas on mainstream stations Placed utilities county
spots on multicultural stations Paid county
coverage in mainstream and multicultural papers
earned utilities county
sunset Magazine green Home section earned county
ads in la times and Daily news real estate sections
Paid utilities county
ads in multicultural papers Paid county
Direct Mail to targets Paid utilities
24 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
countywide marketingoutreach tactics (conrsquot)
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
social media
Blogs (about homes environment bargains) earned county
Facebook page Placed county
ads targeted to interest in environment and or home improvements (this old House etc)
Paid county
google adWords targeted to interest in environment andor home improvements
Paid county
twitter both by the Program and by individual early adopters (with incentives)
Placed county
youtube early adopters make a video about their experience and results (with incentives)
Placed county
out of Home
Retail kiosks banners flyers links on retail websites
Placed utilities
community organizations
environmental groups and others newsletters websites email blasts
earned county
Home improvement shows booths Paid county
countywide events Paid utilities
Bloggersubject matter events Paid county
researchhighpercentagesoftargetaudiences livePilotmarketingprogramsinthoseareas willtesttheextentcommunity-basedmarket-ingpositivelyimpactsparticipationratesan effortrelatedtoRetrofitRampUpproposal requirements
Demographicdataprovidedbythemarketre-searchwillbeoverlaidwithenergyusagedata AdditionallyGIS-basedmarketanalysisatthe parcellevel(describedabove)willallowfor pinpointingofspecificneighborhoodswithin thepilotareasforoutreachthatcaninclude
door-to-doordirectmailandmarketingby contractorsaspartofaldquowholeneighbor-hoodrdquoapproachFocusingonpilotareaswill alsomeettheRetrofitRampUprequirements oftheDepartmentofEnergyFollowingisa summaryofplannedmarketingandoutreach efforts
Marketresearch-basedcriteriaforchoosing about15pilotareaswillinclude
Clusters of houses built before 1978 Thoselivinginolderhomesespecially
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 25
builtbeforeCaliforniarsquosEnergyEfficiency Standardsaremorelikelytobelievethat theirhousemightbeenergyinefficient andcouldbenefitfromenergyefficiency improvementsmdashandberesponsivetoan energyupgrade
High percentage of homeownership Thesemarketingeffortsfocusonsingle-familyresidentialhomeownerssoareas withhighrentalrateswillnotprovidea largeenoughnumberofeligibleunits
Income over $60000Thosewith incomesunder$60000didnotbelieve theywouldhavesufficientincometomake improvementsevenwithrebatesThey werenotinterestedinloans(manywith lowincomesalsofindthemselvesldquounder-waterrdquoontheirloansandthusnoteligible forsomefinancing)Inadditionwefound somepush-backinfocusgroupsabout ldquogovernmentofferingloanstopeoplewho canrsquotaffordthemafterthesub-primeloan debaclerdquo
Population with a high percentage of college-educatedThosewithacollege degreearemuchmorelikelytoindicate apreferencetomakeenergyefficiency upgradesThosewhohadcompletedsome collegeeducationarealsomorelikelyto indicateapreferenceforenergyefficiency upgradesthanthosewhohadnotcom-pletedany
Population with a high percentage of those age 35-54Thosewithchildren andorexpandingfamiliesaremorelikely tomakeimprovementsthanthoseunder 30(thereareveryfewhomeownersunder 30)andthoseover54
High percentage of households with 4+ peopleHouseholdswithmorepeople havehigherenergybillsResearchshows thatthoseinhomeswithmorethan4
peoplebelieveenergyupgradescanmakea bigimpactontheirbills
High energy usage Thehigherenergy usage(andbills)themorelikelypeopleare tobelievethatenergyefficiencyimprove-mentswillmakeadifferenceintheirbills
Afterlayeringthisinformationtocomeup withalistofpotentialareaswefurthercon-sidered
Clusters of 8000-20000 homesThe areashouldbelargeenoughtoprovidesub-stantialnumbersofeligibleunitsbutsmall enoughtoenablereachingmajorityofresi-dentsandgeneratingword-of-mouth
Has a diverse multicultural commu-nityAreasshouldhavestrongcommunity identitiesandsenseofplacesocommunity membersareproudofwheretheyliveand areencouragedtoimprovetheircommu-nity
Has strong neighborhood and com-munity organizationsWeneedto engagetheseorganizationsaspartnersto helpspreadtheword
Has existing communications such as newsletters blogsWeneedtoreach membersthroughexistingcrediblesources thatresidentsalreadyuseandtrust
ldquoSpill overrdquo opportunities to nearby neighborhoodsSincemarketingand mediaeffortswillpotentiallyalsobeseen byneighborsareasshouldbenearother areasthatmayalsomeettheprimary criteria
Climatetime of yearIndetermining whentorolloutthepilotswecantarget interiorareasinspringandcoastalareasin coldweather
26 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Basedonthemarketresearchcriteriafive pilotmarketingareasarescheduledforintense marketingatlaunchwithanadditional10 areasscheduledforintensemarketingin Spring2011
Thepilotmarketstrategyissupportedby theparcel-basedmarketanalysiswhichwill identifywhichneighborhoodspropertieswill bethebesttotargetusingthisapproachThe marketanalysiswillallowlimitedmarketing fundingtobeleveragedbyfocusingonthose thataremostlikelytorespondtothemarket-ingefforts
Wewillcreatemessagesandvisualsspecifical-lytailoredtoeachtargetcommunityrsquoscultural andlinguisticpreferencesImagessymbols andiconstypographycolorandoverall designcarrydifferentmeaningsindifferent culturesAmessageistypicallymosteffective ifitiscreatedwithcarefulattentiontothese idiosyncrasiesandwithintheldquoculturalmind-setrdquooftherecipientsCreatingheadlinesand taglinesdirectlyinthetargetlanguagerather thansimplytranslatingEnglishadvertising copyensuresthatcopyhasthecorrectrhythm andrhymeandisthereforemuchmore attention-grabbingandmemorable
Community Incentives Energy Champion Program Severalconceptsareunderconsiderationto developacommunityincentivestrategyto promoteparticipationinlinewiththeRetrofit RampUpproposalforinnovativeincentiveap-proachesIncentivesmaybedirectedatenergy auditscommunity-basedorganizationsthose willingtoprovidetestimonialsorblogtweet andpublicrecognitionefforts
Grassroots Community Organizing-Trainedorganizerswillpresentinformationat themeetingsof12-15influentialcommunity leadersandcommunity-basedorganizationsin
eachpilotareacapturetheircontactdataand helpspreadtheinformationtotheirmembers throughtheirnewsletterseventsandwebsites TheProgramwillprovidepre-writtencus-tomizablearticlespresentationsorvideoand websiteldquobuttonsrdquotolinktotheProgramsite Eachgroupwillbeofferedanincentiveofado-nationtotheirorganizationforeverymember whocompletesahomeenergyupgradeThis willencourageCBOvolunteerstoincrease theirmarketingeffortsFriendlyrivalrieswill beencouragedCommunitygroupswillreport namesofparticipantscheckedforjobcomple-tionbytheProgram(underdevelopment)
Community Events One-on-onefacetimewithhomeownersis anidealwaytoengagepotentialparticipants Well-trainedorganizerswillattendfiveevents ineachtargetareaprovidinghomeowners withinformation(pocketsizemultilingual handouts)andcapturingtheircontactinfor-mationforfollowupTheycanhavehome-ownerssignuponthewebsiteonsiteifappro-priateandperhapsevenhavethemprovideus withavideocommitmentldquoItookthePledgerdquo withpermissiontopostonthewebsiteAsa luretotheboothhomeownerswillbeoffered freeitemssuchaslightbulbsmagnetsand reusablecupswithcoldwater(imprintedwith thewebsite)manufacturedintheUS
Print Radio Outdoor and Out-of Home Advertising Localmediawillcoverthelaunchofthe Programandwewillstrategicallyplaceads inlocalmediaandcommunitynewsletters Outdooradvertising(smallstreet-levelbiode-gradableeco-postersbussheltersbussides) strategicallyplacedinhigh-trafficareaswillre-inforcethemessageoveraone-monthperiod
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 27
Pilot Area Example Altadena Altadenawasidentifiedasacommunitythat fitsourtargetcriteriaItisadiverseunincor-poratedcommunitywithsixneighborhoods andanapproximatepopulationof40000The averagehouseholdincomeisabout$94000 Morethan50ofadultresidentsaremarried withchildrenandcommuteanaverageof62 milesperdaytowhite-collarjobsFully40of theadultsinthiscommunityhaveabachelors
degreeorhigherandareinvolvedinmany communityeventsandorganizationsThere areapproximately12000homesinthiscom-munityand10000ofthosehomesareowner-occupiedThegraphicshowshowoutreach wouldbeconcentratedinthisarea
pilot area outreachmarketing tactics
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
radio
Psas on multicultural stations earned county
coverage in local papers earned county
ads in local and multicultural papers Paid county
outdoor
Bus shelters in area Paid county
on-street lampost signage Paid county
Billboards Paid county
social media
Blogs (relevant to the area) earned county
online ads targeted by location Paid county
listserves of neighborhood associations (through cities)
earned county
out of Home
Movie theater ads in area Paid county
lawn signs on homes in area (through contractors)
Paid county
community organizations
community meetings with incentives to organizations for participation
earnedPaid county
community events Paid county Door hangers Paid county
28 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Home Depot
Ace Hardware
Lowersquos
Master Builders
Great Indoors
Home Expo
altadena marketing target
Hoy La Opinioacuten
Pasadena Star News
Altadena Headlines Examiner
Boulevard Magazine
Arroyo Magazine
Pasadena Weekly
Altadena Connection
Sentinel
KLVE
KPCC Pasadena
KCBS
KROQ Pasadena
KAZN Pasadena
Church Bulletins
Summer Concert Series at Farnsworth Park
Fourth of July Fireworks at
Town amp Country Club
Black History Parade
World Music Festival in Pasadena
Haunted House at
Farnsworth Park
Art Break
Rose Parade
National Latino
Congreso
Altadena Neighborhood Association
Altadena Chamber of Commerce
Altadena Arts Council
Altadena Town Council
Faith-based Organizations
Altadena Town amp Country Club
Altadena League of
Women Voters
Altadena Historical Society
Altadena Community Improvement Center
Sheriff Support Group
Santa Coming to Farnsworth
Park
Altadena California
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 29
3 Trigger-Event Marketing
Thissuiteofstrategieswillbeaimedatcaptur-ingenergyefficiencyopportunitiesfrommul-tipletriggereventsParticipantswillmainly comethroughcontractorsrealtorsandretail partnerspropertyownerswillhavealsoseen countywideadvertising
trigger event marketing
4 City and COG Outreach
OutreachbyCitiesandCOGswillbecritical becauseoftheirexistingrelationshipswith localconstituenciesCitieswillbeprovided withamini-marketingplantalkingpoints videocustomizabletemplatesoffactsheets articlesfortheirnewslettersandadvertising
EvENT dESCRIPTION LEAd AGENT COLLATERAL TACTIC
1 Replace on burnout (heating air conditioners water heaters)
Homeowners either in process of replacing an item or have already done some efficiency projects
county bull Retail partners
bull HVac installers
bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors installers
bull Retail displays
2 life-stage changes (growing family)
Homeowners working with a contractor
county bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors bull ads in media for home remodels
3 Home remodel Homeowners working with an architect contractor
county bull contractors bull architects
bull Materials for contractors
bull ads in media for home remodels
3 improvements at time of purchase
Homeowners interested are preparing a new home for move-in (research shows more interest at purchase than at sale)
shared bull contractors bull Realtors bull Home
inspectors bull city permit
offices bull city welcome
kits bull Retail
bull Brochures for cities
bull ads in weekend homes for sale sections
bull Presentations to realtor groups
bull Retail displays
4 improvements at sale
House owners preparing for sale
county bull contractors bull Realtors
bull Materials for contractors
5 complaints high utility bills cold hot house
Homeowners aware of energy-saving improvements but not whole house approach
county bull contractors bull HeRs raters
bull Materials for contractors
30 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
city amp cog outreach
materialssotheycandeveloplow-costout-reachtotheirresidentsCitieswithcommuni-tiestargetedinthePilotAreaMarketingplans willbeinformedandencouragedtodoout-reachtothoseareasAllCitieswillbeencour-agedtodothefollowing
Run stories in print and online news-letters
Send information to neighborhood associations homeowners associa-tions historic preservation districts and other appropriate community organizations
Provide information in City permit-ting offices and City Hall lobbies
Provide information at strategically located Environmental Information Centers and at COG office locations
Provide information in ldquonew home-ownersrdquo welcome kits (either directly from the city or through title compa-
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAId EARNEd
LEAd
pio coordination contact all participating citiesrsquo Pios na county
letters Key messages for letters from mayors etc to constituents Provide to Pios or city managers
na county
Website links Button for cities to place on their website to link to Program site
na county
city tV informational videos and spot promos Placed county
Welcome brochure
Brochure aimed at new homeowners before they move in
na county
articles Pre-written customizable newsletter articles earned county
email blasts Pre-written customizable info spots for communityneighborhood listserves
earned county
niesmortgage brokers)
Run videos and spots on City TV stations
5 Contractor Marketing
Localcontractorsarecriticaltothesuccess ofEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLosAngeles CountyTheyprovidetheservicesthatcom-prisetheProgramandtheycanhelpmarket theProgramtopropertyownersInfactwe estimatethatupto50ofProgrampartici-pantswillentertheProgramthrougharela-tionshipwithacontractor(theymayhavealso seenmediacoverageandadvertisingwhich spurredthemtotakeaction)Thisuniquerole requiresthattheProgramtakeatwo-tiered approachofengagingthecontractormdashmoti-vatinglocalbuildingprofessionalstoundergo thetrainingandcertificationprocessandalso providingthemwiththetoolstoeffectively promotetheprogramtoexistingandnew clientsThefollowingsectiondescribesspecific
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 31
contractor target
United Brotherhood Building Industry Carpenters (Training)
Association ofSouthern California
Email Blast
Contractors Magazines
Contractor
OnlineAds
Big Box Stores
ConractorsLicensing Schools
Realtor Associations
strategiesassociatedwithbothapproaches
Forthepurposesoftheprogramcontractors aredividedintoparticularsegmentsbasedon thetypeofserviceprovidedAninitialanalysis oftheindustryrevealedthefollowinglikely categories
HomePerformance(HP)Contractors
ProductionBuilders
HVACSystemSpecialtyTrades (windowsetc)
RemodelingContractors
SolarContractors
BuildingPerformance
Institute
Southwest Regional
City Permit Association
Offices of Carpenters
Lumber Yards
StateLicensing
Board
American Instituteof Architects
LA Chapter
Outreach to Contractors TheProgramwillcoordinatewithcontractor groupsandotherbuildingprofessionaltrade organizationstoschedulebriefpresentations abouttheProgramandthecontractortraining processForlargerorganizationsthePro-grammayworkdirectlywiththecompanyto arrangeon-sitepresentationsThesepresenta-tionsareinformalinnatureandwillbeusedto promotethecertificationorientationsrequired forcontractorparticipationintheprogram
KeyMessagestoContractors
$30millioninAmericanRecoveryand ReinvestmentActmoneyisworkinginLA Countytocreateconstructionindustryjobs
32 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
EnergyUpgradeCaliforniaOffersbig rebatesandfinancingoptionsfor homeownersdoinghomeenergy efficiencyretrofits
Therewillbemarketingandadvertis-ingstatewideandlocallytopromotethe Program
Therewillbemarketingmaterialsforyou tousetomarketyourbusiness
YoumustbelicensedandBuildingPerfor-manceInstitute-certifiedtobepartofthe Program
HomeownersmustworkwithBPI-certified contractorstheyrsquollchoosefromacontrac-tordatabaseonthewebsite
KeyOutreachMethods
BuildingIndustryAssociationofSouthern California
SouthwestRegionalCouncilofCarpenters
RealtorsAssociation
UnitedBrotherhood-Carpenters(Training Program)
Citypermittingoffice
Lumberyards
AmericanInstituteofArchitectsLA Chapter(toeducatethemaswell)
ArticlesinformationinContractortrade publications(magazinesnewslettersetc) magazines
CarpentersUnionLocals
ContractorsLicenseSchools(andonline)
BigBoxHomeImprovementstores(de-pendingonIOUrelationships)
wwwcslbcagov
Emailblasttoalllicensedcontractors
Contractor Outreach to Consumers Differentopportunitiesexistfordifferent contractorsdependingontheprobablework scopeThefollowingtableoutlinesafew potentialpathwaysforhowcontractorscan participateintheProgram
contractors outreach to customers
CONTRACTOR TyPE
TRIGGER EvENT vALUE TO CONTRACTOR
BUSINESS MOdEL
Home Performance upgrade lead generation scale for high volume
Production Builder new Business Development
create new division
HVac Replacement lead generation Value-add
expand services
specialty trade lead generation Partner with certified gc
Remodeler Remodel life-stage transition
Value-add sub work to HP contractor
solar Renewables lead generation Partner with certified gc
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 33
BPI-certifiedgeneralcontractorswillbelisted ontheEnergyUpgradeconsumerwebsite sendingmanyleadsdirectlytothemThey alsohaveaccesstotheldquoheatmapsrdquotousefor developingtheirownadvertisingcampaigns
Contractorswillbeattendingorientationses-sionstoensuretheythoroughlyunderstand theProgramrebatesfinancingoptionsand canhelpguidetheircustomersthroughthe processTheywillbeprovidedwithContractor MarketingKitstoensuretheyhaveathandthe keymessagesthathavebeenresonatingwith homeownersandhaveinformationtogive topotentialcustomerswhomightormight nothavebeentothewebsiteKitscanbesent directlytocontractorsordistributedatthe orientationsessionsKitswillcontain
Talkingpoints
DVDofthevideo
Printedfactsheetstoleavewithcustomers (withroomfortheircontactinfo)more canbeordered
Printedldquoslimjimrdquoprogrambrochure
Printedlengthierbrochuresaboutthe wholehouseapproach(brandedby Scientific American Magazine)
CDwithldquobuttonrdquotolinktoEnergyUpgrade fromtheirownwebsitesandPDFsofsite signageforprinting
Contractorswillhaveaccesstoaseparatesec-tionofthewebsitewheretheywillfindinfor-mationaboutProgrameventspromotionsand advertisinganon-demandprintsectionfor additionalcopiesofbrochuresanychanges totheProgramandasingletradecontractor databaseforassemblingteamsforcustomers whowouldlikesolarpanelsornewwindows forexample
6 Realtor Marketing
Giventhatthenationalaveragelengthofhome ownershipisroughlysixyearsrealestate agentswillbeincontactandadvisingalarge percentageofthenewandexistinghomeown-ersthatEnergyUpgradeistargetingforhome energyretrofitsThishighlevelofinfluence makesrealtorsoneofthelargestpartner groups
Realestateagentswillbeengagedonthree levels
1) Outreach
2) Training
3) Support
Outreach Outreachwillbeconductedthroughavariety ofvenuesthatwillincludeCaliforniaAssocia-tionofRealtorsreg(CAR)regionalconferences heldinSouthernCaliforniapartnershipwith themanyrealtorassociationslocatedinLos AngelesCountyanddirectvisitstorealestate agentsrsquoofficesforshortpresentationsPart-nershipswiththe15-20localRealtorsAsso-ciationswillbeachievedthroughoneormore RealtorAdvisoryBoardswhichincludethe GovernmentAffairsDirectorsfromeachof theseorganizationsAselectfewoftheseor-ganizationswillbeusedaspilotsfortargeted outreachduringearlystagesoftheProgram Oncethestrategyhasbeentestedandrevised itwillberolledouttoalloftheRealtorsAs-sociationsinLosAngelesCounty
ThefallCARRealtorExpowillbethemain kickoffeventforoutreachtoindividualreal-torsandrealtorofficesEnergyUpgradeplans tohavea30-minutetalkembeddedinthe SpeakersProgramandaboothsetuponthe ExpofloortoinformrealtorsaboutthePro-gramavailabletrainingsandthesupport
34 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
toolsthathavebeendevelopedThisevent willreachthemajorityofrealtorsintheLos Angelesareabutwillnotincludethelarge populationofrealestateagentsthatarenot membersofCARToreachthispopulation emailsocialmediaandtargetedofficevisits willbeconducted
Training EnergyUpgradewillprovidetrainingforreal estateagentsintwoformsTherealestate agenttrainingmodulecurrentlyunderdevel-opmentbyBuildItGreenwillbeusedasthe maintrainingforumThistrainingmodule isexpectedtotaketwofulldaystocomplete andwillcoverpropertyassessedcleanenergy financingenergyefficientmortgagesrebate programsbuildingscienceenergyefficiency andgreenbuildingpracticesappropriateto California
Additionalweb-basedtrainingwillbeprovided tointroducerealestateagentstotheProgram andtodrivethemtogetin-persontraining throughtheBuildItGreentrainingmodule
Support Cultivatingandclosingtoolswillbegener-atedtoassistrealtorsinusingEnergyUpgrade Californiatradetoexpandtheirbusinesswhile drivinghigherlevelsofprogramparticipation RealtorKitswillbesimilartotheContractor Kitsandtheywillhaveaccesstothedatabase ofgeneralandsingletradecontractors
7 Retail Partner Marketing
Utilitieswillpartnerwithretailoutletsthat canincludeBestBuyCostcoSearsLowes andHomeDepotParticipatingretailoutlets willbeprovided
Information centersEnd-displays detailingtheEnergyUpgradeProgram withadiagramillustratingthehouseas asystemconcept(multiplecomponents thatacttogethertomaximizesavings)and actionscustomerscantaketocapturethose savingsandrebatesIn-storecustomer educationcanshiftcustomerperception ofenergyupgradesandmotivatethem toparticipateinmultipleenergy-efficient measuresinsteadofjustoneAnadditional benefitfortheretailerisassociationwith thestatewideprogram
Program collateral One-sheet takeawaysforcustomerstoreference andshare
Video Theshortvideoscanbeplayed onaloop
Table tent cardsPlacedthroughout storesectionsthatcorrelatewiththe EnergyUpgradeProgram(CFLsappli-ancesceilingfansinsulationwindows) Againthiswillencouragecustomersto performmultipleenergyupgradesinstead ofjustoneCross-promotionhelpseducate customersandencourageparticipationin multiplemeasuresthusincreasingproduct purchase
Window clings ldquoOfficialEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaInformationCenterrdquotagline bannersplacedatstorefrontThiswillpo-sitiontheretailerasanactiveparticipantin thestatewideprogramandbuildsretailer credibilityasagreenadvocate
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 35
8 Multi-Family Outreach
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesandsched-ulesarestillinplanningphasesandbeing developedthroughastatewideconsortium
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesarebeing
developed
36 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
evaluation
Theprimarygoalsofthemarketingplanareto buildpositiveawarenessoftheEnergyUp-gradeCaliforniaProgramandcreateasus-tainedmarketforawholehouseapproach(see page8)Objectivesarespecifictothoseachiev-ingthosegoalsLosAngelesCountyresidents willseemultipleiterationsofmediacoverage paidadvertisingin-storedisplayscontractor marketingandin-personpresentations(inthe pilotmarketingareas)Forexamplearesi-dentinAltadenamightseethemoreintensive marketingandoutreacheffortsThatmayspur themtoactionmdashbutiftheyalreadyhadplans toremodelorhadpreviouslyworkedwitha contractortheymightcalltheircontractorand thusactuallycometotheprogramthrough thecontractorThereforeitwillnotbeeasy todeterminepreciselywhathasmotivated eachpersontoparticipateinEnergyUpgrade Objectivestomeetinclude
About35-45ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughthemarket-ingandoutreacheffortsTomonitorwe willincludeashortsurveyaspartofthe rebateapplicationprocessaskingpartici-pantswhatdrewthemtothewebsiteand totheProgramThewebsitecanmonitor clickthroughstocontractorssitesfrom theProgramwebsiteprovidinganindica-tionofpotentialparticpantswhocameto thesitebeforehavingacontractorOnce apropertyownerinputsanaddressthe websitewillbeabletospecificallymonitor ifthatparticipantasksformultiple estimatesfromcontractorsanotherindica-
toroffindingacontractorthroughthesite
About45-50ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughcontractors Wewillaskcontractorstoprovideinfor-mationabouttheirmarketingeffortsand successratesTheywillbeabletoidentify participantsgainedthroughtheirownmar-ketingefforts
300000uniquehitsonthewebsitewhich willbemonitoredbythewebsiteFurther thewebsitewillanalyzewherevisitors camefrom(egaclickthroughfroman onlineadfromacontractorrsquoswebsite orduringthespecifictimeframeofanad campaign)
Virtualandactualldquoword-of-mouthrdquore-portedbymonitoringsocialmedia
Communicationskitsandmarketingkits availablebothphysicallyandthroughan on-demandprintsitemonitoredbyclient
Informationalmaterialsforcitiesmoni-toredbySouthBayCitiesCouncilofGov-ernments
50000000mediaadvertisingin-person impressionsmonitoredbybroadcast printonlinestatisticsandreportsfrom grassrootsmarketingefforts
Consolidatedinformationinone-stop-shop approachwillbedeliveredthroughthe website
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 37
description of marketing communication tools
PlacedEarned Social Media ThePlancallsforsocialmediatopushinfor-mationtoourtargetaudiencesincreaseper-ceptionsoftheProgramascommunity-based reachthosewhowillhelpgenerateadditional buzzindependentmarketingeffortsaboutthe Programandprovideamechanismforlisten-ingtowhatpeoplearesayingaboutEnergy Upgrademdashandrespondingwhennecessary
Online Paid Advertising Onlineadvertisingcampaignscanbeverycost-effectiveandhighlytargetedbydemographics areasofinterestandgeographicsAdsappear ontopic-relatedblogsonsearchenginepages (egGoogle)andoncontentpages(egwhen yousearchforinformationaboutarelated topicandselectawebsitetoview)
Types of Users Targetadsbyage genderincomelanguagepreferencezip codeorhotspots
Types of SearchesTargetadsbytypeof searchconductedbasedonkeywords
Adsareusuallysoldperldquoclickrdquomdashtheviewer hasclickedontheadandbeensenttothe EnergyUpgradeCAwebsiteWewillmake fourtypesofonlineadpurchases
1 Googleadsthatplaceadsbothonits searchpagesandonhundredsofwebsites targetedbytheabove
2 Networksthattargetspecificsitesand blogsthatmatchourtargetaudiences(eg HiveBlogsLosAngelesthatoffers350LA blogstochoosefrom)
3 Directlythroughselectpublishers(eg CurbedLAGreenGirlLAlocalpapers online)
4 Onlineeditionsoflocalpapersinpilot marketingareas
Twitter Twitterusersaremostlycollegegraduates haveattendedgraduateschoolandlivein householdsmakingover$50000ayear (nationally)Usersarethreetimesmorelikely tofollowbrandsandcompaniesonTwitter thanotherusersofsocialnetworkswith40 specificallyusingTwittertolearnaboutand provideopinionsonbrands
Twittercanpushthelatestdevelopmentsand newstopeoplewhohaveexpressedaninter-estedintheProgram(theymustsignupto receiveourTweetsorhavesearchedfortag wordsincludedinourTweets)Itrsquosalsoan easywayforthosewhofollowEnergyUpgrade onTwittertoshareTweetswiththeirfriends
38 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
therebygeneratingbuzzandhelpingmarket theProgramTwittercanshareProgram newsinrealtimedrivepeopletothewebsite facilitateearlyadoptersbuzzmakersreach youngerhomeownersandincreasemarketing effortsatalowcostTwittercanbeeffectively usedtocommunicatetheProgramandits milestonesinavarietyofways
bull Tweetaboutpressreleasesmajoran-nouncementsnewitemsonwebsiteor blogsmediastoriesandarticlesespecially aboutthosethataretimesensitiveandtell ouraudiencewhatishappeningwiththe Programandencouragesthemtopartici-pateorfindoutmore
bull PutaTweeticononthemainwebsiteal-lowingvisitorstothewebsitetobeginto followEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLos AngelesCountyonTwitterwithoneclick
bull FollowotherswhoTweetaboutthe ProgramaswellasthosewhoTweetabout relatedtopicsThiswillprovideanop-portunitytodirectlyrespondtoaperson whohasaquestionabouttheProgramand pointthemtoalinktothewebsite
Tweet Examples
bull ldquo100LAhomeownershavesigned upfortheProgramatwwwEnergyUpgra-deCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoReadaboutLArsquosnewenergyefficiency rebateProgramintheLAtimes httpwwwlatimesgreenblogcomrdquo
bull ldquoWanttosaveonyourutilitybills CheckoutwwwEnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoSignupfortheHomeEnergyUpgrade contestforachancetowinafree homeenergyefficiencyretrofitat EnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
Cost and Budget
SettingupaTwitteraccountisfreeasisusing anapplicationsuchasTweetDeckthathelps followotherswhoareTweetingaboutEnergy UpgradeCaliforniaTheonlysignificantcostis stafftimewhichcanbelimitedtoafewhours aweek
Facebook Facebookisalow-costandeasywayofboth marketingtheProgramandsupportingan onlinecommunityofpeopleinterestedinthe ProgramItwillreachaudienceswhoaremore likelytospendtimeonFacebookversusaweb-siteandwhomayprefertoreceiveshortreal timeProgramnewsviaFacebookratherthan emailsorwebsitesItisidealforpostinglinks tovideosandphotosrelatedtotheprojectIt complementsthewebsiteaplacewherefans oftheProgramcanfindinformationaskques-tionsandshareideasandexcitementThese fanswillgeneratebuzzbytellingtheirfriends abouttheProgramthroughFacebook
AFacebookpagewillcontaininformation abouttheProgramalinktothewebsite Programnewsvideosphotographsandother informationWhenthepageisupdatedfans willreceivelinksinemailalertingthemtothe newposts
Facebookisalsoidealforsharingthestoryof anearlyadopter(whowillalsoTweet)through updatesphotographsandvideosItlends itselfmuchmorenaturallytothispeople-fo-cusedapproachthanawebsitewhichismore formal
Additionalpoints
bull EncourageandperhapsrewardProgram adopterstosharetheirexperiencesask questionsetc
bull Setupcontrolstodeterminewhatcontent Fanscanposttothewall
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 39
bull Monitorupdatestothewallandtakedown Therearemanyexistingblogsthatcanbeused inappropriatecontent
bull Respondtoissuesquestionsandtakepart intheconversation
bull Adesignatedstaffpersonshouldmonitor thesiteitisalsoidealifseveralstaff memberspostcontentandifpartnersare activeparticipantsalthoughtheoverall strategyshouldbecentralized
Facebook Examples
Herearesomeexamplesofthetypesofpost-ingsforaFacebookpage
bull ldquoTheLATimesdescribesEnergyUpgrade CAasaperfectopportunitytobegreenand savemoneymdashintheFridaymoneysectionrdquo
bull ldquoWhydidyoudecidetoparticipatein EnergyUpgradeCATellushowyour energyefficiencyretrofitisgoingandwersquoll enteryouforachancetowina$50Home Depotgiftcardrdquo
bull ldquoWonderingwhetherEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaisrightforyouCheckoutthis videooftheSmithsinstallingnewinsula-tionandwindows--andreceivinga$3500 rebaterdquo
Cost and Budget
Relativelyfewdirectcostsstafftimewill fluctuateduringbusycalmperiodswithhigh activityatthebeginningastheProgramkicks offandafanbaseisestablishedOngoingstaff timeneededtokeeppagefreshwith3-4posts weekdailymaintenancerequiredtomonitor postingsfromfans
Blogs Blogsreachtargetaudienceswhoarealready interestedinrelatedtopicsandwhohavehigh potentialtoparticipateintheProgram
tofurthermarketingefforts
bull Identifybloggerswhowilllikelywrite positivelyabouttheProgramSendpress releasefactsheetsandPrograminforma-tiontobloggerswhowriteabouttopics suchastheenvironmentenergyefficiency homeimprovementremodelingreal estatehousingbargainssavingmoneyas wellastocompaniesthatsellsolarpanels contractorsetc
bull Bloggersarelookingfortopicalstoriesto writeaboutandwewillmaketheirnext blogposteasyBecauseEnergyUpgradeis ahighrewardoptionalProgrambloggers willwritefavorablyandhelptellthestory inafriendlyaccessibleandeasy-to-under-standway(althoughwedonrsquothavecontrol overwhattheywrite)Peoplewhoaredis-satisfiedwillwritenegativecommentsbut wewillmonitorblogsandactivelycorrect misperceptions
bull Tomonitorwhatothersarewritingabout EnergyUpgradeontheirblogswewilluse freeprogramslikeTechnoratiorGoogle Readertoscanallblogsandwebsitesthat mentiontheProgram
Blogs to Reach
Green Girl LA Blog (httpgreenlagirlcom)Thisindependent blogisfocusedonenvironmentalhap-peningsinLosAngelesArecentpostwas aboutagreennetworkingeventfeaturing TheBuildingDoctorspresentingwaysto makeyourhousemoreenergyefficient PreviouslyareporterbloggerfortheLA Timesthewriterisactiveandcoversa widevarietyofenvironmentalgreentopics happeninginLosAngeles
40 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
LA Times HomeBlog (wwwlatimesblogslatimescomhome_
blog)focusesontopicsrelatedtohouses andhashadseveralrecentpostsabout greenremodelingOneadvantageofa majornewspaperisthatthereportingis accurateandthereadershipislargerThey recentlywroteaboutauditionsforThisOld HousewhichisfeaturingaLosAngeles areahouseforasummerremodel
Bargain Babe (wwwbargainbabelatownluxecom) featuresLosAngelesbargainsYoucan searchforbargainsbyareaofLA(West-sideetc)orbytopicThisbloggerrecently wroteaboutappliancerebates
LA Times Green Remodeling (wwwlatimesblogslatimescompar-donourdustgreen_remodeling)writes aboutalltopicsrelatedtoremodelingin SouthernCaliforniawithseveralrecent postsongreentopicsArecentpostre-viewedthedifferentadvantagesofinstall-ingvarioustanklesswaterheatersPitch thatthebloggerfollowahomeenergy retrofitandhelptelltheirstoryaswellas announcebasicPrograminformation
LA Times Personal Finance wwwlatimescombusinesspersonal-finance
Home Remodeling wwwkathysremodelingblogcom
Energy Efficiency wwwlowimpactlivingcomblog
LA CreekFreak
LA Observed
LAist
YouTube PostallvideosrelatedtotheprojectonYou-TubeWewillworkwithourmediapartners todevelopacontestforearlyadopterstofilm theirexperienceandletwebsitevisitorsvote onthebestWinnerreceivesaprizetobe determined
ListServes Listservesreachgroupsofpeoplewhoare interestedinasimilartopicorwholiveina specificneighborhoodSendemailblaststo listservessuchasneighborhoodassociations homeremodelersandenvironmentalgroups withanenergyfocusCitystaffhasinforma-tionaddressesofneighborhoodandhom-eownerassociationslists
Multimedia for Presentations Website Developanengaginginformative6-8minute videofocusingoncontractorsandhomeown-ersthatcanbeusedduringpresentationsand presentedonCityTVThevideowillbeshot bothinEnglishandinSpanishandcover
bull Howtherebatesworktocreateasenseof urgencyaboutdoingtheenergyupgrades soonerratherputtingitofftotakeadvan-tageoftherebates
bull Theldquosealthenenhancerdquowholehouse concept
bull WhattheProgramelementsactuallylook likeandhowtheyareinstalledtoover-comebarrierssuchasthatonemighthave tomoveoutofthehouseortheenergy upgradesareldquouglyrdquo
bull Workingwithacontractorwhatbeing licensedandcertifiedmeansgettingmul-tiplebids
bull Financingoptions
bull Doingthepaperwork
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 41
Fromthatvideodevelop
bull Threeindividual2-minutevideosforuse onlineeachfocusingonaspecifictopicmdash
againinbothEnglishandSpanish
bull A15anda30spoteachinEnglishand SpanishforuseonCityTVandbroadcast
stations
Print Collateral Customizable fact sheetsInforma-tionsheets(onepagefrontandback)in EnglishSpanishandChinesethatcanalso bepostedonthewebsiteasPDFs
Program brochureMorehighlyde-signedforplacementinmunicipaloffices andevents
Customizable Brochure Brandedwith SunsetMagazineorNationalGeographic forcontractorsandrealtorstohandto customers
SignageBannersforeventsandstreet lamppostspostersformunicipaloffices andsmalleventsandpotentiallysignage forbussidestransitshelters
Speakers kits Countyandcitystaffwillreceivekitstoensure everyoneisfamiliarwithkeymessagesandhas informationtogivetoconstituentsThesecan besentdirectlytocitiesordistributedthrough COGsKitswillcontain
bull Talkingpoints
bull DVDofthevideo
bull PPTpresentationforpublicmeetings
bull Printedbrochuresforpermitofficesto includewithwelcomepacketsfornewho-meowners
bull Articlesandphotostheycanrunintheir onlineorprintedcitynewsletters
bull CDwithtemplatesforquickprintingand websitebuttontolinkfromtheirwebsiteto EnergyUpgradeCalifornia
42 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
description of key messages
Thefollowingmessageshadthehighestreso-nanceinpollingandfocusgroupsbothinLos AngelesCountyandtheBayArea
Primary Motivators Thefollowingtwomessagesaboutsaving moneyarekeytomotivatingalltargetaudi-encesTheyshouldbepartofeverypieceof advertisingorcollateralproduced
1 RebatesHomeownerswhomakeenergy-savinghomeimprovementscanqualifyfor a$1500federaltaxcreditandrebatesof upto$3500dependingonhowmuchthey reduceenergyconsumptionAdditional motivatorTaxcreditsonlyavailable untilDecember312010(Rebatesare preferredovertaxcreditsbecauseitrsquoscash nowratherthanlateranddependingon incomenoteveryonecangetthecredit)
2 Save on Utility Bills Upgradingahome touselessenergyandwatercanreduce utilitybillsby20ormoremdashsavingyou moneyovertime
Secondary Motivators Thefollowingmessagesarethenlayeredde-pendingonwhichaudienceisbeingtargeted
Help the EnvironmentClimate Change Weallneedtodoourparttohelp theenvironmentandslowclimatechange Makingourhomesmoregreenandenergy efficientisanimportantstepweshouldall take
Reduce Foreign OilFossil FuelsAt atimewhenwearetryingtoreduceour dependenceonforeignoilandotherfossil fuelsupgradingtheenergyefficiencyof ourhomesisanimportantstepwecanall take(Infocusgroupstheconceptofenergy independencefurtherresonatedasinde-pendencefromutilitycompaniesgetting offthegrid)
Certified Contractors Save Money Speciallytrainedandcertifiedcontractors knowhowtofindimprovementsthatthe averagehomeownerwouldnotTheiras-sessmentswillensurethatyoufindmore energysavingsandthereforesavemore moneyonyourutilitybillsAdditional motivatorContractorsarecertifiedbythe BuildingPerformanceInstituteworking withtheDepartmentofEnergyandEnvi-ronmentalProtectionAgency
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 43
Increase Property ValuesHomesthat areenergy-efficientandenvironmentally friendlyaremoreappealingtohomebuyers Theseupgradescanincreaseyourproperty value
ComfortUpgradingyourhomersquosenergy efficiencymdashinparticularupgradinginsula-tionmdashcanmakeitamorecomfortableplace toliveNomoredraftycoldroomsinthe winterorhotstuffyroomsinthesummer
Indoor Air QualityInsulationand ventilationcanreduceallergyandasthma-causingmoldandmildewimproving indoorairqualityespeciallyforinfantsand thosewithhealthconditions
Messengers Homeownersprefertoreceiveinformation fromimpartialtrustedsourcesThesemes-sengersreceivedthehighestscoresinpolling
bull Neighborsandotherhomeowners
bull Contractorthehomeownerisalready workingwithorreferredbyfriendneigh-bor
bull Architectsdesignprofessionals
bull Gasandelectricutilities
bull Environmentalorganizations
bull Homeimprovementstorestaff(when equippedwithflyers)
44 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 45
- Cover
- Table of Contents13
- Summary Overview13
- Introduction13
- Programs Goals and Objectives13
- Marketing and Outreach Program Goals and Structure13
- Strategy13
- Evaluation13
- Description of Marketing Communication Tools13
- Description of Key Messages13
-
Identifying Locations of Target Audiences Thegeographiclocationoftargetaudiences willbeidentifiedthroughtwomarketanalysis efforts
Parcel-Based Market Analysis A detailedmarketanalysistosupportspecific piecesoftheoutreachandcommunications strategywillbeconductedwhichwillstart byidentifyingthelocationofaudiencesthat arereceptivetospecificoutreachstrategies Themarketanalysisisbeingconducted usingconsumermarketresearchcombined withdemographicdataandpropertychar-acteristicsdatafromtheCountyassessor Themainproductfortheanalysiswillbea separateanalysisreport(expectedAugust 2010)Thisreportwillincludecountywide ldquoheatmapsrdquothatidentifyareaswithahigh proportionoftargetpropertiesandare thereforeidealareasfortargetedmarket-ingThesemapscanbeusedforEnergy Upgradeorcontractormarketingstrate-gies
Pilot Marketing AreasTheCountywill intensifymarketingeffortsinspecificpilot marketingareaswherehighpercentagesof theEarlyAdopterandRetrofitReadyaudi-enceslive(seebelow)
2 Pilot Area Marketing TheCountyintendstostimulatethemarket andgeneratepositiveword-of-mouthby intensifyingmarketingeffortsinspecificpilot marketingareaswherebasedonextensive consumerresearchahighpercentageoftarget audienceslivePilotmarketingprogramsin thoseareaswilltesttheextentcommunity-basedmarketingpositivelyimpactsparticipa-tionrates
Todeterminewheretocreatetheintensemar-ketingpilotprogramsweusedcharacteristics basedonthestatisticallysignificantmarket researchmdashidentifyingthosewhoshowedthe highestinterestinparticipatinginanenergy upgradeWethenanalyzedneighborhoods throughoutthecountytodetermineareas wherehighpercentagesofthoseaudiences liveCharacteristicsinclude
Highpercentageofhousesbuiltbefore 1978
Highpercentageofhomeownership
Highenergyusage
Demographics ndashIncome$60000-$120000 ndashHighpercentageofcollege-educated ndashHighpercentageofpopulationage35-50 ndashHighpercentageofhouseholdswith 4+people
Additionalconsiderationsinclude
Aclusterof8000-20000homes(small enoughtoenableustoreachthemajority ofresidencesandgenerateword-of-mouth yetlargeenoughtoofferagoodsizedpool ofpeoplewithapropensitytobeinterested inanenergyupgrade)
Hasstrongneighborhoodandcommu-nityorganizationsthatwecanengageas partnersaswellasexistingcommunica-tionvehicles(municipalmainstreamand multicultural)
Offersldquospilloverrdquoopportunitiestonearby neighborhoodsthatalsohaveahighper-centageofourtargetaudiences
Basedonthemarketresearchfivepilot marketingareaswillbedevelopedatlaunch andtenphasedinduringthefollowingsix monthsOnesuggestedpilotmarketingarea
6 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Home Depot
Ace Hardware
Lowersquos
Master Builders
Great Indoors
Home Expo
isAltadenaadiverseunincorporatedcom-munityofabout40000residentsTheaver-agehouseholdincomeis$94000Morethan 50adultresidentsaremarriedwithchildren andcommuteanaverageof62milesperday towhite-collarjobsFully40oftheadults inthiscommunityhaveabachelorsdegreeor higherandareinvolvedinmanycommunity eventsandorganizationsThereareapproxi-mately12000homesinthiscommunityand 10000ofthosehomesareowner-occupied Thegraphicshowshowoutreachwouldbe concentratedinthisareaMarketingandout-reachwillinclude
altadena marketing target
Intense Grassroots Community OutreachWewillcontact10-12com-munity-basedorganizationsfaith-based organizationshomeownersassociations neighborhoodassociationsandcommunity leadersineachareaWewillprovidethese organizationswithtrainingandtoolsto becomeambassadorsfortheProgramand spreadthewordthroughouttheircommu-nities
Saturation MarketingIOUswillsend directmailtohomeownersTheCounty willcontactlocalpapersfornewsplace-mentandadssocialmediaandpotentially
Hoy La Opinioacuten
Pasadena Star News
Altadena Headlines Examiner
Boulevard Magazine
Arroyo Magazine
Pasadena Weekly
Altadena Connection
Sentinel
KLVE
KPCC Pasadena
KCBS
KROQ Pasadena
KAZN Pasadena
Church Bulletins
Summer Concert Series at Farnsworth Park
Fourth of July Fireworks at
Town amp Country Club
Black History Parade
World Music Festival in Pasadena
Haunted House at
Farnsworth Park
Art Break
Rose Parade
National Latino
Congreso
Altadena Neighborhood Association
Altadena Chamber of Commerce
Altadena Arts Council
Altadena Town Council
Faith-based Organizations
Altadena Town amp Country Club
Altadena League of
Women Voters
Altadena Historical Society
Altadena Community Improvement Center
Sheriff Support Group
Santa Coming to Farnsworth
Park
Altadena California
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 7
outdoor(bussheltersandsidesandstreet levelsignage)toincreaseimpressionsthat drivepeopletothewebsite
Energy Champion Awards Program Severalconceptsareunderconsideration todevelopacommunityincentivestrategy topromoteparticipationinlinewiththe RetrofitRampUpproposalforinnovative incentiveapproaches
3 Trigger Event Marketing Thissuiteofstrategieswillbeaimedatcap-turingenergyefficiencyopportunitiesfrom multipletriggereventsParticipantswill mainlycomethroughcontractorsrealtorsand retailpartnerspropertyownerswillhavealso seencountywideadvertisingTriggerevents include
Replacingoldornon-functioningHVAC systemsandwaterheaters
Remodelingforlife-stagechanges(growing family)orjusttorenewthehouse
Improvementsmadewhenpurchasingor sellingahouse
Complaintsabouthighenergybillsora coldhothouse
4 City and COG Outreach OutreachbyCitiesandCOGswillbecritical becauseoftheirexistingrelationshipswith localconstituenciesCitieswillbeprovided withamini-marketingplantalkingpoints videocustomizabletemplatesoffactsheets articlesfortheirnewslettersandadvertising materialssotheycandeveloplow-costout-reachtotheirresidentsCitieswithcommuni-tiestargetedinthePilotAreaMarketingplans willbeinformedandencouragedtodoout-reachtothoseareasAllCitieswillbeencour-agedto
Runstoriesinprintandonlinenewsletters
Sendinformationtoneighborhoodassocia-tionshomeownersassociationshistoric preservationdistrictsandotherappropri-atecommunityorganizations
ProvideinformationinCitypermitting officesandCityHalllobbies
Provideinformationatstrategicallylocated EnvironmentalInformationCentersandat COGofficelocations
Provideinformationinldquonewhomeown-ersrdquowelcomekits(eitherdirectlyfromthe cityorthroughtitlecompaniesmortgage brokers)
5 Contractor Marketing BPI-certifiedgeneralcontractorswillbelisted ontheEnergyUpgradeconsumerwebsite sendingmanyleadsdirectlytothemThey alsohaveaccesstotheldquoheatmapsrdquotousefor developingtheirownadvertisingcampaigns Contractorswillbeattendingorientationses-sionstoensuretheythoroughlyunderstand theProgramrebatesfinancingoptionsand canhelpguidetheircustomersthroughthe processTheywillbeprovidedwithContractor MarketingKitstoensuretheyhavekeymes-sagesathandthathavebeenresonatingwith homeownersandhaveinformationtogiveto potentialcustomerswhomayormaynothave visitedthewebsiteKitscanbesentdirectlyto contractorsordistributedattheorientation sessionsKitswillcontain
Talkingpoints
DVDofthevideo
Printedfactsheetstoleavewithcustomers (withroomfortheircontactinfo)more canbeordered
8 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Printedldquoslimjimrdquobrochuresaboutthe 8 Multi-Family Outreach wholehouseapproach
Printedin-depthbrochure(brandedby ScientificAmericanMagazine)
CDwithldquobuttonrdquotolinktoEnergyUpgrade fromtheirownwebsites
Contractorswillhaveaccesstoaseparate sectionofthewebsitewheretheywillbeable toorderadditionalcustomizablematerials ldquoon-demandrdquofindinformationaboutPro-grameventspromotionsandadvertisingany changestotheProgramandasingletrade contractordatabaseforassemblingteamsfor customerswhowouldlikesolarpanelsornew windowsforexample
6 Realtor Marketing Giventhatthenationalaveragelengthof homeownershipisroughlysixyearsreal estateagentswillbeincontactandadvising alargepercentageofthenewandexisting homeownersthatEnergyUpgradeistarget-inghomeenergyretrofitsThishighlevelof influencemakesrealtorsoneofthelargest partnergroupsRealtorKitswillbesimilarto theContractorKitsandtheywillhaveaccess tothedatabaseofgeneralandsingletrade contractors
7 Retail Partner Marketing Utilitieswillpartnerwithretailoutletsthat canincludeBestBuyCostcoSearsLowes andHomeDepotParticipatingretailoutlets willbeprovided
Informationcenters
Programcollateral
Tabletents
Windowclings
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesandsched-ulesarestillinplanningphasesandbeing developedthroughastatewideconsortium
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing Strategiesandschedulesarestillinplanning phases
Incentives and Financing Marketresearchshowsthatrebatesarepri-marymotivatorsforhomeownerstoundertake anenergyupgradeRebateswillbeavailable forconsumersfromvarioussourcesCur-rentlyutilityrebatesoffer$1000fortheBasic Pathandupto$8500forthosereaching30 energysavingsThefederalHomeStarpro-gramisstillpendingmdashitcouldofferhomeown-ersupto$3000forelementsintheBasic Pathupto$7000forthosereaching20 energysavingsandupto$13000forthose reaching45energysavingsIncentivesfrom theCountyarealsostillpending
Financingoptionsarebeinganalyzedandwill beavailableatlaunch
Allrebatesandfinancingwillbecoordinated onthewebsitewiththeultimategoalofprop-ertyownersfillingoutoneformandpopulat-ingallotherrequiredforms
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 9
Proposed Implem
entation Plan
10 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
introduction
The Statewide Challenge Californialegislation(AB32)requiresGreen HouseGas(GHG)emissionreductionto1990 levelsby2020andfurtherreductionsinGHG emissionsto80percentbelow1990levelsby 2050Theseprovisionshavebeenincorpo-ratedintothePublicUtilitiesCommissionrsquos (CPUC)2009EnergyEfficiencyStrategic Planwhichtargetsanaverage40reduction inpurchasedenergyfortheexistingbuilding stockby2020andan80reductionby2050
TheCPUCrsquosCaliforniaEnergyEfficiency StrategicPlansetsthefollowinggoalstobe reachedby2020
25ofexistinghomesexhibita70 decreaseinpurchasedenergyfrom2008 levels
75ofexistinghomesexhibita30 decreaseinpurchasedenergyfrom2008 levels
100ofexistingmulti-familyhomes exhibita40decreaseinpurchasedenergy from2008levels
TheCPUCrsquosstatewidegoalistoretrofit 130000housingunitsby2010
Additionallegislation(AB758)requiredthe CaliforniaEnergyCommission(CEC)tode-velopandimplementacomprehensiveenergy efficiencyprogramforexistingresidentialand nonresidentialbuildingstoreducetheirGHG emissionsinkeepingwithclimatechange mitigationEnergy Upgrade Californiais apartnershipbetweentheCECandtheCPUC topromoteenergyefficiencyimprovements tohomesandcommercialbuildingsfunded inpartthroughtheAmericanRecoveryand ReinvestmentAct
Market Opportunity AlongwithothercitiesacrossthestateLos AngelesCountywillalsoberequiredtocreate aClimateActionPlanandEnergyUpgrade CaliforniainLosAngelesCountywillbea centralGHGemissionreductionimplementa-tionstrategyEnergy Upgrade California in Los Angeles Countyisanallianceamong theCountyofLosAngelestheCitieswithin theCountySouthernCaliforniaEdison SouthernCaliforniaGasCompanyandthe municipallyownedutilitiesintheCountyThe
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 11
goalisaldquoone-stopshoprdquoforpropertyowners Apropertyownerinvestmentof$5000 toeasilyfindclearconsolidatedinformation abouttheProgramelementscertifiedcon-tractorsandalltherebatesincentivesand financingoptionsavailable
Mostoftheapproximately34millionhous-ingunitsinLosAngelesCountywerebuilt beforestateenergyefficiencystandards(Title 24)wereimplementedbeginninginthe early1980sMorerecentvintageresidential buildingsalsooffergreatpotentialforenergy savingsduetodeficienciesinconstruction specificationandfieldworkquality
Energyefficiencymeasuresincludeimprove-mentstoinsulationspaceheatingandair conditioningwaterheatinglightingwin-dowsanddoorssolarhotwatersystemsand otherfixeditems
to$15000forsingle-familybuildingtoimple-mentabuildingenergyretrofitcanoften achieveanaverageof20ormoreenergy savingsreduceutilitybillsimprovebuild-ingcomfortenhanceindoorairqualityand increasebuildingvalue
TheCountyanditspartnersarecollaborat-ingonawebsitecommunityoutreachand countywideadvertisingtoleverageefforts andfundingandtomaximizeparticipationin theProgrammdashwithagoalofpropertyowners completing30000energyefficiencyupgrades bysummer2013TheldquoMediaandAdvertis-ingFlightsrdquomatrixprovidesanoverviewof scheduleandtiming
12 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
programs goals and objectives
ThegoalsofEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLA Countyaretopromotejobcreationandreduce aggregategreenhousegasemissionsthrough energyandresource-savingretrofitsofexisting buildingstockthroughthreefundingsources
1 AmericanReinvestmentandRecoveryAct EnergyEfficiencyandConservationBlock Grant(EECBG)
2 USDepartmentofEnergyRetrofitRamp Up(RRU)funding
3 CaliforniaEnergyCommission Discretionarygrant
retrofit objectives by funding source
Objectivesthusfocusonspecifictargetnum-bersforcompletedretrofits
bull Retrofitabout27000single-familyhomes withanaverage20energyreduction Countywide(1605850single-familyresi-dentialhomesinLACounty)plus2600 multi-familyhomes
bull Reduceannualpurchasedenergycon-sumptioninthosehomesbyanaggregate 300billionBTUsperyearandassociated energycostsby$4millionperyear
bull Create3200jobsand
bull ReducetheCountyrsquosannualgreenhouse gasemissionsattributabletoenergycon-sumptioninitsexistingbuildingstockby 36287metrictonsCO2e
EECBG RRU CEC TOTAL
single-family Homes 15000 4200 8060 27260
multi-family Homes 0 1400 1240 2640
29900
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 13
marketing and outreach program goals and structure
1 Goals MarketingandoutreachforEnergyUpgrade CaliforniainLACountywillengageproperty ownersthrougheffectivestrategiesprovide clearandcompellinginformationaboutthe benefitsofanenergyefficiencyretrofitlist therebatesandtaxcreditsavailable(through thisProgramandthroughutilityprograms) explainfinancingoptionslistcertifiedcon-tractorsanddescribetheProgramprocessand optionsThemarketingandoutreachplanhas fivemajorgoals
1 Build broad positive awareness of the Program
2 Educate property owners to overcome barriers to participation
3 Target marketing efforts to drive participation by key audiences identified in surveys
4 Align and coordinate other marketing efforts by utilities and other partners
5 Create a sustained market for a whole-house performance approach leading to long-term behavioral change
2 Objectives ThePlanisdesignedtoachievethesemajor objectives
1 Program goals met
Marketing35-40ofProgrampar-ticipantsentertheProgramasaresultof marketingandoutreachefforts
Contractors45-50ofProgrampar-ticipantsentertheProgramasaresultof marketingbycontractors(usingmes-sagingandmaterialsdevelopedthrough thisPlan)
Partners10-15ofProgrampar-ticipantsentertheProgramasaresult ofmarketingbyothermethodssuch asrealtorsretailpartnersarchitects designersandCityefforts(usingmes-sagingandmaterialsdevelopedthrough thisPlan)
2 300000 unique hits on a robust website (or calls to the call center)
3 Virtual ldquoword-of-mouthrdquo buzz created through social media resulting in click throughs to the website
14 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
4 Communications kits available for county COG cities community leaders and environmental groups
5 Marketing kits available for partners (contractors realtors)
6 Informational materials placed with retailers cities county offices
7 50000000 mediaadvertisingin-person impressions through
Mainstreammedia(televisionradio print)storiesplaced
Multiculturalmedia(televisionradio print)storiesplaced
RadioTVPSAsplaced
CityTVprogramsplaced
PaidradioTVpromosads
Paidprintads
Communitymeetings
Targeteddirectmail
rebate structure
8 Consolidated information in a ldquoone-stop shoprdquo approach
3 Incentives and Financing Marketresearchshowsthatrebatesarepri-marymotivatorsforhomeownerstoundertake anenergyupgradeRebateswillbeavailable forconsumersfromvarioussourcesCur-rentlyutilityrebatesoffer$1000forthe BasicPathandupto$3500forthosereach-ing30energysavingsThefederalHome Starprogramisstillpendingmdashitcouldoffer homeownersupto$3000forelementsinthe BasicPath$3000forthosereaching20 energysavingsandupto$13000forthose reaching45energysavingsIncentivesfrom theCountyarealsostillpending(SeeRebate Structuretable)
Financingoptionsarebeinganalyzedandwill beavailableatlaunch
Allrebatesandfinancingwillbecoordinated onthewebsitewiththeultimategoalofprop-ertyownersfillingoutoneformandpopulat-ingallotherrequiredforms
ELEMENT COUNTy FUNdEd
FEd TAx CREdIT HOME STAR UTILITIES
Basic path tBD 30 of eligible $1000
advanced path tBD improvements up to $1500 (expires Dec 31) $2500 for 20
+$500 for 5 +$500 for 5
silver star tBD
gold star tBD
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 15
4 Coordination Between Local Government and Utilities Consumerswillbebestservedbyaunified brandandconsumermarketingcampaign consistentmessagingandastatewidewebsite portalwithonewebsiteaddressTheCounty ofLosAngelesSouthernCaliforniaEdison andSouthernCaliforniaGasCompanyhave beenworkingtogethertodevelopastrong coordinatedprogramInfacttheLosAngeles CountyProgramhasbecomeamodelforthe state
Coordinationwillalsoleverageresourcesand increasethemarketingeffectivenessoflocal governmentsandthelocalutilitiesAllma-terialswillbedevelopedcollaborativelyand costswillbesharedaccordingtothedivision ofresponsibilityThefollowingchartoutlines thekeydeliverablesandresponsibilities(next page)
16 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
marketingoutreach coordination
PROGRAM ELEMENT LEAd COMMENTS
COUNTy UTILITIES jOINT
market research X telephone surveys focus groups and market analysis
marketing communications plan X this document will direct all marketing
activities
program namelogo X
cec will own the brand and has final vote on statewide name tagline can be customized for la county
Website portal X
statewide portal linked to utility pages or sitesndashmain info and materials on this one site
advertising campaign principles development X
marketing templates X
Print and online available for cities to customize as needed
service territory media Buys (regional) X Mainstream and ethnic media buys
local media Buys (la county) X Both mainstream and ethnic media in
hotspots and la county
call center X one phone number managed by utilities county to help produce script
retail outlet materials X May include kiosks short videos
contractor marketing toolkit X tBD county will develop marketing materials
for contractors
direct mail (eg bill inserts other mailers) X
county assessor materials X
Materials included in water bills property tax bills
community-Based outreach X targeted grassroots marketing
(includes local events)
community events X X utilities attend countywide events county attends local events
public relations X X
utilities take lead for service territory county for local or supervisor-initiated PR
Home energy makeover contest X
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 17
strategy
TheProgramwilluseamulti-layeredmulti-facetedmarketingandoutreachstrategythat targetsaudiencesbyidentifyingwhotheyare wheretheyliveandtheeventsgoingonin theirlivesMarketingeffortsinclude
1 Countywide Marketing (and Media Relations)
2 Pilot Area Marketing
3 Trigger-Event Marketing
4 City Outreach
5 Contractor Marketing
6 Realtor Marketing
7 Retail Partner Marketing
8 Multi-Family Marketing
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing
1 Countywide Marketing
Thestrategyisentirelyresearch-drivenfocus-ingonthosepropertyownersmostlikelyto undertakeahomeenergyupgradeAnover-archinglayerofmainstreammarketingand advertisingwillbeaimedatthreeaudiences
1 Early AdoptersThosewhoarestrong environmentalistsalreadypoisedtoldquodo therightthingrdquofortheenvironmentand whojustneedtohearaboutaprogramand rebates
2 ldquoRetrofit-ReadyrdquoThosewhoarealready planninghomeimprovementsandjust needalittlemoreinformationaboutwhat stepstotaketosavemoneyandldquodothe rightthingrdquofortheenvironment
3 ldquoRetrofit-Persuadablerdquo Thosewho arethinkingabouttheirutilitybills homecomforttheenvironmentorour dependenceonfossilfuelsforeignoil (especiallyinlightoftherecentGulfoil spill)andwhoneedinformationabout whattypesofimprovementstheycould makeandwhatstepstotaketosave energysavemoneyandreducefossilfuel consumption
Outreachwillbeaimedattargetaudiences throughbothmainstreamandmulticultural mediaTheadvertisingwillalsospillover ontoaudiencesinspecificgeographicareas providingadditionalimpressionstothose whoarealsotargetedinthePilotMarketing AreasThiswillalsoaddtothecitiesrsquoefforts topromotetheProgramastheirresidents willalsoseethecountywidemarketingefforts
18 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Marketingwillfocusoneachtargetaudience providingimpressionsclosetotheirhomeand reachingouttomoremassaudiencesCounty-widemarketingandoutreachwillinclude tacticsinthetablebelow
The One-Stop Shop Allinformationwillbeconsolidatedina one-stopshopapproacheitherinaldquobrick andmortarrdquolocationthroughthewebsiteor callcenteroratcommunityeventsProperty ownerswillhaveeasyaccesstoinformation
abouteligibleenergyefficiencymeasures andretrofitoptionseligibilityforCounty-administeredfinancialvehiclesandincentives eligibilityforutility-sponsoredrebatesand incentivesfederalrebateandtaxcreditinfor-mationandaccesstolistsofqualifiedenergy retrofitcontractors
Propertyownerswhoarenoteligiblefororin-terestedinEnergyUpgradeCaliforniawould alsobeabletofindoutaboutopportunities forweatherizationprogramslow-incomerate
countywide marketingoutreach tactics
Cable TV
County Events
Mass Media
Out of Home
Radio
Retail Partners
City Information
City TV
Local Media
Transit Shelters
Theaters
Billboards
Community of Interest
Newsletters
Contractor Marketing
Direct Mail to Hot Spots
Online Ads
Site Signage
Social Media
Community Newsletters
Local Events
Target Audience
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 19
subsidiesgreenjobstrainingandotherinitia- Parcel-Based Market Analysistivesavailabletoqualifiedhouseholds
Identifying Locations of Target Audiences Thegeographiclocationoftargetaudiences willbeidentifiedthroughtwomarketanalysis efforts
Pilot Marketing Areas TheCountywillintensifymarketingefforts inspecificpilotmarketingareaswherehigh percentagesoftheEarlyAdopterandRetrofit ReadyaudiencesliveThesepilotmarketareas willbeidentifiedthroughdemographicanaly-sisbaseduponextensivemarketresearchas wellasadetailedanalysisofkeycommunity resourcessuchasstrongcommunitynetworks andcommunity-basedorganizationsinfluen-tiallocalmedialdquocommunityfeelrdquoetc(For moreinformationonthepilotmarketareas approachandengagementstrategiesseepage 23)
Adetailedmarketanalysisisbeingconducted tosupportspecificpiecesoftheoutreachand communicationsstrategybyidentifyingthe locationofaudiencesthatarereceptivetospe-cificoutreachstrategiesThetableonthenext pagedemonstratesthemarketanalysisaudi-ences(scenarios)andmarketstrategiesthat arebeinganalyzedtoidentifythelocationof targetaudiencesThemarketanalysisisbeing conductedusingconsumermarketresearch combinedwithdemographicdataandprop-ertycharacteristicsdatafromtheCountyas-sessorThemainproductfortheanalysiswill beaseparateanalysisreport(expectedAugust 2010)Thisreportwillincludecountywide ldquoheatmapsrdquothatidentifytheareasthathave ahighproportionoftargetpropertiesandare thereforeidealareasfortargetedmarketing ThesemapscanbeusedforEnergyUpgrade Californiaorcontractormarketingstrategies
countywide market capture cascade
Early Adopters
Retrofit ready
Retrofit persuadable
The Next Phase No way
MESSAGES
bull environment bull Fossil Fuels bull Rebates
available
AddITIONAL MESSAGES
bull save money on utility bills
bull Rebates
bull long-term attitudinal change
available AddITIONAL MESSAGES
bull Property values bull comfort bull Health bull ReBates available
20 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
market analysis scenarios
Link between Pilot Market Areas and Parcel-Based Market Analysis
Theaudiencesbeingexaminedinthepilot marketingareasoverlapwithbutarenotthe sameasthoseinthemarketanalysisThe marketanalysisthereforesupportsthepilot marketareaidentificationintwoways
1 Itaddspropertycharacteristicsgleaned fromconsumerresearchtothepilotmarket areaanalysisInthiswayScenarios1and 2(RetrofitReadyandRetrofitPersuadable) providefurtherdetailtothepilotmarket areasandallowforgeneralmarketingto
MARkET ANALySIS SCENARIO
AUdIENCE IdENTIFIEd
dATA ANALyzEd RELATEd MARkETING STRATEGy
1-early adopters retrofit ready
environmentalists ready to take action now with information about rebates
Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Pilot Marketing areas
2-retrofit persuadable
those who need information about types of improvements with emphasis on rebates and cost savings
Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Pilot Marketing areas
3a-Built environment Heating and cooling
Middle-aged to newer homes located inland that are larger and often have high ac heating bills
Property characteristics location of Home
trigger event Marketing utility Bills Pilot area Marketing
3b-Built environment-Heating
smaller older coastal homes that may have comfort issues in winter
Property characteristics location of Home
trigger event Marketing comfort Pilot Marketing areas
4-multi-family Multi-family homeowners Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Multi-family Marketing Pilot Marketing areas
5-Whole neighborhood
tracts of similarly-aged and built homes
Property characteristics location of Home
Whole neighborhood Marketing Pilot Marketing areas
bedirectedtospecificproperties(when appropriate)
2 Italsoidentifiesotherkeyaudiences (Scenarios3a3b4and5)thatcorrelate toothermarketingstrategiesasshown intableaboveTheresultsofthese scenarioswillbeoverlaidontopofthepilot marketareastoidentifyspecificparcels thatmayrespondtospecificmarketing strategiesForexamplewhenoverlaying thepropertiesidentifiedinScenario5 (Whole-NeighborhoodScenario)with thepilotmarketingareastheCounty canidentifypropertieswithinthepilot
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 21
marketingareathatwouldrespondtoa whole-neighborhoodmarketingapproach (bulkpurchasingmodelhomesasingle contractoretc)
Home Energy Makeover Contest HomeEnergyMakeoverContestsgenerate atremendousamountofpublicityandhave beensuccessfullyconductedinmanyother statesandcitiesTheyattractthousandsof entrantsTheconceptistobothgarnerfree publicityandmodelthebehaviortheProgram istryingtoencouragebyshowingtheldquowhole houseapproachrdquohoweasyupgradescanbe howmuchtherebatescanreducetheproject costandhowmuchdifferencetheymaketoa home
Thecontestwillalsodemonstratethemarket acceptanceforthehomeperformanceap-proachtotraditionalsingle-measurecontrac-torsThosecontractorswillseehowmany peopleenterthecontesttowinahomeperfor-mancemakeoverbasedonthewholehouseap-proachAllthosewhoenteredareleadswho maybeinterestedinawholehouseapproach ratherthansinglemeasures
Entrantsmustbeover18liveinLosAnge-lesCountyandownthehomeinwhichthey residethecontestcanbelimitedtothose whoreceiveservicefromSouthernCalifornia EdisonandorSouthernCaliforniaGas(in otherwordsitcanincludeorexcluderesi-dentsservedbymunicipalutilities)Entrants submitinformationabouttheirhomeand theirenergyconsumptionandgivepermis-sionfortheProgramjudgestoviewtheir energyconsumptionduringthepreviousyear Finalistsarebasedonthehighestenergycon-sumptionpersquarefootofamedian-sized homeAbout20finalistsreceivefreeenergy auditsfortheirhomesBasedontheaudit (andadditionalcriteriawewilldetermine)five winninghomesreceiveupto$15000inhome
energyimprovements(whichcanbesupple-mentedbyrebatesandadditionalfunding fromthepropertyowner)Thewinneragrees tomediacoverageanopenhouseandtoblog andorTweetduringandaftertheretrofit Wewillworkwithcontractorstogetsponsor-shipsaswellasdonatedauditsandupgrade elements
OnecontestwillbeheldinFall2010(withfive winners)andasecondcontestheldduring Springof2011(withfivewinners)
Aseparatecontestcouldbeheldformulti-familybuildingswithahigherwinning amount
Countywide Incentives TheProgramwillestablishalistofnon-profit organizationsthatareactiveinpromoting greenhomessustainabilityandotherenvi-ronmentalorcommunityprojectsEveryone intheCountywhocompletesanenergyaudit maydesignateanon-profitorganizationto receiveadonationfromtheProgramInfor-mationabouttheeligibleorganizationswill beonthewebsiteThiswillencouragethose non-profitstopromotetheProgramtotheir membersltNotethisconceptisstillbeing developedgt
Direct Mail Utilitieswillplacemessagesonouterbillen-velopessenttocustomersTheywillalsosend directmailaboutEnergyUpgradetoldquotarget areasrdquobasedonacombinationofenergy usageageofhomeandhouseholdincome DirectmailisscheduledforOctober2010
County Events Utilitieswillbeattendinglargeeventssuch astheSeptember2010and2011LACounty Fairswithawholehousethemethatincludes aminimodelhousethatvisitorscanldquotourrdquo Additionalproposedeventsinclude
22 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
bull LeagueofCitiesAnnualConference workshop(September2010)
bull PomonaHomeImprovementShow (October2010)
bull RemodelingShowattheLACountyFair (October2010)
bull CaliforniaAssociationofRealtors (October2010)
bull BuildingIndustryShow(November2010)
bull SouthernCaliforniaHomeImprovement Show(November2010)
bull NeighborWorksAmerica(February2011)
Online and Social Media TheProgramwillusesocialmediatoinex-pensivelyreachtargetaudiencesbeginningat launchandcontinuingthroughoutthePro-gramwithbriefpausesforrefiningThiswill beaccomplishedthroughoptimizingsearch wordsforsearchenginessuchasGoogleand Bingreachingappropriateindependentblogs aYouTubevideocontest(runbyamediapart-ner)andencouragingblogpostsandTweets byearlyadoptersandtheProgramitself(see DescriptionsofMarketingCommunications ToolsandDescriptionsofTargetAudiencesfor moredetails)Inadditionutilitieswilldevote spaceforinformationandalinkontheirland-ingpages
Countywide Media Buys Withalatesummerfalllaunchdatemedia buysneedtobespreadtoavoidtheelection monthofOctober2010EnergyUpgradeCali-forniainLosAngelescansponsoraweather broadcastmdashliveonlineandmobilemdashaswell as15and30spotsduringotherbroadcasts Wewillalsopurchaseliveandonlinespots withUnivisiontheSpanish-languagestation Radiobuyswillinclude15NationalPublic Radio(KPCCandKCRW)sponsorshipsand variousdrive-timespotsonEnglishandin-
languageAMandFMstationsSocialmedia buysincludeGoogleWordsandblogads(see DescriptionsofMarketingCommunications Tools)Printmediabuyswillbeinmulticul-turalpapers
(Afullmediabuyplanandschedulewillbe availableinAugust)
Countywide Media Relations TheProgramwillcoordinateCountyandutil-ityeffortsandwiththeCaliforniaEnergyCom-missionCaliforniaPublicUtilitiesCommis-sioneffortsMediarelationswillbeinthree phasespre-launchlaunchandmilestones
Pre-Launch (August ndash September)
bull DevelopandprovideaSpeakerrsquosKit withtalkingpoints
bull OrganizeCountymedialaunchevent (potentiallyenlistawillinghomeowner whosehousemightserveasalaunching padformediatours)
bull Respondtorequestsfromcities
bull Providepre-writtenarticlesforcity communitynewsletters
bull Issuepresskitsandpressrelease(in EnglishandSpanish)announcing launch
Launch (October)
bull Mediaeventtoannouncelaunchand HomeEnergyMakeoverContestpoten-tiallyon-siteatahousetodemonstrate upgrades
bull SendoutradioPSAs
Milestones (through 2013)
bull Mediaeventtoannouncewinnersofthe HomeEnergyMakeovercontest(could beconductedon-sitesurprisingthe winners)
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 23
bull ldquoRe-launchrdquopressreleaseandmedia eventinMarch2011forasecondHome EnergyMakeoverContestwithastrong ldquogetreadyforsummerrdquotheme
bull Pressreleasewhen10000thperson receivesarebate
bull Pressreleasewhenotherappropriate milestonesarereachedorthefunding forincentivesisclosetobeingdepleted
2 Pilot Marketing Areas
Itwillbecriticalforthelong-termsuccessof marketingeffortstohaveasignificantnumber ofearlysuccessesthatgeneratepositivepub-licityandword-of-mouthencouragingothers toalsoparticipateTheCountyintendsto stimulatethemarketfortheseearlyadopters byintensifyingmarketingeffortsinspecific pilotmarketingareas(withzipcodebound-aries)wherebasedonextensiveconsumer
countywide marketingoutreach tactics
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
television
ad buys on Broadcast tV univision google tV Paid county
ldquothis old Houserdquo segment on whole house per-formance and rebates while renovating house (filming in la this summer)
earned county
coverage on mainstream and multicultural sta-tions
earned utilities county
ldquoinfomercialrdquo and promos on city tV Placed county
radio
nPR sponsorship Paid county
commute time spots Paid county
coverage on california Report earned utilities county
Psas on mainstream stations Placed utilities county
spots on multicultural stations Paid county
coverage in mainstream and multicultural papers
earned utilities county
sunset Magazine green Home section earned county
ads in la times and Daily news real estate sections
Paid utilities county
ads in multicultural papers Paid county
Direct Mail to targets Paid utilities
24 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
countywide marketingoutreach tactics (conrsquot)
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
social media
Blogs (about homes environment bargains) earned county
Facebook page Placed county
ads targeted to interest in environment and or home improvements (this old House etc)
Paid county
google adWords targeted to interest in environment andor home improvements
Paid county
twitter both by the Program and by individual early adopters (with incentives)
Placed county
youtube early adopters make a video about their experience and results (with incentives)
Placed county
out of Home
Retail kiosks banners flyers links on retail websites
Placed utilities
community organizations
environmental groups and others newsletters websites email blasts
earned county
Home improvement shows booths Paid county
countywide events Paid utilities
Bloggersubject matter events Paid county
researchhighpercentagesoftargetaudiences livePilotmarketingprogramsinthoseareas willtesttheextentcommunity-basedmarket-ingpositivelyimpactsparticipationratesan effortrelatedtoRetrofitRampUpproposal requirements
Demographicdataprovidedbythemarketre-searchwillbeoverlaidwithenergyusagedata AdditionallyGIS-basedmarketanalysisatthe parcellevel(describedabove)willallowfor pinpointingofspecificneighborhoodswithin thepilotareasforoutreachthatcaninclude
door-to-doordirectmailandmarketingby contractorsaspartofaldquowholeneighbor-hoodrdquoapproachFocusingonpilotareaswill alsomeettheRetrofitRampUprequirements oftheDepartmentofEnergyFollowingisa summaryofplannedmarketingandoutreach efforts
Marketresearch-basedcriteriaforchoosing about15pilotareaswillinclude
Clusters of houses built before 1978 Thoselivinginolderhomesespecially
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 25
builtbeforeCaliforniarsquosEnergyEfficiency Standardsaremorelikelytobelievethat theirhousemightbeenergyinefficient andcouldbenefitfromenergyefficiency improvementsmdashandberesponsivetoan energyupgrade
High percentage of homeownership Thesemarketingeffortsfocusonsingle-familyresidentialhomeownerssoareas withhighrentalrateswillnotprovidea largeenoughnumberofeligibleunits
Income over $60000Thosewith incomesunder$60000didnotbelieve theywouldhavesufficientincometomake improvementsevenwithrebatesThey werenotinterestedinloans(manywith lowincomesalsofindthemselvesldquounder-waterrdquoontheirloansandthusnoteligible forsomefinancing)Inadditionwefound somepush-backinfocusgroupsabout ldquogovernmentofferingloanstopeoplewho canrsquotaffordthemafterthesub-primeloan debaclerdquo
Population with a high percentage of college-educatedThosewithacollege degreearemuchmorelikelytoindicate apreferencetomakeenergyefficiency upgradesThosewhohadcompletedsome collegeeducationarealsomorelikelyto indicateapreferenceforenergyefficiency upgradesthanthosewhohadnotcom-pletedany
Population with a high percentage of those age 35-54Thosewithchildren andorexpandingfamiliesaremorelikely tomakeimprovementsthanthoseunder 30(thereareveryfewhomeownersunder 30)andthoseover54
High percentage of households with 4+ peopleHouseholdswithmorepeople havehigherenergybillsResearchshows thatthoseinhomeswithmorethan4
peoplebelieveenergyupgradescanmakea bigimpactontheirbills
High energy usage Thehigherenergy usage(andbills)themorelikelypeopleare tobelievethatenergyefficiencyimprove-mentswillmakeadifferenceintheirbills
Afterlayeringthisinformationtocomeup withalistofpotentialareaswefurthercon-sidered
Clusters of 8000-20000 homesThe areashouldbelargeenoughtoprovidesub-stantialnumbersofeligibleunitsbutsmall enoughtoenablereachingmajorityofresi-dentsandgeneratingword-of-mouth
Has a diverse multicultural commu-nityAreasshouldhavestrongcommunity identitiesandsenseofplacesocommunity membersareproudofwheretheyliveand areencouragedtoimprovetheircommu-nity
Has strong neighborhood and com-munity organizationsWeneedto engagetheseorganizationsaspartnersto helpspreadtheword
Has existing communications such as newsletters blogsWeneedtoreach membersthroughexistingcrediblesources thatresidentsalreadyuseandtrust
ldquoSpill overrdquo opportunities to nearby neighborhoodsSincemarketingand mediaeffortswillpotentiallyalsobeseen byneighborsareasshouldbenearother areasthatmayalsomeettheprimary criteria
Climatetime of yearIndetermining whentorolloutthepilotswecantarget interiorareasinspringandcoastalareasin coldweather
26 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Basedonthemarketresearchcriteriafive pilotmarketingareasarescheduledforintense marketingatlaunchwithanadditional10 areasscheduledforintensemarketingin Spring2011
Thepilotmarketstrategyissupportedby theparcel-basedmarketanalysiswhichwill identifywhichneighborhoodspropertieswill bethebesttotargetusingthisapproachThe marketanalysiswillallowlimitedmarketing fundingtobeleveragedbyfocusingonthose thataremostlikelytorespondtothemarket-ingefforts
Wewillcreatemessagesandvisualsspecifical-lytailoredtoeachtargetcommunityrsquoscultural andlinguisticpreferencesImagessymbols andiconstypographycolorandoverall designcarrydifferentmeaningsindifferent culturesAmessageistypicallymosteffective ifitiscreatedwithcarefulattentiontothese idiosyncrasiesandwithintheldquoculturalmind-setrdquooftherecipientsCreatingheadlinesand taglinesdirectlyinthetargetlanguagerather thansimplytranslatingEnglishadvertising copyensuresthatcopyhasthecorrectrhythm andrhymeandisthereforemuchmore attention-grabbingandmemorable
Community Incentives Energy Champion Program Severalconceptsareunderconsiderationto developacommunityincentivestrategyto promoteparticipationinlinewiththeRetrofit RampUpproposalforinnovativeincentiveap-proachesIncentivesmaybedirectedatenergy auditscommunity-basedorganizationsthose willingtoprovidetestimonialsorblogtweet andpublicrecognitionefforts
Grassroots Community Organizing-Trainedorganizerswillpresentinformationat themeetingsof12-15influentialcommunity leadersandcommunity-basedorganizationsin
eachpilotareacapturetheircontactdataand helpspreadtheinformationtotheirmembers throughtheirnewsletterseventsandwebsites TheProgramwillprovidepre-writtencus-tomizablearticlespresentationsorvideoand websiteldquobuttonsrdquotolinktotheProgramsite Eachgroupwillbeofferedanincentiveofado-nationtotheirorganizationforeverymember whocompletesahomeenergyupgradeThis willencourageCBOvolunteerstoincrease theirmarketingeffortsFriendlyrivalrieswill beencouragedCommunitygroupswillreport namesofparticipantscheckedforjobcomple-tionbytheProgram(underdevelopment)
Community Events One-on-onefacetimewithhomeownersis anidealwaytoengagepotentialparticipants Well-trainedorganizerswillattendfiveevents ineachtargetareaprovidinghomeowners withinformation(pocketsizemultilingual handouts)andcapturingtheircontactinfor-mationforfollowupTheycanhavehome-ownerssignuponthewebsiteonsiteifappro-priateandperhapsevenhavethemprovideus withavideocommitmentldquoItookthePledgerdquo withpermissiontopostonthewebsiteAsa luretotheboothhomeownerswillbeoffered freeitemssuchaslightbulbsmagnetsand reusablecupswithcoldwater(imprintedwith thewebsite)manufacturedintheUS
Print Radio Outdoor and Out-of Home Advertising Localmediawillcoverthelaunchofthe Programandwewillstrategicallyplaceads inlocalmediaandcommunitynewsletters Outdooradvertising(smallstreet-levelbiode-gradableeco-postersbussheltersbussides) strategicallyplacedinhigh-trafficareaswillre-inforcethemessageoveraone-monthperiod
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 27
Pilot Area Example Altadena Altadenawasidentifiedasacommunitythat fitsourtargetcriteriaItisadiverseunincor-poratedcommunitywithsixneighborhoods andanapproximatepopulationof40000The averagehouseholdincomeisabout$94000 Morethan50ofadultresidentsaremarried withchildrenandcommuteanaverageof62 milesperdaytowhite-collarjobsFully40of theadultsinthiscommunityhaveabachelors
degreeorhigherandareinvolvedinmany communityeventsandorganizationsThere areapproximately12000homesinthiscom-munityand10000ofthosehomesareowner-occupiedThegraphicshowshowoutreach wouldbeconcentratedinthisarea
pilot area outreachmarketing tactics
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
radio
Psas on multicultural stations earned county
coverage in local papers earned county
ads in local and multicultural papers Paid county
outdoor
Bus shelters in area Paid county
on-street lampost signage Paid county
Billboards Paid county
social media
Blogs (relevant to the area) earned county
online ads targeted by location Paid county
listserves of neighborhood associations (through cities)
earned county
out of Home
Movie theater ads in area Paid county
lawn signs on homes in area (through contractors)
Paid county
community organizations
community meetings with incentives to organizations for participation
earnedPaid county
community events Paid county Door hangers Paid county
28 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Home Depot
Ace Hardware
Lowersquos
Master Builders
Great Indoors
Home Expo
altadena marketing target
Hoy La Opinioacuten
Pasadena Star News
Altadena Headlines Examiner
Boulevard Magazine
Arroyo Magazine
Pasadena Weekly
Altadena Connection
Sentinel
KLVE
KPCC Pasadena
KCBS
KROQ Pasadena
KAZN Pasadena
Church Bulletins
Summer Concert Series at Farnsworth Park
Fourth of July Fireworks at
Town amp Country Club
Black History Parade
World Music Festival in Pasadena
Haunted House at
Farnsworth Park
Art Break
Rose Parade
National Latino
Congreso
Altadena Neighborhood Association
Altadena Chamber of Commerce
Altadena Arts Council
Altadena Town Council
Faith-based Organizations
Altadena Town amp Country Club
Altadena League of
Women Voters
Altadena Historical Society
Altadena Community Improvement Center
Sheriff Support Group
Santa Coming to Farnsworth
Park
Altadena California
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 29
3 Trigger-Event Marketing
Thissuiteofstrategieswillbeaimedatcaptur-ingenergyefficiencyopportunitiesfrommul-tipletriggereventsParticipantswillmainly comethroughcontractorsrealtorsandretail partnerspropertyownerswillhavealsoseen countywideadvertising
trigger event marketing
4 City and COG Outreach
OutreachbyCitiesandCOGswillbecritical becauseoftheirexistingrelationshipswith localconstituenciesCitieswillbeprovided withamini-marketingplantalkingpoints videocustomizabletemplatesoffactsheets articlesfortheirnewslettersandadvertising
EvENT dESCRIPTION LEAd AGENT COLLATERAL TACTIC
1 Replace on burnout (heating air conditioners water heaters)
Homeowners either in process of replacing an item or have already done some efficiency projects
county bull Retail partners
bull HVac installers
bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors installers
bull Retail displays
2 life-stage changes (growing family)
Homeowners working with a contractor
county bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors bull ads in media for home remodels
3 Home remodel Homeowners working with an architect contractor
county bull contractors bull architects
bull Materials for contractors
bull ads in media for home remodels
3 improvements at time of purchase
Homeowners interested are preparing a new home for move-in (research shows more interest at purchase than at sale)
shared bull contractors bull Realtors bull Home
inspectors bull city permit
offices bull city welcome
kits bull Retail
bull Brochures for cities
bull ads in weekend homes for sale sections
bull Presentations to realtor groups
bull Retail displays
4 improvements at sale
House owners preparing for sale
county bull contractors bull Realtors
bull Materials for contractors
5 complaints high utility bills cold hot house
Homeowners aware of energy-saving improvements but not whole house approach
county bull contractors bull HeRs raters
bull Materials for contractors
30 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
city amp cog outreach
materialssotheycandeveloplow-costout-reachtotheirresidentsCitieswithcommuni-tiestargetedinthePilotAreaMarketingplans willbeinformedandencouragedtodoout-reachtothoseareasAllCitieswillbeencour-agedtodothefollowing
Run stories in print and online news-letters
Send information to neighborhood associations homeowners associa-tions historic preservation districts and other appropriate community organizations
Provide information in City permit-ting offices and City Hall lobbies
Provide information at strategically located Environmental Information Centers and at COG office locations
Provide information in ldquonew home-ownersrdquo welcome kits (either directly from the city or through title compa-
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAId EARNEd
LEAd
pio coordination contact all participating citiesrsquo Pios na county
letters Key messages for letters from mayors etc to constituents Provide to Pios or city managers
na county
Website links Button for cities to place on their website to link to Program site
na county
city tV informational videos and spot promos Placed county
Welcome brochure
Brochure aimed at new homeowners before they move in
na county
articles Pre-written customizable newsletter articles earned county
email blasts Pre-written customizable info spots for communityneighborhood listserves
earned county
niesmortgage brokers)
Run videos and spots on City TV stations
5 Contractor Marketing
Localcontractorsarecriticaltothesuccess ofEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLosAngeles CountyTheyprovidetheservicesthatcom-prisetheProgramandtheycanhelpmarket theProgramtopropertyownersInfactwe estimatethatupto50ofProgrampartici-pantswillentertheProgramthrougharela-tionshipwithacontractor(theymayhavealso seenmediacoverageandadvertisingwhich spurredthemtotakeaction)Thisuniquerole requiresthattheProgramtakeatwo-tiered approachofengagingthecontractormdashmoti-vatinglocalbuildingprofessionalstoundergo thetrainingandcertificationprocessandalso providingthemwiththetoolstoeffectively promotetheprogramtoexistingandnew clientsThefollowingsectiondescribesspecific
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 31
contractor target
United Brotherhood Building Industry Carpenters (Training)
Association ofSouthern California
Email Blast
Contractors Magazines
Contractor
OnlineAds
Big Box Stores
ConractorsLicensing Schools
Realtor Associations
strategiesassociatedwithbothapproaches
Forthepurposesoftheprogramcontractors aredividedintoparticularsegmentsbasedon thetypeofserviceprovidedAninitialanalysis oftheindustryrevealedthefollowinglikely categories
HomePerformance(HP)Contractors
ProductionBuilders
HVACSystemSpecialtyTrades (windowsetc)
RemodelingContractors
SolarContractors
BuildingPerformance
Institute
Southwest Regional
City Permit Association
Offices of Carpenters
Lumber Yards
StateLicensing
Board
American Instituteof Architects
LA Chapter
Outreach to Contractors TheProgramwillcoordinatewithcontractor groupsandotherbuildingprofessionaltrade organizationstoschedulebriefpresentations abouttheProgramandthecontractortraining processForlargerorganizationsthePro-grammayworkdirectlywiththecompanyto arrangeon-sitepresentationsThesepresenta-tionsareinformalinnatureandwillbeusedto promotethecertificationorientationsrequired forcontractorparticipationintheprogram
KeyMessagestoContractors
$30millioninAmericanRecoveryand ReinvestmentActmoneyisworkinginLA Countytocreateconstructionindustryjobs
32 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
EnergyUpgradeCaliforniaOffersbig rebatesandfinancingoptionsfor homeownersdoinghomeenergy efficiencyretrofits
Therewillbemarketingandadvertis-ingstatewideandlocallytopromotethe Program
Therewillbemarketingmaterialsforyou tousetomarketyourbusiness
YoumustbelicensedandBuildingPerfor-manceInstitute-certifiedtobepartofthe Program
HomeownersmustworkwithBPI-certified contractorstheyrsquollchoosefromacontrac-tordatabaseonthewebsite
KeyOutreachMethods
BuildingIndustryAssociationofSouthern California
SouthwestRegionalCouncilofCarpenters
RealtorsAssociation
UnitedBrotherhood-Carpenters(Training Program)
Citypermittingoffice
Lumberyards
AmericanInstituteofArchitectsLA Chapter(toeducatethemaswell)
ArticlesinformationinContractortrade publications(magazinesnewslettersetc) magazines
CarpentersUnionLocals
ContractorsLicenseSchools(andonline)
BigBoxHomeImprovementstores(de-pendingonIOUrelationships)
wwwcslbcagov
Emailblasttoalllicensedcontractors
Contractor Outreach to Consumers Differentopportunitiesexistfordifferent contractorsdependingontheprobablework scopeThefollowingtableoutlinesafew potentialpathwaysforhowcontractorscan participateintheProgram
contractors outreach to customers
CONTRACTOR TyPE
TRIGGER EvENT vALUE TO CONTRACTOR
BUSINESS MOdEL
Home Performance upgrade lead generation scale for high volume
Production Builder new Business Development
create new division
HVac Replacement lead generation Value-add
expand services
specialty trade lead generation Partner with certified gc
Remodeler Remodel life-stage transition
Value-add sub work to HP contractor
solar Renewables lead generation Partner with certified gc
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 33
BPI-certifiedgeneralcontractorswillbelisted ontheEnergyUpgradeconsumerwebsite sendingmanyleadsdirectlytothemThey alsohaveaccesstotheldquoheatmapsrdquotousefor developingtheirownadvertisingcampaigns
Contractorswillbeattendingorientationses-sionstoensuretheythoroughlyunderstand theProgramrebatesfinancingoptionsand canhelpguidetheircustomersthroughthe processTheywillbeprovidedwithContractor MarketingKitstoensuretheyhaveathandthe keymessagesthathavebeenresonatingwith homeownersandhaveinformationtogive topotentialcustomerswhomightormight nothavebeentothewebsiteKitscanbesent directlytocontractorsordistributedatthe orientationsessionsKitswillcontain
Talkingpoints
DVDofthevideo
Printedfactsheetstoleavewithcustomers (withroomfortheircontactinfo)more canbeordered
Printedldquoslimjimrdquoprogrambrochure
Printedlengthierbrochuresaboutthe wholehouseapproach(brandedby Scientific American Magazine)
CDwithldquobuttonrdquotolinktoEnergyUpgrade fromtheirownwebsitesandPDFsofsite signageforprinting
Contractorswillhaveaccesstoaseparatesec-tionofthewebsitewheretheywillfindinfor-mationaboutProgrameventspromotionsand advertisinganon-demandprintsectionfor additionalcopiesofbrochuresanychanges totheProgramandasingletradecontractor databaseforassemblingteamsforcustomers whowouldlikesolarpanelsornewwindows forexample
6 Realtor Marketing
Giventhatthenationalaveragelengthofhome ownershipisroughlysixyearsrealestate agentswillbeincontactandadvisingalarge percentageofthenewandexistinghomeown-ersthatEnergyUpgradeistargetingforhome energyretrofitsThishighlevelofinfluence makesrealtorsoneofthelargestpartner groups
Realestateagentswillbeengagedonthree levels
1) Outreach
2) Training
3) Support
Outreach Outreachwillbeconductedthroughavariety ofvenuesthatwillincludeCaliforniaAssocia-tionofRealtorsreg(CAR)regionalconferences heldinSouthernCaliforniapartnershipwith themanyrealtorassociationslocatedinLos AngelesCountyanddirectvisitstorealestate agentsrsquoofficesforshortpresentationsPart-nershipswiththe15-20localRealtorsAsso-ciationswillbeachievedthroughoneormore RealtorAdvisoryBoardswhichincludethe GovernmentAffairsDirectorsfromeachof theseorganizationsAselectfewoftheseor-ganizationswillbeusedaspilotsfortargeted outreachduringearlystagesoftheProgram Oncethestrategyhasbeentestedandrevised itwillberolledouttoalloftheRealtorsAs-sociationsinLosAngelesCounty
ThefallCARRealtorExpowillbethemain kickoffeventforoutreachtoindividualreal-torsandrealtorofficesEnergyUpgradeplans tohavea30-minutetalkembeddedinthe SpeakersProgramandaboothsetuponthe ExpofloortoinformrealtorsaboutthePro-gramavailabletrainingsandthesupport
34 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
toolsthathavebeendevelopedThisevent willreachthemajorityofrealtorsintheLos Angelesareabutwillnotincludethelarge populationofrealestateagentsthatarenot membersofCARToreachthispopulation emailsocialmediaandtargetedofficevisits willbeconducted
Training EnergyUpgradewillprovidetrainingforreal estateagentsintwoformsTherealestate agenttrainingmodulecurrentlyunderdevel-opmentbyBuildItGreenwillbeusedasthe maintrainingforumThistrainingmodule isexpectedtotaketwofulldaystocomplete andwillcoverpropertyassessedcleanenergy financingenergyefficientmortgagesrebate programsbuildingscienceenergyefficiency andgreenbuildingpracticesappropriateto California
Additionalweb-basedtrainingwillbeprovided tointroducerealestateagentstotheProgram andtodrivethemtogetin-persontraining throughtheBuildItGreentrainingmodule
Support Cultivatingandclosingtoolswillbegener-atedtoassistrealtorsinusingEnergyUpgrade Californiatradetoexpandtheirbusinesswhile drivinghigherlevelsofprogramparticipation RealtorKitswillbesimilartotheContractor Kitsandtheywillhaveaccesstothedatabase ofgeneralandsingletradecontractors
7 Retail Partner Marketing
Utilitieswillpartnerwithretailoutletsthat canincludeBestBuyCostcoSearsLowes andHomeDepotParticipatingretailoutlets willbeprovided
Information centersEnd-displays detailingtheEnergyUpgradeProgram withadiagramillustratingthehouseas asystemconcept(multiplecomponents thatacttogethertomaximizesavings)and actionscustomerscantaketocapturethose savingsandrebatesIn-storecustomer educationcanshiftcustomerperception ofenergyupgradesandmotivatethem toparticipateinmultipleenergy-efficient measuresinsteadofjustoneAnadditional benefitfortheretailerisassociationwith thestatewideprogram
Program collateral One-sheet takeawaysforcustomerstoreference andshare
Video Theshortvideoscanbeplayed onaloop
Table tent cardsPlacedthroughout storesectionsthatcorrelatewiththe EnergyUpgradeProgram(CFLsappli-ancesceilingfansinsulationwindows) Againthiswillencouragecustomersto performmultipleenergyupgradesinstead ofjustoneCross-promotionhelpseducate customersandencourageparticipationin multiplemeasuresthusincreasingproduct purchase
Window clings ldquoOfficialEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaInformationCenterrdquotagline bannersplacedatstorefrontThiswillpo-sitiontheretailerasanactiveparticipantin thestatewideprogramandbuildsretailer credibilityasagreenadvocate
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 35
8 Multi-Family Outreach
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesandsched-ulesarestillinplanningphasesandbeing developedthroughastatewideconsortium
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesarebeing
developed
36 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
evaluation
Theprimarygoalsofthemarketingplanareto buildpositiveawarenessoftheEnergyUp-gradeCaliforniaProgramandcreateasus-tainedmarketforawholehouseapproach(see page8)Objectivesarespecifictothoseachiev-ingthosegoalsLosAngelesCountyresidents willseemultipleiterationsofmediacoverage paidadvertisingin-storedisplayscontractor marketingandin-personpresentations(inthe pilotmarketingareas)Forexamplearesi-dentinAltadenamightseethemoreintensive marketingandoutreacheffortsThatmayspur themtoactionmdashbutiftheyalreadyhadplans toremodelorhadpreviouslyworkedwitha contractortheymightcalltheircontractorand thusactuallycometotheprogramthrough thecontractorThereforeitwillnotbeeasy todeterminepreciselywhathasmotivated eachpersontoparticipateinEnergyUpgrade Objectivestomeetinclude
About35-45ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughthemarket-ingandoutreacheffortsTomonitorwe willincludeashortsurveyaspartofthe rebateapplicationprocessaskingpartici-pantswhatdrewthemtothewebsiteand totheProgramThewebsitecanmonitor clickthroughstocontractorssitesfrom theProgramwebsiteprovidinganindica-tionofpotentialparticpantswhocameto thesitebeforehavingacontractorOnce apropertyownerinputsanaddressthe websitewillbeabletospecificallymonitor ifthatparticipantasksformultiple estimatesfromcontractorsanotherindica-
toroffindingacontractorthroughthesite
About45-50ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughcontractors Wewillaskcontractorstoprovideinfor-mationabouttheirmarketingeffortsand successratesTheywillbeabletoidentify participantsgainedthroughtheirownmar-ketingefforts
300000uniquehitsonthewebsitewhich willbemonitoredbythewebsiteFurther thewebsitewillanalyzewherevisitors camefrom(egaclickthroughfroman onlineadfromacontractorrsquoswebsite orduringthespecifictimeframeofanad campaign)
Virtualandactualldquoword-of-mouthrdquore-portedbymonitoringsocialmedia
Communicationskitsandmarketingkits availablebothphysicallyandthroughan on-demandprintsitemonitoredbyclient
Informationalmaterialsforcitiesmoni-toredbySouthBayCitiesCouncilofGov-ernments
50000000mediaadvertisingin-person impressionsmonitoredbybroadcast printonlinestatisticsandreportsfrom grassrootsmarketingefforts
Consolidatedinformationinone-stop-shop approachwillbedeliveredthroughthe website
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 37
description of marketing communication tools
PlacedEarned Social Media ThePlancallsforsocialmediatopushinfor-mationtoourtargetaudiencesincreaseper-ceptionsoftheProgramascommunity-based reachthosewhowillhelpgenerateadditional buzzindependentmarketingeffortsaboutthe Programandprovideamechanismforlisten-ingtowhatpeoplearesayingaboutEnergy Upgrademdashandrespondingwhennecessary
Online Paid Advertising Onlineadvertisingcampaignscanbeverycost-effectiveandhighlytargetedbydemographics areasofinterestandgeographicsAdsappear ontopic-relatedblogsonsearchenginepages (egGoogle)andoncontentpages(egwhen yousearchforinformationaboutarelated topicandselectawebsitetoview)
Types of Users Targetadsbyage genderincomelanguagepreferencezip codeorhotspots
Types of SearchesTargetadsbytypeof searchconductedbasedonkeywords
Adsareusuallysoldperldquoclickrdquomdashtheviewer hasclickedontheadandbeensenttothe EnergyUpgradeCAwebsiteWewillmake fourtypesofonlineadpurchases
1 Googleadsthatplaceadsbothonits searchpagesandonhundredsofwebsites targetedbytheabove
2 Networksthattargetspecificsitesand blogsthatmatchourtargetaudiences(eg HiveBlogsLosAngelesthatoffers350LA blogstochoosefrom)
3 Directlythroughselectpublishers(eg CurbedLAGreenGirlLAlocalpapers online)
4 Onlineeditionsoflocalpapersinpilot marketingareas
Twitter Twitterusersaremostlycollegegraduates haveattendedgraduateschoolandlivein householdsmakingover$50000ayear (nationally)Usersarethreetimesmorelikely tofollowbrandsandcompaniesonTwitter thanotherusersofsocialnetworkswith40 specificallyusingTwittertolearnaboutand provideopinionsonbrands
Twittercanpushthelatestdevelopmentsand newstopeoplewhohaveexpressedaninter-estedintheProgram(theymustsignupto receiveourTweetsorhavesearchedfortag wordsincludedinourTweets)Itrsquosalsoan easywayforthosewhofollowEnergyUpgrade onTwittertoshareTweetswiththeirfriends
38 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
therebygeneratingbuzzandhelpingmarket theProgramTwittercanshareProgram newsinrealtimedrivepeopletothewebsite facilitateearlyadoptersbuzzmakersreach youngerhomeownersandincreasemarketing effortsatalowcostTwittercanbeeffectively usedtocommunicatetheProgramandits milestonesinavarietyofways
bull Tweetaboutpressreleasesmajoran-nouncementsnewitemsonwebsiteor blogsmediastoriesandarticlesespecially aboutthosethataretimesensitiveandtell ouraudiencewhatishappeningwiththe Programandencouragesthemtopartici-pateorfindoutmore
bull PutaTweeticononthemainwebsiteal-lowingvisitorstothewebsitetobeginto followEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLos AngelesCountyonTwitterwithoneclick
bull FollowotherswhoTweetaboutthe ProgramaswellasthosewhoTweetabout relatedtopicsThiswillprovideanop-portunitytodirectlyrespondtoaperson whohasaquestionabouttheProgramand pointthemtoalinktothewebsite
Tweet Examples
bull ldquo100LAhomeownershavesigned upfortheProgramatwwwEnergyUpgra-deCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoReadaboutLArsquosnewenergyefficiency rebateProgramintheLAtimes httpwwwlatimesgreenblogcomrdquo
bull ldquoWanttosaveonyourutilitybills CheckoutwwwEnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoSignupfortheHomeEnergyUpgrade contestforachancetowinafree homeenergyefficiencyretrofitat EnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
Cost and Budget
SettingupaTwitteraccountisfreeasisusing anapplicationsuchasTweetDeckthathelps followotherswhoareTweetingaboutEnergy UpgradeCaliforniaTheonlysignificantcostis stafftimewhichcanbelimitedtoafewhours aweek
Facebook Facebookisalow-costandeasywayofboth marketingtheProgramandsupportingan onlinecommunityofpeopleinterestedinthe ProgramItwillreachaudienceswhoaremore likelytospendtimeonFacebookversusaweb-siteandwhomayprefertoreceiveshortreal timeProgramnewsviaFacebookratherthan emailsorwebsitesItisidealforpostinglinks tovideosandphotosrelatedtotheprojectIt complementsthewebsiteaplacewherefans oftheProgramcanfindinformationaskques-tionsandshareideasandexcitementThese fanswillgeneratebuzzbytellingtheirfriends abouttheProgramthroughFacebook
AFacebookpagewillcontaininformation abouttheProgramalinktothewebsite Programnewsvideosphotographsandother informationWhenthepageisupdatedfans willreceivelinksinemailalertingthemtothe newposts
Facebookisalsoidealforsharingthestoryof anearlyadopter(whowillalsoTweet)through updatesphotographsandvideosItlends itselfmuchmorenaturallytothispeople-fo-cusedapproachthanawebsitewhichismore formal
Additionalpoints
bull EncourageandperhapsrewardProgram adopterstosharetheirexperiencesask questionsetc
bull Setupcontrolstodeterminewhatcontent Fanscanposttothewall
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 39
bull Monitorupdatestothewallandtakedown Therearemanyexistingblogsthatcanbeused inappropriatecontent
bull Respondtoissuesquestionsandtakepart intheconversation
bull Adesignatedstaffpersonshouldmonitor thesiteitisalsoidealifseveralstaff memberspostcontentandifpartnersare activeparticipantsalthoughtheoverall strategyshouldbecentralized
Facebook Examples
Herearesomeexamplesofthetypesofpost-ingsforaFacebookpage
bull ldquoTheLATimesdescribesEnergyUpgrade CAasaperfectopportunitytobegreenand savemoneymdashintheFridaymoneysectionrdquo
bull ldquoWhydidyoudecidetoparticipatein EnergyUpgradeCATellushowyour energyefficiencyretrofitisgoingandwersquoll enteryouforachancetowina$50Home Depotgiftcardrdquo
bull ldquoWonderingwhetherEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaisrightforyouCheckoutthis videooftheSmithsinstallingnewinsula-tionandwindows--andreceivinga$3500 rebaterdquo
Cost and Budget
Relativelyfewdirectcostsstafftimewill fluctuateduringbusycalmperiodswithhigh activityatthebeginningastheProgramkicks offandafanbaseisestablishedOngoingstaff timeneededtokeeppagefreshwith3-4posts weekdailymaintenancerequiredtomonitor postingsfromfans
Blogs Blogsreachtargetaudienceswhoarealready interestedinrelatedtopicsandwhohavehigh potentialtoparticipateintheProgram
tofurthermarketingefforts
bull Identifybloggerswhowilllikelywrite positivelyabouttheProgramSendpress releasefactsheetsandPrograminforma-tiontobloggerswhowriteabouttopics suchastheenvironmentenergyefficiency homeimprovementremodelingreal estatehousingbargainssavingmoneyas wellastocompaniesthatsellsolarpanels contractorsetc
bull Bloggersarelookingfortopicalstoriesto writeaboutandwewillmaketheirnext blogposteasyBecauseEnergyUpgradeis ahighrewardoptionalProgrambloggers willwritefavorablyandhelptellthestory inafriendlyaccessibleandeasy-to-under-standway(althoughwedonrsquothavecontrol overwhattheywrite)Peoplewhoaredis-satisfiedwillwritenegativecommentsbut wewillmonitorblogsandactivelycorrect misperceptions
bull Tomonitorwhatothersarewritingabout EnergyUpgradeontheirblogswewilluse freeprogramslikeTechnoratiorGoogle Readertoscanallblogsandwebsitesthat mentiontheProgram
Blogs to Reach
Green Girl LA Blog (httpgreenlagirlcom)Thisindependent blogisfocusedonenvironmentalhap-peningsinLosAngelesArecentpostwas aboutagreennetworkingeventfeaturing TheBuildingDoctorspresentingwaysto makeyourhousemoreenergyefficient PreviouslyareporterbloggerfortheLA Timesthewriterisactiveandcoversa widevarietyofenvironmentalgreentopics happeninginLosAngeles
40 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
LA Times HomeBlog (wwwlatimesblogslatimescomhome_
blog)focusesontopicsrelatedtohouses andhashadseveralrecentpostsabout greenremodelingOneadvantageofa majornewspaperisthatthereportingis accurateandthereadershipislargerThey recentlywroteaboutauditionsforThisOld HousewhichisfeaturingaLosAngeles areahouseforasummerremodel
Bargain Babe (wwwbargainbabelatownluxecom) featuresLosAngelesbargainsYoucan searchforbargainsbyareaofLA(West-sideetc)orbytopicThisbloggerrecently wroteaboutappliancerebates
LA Times Green Remodeling (wwwlatimesblogslatimescompar-donourdustgreen_remodeling)writes aboutalltopicsrelatedtoremodelingin SouthernCaliforniawithseveralrecent postsongreentopicsArecentpostre-viewedthedifferentadvantagesofinstall-ingvarioustanklesswaterheatersPitch thatthebloggerfollowahomeenergy retrofitandhelptelltheirstoryaswellas announcebasicPrograminformation
LA Times Personal Finance wwwlatimescombusinesspersonal-finance
Home Remodeling wwwkathysremodelingblogcom
Energy Efficiency wwwlowimpactlivingcomblog
LA CreekFreak
LA Observed
LAist
YouTube PostallvideosrelatedtotheprojectonYou-TubeWewillworkwithourmediapartners todevelopacontestforearlyadopterstofilm theirexperienceandletwebsitevisitorsvote onthebestWinnerreceivesaprizetobe determined
ListServes Listservesreachgroupsofpeoplewhoare interestedinasimilartopicorwholiveina specificneighborhoodSendemailblaststo listservessuchasneighborhoodassociations homeremodelersandenvironmentalgroups withanenergyfocusCitystaffhasinforma-tionaddressesofneighborhoodandhom-eownerassociationslists
Multimedia for Presentations Website Developanengaginginformative6-8minute videofocusingoncontractorsandhomeown-ersthatcanbeusedduringpresentationsand presentedonCityTVThevideowillbeshot bothinEnglishandinSpanishandcover
bull Howtherebatesworktocreateasenseof urgencyaboutdoingtheenergyupgrades soonerratherputtingitofftotakeadvan-tageoftherebates
bull Theldquosealthenenhancerdquowholehouse concept
bull WhattheProgramelementsactuallylook likeandhowtheyareinstalledtoover-comebarrierssuchasthatonemighthave tomoveoutofthehouseortheenergy upgradesareldquouglyrdquo
bull Workingwithacontractorwhatbeing licensedandcertifiedmeansgettingmul-tiplebids
bull Financingoptions
bull Doingthepaperwork
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 41
Fromthatvideodevelop
bull Threeindividual2-minutevideosforuse onlineeachfocusingonaspecifictopicmdash
againinbothEnglishandSpanish
bull A15anda30spoteachinEnglishand SpanishforuseonCityTVandbroadcast
stations
Print Collateral Customizable fact sheetsInforma-tionsheets(onepagefrontandback)in EnglishSpanishandChinesethatcanalso bepostedonthewebsiteasPDFs
Program brochureMorehighlyde-signedforplacementinmunicipaloffices andevents
Customizable Brochure Brandedwith SunsetMagazineorNationalGeographic forcontractorsandrealtorstohandto customers
SignageBannersforeventsandstreet lamppostspostersformunicipaloffices andsmalleventsandpotentiallysignage forbussidestransitshelters
Speakers kits Countyandcitystaffwillreceivekitstoensure everyoneisfamiliarwithkeymessagesandhas informationtogivetoconstituentsThesecan besentdirectlytocitiesordistributedthrough COGsKitswillcontain
bull Talkingpoints
bull DVDofthevideo
bull PPTpresentationforpublicmeetings
bull Printedbrochuresforpermitofficesto includewithwelcomepacketsfornewho-meowners
bull Articlesandphotostheycanrunintheir onlineorprintedcitynewsletters
bull CDwithtemplatesforquickprintingand websitebuttontolinkfromtheirwebsiteto EnergyUpgradeCalifornia
42 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
description of key messages
Thefollowingmessageshadthehighestreso-nanceinpollingandfocusgroupsbothinLos AngelesCountyandtheBayArea
Primary Motivators Thefollowingtwomessagesaboutsaving moneyarekeytomotivatingalltargetaudi-encesTheyshouldbepartofeverypieceof advertisingorcollateralproduced
1 RebatesHomeownerswhomakeenergy-savinghomeimprovementscanqualifyfor a$1500federaltaxcreditandrebatesof upto$3500dependingonhowmuchthey reduceenergyconsumptionAdditional motivatorTaxcreditsonlyavailable untilDecember312010(Rebatesare preferredovertaxcreditsbecauseitrsquoscash nowratherthanlateranddependingon incomenoteveryonecangetthecredit)
2 Save on Utility Bills Upgradingahome touselessenergyandwatercanreduce utilitybillsby20ormoremdashsavingyou moneyovertime
Secondary Motivators Thefollowingmessagesarethenlayeredde-pendingonwhichaudienceisbeingtargeted
Help the EnvironmentClimate Change Weallneedtodoourparttohelp theenvironmentandslowclimatechange Makingourhomesmoregreenandenergy efficientisanimportantstepweshouldall take
Reduce Foreign OilFossil FuelsAt atimewhenwearetryingtoreduceour dependenceonforeignoilandotherfossil fuelsupgradingtheenergyefficiencyof ourhomesisanimportantstepwecanall take(Infocusgroupstheconceptofenergy independencefurtherresonatedasinde-pendencefromutilitycompaniesgetting offthegrid)
Certified Contractors Save Money Speciallytrainedandcertifiedcontractors knowhowtofindimprovementsthatthe averagehomeownerwouldnotTheiras-sessmentswillensurethatyoufindmore energysavingsandthereforesavemore moneyonyourutilitybillsAdditional motivatorContractorsarecertifiedbythe BuildingPerformanceInstituteworking withtheDepartmentofEnergyandEnvi-ronmentalProtectionAgency
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 43
Increase Property ValuesHomesthat areenergy-efficientandenvironmentally friendlyaremoreappealingtohomebuyers Theseupgradescanincreaseyourproperty value
ComfortUpgradingyourhomersquosenergy efficiencymdashinparticularupgradinginsula-tionmdashcanmakeitamorecomfortableplace toliveNomoredraftycoldroomsinthe winterorhotstuffyroomsinthesummer
Indoor Air QualityInsulationand ventilationcanreduceallergyandasthma-causingmoldandmildewimproving indoorairqualityespeciallyforinfantsand thosewithhealthconditions
Messengers Homeownersprefertoreceiveinformation fromimpartialtrustedsourcesThesemes-sengersreceivedthehighestscoresinpolling
bull Neighborsandotherhomeowners
bull Contractorthehomeownerisalready workingwithorreferredbyfriendneigh-bor
bull Architectsdesignprofessionals
bull Gasandelectricutilities
bull Environmentalorganizations
bull Homeimprovementstorestaff(when equippedwithflyers)
44 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 45
- Cover
- Table of Contents13
- Summary Overview13
- Introduction13
- Programs Goals and Objectives13
- Marketing and Outreach Program Goals and Structure13
- Strategy13
- Evaluation13
- Description of Marketing Communication Tools13
- Description of Key Messages13
-
Home Depot
Ace Hardware
Lowersquos
Master Builders
Great Indoors
Home Expo
isAltadenaadiverseunincorporatedcom-munityofabout40000residentsTheaver-agehouseholdincomeis$94000Morethan 50adultresidentsaremarriedwithchildren andcommuteanaverageof62milesperday towhite-collarjobsFully40oftheadults inthiscommunityhaveabachelorsdegreeor higherandareinvolvedinmanycommunity eventsandorganizationsThereareapproxi-mately12000homesinthiscommunityand 10000ofthosehomesareowner-occupied Thegraphicshowshowoutreachwouldbe concentratedinthisareaMarketingandout-reachwillinclude
altadena marketing target
Intense Grassroots Community OutreachWewillcontact10-12com-munity-basedorganizationsfaith-based organizationshomeownersassociations neighborhoodassociationsandcommunity leadersineachareaWewillprovidethese organizationswithtrainingandtoolsto becomeambassadorsfortheProgramand spreadthewordthroughouttheircommu-nities
Saturation MarketingIOUswillsend directmailtohomeownersTheCounty willcontactlocalpapersfornewsplace-mentandadssocialmediaandpotentially
Hoy La Opinioacuten
Pasadena Star News
Altadena Headlines Examiner
Boulevard Magazine
Arroyo Magazine
Pasadena Weekly
Altadena Connection
Sentinel
KLVE
KPCC Pasadena
KCBS
KROQ Pasadena
KAZN Pasadena
Church Bulletins
Summer Concert Series at Farnsworth Park
Fourth of July Fireworks at
Town amp Country Club
Black History Parade
World Music Festival in Pasadena
Haunted House at
Farnsworth Park
Art Break
Rose Parade
National Latino
Congreso
Altadena Neighborhood Association
Altadena Chamber of Commerce
Altadena Arts Council
Altadena Town Council
Faith-based Organizations
Altadena Town amp Country Club
Altadena League of
Women Voters
Altadena Historical Society
Altadena Community Improvement Center
Sheriff Support Group
Santa Coming to Farnsworth
Park
Altadena California
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 7
outdoor(bussheltersandsidesandstreet levelsignage)toincreaseimpressionsthat drivepeopletothewebsite
Energy Champion Awards Program Severalconceptsareunderconsideration todevelopacommunityincentivestrategy topromoteparticipationinlinewiththe RetrofitRampUpproposalforinnovative incentiveapproaches
3 Trigger Event Marketing Thissuiteofstrategieswillbeaimedatcap-turingenergyefficiencyopportunitiesfrom multipletriggereventsParticipantswill mainlycomethroughcontractorsrealtorsand retailpartnerspropertyownerswillhavealso seencountywideadvertisingTriggerevents include
Replacingoldornon-functioningHVAC systemsandwaterheaters
Remodelingforlife-stagechanges(growing family)orjusttorenewthehouse
Improvementsmadewhenpurchasingor sellingahouse
Complaintsabouthighenergybillsora coldhothouse
4 City and COG Outreach OutreachbyCitiesandCOGswillbecritical becauseoftheirexistingrelationshipswith localconstituenciesCitieswillbeprovided withamini-marketingplantalkingpoints videocustomizabletemplatesoffactsheets articlesfortheirnewslettersandadvertising materialssotheycandeveloplow-costout-reachtotheirresidentsCitieswithcommuni-tiestargetedinthePilotAreaMarketingplans willbeinformedandencouragedtodoout-reachtothoseareasAllCitieswillbeencour-agedto
Runstoriesinprintandonlinenewsletters
Sendinformationtoneighborhoodassocia-tionshomeownersassociationshistoric preservationdistrictsandotherappropri-atecommunityorganizations
ProvideinformationinCitypermitting officesandCityHalllobbies
Provideinformationatstrategicallylocated EnvironmentalInformationCentersandat COGofficelocations
Provideinformationinldquonewhomeown-ersrdquowelcomekits(eitherdirectlyfromthe cityorthroughtitlecompaniesmortgage brokers)
5 Contractor Marketing BPI-certifiedgeneralcontractorswillbelisted ontheEnergyUpgradeconsumerwebsite sendingmanyleadsdirectlytothemThey alsohaveaccesstotheldquoheatmapsrdquotousefor developingtheirownadvertisingcampaigns Contractorswillbeattendingorientationses-sionstoensuretheythoroughlyunderstand theProgramrebatesfinancingoptionsand canhelpguidetheircustomersthroughthe processTheywillbeprovidedwithContractor MarketingKitstoensuretheyhavekeymes-sagesathandthathavebeenresonatingwith homeownersandhaveinformationtogiveto potentialcustomerswhomayormaynothave visitedthewebsiteKitscanbesentdirectlyto contractorsordistributedattheorientation sessionsKitswillcontain
Talkingpoints
DVDofthevideo
Printedfactsheetstoleavewithcustomers (withroomfortheircontactinfo)more canbeordered
8 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Printedldquoslimjimrdquobrochuresaboutthe 8 Multi-Family Outreach wholehouseapproach
Printedin-depthbrochure(brandedby ScientificAmericanMagazine)
CDwithldquobuttonrdquotolinktoEnergyUpgrade fromtheirownwebsites
Contractorswillhaveaccesstoaseparate sectionofthewebsitewheretheywillbeable toorderadditionalcustomizablematerials ldquoon-demandrdquofindinformationaboutPro-grameventspromotionsandadvertisingany changestotheProgramandasingletrade contractordatabaseforassemblingteamsfor customerswhowouldlikesolarpanelsornew windowsforexample
6 Realtor Marketing Giventhatthenationalaveragelengthof homeownershipisroughlysixyearsreal estateagentswillbeincontactandadvising alargepercentageofthenewandexisting homeownersthatEnergyUpgradeistarget-inghomeenergyretrofitsThishighlevelof influencemakesrealtorsoneofthelargest partnergroupsRealtorKitswillbesimilarto theContractorKitsandtheywillhaveaccess tothedatabaseofgeneralandsingletrade contractors
7 Retail Partner Marketing Utilitieswillpartnerwithretailoutletsthat canincludeBestBuyCostcoSearsLowes andHomeDepotParticipatingretailoutlets willbeprovided
Informationcenters
Programcollateral
Tabletents
Windowclings
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesandsched-ulesarestillinplanningphasesandbeing developedthroughastatewideconsortium
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing Strategiesandschedulesarestillinplanning phases
Incentives and Financing Marketresearchshowsthatrebatesarepri-marymotivatorsforhomeownerstoundertake anenergyupgradeRebateswillbeavailable forconsumersfromvarioussourcesCur-rentlyutilityrebatesoffer$1000fortheBasic Pathandupto$8500forthosereaching30 energysavingsThefederalHomeStarpro-gramisstillpendingmdashitcouldofferhomeown-ersupto$3000forelementsintheBasic Pathupto$7000forthosereaching20 energysavingsandupto$13000forthose reaching45energysavingsIncentivesfrom theCountyarealsostillpending
Financingoptionsarebeinganalyzedandwill beavailableatlaunch
Allrebatesandfinancingwillbecoordinated onthewebsitewiththeultimategoalofprop-ertyownersfillingoutoneformandpopulat-ingallotherrequiredforms
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 9
Proposed Implem
entation Plan
10 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
introduction
The Statewide Challenge Californialegislation(AB32)requiresGreen HouseGas(GHG)emissionreductionto1990 levelsby2020andfurtherreductionsinGHG emissionsto80percentbelow1990levelsby 2050Theseprovisionshavebeenincorpo-ratedintothePublicUtilitiesCommissionrsquos (CPUC)2009EnergyEfficiencyStrategic Planwhichtargetsanaverage40reduction inpurchasedenergyfortheexistingbuilding stockby2020andan80reductionby2050
TheCPUCrsquosCaliforniaEnergyEfficiency StrategicPlansetsthefollowinggoalstobe reachedby2020
25ofexistinghomesexhibita70 decreaseinpurchasedenergyfrom2008 levels
75ofexistinghomesexhibita30 decreaseinpurchasedenergyfrom2008 levels
100ofexistingmulti-familyhomes exhibita40decreaseinpurchasedenergy from2008levels
TheCPUCrsquosstatewidegoalistoretrofit 130000housingunitsby2010
Additionallegislation(AB758)requiredthe CaliforniaEnergyCommission(CEC)tode-velopandimplementacomprehensiveenergy efficiencyprogramforexistingresidentialand nonresidentialbuildingstoreducetheirGHG emissionsinkeepingwithclimatechange mitigationEnergy Upgrade Californiais apartnershipbetweentheCECandtheCPUC topromoteenergyefficiencyimprovements tohomesandcommercialbuildingsfunded inpartthroughtheAmericanRecoveryand ReinvestmentAct
Market Opportunity AlongwithothercitiesacrossthestateLos AngelesCountywillalsoberequiredtocreate aClimateActionPlanandEnergyUpgrade CaliforniainLosAngelesCountywillbea centralGHGemissionreductionimplementa-tionstrategyEnergy Upgrade California in Los Angeles Countyisanallianceamong theCountyofLosAngelestheCitieswithin theCountySouthernCaliforniaEdison SouthernCaliforniaGasCompanyandthe municipallyownedutilitiesintheCountyThe
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 11
goalisaldquoone-stopshoprdquoforpropertyowners Apropertyownerinvestmentof$5000 toeasilyfindclearconsolidatedinformation abouttheProgramelementscertifiedcon-tractorsandalltherebatesincentivesand financingoptionsavailable
Mostoftheapproximately34millionhous-ingunitsinLosAngelesCountywerebuilt beforestateenergyefficiencystandards(Title 24)wereimplementedbeginninginthe early1980sMorerecentvintageresidential buildingsalsooffergreatpotentialforenergy savingsduetodeficienciesinconstruction specificationandfieldworkquality
Energyefficiencymeasuresincludeimprove-mentstoinsulationspaceheatingandair conditioningwaterheatinglightingwin-dowsanddoorssolarhotwatersystemsand otherfixeditems
to$15000forsingle-familybuildingtoimple-mentabuildingenergyretrofitcanoften achieveanaverageof20ormoreenergy savingsreduceutilitybillsimprovebuild-ingcomfortenhanceindoorairqualityand increasebuildingvalue
TheCountyanditspartnersarecollaborat-ingonawebsitecommunityoutreachand countywideadvertisingtoleverageefforts andfundingandtomaximizeparticipationin theProgrammdashwithagoalofpropertyowners completing30000energyefficiencyupgrades bysummer2013TheldquoMediaandAdvertis-ingFlightsrdquomatrixprovidesanoverviewof scheduleandtiming
12 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
programs goals and objectives
ThegoalsofEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLA Countyaretopromotejobcreationandreduce aggregategreenhousegasemissionsthrough energyandresource-savingretrofitsofexisting buildingstockthroughthreefundingsources
1 AmericanReinvestmentandRecoveryAct EnergyEfficiencyandConservationBlock Grant(EECBG)
2 USDepartmentofEnergyRetrofitRamp Up(RRU)funding
3 CaliforniaEnergyCommission Discretionarygrant
retrofit objectives by funding source
Objectivesthusfocusonspecifictargetnum-bersforcompletedretrofits
bull Retrofitabout27000single-familyhomes withanaverage20energyreduction Countywide(1605850single-familyresi-dentialhomesinLACounty)plus2600 multi-familyhomes
bull Reduceannualpurchasedenergycon-sumptioninthosehomesbyanaggregate 300billionBTUsperyearandassociated energycostsby$4millionperyear
bull Create3200jobsand
bull ReducetheCountyrsquosannualgreenhouse gasemissionsattributabletoenergycon-sumptioninitsexistingbuildingstockby 36287metrictonsCO2e
EECBG RRU CEC TOTAL
single-family Homes 15000 4200 8060 27260
multi-family Homes 0 1400 1240 2640
29900
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 13
marketing and outreach program goals and structure
1 Goals MarketingandoutreachforEnergyUpgrade CaliforniainLACountywillengageproperty ownersthrougheffectivestrategiesprovide clearandcompellinginformationaboutthe benefitsofanenergyefficiencyretrofitlist therebatesandtaxcreditsavailable(through thisProgramandthroughutilityprograms) explainfinancingoptionslistcertifiedcon-tractorsanddescribetheProgramprocessand optionsThemarketingandoutreachplanhas fivemajorgoals
1 Build broad positive awareness of the Program
2 Educate property owners to overcome barriers to participation
3 Target marketing efforts to drive participation by key audiences identified in surveys
4 Align and coordinate other marketing efforts by utilities and other partners
5 Create a sustained market for a whole-house performance approach leading to long-term behavioral change
2 Objectives ThePlanisdesignedtoachievethesemajor objectives
1 Program goals met
Marketing35-40ofProgrampar-ticipantsentertheProgramasaresultof marketingandoutreachefforts
Contractors45-50ofProgrampar-ticipantsentertheProgramasaresultof marketingbycontractors(usingmes-sagingandmaterialsdevelopedthrough thisPlan)
Partners10-15ofProgrampar-ticipantsentertheProgramasaresult ofmarketingbyothermethodssuch asrealtorsretailpartnersarchitects designersandCityefforts(usingmes-sagingandmaterialsdevelopedthrough thisPlan)
2 300000 unique hits on a robust website (or calls to the call center)
3 Virtual ldquoword-of-mouthrdquo buzz created through social media resulting in click throughs to the website
14 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
4 Communications kits available for county COG cities community leaders and environmental groups
5 Marketing kits available for partners (contractors realtors)
6 Informational materials placed with retailers cities county offices
7 50000000 mediaadvertisingin-person impressions through
Mainstreammedia(televisionradio print)storiesplaced
Multiculturalmedia(televisionradio print)storiesplaced
RadioTVPSAsplaced
CityTVprogramsplaced
PaidradioTVpromosads
Paidprintads
Communitymeetings
Targeteddirectmail
rebate structure
8 Consolidated information in a ldquoone-stop shoprdquo approach
3 Incentives and Financing Marketresearchshowsthatrebatesarepri-marymotivatorsforhomeownerstoundertake anenergyupgradeRebateswillbeavailable forconsumersfromvarioussourcesCur-rentlyutilityrebatesoffer$1000forthe BasicPathandupto$3500forthosereach-ing30energysavingsThefederalHome Starprogramisstillpendingmdashitcouldoffer homeownersupto$3000forelementsinthe BasicPath$3000forthosereaching20 energysavingsandupto$13000forthose reaching45energysavingsIncentivesfrom theCountyarealsostillpending(SeeRebate Structuretable)
Financingoptionsarebeinganalyzedandwill beavailableatlaunch
Allrebatesandfinancingwillbecoordinated onthewebsitewiththeultimategoalofprop-ertyownersfillingoutoneformandpopulat-ingallotherrequiredforms
ELEMENT COUNTy FUNdEd
FEd TAx CREdIT HOME STAR UTILITIES
Basic path tBD 30 of eligible $1000
advanced path tBD improvements up to $1500 (expires Dec 31) $2500 for 20
+$500 for 5 +$500 for 5
silver star tBD
gold star tBD
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 15
4 Coordination Between Local Government and Utilities Consumerswillbebestservedbyaunified brandandconsumermarketingcampaign consistentmessagingandastatewidewebsite portalwithonewebsiteaddressTheCounty ofLosAngelesSouthernCaliforniaEdison andSouthernCaliforniaGasCompanyhave beenworkingtogethertodevelopastrong coordinatedprogramInfacttheLosAngeles CountyProgramhasbecomeamodelforthe state
Coordinationwillalsoleverageresourcesand increasethemarketingeffectivenessoflocal governmentsandthelocalutilitiesAllma-terialswillbedevelopedcollaborativelyand costswillbesharedaccordingtothedivision ofresponsibilityThefollowingchartoutlines thekeydeliverablesandresponsibilities(next page)
16 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
marketingoutreach coordination
PROGRAM ELEMENT LEAd COMMENTS
COUNTy UTILITIES jOINT
market research X telephone surveys focus groups and market analysis
marketing communications plan X this document will direct all marketing
activities
program namelogo X
cec will own the brand and has final vote on statewide name tagline can be customized for la county
Website portal X
statewide portal linked to utility pages or sitesndashmain info and materials on this one site
advertising campaign principles development X
marketing templates X
Print and online available for cities to customize as needed
service territory media Buys (regional) X Mainstream and ethnic media buys
local media Buys (la county) X Both mainstream and ethnic media in
hotspots and la county
call center X one phone number managed by utilities county to help produce script
retail outlet materials X May include kiosks short videos
contractor marketing toolkit X tBD county will develop marketing materials
for contractors
direct mail (eg bill inserts other mailers) X
county assessor materials X
Materials included in water bills property tax bills
community-Based outreach X targeted grassroots marketing
(includes local events)
community events X X utilities attend countywide events county attends local events
public relations X X
utilities take lead for service territory county for local or supervisor-initiated PR
Home energy makeover contest X
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 17
strategy
TheProgramwilluseamulti-layeredmulti-facetedmarketingandoutreachstrategythat targetsaudiencesbyidentifyingwhotheyare wheretheyliveandtheeventsgoingonin theirlivesMarketingeffortsinclude
1 Countywide Marketing (and Media Relations)
2 Pilot Area Marketing
3 Trigger-Event Marketing
4 City Outreach
5 Contractor Marketing
6 Realtor Marketing
7 Retail Partner Marketing
8 Multi-Family Marketing
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing
1 Countywide Marketing
Thestrategyisentirelyresearch-drivenfocus-ingonthosepropertyownersmostlikelyto undertakeahomeenergyupgradeAnover-archinglayerofmainstreammarketingand advertisingwillbeaimedatthreeaudiences
1 Early AdoptersThosewhoarestrong environmentalistsalreadypoisedtoldquodo therightthingrdquofortheenvironmentand whojustneedtohearaboutaprogramand rebates
2 ldquoRetrofit-ReadyrdquoThosewhoarealready planninghomeimprovementsandjust needalittlemoreinformationaboutwhat stepstotaketosavemoneyandldquodothe rightthingrdquofortheenvironment
3 ldquoRetrofit-Persuadablerdquo Thosewho arethinkingabouttheirutilitybills homecomforttheenvironmentorour dependenceonfossilfuelsforeignoil (especiallyinlightoftherecentGulfoil spill)andwhoneedinformationabout whattypesofimprovementstheycould makeandwhatstepstotaketosave energysavemoneyandreducefossilfuel consumption
Outreachwillbeaimedattargetaudiences throughbothmainstreamandmulticultural mediaTheadvertisingwillalsospillover ontoaudiencesinspecificgeographicareas providingadditionalimpressionstothose whoarealsotargetedinthePilotMarketing AreasThiswillalsoaddtothecitiesrsquoefforts topromotetheProgramastheirresidents willalsoseethecountywidemarketingefforts
18 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Marketingwillfocusoneachtargetaudience providingimpressionsclosetotheirhomeand reachingouttomoremassaudiencesCounty-widemarketingandoutreachwillinclude tacticsinthetablebelow
The One-Stop Shop Allinformationwillbeconsolidatedina one-stopshopapproacheitherinaldquobrick andmortarrdquolocationthroughthewebsiteor callcenteroratcommunityeventsProperty ownerswillhaveeasyaccesstoinformation
abouteligibleenergyefficiencymeasures andretrofitoptionseligibilityforCounty-administeredfinancialvehiclesandincentives eligibilityforutility-sponsoredrebatesand incentivesfederalrebateandtaxcreditinfor-mationandaccesstolistsofqualifiedenergy retrofitcontractors
Propertyownerswhoarenoteligiblefororin-terestedinEnergyUpgradeCaliforniawould alsobeabletofindoutaboutopportunities forweatherizationprogramslow-incomerate
countywide marketingoutreach tactics
Cable TV
County Events
Mass Media
Out of Home
Radio
Retail Partners
City Information
City TV
Local Media
Transit Shelters
Theaters
Billboards
Community of Interest
Newsletters
Contractor Marketing
Direct Mail to Hot Spots
Online Ads
Site Signage
Social Media
Community Newsletters
Local Events
Target Audience
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 19
subsidiesgreenjobstrainingandotherinitia- Parcel-Based Market Analysistivesavailabletoqualifiedhouseholds
Identifying Locations of Target Audiences Thegeographiclocationoftargetaudiences willbeidentifiedthroughtwomarketanalysis efforts
Pilot Marketing Areas TheCountywillintensifymarketingefforts inspecificpilotmarketingareaswherehigh percentagesoftheEarlyAdopterandRetrofit ReadyaudiencesliveThesepilotmarketareas willbeidentifiedthroughdemographicanaly-sisbaseduponextensivemarketresearchas wellasadetailedanalysisofkeycommunity resourcessuchasstrongcommunitynetworks andcommunity-basedorganizationsinfluen-tiallocalmedialdquocommunityfeelrdquoetc(For moreinformationonthepilotmarketareas approachandengagementstrategiesseepage 23)
Adetailedmarketanalysisisbeingconducted tosupportspecificpiecesoftheoutreachand communicationsstrategybyidentifyingthe locationofaudiencesthatarereceptivetospe-cificoutreachstrategiesThetableonthenext pagedemonstratesthemarketanalysisaudi-ences(scenarios)andmarketstrategiesthat arebeinganalyzedtoidentifythelocationof targetaudiencesThemarketanalysisisbeing conductedusingconsumermarketresearch combinedwithdemographicdataandprop-ertycharacteristicsdatafromtheCountyas-sessorThemainproductfortheanalysiswill beaseparateanalysisreport(expectedAugust 2010)Thisreportwillincludecountywide ldquoheatmapsrdquothatidentifytheareasthathave ahighproportionoftargetpropertiesandare thereforeidealareasfortargetedmarketing ThesemapscanbeusedforEnergyUpgrade Californiaorcontractormarketingstrategies
countywide market capture cascade
Early Adopters
Retrofit ready
Retrofit persuadable
The Next Phase No way
MESSAGES
bull environment bull Fossil Fuels bull Rebates
available
AddITIONAL MESSAGES
bull save money on utility bills
bull Rebates
bull long-term attitudinal change
available AddITIONAL MESSAGES
bull Property values bull comfort bull Health bull ReBates available
20 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
market analysis scenarios
Link between Pilot Market Areas and Parcel-Based Market Analysis
Theaudiencesbeingexaminedinthepilot marketingareasoverlapwithbutarenotthe sameasthoseinthemarketanalysisThe marketanalysisthereforesupportsthepilot marketareaidentificationintwoways
1 Itaddspropertycharacteristicsgleaned fromconsumerresearchtothepilotmarket areaanalysisInthiswayScenarios1and 2(RetrofitReadyandRetrofitPersuadable) providefurtherdetailtothepilotmarket areasandallowforgeneralmarketingto
MARkET ANALySIS SCENARIO
AUdIENCE IdENTIFIEd
dATA ANALyzEd RELATEd MARkETING STRATEGy
1-early adopters retrofit ready
environmentalists ready to take action now with information about rebates
Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Pilot Marketing areas
2-retrofit persuadable
those who need information about types of improvements with emphasis on rebates and cost savings
Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Pilot Marketing areas
3a-Built environment Heating and cooling
Middle-aged to newer homes located inland that are larger and often have high ac heating bills
Property characteristics location of Home
trigger event Marketing utility Bills Pilot area Marketing
3b-Built environment-Heating
smaller older coastal homes that may have comfort issues in winter
Property characteristics location of Home
trigger event Marketing comfort Pilot Marketing areas
4-multi-family Multi-family homeowners Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Multi-family Marketing Pilot Marketing areas
5-Whole neighborhood
tracts of similarly-aged and built homes
Property characteristics location of Home
Whole neighborhood Marketing Pilot Marketing areas
bedirectedtospecificproperties(when appropriate)
2 Italsoidentifiesotherkeyaudiences (Scenarios3a3b4and5)thatcorrelate toothermarketingstrategiesasshown intableaboveTheresultsofthese scenarioswillbeoverlaidontopofthepilot marketareastoidentifyspecificparcels thatmayrespondtospecificmarketing strategiesForexamplewhenoverlaying thepropertiesidentifiedinScenario5 (Whole-NeighborhoodScenario)with thepilotmarketingareastheCounty canidentifypropertieswithinthepilot
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 21
marketingareathatwouldrespondtoa whole-neighborhoodmarketingapproach (bulkpurchasingmodelhomesasingle contractoretc)
Home Energy Makeover Contest HomeEnergyMakeoverContestsgenerate atremendousamountofpublicityandhave beensuccessfullyconductedinmanyother statesandcitiesTheyattractthousandsof entrantsTheconceptistobothgarnerfree publicityandmodelthebehaviortheProgram istryingtoencouragebyshowingtheldquowhole houseapproachrdquohoweasyupgradescanbe howmuchtherebatescanreducetheproject costandhowmuchdifferencetheymaketoa home
Thecontestwillalsodemonstratethemarket acceptanceforthehomeperformanceap-proachtotraditionalsingle-measurecontrac-torsThosecontractorswillseehowmany peopleenterthecontesttowinahomeperfor-mancemakeoverbasedonthewholehouseap-proachAllthosewhoenteredareleadswho maybeinterestedinawholehouseapproach ratherthansinglemeasures
Entrantsmustbeover18liveinLosAnge-lesCountyandownthehomeinwhichthey residethecontestcanbelimitedtothose whoreceiveservicefromSouthernCalifornia EdisonandorSouthernCaliforniaGas(in otherwordsitcanincludeorexcluderesi-dentsservedbymunicipalutilities)Entrants submitinformationabouttheirhomeand theirenergyconsumptionandgivepermis-sionfortheProgramjudgestoviewtheir energyconsumptionduringthepreviousyear Finalistsarebasedonthehighestenergycon-sumptionpersquarefootofamedian-sized homeAbout20finalistsreceivefreeenergy auditsfortheirhomesBasedontheaudit (andadditionalcriteriawewilldetermine)five winninghomesreceiveupto$15000inhome
energyimprovements(whichcanbesupple-mentedbyrebatesandadditionalfunding fromthepropertyowner)Thewinneragrees tomediacoverageanopenhouseandtoblog andorTweetduringandaftertheretrofit Wewillworkwithcontractorstogetsponsor-shipsaswellasdonatedauditsandupgrade elements
OnecontestwillbeheldinFall2010(withfive winners)andasecondcontestheldduring Springof2011(withfivewinners)
Aseparatecontestcouldbeheldformulti-familybuildingswithahigherwinning amount
Countywide Incentives TheProgramwillestablishalistofnon-profit organizationsthatareactiveinpromoting greenhomessustainabilityandotherenvi-ronmentalorcommunityprojectsEveryone intheCountywhocompletesanenergyaudit maydesignateanon-profitorganizationto receiveadonationfromtheProgramInfor-mationabouttheeligibleorganizationswill beonthewebsiteThiswillencouragethose non-profitstopromotetheProgramtotheir membersltNotethisconceptisstillbeing developedgt
Direct Mail Utilitieswillplacemessagesonouterbillen-velopessenttocustomersTheywillalsosend directmailaboutEnergyUpgradetoldquotarget areasrdquobasedonacombinationofenergy usageageofhomeandhouseholdincome DirectmailisscheduledforOctober2010
County Events Utilitieswillbeattendinglargeeventssuch astheSeptember2010and2011LACounty Fairswithawholehousethemethatincludes aminimodelhousethatvisitorscanldquotourrdquo Additionalproposedeventsinclude
22 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
bull LeagueofCitiesAnnualConference workshop(September2010)
bull PomonaHomeImprovementShow (October2010)
bull RemodelingShowattheLACountyFair (October2010)
bull CaliforniaAssociationofRealtors (October2010)
bull BuildingIndustryShow(November2010)
bull SouthernCaliforniaHomeImprovement Show(November2010)
bull NeighborWorksAmerica(February2011)
Online and Social Media TheProgramwillusesocialmediatoinex-pensivelyreachtargetaudiencesbeginningat launchandcontinuingthroughoutthePro-gramwithbriefpausesforrefiningThiswill beaccomplishedthroughoptimizingsearch wordsforsearchenginessuchasGoogleand Bingreachingappropriateindependentblogs aYouTubevideocontest(runbyamediapart-ner)andencouragingblogpostsandTweets byearlyadoptersandtheProgramitself(see DescriptionsofMarketingCommunications ToolsandDescriptionsofTargetAudiencesfor moredetails)Inadditionutilitieswilldevote spaceforinformationandalinkontheirland-ingpages
Countywide Media Buys Withalatesummerfalllaunchdatemedia buysneedtobespreadtoavoidtheelection monthofOctober2010EnergyUpgradeCali-forniainLosAngelescansponsoraweather broadcastmdashliveonlineandmobilemdashaswell as15and30spotsduringotherbroadcasts Wewillalsopurchaseliveandonlinespots withUnivisiontheSpanish-languagestation Radiobuyswillinclude15NationalPublic Radio(KPCCandKCRW)sponsorshipsand variousdrive-timespotsonEnglishandin-
languageAMandFMstationsSocialmedia buysincludeGoogleWordsandblogads(see DescriptionsofMarketingCommunications Tools)Printmediabuyswillbeinmulticul-turalpapers
(Afullmediabuyplanandschedulewillbe availableinAugust)
Countywide Media Relations TheProgramwillcoordinateCountyandutil-ityeffortsandwiththeCaliforniaEnergyCom-missionCaliforniaPublicUtilitiesCommis-sioneffortsMediarelationswillbeinthree phasespre-launchlaunchandmilestones
Pre-Launch (August ndash September)
bull DevelopandprovideaSpeakerrsquosKit withtalkingpoints
bull OrganizeCountymedialaunchevent (potentiallyenlistawillinghomeowner whosehousemightserveasalaunching padformediatours)
bull Respondtorequestsfromcities
bull Providepre-writtenarticlesforcity communitynewsletters
bull Issuepresskitsandpressrelease(in EnglishandSpanish)announcing launch
Launch (October)
bull Mediaeventtoannouncelaunchand HomeEnergyMakeoverContestpoten-tiallyon-siteatahousetodemonstrate upgrades
bull SendoutradioPSAs
Milestones (through 2013)
bull Mediaeventtoannouncewinnersofthe HomeEnergyMakeovercontest(could beconductedon-sitesurprisingthe winners)
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 23
bull ldquoRe-launchrdquopressreleaseandmedia eventinMarch2011forasecondHome EnergyMakeoverContestwithastrong ldquogetreadyforsummerrdquotheme
bull Pressreleasewhen10000thperson receivesarebate
bull Pressreleasewhenotherappropriate milestonesarereachedorthefunding forincentivesisclosetobeingdepleted
2 Pilot Marketing Areas
Itwillbecriticalforthelong-termsuccessof marketingeffortstohaveasignificantnumber ofearlysuccessesthatgeneratepositivepub-licityandword-of-mouthencouragingothers toalsoparticipateTheCountyintendsto stimulatethemarketfortheseearlyadopters byintensifyingmarketingeffortsinspecific pilotmarketingareas(withzipcodebound-aries)wherebasedonextensiveconsumer
countywide marketingoutreach tactics
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
television
ad buys on Broadcast tV univision google tV Paid county
ldquothis old Houserdquo segment on whole house per-formance and rebates while renovating house (filming in la this summer)
earned county
coverage on mainstream and multicultural sta-tions
earned utilities county
ldquoinfomercialrdquo and promos on city tV Placed county
radio
nPR sponsorship Paid county
commute time spots Paid county
coverage on california Report earned utilities county
Psas on mainstream stations Placed utilities county
spots on multicultural stations Paid county
coverage in mainstream and multicultural papers
earned utilities county
sunset Magazine green Home section earned county
ads in la times and Daily news real estate sections
Paid utilities county
ads in multicultural papers Paid county
Direct Mail to targets Paid utilities
24 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
countywide marketingoutreach tactics (conrsquot)
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
social media
Blogs (about homes environment bargains) earned county
Facebook page Placed county
ads targeted to interest in environment and or home improvements (this old House etc)
Paid county
google adWords targeted to interest in environment andor home improvements
Paid county
twitter both by the Program and by individual early adopters (with incentives)
Placed county
youtube early adopters make a video about their experience and results (with incentives)
Placed county
out of Home
Retail kiosks banners flyers links on retail websites
Placed utilities
community organizations
environmental groups and others newsletters websites email blasts
earned county
Home improvement shows booths Paid county
countywide events Paid utilities
Bloggersubject matter events Paid county
researchhighpercentagesoftargetaudiences livePilotmarketingprogramsinthoseareas willtesttheextentcommunity-basedmarket-ingpositivelyimpactsparticipationratesan effortrelatedtoRetrofitRampUpproposal requirements
Demographicdataprovidedbythemarketre-searchwillbeoverlaidwithenergyusagedata AdditionallyGIS-basedmarketanalysisatthe parcellevel(describedabove)willallowfor pinpointingofspecificneighborhoodswithin thepilotareasforoutreachthatcaninclude
door-to-doordirectmailandmarketingby contractorsaspartofaldquowholeneighbor-hoodrdquoapproachFocusingonpilotareaswill alsomeettheRetrofitRampUprequirements oftheDepartmentofEnergyFollowingisa summaryofplannedmarketingandoutreach efforts
Marketresearch-basedcriteriaforchoosing about15pilotareaswillinclude
Clusters of houses built before 1978 Thoselivinginolderhomesespecially
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 25
builtbeforeCaliforniarsquosEnergyEfficiency Standardsaremorelikelytobelievethat theirhousemightbeenergyinefficient andcouldbenefitfromenergyefficiency improvementsmdashandberesponsivetoan energyupgrade
High percentage of homeownership Thesemarketingeffortsfocusonsingle-familyresidentialhomeownerssoareas withhighrentalrateswillnotprovidea largeenoughnumberofeligibleunits
Income over $60000Thosewith incomesunder$60000didnotbelieve theywouldhavesufficientincometomake improvementsevenwithrebatesThey werenotinterestedinloans(manywith lowincomesalsofindthemselvesldquounder-waterrdquoontheirloansandthusnoteligible forsomefinancing)Inadditionwefound somepush-backinfocusgroupsabout ldquogovernmentofferingloanstopeoplewho canrsquotaffordthemafterthesub-primeloan debaclerdquo
Population with a high percentage of college-educatedThosewithacollege degreearemuchmorelikelytoindicate apreferencetomakeenergyefficiency upgradesThosewhohadcompletedsome collegeeducationarealsomorelikelyto indicateapreferenceforenergyefficiency upgradesthanthosewhohadnotcom-pletedany
Population with a high percentage of those age 35-54Thosewithchildren andorexpandingfamiliesaremorelikely tomakeimprovementsthanthoseunder 30(thereareveryfewhomeownersunder 30)andthoseover54
High percentage of households with 4+ peopleHouseholdswithmorepeople havehigherenergybillsResearchshows thatthoseinhomeswithmorethan4
peoplebelieveenergyupgradescanmakea bigimpactontheirbills
High energy usage Thehigherenergy usage(andbills)themorelikelypeopleare tobelievethatenergyefficiencyimprove-mentswillmakeadifferenceintheirbills
Afterlayeringthisinformationtocomeup withalistofpotentialareaswefurthercon-sidered
Clusters of 8000-20000 homesThe areashouldbelargeenoughtoprovidesub-stantialnumbersofeligibleunitsbutsmall enoughtoenablereachingmajorityofresi-dentsandgeneratingword-of-mouth
Has a diverse multicultural commu-nityAreasshouldhavestrongcommunity identitiesandsenseofplacesocommunity membersareproudofwheretheyliveand areencouragedtoimprovetheircommu-nity
Has strong neighborhood and com-munity organizationsWeneedto engagetheseorganizationsaspartnersto helpspreadtheword
Has existing communications such as newsletters blogsWeneedtoreach membersthroughexistingcrediblesources thatresidentsalreadyuseandtrust
ldquoSpill overrdquo opportunities to nearby neighborhoodsSincemarketingand mediaeffortswillpotentiallyalsobeseen byneighborsareasshouldbenearother areasthatmayalsomeettheprimary criteria
Climatetime of yearIndetermining whentorolloutthepilotswecantarget interiorareasinspringandcoastalareasin coldweather
26 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Basedonthemarketresearchcriteriafive pilotmarketingareasarescheduledforintense marketingatlaunchwithanadditional10 areasscheduledforintensemarketingin Spring2011
Thepilotmarketstrategyissupportedby theparcel-basedmarketanalysiswhichwill identifywhichneighborhoodspropertieswill bethebesttotargetusingthisapproachThe marketanalysiswillallowlimitedmarketing fundingtobeleveragedbyfocusingonthose thataremostlikelytorespondtothemarket-ingefforts
Wewillcreatemessagesandvisualsspecifical-lytailoredtoeachtargetcommunityrsquoscultural andlinguisticpreferencesImagessymbols andiconstypographycolorandoverall designcarrydifferentmeaningsindifferent culturesAmessageistypicallymosteffective ifitiscreatedwithcarefulattentiontothese idiosyncrasiesandwithintheldquoculturalmind-setrdquooftherecipientsCreatingheadlinesand taglinesdirectlyinthetargetlanguagerather thansimplytranslatingEnglishadvertising copyensuresthatcopyhasthecorrectrhythm andrhymeandisthereforemuchmore attention-grabbingandmemorable
Community Incentives Energy Champion Program Severalconceptsareunderconsiderationto developacommunityincentivestrategyto promoteparticipationinlinewiththeRetrofit RampUpproposalforinnovativeincentiveap-proachesIncentivesmaybedirectedatenergy auditscommunity-basedorganizationsthose willingtoprovidetestimonialsorblogtweet andpublicrecognitionefforts
Grassroots Community Organizing-Trainedorganizerswillpresentinformationat themeetingsof12-15influentialcommunity leadersandcommunity-basedorganizationsin
eachpilotareacapturetheircontactdataand helpspreadtheinformationtotheirmembers throughtheirnewsletterseventsandwebsites TheProgramwillprovidepre-writtencus-tomizablearticlespresentationsorvideoand websiteldquobuttonsrdquotolinktotheProgramsite Eachgroupwillbeofferedanincentiveofado-nationtotheirorganizationforeverymember whocompletesahomeenergyupgradeThis willencourageCBOvolunteerstoincrease theirmarketingeffortsFriendlyrivalrieswill beencouragedCommunitygroupswillreport namesofparticipantscheckedforjobcomple-tionbytheProgram(underdevelopment)
Community Events One-on-onefacetimewithhomeownersis anidealwaytoengagepotentialparticipants Well-trainedorganizerswillattendfiveevents ineachtargetareaprovidinghomeowners withinformation(pocketsizemultilingual handouts)andcapturingtheircontactinfor-mationforfollowupTheycanhavehome-ownerssignuponthewebsiteonsiteifappro-priateandperhapsevenhavethemprovideus withavideocommitmentldquoItookthePledgerdquo withpermissiontopostonthewebsiteAsa luretotheboothhomeownerswillbeoffered freeitemssuchaslightbulbsmagnetsand reusablecupswithcoldwater(imprintedwith thewebsite)manufacturedintheUS
Print Radio Outdoor and Out-of Home Advertising Localmediawillcoverthelaunchofthe Programandwewillstrategicallyplaceads inlocalmediaandcommunitynewsletters Outdooradvertising(smallstreet-levelbiode-gradableeco-postersbussheltersbussides) strategicallyplacedinhigh-trafficareaswillre-inforcethemessageoveraone-monthperiod
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 27
Pilot Area Example Altadena Altadenawasidentifiedasacommunitythat fitsourtargetcriteriaItisadiverseunincor-poratedcommunitywithsixneighborhoods andanapproximatepopulationof40000The averagehouseholdincomeisabout$94000 Morethan50ofadultresidentsaremarried withchildrenandcommuteanaverageof62 milesperdaytowhite-collarjobsFully40of theadultsinthiscommunityhaveabachelors
degreeorhigherandareinvolvedinmany communityeventsandorganizationsThere areapproximately12000homesinthiscom-munityand10000ofthosehomesareowner-occupiedThegraphicshowshowoutreach wouldbeconcentratedinthisarea
pilot area outreachmarketing tactics
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
radio
Psas on multicultural stations earned county
coverage in local papers earned county
ads in local and multicultural papers Paid county
outdoor
Bus shelters in area Paid county
on-street lampost signage Paid county
Billboards Paid county
social media
Blogs (relevant to the area) earned county
online ads targeted by location Paid county
listserves of neighborhood associations (through cities)
earned county
out of Home
Movie theater ads in area Paid county
lawn signs on homes in area (through contractors)
Paid county
community organizations
community meetings with incentives to organizations for participation
earnedPaid county
community events Paid county Door hangers Paid county
28 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Home Depot
Ace Hardware
Lowersquos
Master Builders
Great Indoors
Home Expo
altadena marketing target
Hoy La Opinioacuten
Pasadena Star News
Altadena Headlines Examiner
Boulevard Magazine
Arroyo Magazine
Pasadena Weekly
Altadena Connection
Sentinel
KLVE
KPCC Pasadena
KCBS
KROQ Pasadena
KAZN Pasadena
Church Bulletins
Summer Concert Series at Farnsworth Park
Fourth of July Fireworks at
Town amp Country Club
Black History Parade
World Music Festival in Pasadena
Haunted House at
Farnsworth Park
Art Break
Rose Parade
National Latino
Congreso
Altadena Neighborhood Association
Altadena Chamber of Commerce
Altadena Arts Council
Altadena Town Council
Faith-based Organizations
Altadena Town amp Country Club
Altadena League of
Women Voters
Altadena Historical Society
Altadena Community Improvement Center
Sheriff Support Group
Santa Coming to Farnsworth
Park
Altadena California
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 29
3 Trigger-Event Marketing
Thissuiteofstrategieswillbeaimedatcaptur-ingenergyefficiencyopportunitiesfrommul-tipletriggereventsParticipantswillmainly comethroughcontractorsrealtorsandretail partnerspropertyownerswillhavealsoseen countywideadvertising
trigger event marketing
4 City and COG Outreach
OutreachbyCitiesandCOGswillbecritical becauseoftheirexistingrelationshipswith localconstituenciesCitieswillbeprovided withamini-marketingplantalkingpoints videocustomizabletemplatesoffactsheets articlesfortheirnewslettersandadvertising
EvENT dESCRIPTION LEAd AGENT COLLATERAL TACTIC
1 Replace on burnout (heating air conditioners water heaters)
Homeowners either in process of replacing an item or have already done some efficiency projects
county bull Retail partners
bull HVac installers
bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors installers
bull Retail displays
2 life-stage changes (growing family)
Homeowners working with a contractor
county bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors bull ads in media for home remodels
3 Home remodel Homeowners working with an architect contractor
county bull contractors bull architects
bull Materials for contractors
bull ads in media for home remodels
3 improvements at time of purchase
Homeowners interested are preparing a new home for move-in (research shows more interest at purchase than at sale)
shared bull contractors bull Realtors bull Home
inspectors bull city permit
offices bull city welcome
kits bull Retail
bull Brochures for cities
bull ads in weekend homes for sale sections
bull Presentations to realtor groups
bull Retail displays
4 improvements at sale
House owners preparing for sale
county bull contractors bull Realtors
bull Materials for contractors
5 complaints high utility bills cold hot house
Homeowners aware of energy-saving improvements but not whole house approach
county bull contractors bull HeRs raters
bull Materials for contractors
30 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
city amp cog outreach
materialssotheycandeveloplow-costout-reachtotheirresidentsCitieswithcommuni-tiestargetedinthePilotAreaMarketingplans willbeinformedandencouragedtodoout-reachtothoseareasAllCitieswillbeencour-agedtodothefollowing
Run stories in print and online news-letters
Send information to neighborhood associations homeowners associa-tions historic preservation districts and other appropriate community organizations
Provide information in City permit-ting offices and City Hall lobbies
Provide information at strategically located Environmental Information Centers and at COG office locations
Provide information in ldquonew home-ownersrdquo welcome kits (either directly from the city or through title compa-
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAId EARNEd
LEAd
pio coordination contact all participating citiesrsquo Pios na county
letters Key messages for letters from mayors etc to constituents Provide to Pios or city managers
na county
Website links Button for cities to place on their website to link to Program site
na county
city tV informational videos and spot promos Placed county
Welcome brochure
Brochure aimed at new homeowners before they move in
na county
articles Pre-written customizable newsletter articles earned county
email blasts Pre-written customizable info spots for communityneighborhood listserves
earned county
niesmortgage brokers)
Run videos and spots on City TV stations
5 Contractor Marketing
Localcontractorsarecriticaltothesuccess ofEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLosAngeles CountyTheyprovidetheservicesthatcom-prisetheProgramandtheycanhelpmarket theProgramtopropertyownersInfactwe estimatethatupto50ofProgrampartici-pantswillentertheProgramthrougharela-tionshipwithacontractor(theymayhavealso seenmediacoverageandadvertisingwhich spurredthemtotakeaction)Thisuniquerole requiresthattheProgramtakeatwo-tiered approachofengagingthecontractormdashmoti-vatinglocalbuildingprofessionalstoundergo thetrainingandcertificationprocessandalso providingthemwiththetoolstoeffectively promotetheprogramtoexistingandnew clientsThefollowingsectiondescribesspecific
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 31
contractor target
United Brotherhood Building Industry Carpenters (Training)
Association ofSouthern California
Email Blast
Contractors Magazines
Contractor
OnlineAds
Big Box Stores
ConractorsLicensing Schools
Realtor Associations
strategiesassociatedwithbothapproaches
Forthepurposesoftheprogramcontractors aredividedintoparticularsegmentsbasedon thetypeofserviceprovidedAninitialanalysis oftheindustryrevealedthefollowinglikely categories
HomePerformance(HP)Contractors
ProductionBuilders
HVACSystemSpecialtyTrades (windowsetc)
RemodelingContractors
SolarContractors
BuildingPerformance
Institute
Southwest Regional
City Permit Association
Offices of Carpenters
Lumber Yards
StateLicensing
Board
American Instituteof Architects
LA Chapter
Outreach to Contractors TheProgramwillcoordinatewithcontractor groupsandotherbuildingprofessionaltrade organizationstoschedulebriefpresentations abouttheProgramandthecontractortraining processForlargerorganizationsthePro-grammayworkdirectlywiththecompanyto arrangeon-sitepresentationsThesepresenta-tionsareinformalinnatureandwillbeusedto promotethecertificationorientationsrequired forcontractorparticipationintheprogram
KeyMessagestoContractors
$30millioninAmericanRecoveryand ReinvestmentActmoneyisworkinginLA Countytocreateconstructionindustryjobs
32 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
EnergyUpgradeCaliforniaOffersbig rebatesandfinancingoptionsfor homeownersdoinghomeenergy efficiencyretrofits
Therewillbemarketingandadvertis-ingstatewideandlocallytopromotethe Program
Therewillbemarketingmaterialsforyou tousetomarketyourbusiness
YoumustbelicensedandBuildingPerfor-manceInstitute-certifiedtobepartofthe Program
HomeownersmustworkwithBPI-certified contractorstheyrsquollchoosefromacontrac-tordatabaseonthewebsite
KeyOutreachMethods
BuildingIndustryAssociationofSouthern California
SouthwestRegionalCouncilofCarpenters
RealtorsAssociation
UnitedBrotherhood-Carpenters(Training Program)
Citypermittingoffice
Lumberyards
AmericanInstituteofArchitectsLA Chapter(toeducatethemaswell)
ArticlesinformationinContractortrade publications(magazinesnewslettersetc) magazines
CarpentersUnionLocals
ContractorsLicenseSchools(andonline)
BigBoxHomeImprovementstores(de-pendingonIOUrelationships)
wwwcslbcagov
Emailblasttoalllicensedcontractors
Contractor Outreach to Consumers Differentopportunitiesexistfordifferent contractorsdependingontheprobablework scopeThefollowingtableoutlinesafew potentialpathwaysforhowcontractorscan participateintheProgram
contractors outreach to customers
CONTRACTOR TyPE
TRIGGER EvENT vALUE TO CONTRACTOR
BUSINESS MOdEL
Home Performance upgrade lead generation scale for high volume
Production Builder new Business Development
create new division
HVac Replacement lead generation Value-add
expand services
specialty trade lead generation Partner with certified gc
Remodeler Remodel life-stage transition
Value-add sub work to HP contractor
solar Renewables lead generation Partner with certified gc
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 33
BPI-certifiedgeneralcontractorswillbelisted ontheEnergyUpgradeconsumerwebsite sendingmanyleadsdirectlytothemThey alsohaveaccesstotheldquoheatmapsrdquotousefor developingtheirownadvertisingcampaigns
Contractorswillbeattendingorientationses-sionstoensuretheythoroughlyunderstand theProgramrebatesfinancingoptionsand canhelpguidetheircustomersthroughthe processTheywillbeprovidedwithContractor MarketingKitstoensuretheyhaveathandthe keymessagesthathavebeenresonatingwith homeownersandhaveinformationtogive topotentialcustomerswhomightormight nothavebeentothewebsiteKitscanbesent directlytocontractorsordistributedatthe orientationsessionsKitswillcontain
Talkingpoints
DVDofthevideo
Printedfactsheetstoleavewithcustomers (withroomfortheircontactinfo)more canbeordered
Printedldquoslimjimrdquoprogrambrochure
Printedlengthierbrochuresaboutthe wholehouseapproach(brandedby Scientific American Magazine)
CDwithldquobuttonrdquotolinktoEnergyUpgrade fromtheirownwebsitesandPDFsofsite signageforprinting
Contractorswillhaveaccesstoaseparatesec-tionofthewebsitewheretheywillfindinfor-mationaboutProgrameventspromotionsand advertisinganon-demandprintsectionfor additionalcopiesofbrochuresanychanges totheProgramandasingletradecontractor databaseforassemblingteamsforcustomers whowouldlikesolarpanelsornewwindows forexample
6 Realtor Marketing
Giventhatthenationalaveragelengthofhome ownershipisroughlysixyearsrealestate agentswillbeincontactandadvisingalarge percentageofthenewandexistinghomeown-ersthatEnergyUpgradeistargetingforhome energyretrofitsThishighlevelofinfluence makesrealtorsoneofthelargestpartner groups
Realestateagentswillbeengagedonthree levels
1) Outreach
2) Training
3) Support
Outreach Outreachwillbeconductedthroughavariety ofvenuesthatwillincludeCaliforniaAssocia-tionofRealtorsreg(CAR)regionalconferences heldinSouthernCaliforniapartnershipwith themanyrealtorassociationslocatedinLos AngelesCountyanddirectvisitstorealestate agentsrsquoofficesforshortpresentationsPart-nershipswiththe15-20localRealtorsAsso-ciationswillbeachievedthroughoneormore RealtorAdvisoryBoardswhichincludethe GovernmentAffairsDirectorsfromeachof theseorganizationsAselectfewoftheseor-ganizationswillbeusedaspilotsfortargeted outreachduringearlystagesoftheProgram Oncethestrategyhasbeentestedandrevised itwillberolledouttoalloftheRealtorsAs-sociationsinLosAngelesCounty
ThefallCARRealtorExpowillbethemain kickoffeventforoutreachtoindividualreal-torsandrealtorofficesEnergyUpgradeplans tohavea30-minutetalkembeddedinthe SpeakersProgramandaboothsetuponthe ExpofloortoinformrealtorsaboutthePro-gramavailabletrainingsandthesupport
34 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
toolsthathavebeendevelopedThisevent willreachthemajorityofrealtorsintheLos Angelesareabutwillnotincludethelarge populationofrealestateagentsthatarenot membersofCARToreachthispopulation emailsocialmediaandtargetedofficevisits willbeconducted
Training EnergyUpgradewillprovidetrainingforreal estateagentsintwoformsTherealestate agenttrainingmodulecurrentlyunderdevel-opmentbyBuildItGreenwillbeusedasthe maintrainingforumThistrainingmodule isexpectedtotaketwofulldaystocomplete andwillcoverpropertyassessedcleanenergy financingenergyefficientmortgagesrebate programsbuildingscienceenergyefficiency andgreenbuildingpracticesappropriateto California
Additionalweb-basedtrainingwillbeprovided tointroducerealestateagentstotheProgram andtodrivethemtogetin-persontraining throughtheBuildItGreentrainingmodule
Support Cultivatingandclosingtoolswillbegener-atedtoassistrealtorsinusingEnergyUpgrade Californiatradetoexpandtheirbusinesswhile drivinghigherlevelsofprogramparticipation RealtorKitswillbesimilartotheContractor Kitsandtheywillhaveaccesstothedatabase ofgeneralandsingletradecontractors
7 Retail Partner Marketing
Utilitieswillpartnerwithretailoutletsthat canincludeBestBuyCostcoSearsLowes andHomeDepotParticipatingretailoutlets willbeprovided
Information centersEnd-displays detailingtheEnergyUpgradeProgram withadiagramillustratingthehouseas asystemconcept(multiplecomponents thatacttogethertomaximizesavings)and actionscustomerscantaketocapturethose savingsandrebatesIn-storecustomer educationcanshiftcustomerperception ofenergyupgradesandmotivatethem toparticipateinmultipleenergy-efficient measuresinsteadofjustoneAnadditional benefitfortheretailerisassociationwith thestatewideprogram
Program collateral One-sheet takeawaysforcustomerstoreference andshare
Video Theshortvideoscanbeplayed onaloop
Table tent cardsPlacedthroughout storesectionsthatcorrelatewiththe EnergyUpgradeProgram(CFLsappli-ancesceilingfansinsulationwindows) Againthiswillencouragecustomersto performmultipleenergyupgradesinstead ofjustoneCross-promotionhelpseducate customersandencourageparticipationin multiplemeasuresthusincreasingproduct purchase
Window clings ldquoOfficialEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaInformationCenterrdquotagline bannersplacedatstorefrontThiswillpo-sitiontheretailerasanactiveparticipantin thestatewideprogramandbuildsretailer credibilityasagreenadvocate
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 35
8 Multi-Family Outreach
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesandsched-ulesarestillinplanningphasesandbeing developedthroughastatewideconsortium
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesarebeing
developed
36 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
evaluation
Theprimarygoalsofthemarketingplanareto buildpositiveawarenessoftheEnergyUp-gradeCaliforniaProgramandcreateasus-tainedmarketforawholehouseapproach(see page8)Objectivesarespecifictothoseachiev-ingthosegoalsLosAngelesCountyresidents willseemultipleiterationsofmediacoverage paidadvertisingin-storedisplayscontractor marketingandin-personpresentations(inthe pilotmarketingareas)Forexamplearesi-dentinAltadenamightseethemoreintensive marketingandoutreacheffortsThatmayspur themtoactionmdashbutiftheyalreadyhadplans toremodelorhadpreviouslyworkedwitha contractortheymightcalltheircontractorand thusactuallycometotheprogramthrough thecontractorThereforeitwillnotbeeasy todeterminepreciselywhathasmotivated eachpersontoparticipateinEnergyUpgrade Objectivestomeetinclude
About35-45ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughthemarket-ingandoutreacheffortsTomonitorwe willincludeashortsurveyaspartofthe rebateapplicationprocessaskingpartici-pantswhatdrewthemtothewebsiteand totheProgramThewebsitecanmonitor clickthroughstocontractorssitesfrom theProgramwebsiteprovidinganindica-tionofpotentialparticpantswhocameto thesitebeforehavingacontractorOnce apropertyownerinputsanaddressthe websitewillbeabletospecificallymonitor ifthatparticipantasksformultiple estimatesfromcontractorsanotherindica-
toroffindingacontractorthroughthesite
About45-50ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughcontractors Wewillaskcontractorstoprovideinfor-mationabouttheirmarketingeffortsand successratesTheywillbeabletoidentify participantsgainedthroughtheirownmar-ketingefforts
300000uniquehitsonthewebsitewhich willbemonitoredbythewebsiteFurther thewebsitewillanalyzewherevisitors camefrom(egaclickthroughfroman onlineadfromacontractorrsquoswebsite orduringthespecifictimeframeofanad campaign)
Virtualandactualldquoword-of-mouthrdquore-portedbymonitoringsocialmedia
Communicationskitsandmarketingkits availablebothphysicallyandthroughan on-demandprintsitemonitoredbyclient
Informationalmaterialsforcitiesmoni-toredbySouthBayCitiesCouncilofGov-ernments
50000000mediaadvertisingin-person impressionsmonitoredbybroadcast printonlinestatisticsandreportsfrom grassrootsmarketingefforts
Consolidatedinformationinone-stop-shop approachwillbedeliveredthroughthe website
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 37
description of marketing communication tools
PlacedEarned Social Media ThePlancallsforsocialmediatopushinfor-mationtoourtargetaudiencesincreaseper-ceptionsoftheProgramascommunity-based reachthosewhowillhelpgenerateadditional buzzindependentmarketingeffortsaboutthe Programandprovideamechanismforlisten-ingtowhatpeoplearesayingaboutEnergy Upgrademdashandrespondingwhennecessary
Online Paid Advertising Onlineadvertisingcampaignscanbeverycost-effectiveandhighlytargetedbydemographics areasofinterestandgeographicsAdsappear ontopic-relatedblogsonsearchenginepages (egGoogle)andoncontentpages(egwhen yousearchforinformationaboutarelated topicandselectawebsitetoview)
Types of Users Targetadsbyage genderincomelanguagepreferencezip codeorhotspots
Types of SearchesTargetadsbytypeof searchconductedbasedonkeywords
Adsareusuallysoldperldquoclickrdquomdashtheviewer hasclickedontheadandbeensenttothe EnergyUpgradeCAwebsiteWewillmake fourtypesofonlineadpurchases
1 Googleadsthatplaceadsbothonits searchpagesandonhundredsofwebsites targetedbytheabove
2 Networksthattargetspecificsitesand blogsthatmatchourtargetaudiences(eg HiveBlogsLosAngelesthatoffers350LA blogstochoosefrom)
3 Directlythroughselectpublishers(eg CurbedLAGreenGirlLAlocalpapers online)
4 Onlineeditionsoflocalpapersinpilot marketingareas
Twitter Twitterusersaremostlycollegegraduates haveattendedgraduateschoolandlivein householdsmakingover$50000ayear (nationally)Usersarethreetimesmorelikely tofollowbrandsandcompaniesonTwitter thanotherusersofsocialnetworkswith40 specificallyusingTwittertolearnaboutand provideopinionsonbrands
Twittercanpushthelatestdevelopmentsand newstopeoplewhohaveexpressedaninter-estedintheProgram(theymustsignupto receiveourTweetsorhavesearchedfortag wordsincludedinourTweets)Itrsquosalsoan easywayforthosewhofollowEnergyUpgrade onTwittertoshareTweetswiththeirfriends
38 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
therebygeneratingbuzzandhelpingmarket theProgramTwittercanshareProgram newsinrealtimedrivepeopletothewebsite facilitateearlyadoptersbuzzmakersreach youngerhomeownersandincreasemarketing effortsatalowcostTwittercanbeeffectively usedtocommunicatetheProgramandits milestonesinavarietyofways
bull Tweetaboutpressreleasesmajoran-nouncementsnewitemsonwebsiteor blogsmediastoriesandarticlesespecially aboutthosethataretimesensitiveandtell ouraudiencewhatishappeningwiththe Programandencouragesthemtopartici-pateorfindoutmore
bull PutaTweeticononthemainwebsiteal-lowingvisitorstothewebsitetobeginto followEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLos AngelesCountyonTwitterwithoneclick
bull FollowotherswhoTweetaboutthe ProgramaswellasthosewhoTweetabout relatedtopicsThiswillprovideanop-portunitytodirectlyrespondtoaperson whohasaquestionabouttheProgramand pointthemtoalinktothewebsite
Tweet Examples
bull ldquo100LAhomeownershavesigned upfortheProgramatwwwEnergyUpgra-deCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoReadaboutLArsquosnewenergyefficiency rebateProgramintheLAtimes httpwwwlatimesgreenblogcomrdquo
bull ldquoWanttosaveonyourutilitybills CheckoutwwwEnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoSignupfortheHomeEnergyUpgrade contestforachancetowinafree homeenergyefficiencyretrofitat EnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
Cost and Budget
SettingupaTwitteraccountisfreeasisusing anapplicationsuchasTweetDeckthathelps followotherswhoareTweetingaboutEnergy UpgradeCaliforniaTheonlysignificantcostis stafftimewhichcanbelimitedtoafewhours aweek
Facebook Facebookisalow-costandeasywayofboth marketingtheProgramandsupportingan onlinecommunityofpeopleinterestedinthe ProgramItwillreachaudienceswhoaremore likelytospendtimeonFacebookversusaweb-siteandwhomayprefertoreceiveshortreal timeProgramnewsviaFacebookratherthan emailsorwebsitesItisidealforpostinglinks tovideosandphotosrelatedtotheprojectIt complementsthewebsiteaplacewherefans oftheProgramcanfindinformationaskques-tionsandshareideasandexcitementThese fanswillgeneratebuzzbytellingtheirfriends abouttheProgramthroughFacebook
AFacebookpagewillcontaininformation abouttheProgramalinktothewebsite Programnewsvideosphotographsandother informationWhenthepageisupdatedfans willreceivelinksinemailalertingthemtothe newposts
Facebookisalsoidealforsharingthestoryof anearlyadopter(whowillalsoTweet)through updatesphotographsandvideosItlends itselfmuchmorenaturallytothispeople-fo-cusedapproachthanawebsitewhichismore formal
Additionalpoints
bull EncourageandperhapsrewardProgram adopterstosharetheirexperiencesask questionsetc
bull Setupcontrolstodeterminewhatcontent Fanscanposttothewall
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 39
bull Monitorupdatestothewallandtakedown Therearemanyexistingblogsthatcanbeused inappropriatecontent
bull Respondtoissuesquestionsandtakepart intheconversation
bull Adesignatedstaffpersonshouldmonitor thesiteitisalsoidealifseveralstaff memberspostcontentandifpartnersare activeparticipantsalthoughtheoverall strategyshouldbecentralized
Facebook Examples
Herearesomeexamplesofthetypesofpost-ingsforaFacebookpage
bull ldquoTheLATimesdescribesEnergyUpgrade CAasaperfectopportunitytobegreenand savemoneymdashintheFridaymoneysectionrdquo
bull ldquoWhydidyoudecidetoparticipatein EnergyUpgradeCATellushowyour energyefficiencyretrofitisgoingandwersquoll enteryouforachancetowina$50Home Depotgiftcardrdquo
bull ldquoWonderingwhetherEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaisrightforyouCheckoutthis videooftheSmithsinstallingnewinsula-tionandwindows--andreceivinga$3500 rebaterdquo
Cost and Budget
Relativelyfewdirectcostsstafftimewill fluctuateduringbusycalmperiodswithhigh activityatthebeginningastheProgramkicks offandafanbaseisestablishedOngoingstaff timeneededtokeeppagefreshwith3-4posts weekdailymaintenancerequiredtomonitor postingsfromfans
Blogs Blogsreachtargetaudienceswhoarealready interestedinrelatedtopicsandwhohavehigh potentialtoparticipateintheProgram
tofurthermarketingefforts
bull Identifybloggerswhowilllikelywrite positivelyabouttheProgramSendpress releasefactsheetsandPrograminforma-tiontobloggerswhowriteabouttopics suchastheenvironmentenergyefficiency homeimprovementremodelingreal estatehousingbargainssavingmoneyas wellastocompaniesthatsellsolarpanels contractorsetc
bull Bloggersarelookingfortopicalstoriesto writeaboutandwewillmaketheirnext blogposteasyBecauseEnergyUpgradeis ahighrewardoptionalProgrambloggers willwritefavorablyandhelptellthestory inafriendlyaccessibleandeasy-to-under-standway(althoughwedonrsquothavecontrol overwhattheywrite)Peoplewhoaredis-satisfiedwillwritenegativecommentsbut wewillmonitorblogsandactivelycorrect misperceptions
bull Tomonitorwhatothersarewritingabout EnergyUpgradeontheirblogswewilluse freeprogramslikeTechnoratiorGoogle Readertoscanallblogsandwebsitesthat mentiontheProgram
Blogs to Reach
Green Girl LA Blog (httpgreenlagirlcom)Thisindependent blogisfocusedonenvironmentalhap-peningsinLosAngelesArecentpostwas aboutagreennetworkingeventfeaturing TheBuildingDoctorspresentingwaysto makeyourhousemoreenergyefficient PreviouslyareporterbloggerfortheLA Timesthewriterisactiveandcoversa widevarietyofenvironmentalgreentopics happeninginLosAngeles
40 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
LA Times HomeBlog (wwwlatimesblogslatimescomhome_
blog)focusesontopicsrelatedtohouses andhashadseveralrecentpostsabout greenremodelingOneadvantageofa majornewspaperisthatthereportingis accurateandthereadershipislargerThey recentlywroteaboutauditionsforThisOld HousewhichisfeaturingaLosAngeles areahouseforasummerremodel
Bargain Babe (wwwbargainbabelatownluxecom) featuresLosAngelesbargainsYoucan searchforbargainsbyareaofLA(West-sideetc)orbytopicThisbloggerrecently wroteaboutappliancerebates
LA Times Green Remodeling (wwwlatimesblogslatimescompar-donourdustgreen_remodeling)writes aboutalltopicsrelatedtoremodelingin SouthernCaliforniawithseveralrecent postsongreentopicsArecentpostre-viewedthedifferentadvantagesofinstall-ingvarioustanklesswaterheatersPitch thatthebloggerfollowahomeenergy retrofitandhelptelltheirstoryaswellas announcebasicPrograminformation
LA Times Personal Finance wwwlatimescombusinesspersonal-finance
Home Remodeling wwwkathysremodelingblogcom
Energy Efficiency wwwlowimpactlivingcomblog
LA CreekFreak
LA Observed
LAist
YouTube PostallvideosrelatedtotheprojectonYou-TubeWewillworkwithourmediapartners todevelopacontestforearlyadopterstofilm theirexperienceandletwebsitevisitorsvote onthebestWinnerreceivesaprizetobe determined
ListServes Listservesreachgroupsofpeoplewhoare interestedinasimilartopicorwholiveina specificneighborhoodSendemailblaststo listservessuchasneighborhoodassociations homeremodelersandenvironmentalgroups withanenergyfocusCitystaffhasinforma-tionaddressesofneighborhoodandhom-eownerassociationslists
Multimedia for Presentations Website Developanengaginginformative6-8minute videofocusingoncontractorsandhomeown-ersthatcanbeusedduringpresentationsand presentedonCityTVThevideowillbeshot bothinEnglishandinSpanishandcover
bull Howtherebatesworktocreateasenseof urgencyaboutdoingtheenergyupgrades soonerratherputtingitofftotakeadvan-tageoftherebates
bull Theldquosealthenenhancerdquowholehouse concept
bull WhattheProgramelementsactuallylook likeandhowtheyareinstalledtoover-comebarrierssuchasthatonemighthave tomoveoutofthehouseortheenergy upgradesareldquouglyrdquo
bull Workingwithacontractorwhatbeing licensedandcertifiedmeansgettingmul-tiplebids
bull Financingoptions
bull Doingthepaperwork
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 41
Fromthatvideodevelop
bull Threeindividual2-minutevideosforuse onlineeachfocusingonaspecifictopicmdash
againinbothEnglishandSpanish
bull A15anda30spoteachinEnglishand SpanishforuseonCityTVandbroadcast
stations
Print Collateral Customizable fact sheetsInforma-tionsheets(onepagefrontandback)in EnglishSpanishandChinesethatcanalso bepostedonthewebsiteasPDFs
Program brochureMorehighlyde-signedforplacementinmunicipaloffices andevents
Customizable Brochure Brandedwith SunsetMagazineorNationalGeographic forcontractorsandrealtorstohandto customers
SignageBannersforeventsandstreet lamppostspostersformunicipaloffices andsmalleventsandpotentiallysignage forbussidestransitshelters
Speakers kits Countyandcitystaffwillreceivekitstoensure everyoneisfamiliarwithkeymessagesandhas informationtogivetoconstituentsThesecan besentdirectlytocitiesordistributedthrough COGsKitswillcontain
bull Talkingpoints
bull DVDofthevideo
bull PPTpresentationforpublicmeetings
bull Printedbrochuresforpermitofficesto includewithwelcomepacketsfornewho-meowners
bull Articlesandphotostheycanrunintheir onlineorprintedcitynewsletters
bull CDwithtemplatesforquickprintingand websitebuttontolinkfromtheirwebsiteto EnergyUpgradeCalifornia
42 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
description of key messages
Thefollowingmessageshadthehighestreso-nanceinpollingandfocusgroupsbothinLos AngelesCountyandtheBayArea
Primary Motivators Thefollowingtwomessagesaboutsaving moneyarekeytomotivatingalltargetaudi-encesTheyshouldbepartofeverypieceof advertisingorcollateralproduced
1 RebatesHomeownerswhomakeenergy-savinghomeimprovementscanqualifyfor a$1500federaltaxcreditandrebatesof upto$3500dependingonhowmuchthey reduceenergyconsumptionAdditional motivatorTaxcreditsonlyavailable untilDecember312010(Rebatesare preferredovertaxcreditsbecauseitrsquoscash nowratherthanlateranddependingon incomenoteveryonecangetthecredit)
2 Save on Utility Bills Upgradingahome touselessenergyandwatercanreduce utilitybillsby20ormoremdashsavingyou moneyovertime
Secondary Motivators Thefollowingmessagesarethenlayeredde-pendingonwhichaudienceisbeingtargeted
Help the EnvironmentClimate Change Weallneedtodoourparttohelp theenvironmentandslowclimatechange Makingourhomesmoregreenandenergy efficientisanimportantstepweshouldall take
Reduce Foreign OilFossil FuelsAt atimewhenwearetryingtoreduceour dependenceonforeignoilandotherfossil fuelsupgradingtheenergyefficiencyof ourhomesisanimportantstepwecanall take(Infocusgroupstheconceptofenergy independencefurtherresonatedasinde-pendencefromutilitycompaniesgetting offthegrid)
Certified Contractors Save Money Speciallytrainedandcertifiedcontractors knowhowtofindimprovementsthatthe averagehomeownerwouldnotTheiras-sessmentswillensurethatyoufindmore energysavingsandthereforesavemore moneyonyourutilitybillsAdditional motivatorContractorsarecertifiedbythe BuildingPerformanceInstituteworking withtheDepartmentofEnergyandEnvi-ronmentalProtectionAgency
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 43
Increase Property ValuesHomesthat areenergy-efficientandenvironmentally friendlyaremoreappealingtohomebuyers Theseupgradescanincreaseyourproperty value
ComfortUpgradingyourhomersquosenergy efficiencymdashinparticularupgradinginsula-tionmdashcanmakeitamorecomfortableplace toliveNomoredraftycoldroomsinthe winterorhotstuffyroomsinthesummer
Indoor Air QualityInsulationand ventilationcanreduceallergyandasthma-causingmoldandmildewimproving indoorairqualityespeciallyforinfantsand thosewithhealthconditions
Messengers Homeownersprefertoreceiveinformation fromimpartialtrustedsourcesThesemes-sengersreceivedthehighestscoresinpolling
bull Neighborsandotherhomeowners
bull Contractorthehomeownerisalready workingwithorreferredbyfriendneigh-bor
bull Architectsdesignprofessionals
bull Gasandelectricutilities
bull Environmentalorganizations
bull Homeimprovementstorestaff(when equippedwithflyers)
44 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 45
- Cover
- Table of Contents13
- Summary Overview13
- Introduction13
- Programs Goals and Objectives13
- Marketing and Outreach Program Goals and Structure13
- Strategy13
- Evaluation13
- Description of Marketing Communication Tools13
- Description of Key Messages13
-
outdoor(bussheltersandsidesandstreet levelsignage)toincreaseimpressionsthat drivepeopletothewebsite
Energy Champion Awards Program Severalconceptsareunderconsideration todevelopacommunityincentivestrategy topromoteparticipationinlinewiththe RetrofitRampUpproposalforinnovative incentiveapproaches
3 Trigger Event Marketing Thissuiteofstrategieswillbeaimedatcap-turingenergyefficiencyopportunitiesfrom multipletriggereventsParticipantswill mainlycomethroughcontractorsrealtorsand retailpartnerspropertyownerswillhavealso seencountywideadvertisingTriggerevents include
Replacingoldornon-functioningHVAC systemsandwaterheaters
Remodelingforlife-stagechanges(growing family)orjusttorenewthehouse
Improvementsmadewhenpurchasingor sellingahouse
Complaintsabouthighenergybillsora coldhothouse
4 City and COG Outreach OutreachbyCitiesandCOGswillbecritical becauseoftheirexistingrelationshipswith localconstituenciesCitieswillbeprovided withamini-marketingplantalkingpoints videocustomizabletemplatesoffactsheets articlesfortheirnewslettersandadvertising materialssotheycandeveloplow-costout-reachtotheirresidentsCitieswithcommuni-tiestargetedinthePilotAreaMarketingplans willbeinformedandencouragedtodoout-reachtothoseareasAllCitieswillbeencour-agedto
Runstoriesinprintandonlinenewsletters
Sendinformationtoneighborhoodassocia-tionshomeownersassociationshistoric preservationdistrictsandotherappropri-atecommunityorganizations
ProvideinformationinCitypermitting officesandCityHalllobbies
Provideinformationatstrategicallylocated EnvironmentalInformationCentersandat COGofficelocations
Provideinformationinldquonewhomeown-ersrdquowelcomekits(eitherdirectlyfromthe cityorthroughtitlecompaniesmortgage brokers)
5 Contractor Marketing BPI-certifiedgeneralcontractorswillbelisted ontheEnergyUpgradeconsumerwebsite sendingmanyleadsdirectlytothemThey alsohaveaccesstotheldquoheatmapsrdquotousefor developingtheirownadvertisingcampaigns Contractorswillbeattendingorientationses-sionstoensuretheythoroughlyunderstand theProgramrebatesfinancingoptionsand canhelpguidetheircustomersthroughthe processTheywillbeprovidedwithContractor MarketingKitstoensuretheyhavekeymes-sagesathandthathavebeenresonatingwith homeownersandhaveinformationtogiveto potentialcustomerswhomayormaynothave visitedthewebsiteKitscanbesentdirectlyto contractorsordistributedattheorientation sessionsKitswillcontain
Talkingpoints
DVDofthevideo
Printedfactsheetstoleavewithcustomers (withroomfortheircontactinfo)more canbeordered
8 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Printedldquoslimjimrdquobrochuresaboutthe 8 Multi-Family Outreach wholehouseapproach
Printedin-depthbrochure(brandedby ScientificAmericanMagazine)
CDwithldquobuttonrdquotolinktoEnergyUpgrade fromtheirownwebsites
Contractorswillhaveaccesstoaseparate sectionofthewebsitewheretheywillbeable toorderadditionalcustomizablematerials ldquoon-demandrdquofindinformationaboutPro-grameventspromotionsandadvertisingany changestotheProgramandasingletrade contractordatabaseforassemblingteamsfor customerswhowouldlikesolarpanelsornew windowsforexample
6 Realtor Marketing Giventhatthenationalaveragelengthof homeownershipisroughlysixyearsreal estateagentswillbeincontactandadvising alargepercentageofthenewandexisting homeownersthatEnergyUpgradeistarget-inghomeenergyretrofitsThishighlevelof influencemakesrealtorsoneofthelargest partnergroupsRealtorKitswillbesimilarto theContractorKitsandtheywillhaveaccess tothedatabaseofgeneralandsingletrade contractors
7 Retail Partner Marketing Utilitieswillpartnerwithretailoutletsthat canincludeBestBuyCostcoSearsLowes andHomeDepotParticipatingretailoutlets willbeprovided
Informationcenters
Programcollateral
Tabletents
Windowclings
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesandsched-ulesarestillinplanningphasesandbeing developedthroughastatewideconsortium
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing Strategiesandschedulesarestillinplanning phases
Incentives and Financing Marketresearchshowsthatrebatesarepri-marymotivatorsforhomeownerstoundertake anenergyupgradeRebateswillbeavailable forconsumersfromvarioussourcesCur-rentlyutilityrebatesoffer$1000fortheBasic Pathandupto$8500forthosereaching30 energysavingsThefederalHomeStarpro-gramisstillpendingmdashitcouldofferhomeown-ersupto$3000forelementsintheBasic Pathupto$7000forthosereaching20 energysavingsandupto$13000forthose reaching45energysavingsIncentivesfrom theCountyarealsostillpending
Financingoptionsarebeinganalyzedandwill beavailableatlaunch
Allrebatesandfinancingwillbecoordinated onthewebsitewiththeultimategoalofprop-ertyownersfillingoutoneformandpopulat-ingallotherrequiredforms
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 9
Proposed Implem
entation Plan
10 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
introduction
The Statewide Challenge Californialegislation(AB32)requiresGreen HouseGas(GHG)emissionreductionto1990 levelsby2020andfurtherreductionsinGHG emissionsto80percentbelow1990levelsby 2050Theseprovisionshavebeenincorpo-ratedintothePublicUtilitiesCommissionrsquos (CPUC)2009EnergyEfficiencyStrategic Planwhichtargetsanaverage40reduction inpurchasedenergyfortheexistingbuilding stockby2020andan80reductionby2050
TheCPUCrsquosCaliforniaEnergyEfficiency StrategicPlansetsthefollowinggoalstobe reachedby2020
25ofexistinghomesexhibita70 decreaseinpurchasedenergyfrom2008 levels
75ofexistinghomesexhibita30 decreaseinpurchasedenergyfrom2008 levels
100ofexistingmulti-familyhomes exhibita40decreaseinpurchasedenergy from2008levels
TheCPUCrsquosstatewidegoalistoretrofit 130000housingunitsby2010
Additionallegislation(AB758)requiredthe CaliforniaEnergyCommission(CEC)tode-velopandimplementacomprehensiveenergy efficiencyprogramforexistingresidentialand nonresidentialbuildingstoreducetheirGHG emissionsinkeepingwithclimatechange mitigationEnergy Upgrade Californiais apartnershipbetweentheCECandtheCPUC topromoteenergyefficiencyimprovements tohomesandcommercialbuildingsfunded inpartthroughtheAmericanRecoveryand ReinvestmentAct
Market Opportunity AlongwithothercitiesacrossthestateLos AngelesCountywillalsoberequiredtocreate aClimateActionPlanandEnergyUpgrade CaliforniainLosAngelesCountywillbea centralGHGemissionreductionimplementa-tionstrategyEnergy Upgrade California in Los Angeles Countyisanallianceamong theCountyofLosAngelestheCitieswithin theCountySouthernCaliforniaEdison SouthernCaliforniaGasCompanyandthe municipallyownedutilitiesintheCountyThe
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 11
goalisaldquoone-stopshoprdquoforpropertyowners Apropertyownerinvestmentof$5000 toeasilyfindclearconsolidatedinformation abouttheProgramelementscertifiedcon-tractorsandalltherebatesincentivesand financingoptionsavailable
Mostoftheapproximately34millionhous-ingunitsinLosAngelesCountywerebuilt beforestateenergyefficiencystandards(Title 24)wereimplementedbeginninginthe early1980sMorerecentvintageresidential buildingsalsooffergreatpotentialforenergy savingsduetodeficienciesinconstruction specificationandfieldworkquality
Energyefficiencymeasuresincludeimprove-mentstoinsulationspaceheatingandair conditioningwaterheatinglightingwin-dowsanddoorssolarhotwatersystemsand otherfixeditems
to$15000forsingle-familybuildingtoimple-mentabuildingenergyretrofitcanoften achieveanaverageof20ormoreenergy savingsreduceutilitybillsimprovebuild-ingcomfortenhanceindoorairqualityand increasebuildingvalue
TheCountyanditspartnersarecollaborat-ingonawebsitecommunityoutreachand countywideadvertisingtoleverageefforts andfundingandtomaximizeparticipationin theProgrammdashwithagoalofpropertyowners completing30000energyefficiencyupgrades bysummer2013TheldquoMediaandAdvertis-ingFlightsrdquomatrixprovidesanoverviewof scheduleandtiming
12 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
programs goals and objectives
ThegoalsofEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLA Countyaretopromotejobcreationandreduce aggregategreenhousegasemissionsthrough energyandresource-savingretrofitsofexisting buildingstockthroughthreefundingsources
1 AmericanReinvestmentandRecoveryAct EnergyEfficiencyandConservationBlock Grant(EECBG)
2 USDepartmentofEnergyRetrofitRamp Up(RRU)funding
3 CaliforniaEnergyCommission Discretionarygrant
retrofit objectives by funding source
Objectivesthusfocusonspecifictargetnum-bersforcompletedretrofits
bull Retrofitabout27000single-familyhomes withanaverage20energyreduction Countywide(1605850single-familyresi-dentialhomesinLACounty)plus2600 multi-familyhomes
bull Reduceannualpurchasedenergycon-sumptioninthosehomesbyanaggregate 300billionBTUsperyearandassociated energycostsby$4millionperyear
bull Create3200jobsand
bull ReducetheCountyrsquosannualgreenhouse gasemissionsattributabletoenergycon-sumptioninitsexistingbuildingstockby 36287metrictonsCO2e
EECBG RRU CEC TOTAL
single-family Homes 15000 4200 8060 27260
multi-family Homes 0 1400 1240 2640
29900
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 13
marketing and outreach program goals and structure
1 Goals MarketingandoutreachforEnergyUpgrade CaliforniainLACountywillengageproperty ownersthrougheffectivestrategiesprovide clearandcompellinginformationaboutthe benefitsofanenergyefficiencyretrofitlist therebatesandtaxcreditsavailable(through thisProgramandthroughutilityprograms) explainfinancingoptionslistcertifiedcon-tractorsanddescribetheProgramprocessand optionsThemarketingandoutreachplanhas fivemajorgoals
1 Build broad positive awareness of the Program
2 Educate property owners to overcome barriers to participation
3 Target marketing efforts to drive participation by key audiences identified in surveys
4 Align and coordinate other marketing efforts by utilities and other partners
5 Create a sustained market for a whole-house performance approach leading to long-term behavioral change
2 Objectives ThePlanisdesignedtoachievethesemajor objectives
1 Program goals met
Marketing35-40ofProgrampar-ticipantsentertheProgramasaresultof marketingandoutreachefforts
Contractors45-50ofProgrampar-ticipantsentertheProgramasaresultof marketingbycontractors(usingmes-sagingandmaterialsdevelopedthrough thisPlan)
Partners10-15ofProgrampar-ticipantsentertheProgramasaresult ofmarketingbyothermethodssuch asrealtorsretailpartnersarchitects designersandCityefforts(usingmes-sagingandmaterialsdevelopedthrough thisPlan)
2 300000 unique hits on a robust website (or calls to the call center)
3 Virtual ldquoword-of-mouthrdquo buzz created through social media resulting in click throughs to the website
14 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
4 Communications kits available for county COG cities community leaders and environmental groups
5 Marketing kits available for partners (contractors realtors)
6 Informational materials placed with retailers cities county offices
7 50000000 mediaadvertisingin-person impressions through
Mainstreammedia(televisionradio print)storiesplaced
Multiculturalmedia(televisionradio print)storiesplaced
RadioTVPSAsplaced
CityTVprogramsplaced
PaidradioTVpromosads
Paidprintads
Communitymeetings
Targeteddirectmail
rebate structure
8 Consolidated information in a ldquoone-stop shoprdquo approach
3 Incentives and Financing Marketresearchshowsthatrebatesarepri-marymotivatorsforhomeownerstoundertake anenergyupgradeRebateswillbeavailable forconsumersfromvarioussourcesCur-rentlyutilityrebatesoffer$1000forthe BasicPathandupto$3500forthosereach-ing30energysavingsThefederalHome Starprogramisstillpendingmdashitcouldoffer homeownersupto$3000forelementsinthe BasicPath$3000forthosereaching20 energysavingsandupto$13000forthose reaching45energysavingsIncentivesfrom theCountyarealsostillpending(SeeRebate Structuretable)
Financingoptionsarebeinganalyzedandwill beavailableatlaunch
Allrebatesandfinancingwillbecoordinated onthewebsitewiththeultimategoalofprop-ertyownersfillingoutoneformandpopulat-ingallotherrequiredforms
ELEMENT COUNTy FUNdEd
FEd TAx CREdIT HOME STAR UTILITIES
Basic path tBD 30 of eligible $1000
advanced path tBD improvements up to $1500 (expires Dec 31) $2500 for 20
+$500 for 5 +$500 for 5
silver star tBD
gold star tBD
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 15
4 Coordination Between Local Government and Utilities Consumerswillbebestservedbyaunified brandandconsumermarketingcampaign consistentmessagingandastatewidewebsite portalwithonewebsiteaddressTheCounty ofLosAngelesSouthernCaliforniaEdison andSouthernCaliforniaGasCompanyhave beenworkingtogethertodevelopastrong coordinatedprogramInfacttheLosAngeles CountyProgramhasbecomeamodelforthe state
Coordinationwillalsoleverageresourcesand increasethemarketingeffectivenessoflocal governmentsandthelocalutilitiesAllma-terialswillbedevelopedcollaborativelyand costswillbesharedaccordingtothedivision ofresponsibilityThefollowingchartoutlines thekeydeliverablesandresponsibilities(next page)
16 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
marketingoutreach coordination
PROGRAM ELEMENT LEAd COMMENTS
COUNTy UTILITIES jOINT
market research X telephone surveys focus groups and market analysis
marketing communications plan X this document will direct all marketing
activities
program namelogo X
cec will own the brand and has final vote on statewide name tagline can be customized for la county
Website portal X
statewide portal linked to utility pages or sitesndashmain info and materials on this one site
advertising campaign principles development X
marketing templates X
Print and online available for cities to customize as needed
service territory media Buys (regional) X Mainstream and ethnic media buys
local media Buys (la county) X Both mainstream and ethnic media in
hotspots and la county
call center X one phone number managed by utilities county to help produce script
retail outlet materials X May include kiosks short videos
contractor marketing toolkit X tBD county will develop marketing materials
for contractors
direct mail (eg bill inserts other mailers) X
county assessor materials X
Materials included in water bills property tax bills
community-Based outreach X targeted grassroots marketing
(includes local events)
community events X X utilities attend countywide events county attends local events
public relations X X
utilities take lead for service territory county for local or supervisor-initiated PR
Home energy makeover contest X
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 17
strategy
TheProgramwilluseamulti-layeredmulti-facetedmarketingandoutreachstrategythat targetsaudiencesbyidentifyingwhotheyare wheretheyliveandtheeventsgoingonin theirlivesMarketingeffortsinclude
1 Countywide Marketing (and Media Relations)
2 Pilot Area Marketing
3 Trigger-Event Marketing
4 City Outreach
5 Contractor Marketing
6 Realtor Marketing
7 Retail Partner Marketing
8 Multi-Family Marketing
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing
1 Countywide Marketing
Thestrategyisentirelyresearch-drivenfocus-ingonthosepropertyownersmostlikelyto undertakeahomeenergyupgradeAnover-archinglayerofmainstreammarketingand advertisingwillbeaimedatthreeaudiences
1 Early AdoptersThosewhoarestrong environmentalistsalreadypoisedtoldquodo therightthingrdquofortheenvironmentand whojustneedtohearaboutaprogramand rebates
2 ldquoRetrofit-ReadyrdquoThosewhoarealready planninghomeimprovementsandjust needalittlemoreinformationaboutwhat stepstotaketosavemoneyandldquodothe rightthingrdquofortheenvironment
3 ldquoRetrofit-Persuadablerdquo Thosewho arethinkingabouttheirutilitybills homecomforttheenvironmentorour dependenceonfossilfuelsforeignoil (especiallyinlightoftherecentGulfoil spill)andwhoneedinformationabout whattypesofimprovementstheycould makeandwhatstepstotaketosave energysavemoneyandreducefossilfuel consumption
Outreachwillbeaimedattargetaudiences throughbothmainstreamandmulticultural mediaTheadvertisingwillalsospillover ontoaudiencesinspecificgeographicareas providingadditionalimpressionstothose whoarealsotargetedinthePilotMarketing AreasThiswillalsoaddtothecitiesrsquoefforts topromotetheProgramastheirresidents willalsoseethecountywidemarketingefforts
18 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Marketingwillfocusoneachtargetaudience providingimpressionsclosetotheirhomeand reachingouttomoremassaudiencesCounty-widemarketingandoutreachwillinclude tacticsinthetablebelow
The One-Stop Shop Allinformationwillbeconsolidatedina one-stopshopapproacheitherinaldquobrick andmortarrdquolocationthroughthewebsiteor callcenteroratcommunityeventsProperty ownerswillhaveeasyaccesstoinformation
abouteligibleenergyefficiencymeasures andretrofitoptionseligibilityforCounty-administeredfinancialvehiclesandincentives eligibilityforutility-sponsoredrebatesand incentivesfederalrebateandtaxcreditinfor-mationandaccesstolistsofqualifiedenergy retrofitcontractors
Propertyownerswhoarenoteligiblefororin-terestedinEnergyUpgradeCaliforniawould alsobeabletofindoutaboutopportunities forweatherizationprogramslow-incomerate
countywide marketingoutreach tactics
Cable TV
County Events
Mass Media
Out of Home
Radio
Retail Partners
City Information
City TV
Local Media
Transit Shelters
Theaters
Billboards
Community of Interest
Newsletters
Contractor Marketing
Direct Mail to Hot Spots
Online Ads
Site Signage
Social Media
Community Newsletters
Local Events
Target Audience
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 19
subsidiesgreenjobstrainingandotherinitia- Parcel-Based Market Analysistivesavailabletoqualifiedhouseholds
Identifying Locations of Target Audiences Thegeographiclocationoftargetaudiences willbeidentifiedthroughtwomarketanalysis efforts
Pilot Marketing Areas TheCountywillintensifymarketingefforts inspecificpilotmarketingareaswherehigh percentagesoftheEarlyAdopterandRetrofit ReadyaudiencesliveThesepilotmarketareas willbeidentifiedthroughdemographicanaly-sisbaseduponextensivemarketresearchas wellasadetailedanalysisofkeycommunity resourcessuchasstrongcommunitynetworks andcommunity-basedorganizationsinfluen-tiallocalmedialdquocommunityfeelrdquoetc(For moreinformationonthepilotmarketareas approachandengagementstrategiesseepage 23)
Adetailedmarketanalysisisbeingconducted tosupportspecificpiecesoftheoutreachand communicationsstrategybyidentifyingthe locationofaudiencesthatarereceptivetospe-cificoutreachstrategiesThetableonthenext pagedemonstratesthemarketanalysisaudi-ences(scenarios)andmarketstrategiesthat arebeinganalyzedtoidentifythelocationof targetaudiencesThemarketanalysisisbeing conductedusingconsumermarketresearch combinedwithdemographicdataandprop-ertycharacteristicsdatafromtheCountyas-sessorThemainproductfortheanalysiswill beaseparateanalysisreport(expectedAugust 2010)Thisreportwillincludecountywide ldquoheatmapsrdquothatidentifytheareasthathave ahighproportionoftargetpropertiesandare thereforeidealareasfortargetedmarketing ThesemapscanbeusedforEnergyUpgrade Californiaorcontractormarketingstrategies
countywide market capture cascade
Early Adopters
Retrofit ready
Retrofit persuadable
The Next Phase No way
MESSAGES
bull environment bull Fossil Fuels bull Rebates
available
AddITIONAL MESSAGES
bull save money on utility bills
bull Rebates
bull long-term attitudinal change
available AddITIONAL MESSAGES
bull Property values bull comfort bull Health bull ReBates available
20 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
market analysis scenarios
Link between Pilot Market Areas and Parcel-Based Market Analysis
Theaudiencesbeingexaminedinthepilot marketingareasoverlapwithbutarenotthe sameasthoseinthemarketanalysisThe marketanalysisthereforesupportsthepilot marketareaidentificationintwoways
1 Itaddspropertycharacteristicsgleaned fromconsumerresearchtothepilotmarket areaanalysisInthiswayScenarios1and 2(RetrofitReadyandRetrofitPersuadable) providefurtherdetailtothepilotmarket areasandallowforgeneralmarketingto
MARkET ANALySIS SCENARIO
AUdIENCE IdENTIFIEd
dATA ANALyzEd RELATEd MARkETING STRATEGy
1-early adopters retrofit ready
environmentalists ready to take action now with information about rebates
Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Pilot Marketing areas
2-retrofit persuadable
those who need information about types of improvements with emphasis on rebates and cost savings
Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Pilot Marketing areas
3a-Built environment Heating and cooling
Middle-aged to newer homes located inland that are larger and often have high ac heating bills
Property characteristics location of Home
trigger event Marketing utility Bills Pilot area Marketing
3b-Built environment-Heating
smaller older coastal homes that may have comfort issues in winter
Property characteristics location of Home
trigger event Marketing comfort Pilot Marketing areas
4-multi-family Multi-family homeowners Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Multi-family Marketing Pilot Marketing areas
5-Whole neighborhood
tracts of similarly-aged and built homes
Property characteristics location of Home
Whole neighborhood Marketing Pilot Marketing areas
bedirectedtospecificproperties(when appropriate)
2 Italsoidentifiesotherkeyaudiences (Scenarios3a3b4and5)thatcorrelate toothermarketingstrategiesasshown intableaboveTheresultsofthese scenarioswillbeoverlaidontopofthepilot marketareastoidentifyspecificparcels thatmayrespondtospecificmarketing strategiesForexamplewhenoverlaying thepropertiesidentifiedinScenario5 (Whole-NeighborhoodScenario)with thepilotmarketingareastheCounty canidentifypropertieswithinthepilot
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 21
marketingareathatwouldrespondtoa whole-neighborhoodmarketingapproach (bulkpurchasingmodelhomesasingle contractoretc)
Home Energy Makeover Contest HomeEnergyMakeoverContestsgenerate atremendousamountofpublicityandhave beensuccessfullyconductedinmanyother statesandcitiesTheyattractthousandsof entrantsTheconceptistobothgarnerfree publicityandmodelthebehaviortheProgram istryingtoencouragebyshowingtheldquowhole houseapproachrdquohoweasyupgradescanbe howmuchtherebatescanreducetheproject costandhowmuchdifferencetheymaketoa home
Thecontestwillalsodemonstratethemarket acceptanceforthehomeperformanceap-proachtotraditionalsingle-measurecontrac-torsThosecontractorswillseehowmany peopleenterthecontesttowinahomeperfor-mancemakeoverbasedonthewholehouseap-proachAllthosewhoenteredareleadswho maybeinterestedinawholehouseapproach ratherthansinglemeasures
Entrantsmustbeover18liveinLosAnge-lesCountyandownthehomeinwhichthey residethecontestcanbelimitedtothose whoreceiveservicefromSouthernCalifornia EdisonandorSouthernCaliforniaGas(in otherwordsitcanincludeorexcluderesi-dentsservedbymunicipalutilities)Entrants submitinformationabouttheirhomeand theirenergyconsumptionandgivepermis-sionfortheProgramjudgestoviewtheir energyconsumptionduringthepreviousyear Finalistsarebasedonthehighestenergycon-sumptionpersquarefootofamedian-sized homeAbout20finalistsreceivefreeenergy auditsfortheirhomesBasedontheaudit (andadditionalcriteriawewilldetermine)five winninghomesreceiveupto$15000inhome
energyimprovements(whichcanbesupple-mentedbyrebatesandadditionalfunding fromthepropertyowner)Thewinneragrees tomediacoverageanopenhouseandtoblog andorTweetduringandaftertheretrofit Wewillworkwithcontractorstogetsponsor-shipsaswellasdonatedauditsandupgrade elements
OnecontestwillbeheldinFall2010(withfive winners)andasecondcontestheldduring Springof2011(withfivewinners)
Aseparatecontestcouldbeheldformulti-familybuildingswithahigherwinning amount
Countywide Incentives TheProgramwillestablishalistofnon-profit organizationsthatareactiveinpromoting greenhomessustainabilityandotherenvi-ronmentalorcommunityprojectsEveryone intheCountywhocompletesanenergyaudit maydesignateanon-profitorganizationto receiveadonationfromtheProgramInfor-mationabouttheeligibleorganizationswill beonthewebsiteThiswillencouragethose non-profitstopromotetheProgramtotheir membersltNotethisconceptisstillbeing developedgt
Direct Mail Utilitieswillplacemessagesonouterbillen-velopessenttocustomersTheywillalsosend directmailaboutEnergyUpgradetoldquotarget areasrdquobasedonacombinationofenergy usageageofhomeandhouseholdincome DirectmailisscheduledforOctober2010
County Events Utilitieswillbeattendinglargeeventssuch astheSeptember2010and2011LACounty Fairswithawholehousethemethatincludes aminimodelhousethatvisitorscanldquotourrdquo Additionalproposedeventsinclude
22 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
bull LeagueofCitiesAnnualConference workshop(September2010)
bull PomonaHomeImprovementShow (October2010)
bull RemodelingShowattheLACountyFair (October2010)
bull CaliforniaAssociationofRealtors (October2010)
bull BuildingIndustryShow(November2010)
bull SouthernCaliforniaHomeImprovement Show(November2010)
bull NeighborWorksAmerica(February2011)
Online and Social Media TheProgramwillusesocialmediatoinex-pensivelyreachtargetaudiencesbeginningat launchandcontinuingthroughoutthePro-gramwithbriefpausesforrefiningThiswill beaccomplishedthroughoptimizingsearch wordsforsearchenginessuchasGoogleand Bingreachingappropriateindependentblogs aYouTubevideocontest(runbyamediapart-ner)andencouragingblogpostsandTweets byearlyadoptersandtheProgramitself(see DescriptionsofMarketingCommunications ToolsandDescriptionsofTargetAudiencesfor moredetails)Inadditionutilitieswilldevote spaceforinformationandalinkontheirland-ingpages
Countywide Media Buys Withalatesummerfalllaunchdatemedia buysneedtobespreadtoavoidtheelection monthofOctober2010EnergyUpgradeCali-forniainLosAngelescansponsoraweather broadcastmdashliveonlineandmobilemdashaswell as15and30spotsduringotherbroadcasts Wewillalsopurchaseliveandonlinespots withUnivisiontheSpanish-languagestation Radiobuyswillinclude15NationalPublic Radio(KPCCandKCRW)sponsorshipsand variousdrive-timespotsonEnglishandin-
languageAMandFMstationsSocialmedia buysincludeGoogleWordsandblogads(see DescriptionsofMarketingCommunications Tools)Printmediabuyswillbeinmulticul-turalpapers
(Afullmediabuyplanandschedulewillbe availableinAugust)
Countywide Media Relations TheProgramwillcoordinateCountyandutil-ityeffortsandwiththeCaliforniaEnergyCom-missionCaliforniaPublicUtilitiesCommis-sioneffortsMediarelationswillbeinthree phasespre-launchlaunchandmilestones
Pre-Launch (August ndash September)
bull DevelopandprovideaSpeakerrsquosKit withtalkingpoints
bull OrganizeCountymedialaunchevent (potentiallyenlistawillinghomeowner whosehousemightserveasalaunching padformediatours)
bull Respondtorequestsfromcities
bull Providepre-writtenarticlesforcity communitynewsletters
bull Issuepresskitsandpressrelease(in EnglishandSpanish)announcing launch
Launch (October)
bull Mediaeventtoannouncelaunchand HomeEnergyMakeoverContestpoten-tiallyon-siteatahousetodemonstrate upgrades
bull SendoutradioPSAs
Milestones (through 2013)
bull Mediaeventtoannouncewinnersofthe HomeEnergyMakeovercontest(could beconductedon-sitesurprisingthe winners)
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 23
bull ldquoRe-launchrdquopressreleaseandmedia eventinMarch2011forasecondHome EnergyMakeoverContestwithastrong ldquogetreadyforsummerrdquotheme
bull Pressreleasewhen10000thperson receivesarebate
bull Pressreleasewhenotherappropriate milestonesarereachedorthefunding forincentivesisclosetobeingdepleted
2 Pilot Marketing Areas
Itwillbecriticalforthelong-termsuccessof marketingeffortstohaveasignificantnumber ofearlysuccessesthatgeneratepositivepub-licityandword-of-mouthencouragingothers toalsoparticipateTheCountyintendsto stimulatethemarketfortheseearlyadopters byintensifyingmarketingeffortsinspecific pilotmarketingareas(withzipcodebound-aries)wherebasedonextensiveconsumer
countywide marketingoutreach tactics
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
television
ad buys on Broadcast tV univision google tV Paid county
ldquothis old Houserdquo segment on whole house per-formance and rebates while renovating house (filming in la this summer)
earned county
coverage on mainstream and multicultural sta-tions
earned utilities county
ldquoinfomercialrdquo and promos on city tV Placed county
radio
nPR sponsorship Paid county
commute time spots Paid county
coverage on california Report earned utilities county
Psas on mainstream stations Placed utilities county
spots on multicultural stations Paid county
coverage in mainstream and multicultural papers
earned utilities county
sunset Magazine green Home section earned county
ads in la times and Daily news real estate sections
Paid utilities county
ads in multicultural papers Paid county
Direct Mail to targets Paid utilities
24 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
countywide marketingoutreach tactics (conrsquot)
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
social media
Blogs (about homes environment bargains) earned county
Facebook page Placed county
ads targeted to interest in environment and or home improvements (this old House etc)
Paid county
google adWords targeted to interest in environment andor home improvements
Paid county
twitter both by the Program and by individual early adopters (with incentives)
Placed county
youtube early adopters make a video about their experience and results (with incentives)
Placed county
out of Home
Retail kiosks banners flyers links on retail websites
Placed utilities
community organizations
environmental groups and others newsletters websites email blasts
earned county
Home improvement shows booths Paid county
countywide events Paid utilities
Bloggersubject matter events Paid county
researchhighpercentagesoftargetaudiences livePilotmarketingprogramsinthoseareas willtesttheextentcommunity-basedmarket-ingpositivelyimpactsparticipationratesan effortrelatedtoRetrofitRampUpproposal requirements
Demographicdataprovidedbythemarketre-searchwillbeoverlaidwithenergyusagedata AdditionallyGIS-basedmarketanalysisatthe parcellevel(describedabove)willallowfor pinpointingofspecificneighborhoodswithin thepilotareasforoutreachthatcaninclude
door-to-doordirectmailandmarketingby contractorsaspartofaldquowholeneighbor-hoodrdquoapproachFocusingonpilotareaswill alsomeettheRetrofitRampUprequirements oftheDepartmentofEnergyFollowingisa summaryofplannedmarketingandoutreach efforts
Marketresearch-basedcriteriaforchoosing about15pilotareaswillinclude
Clusters of houses built before 1978 Thoselivinginolderhomesespecially
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 25
builtbeforeCaliforniarsquosEnergyEfficiency Standardsaremorelikelytobelievethat theirhousemightbeenergyinefficient andcouldbenefitfromenergyefficiency improvementsmdashandberesponsivetoan energyupgrade
High percentage of homeownership Thesemarketingeffortsfocusonsingle-familyresidentialhomeownerssoareas withhighrentalrateswillnotprovidea largeenoughnumberofeligibleunits
Income over $60000Thosewith incomesunder$60000didnotbelieve theywouldhavesufficientincometomake improvementsevenwithrebatesThey werenotinterestedinloans(manywith lowincomesalsofindthemselvesldquounder-waterrdquoontheirloansandthusnoteligible forsomefinancing)Inadditionwefound somepush-backinfocusgroupsabout ldquogovernmentofferingloanstopeoplewho canrsquotaffordthemafterthesub-primeloan debaclerdquo
Population with a high percentage of college-educatedThosewithacollege degreearemuchmorelikelytoindicate apreferencetomakeenergyefficiency upgradesThosewhohadcompletedsome collegeeducationarealsomorelikelyto indicateapreferenceforenergyefficiency upgradesthanthosewhohadnotcom-pletedany
Population with a high percentage of those age 35-54Thosewithchildren andorexpandingfamiliesaremorelikely tomakeimprovementsthanthoseunder 30(thereareveryfewhomeownersunder 30)andthoseover54
High percentage of households with 4+ peopleHouseholdswithmorepeople havehigherenergybillsResearchshows thatthoseinhomeswithmorethan4
peoplebelieveenergyupgradescanmakea bigimpactontheirbills
High energy usage Thehigherenergy usage(andbills)themorelikelypeopleare tobelievethatenergyefficiencyimprove-mentswillmakeadifferenceintheirbills
Afterlayeringthisinformationtocomeup withalistofpotentialareaswefurthercon-sidered
Clusters of 8000-20000 homesThe areashouldbelargeenoughtoprovidesub-stantialnumbersofeligibleunitsbutsmall enoughtoenablereachingmajorityofresi-dentsandgeneratingword-of-mouth
Has a diverse multicultural commu-nityAreasshouldhavestrongcommunity identitiesandsenseofplacesocommunity membersareproudofwheretheyliveand areencouragedtoimprovetheircommu-nity
Has strong neighborhood and com-munity organizationsWeneedto engagetheseorganizationsaspartnersto helpspreadtheword
Has existing communications such as newsletters blogsWeneedtoreach membersthroughexistingcrediblesources thatresidentsalreadyuseandtrust
ldquoSpill overrdquo opportunities to nearby neighborhoodsSincemarketingand mediaeffortswillpotentiallyalsobeseen byneighborsareasshouldbenearother areasthatmayalsomeettheprimary criteria
Climatetime of yearIndetermining whentorolloutthepilotswecantarget interiorareasinspringandcoastalareasin coldweather
26 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Basedonthemarketresearchcriteriafive pilotmarketingareasarescheduledforintense marketingatlaunchwithanadditional10 areasscheduledforintensemarketingin Spring2011
Thepilotmarketstrategyissupportedby theparcel-basedmarketanalysiswhichwill identifywhichneighborhoodspropertieswill bethebesttotargetusingthisapproachThe marketanalysiswillallowlimitedmarketing fundingtobeleveragedbyfocusingonthose thataremostlikelytorespondtothemarket-ingefforts
Wewillcreatemessagesandvisualsspecifical-lytailoredtoeachtargetcommunityrsquoscultural andlinguisticpreferencesImagessymbols andiconstypographycolorandoverall designcarrydifferentmeaningsindifferent culturesAmessageistypicallymosteffective ifitiscreatedwithcarefulattentiontothese idiosyncrasiesandwithintheldquoculturalmind-setrdquooftherecipientsCreatingheadlinesand taglinesdirectlyinthetargetlanguagerather thansimplytranslatingEnglishadvertising copyensuresthatcopyhasthecorrectrhythm andrhymeandisthereforemuchmore attention-grabbingandmemorable
Community Incentives Energy Champion Program Severalconceptsareunderconsiderationto developacommunityincentivestrategyto promoteparticipationinlinewiththeRetrofit RampUpproposalforinnovativeincentiveap-proachesIncentivesmaybedirectedatenergy auditscommunity-basedorganizationsthose willingtoprovidetestimonialsorblogtweet andpublicrecognitionefforts
Grassroots Community Organizing-Trainedorganizerswillpresentinformationat themeetingsof12-15influentialcommunity leadersandcommunity-basedorganizationsin
eachpilotareacapturetheircontactdataand helpspreadtheinformationtotheirmembers throughtheirnewsletterseventsandwebsites TheProgramwillprovidepre-writtencus-tomizablearticlespresentationsorvideoand websiteldquobuttonsrdquotolinktotheProgramsite Eachgroupwillbeofferedanincentiveofado-nationtotheirorganizationforeverymember whocompletesahomeenergyupgradeThis willencourageCBOvolunteerstoincrease theirmarketingeffortsFriendlyrivalrieswill beencouragedCommunitygroupswillreport namesofparticipantscheckedforjobcomple-tionbytheProgram(underdevelopment)
Community Events One-on-onefacetimewithhomeownersis anidealwaytoengagepotentialparticipants Well-trainedorganizerswillattendfiveevents ineachtargetareaprovidinghomeowners withinformation(pocketsizemultilingual handouts)andcapturingtheircontactinfor-mationforfollowupTheycanhavehome-ownerssignuponthewebsiteonsiteifappro-priateandperhapsevenhavethemprovideus withavideocommitmentldquoItookthePledgerdquo withpermissiontopostonthewebsiteAsa luretotheboothhomeownerswillbeoffered freeitemssuchaslightbulbsmagnetsand reusablecupswithcoldwater(imprintedwith thewebsite)manufacturedintheUS
Print Radio Outdoor and Out-of Home Advertising Localmediawillcoverthelaunchofthe Programandwewillstrategicallyplaceads inlocalmediaandcommunitynewsletters Outdooradvertising(smallstreet-levelbiode-gradableeco-postersbussheltersbussides) strategicallyplacedinhigh-trafficareaswillre-inforcethemessageoveraone-monthperiod
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 27
Pilot Area Example Altadena Altadenawasidentifiedasacommunitythat fitsourtargetcriteriaItisadiverseunincor-poratedcommunitywithsixneighborhoods andanapproximatepopulationof40000The averagehouseholdincomeisabout$94000 Morethan50ofadultresidentsaremarried withchildrenandcommuteanaverageof62 milesperdaytowhite-collarjobsFully40of theadultsinthiscommunityhaveabachelors
degreeorhigherandareinvolvedinmany communityeventsandorganizationsThere areapproximately12000homesinthiscom-munityand10000ofthosehomesareowner-occupiedThegraphicshowshowoutreach wouldbeconcentratedinthisarea
pilot area outreachmarketing tactics
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
radio
Psas on multicultural stations earned county
coverage in local papers earned county
ads in local and multicultural papers Paid county
outdoor
Bus shelters in area Paid county
on-street lampost signage Paid county
Billboards Paid county
social media
Blogs (relevant to the area) earned county
online ads targeted by location Paid county
listserves of neighborhood associations (through cities)
earned county
out of Home
Movie theater ads in area Paid county
lawn signs on homes in area (through contractors)
Paid county
community organizations
community meetings with incentives to organizations for participation
earnedPaid county
community events Paid county Door hangers Paid county
28 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Home Depot
Ace Hardware
Lowersquos
Master Builders
Great Indoors
Home Expo
altadena marketing target
Hoy La Opinioacuten
Pasadena Star News
Altadena Headlines Examiner
Boulevard Magazine
Arroyo Magazine
Pasadena Weekly
Altadena Connection
Sentinel
KLVE
KPCC Pasadena
KCBS
KROQ Pasadena
KAZN Pasadena
Church Bulletins
Summer Concert Series at Farnsworth Park
Fourth of July Fireworks at
Town amp Country Club
Black History Parade
World Music Festival in Pasadena
Haunted House at
Farnsworth Park
Art Break
Rose Parade
National Latino
Congreso
Altadena Neighborhood Association
Altadena Chamber of Commerce
Altadena Arts Council
Altadena Town Council
Faith-based Organizations
Altadena Town amp Country Club
Altadena League of
Women Voters
Altadena Historical Society
Altadena Community Improvement Center
Sheriff Support Group
Santa Coming to Farnsworth
Park
Altadena California
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 29
3 Trigger-Event Marketing
Thissuiteofstrategieswillbeaimedatcaptur-ingenergyefficiencyopportunitiesfrommul-tipletriggereventsParticipantswillmainly comethroughcontractorsrealtorsandretail partnerspropertyownerswillhavealsoseen countywideadvertising
trigger event marketing
4 City and COG Outreach
OutreachbyCitiesandCOGswillbecritical becauseoftheirexistingrelationshipswith localconstituenciesCitieswillbeprovided withamini-marketingplantalkingpoints videocustomizabletemplatesoffactsheets articlesfortheirnewslettersandadvertising
EvENT dESCRIPTION LEAd AGENT COLLATERAL TACTIC
1 Replace on burnout (heating air conditioners water heaters)
Homeowners either in process of replacing an item or have already done some efficiency projects
county bull Retail partners
bull HVac installers
bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors installers
bull Retail displays
2 life-stage changes (growing family)
Homeowners working with a contractor
county bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors bull ads in media for home remodels
3 Home remodel Homeowners working with an architect contractor
county bull contractors bull architects
bull Materials for contractors
bull ads in media for home remodels
3 improvements at time of purchase
Homeowners interested are preparing a new home for move-in (research shows more interest at purchase than at sale)
shared bull contractors bull Realtors bull Home
inspectors bull city permit
offices bull city welcome
kits bull Retail
bull Brochures for cities
bull ads in weekend homes for sale sections
bull Presentations to realtor groups
bull Retail displays
4 improvements at sale
House owners preparing for sale
county bull contractors bull Realtors
bull Materials for contractors
5 complaints high utility bills cold hot house
Homeowners aware of energy-saving improvements but not whole house approach
county bull contractors bull HeRs raters
bull Materials for contractors
30 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
city amp cog outreach
materialssotheycandeveloplow-costout-reachtotheirresidentsCitieswithcommuni-tiestargetedinthePilotAreaMarketingplans willbeinformedandencouragedtodoout-reachtothoseareasAllCitieswillbeencour-agedtodothefollowing
Run stories in print and online news-letters
Send information to neighborhood associations homeowners associa-tions historic preservation districts and other appropriate community organizations
Provide information in City permit-ting offices and City Hall lobbies
Provide information at strategically located Environmental Information Centers and at COG office locations
Provide information in ldquonew home-ownersrdquo welcome kits (either directly from the city or through title compa-
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAId EARNEd
LEAd
pio coordination contact all participating citiesrsquo Pios na county
letters Key messages for letters from mayors etc to constituents Provide to Pios or city managers
na county
Website links Button for cities to place on their website to link to Program site
na county
city tV informational videos and spot promos Placed county
Welcome brochure
Brochure aimed at new homeowners before they move in
na county
articles Pre-written customizable newsletter articles earned county
email blasts Pre-written customizable info spots for communityneighborhood listserves
earned county
niesmortgage brokers)
Run videos and spots on City TV stations
5 Contractor Marketing
Localcontractorsarecriticaltothesuccess ofEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLosAngeles CountyTheyprovidetheservicesthatcom-prisetheProgramandtheycanhelpmarket theProgramtopropertyownersInfactwe estimatethatupto50ofProgrampartici-pantswillentertheProgramthrougharela-tionshipwithacontractor(theymayhavealso seenmediacoverageandadvertisingwhich spurredthemtotakeaction)Thisuniquerole requiresthattheProgramtakeatwo-tiered approachofengagingthecontractormdashmoti-vatinglocalbuildingprofessionalstoundergo thetrainingandcertificationprocessandalso providingthemwiththetoolstoeffectively promotetheprogramtoexistingandnew clientsThefollowingsectiondescribesspecific
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 31
contractor target
United Brotherhood Building Industry Carpenters (Training)
Association ofSouthern California
Email Blast
Contractors Magazines
Contractor
OnlineAds
Big Box Stores
ConractorsLicensing Schools
Realtor Associations
strategiesassociatedwithbothapproaches
Forthepurposesoftheprogramcontractors aredividedintoparticularsegmentsbasedon thetypeofserviceprovidedAninitialanalysis oftheindustryrevealedthefollowinglikely categories
HomePerformance(HP)Contractors
ProductionBuilders
HVACSystemSpecialtyTrades (windowsetc)
RemodelingContractors
SolarContractors
BuildingPerformance
Institute
Southwest Regional
City Permit Association
Offices of Carpenters
Lumber Yards
StateLicensing
Board
American Instituteof Architects
LA Chapter
Outreach to Contractors TheProgramwillcoordinatewithcontractor groupsandotherbuildingprofessionaltrade organizationstoschedulebriefpresentations abouttheProgramandthecontractortraining processForlargerorganizationsthePro-grammayworkdirectlywiththecompanyto arrangeon-sitepresentationsThesepresenta-tionsareinformalinnatureandwillbeusedto promotethecertificationorientationsrequired forcontractorparticipationintheprogram
KeyMessagestoContractors
$30millioninAmericanRecoveryand ReinvestmentActmoneyisworkinginLA Countytocreateconstructionindustryjobs
32 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
EnergyUpgradeCaliforniaOffersbig rebatesandfinancingoptionsfor homeownersdoinghomeenergy efficiencyretrofits
Therewillbemarketingandadvertis-ingstatewideandlocallytopromotethe Program
Therewillbemarketingmaterialsforyou tousetomarketyourbusiness
YoumustbelicensedandBuildingPerfor-manceInstitute-certifiedtobepartofthe Program
HomeownersmustworkwithBPI-certified contractorstheyrsquollchoosefromacontrac-tordatabaseonthewebsite
KeyOutreachMethods
BuildingIndustryAssociationofSouthern California
SouthwestRegionalCouncilofCarpenters
RealtorsAssociation
UnitedBrotherhood-Carpenters(Training Program)
Citypermittingoffice
Lumberyards
AmericanInstituteofArchitectsLA Chapter(toeducatethemaswell)
ArticlesinformationinContractortrade publications(magazinesnewslettersetc) magazines
CarpentersUnionLocals
ContractorsLicenseSchools(andonline)
BigBoxHomeImprovementstores(de-pendingonIOUrelationships)
wwwcslbcagov
Emailblasttoalllicensedcontractors
Contractor Outreach to Consumers Differentopportunitiesexistfordifferent contractorsdependingontheprobablework scopeThefollowingtableoutlinesafew potentialpathwaysforhowcontractorscan participateintheProgram
contractors outreach to customers
CONTRACTOR TyPE
TRIGGER EvENT vALUE TO CONTRACTOR
BUSINESS MOdEL
Home Performance upgrade lead generation scale for high volume
Production Builder new Business Development
create new division
HVac Replacement lead generation Value-add
expand services
specialty trade lead generation Partner with certified gc
Remodeler Remodel life-stage transition
Value-add sub work to HP contractor
solar Renewables lead generation Partner with certified gc
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 33
BPI-certifiedgeneralcontractorswillbelisted ontheEnergyUpgradeconsumerwebsite sendingmanyleadsdirectlytothemThey alsohaveaccesstotheldquoheatmapsrdquotousefor developingtheirownadvertisingcampaigns
Contractorswillbeattendingorientationses-sionstoensuretheythoroughlyunderstand theProgramrebatesfinancingoptionsand canhelpguidetheircustomersthroughthe processTheywillbeprovidedwithContractor MarketingKitstoensuretheyhaveathandthe keymessagesthathavebeenresonatingwith homeownersandhaveinformationtogive topotentialcustomerswhomightormight nothavebeentothewebsiteKitscanbesent directlytocontractorsordistributedatthe orientationsessionsKitswillcontain
Talkingpoints
DVDofthevideo
Printedfactsheetstoleavewithcustomers (withroomfortheircontactinfo)more canbeordered
Printedldquoslimjimrdquoprogrambrochure
Printedlengthierbrochuresaboutthe wholehouseapproach(brandedby Scientific American Magazine)
CDwithldquobuttonrdquotolinktoEnergyUpgrade fromtheirownwebsitesandPDFsofsite signageforprinting
Contractorswillhaveaccesstoaseparatesec-tionofthewebsitewheretheywillfindinfor-mationaboutProgrameventspromotionsand advertisinganon-demandprintsectionfor additionalcopiesofbrochuresanychanges totheProgramandasingletradecontractor databaseforassemblingteamsforcustomers whowouldlikesolarpanelsornewwindows forexample
6 Realtor Marketing
Giventhatthenationalaveragelengthofhome ownershipisroughlysixyearsrealestate agentswillbeincontactandadvisingalarge percentageofthenewandexistinghomeown-ersthatEnergyUpgradeistargetingforhome energyretrofitsThishighlevelofinfluence makesrealtorsoneofthelargestpartner groups
Realestateagentswillbeengagedonthree levels
1) Outreach
2) Training
3) Support
Outreach Outreachwillbeconductedthroughavariety ofvenuesthatwillincludeCaliforniaAssocia-tionofRealtorsreg(CAR)regionalconferences heldinSouthernCaliforniapartnershipwith themanyrealtorassociationslocatedinLos AngelesCountyanddirectvisitstorealestate agentsrsquoofficesforshortpresentationsPart-nershipswiththe15-20localRealtorsAsso-ciationswillbeachievedthroughoneormore RealtorAdvisoryBoardswhichincludethe GovernmentAffairsDirectorsfromeachof theseorganizationsAselectfewoftheseor-ganizationswillbeusedaspilotsfortargeted outreachduringearlystagesoftheProgram Oncethestrategyhasbeentestedandrevised itwillberolledouttoalloftheRealtorsAs-sociationsinLosAngelesCounty
ThefallCARRealtorExpowillbethemain kickoffeventforoutreachtoindividualreal-torsandrealtorofficesEnergyUpgradeplans tohavea30-minutetalkembeddedinthe SpeakersProgramandaboothsetuponthe ExpofloortoinformrealtorsaboutthePro-gramavailabletrainingsandthesupport
34 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
toolsthathavebeendevelopedThisevent willreachthemajorityofrealtorsintheLos Angelesareabutwillnotincludethelarge populationofrealestateagentsthatarenot membersofCARToreachthispopulation emailsocialmediaandtargetedofficevisits willbeconducted
Training EnergyUpgradewillprovidetrainingforreal estateagentsintwoformsTherealestate agenttrainingmodulecurrentlyunderdevel-opmentbyBuildItGreenwillbeusedasthe maintrainingforumThistrainingmodule isexpectedtotaketwofulldaystocomplete andwillcoverpropertyassessedcleanenergy financingenergyefficientmortgagesrebate programsbuildingscienceenergyefficiency andgreenbuildingpracticesappropriateto California
Additionalweb-basedtrainingwillbeprovided tointroducerealestateagentstotheProgram andtodrivethemtogetin-persontraining throughtheBuildItGreentrainingmodule
Support Cultivatingandclosingtoolswillbegener-atedtoassistrealtorsinusingEnergyUpgrade Californiatradetoexpandtheirbusinesswhile drivinghigherlevelsofprogramparticipation RealtorKitswillbesimilartotheContractor Kitsandtheywillhaveaccesstothedatabase ofgeneralandsingletradecontractors
7 Retail Partner Marketing
Utilitieswillpartnerwithretailoutletsthat canincludeBestBuyCostcoSearsLowes andHomeDepotParticipatingretailoutlets willbeprovided
Information centersEnd-displays detailingtheEnergyUpgradeProgram withadiagramillustratingthehouseas asystemconcept(multiplecomponents thatacttogethertomaximizesavings)and actionscustomerscantaketocapturethose savingsandrebatesIn-storecustomer educationcanshiftcustomerperception ofenergyupgradesandmotivatethem toparticipateinmultipleenergy-efficient measuresinsteadofjustoneAnadditional benefitfortheretailerisassociationwith thestatewideprogram
Program collateral One-sheet takeawaysforcustomerstoreference andshare
Video Theshortvideoscanbeplayed onaloop
Table tent cardsPlacedthroughout storesectionsthatcorrelatewiththe EnergyUpgradeProgram(CFLsappli-ancesceilingfansinsulationwindows) Againthiswillencouragecustomersto performmultipleenergyupgradesinstead ofjustoneCross-promotionhelpseducate customersandencourageparticipationin multiplemeasuresthusincreasingproduct purchase
Window clings ldquoOfficialEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaInformationCenterrdquotagline bannersplacedatstorefrontThiswillpo-sitiontheretailerasanactiveparticipantin thestatewideprogramandbuildsretailer credibilityasagreenadvocate
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 35
8 Multi-Family Outreach
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesandsched-ulesarestillinplanningphasesandbeing developedthroughastatewideconsortium
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesarebeing
developed
36 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
evaluation
Theprimarygoalsofthemarketingplanareto buildpositiveawarenessoftheEnergyUp-gradeCaliforniaProgramandcreateasus-tainedmarketforawholehouseapproach(see page8)Objectivesarespecifictothoseachiev-ingthosegoalsLosAngelesCountyresidents willseemultipleiterationsofmediacoverage paidadvertisingin-storedisplayscontractor marketingandin-personpresentations(inthe pilotmarketingareas)Forexamplearesi-dentinAltadenamightseethemoreintensive marketingandoutreacheffortsThatmayspur themtoactionmdashbutiftheyalreadyhadplans toremodelorhadpreviouslyworkedwitha contractortheymightcalltheircontractorand thusactuallycometotheprogramthrough thecontractorThereforeitwillnotbeeasy todeterminepreciselywhathasmotivated eachpersontoparticipateinEnergyUpgrade Objectivestomeetinclude
About35-45ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughthemarket-ingandoutreacheffortsTomonitorwe willincludeashortsurveyaspartofthe rebateapplicationprocessaskingpartici-pantswhatdrewthemtothewebsiteand totheProgramThewebsitecanmonitor clickthroughstocontractorssitesfrom theProgramwebsiteprovidinganindica-tionofpotentialparticpantswhocameto thesitebeforehavingacontractorOnce apropertyownerinputsanaddressthe websitewillbeabletospecificallymonitor ifthatparticipantasksformultiple estimatesfromcontractorsanotherindica-
toroffindingacontractorthroughthesite
About45-50ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughcontractors Wewillaskcontractorstoprovideinfor-mationabouttheirmarketingeffortsand successratesTheywillbeabletoidentify participantsgainedthroughtheirownmar-ketingefforts
300000uniquehitsonthewebsitewhich willbemonitoredbythewebsiteFurther thewebsitewillanalyzewherevisitors camefrom(egaclickthroughfroman onlineadfromacontractorrsquoswebsite orduringthespecifictimeframeofanad campaign)
Virtualandactualldquoword-of-mouthrdquore-portedbymonitoringsocialmedia
Communicationskitsandmarketingkits availablebothphysicallyandthroughan on-demandprintsitemonitoredbyclient
Informationalmaterialsforcitiesmoni-toredbySouthBayCitiesCouncilofGov-ernments
50000000mediaadvertisingin-person impressionsmonitoredbybroadcast printonlinestatisticsandreportsfrom grassrootsmarketingefforts
Consolidatedinformationinone-stop-shop approachwillbedeliveredthroughthe website
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 37
description of marketing communication tools
PlacedEarned Social Media ThePlancallsforsocialmediatopushinfor-mationtoourtargetaudiencesincreaseper-ceptionsoftheProgramascommunity-based reachthosewhowillhelpgenerateadditional buzzindependentmarketingeffortsaboutthe Programandprovideamechanismforlisten-ingtowhatpeoplearesayingaboutEnergy Upgrademdashandrespondingwhennecessary
Online Paid Advertising Onlineadvertisingcampaignscanbeverycost-effectiveandhighlytargetedbydemographics areasofinterestandgeographicsAdsappear ontopic-relatedblogsonsearchenginepages (egGoogle)andoncontentpages(egwhen yousearchforinformationaboutarelated topicandselectawebsitetoview)
Types of Users Targetadsbyage genderincomelanguagepreferencezip codeorhotspots
Types of SearchesTargetadsbytypeof searchconductedbasedonkeywords
Adsareusuallysoldperldquoclickrdquomdashtheviewer hasclickedontheadandbeensenttothe EnergyUpgradeCAwebsiteWewillmake fourtypesofonlineadpurchases
1 Googleadsthatplaceadsbothonits searchpagesandonhundredsofwebsites targetedbytheabove
2 Networksthattargetspecificsitesand blogsthatmatchourtargetaudiences(eg HiveBlogsLosAngelesthatoffers350LA blogstochoosefrom)
3 Directlythroughselectpublishers(eg CurbedLAGreenGirlLAlocalpapers online)
4 Onlineeditionsoflocalpapersinpilot marketingareas
Twitter Twitterusersaremostlycollegegraduates haveattendedgraduateschoolandlivein householdsmakingover$50000ayear (nationally)Usersarethreetimesmorelikely tofollowbrandsandcompaniesonTwitter thanotherusersofsocialnetworkswith40 specificallyusingTwittertolearnaboutand provideopinionsonbrands
Twittercanpushthelatestdevelopmentsand newstopeoplewhohaveexpressedaninter-estedintheProgram(theymustsignupto receiveourTweetsorhavesearchedfortag wordsincludedinourTweets)Itrsquosalsoan easywayforthosewhofollowEnergyUpgrade onTwittertoshareTweetswiththeirfriends
38 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
therebygeneratingbuzzandhelpingmarket theProgramTwittercanshareProgram newsinrealtimedrivepeopletothewebsite facilitateearlyadoptersbuzzmakersreach youngerhomeownersandincreasemarketing effortsatalowcostTwittercanbeeffectively usedtocommunicatetheProgramandits milestonesinavarietyofways
bull Tweetaboutpressreleasesmajoran-nouncementsnewitemsonwebsiteor blogsmediastoriesandarticlesespecially aboutthosethataretimesensitiveandtell ouraudiencewhatishappeningwiththe Programandencouragesthemtopartici-pateorfindoutmore
bull PutaTweeticononthemainwebsiteal-lowingvisitorstothewebsitetobeginto followEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLos AngelesCountyonTwitterwithoneclick
bull FollowotherswhoTweetaboutthe ProgramaswellasthosewhoTweetabout relatedtopicsThiswillprovideanop-portunitytodirectlyrespondtoaperson whohasaquestionabouttheProgramand pointthemtoalinktothewebsite
Tweet Examples
bull ldquo100LAhomeownershavesigned upfortheProgramatwwwEnergyUpgra-deCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoReadaboutLArsquosnewenergyefficiency rebateProgramintheLAtimes httpwwwlatimesgreenblogcomrdquo
bull ldquoWanttosaveonyourutilitybills CheckoutwwwEnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoSignupfortheHomeEnergyUpgrade contestforachancetowinafree homeenergyefficiencyretrofitat EnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
Cost and Budget
SettingupaTwitteraccountisfreeasisusing anapplicationsuchasTweetDeckthathelps followotherswhoareTweetingaboutEnergy UpgradeCaliforniaTheonlysignificantcostis stafftimewhichcanbelimitedtoafewhours aweek
Facebook Facebookisalow-costandeasywayofboth marketingtheProgramandsupportingan onlinecommunityofpeopleinterestedinthe ProgramItwillreachaudienceswhoaremore likelytospendtimeonFacebookversusaweb-siteandwhomayprefertoreceiveshortreal timeProgramnewsviaFacebookratherthan emailsorwebsitesItisidealforpostinglinks tovideosandphotosrelatedtotheprojectIt complementsthewebsiteaplacewherefans oftheProgramcanfindinformationaskques-tionsandshareideasandexcitementThese fanswillgeneratebuzzbytellingtheirfriends abouttheProgramthroughFacebook
AFacebookpagewillcontaininformation abouttheProgramalinktothewebsite Programnewsvideosphotographsandother informationWhenthepageisupdatedfans willreceivelinksinemailalertingthemtothe newposts
Facebookisalsoidealforsharingthestoryof anearlyadopter(whowillalsoTweet)through updatesphotographsandvideosItlends itselfmuchmorenaturallytothispeople-fo-cusedapproachthanawebsitewhichismore formal
Additionalpoints
bull EncourageandperhapsrewardProgram adopterstosharetheirexperiencesask questionsetc
bull Setupcontrolstodeterminewhatcontent Fanscanposttothewall
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 39
bull Monitorupdatestothewallandtakedown Therearemanyexistingblogsthatcanbeused inappropriatecontent
bull Respondtoissuesquestionsandtakepart intheconversation
bull Adesignatedstaffpersonshouldmonitor thesiteitisalsoidealifseveralstaff memberspostcontentandifpartnersare activeparticipantsalthoughtheoverall strategyshouldbecentralized
Facebook Examples
Herearesomeexamplesofthetypesofpost-ingsforaFacebookpage
bull ldquoTheLATimesdescribesEnergyUpgrade CAasaperfectopportunitytobegreenand savemoneymdashintheFridaymoneysectionrdquo
bull ldquoWhydidyoudecidetoparticipatein EnergyUpgradeCATellushowyour energyefficiencyretrofitisgoingandwersquoll enteryouforachancetowina$50Home Depotgiftcardrdquo
bull ldquoWonderingwhetherEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaisrightforyouCheckoutthis videooftheSmithsinstallingnewinsula-tionandwindows--andreceivinga$3500 rebaterdquo
Cost and Budget
Relativelyfewdirectcostsstafftimewill fluctuateduringbusycalmperiodswithhigh activityatthebeginningastheProgramkicks offandafanbaseisestablishedOngoingstaff timeneededtokeeppagefreshwith3-4posts weekdailymaintenancerequiredtomonitor postingsfromfans
Blogs Blogsreachtargetaudienceswhoarealready interestedinrelatedtopicsandwhohavehigh potentialtoparticipateintheProgram
tofurthermarketingefforts
bull Identifybloggerswhowilllikelywrite positivelyabouttheProgramSendpress releasefactsheetsandPrograminforma-tiontobloggerswhowriteabouttopics suchastheenvironmentenergyefficiency homeimprovementremodelingreal estatehousingbargainssavingmoneyas wellastocompaniesthatsellsolarpanels contractorsetc
bull Bloggersarelookingfortopicalstoriesto writeaboutandwewillmaketheirnext blogposteasyBecauseEnergyUpgradeis ahighrewardoptionalProgrambloggers willwritefavorablyandhelptellthestory inafriendlyaccessibleandeasy-to-under-standway(althoughwedonrsquothavecontrol overwhattheywrite)Peoplewhoaredis-satisfiedwillwritenegativecommentsbut wewillmonitorblogsandactivelycorrect misperceptions
bull Tomonitorwhatothersarewritingabout EnergyUpgradeontheirblogswewilluse freeprogramslikeTechnoratiorGoogle Readertoscanallblogsandwebsitesthat mentiontheProgram
Blogs to Reach
Green Girl LA Blog (httpgreenlagirlcom)Thisindependent blogisfocusedonenvironmentalhap-peningsinLosAngelesArecentpostwas aboutagreennetworkingeventfeaturing TheBuildingDoctorspresentingwaysto makeyourhousemoreenergyefficient PreviouslyareporterbloggerfortheLA Timesthewriterisactiveandcoversa widevarietyofenvironmentalgreentopics happeninginLosAngeles
40 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
LA Times HomeBlog (wwwlatimesblogslatimescomhome_
blog)focusesontopicsrelatedtohouses andhashadseveralrecentpostsabout greenremodelingOneadvantageofa majornewspaperisthatthereportingis accurateandthereadershipislargerThey recentlywroteaboutauditionsforThisOld HousewhichisfeaturingaLosAngeles areahouseforasummerremodel
Bargain Babe (wwwbargainbabelatownluxecom) featuresLosAngelesbargainsYoucan searchforbargainsbyareaofLA(West-sideetc)orbytopicThisbloggerrecently wroteaboutappliancerebates
LA Times Green Remodeling (wwwlatimesblogslatimescompar-donourdustgreen_remodeling)writes aboutalltopicsrelatedtoremodelingin SouthernCaliforniawithseveralrecent postsongreentopicsArecentpostre-viewedthedifferentadvantagesofinstall-ingvarioustanklesswaterheatersPitch thatthebloggerfollowahomeenergy retrofitandhelptelltheirstoryaswellas announcebasicPrograminformation
LA Times Personal Finance wwwlatimescombusinesspersonal-finance
Home Remodeling wwwkathysremodelingblogcom
Energy Efficiency wwwlowimpactlivingcomblog
LA CreekFreak
LA Observed
LAist
YouTube PostallvideosrelatedtotheprojectonYou-TubeWewillworkwithourmediapartners todevelopacontestforearlyadopterstofilm theirexperienceandletwebsitevisitorsvote onthebestWinnerreceivesaprizetobe determined
ListServes Listservesreachgroupsofpeoplewhoare interestedinasimilartopicorwholiveina specificneighborhoodSendemailblaststo listservessuchasneighborhoodassociations homeremodelersandenvironmentalgroups withanenergyfocusCitystaffhasinforma-tionaddressesofneighborhoodandhom-eownerassociationslists
Multimedia for Presentations Website Developanengaginginformative6-8minute videofocusingoncontractorsandhomeown-ersthatcanbeusedduringpresentationsand presentedonCityTVThevideowillbeshot bothinEnglishandinSpanishandcover
bull Howtherebatesworktocreateasenseof urgencyaboutdoingtheenergyupgrades soonerratherputtingitofftotakeadvan-tageoftherebates
bull Theldquosealthenenhancerdquowholehouse concept
bull WhattheProgramelementsactuallylook likeandhowtheyareinstalledtoover-comebarrierssuchasthatonemighthave tomoveoutofthehouseortheenergy upgradesareldquouglyrdquo
bull Workingwithacontractorwhatbeing licensedandcertifiedmeansgettingmul-tiplebids
bull Financingoptions
bull Doingthepaperwork
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 41
Fromthatvideodevelop
bull Threeindividual2-minutevideosforuse onlineeachfocusingonaspecifictopicmdash
againinbothEnglishandSpanish
bull A15anda30spoteachinEnglishand SpanishforuseonCityTVandbroadcast
stations
Print Collateral Customizable fact sheetsInforma-tionsheets(onepagefrontandback)in EnglishSpanishandChinesethatcanalso bepostedonthewebsiteasPDFs
Program brochureMorehighlyde-signedforplacementinmunicipaloffices andevents
Customizable Brochure Brandedwith SunsetMagazineorNationalGeographic forcontractorsandrealtorstohandto customers
SignageBannersforeventsandstreet lamppostspostersformunicipaloffices andsmalleventsandpotentiallysignage forbussidestransitshelters
Speakers kits Countyandcitystaffwillreceivekitstoensure everyoneisfamiliarwithkeymessagesandhas informationtogivetoconstituentsThesecan besentdirectlytocitiesordistributedthrough COGsKitswillcontain
bull Talkingpoints
bull DVDofthevideo
bull PPTpresentationforpublicmeetings
bull Printedbrochuresforpermitofficesto includewithwelcomepacketsfornewho-meowners
bull Articlesandphotostheycanrunintheir onlineorprintedcitynewsletters
bull CDwithtemplatesforquickprintingand websitebuttontolinkfromtheirwebsiteto EnergyUpgradeCalifornia
42 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
description of key messages
Thefollowingmessageshadthehighestreso-nanceinpollingandfocusgroupsbothinLos AngelesCountyandtheBayArea
Primary Motivators Thefollowingtwomessagesaboutsaving moneyarekeytomotivatingalltargetaudi-encesTheyshouldbepartofeverypieceof advertisingorcollateralproduced
1 RebatesHomeownerswhomakeenergy-savinghomeimprovementscanqualifyfor a$1500federaltaxcreditandrebatesof upto$3500dependingonhowmuchthey reduceenergyconsumptionAdditional motivatorTaxcreditsonlyavailable untilDecember312010(Rebatesare preferredovertaxcreditsbecauseitrsquoscash nowratherthanlateranddependingon incomenoteveryonecangetthecredit)
2 Save on Utility Bills Upgradingahome touselessenergyandwatercanreduce utilitybillsby20ormoremdashsavingyou moneyovertime
Secondary Motivators Thefollowingmessagesarethenlayeredde-pendingonwhichaudienceisbeingtargeted
Help the EnvironmentClimate Change Weallneedtodoourparttohelp theenvironmentandslowclimatechange Makingourhomesmoregreenandenergy efficientisanimportantstepweshouldall take
Reduce Foreign OilFossil FuelsAt atimewhenwearetryingtoreduceour dependenceonforeignoilandotherfossil fuelsupgradingtheenergyefficiencyof ourhomesisanimportantstepwecanall take(Infocusgroupstheconceptofenergy independencefurtherresonatedasinde-pendencefromutilitycompaniesgetting offthegrid)
Certified Contractors Save Money Speciallytrainedandcertifiedcontractors knowhowtofindimprovementsthatthe averagehomeownerwouldnotTheiras-sessmentswillensurethatyoufindmore energysavingsandthereforesavemore moneyonyourutilitybillsAdditional motivatorContractorsarecertifiedbythe BuildingPerformanceInstituteworking withtheDepartmentofEnergyandEnvi-ronmentalProtectionAgency
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 43
Increase Property ValuesHomesthat areenergy-efficientandenvironmentally friendlyaremoreappealingtohomebuyers Theseupgradescanincreaseyourproperty value
ComfortUpgradingyourhomersquosenergy efficiencymdashinparticularupgradinginsula-tionmdashcanmakeitamorecomfortableplace toliveNomoredraftycoldroomsinthe winterorhotstuffyroomsinthesummer
Indoor Air QualityInsulationand ventilationcanreduceallergyandasthma-causingmoldandmildewimproving indoorairqualityespeciallyforinfantsand thosewithhealthconditions
Messengers Homeownersprefertoreceiveinformation fromimpartialtrustedsourcesThesemes-sengersreceivedthehighestscoresinpolling
bull Neighborsandotherhomeowners
bull Contractorthehomeownerisalready workingwithorreferredbyfriendneigh-bor
bull Architectsdesignprofessionals
bull Gasandelectricutilities
bull Environmentalorganizations
bull Homeimprovementstorestaff(when equippedwithflyers)
44 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 45
- Cover
- Table of Contents13
- Summary Overview13
- Introduction13
- Programs Goals and Objectives13
- Marketing and Outreach Program Goals and Structure13
- Strategy13
- Evaluation13
- Description of Marketing Communication Tools13
- Description of Key Messages13
-
Printedldquoslimjimrdquobrochuresaboutthe 8 Multi-Family Outreach wholehouseapproach
Printedin-depthbrochure(brandedby ScientificAmericanMagazine)
CDwithldquobuttonrdquotolinktoEnergyUpgrade fromtheirownwebsites
Contractorswillhaveaccesstoaseparate sectionofthewebsitewheretheywillbeable toorderadditionalcustomizablematerials ldquoon-demandrdquofindinformationaboutPro-grameventspromotionsandadvertisingany changestotheProgramandasingletrade contractordatabaseforassemblingteamsfor customerswhowouldlikesolarpanelsornew windowsforexample
6 Realtor Marketing Giventhatthenationalaveragelengthof homeownershipisroughlysixyearsreal estateagentswillbeincontactandadvising alargepercentageofthenewandexisting homeownersthatEnergyUpgradeistarget-inghomeenergyretrofitsThishighlevelof influencemakesrealtorsoneofthelargest partnergroupsRealtorKitswillbesimilarto theContractorKitsandtheywillhaveaccess tothedatabaseofgeneralandsingletrade contractors
7 Retail Partner Marketing Utilitieswillpartnerwithretailoutletsthat canincludeBestBuyCostcoSearsLowes andHomeDepotParticipatingretailoutlets willbeprovided
Informationcenters
Programcollateral
Tabletents
Windowclings
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesandsched-ulesarestillinplanningphasesandbeing developedthroughastatewideconsortium
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing Strategiesandschedulesarestillinplanning phases
Incentives and Financing Marketresearchshowsthatrebatesarepri-marymotivatorsforhomeownerstoundertake anenergyupgradeRebateswillbeavailable forconsumersfromvarioussourcesCur-rentlyutilityrebatesoffer$1000fortheBasic Pathandupto$8500forthosereaching30 energysavingsThefederalHomeStarpro-gramisstillpendingmdashitcouldofferhomeown-ersupto$3000forelementsintheBasic Pathupto$7000forthosereaching20 energysavingsandupto$13000forthose reaching45energysavingsIncentivesfrom theCountyarealsostillpending
Financingoptionsarebeinganalyzedandwill beavailableatlaunch
Allrebatesandfinancingwillbecoordinated onthewebsitewiththeultimategoalofprop-ertyownersfillingoutoneformandpopulat-ingallotherrequiredforms
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 9
Proposed Implem
entation Plan
10 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
introduction
The Statewide Challenge Californialegislation(AB32)requiresGreen HouseGas(GHG)emissionreductionto1990 levelsby2020andfurtherreductionsinGHG emissionsto80percentbelow1990levelsby 2050Theseprovisionshavebeenincorpo-ratedintothePublicUtilitiesCommissionrsquos (CPUC)2009EnergyEfficiencyStrategic Planwhichtargetsanaverage40reduction inpurchasedenergyfortheexistingbuilding stockby2020andan80reductionby2050
TheCPUCrsquosCaliforniaEnergyEfficiency StrategicPlansetsthefollowinggoalstobe reachedby2020
25ofexistinghomesexhibita70 decreaseinpurchasedenergyfrom2008 levels
75ofexistinghomesexhibita30 decreaseinpurchasedenergyfrom2008 levels
100ofexistingmulti-familyhomes exhibita40decreaseinpurchasedenergy from2008levels
TheCPUCrsquosstatewidegoalistoretrofit 130000housingunitsby2010
Additionallegislation(AB758)requiredthe CaliforniaEnergyCommission(CEC)tode-velopandimplementacomprehensiveenergy efficiencyprogramforexistingresidentialand nonresidentialbuildingstoreducetheirGHG emissionsinkeepingwithclimatechange mitigationEnergy Upgrade Californiais apartnershipbetweentheCECandtheCPUC topromoteenergyefficiencyimprovements tohomesandcommercialbuildingsfunded inpartthroughtheAmericanRecoveryand ReinvestmentAct
Market Opportunity AlongwithothercitiesacrossthestateLos AngelesCountywillalsoberequiredtocreate aClimateActionPlanandEnergyUpgrade CaliforniainLosAngelesCountywillbea centralGHGemissionreductionimplementa-tionstrategyEnergy Upgrade California in Los Angeles Countyisanallianceamong theCountyofLosAngelestheCitieswithin theCountySouthernCaliforniaEdison SouthernCaliforniaGasCompanyandthe municipallyownedutilitiesintheCountyThe
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 11
goalisaldquoone-stopshoprdquoforpropertyowners Apropertyownerinvestmentof$5000 toeasilyfindclearconsolidatedinformation abouttheProgramelementscertifiedcon-tractorsandalltherebatesincentivesand financingoptionsavailable
Mostoftheapproximately34millionhous-ingunitsinLosAngelesCountywerebuilt beforestateenergyefficiencystandards(Title 24)wereimplementedbeginninginthe early1980sMorerecentvintageresidential buildingsalsooffergreatpotentialforenergy savingsduetodeficienciesinconstruction specificationandfieldworkquality
Energyefficiencymeasuresincludeimprove-mentstoinsulationspaceheatingandair conditioningwaterheatinglightingwin-dowsanddoorssolarhotwatersystemsand otherfixeditems
to$15000forsingle-familybuildingtoimple-mentabuildingenergyretrofitcanoften achieveanaverageof20ormoreenergy savingsreduceutilitybillsimprovebuild-ingcomfortenhanceindoorairqualityand increasebuildingvalue
TheCountyanditspartnersarecollaborat-ingonawebsitecommunityoutreachand countywideadvertisingtoleverageefforts andfundingandtomaximizeparticipationin theProgrammdashwithagoalofpropertyowners completing30000energyefficiencyupgrades bysummer2013TheldquoMediaandAdvertis-ingFlightsrdquomatrixprovidesanoverviewof scheduleandtiming
12 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
programs goals and objectives
ThegoalsofEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLA Countyaretopromotejobcreationandreduce aggregategreenhousegasemissionsthrough energyandresource-savingretrofitsofexisting buildingstockthroughthreefundingsources
1 AmericanReinvestmentandRecoveryAct EnergyEfficiencyandConservationBlock Grant(EECBG)
2 USDepartmentofEnergyRetrofitRamp Up(RRU)funding
3 CaliforniaEnergyCommission Discretionarygrant
retrofit objectives by funding source
Objectivesthusfocusonspecifictargetnum-bersforcompletedretrofits
bull Retrofitabout27000single-familyhomes withanaverage20energyreduction Countywide(1605850single-familyresi-dentialhomesinLACounty)plus2600 multi-familyhomes
bull Reduceannualpurchasedenergycon-sumptioninthosehomesbyanaggregate 300billionBTUsperyearandassociated energycostsby$4millionperyear
bull Create3200jobsand
bull ReducetheCountyrsquosannualgreenhouse gasemissionsattributabletoenergycon-sumptioninitsexistingbuildingstockby 36287metrictonsCO2e
EECBG RRU CEC TOTAL
single-family Homes 15000 4200 8060 27260
multi-family Homes 0 1400 1240 2640
29900
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 13
marketing and outreach program goals and structure
1 Goals MarketingandoutreachforEnergyUpgrade CaliforniainLACountywillengageproperty ownersthrougheffectivestrategiesprovide clearandcompellinginformationaboutthe benefitsofanenergyefficiencyretrofitlist therebatesandtaxcreditsavailable(through thisProgramandthroughutilityprograms) explainfinancingoptionslistcertifiedcon-tractorsanddescribetheProgramprocessand optionsThemarketingandoutreachplanhas fivemajorgoals
1 Build broad positive awareness of the Program
2 Educate property owners to overcome barriers to participation
3 Target marketing efforts to drive participation by key audiences identified in surveys
4 Align and coordinate other marketing efforts by utilities and other partners
5 Create a sustained market for a whole-house performance approach leading to long-term behavioral change
2 Objectives ThePlanisdesignedtoachievethesemajor objectives
1 Program goals met
Marketing35-40ofProgrampar-ticipantsentertheProgramasaresultof marketingandoutreachefforts
Contractors45-50ofProgrampar-ticipantsentertheProgramasaresultof marketingbycontractors(usingmes-sagingandmaterialsdevelopedthrough thisPlan)
Partners10-15ofProgrampar-ticipantsentertheProgramasaresult ofmarketingbyothermethodssuch asrealtorsretailpartnersarchitects designersandCityefforts(usingmes-sagingandmaterialsdevelopedthrough thisPlan)
2 300000 unique hits on a robust website (or calls to the call center)
3 Virtual ldquoword-of-mouthrdquo buzz created through social media resulting in click throughs to the website
14 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
4 Communications kits available for county COG cities community leaders and environmental groups
5 Marketing kits available for partners (contractors realtors)
6 Informational materials placed with retailers cities county offices
7 50000000 mediaadvertisingin-person impressions through
Mainstreammedia(televisionradio print)storiesplaced
Multiculturalmedia(televisionradio print)storiesplaced
RadioTVPSAsplaced
CityTVprogramsplaced
PaidradioTVpromosads
Paidprintads
Communitymeetings
Targeteddirectmail
rebate structure
8 Consolidated information in a ldquoone-stop shoprdquo approach
3 Incentives and Financing Marketresearchshowsthatrebatesarepri-marymotivatorsforhomeownerstoundertake anenergyupgradeRebateswillbeavailable forconsumersfromvarioussourcesCur-rentlyutilityrebatesoffer$1000forthe BasicPathandupto$3500forthosereach-ing30energysavingsThefederalHome Starprogramisstillpendingmdashitcouldoffer homeownersupto$3000forelementsinthe BasicPath$3000forthosereaching20 energysavingsandupto$13000forthose reaching45energysavingsIncentivesfrom theCountyarealsostillpending(SeeRebate Structuretable)
Financingoptionsarebeinganalyzedandwill beavailableatlaunch
Allrebatesandfinancingwillbecoordinated onthewebsitewiththeultimategoalofprop-ertyownersfillingoutoneformandpopulat-ingallotherrequiredforms
ELEMENT COUNTy FUNdEd
FEd TAx CREdIT HOME STAR UTILITIES
Basic path tBD 30 of eligible $1000
advanced path tBD improvements up to $1500 (expires Dec 31) $2500 for 20
+$500 for 5 +$500 for 5
silver star tBD
gold star tBD
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 15
4 Coordination Between Local Government and Utilities Consumerswillbebestservedbyaunified brandandconsumermarketingcampaign consistentmessagingandastatewidewebsite portalwithonewebsiteaddressTheCounty ofLosAngelesSouthernCaliforniaEdison andSouthernCaliforniaGasCompanyhave beenworkingtogethertodevelopastrong coordinatedprogramInfacttheLosAngeles CountyProgramhasbecomeamodelforthe state
Coordinationwillalsoleverageresourcesand increasethemarketingeffectivenessoflocal governmentsandthelocalutilitiesAllma-terialswillbedevelopedcollaborativelyand costswillbesharedaccordingtothedivision ofresponsibilityThefollowingchartoutlines thekeydeliverablesandresponsibilities(next page)
16 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
marketingoutreach coordination
PROGRAM ELEMENT LEAd COMMENTS
COUNTy UTILITIES jOINT
market research X telephone surveys focus groups and market analysis
marketing communications plan X this document will direct all marketing
activities
program namelogo X
cec will own the brand and has final vote on statewide name tagline can be customized for la county
Website portal X
statewide portal linked to utility pages or sitesndashmain info and materials on this one site
advertising campaign principles development X
marketing templates X
Print and online available for cities to customize as needed
service territory media Buys (regional) X Mainstream and ethnic media buys
local media Buys (la county) X Both mainstream and ethnic media in
hotspots and la county
call center X one phone number managed by utilities county to help produce script
retail outlet materials X May include kiosks short videos
contractor marketing toolkit X tBD county will develop marketing materials
for contractors
direct mail (eg bill inserts other mailers) X
county assessor materials X
Materials included in water bills property tax bills
community-Based outreach X targeted grassroots marketing
(includes local events)
community events X X utilities attend countywide events county attends local events
public relations X X
utilities take lead for service territory county for local or supervisor-initiated PR
Home energy makeover contest X
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 17
strategy
TheProgramwilluseamulti-layeredmulti-facetedmarketingandoutreachstrategythat targetsaudiencesbyidentifyingwhotheyare wheretheyliveandtheeventsgoingonin theirlivesMarketingeffortsinclude
1 Countywide Marketing (and Media Relations)
2 Pilot Area Marketing
3 Trigger-Event Marketing
4 City Outreach
5 Contractor Marketing
6 Realtor Marketing
7 Retail Partner Marketing
8 Multi-Family Marketing
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing
1 Countywide Marketing
Thestrategyisentirelyresearch-drivenfocus-ingonthosepropertyownersmostlikelyto undertakeahomeenergyupgradeAnover-archinglayerofmainstreammarketingand advertisingwillbeaimedatthreeaudiences
1 Early AdoptersThosewhoarestrong environmentalistsalreadypoisedtoldquodo therightthingrdquofortheenvironmentand whojustneedtohearaboutaprogramand rebates
2 ldquoRetrofit-ReadyrdquoThosewhoarealready planninghomeimprovementsandjust needalittlemoreinformationaboutwhat stepstotaketosavemoneyandldquodothe rightthingrdquofortheenvironment
3 ldquoRetrofit-Persuadablerdquo Thosewho arethinkingabouttheirutilitybills homecomforttheenvironmentorour dependenceonfossilfuelsforeignoil (especiallyinlightoftherecentGulfoil spill)andwhoneedinformationabout whattypesofimprovementstheycould makeandwhatstepstotaketosave energysavemoneyandreducefossilfuel consumption
Outreachwillbeaimedattargetaudiences throughbothmainstreamandmulticultural mediaTheadvertisingwillalsospillover ontoaudiencesinspecificgeographicareas providingadditionalimpressionstothose whoarealsotargetedinthePilotMarketing AreasThiswillalsoaddtothecitiesrsquoefforts topromotetheProgramastheirresidents willalsoseethecountywidemarketingefforts
18 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Marketingwillfocusoneachtargetaudience providingimpressionsclosetotheirhomeand reachingouttomoremassaudiencesCounty-widemarketingandoutreachwillinclude tacticsinthetablebelow
The One-Stop Shop Allinformationwillbeconsolidatedina one-stopshopapproacheitherinaldquobrick andmortarrdquolocationthroughthewebsiteor callcenteroratcommunityeventsProperty ownerswillhaveeasyaccesstoinformation
abouteligibleenergyefficiencymeasures andretrofitoptionseligibilityforCounty-administeredfinancialvehiclesandincentives eligibilityforutility-sponsoredrebatesand incentivesfederalrebateandtaxcreditinfor-mationandaccesstolistsofqualifiedenergy retrofitcontractors
Propertyownerswhoarenoteligiblefororin-terestedinEnergyUpgradeCaliforniawould alsobeabletofindoutaboutopportunities forweatherizationprogramslow-incomerate
countywide marketingoutreach tactics
Cable TV
County Events
Mass Media
Out of Home
Radio
Retail Partners
City Information
City TV
Local Media
Transit Shelters
Theaters
Billboards
Community of Interest
Newsletters
Contractor Marketing
Direct Mail to Hot Spots
Online Ads
Site Signage
Social Media
Community Newsletters
Local Events
Target Audience
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 19
subsidiesgreenjobstrainingandotherinitia- Parcel-Based Market Analysistivesavailabletoqualifiedhouseholds
Identifying Locations of Target Audiences Thegeographiclocationoftargetaudiences willbeidentifiedthroughtwomarketanalysis efforts
Pilot Marketing Areas TheCountywillintensifymarketingefforts inspecificpilotmarketingareaswherehigh percentagesoftheEarlyAdopterandRetrofit ReadyaudiencesliveThesepilotmarketareas willbeidentifiedthroughdemographicanaly-sisbaseduponextensivemarketresearchas wellasadetailedanalysisofkeycommunity resourcessuchasstrongcommunitynetworks andcommunity-basedorganizationsinfluen-tiallocalmedialdquocommunityfeelrdquoetc(For moreinformationonthepilotmarketareas approachandengagementstrategiesseepage 23)
Adetailedmarketanalysisisbeingconducted tosupportspecificpiecesoftheoutreachand communicationsstrategybyidentifyingthe locationofaudiencesthatarereceptivetospe-cificoutreachstrategiesThetableonthenext pagedemonstratesthemarketanalysisaudi-ences(scenarios)andmarketstrategiesthat arebeinganalyzedtoidentifythelocationof targetaudiencesThemarketanalysisisbeing conductedusingconsumermarketresearch combinedwithdemographicdataandprop-ertycharacteristicsdatafromtheCountyas-sessorThemainproductfortheanalysiswill beaseparateanalysisreport(expectedAugust 2010)Thisreportwillincludecountywide ldquoheatmapsrdquothatidentifytheareasthathave ahighproportionoftargetpropertiesandare thereforeidealareasfortargetedmarketing ThesemapscanbeusedforEnergyUpgrade Californiaorcontractormarketingstrategies
countywide market capture cascade
Early Adopters
Retrofit ready
Retrofit persuadable
The Next Phase No way
MESSAGES
bull environment bull Fossil Fuels bull Rebates
available
AddITIONAL MESSAGES
bull save money on utility bills
bull Rebates
bull long-term attitudinal change
available AddITIONAL MESSAGES
bull Property values bull comfort bull Health bull ReBates available
20 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
market analysis scenarios
Link between Pilot Market Areas and Parcel-Based Market Analysis
Theaudiencesbeingexaminedinthepilot marketingareasoverlapwithbutarenotthe sameasthoseinthemarketanalysisThe marketanalysisthereforesupportsthepilot marketareaidentificationintwoways
1 Itaddspropertycharacteristicsgleaned fromconsumerresearchtothepilotmarket areaanalysisInthiswayScenarios1and 2(RetrofitReadyandRetrofitPersuadable) providefurtherdetailtothepilotmarket areasandallowforgeneralmarketingto
MARkET ANALySIS SCENARIO
AUdIENCE IdENTIFIEd
dATA ANALyzEd RELATEd MARkETING STRATEGy
1-early adopters retrofit ready
environmentalists ready to take action now with information about rebates
Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Pilot Marketing areas
2-retrofit persuadable
those who need information about types of improvements with emphasis on rebates and cost savings
Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Pilot Marketing areas
3a-Built environment Heating and cooling
Middle-aged to newer homes located inland that are larger and often have high ac heating bills
Property characteristics location of Home
trigger event Marketing utility Bills Pilot area Marketing
3b-Built environment-Heating
smaller older coastal homes that may have comfort issues in winter
Property characteristics location of Home
trigger event Marketing comfort Pilot Marketing areas
4-multi-family Multi-family homeowners Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Multi-family Marketing Pilot Marketing areas
5-Whole neighborhood
tracts of similarly-aged and built homes
Property characteristics location of Home
Whole neighborhood Marketing Pilot Marketing areas
bedirectedtospecificproperties(when appropriate)
2 Italsoidentifiesotherkeyaudiences (Scenarios3a3b4and5)thatcorrelate toothermarketingstrategiesasshown intableaboveTheresultsofthese scenarioswillbeoverlaidontopofthepilot marketareastoidentifyspecificparcels thatmayrespondtospecificmarketing strategiesForexamplewhenoverlaying thepropertiesidentifiedinScenario5 (Whole-NeighborhoodScenario)with thepilotmarketingareastheCounty canidentifypropertieswithinthepilot
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 21
marketingareathatwouldrespondtoa whole-neighborhoodmarketingapproach (bulkpurchasingmodelhomesasingle contractoretc)
Home Energy Makeover Contest HomeEnergyMakeoverContestsgenerate atremendousamountofpublicityandhave beensuccessfullyconductedinmanyother statesandcitiesTheyattractthousandsof entrantsTheconceptistobothgarnerfree publicityandmodelthebehaviortheProgram istryingtoencouragebyshowingtheldquowhole houseapproachrdquohoweasyupgradescanbe howmuchtherebatescanreducetheproject costandhowmuchdifferencetheymaketoa home
Thecontestwillalsodemonstratethemarket acceptanceforthehomeperformanceap-proachtotraditionalsingle-measurecontrac-torsThosecontractorswillseehowmany peopleenterthecontesttowinahomeperfor-mancemakeoverbasedonthewholehouseap-proachAllthosewhoenteredareleadswho maybeinterestedinawholehouseapproach ratherthansinglemeasures
Entrantsmustbeover18liveinLosAnge-lesCountyandownthehomeinwhichthey residethecontestcanbelimitedtothose whoreceiveservicefromSouthernCalifornia EdisonandorSouthernCaliforniaGas(in otherwordsitcanincludeorexcluderesi-dentsservedbymunicipalutilities)Entrants submitinformationabouttheirhomeand theirenergyconsumptionandgivepermis-sionfortheProgramjudgestoviewtheir energyconsumptionduringthepreviousyear Finalistsarebasedonthehighestenergycon-sumptionpersquarefootofamedian-sized homeAbout20finalistsreceivefreeenergy auditsfortheirhomesBasedontheaudit (andadditionalcriteriawewilldetermine)five winninghomesreceiveupto$15000inhome
energyimprovements(whichcanbesupple-mentedbyrebatesandadditionalfunding fromthepropertyowner)Thewinneragrees tomediacoverageanopenhouseandtoblog andorTweetduringandaftertheretrofit Wewillworkwithcontractorstogetsponsor-shipsaswellasdonatedauditsandupgrade elements
OnecontestwillbeheldinFall2010(withfive winners)andasecondcontestheldduring Springof2011(withfivewinners)
Aseparatecontestcouldbeheldformulti-familybuildingswithahigherwinning amount
Countywide Incentives TheProgramwillestablishalistofnon-profit organizationsthatareactiveinpromoting greenhomessustainabilityandotherenvi-ronmentalorcommunityprojectsEveryone intheCountywhocompletesanenergyaudit maydesignateanon-profitorganizationto receiveadonationfromtheProgramInfor-mationabouttheeligibleorganizationswill beonthewebsiteThiswillencouragethose non-profitstopromotetheProgramtotheir membersltNotethisconceptisstillbeing developedgt
Direct Mail Utilitieswillplacemessagesonouterbillen-velopessenttocustomersTheywillalsosend directmailaboutEnergyUpgradetoldquotarget areasrdquobasedonacombinationofenergy usageageofhomeandhouseholdincome DirectmailisscheduledforOctober2010
County Events Utilitieswillbeattendinglargeeventssuch astheSeptember2010and2011LACounty Fairswithawholehousethemethatincludes aminimodelhousethatvisitorscanldquotourrdquo Additionalproposedeventsinclude
22 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
bull LeagueofCitiesAnnualConference workshop(September2010)
bull PomonaHomeImprovementShow (October2010)
bull RemodelingShowattheLACountyFair (October2010)
bull CaliforniaAssociationofRealtors (October2010)
bull BuildingIndustryShow(November2010)
bull SouthernCaliforniaHomeImprovement Show(November2010)
bull NeighborWorksAmerica(February2011)
Online and Social Media TheProgramwillusesocialmediatoinex-pensivelyreachtargetaudiencesbeginningat launchandcontinuingthroughoutthePro-gramwithbriefpausesforrefiningThiswill beaccomplishedthroughoptimizingsearch wordsforsearchenginessuchasGoogleand Bingreachingappropriateindependentblogs aYouTubevideocontest(runbyamediapart-ner)andencouragingblogpostsandTweets byearlyadoptersandtheProgramitself(see DescriptionsofMarketingCommunications ToolsandDescriptionsofTargetAudiencesfor moredetails)Inadditionutilitieswilldevote spaceforinformationandalinkontheirland-ingpages
Countywide Media Buys Withalatesummerfalllaunchdatemedia buysneedtobespreadtoavoidtheelection monthofOctober2010EnergyUpgradeCali-forniainLosAngelescansponsoraweather broadcastmdashliveonlineandmobilemdashaswell as15and30spotsduringotherbroadcasts Wewillalsopurchaseliveandonlinespots withUnivisiontheSpanish-languagestation Radiobuyswillinclude15NationalPublic Radio(KPCCandKCRW)sponsorshipsand variousdrive-timespotsonEnglishandin-
languageAMandFMstationsSocialmedia buysincludeGoogleWordsandblogads(see DescriptionsofMarketingCommunications Tools)Printmediabuyswillbeinmulticul-turalpapers
(Afullmediabuyplanandschedulewillbe availableinAugust)
Countywide Media Relations TheProgramwillcoordinateCountyandutil-ityeffortsandwiththeCaliforniaEnergyCom-missionCaliforniaPublicUtilitiesCommis-sioneffortsMediarelationswillbeinthree phasespre-launchlaunchandmilestones
Pre-Launch (August ndash September)
bull DevelopandprovideaSpeakerrsquosKit withtalkingpoints
bull OrganizeCountymedialaunchevent (potentiallyenlistawillinghomeowner whosehousemightserveasalaunching padformediatours)
bull Respondtorequestsfromcities
bull Providepre-writtenarticlesforcity communitynewsletters
bull Issuepresskitsandpressrelease(in EnglishandSpanish)announcing launch
Launch (October)
bull Mediaeventtoannouncelaunchand HomeEnergyMakeoverContestpoten-tiallyon-siteatahousetodemonstrate upgrades
bull SendoutradioPSAs
Milestones (through 2013)
bull Mediaeventtoannouncewinnersofthe HomeEnergyMakeovercontest(could beconductedon-sitesurprisingthe winners)
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 23
bull ldquoRe-launchrdquopressreleaseandmedia eventinMarch2011forasecondHome EnergyMakeoverContestwithastrong ldquogetreadyforsummerrdquotheme
bull Pressreleasewhen10000thperson receivesarebate
bull Pressreleasewhenotherappropriate milestonesarereachedorthefunding forincentivesisclosetobeingdepleted
2 Pilot Marketing Areas
Itwillbecriticalforthelong-termsuccessof marketingeffortstohaveasignificantnumber ofearlysuccessesthatgeneratepositivepub-licityandword-of-mouthencouragingothers toalsoparticipateTheCountyintendsto stimulatethemarketfortheseearlyadopters byintensifyingmarketingeffortsinspecific pilotmarketingareas(withzipcodebound-aries)wherebasedonextensiveconsumer
countywide marketingoutreach tactics
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
television
ad buys on Broadcast tV univision google tV Paid county
ldquothis old Houserdquo segment on whole house per-formance and rebates while renovating house (filming in la this summer)
earned county
coverage on mainstream and multicultural sta-tions
earned utilities county
ldquoinfomercialrdquo and promos on city tV Placed county
radio
nPR sponsorship Paid county
commute time spots Paid county
coverage on california Report earned utilities county
Psas on mainstream stations Placed utilities county
spots on multicultural stations Paid county
coverage in mainstream and multicultural papers
earned utilities county
sunset Magazine green Home section earned county
ads in la times and Daily news real estate sections
Paid utilities county
ads in multicultural papers Paid county
Direct Mail to targets Paid utilities
24 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
countywide marketingoutreach tactics (conrsquot)
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
social media
Blogs (about homes environment bargains) earned county
Facebook page Placed county
ads targeted to interest in environment and or home improvements (this old House etc)
Paid county
google adWords targeted to interest in environment andor home improvements
Paid county
twitter both by the Program and by individual early adopters (with incentives)
Placed county
youtube early adopters make a video about their experience and results (with incentives)
Placed county
out of Home
Retail kiosks banners flyers links on retail websites
Placed utilities
community organizations
environmental groups and others newsletters websites email blasts
earned county
Home improvement shows booths Paid county
countywide events Paid utilities
Bloggersubject matter events Paid county
researchhighpercentagesoftargetaudiences livePilotmarketingprogramsinthoseareas willtesttheextentcommunity-basedmarket-ingpositivelyimpactsparticipationratesan effortrelatedtoRetrofitRampUpproposal requirements
Demographicdataprovidedbythemarketre-searchwillbeoverlaidwithenergyusagedata AdditionallyGIS-basedmarketanalysisatthe parcellevel(describedabove)willallowfor pinpointingofspecificneighborhoodswithin thepilotareasforoutreachthatcaninclude
door-to-doordirectmailandmarketingby contractorsaspartofaldquowholeneighbor-hoodrdquoapproachFocusingonpilotareaswill alsomeettheRetrofitRampUprequirements oftheDepartmentofEnergyFollowingisa summaryofplannedmarketingandoutreach efforts
Marketresearch-basedcriteriaforchoosing about15pilotareaswillinclude
Clusters of houses built before 1978 Thoselivinginolderhomesespecially
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 25
builtbeforeCaliforniarsquosEnergyEfficiency Standardsaremorelikelytobelievethat theirhousemightbeenergyinefficient andcouldbenefitfromenergyefficiency improvementsmdashandberesponsivetoan energyupgrade
High percentage of homeownership Thesemarketingeffortsfocusonsingle-familyresidentialhomeownerssoareas withhighrentalrateswillnotprovidea largeenoughnumberofeligibleunits
Income over $60000Thosewith incomesunder$60000didnotbelieve theywouldhavesufficientincometomake improvementsevenwithrebatesThey werenotinterestedinloans(manywith lowincomesalsofindthemselvesldquounder-waterrdquoontheirloansandthusnoteligible forsomefinancing)Inadditionwefound somepush-backinfocusgroupsabout ldquogovernmentofferingloanstopeoplewho canrsquotaffordthemafterthesub-primeloan debaclerdquo
Population with a high percentage of college-educatedThosewithacollege degreearemuchmorelikelytoindicate apreferencetomakeenergyefficiency upgradesThosewhohadcompletedsome collegeeducationarealsomorelikelyto indicateapreferenceforenergyefficiency upgradesthanthosewhohadnotcom-pletedany
Population with a high percentage of those age 35-54Thosewithchildren andorexpandingfamiliesaremorelikely tomakeimprovementsthanthoseunder 30(thereareveryfewhomeownersunder 30)andthoseover54
High percentage of households with 4+ peopleHouseholdswithmorepeople havehigherenergybillsResearchshows thatthoseinhomeswithmorethan4
peoplebelieveenergyupgradescanmakea bigimpactontheirbills
High energy usage Thehigherenergy usage(andbills)themorelikelypeopleare tobelievethatenergyefficiencyimprove-mentswillmakeadifferenceintheirbills
Afterlayeringthisinformationtocomeup withalistofpotentialareaswefurthercon-sidered
Clusters of 8000-20000 homesThe areashouldbelargeenoughtoprovidesub-stantialnumbersofeligibleunitsbutsmall enoughtoenablereachingmajorityofresi-dentsandgeneratingword-of-mouth
Has a diverse multicultural commu-nityAreasshouldhavestrongcommunity identitiesandsenseofplacesocommunity membersareproudofwheretheyliveand areencouragedtoimprovetheircommu-nity
Has strong neighborhood and com-munity organizationsWeneedto engagetheseorganizationsaspartnersto helpspreadtheword
Has existing communications such as newsletters blogsWeneedtoreach membersthroughexistingcrediblesources thatresidentsalreadyuseandtrust
ldquoSpill overrdquo opportunities to nearby neighborhoodsSincemarketingand mediaeffortswillpotentiallyalsobeseen byneighborsareasshouldbenearother areasthatmayalsomeettheprimary criteria
Climatetime of yearIndetermining whentorolloutthepilotswecantarget interiorareasinspringandcoastalareasin coldweather
26 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Basedonthemarketresearchcriteriafive pilotmarketingareasarescheduledforintense marketingatlaunchwithanadditional10 areasscheduledforintensemarketingin Spring2011
Thepilotmarketstrategyissupportedby theparcel-basedmarketanalysiswhichwill identifywhichneighborhoodspropertieswill bethebesttotargetusingthisapproachThe marketanalysiswillallowlimitedmarketing fundingtobeleveragedbyfocusingonthose thataremostlikelytorespondtothemarket-ingefforts
Wewillcreatemessagesandvisualsspecifical-lytailoredtoeachtargetcommunityrsquoscultural andlinguisticpreferencesImagessymbols andiconstypographycolorandoverall designcarrydifferentmeaningsindifferent culturesAmessageistypicallymosteffective ifitiscreatedwithcarefulattentiontothese idiosyncrasiesandwithintheldquoculturalmind-setrdquooftherecipientsCreatingheadlinesand taglinesdirectlyinthetargetlanguagerather thansimplytranslatingEnglishadvertising copyensuresthatcopyhasthecorrectrhythm andrhymeandisthereforemuchmore attention-grabbingandmemorable
Community Incentives Energy Champion Program Severalconceptsareunderconsiderationto developacommunityincentivestrategyto promoteparticipationinlinewiththeRetrofit RampUpproposalforinnovativeincentiveap-proachesIncentivesmaybedirectedatenergy auditscommunity-basedorganizationsthose willingtoprovidetestimonialsorblogtweet andpublicrecognitionefforts
Grassroots Community Organizing-Trainedorganizerswillpresentinformationat themeetingsof12-15influentialcommunity leadersandcommunity-basedorganizationsin
eachpilotareacapturetheircontactdataand helpspreadtheinformationtotheirmembers throughtheirnewsletterseventsandwebsites TheProgramwillprovidepre-writtencus-tomizablearticlespresentationsorvideoand websiteldquobuttonsrdquotolinktotheProgramsite Eachgroupwillbeofferedanincentiveofado-nationtotheirorganizationforeverymember whocompletesahomeenergyupgradeThis willencourageCBOvolunteerstoincrease theirmarketingeffortsFriendlyrivalrieswill beencouragedCommunitygroupswillreport namesofparticipantscheckedforjobcomple-tionbytheProgram(underdevelopment)
Community Events One-on-onefacetimewithhomeownersis anidealwaytoengagepotentialparticipants Well-trainedorganizerswillattendfiveevents ineachtargetareaprovidinghomeowners withinformation(pocketsizemultilingual handouts)andcapturingtheircontactinfor-mationforfollowupTheycanhavehome-ownerssignuponthewebsiteonsiteifappro-priateandperhapsevenhavethemprovideus withavideocommitmentldquoItookthePledgerdquo withpermissiontopostonthewebsiteAsa luretotheboothhomeownerswillbeoffered freeitemssuchaslightbulbsmagnetsand reusablecupswithcoldwater(imprintedwith thewebsite)manufacturedintheUS
Print Radio Outdoor and Out-of Home Advertising Localmediawillcoverthelaunchofthe Programandwewillstrategicallyplaceads inlocalmediaandcommunitynewsletters Outdooradvertising(smallstreet-levelbiode-gradableeco-postersbussheltersbussides) strategicallyplacedinhigh-trafficareaswillre-inforcethemessageoveraone-monthperiod
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 27
Pilot Area Example Altadena Altadenawasidentifiedasacommunitythat fitsourtargetcriteriaItisadiverseunincor-poratedcommunitywithsixneighborhoods andanapproximatepopulationof40000The averagehouseholdincomeisabout$94000 Morethan50ofadultresidentsaremarried withchildrenandcommuteanaverageof62 milesperdaytowhite-collarjobsFully40of theadultsinthiscommunityhaveabachelors
degreeorhigherandareinvolvedinmany communityeventsandorganizationsThere areapproximately12000homesinthiscom-munityand10000ofthosehomesareowner-occupiedThegraphicshowshowoutreach wouldbeconcentratedinthisarea
pilot area outreachmarketing tactics
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
radio
Psas on multicultural stations earned county
coverage in local papers earned county
ads in local and multicultural papers Paid county
outdoor
Bus shelters in area Paid county
on-street lampost signage Paid county
Billboards Paid county
social media
Blogs (relevant to the area) earned county
online ads targeted by location Paid county
listserves of neighborhood associations (through cities)
earned county
out of Home
Movie theater ads in area Paid county
lawn signs on homes in area (through contractors)
Paid county
community organizations
community meetings with incentives to organizations for participation
earnedPaid county
community events Paid county Door hangers Paid county
28 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Home Depot
Ace Hardware
Lowersquos
Master Builders
Great Indoors
Home Expo
altadena marketing target
Hoy La Opinioacuten
Pasadena Star News
Altadena Headlines Examiner
Boulevard Magazine
Arroyo Magazine
Pasadena Weekly
Altadena Connection
Sentinel
KLVE
KPCC Pasadena
KCBS
KROQ Pasadena
KAZN Pasadena
Church Bulletins
Summer Concert Series at Farnsworth Park
Fourth of July Fireworks at
Town amp Country Club
Black History Parade
World Music Festival in Pasadena
Haunted House at
Farnsworth Park
Art Break
Rose Parade
National Latino
Congreso
Altadena Neighborhood Association
Altadena Chamber of Commerce
Altadena Arts Council
Altadena Town Council
Faith-based Organizations
Altadena Town amp Country Club
Altadena League of
Women Voters
Altadena Historical Society
Altadena Community Improvement Center
Sheriff Support Group
Santa Coming to Farnsworth
Park
Altadena California
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 29
3 Trigger-Event Marketing
Thissuiteofstrategieswillbeaimedatcaptur-ingenergyefficiencyopportunitiesfrommul-tipletriggereventsParticipantswillmainly comethroughcontractorsrealtorsandretail partnerspropertyownerswillhavealsoseen countywideadvertising
trigger event marketing
4 City and COG Outreach
OutreachbyCitiesandCOGswillbecritical becauseoftheirexistingrelationshipswith localconstituenciesCitieswillbeprovided withamini-marketingplantalkingpoints videocustomizabletemplatesoffactsheets articlesfortheirnewslettersandadvertising
EvENT dESCRIPTION LEAd AGENT COLLATERAL TACTIC
1 Replace on burnout (heating air conditioners water heaters)
Homeowners either in process of replacing an item or have already done some efficiency projects
county bull Retail partners
bull HVac installers
bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors installers
bull Retail displays
2 life-stage changes (growing family)
Homeowners working with a contractor
county bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors bull ads in media for home remodels
3 Home remodel Homeowners working with an architect contractor
county bull contractors bull architects
bull Materials for contractors
bull ads in media for home remodels
3 improvements at time of purchase
Homeowners interested are preparing a new home for move-in (research shows more interest at purchase than at sale)
shared bull contractors bull Realtors bull Home
inspectors bull city permit
offices bull city welcome
kits bull Retail
bull Brochures for cities
bull ads in weekend homes for sale sections
bull Presentations to realtor groups
bull Retail displays
4 improvements at sale
House owners preparing for sale
county bull contractors bull Realtors
bull Materials for contractors
5 complaints high utility bills cold hot house
Homeowners aware of energy-saving improvements but not whole house approach
county bull contractors bull HeRs raters
bull Materials for contractors
30 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
city amp cog outreach
materialssotheycandeveloplow-costout-reachtotheirresidentsCitieswithcommuni-tiestargetedinthePilotAreaMarketingplans willbeinformedandencouragedtodoout-reachtothoseareasAllCitieswillbeencour-agedtodothefollowing
Run stories in print and online news-letters
Send information to neighborhood associations homeowners associa-tions historic preservation districts and other appropriate community organizations
Provide information in City permit-ting offices and City Hall lobbies
Provide information at strategically located Environmental Information Centers and at COG office locations
Provide information in ldquonew home-ownersrdquo welcome kits (either directly from the city or through title compa-
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAId EARNEd
LEAd
pio coordination contact all participating citiesrsquo Pios na county
letters Key messages for letters from mayors etc to constituents Provide to Pios or city managers
na county
Website links Button for cities to place on their website to link to Program site
na county
city tV informational videos and spot promos Placed county
Welcome brochure
Brochure aimed at new homeowners before they move in
na county
articles Pre-written customizable newsletter articles earned county
email blasts Pre-written customizable info spots for communityneighborhood listserves
earned county
niesmortgage brokers)
Run videos and spots on City TV stations
5 Contractor Marketing
Localcontractorsarecriticaltothesuccess ofEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLosAngeles CountyTheyprovidetheservicesthatcom-prisetheProgramandtheycanhelpmarket theProgramtopropertyownersInfactwe estimatethatupto50ofProgrampartici-pantswillentertheProgramthrougharela-tionshipwithacontractor(theymayhavealso seenmediacoverageandadvertisingwhich spurredthemtotakeaction)Thisuniquerole requiresthattheProgramtakeatwo-tiered approachofengagingthecontractormdashmoti-vatinglocalbuildingprofessionalstoundergo thetrainingandcertificationprocessandalso providingthemwiththetoolstoeffectively promotetheprogramtoexistingandnew clientsThefollowingsectiondescribesspecific
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 31
contractor target
United Brotherhood Building Industry Carpenters (Training)
Association ofSouthern California
Email Blast
Contractors Magazines
Contractor
OnlineAds
Big Box Stores
ConractorsLicensing Schools
Realtor Associations
strategiesassociatedwithbothapproaches
Forthepurposesoftheprogramcontractors aredividedintoparticularsegmentsbasedon thetypeofserviceprovidedAninitialanalysis oftheindustryrevealedthefollowinglikely categories
HomePerformance(HP)Contractors
ProductionBuilders
HVACSystemSpecialtyTrades (windowsetc)
RemodelingContractors
SolarContractors
BuildingPerformance
Institute
Southwest Regional
City Permit Association
Offices of Carpenters
Lumber Yards
StateLicensing
Board
American Instituteof Architects
LA Chapter
Outreach to Contractors TheProgramwillcoordinatewithcontractor groupsandotherbuildingprofessionaltrade organizationstoschedulebriefpresentations abouttheProgramandthecontractortraining processForlargerorganizationsthePro-grammayworkdirectlywiththecompanyto arrangeon-sitepresentationsThesepresenta-tionsareinformalinnatureandwillbeusedto promotethecertificationorientationsrequired forcontractorparticipationintheprogram
KeyMessagestoContractors
$30millioninAmericanRecoveryand ReinvestmentActmoneyisworkinginLA Countytocreateconstructionindustryjobs
32 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
EnergyUpgradeCaliforniaOffersbig rebatesandfinancingoptionsfor homeownersdoinghomeenergy efficiencyretrofits
Therewillbemarketingandadvertis-ingstatewideandlocallytopromotethe Program
Therewillbemarketingmaterialsforyou tousetomarketyourbusiness
YoumustbelicensedandBuildingPerfor-manceInstitute-certifiedtobepartofthe Program
HomeownersmustworkwithBPI-certified contractorstheyrsquollchoosefromacontrac-tordatabaseonthewebsite
KeyOutreachMethods
BuildingIndustryAssociationofSouthern California
SouthwestRegionalCouncilofCarpenters
RealtorsAssociation
UnitedBrotherhood-Carpenters(Training Program)
Citypermittingoffice
Lumberyards
AmericanInstituteofArchitectsLA Chapter(toeducatethemaswell)
ArticlesinformationinContractortrade publications(magazinesnewslettersetc) magazines
CarpentersUnionLocals
ContractorsLicenseSchools(andonline)
BigBoxHomeImprovementstores(de-pendingonIOUrelationships)
wwwcslbcagov
Emailblasttoalllicensedcontractors
Contractor Outreach to Consumers Differentopportunitiesexistfordifferent contractorsdependingontheprobablework scopeThefollowingtableoutlinesafew potentialpathwaysforhowcontractorscan participateintheProgram
contractors outreach to customers
CONTRACTOR TyPE
TRIGGER EvENT vALUE TO CONTRACTOR
BUSINESS MOdEL
Home Performance upgrade lead generation scale for high volume
Production Builder new Business Development
create new division
HVac Replacement lead generation Value-add
expand services
specialty trade lead generation Partner with certified gc
Remodeler Remodel life-stage transition
Value-add sub work to HP contractor
solar Renewables lead generation Partner with certified gc
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 33
BPI-certifiedgeneralcontractorswillbelisted ontheEnergyUpgradeconsumerwebsite sendingmanyleadsdirectlytothemThey alsohaveaccesstotheldquoheatmapsrdquotousefor developingtheirownadvertisingcampaigns
Contractorswillbeattendingorientationses-sionstoensuretheythoroughlyunderstand theProgramrebatesfinancingoptionsand canhelpguidetheircustomersthroughthe processTheywillbeprovidedwithContractor MarketingKitstoensuretheyhaveathandthe keymessagesthathavebeenresonatingwith homeownersandhaveinformationtogive topotentialcustomerswhomightormight nothavebeentothewebsiteKitscanbesent directlytocontractorsordistributedatthe orientationsessionsKitswillcontain
Talkingpoints
DVDofthevideo
Printedfactsheetstoleavewithcustomers (withroomfortheircontactinfo)more canbeordered
Printedldquoslimjimrdquoprogrambrochure
Printedlengthierbrochuresaboutthe wholehouseapproach(brandedby Scientific American Magazine)
CDwithldquobuttonrdquotolinktoEnergyUpgrade fromtheirownwebsitesandPDFsofsite signageforprinting
Contractorswillhaveaccesstoaseparatesec-tionofthewebsitewheretheywillfindinfor-mationaboutProgrameventspromotionsand advertisinganon-demandprintsectionfor additionalcopiesofbrochuresanychanges totheProgramandasingletradecontractor databaseforassemblingteamsforcustomers whowouldlikesolarpanelsornewwindows forexample
6 Realtor Marketing
Giventhatthenationalaveragelengthofhome ownershipisroughlysixyearsrealestate agentswillbeincontactandadvisingalarge percentageofthenewandexistinghomeown-ersthatEnergyUpgradeistargetingforhome energyretrofitsThishighlevelofinfluence makesrealtorsoneofthelargestpartner groups
Realestateagentswillbeengagedonthree levels
1) Outreach
2) Training
3) Support
Outreach Outreachwillbeconductedthroughavariety ofvenuesthatwillincludeCaliforniaAssocia-tionofRealtorsreg(CAR)regionalconferences heldinSouthernCaliforniapartnershipwith themanyrealtorassociationslocatedinLos AngelesCountyanddirectvisitstorealestate agentsrsquoofficesforshortpresentationsPart-nershipswiththe15-20localRealtorsAsso-ciationswillbeachievedthroughoneormore RealtorAdvisoryBoardswhichincludethe GovernmentAffairsDirectorsfromeachof theseorganizationsAselectfewoftheseor-ganizationswillbeusedaspilotsfortargeted outreachduringearlystagesoftheProgram Oncethestrategyhasbeentestedandrevised itwillberolledouttoalloftheRealtorsAs-sociationsinLosAngelesCounty
ThefallCARRealtorExpowillbethemain kickoffeventforoutreachtoindividualreal-torsandrealtorofficesEnergyUpgradeplans tohavea30-minutetalkembeddedinthe SpeakersProgramandaboothsetuponthe ExpofloortoinformrealtorsaboutthePro-gramavailabletrainingsandthesupport
34 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
toolsthathavebeendevelopedThisevent willreachthemajorityofrealtorsintheLos Angelesareabutwillnotincludethelarge populationofrealestateagentsthatarenot membersofCARToreachthispopulation emailsocialmediaandtargetedofficevisits willbeconducted
Training EnergyUpgradewillprovidetrainingforreal estateagentsintwoformsTherealestate agenttrainingmodulecurrentlyunderdevel-opmentbyBuildItGreenwillbeusedasthe maintrainingforumThistrainingmodule isexpectedtotaketwofulldaystocomplete andwillcoverpropertyassessedcleanenergy financingenergyefficientmortgagesrebate programsbuildingscienceenergyefficiency andgreenbuildingpracticesappropriateto California
Additionalweb-basedtrainingwillbeprovided tointroducerealestateagentstotheProgram andtodrivethemtogetin-persontraining throughtheBuildItGreentrainingmodule
Support Cultivatingandclosingtoolswillbegener-atedtoassistrealtorsinusingEnergyUpgrade Californiatradetoexpandtheirbusinesswhile drivinghigherlevelsofprogramparticipation RealtorKitswillbesimilartotheContractor Kitsandtheywillhaveaccesstothedatabase ofgeneralandsingletradecontractors
7 Retail Partner Marketing
Utilitieswillpartnerwithretailoutletsthat canincludeBestBuyCostcoSearsLowes andHomeDepotParticipatingretailoutlets willbeprovided
Information centersEnd-displays detailingtheEnergyUpgradeProgram withadiagramillustratingthehouseas asystemconcept(multiplecomponents thatacttogethertomaximizesavings)and actionscustomerscantaketocapturethose savingsandrebatesIn-storecustomer educationcanshiftcustomerperception ofenergyupgradesandmotivatethem toparticipateinmultipleenergy-efficient measuresinsteadofjustoneAnadditional benefitfortheretailerisassociationwith thestatewideprogram
Program collateral One-sheet takeawaysforcustomerstoreference andshare
Video Theshortvideoscanbeplayed onaloop
Table tent cardsPlacedthroughout storesectionsthatcorrelatewiththe EnergyUpgradeProgram(CFLsappli-ancesceilingfansinsulationwindows) Againthiswillencouragecustomersto performmultipleenergyupgradesinstead ofjustoneCross-promotionhelpseducate customersandencourageparticipationin multiplemeasuresthusincreasingproduct purchase
Window clings ldquoOfficialEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaInformationCenterrdquotagline bannersplacedatstorefrontThiswillpo-sitiontheretailerasanactiveparticipantin thestatewideprogramandbuildsretailer credibilityasagreenadvocate
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 35
8 Multi-Family Outreach
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesandsched-ulesarestillinplanningphasesandbeing developedthroughastatewideconsortium
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesarebeing
developed
36 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
evaluation
Theprimarygoalsofthemarketingplanareto buildpositiveawarenessoftheEnergyUp-gradeCaliforniaProgramandcreateasus-tainedmarketforawholehouseapproach(see page8)Objectivesarespecifictothoseachiev-ingthosegoalsLosAngelesCountyresidents willseemultipleiterationsofmediacoverage paidadvertisingin-storedisplayscontractor marketingandin-personpresentations(inthe pilotmarketingareas)Forexamplearesi-dentinAltadenamightseethemoreintensive marketingandoutreacheffortsThatmayspur themtoactionmdashbutiftheyalreadyhadplans toremodelorhadpreviouslyworkedwitha contractortheymightcalltheircontractorand thusactuallycometotheprogramthrough thecontractorThereforeitwillnotbeeasy todeterminepreciselywhathasmotivated eachpersontoparticipateinEnergyUpgrade Objectivestomeetinclude
About35-45ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughthemarket-ingandoutreacheffortsTomonitorwe willincludeashortsurveyaspartofthe rebateapplicationprocessaskingpartici-pantswhatdrewthemtothewebsiteand totheProgramThewebsitecanmonitor clickthroughstocontractorssitesfrom theProgramwebsiteprovidinganindica-tionofpotentialparticpantswhocameto thesitebeforehavingacontractorOnce apropertyownerinputsanaddressthe websitewillbeabletospecificallymonitor ifthatparticipantasksformultiple estimatesfromcontractorsanotherindica-
toroffindingacontractorthroughthesite
About45-50ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughcontractors Wewillaskcontractorstoprovideinfor-mationabouttheirmarketingeffortsand successratesTheywillbeabletoidentify participantsgainedthroughtheirownmar-ketingefforts
300000uniquehitsonthewebsitewhich willbemonitoredbythewebsiteFurther thewebsitewillanalyzewherevisitors camefrom(egaclickthroughfroman onlineadfromacontractorrsquoswebsite orduringthespecifictimeframeofanad campaign)
Virtualandactualldquoword-of-mouthrdquore-portedbymonitoringsocialmedia
Communicationskitsandmarketingkits availablebothphysicallyandthroughan on-demandprintsitemonitoredbyclient
Informationalmaterialsforcitiesmoni-toredbySouthBayCitiesCouncilofGov-ernments
50000000mediaadvertisingin-person impressionsmonitoredbybroadcast printonlinestatisticsandreportsfrom grassrootsmarketingefforts
Consolidatedinformationinone-stop-shop approachwillbedeliveredthroughthe website
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 37
description of marketing communication tools
PlacedEarned Social Media ThePlancallsforsocialmediatopushinfor-mationtoourtargetaudiencesincreaseper-ceptionsoftheProgramascommunity-based reachthosewhowillhelpgenerateadditional buzzindependentmarketingeffortsaboutthe Programandprovideamechanismforlisten-ingtowhatpeoplearesayingaboutEnergy Upgrademdashandrespondingwhennecessary
Online Paid Advertising Onlineadvertisingcampaignscanbeverycost-effectiveandhighlytargetedbydemographics areasofinterestandgeographicsAdsappear ontopic-relatedblogsonsearchenginepages (egGoogle)andoncontentpages(egwhen yousearchforinformationaboutarelated topicandselectawebsitetoview)
Types of Users Targetadsbyage genderincomelanguagepreferencezip codeorhotspots
Types of SearchesTargetadsbytypeof searchconductedbasedonkeywords
Adsareusuallysoldperldquoclickrdquomdashtheviewer hasclickedontheadandbeensenttothe EnergyUpgradeCAwebsiteWewillmake fourtypesofonlineadpurchases
1 Googleadsthatplaceadsbothonits searchpagesandonhundredsofwebsites targetedbytheabove
2 Networksthattargetspecificsitesand blogsthatmatchourtargetaudiences(eg HiveBlogsLosAngelesthatoffers350LA blogstochoosefrom)
3 Directlythroughselectpublishers(eg CurbedLAGreenGirlLAlocalpapers online)
4 Onlineeditionsoflocalpapersinpilot marketingareas
Twitter Twitterusersaremostlycollegegraduates haveattendedgraduateschoolandlivein householdsmakingover$50000ayear (nationally)Usersarethreetimesmorelikely tofollowbrandsandcompaniesonTwitter thanotherusersofsocialnetworkswith40 specificallyusingTwittertolearnaboutand provideopinionsonbrands
Twittercanpushthelatestdevelopmentsand newstopeoplewhohaveexpressedaninter-estedintheProgram(theymustsignupto receiveourTweetsorhavesearchedfortag wordsincludedinourTweets)Itrsquosalsoan easywayforthosewhofollowEnergyUpgrade onTwittertoshareTweetswiththeirfriends
38 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
therebygeneratingbuzzandhelpingmarket theProgramTwittercanshareProgram newsinrealtimedrivepeopletothewebsite facilitateearlyadoptersbuzzmakersreach youngerhomeownersandincreasemarketing effortsatalowcostTwittercanbeeffectively usedtocommunicatetheProgramandits milestonesinavarietyofways
bull Tweetaboutpressreleasesmajoran-nouncementsnewitemsonwebsiteor blogsmediastoriesandarticlesespecially aboutthosethataretimesensitiveandtell ouraudiencewhatishappeningwiththe Programandencouragesthemtopartici-pateorfindoutmore
bull PutaTweeticononthemainwebsiteal-lowingvisitorstothewebsitetobeginto followEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLos AngelesCountyonTwitterwithoneclick
bull FollowotherswhoTweetaboutthe ProgramaswellasthosewhoTweetabout relatedtopicsThiswillprovideanop-portunitytodirectlyrespondtoaperson whohasaquestionabouttheProgramand pointthemtoalinktothewebsite
Tweet Examples
bull ldquo100LAhomeownershavesigned upfortheProgramatwwwEnergyUpgra-deCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoReadaboutLArsquosnewenergyefficiency rebateProgramintheLAtimes httpwwwlatimesgreenblogcomrdquo
bull ldquoWanttosaveonyourutilitybills CheckoutwwwEnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoSignupfortheHomeEnergyUpgrade contestforachancetowinafree homeenergyefficiencyretrofitat EnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
Cost and Budget
SettingupaTwitteraccountisfreeasisusing anapplicationsuchasTweetDeckthathelps followotherswhoareTweetingaboutEnergy UpgradeCaliforniaTheonlysignificantcostis stafftimewhichcanbelimitedtoafewhours aweek
Facebook Facebookisalow-costandeasywayofboth marketingtheProgramandsupportingan onlinecommunityofpeopleinterestedinthe ProgramItwillreachaudienceswhoaremore likelytospendtimeonFacebookversusaweb-siteandwhomayprefertoreceiveshortreal timeProgramnewsviaFacebookratherthan emailsorwebsitesItisidealforpostinglinks tovideosandphotosrelatedtotheprojectIt complementsthewebsiteaplacewherefans oftheProgramcanfindinformationaskques-tionsandshareideasandexcitementThese fanswillgeneratebuzzbytellingtheirfriends abouttheProgramthroughFacebook
AFacebookpagewillcontaininformation abouttheProgramalinktothewebsite Programnewsvideosphotographsandother informationWhenthepageisupdatedfans willreceivelinksinemailalertingthemtothe newposts
Facebookisalsoidealforsharingthestoryof anearlyadopter(whowillalsoTweet)through updatesphotographsandvideosItlends itselfmuchmorenaturallytothispeople-fo-cusedapproachthanawebsitewhichismore formal
Additionalpoints
bull EncourageandperhapsrewardProgram adopterstosharetheirexperiencesask questionsetc
bull Setupcontrolstodeterminewhatcontent Fanscanposttothewall
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 39
bull Monitorupdatestothewallandtakedown Therearemanyexistingblogsthatcanbeused inappropriatecontent
bull Respondtoissuesquestionsandtakepart intheconversation
bull Adesignatedstaffpersonshouldmonitor thesiteitisalsoidealifseveralstaff memberspostcontentandifpartnersare activeparticipantsalthoughtheoverall strategyshouldbecentralized
Facebook Examples
Herearesomeexamplesofthetypesofpost-ingsforaFacebookpage
bull ldquoTheLATimesdescribesEnergyUpgrade CAasaperfectopportunitytobegreenand savemoneymdashintheFridaymoneysectionrdquo
bull ldquoWhydidyoudecidetoparticipatein EnergyUpgradeCATellushowyour energyefficiencyretrofitisgoingandwersquoll enteryouforachancetowina$50Home Depotgiftcardrdquo
bull ldquoWonderingwhetherEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaisrightforyouCheckoutthis videooftheSmithsinstallingnewinsula-tionandwindows--andreceivinga$3500 rebaterdquo
Cost and Budget
Relativelyfewdirectcostsstafftimewill fluctuateduringbusycalmperiodswithhigh activityatthebeginningastheProgramkicks offandafanbaseisestablishedOngoingstaff timeneededtokeeppagefreshwith3-4posts weekdailymaintenancerequiredtomonitor postingsfromfans
Blogs Blogsreachtargetaudienceswhoarealready interestedinrelatedtopicsandwhohavehigh potentialtoparticipateintheProgram
tofurthermarketingefforts
bull Identifybloggerswhowilllikelywrite positivelyabouttheProgramSendpress releasefactsheetsandPrograminforma-tiontobloggerswhowriteabouttopics suchastheenvironmentenergyefficiency homeimprovementremodelingreal estatehousingbargainssavingmoneyas wellastocompaniesthatsellsolarpanels contractorsetc
bull Bloggersarelookingfortopicalstoriesto writeaboutandwewillmaketheirnext blogposteasyBecauseEnergyUpgradeis ahighrewardoptionalProgrambloggers willwritefavorablyandhelptellthestory inafriendlyaccessibleandeasy-to-under-standway(althoughwedonrsquothavecontrol overwhattheywrite)Peoplewhoaredis-satisfiedwillwritenegativecommentsbut wewillmonitorblogsandactivelycorrect misperceptions
bull Tomonitorwhatothersarewritingabout EnergyUpgradeontheirblogswewilluse freeprogramslikeTechnoratiorGoogle Readertoscanallblogsandwebsitesthat mentiontheProgram
Blogs to Reach
Green Girl LA Blog (httpgreenlagirlcom)Thisindependent blogisfocusedonenvironmentalhap-peningsinLosAngelesArecentpostwas aboutagreennetworkingeventfeaturing TheBuildingDoctorspresentingwaysto makeyourhousemoreenergyefficient PreviouslyareporterbloggerfortheLA Timesthewriterisactiveandcoversa widevarietyofenvironmentalgreentopics happeninginLosAngeles
40 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
LA Times HomeBlog (wwwlatimesblogslatimescomhome_
blog)focusesontopicsrelatedtohouses andhashadseveralrecentpostsabout greenremodelingOneadvantageofa majornewspaperisthatthereportingis accurateandthereadershipislargerThey recentlywroteaboutauditionsforThisOld HousewhichisfeaturingaLosAngeles areahouseforasummerremodel
Bargain Babe (wwwbargainbabelatownluxecom) featuresLosAngelesbargainsYoucan searchforbargainsbyareaofLA(West-sideetc)orbytopicThisbloggerrecently wroteaboutappliancerebates
LA Times Green Remodeling (wwwlatimesblogslatimescompar-donourdustgreen_remodeling)writes aboutalltopicsrelatedtoremodelingin SouthernCaliforniawithseveralrecent postsongreentopicsArecentpostre-viewedthedifferentadvantagesofinstall-ingvarioustanklesswaterheatersPitch thatthebloggerfollowahomeenergy retrofitandhelptelltheirstoryaswellas announcebasicPrograminformation
LA Times Personal Finance wwwlatimescombusinesspersonal-finance
Home Remodeling wwwkathysremodelingblogcom
Energy Efficiency wwwlowimpactlivingcomblog
LA CreekFreak
LA Observed
LAist
YouTube PostallvideosrelatedtotheprojectonYou-TubeWewillworkwithourmediapartners todevelopacontestforearlyadopterstofilm theirexperienceandletwebsitevisitorsvote onthebestWinnerreceivesaprizetobe determined
ListServes Listservesreachgroupsofpeoplewhoare interestedinasimilartopicorwholiveina specificneighborhoodSendemailblaststo listservessuchasneighborhoodassociations homeremodelersandenvironmentalgroups withanenergyfocusCitystaffhasinforma-tionaddressesofneighborhoodandhom-eownerassociationslists
Multimedia for Presentations Website Developanengaginginformative6-8minute videofocusingoncontractorsandhomeown-ersthatcanbeusedduringpresentationsand presentedonCityTVThevideowillbeshot bothinEnglishandinSpanishandcover
bull Howtherebatesworktocreateasenseof urgencyaboutdoingtheenergyupgrades soonerratherputtingitofftotakeadvan-tageoftherebates
bull Theldquosealthenenhancerdquowholehouse concept
bull WhattheProgramelementsactuallylook likeandhowtheyareinstalledtoover-comebarrierssuchasthatonemighthave tomoveoutofthehouseortheenergy upgradesareldquouglyrdquo
bull Workingwithacontractorwhatbeing licensedandcertifiedmeansgettingmul-tiplebids
bull Financingoptions
bull Doingthepaperwork
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 41
Fromthatvideodevelop
bull Threeindividual2-minutevideosforuse onlineeachfocusingonaspecifictopicmdash
againinbothEnglishandSpanish
bull A15anda30spoteachinEnglishand SpanishforuseonCityTVandbroadcast
stations
Print Collateral Customizable fact sheetsInforma-tionsheets(onepagefrontandback)in EnglishSpanishandChinesethatcanalso bepostedonthewebsiteasPDFs
Program brochureMorehighlyde-signedforplacementinmunicipaloffices andevents
Customizable Brochure Brandedwith SunsetMagazineorNationalGeographic forcontractorsandrealtorstohandto customers
SignageBannersforeventsandstreet lamppostspostersformunicipaloffices andsmalleventsandpotentiallysignage forbussidestransitshelters
Speakers kits Countyandcitystaffwillreceivekitstoensure everyoneisfamiliarwithkeymessagesandhas informationtogivetoconstituentsThesecan besentdirectlytocitiesordistributedthrough COGsKitswillcontain
bull Talkingpoints
bull DVDofthevideo
bull PPTpresentationforpublicmeetings
bull Printedbrochuresforpermitofficesto includewithwelcomepacketsfornewho-meowners
bull Articlesandphotostheycanrunintheir onlineorprintedcitynewsletters
bull CDwithtemplatesforquickprintingand websitebuttontolinkfromtheirwebsiteto EnergyUpgradeCalifornia
42 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
description of key messages
Thefollowingmessageshadthehighestreso-nanceinpollingandfocusgroupsbothinLos AngelesCountyandtheBayArea
Primary Motivators Thefollowingtwomessagesaboutsaving moneyarekeytomotivatingalltargetaudi-encesTheyshouldbepartofeverypieceof advertisingorcollateralproduced
1 RebatesHomeownerswhomakeenergy-savinghomeimprovementscanqualifyfor a$1500federaltaxcreditandrebatesof upto$3500dependingonhowmuchthey reduceenergyconsumptionAdditional motivatorTaxcreditsonlyavailable untilDecember312010(Rebatesare preferredovertaxcreditsbecauseitrsquoscash nowratherthanlateranddependingon incomenoteveryonecangetthecredit)
2 Save on Utility Bills Upgradingahome touselessenergyandwatercanreduce utilitybillsby20ormoremdashsavingyou moneyovertime
Secondary Motivators Thefollowingmessagesarethenlayeredde-pendingonwhichaudienceisbeingtargeted
Help the EnvironmentClimate Change Weallneedtodoourparttohelp theenvironmentandslowclimatechange Makingourhomesmoregreenandenergy efficientisanimportantstepweshouldall take
Reduce Foreign OilFossil FuelsAt atimewhenwearetryingtoreduceour dependenceonforeignoilandotherfossil fuelsupgradingtheenergyefficiencyof ourhomesisanimportantstepwecanall take(Infocusgroupstheconceptofenergy independencefurtherresonatedasinde-pendencefromutilitycompaniesgetting offthegrid)
Certified Contractors Save Money Speciallytrainedandcertifiedcontractors knowhowtofindimprovementsthatthe averagehomeownerwouldnotTheiras-sessmentswillensurethatyoufindmore energysavingsandthereforesavemore moneyonyourutilitybillsAdditional motivatorContractorsarecertifiedbythe BuildingPerformanceInstituteworking withtheDepartmentofEnergyandEnvi-ronmentalProtectionAgency
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 43
Increase Property ValuesHomesthat areenergy-efficientandenvironmentally friendlyaremoreappealingtohomebuyers Theseupgradescanincreaseyourproperty value
ComfortUpgradingyourhomersquosenergy efficiencymdashinparticularupgradinginsula-tionmdashcanmakeitamorecomfortableplace toliveNomoredraftycoldroomsinthe winterorhotstuffyroomsinthesummer
Indoor Air QualityInsulationand ventilationcanreduceallergyandasthma-causingmoldandmildewimproving indoorairqualityespeciallyforinfantsand thosewithhealthconditions
Messengers Homeownersprefertoreceiveinformation fromimpartialtrustedsourcesThesemes-sengersreceivedthehighestscoresinpolling
bull Neighborsandotherhomeowners
bull Contractorthehomeownerisalready workingwithorreferredbyfriendneigh-bor
bull Architectsdesignprofessionals
bull Gasandelectricutilities
bull Environmentalorganizations
bull Homeimprovementstorestaff(when equippedwithflyers)
44 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 45
- Cover
- Table of Contents13
- Summary Overview13
- Introduction13
- Programs Goals and Objectives13
- Marketing and Outreach Program Goals and Structure13
- Strategy13
- Evaluation13
- Description of Marketing Communication Tools13
- Description of Key Messages13
-
Proposed Implem
entation Plan
10 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
introduction
The Statewide Challenge Californialegislation(AB32)requiresGreen HouseGas(GHG)emissionreductionto1990 levelsby2020andfurtherreductionsinGHG emissionsto80percentbelow1990levelsby 2050Theseprovisionshavebeenincorpo-ratedintothePublicUtilitiesCommissionrsquos (CPUC)2009EnergyEfficiencyStrategic Planwhichtargetsanaverage40reduction inpurchasedenergyfortheexistingbuilding stockby2020andan80reductionby2050
TheCPUCrsquosCaliforniaEnergyEfficiency StrategicPlansetsthefollowinggoalstobe reachedby2020
25ofexistinghomesexhibita70 decreaseinpurchasedenergyfrom2008 levels
75ofexistinghomesexhibita30 decreaseinpurchasedenergyfrom2008 levels
100ofexistingmulti-familyhomes exhibita40decreaseinpurchasedenergy from2008levels
TheCPUCrsquosstatewidegoalistoretrofit 130000housingunitsby2010
Additionallegislation(AB758)requiredthe CaliforniaEnergyCommission(CEC)tode-velopandimplementacomprehensiveenergy efficiencyprogramforexistingresidentialand nonresidentialbuildingstoreducetheirGHG emissionsinkeepingwithclimatechange mitigationEnergy Upgrade Californiais apartnershipbetweentheCECandtheCPUC topromoteenergyefficiencyimprovements tohomesandcommercialbuildingsfunded inpartthroughtheAmericanRecoveryand ReinvestmentAct
Market Opportunity AlongwithothercitiesacrossthestateLos AngelesCountywillalsoberequiredtocreate aClimateActionPlanandEnergyUpgrade CaliforniainLosAngelesCountywillbea centralGHGemissionreductionimplementa-tionstrategyEnergy Upgrade California in Los Angeles Countyisanallianceamong theCountyofLosAngelestheCitieswithin theCountySouthernCaliforniaEdison SouthernCaliforniaGasCompanyandthe municipallyownedutilitiesintheCountyThe
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 11
goalisaldquoone-stopshoprdquoforpropertyowners Apropertyownerinvestmentof$5000 toeasilyfindclearconsolidatedinformation abouttheProgramelementscertifiedcon-tractorsandalltherebatesincentivesand financingoptionsavailable
Mostoftheapproximately34millionhous-ingunitsinLosAngelesCountywerebuilt beforestateenergyefficiencystandards(Title 24)wereimplementedbeginninginthe early1980sMorerecentvintageresidential buildingsalsooffergreatpotentialforenergy savingsduetodeficienciesinconstruction specificationandfieldworkquality
Energyefficiencymeasuresincludeimprove-mentstoinsulationspaceheatingandair conditioningwaterheatinglightingwin-dowsanddoorssolarhotwatersystemsand otherfixeditems
to$15000forsingle-familybuildingtoimple-mentabuildingenergyretrofitcanoften achieveanaverageof20ormoreenergy savingsreduceutilitybillsimprovebuild-ingcomfortenhanceindoorairqualityand increasebuildingvalue
TheCountyanditspartnersarecollaborat-ingonawebsitecommunityoutreachand countywideadvertisingtoleverageefforts andfundingandtomaximizeparticipationin theProgrammdashwithagoalofpropertyowners completing30000energyefficiencyupgrades bysummer2013TheldquoMediaandAdvertis-ingFlightsrdquomatrixprovidesanoverviewof scheduleandtiming
12 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
programs goals and objectives
ThegoalsofEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLA Countyaretopromotejobcreationandreduce aggregategreenhousegasemissionsthrough energyandresource-savingretrofitsofexisting buildingstockthroughthreefundingsources
1 AmericanReinvestmentandRecoveryAct EnergyEfficiencyandConservationBlock Grant(EECBG)
2 USDepartmentofEnergyRetrofitRamp Up(RRU)funding
3 CaliforniaEnergyCommission Discretionarygrant
retrofit objectives by funding source
Objectivesthusfocusonspecifictargetnum-bersforcompletedretrofits
bull Retrofitabout27000single-familyhomes withanaverage20energyreduction Countywide(1605850single-familyresi-dentialhomesinLACounty)plus2600 multi-familyhomes
bull Reduceannualpurchasedenergycon-sumptioninthosehomesbyanaggregate 300billionBTUsperyearandassociated energycostsby$4millionperyear
bull Create3200jobsand
bull ReducetheCountyrsquosannualgreenhouse gasemissionsattributabletoenergycon-sumptioninitsexistingbuildingstockby 36287metrictonsCO2e
EECBG RRU CEC TOTAL
single-family Homes 15000 4200 8060 27260
multi-family Homes 0 1400 1240 2640
29900
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 13
marketing and outreach program goals and structure
1 Goals MarketingandoutreachforEnergyUpgrade CaliforniainLACountywillengageproperty ownersthrougheffectivestrategiesprovide clearandcompellinginformationaboutthe benefitsofanenergyefficiencyretrofitlist therebatesandtaxcreditsavailable(through thisProgramandthroughutilityprograms) explainfinancingoptionslistcertifiedcon-tractorsanddescribetheProgramprocessand optionsThemarketingandoutreachplanhas fivemajorgoals
1 Build broad positive awareness of the Program
2 Educate property owners to overcome barriers to participation
3 Target marketing efforts to drive participation by key audiences identified in surveys
4 Align and coordinate other marketing efforts by utilities and other partners
5 Create a sustained market for a whole-house performance approach leading to long-term behavioral change
2 Objectives ThePlanisdesignedtoachievethesemajor objectives
1 Program goals met
Marketing35-40ofProgrampar-ticipantsentertheProgramasaresultof marketingandoutreachefforts
Contractors45-50ofProgrampar-ticipantsentertheProgramasaresultof marketingbycontractors(usingmes-sagingandmaterialsdevelopedthrough thisPlan)
Partners10-15ofProgrampar-ticipantsentertheProgramasaresult ofmarketingbyothermethodssuch asrealtorsretailpartnersarchitects designersandCityefforts(usingmes-sagingandmaterialsdevelopedthrough thisPlan)
2 300000 unique hits on a robust website (or calls to the call center)
3 Virtual ldquoword-of-mouthrdquo buzz created through social media resulting in click throughs to the website
14 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
4 Communications kits available for county COG cities community leaders and environmental groups
5 Marketing kits available for partners (contractors realtors)
6 Informational materials placed with retailers cities county offices
7 50000000 mediaadvertisingin-person impressions through
Mainstreammedia(televisionradio print)storiesplaced
Multiculturalmedia(televisionradio print)storiesplaced
RadioTVPSAsplaced
CityTVprogramsplaced
PaidradioTVpromosads
Paidprintads
Communitymeetings
Targeteddirectmail
rebate structure
8 Consolidated information in a ldquoone-stop shoprdquo approach
3 Incentives and Financing Marketresearchshowsthatrebatesarepri-marymotivatorsforhomeownerstoundertake anenergyupgradeRebateswillbeavailable forconsumersfromvarioussourcesCur-rentlyutilityrebatesoffer$1000forthe BasicPathandupto$3500forthosereach-ing30energysavingsThefederalHome Starprogramisstillpendingmdashitcouldoffer homeownersupto$3000forelementsinthe BasicPath$3000forthosereaching20 energysavingsandupto$13000forthose reaching45energysavingsIncentivesfrom theCountyarealsostillpending(SeeRebate Structuretable)
Financingoptionsarebeinganalyzedandwill beavailableatlaunch
Allrebatesandfinancingwillbecoordinated onthewebsitewiththeultimategoalofprop-ertyownersfillingoutoneformandpopulat-ingallotherrequiredforms
ELEMENT COUNTy FUNdEd
FEd TAx CREdIT HOME STAR UTILITIES
Basic path tBD 30 of eligible $1000
advanced path tBD improvements up to $1500 (expires Dec 31) $2500 for 20
+$500 for 5 +$500 for 5
silver star tBD
gold star tBD
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 15
4 Coordination Between Local Government and Utilities Consumerswillbebestservedbyaunified brandandconsumermarketingcampaign consistentmessagingandastatewidewebsite portalwithonewebsiteaddressTheCounty ofLosAngelesSouthernCaliforniaEdison andSouthernCaliforniaGasCompanyhave beenworkingtogethertodevelopastrong coordinatedprogramInfacttheLosAngeles CountyProgramhasbecomeamodelforthe state
Coordinationwillalsoleverageresourcesand increasethemarketingeffectivenessoflocal governmentsandthelocalutilitiesAllma-terialswillbedevelopedcollaborativelyand costswillbesharedaccordingtothedivision ofresponsibilityThefollowingchartoutlines thekeydeliverablesandresponsibilities(next page)
16 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
marketingoutreach coordination
PROGRAM ELEMENT LEAd COMMENTS
COUNTy UTILITIES jOINT
market research X telephone surveys focus groups and market analysis
marketing communications plan X this document will direct all marketing
activities
program namelogo X
cec will own the brand and has final vote on statewide name tagline can be customized for la county
Website portal X
statewide portal linked to utility pages or sitesndashmain info and materials on this one site
advertising campaign principles development X
marketing templates X
Print and online available for cities to customize as needed
service territory media Buys (regional) X Mainstream and ethnic media buys
local media Buys (la county) X Both mainstream and ethnic media in
hotspots and la county
call center X one phone number managed by utilities county to help produce script
retail outlet materials X May include kiosks short videos
contractor marketing toolkit X tBD county will develop marketing materials
for contractors
direct mail (eg bill inserts other mailers) X
county assessor materials X
Materials included in water bills property tax bills
community-Based outreach X targeted grassroots marketing
(includes local events)
community events X X utilities attend countywide events county attends local events
public relations X X
utilities take lead for service territory county for local or supervisor-initiated PR
Home energy makeover contest X
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 17
strategy
TheProgramwilluseamulti-layeredmulti-facetedmarketingandoutreachstrategythat targetsaudiencesbyidentifyingwhotheyare wheretheyliveandtheeventsgoingonin theirlivesMarketingeffortsinclude
1 Countywide Marketing (and Media Relations)
2 Pilot Area Marketing
3 Trigger-Event Marketing
4 City Outreach
5 Contractor Marketing
6 Realtor Marketing
7 Retail Partner Marketing
8 Multi-Family Marketing
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing
1 Countywide Marketing
Thestrategyisentirelyresearch-drivenfocus-ingonthosepropertyownersmostlikelyto undertakeahomeenergyupgradeAnover-archinglayerofmainstreammarketingand advertisingwillbeaimedatthreeaudiences
1 Early AdoptersThosewhoarestrong environmentalistsalreadypoisedtoldquodo therightthingrdquofortheenvironmentand whojustneedtohearaboutaprogramand rebates
2 ldquoRetrofit-ReadyrdquoThosewhoarealready planninghomeimprovementsandjust needalittlemoreinformationaboutwhat stepstotaketosavemoneyandldquodothe rightthingrdquofortheenvironment
3 ldquoRetrofit-Persuadablerdquo Thosewho arethinkingabouttheirutilitybills homecomforttheenvironmentorour dependenceonfossilfuelsforeignoil (especiallyinlightoftherecentGulfoil spill)andwhoneedinformationabout whattypesofimprovementstheycould makeandwhatstepstotaketosave energysavemoneyandreducefossilfuel consumption
Outreachwillbeaimedattargetaudiences throughbothmainstreamandmulticultural mediaTheadvertisingwillalsospillover ontoaudiencesinspecificgeographicareas providingadditionalimpressionstothose whoarealsotargetedinthePilotMarketing AreasThiswillalsoaddtothecitiesrsquoefforts topromotetheProgramastheirresidents willalsoseethecountywidemarketingefforts
18 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Marketingwillfocusoneachtargetaudience providingimpressionsclosetotheirhomeand reachingouttomoremassaudiencesCounty-widemarketingandoutreachwillinclude tacticsinthetablebelow
The One-Stop Shop Allinformationwillbeconsolidatedina one-stopshopapproacheitherinaldquobrick andmortarrdquolocationthroughthewebsiteor callcenteroratcommunityeventsProperty ownerswillhaveeasyaccesstoinformation
abouteligibleenergyefficiencymeasures andretrofitoptionseligibilityforCounty-administeredfinancialvehiclesandincentives eligibilityforutility-sponsoredrebatesand incentivesfederalrebateandtaxcreditinfor-mationandaccesstolistsofqualifiedenergy retrofitcontractors
Propertyownerswhoarenoteligiblefororin-terestedinEnergyUpgradeCaliforniawould alsobeabletofindoutaboutopportunities forweatherizationprogramslow-incomerate
countywide marketingoutreach tactics
Cable TV
County Events
Mass Media
Out of Home
Radio
Retail Partners
City Information
City TV
Local Media
Transit Shelters
Theaters
Billboards
Community of Interest
Newsletters
Contractor Marketing
Direct Mail to Hot Spots
Online Ads
Site Signage
Social Media
Community Newsletters
Local Events
Target Audience
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 19
subsidiesgreenjobstrainingandotherinitia- Parcel-Based Market Analysistivesavailabletoqualifiedhouseholds
Identifying Locations of Target Audiences Thegeographiclocationoftargetaudiences willbeidentifiedthroughtwomarketanalysis efforts
Pilot Marketing Areas TheCountywillintensifymarketingefforts inspecificpilotmarketingareaswherehigh percentagesoftheEarlyAdopterandRetrofit ReadyaudiencesliveThesepilotmarketareas willbeidentifiedthroughdemographicanaly-sisbaseduponextensivemarketresearchas wellasadetailedanalysisofkeycommunity resourcessuchasstrongcommunitynetworks andcommunity-basedorganizationsinfluen-tiallocalmedialdquocommunityfeelrdquoetc(For moreinformationonthepilotmarketareas approachandengagementstrategiesseepage 23)
Adetailedmarketanalysisisbeingconducted tosupportspecificpiecesoftheoutreachand communicationsstrategybyidentifyingthe locationofaudiencesthatarereceptivetospe-cificoutreachstrategiesThetableonthenext pagedemonstratesthemarketanalysisaudi-ences(scenarios)andmarketstrategiesthat arebeinganalyzedtoidentifythelocationof targetaudiencesThemarketanalysisisbeing conductedusingconsumermarketresearch combinedwithdemographicdataandprop-ertycharacteristicsdatafromtheCountyas-sessorThemainproductfortheanalysiswill beaseparateanalysisreport(expectedAugust 2010)Thisreportwillincludecountywide ldquoheatmapsrdquothatidentifytheareasthathave ahighproportionoftargetpropertiesandare thereforeidealareasfortargetedmarketing ThesemapscanbeusedforEnergyUpgrade Californiaorcontractormarketingstrategies
countywide market capture cascade
Early Adopters
Retrofit ready
Retrofit persuadable
The Next Phase No way
MESSAGES
bull environment bull Fossil Fuels bull Rebates
available
AddITIONAL MESSAGES
bull save money on utility bills
bull Rebates
bull long-term attitudinal change
available AddITIONAL MESSAGES
bull Property values bull comfort bull Health bull ReBates available
20 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
market analysis scenarios
Link between Pilot Market Areas and Parcel-Based Market Analysis
Theaudiencesbeingexaminedinthepilot marketingareasoverlapwithbutarenotthe sameasthoseinthemarketanalysisThe marketanalysisthereforesupportsthepilot marketareaidentificationintwoways
1 Itaddspropertycharacteristicsgleaned fromconsumerresearchtothepilotmarket areaanalysisInthiswayScenarios1and 2(RetrofitReadyandRetrofitPersuadable) providefurtherdetailtothepilotmarket areasandallowforgeneralmarketingto
MARkET ANALySIS SCENARIO
AUdIENCE IdENTIFIEd
dATA ANALyzEd RELATEd MARkETING STRATEGy
1-early adopters retrofit ready
environmentalists ready to take action now with information about rebates
Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Pilot Marketing areas
2-retrofit persuadable
those who need information about types of improvements with emphasis on rebates and cost savings
Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Pilot Marketing areas
3a-Built environment Heating and cooling
Middle-aged to newer homes located inland that are larger and often have high ac heating bills
Property characteristics location of Home
trigger event Marketing utility Bills Pilot area Marketing
3b-Built environment-Heating
smaller older coastal homes that may have comfort issues in winter
Property characteristics location of Home
trigger event Marketing comfort Pilot Marketing areas
4-multi-family Multi-family homeowners Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Multi-family Marketing Pilot Marketing areas
5-Whole neighborhood
tracts of similarly-aged and built homes
Property characteristics location of Home
Whole neighborhood Marketing Pilot Marketing areas
bedirectedtospecificproperties(when appropriate)
2 Italsoidentifiesotherkeyaudiences (Scenarios3a3b4and5)thatcorrelate toothermarketingstrategiesasshown intableaboveTheresultsofthese scenarioswillbeoverlaidontopofthepilot marketareastoidentifyspecificparcels thatmayrespondtospecificmarketing strategiesForexamplewhenoverlaying thepropertiesidentifiedinScenario5 (Whole-NeighborhoodScenario)with thepilotmarketingareastheCounty canidentifypropertieswithinthepilot
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 21
marketingareathatwouldrespondtoa whole-neighborhoodmarketingapproach (bulkpurchasingmodelhomesasingle contractoretc)
Home Energy Makeover Contest HomeEnergyMakeoverContestsgenerate atremendousamountofpublicityandhave beensuccessfullyconductedinmanyother statesandcitiesTheyattractthousandsof entrantsTheconceptistobothgarnerfree publicityandmodelthebehaviortheProgram istryingtoencouragebyshowingtheldquowhole houseapproachrdquohoweasyupgradescanbe howmuchtherebatescanreducetheproject costandhowmuchdifferencetheymaketoa home
Thecontestwillalsodemonstratethemarket acceptanceforthehomeperformanceap-proachtotraditionalsingle-measurecontrac-torsThosecontractorswillseehowmany peopleenterthecontesttowinahomeperfor-mancemakeoverbasedonthewholehouseap-proachAllthosewhoenteredareleadswho maybeinterestedinawholehouseapproach ratherthansinglemeasures
Entrantsmustbeover18liveinLosAnge-lesCountyandownthehomeinwhichthey residethecontestcanbelimitedtothose whoreceiveservicefromSouthernCalifornia EdisonandorSouthernCaliforniaGas(in otherwordsitcanincludeorexcluderesi-dentsservedbymunicipalutilities)Entrants submitinformationabouttheirhomeand theirenergyconsumptionandgivepermis-sionfortheProgramjudgestoviewtheir energyconsumptionduringthepreviousyear Finalistsarebasedonthehighestenergycon-sumptionpersquarefootofamedian-sized homeAbout20finalistsreceivefreeenergy auditsfortheirhomesBasedontheaudit (andadditionalcriteriawewilldetermine)five winninghomesreceiveupto$15000inhome
energyimprovements(whichcanbesupple-mentedbyrebatesandadditionalfunding fromthepropertyowner)Thewinneragrees tomediacoverageanopenhouseandtoblog andorTweetduringandaftertheretrofit Wewillworkwithcontractorstogetsponsor-shipsaswellasdonatedauditsandupgrade elements
OnecontestwillbeheldinFall2010(withfive winners)andasecondcontestheldduring Springof2011(withfivewinners)
Aseparatecontestcouldbeheldformulti-familybuildingswithahigherwinning amount
Countywide Incentives TheProgramwillestablishalistofnon-profit organizationsthatareactiveinpromoting greenhomessustainabilityandotherenvi-ronmentalorcommunityprojectsEveryone intheCountywhocompletesanenergyaudit maydesignateanon-profitorganizationto receiveadonationfromtheProgramInfor-mationabouttheeligibleorganizationswill beonthewebsiteThiswillencouragethose non-profitstopromotetheProgramtotheir membersltNotethisconceptisstillbeing developedgt
Direct Mail Utilitieswillplacemessagesonouterbillen-velopessenttocustomersTheywillalsosend directmailaboutEnergyUpgradetoldquotarget areasrdquobasedonacombinationofenergy usageageofhomeandhouseholdincome DirectmailisscheduledforOctober2010
County Events Utilitieswillbeattendinglargeeventssuch astheSeptember2010and2011LACounty Fairswithawholehousethemethatincludes aminimodelhousethatvisitorscanldquotourrdquo Additionalproposedeventsinclude
22 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
bull LeagueofCitiesAnnualConference workshop(September2010)
bull PomonaHomeImprovementShow (October2010)
bull RemodelingShowattheLACountyFair (October2010)
bull CaliforniaAssociationofRealtors (October2010)
bull BuildingIndustryShow(November2010)
bull SouthernCaliforniaHomeImprovement Show(November2010)
bull NeighborWorksAmerica(February2011)
Online and Social Media TheProgramwillusesocialmediatoinex-pensivelyreachtargetaudiencesbeginningat launchandcontinuingthroughoutthePro-gramwithbriefpausesforrefiningThiswill beaccomplishedthroughoptimizingsearch wordsforsearchenginessuchasGoogleand Bingreachingappropriateindependentblogs aYouTubevideocontest(runbyamediapart-ner)andencouragingblogpostsandTweets byearlyadoptersandtheProgramitself(see DescriptionsofMarketingCommunications ToolsandDescriptionsofTargetAudiencesfor moredetails)Inadditionutilitieswilldevote spaceforinformationandalinkontheirland-ingpages
Countywide Media Buys Withalatesummerfalllaunchdatemedia buysneedtobespreadtoavoidtheelection monthofOctober2010EnergyUpgradeCali-forniainLosAngelescansponsoraweather broadcastmdashliveonlineandmobilemdashaswell as15and30spotsduringotherbroadcasts Wewillalsopurchaseliveandonlinespots withUnivisiontheSpanish-languagestation Radiobuyswillinclude15NationalPublic Radio(KPCCandKCRW)sponsorshipsand variousdrive-timespotsonEnglishandin-
languageAMandFMstationsSocialmedia buysincludeGoogleWordsandblogads(see DescriptionsofMarketingCommunications Tools)Printmediabuyswillbeinmulticul-turalpapers
(Afullmediabuyplanandschedulewillbe availableinAugust)
Countywide Media Relations TheProgramwillcoordinateCountyandutil-ityeffortsandwiththeCaliforniaEnergyCom-missionCaliforniaPublicUtilitiesCommis-sioneffortsMediarelationswillbeinthree phasespre-launchlaunchandmilestones
Pre-Launch (August ndash September)
bull DevelopandprovideaSpeakerrsquosKit withtalkingpoints
bull OrganizeCountymedialaunchevent (potentiallyenlistawillinghomeowner whosehousemightserveasalaunching padformediatours)
bull Respondtorequestsfromcities
bull Providepre-writtenarticlesforcity communitynewsletters
bull Issuepresskitsandpressrelease(in EnglishandSpanish)announcing launch
Launch (October)
bull Mediaeventtoannouncelaunchand HomeEnergyMakeoverContestpoten-tiallyon-siteatahousetodemonstrate upgrades
bull SendoutradioPSAs
Milestones (through 2013)
bull Mediaeventtoannouncewinnersofthe HomeEnergyMakeovercontest(could beconductedon-sitesurprisingthe winners)
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 23
bull ldquoRe-launchrdquopressreleaseandmedia eventinMarch2011forasecondHome EnergyMakeoverContestwithastrong ldquogetreadyforsummerrdquotheme
bull Pressreleasewhen10000thperson receivesarebate
bull Pressreleasewhenotherappropriate milestonesarereachedorthefunding forincentivesisclosetobeingdepleted
2 Pilot Marketing Areas
Itwillbecriticalforthelong-termsuccessof marketingeffortstohaveasignificantnumber ofearlysuccessesthatgeneratepositivepub-licityandword-of-mouthencouragingothers toalsoparticipateTheCountyintendsto stimulatethemarketfortheseearlyadopters byintensifyingmarketingeffortsinspecific pilotmarketingareas(withzipcodebound-aries)wherebasedonextensiveconsumer
countywide marketingoutreach tactics
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
television
ad buys on Broadcast tV univision google tV Paid county
ldquothis old Houserdquo segment on whole house per-formance and rebates while renovating house (filming in la this summer)
earned county
coverage on mainstream and multicultural sta-tions
earned utilities county
ldquoinfomercialrdquo and promos on city tV Placed county
radio
nPR sponsorship Paid county
commute time spots Paid county
coverage on california Report earned utilities county
Psas on mainstream stations Placed utilities county
spots on multicultural stations Paid county
coverage in mainstream and multicultural papers
earned utilities county
sunset Magazine green Home section earned county
ads in la times and Daily news real estate sections
Paid utilities county
ads in multicultural papers Paid county
Direct Mail to targets Paid utilities
24 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
countywide marketingoutreach tactics (conrsquot)
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
social media
Blogs (about homes environment bargains) earned county
Facebook page Placed county
ads targeted to interest in environment and or home improvements (this old House etc)
Paid county
google adWords targeted to interest in environment andor home improvements
Paid county
twitter both by the Program and by individual early adopters (with incentives)
Placed county
youtube early adopters make a video about their experience and results (with incentives)
Placed county
out of Home
Retail kiosks banners flyers links on retail websites
Placed utilities
community organizations
environmental groups and others newsletters websites email blasts
earned county
Home improvement shows booths Paid county
countywide events Paid utilities
Bloggersubject matter events Paid county
researchhighpercentagesoftargetaudiences livePilotmarketingprogramsinthoseareas willtesttheextentcommunity-basedmarket-ingpositivelyimpactsparticipationratesan effortrelatedtoRetrofitRampUpproposal requirements
Demographicdataprovidedbythemarketre-searchwillbeoverlaidwithenergyusagedata AdditionallyGIS-basedmarketanalysisatthe parcellevel(describedabove)willallowfor pinpointingofspecificneighborhoodswithin thepilotareasforoutreachthatcaninclude
door-to-doordirectmailandmarketingby contractorsaspartofaldquowholeneighbor-hoodrdquoapproachFocusingonpilotareaswill alsomeettheRetrofitRampUprequirements oftheDepartmentofEnergyFollowingisa summaryofplannedmarketingandoutreach efforts
Marketresearch-basedcriteriaforchoosing about15pilotareaswillinclude
Clusters of houses built before 1978 Thoselivinginolderhomesespecially
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 25
builtbeforeCaliforniarsquosEnergyEfficiency Standardsaremorelikelytobelievethat theirhousemightbeenergyinefficient andcouldbenefitfromenergyefficiency improvementsmdashandberesponsivetoan energyupgrade
High percentage of homeownership Thesemarketingeffortsfocusonsingle-familyresidentialhomeownerssoareas withhighrentalrateswillnotprovidea largeenoughnumberofeligibleunits
Income over $60000Thosewith incomesunder$60000didnotbelieve theywouldhavesufficientincometomake improvementsevenwithrebatesThey werenotinterestedinloans(manywith lowincomesalsofindthemselvesldquounder-waterrdquoontheirloansandthusnoteligible forsomefinancing)Inadditionwefound somepush-backinfocusgroupsabout ldquogovernmentofferingloanstopeoplewho canrsquotaffordthemafterthesub-primeloan debaclerdquo
Population with a high percentage of college-educatedThosewithacollege degreearemuchmorelikelytoindicate apreferencetomakeenergyefficiency upgradesThosewhohadcompletedsome collegeeducationarealsomorelikelyto indicateapreferenceforenergyefficiency upgradesthanthosewhohadnotcom-pletedany
Population with a high percentage of those age 35-54Thosewithchildren andorexpandingfamiliesaremorelikely tomakeimprovementsthanthoseunder 30(thereareveryfewhomeownersunder 30)andthoseover54
High percentage of households with 4+ peopleHouseholdswithmorepeople havehigherenergybillsResearchshows thatthoseinhomeswithmorethan4
peoplebelieveenergyupgradescanmakea bigimpactontheirbills
High energy usage Thehigherenergy usage(andbills)themorelikelypeopleare tobelievethatenergyefficiencyimprove-mentswillmakeadifferenceintheirbills
Afterlayeringthisinformationtocomeup withalistofpotentialareaswefurthercon-sidered
Clusters of 8000-20000 homesThe areashouldbelargeenoughtoprovidesub-stantialnumbersofeligibleunitsbutsmall enoughtoenablereachingmajorityofresi-dentsandgeneratingword-of-mouth
Has a diverse multicultural commu-nityAreasshouldhavestrongcommunity identitiesandsenseofplacesocommunity membersareproudofwheretheyliveand areencouragedtoimprovetheircommu-nity
Has strong neighborhood and com-munity organizationsWeneedto engagetheseorganizationsaspartnersto helpspreadtheword
Has existing communications such as newsletters blogsWeneedtoreach membersthroughexistingcrediblesources thatresidentsalreadyuseandtrust
ldquoSpill overrdquo opportunities to nearby neighborhoodsSincemarketingand mediaeffortswillpotentiallyalsobeseen byneighborsareasshouldbenearother areasthatmayalsomeettheprimary criteria
Climatetime of yearIndetermining whentorolloutthepilotswecantarget interiorareasinspringandcoastalareasin coldweather
26 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Basedonthemarketresearchcriteriafive pilotmarketingareasarescheduledforintense marketingatlaunchwithanadditional10 areasscheduledforintensemarketingin Spring2011
Thepilotmarketstrategyissupportedby theparcel-basedmarketanalysiswhichwill identifywhichneighborhoodspropertieswill bethebesttotargetusingthisapproachThe marketanalysiswillallowlimitedmarketing fundingtobeleveragedbyfocusingonthose thataremostlikelytorespondtothemarket-ingefforts
Wewillcreatemessagesandvisualsspecifical-lytailoredtoeachtargetcommunityrsquoscultural andlinguisticpreferencesImagessymbols andiconstypographycolorandoverall designcarrydifferentmeaningsindifferent culturesAmessageistypicallymosteffective ifitiscreatedwithcarefulattentiontothese idiosyncrasiesandwithintheldquoculturalmind-setrdquooftherecipientsCreatingheadlinesand taglinesdirectlyinthetargetlanguagerather thansimplytranslatingEnglishadvertising copyensuresthatcopyhasthecorrectrhythm andrhymeandisthereforemuchmore attention-grabbingandmemorable
Community Incentives Energy Champion Program Severalconceptsareunderconsiderationto developacommunityincentivestrategyto promoteparticipationinlinewiththeRetrofit RampUpproposalforinnovativeincentiveap-proachesIncentivesmaybedirectedatenergy auditscommunity-basedorganizationsthose willingtoprovidetestimonialsorblogtweet andpublicrecognitionefforts
Grassroots Community Organizing-Trainedorganizerswillpresentinformationat themeetingsof12-15influentialcommunity leadersandcommunity-basedorganizationsin
eachpilotareacapturetheircontactdataand helpspreadtheinformationtotheirmembers throughtheirnewsletterseventsandwebsites TheProgramwillprovidepre-writtencus-tomizablearticlespresentationsorvideoand websiteldquobuttonsrdquotolinktotheProgramsite Eachgroupwillbeofferedanincentiveofado-nationtotheirorganizationforeverymember whocompletesahomeenergyupgradeThis willencourageCBOvolunteerstoincrease theirmarketingeffortsFriendlyrivalrieswill beencouragedCommunitygroupswillreport namesofparticipantscheckedforjobcomple-tionbytheProgram(underdevelopment)
Community Events One-on-onefacetimewithhomeownersis anidealwaytoengagepotentialparticipants Well-trainedorganizerswillattendfiveevents ineachtargetareaprovidinghomeowners withinformation(pocketsizemultilingual handouts)andcapturingtheircontactinfor-mationforfollowupTheycanhavehome-ownerssignuponthewebsiteonsiteifappro-priateandperhapsevenhavethemprovideus withavideocommitmentldquoItookthePledgerdquo withpermissiontopostonthewebsiteAsa luretotheboothhomeownerswillbeoffered freeitemssuchaslightbulbsmagnetsand reusablecupswithcoldwater(imprintedwith thewebsite)manufacturedintheUS
Print Radio Outdoor and Out-of Home Advertising Localmediawillcoverthelaunchofthe Programandwewillstrategicallyplaceads inlocalmediaandcommunitynewsletters Outdooradvertising(smallstreet-levelbiode-gradableeco-postersbussheltersbussides) strategicallyplacedinhigh-trafficareaswillre-inforcethemessageoveraone-monthperiod
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 27
Pilot Area Example Altadena Altadenawasidentifiedasacommunitythat fitsourtargetcriteriaItisadiverseunincor-poratedcommunitywithsixneighborhoods andanapproximatepopulationof40000The averagehouseholdincomeisabout$94000 Morethan50ofadultresidentsaremarried withchildrenandcommuteanaverageof62 milesperdaytowhite-collarjobsFully40of theadultsinthiscommunityhaveabachelors
degreeorhigherandareinvolvedinmany communityeventsandorganizationsThere areapproximately12000homesinthiscom-munityand10000ofthosehomesareowner-occupiedThegraphicshowshowoutreach wouldbeconcentratedinthisarea
pilot area outreachmarketing tactics
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
radio
Psas on multicultural stations earned county
coverage in local papers earned county
ads in local and multicultural papers Paid county
outdoor
Bus shelters in area Paid county
on-street lampost signage Paid county
Billboards Paid county
social media
Blogs (relevant to the area) earned county
online ads targeted by location Paid county
listserves of neighborhood associations (through cities)
earned county
out of Home
Movie theater ads in area Paid county
lawn signs on homes in area (through contractors)
Paid county
community organizations
community meetings with incentives to organizations for participation
earnedPaid county
community events Paid county Door hangers Paid county
28 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Home Depot
Ace Hardware
Lowersquos
Master Builders
Great Indoors
Home Expo
altadena marketing target
Hoy La Opinioacuten
Pasadena Star News
Altadena Headlines Examiner
Boulevard Magazine
Arroyo Magazine
Pasadena Weekly
Altadena Connection
Sentinel
KLVE
KPCC Pasadena
KCBS
KROQ Pasadena
KAZN Pasadena
Church Bulletins
Summer Concert Series at Farnsworth Park
Fourth of July Fireworks at
Town amp Country Club
Black History Parade
World Music Festival in Pasadena
Haunted House at
Farnsworth Park
Art Break
Rose Parade
National Latino
Congreso
Altadena Neighborhood Association
Altadena Chamber of Commerce
Altadena Arts Council
Altadena Town Council
Faith-based Organizations
Altadena Town amp Country Club
Altadena League of
Women Voters
Altadena Historical Society
Altadena Community Improvement Center
Sheriff Support Group
Santa Coming to Farnsworth
Park
Altadena California
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 29
3 Trigger-Event Marketing
Thissuiteofstrategieswillbeaimedatcaptur-ingenergyefficiencyopportunitiesfrommul-tipletriggereventsParticipantswillmainly comethroughcontractorsrealtorsandretail partnerspropertyownerswillhavealsoseen countywideadvertising
trigger event marketing
4 City and COG Outreach
OutreachbyCitiesandCOGswillbecritical becauseoftheirexistingrelationshipswith localconstituenciesCitieswillbeprovided withamini-marketingplantalkingpoints videocustomizabletemplatesoffactsheets articlesfortheirnewslettersandadvertising
EvENT dESCRIPTION LEAd AGENT COLLATERAL TACTIC
1 Replace on burnout (heating air conditioners water heaters)
Homeowners either in process of replacing an item or have already done some efficiency projects
county bull Retail partners
bull HVac installers
bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors installers
bull Retail displays
2 life-stage changes (growing family)
Homeowners working with a contractor
county bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors bull ads in media for home remodels
3 Home remodel Homeowners working with an architect contractor
county bull contractors bull architects
bull Materials for contractors
bull ads in media for home remodels
3 improvements at time of purchase
Homeowners interested are preparing a new home for move-in (research shows more interest at purchase than at sale)
shared bull contractors bull Realtors bull Home
inspectors bull city permit
offices bull city welcome
kits bull Retail
bull Brochures for cities
bull ads in weekend homes for sale sections
bull Presentations to realtor groups
bull Retail displays
4 improvements at sale
House owners preparing for sale
county bull contractors bull Realtors
bull Materials for contractors
5 complaints high utility bills cold hot house
Homeowners aware of energy-saving improvements but not whole house approach
county bull contractors bull HeRs raters
bull Materials for contractors
30 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
city amp cog outreach
materialssotheycandeveloplow-costout-reachtotheirresidentsCitieswithcommuni-tiestargetedinthePilotAreaMarketingplans willbeinformedandencouragedtodoout-reachtothoseareasAllCitieswillbeencour-agedtodothefollowing
Run stories in print and online news-letters
Send information to neighborhood associations homeowners associa-tions historic preservation districts and other appropriate community organizations
Provide information in City permit-ting offices and City Hall lobbies
Provide information at strategically located Environmental Information Centers and at COG office locations
Provide information in ldquonew home-ownersrdquo welcome kits (either directly from the city or through title compa-
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAId EARNEd
LEAd
pio coordination contact all participating citiesrsquo Pios na county
letters Key messages for letters from mayors etc to constituents Provide to Pios or city managers
na county
Website links Button for cities to place on their website to link to Program site
na county
city tV informational videos and spot promos Placed county
Welcome brochure
Brochure aimed at new homeowners before they move in
na county
articles Pre-written customizable newsletter articles earned county
email blasts Pre-written customizable info spots for communityneighborhood listserves
earned county
niesmortgage brokers)
Run videos and spots on City TV stations
5 Contractor Marketing
Localcontractorsarecriticaltothesuccess ofEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLosAngeles CountyTheyprovidetheservicesthatcom-prisetheProgramandtheycanhelpmarket theProgramtopropertyownersInfactwe estimatethatupto50ofProgrampartici-pantswillentertheProgramthrougharela-tionshipwithacontractor(theymayhavealso seenmediacoverageandadvertisingwhich spurredthemtotakeaction)Thisuniquerole requiresthattheProgramtakeatwo-tiered approachofengagingthecontractormdashmoti-vatinglocalbuildingprofessionalstoundergo thetrainingandcertificationprocessandalso providingthemwiththetoolstoeffectively promotetheprogramtoexistingandnew clientsThefollowingsectiondescribesspecific
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 31
contractor target
United Brotherhood Building Industry Carpenters (Training)
Association ofSouthern California
Email Blast
Contractors Magazines
Contractor
OnlineAds
Big Box Stores
ConractorsLicensing Schools
Realtor Associations
strategiesassociatedwithbothapproaches
Forthepurposesoftheprogramcontractors aredividedintoparticularsegmentsbasedon thetypeofserviceprovidedAninitialanalysis oftheindustryrevealedthefollowinglikely categories
HomePerformance(HP)Contractors
ProductionBuilders
HVACSystemSpecialtyTrades (windowsetc)
RemodelingContractors
SolarContractors
BuildingPerformance
Institute
Southwest Regional
City Permit Association
Offices of Carpenters
Lumber Yards
StateLicensing
Board
American Instituteof Architects
LA Chapter
Outreach to Contractors TheProgramwillcoordinatewithcontractor groupsandotherbuildingprofessionaltrade organizationstoschedulebriefpresentations abouttheProgramandthecontractortraining processForlargerorganizationsthePro-grammayworkdirectlywiththecompanyto arrangeon-sitepresentationsThesepresenta-tionsareinformalinnatureandwillbeusedto promotethecertificationorientationsrequired forcontractorparticipationintheprogram
KeyMessagestoContractors
$30millioninAmericanRecoveryand ReinvestmentActmoneyisworkinginLA Countytocreateconstructionindustryjobs
32 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
EnergyUpgradeCaliforniaOffersbig rebatesandfinancingoptionsfor homeownersdoinghomeenergy efficiencyretrofits
Therewillbemarketingandadvertis-ingstatewideandlocallytopromotethe Program
Therewillbemarketingmaterialsforyou tousetomarketyourbusiness
YoumustbelicensedandBuildingPerfor-manceInstitute-certifiedtobepartofthe Program
HomeownersmustworkwithBPI-certified contractorstheyrsquollchoosefromacontrac-tordatabaseonthewebsite
KeyOutreachMethods
BuildingIndustryAssociationofSouthern California
SouthwestRegionalCouncilofCarpenters
RealtorsAssociation
UnitedBrotherhood-Carpenters(Training Program)
Citypermittingoffice
Lumberyards
AmericanInstituteofArchitectsLA Chapter(toeducatethemaswell)
ArticlesinformationinContractortrade publications(magazinesnewslettersetc) magazines
CarpentersUnionLocals
ContractorsLicenseSchools(andonline)
BigBoxHomeImprovementstores(de-pendingonIOUrelationships)
wwwcslbcagov
Emailblasttoalllicensedcontractors
Contractor Outreach to Consumers Differentopportunitiesexistfordifferent contractorsdependingontheprobablework scopeThefollowingtableoutlinesafew potentialpathwaysforhowcontractorscan participateintheProgram
contractors outreach to customers
CONTRACTOR TyPE
TRIGGER EvENT vALUE TO CONTRACTOR
BUSINESS MOdEL
Home Performance upgrade lead generation scale for high volume
Production Builder new Business Development
create new division
HVac Replacement lead generation Value-add
expand services
specialty trade lead generation Partner with certified gc
Remodeler Remodel life-stage transition
Value-add sub work to HP contractor
solar Renewables lead generation Partner with certified gc
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 33
BPI-certifiedgeneralcontractorswillbelisted ontheEnergyUpgradeconsumerwebsite sendingmanyleadsdirectlytothemThey alsohaveaccesstotheldquoheatmapsrdquotousefor developingtheirownadvertisingcampaigns
Contractorswillbeattendingorientationses-sionstoensuretheythoroughlyunderstand theProgramrebatesfinancingoptionsand canhelpguidetheircustomersthroughthe processTheywillbeprovidedwithContractor MarketingKitstoensuretheyhaveathandthe keymessagesthathavebeenresonatingwith homeownersandhaveinformationtogive topotentialcustomerswhomightormight nothavebeentothewebsiteKitscanbesent directlytocontractorsordistributedatthe orientationsessionsKitswillcontain
Talkingpoints
DVDofthevideo
Printedfactsheetstoleavewithcustomers (withroomfortheircontactinfo)more canbeordered
Printedldquoslimjimrdquoprogrambrochure
Printedlengthierbrochuresaboutthe wholehouseapproach(brandedby Scientific American Magazine)
CDwithldquobuttonrdquotolinktoEnergyUpgrade fromtheirownwebsitesandPDFsofsite signageforprinting
Contractorswillhaveaccesstoaseparatesec-tionofthewebsitewheretheywillfindinfor-mationaboutProgrameventspromotionsand advertisinganon-demandprintsectionfor additionalcopiesofbrochuresanychanges totheProgramandasingletradecontractor databaseforassemblingteamsforcustomers whowouldlikesolarpanelsornewwindows forexample
6 Realtor Marketing
Giventhatthenationalaveragelengthofhome ownershipisroughlysixyearsrealestate agentswillbeincontactandadvisingalarge percentageofthenewandexistinghomeown-ersthatEnergyUpgradeistargetingforhome energyretrofitsThishighlevelofinfluence makesrealtorsoneofthelargestpartner groups
Realestateagentswillbeengagedonthree levels
1) Outreach
2) Training
3) Support
Outreach Outreachwillbeconductedthroughavariety ofvenuesthatwillincludeCaliforniaAssocia-tionofRealtorsreg(CAR)regionalconferences heldinSouthernCaliforniapartnershipwith themanyrealtorassociationslocatedinLos AngelesCountyanddirectvisitstorealestate agentsrsquoofficesforshortpresentationsPart-nershipswiththe15-20localRealtorsAsso-ciationswillbeachievedthroughoneormore RealtorAdvisoryBoardswhichincludethe GovernmentAffairsDirectorsfromeachof theseorganizationsAselectfewoftheseor-ganizationswillbeusedaspilotsfortargeted outreachduringearlystagesoftheProgram Oncethestrategyhasbeentestedandrevised itwillberolledouttoalloftheRealtorsAs-sociationsinLosAngelesCounty
ThefallCARRealtorExpowillbethemain kickoffeventforoutreachtoindividualreal-torsandrealtorofficesEnergyUpgradeplans tohavea30-minutetalkembeddedinthe SpeakersProgramandaboothsetuponthe ExpofloortoinformrealtorsaboutthePro-gramavailabletrainingsandthesupport
34 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
toolsthathavebeendevelopedThisevent willreachthemajorityofrealtorsintheLos Angelesareabutwillnotincludethelarge populationofrealestateagentsthatarenot membersofCARToreachthispopulation emailsocialmediaandtargetedofficevisits willbeconducted
Training EnergyUpgradewillprovidetrainingforreal estateagentsintwoformsTherealestate agenttrainingmodulecurrentlyunderdevel-opmentbyBuildItGreenwillbeusedasthe maintrainingforumThistrainingmodule isexpectedtotaketwofulldaystocomplete andwillcoverpropertyassessedcleanenergy financingenergyefficientmortgagesrebate programsbuildingscienceenergyefficiency andgreenbuildingpracticesappropriateto California
Additionalweb-basedtrainingwillbeprovided tointroducerealestateagentstotheProgram andtodrivethemtogetin-persontraining throughtheBuildItGreentrainingmodule
Support Cultivatingandclosingtoolswillbegener-atedtoassistrealtorsinusingEnergyUpgrade Californiatradetoexpandtheirbusinesswhile drivinghigherlevelsofprogramparticipation RealtorKitswillbesimilartotheContractor Kitsandtheywillhaveaccesstothedatabase ofgeneralandsingletradecontractors
7 Retail Partner Marketing
Utilitieswillpartnerwithretailoutletsthat canincludeBestBuyCostcoSearsLowes andHomeDepotParticipatingretailoutlets willbeprovided
Information centersEnd-displays detailingtheEnergyUpgradeProgram withadiagramillustratingthehouseas asystemconcept(multiplecomponents thatacttogethertomaximizesavings)and actionscustomerscantaketocapturethose savingsandrebatesIn-storecustomer educationcanshiftcustomerperception ofenergyupgradesandmotivatethem toparticipateinmultipleenergy-efficient measuresinsteadofjustoneAnadditional benefitfortheretailerisassociationwith thestatewideprogram
Program collateral One-sheet takeawaysforcustomerstoreference andshare
Video Theshortvideoscanbeplayed onaloop
Table tent cardsPlacedthroughout storesectionsthatcorrelatewiththe EnergyUpgradeProgram(CFLsappli-ancesceilingfansinsulationwindows) Againthiswillencouragecustomersto performmultipleenergyupgradesinstead ofjustoneCross-promotionhelpseducate customersandencourageparticipationin multiplemeasuresthusincreasingproduct purchase
Window clings ldquoOfficialEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaInformationCenterrdquotagline bannersplacedatstorefrontThiswillpo-sitiontheretailerasanactiveparticipantin thestatewideprogramandbuildsretailer credibilityasagreenadvocate
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 35
8 Multi-Family Outreach
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesandsched-ulesarestillinplanningphasesandbeing developedthroughastatewideconsortium
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesarebeing
developed
36 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
evaluation
Theprimarygoalsofthemarketingplanareto buildpositiveawarenessoftheEnergyUp-gradeCaliforniaProgramandcreateasus-tainedmarketforawholehouseapproach(see page8)Objectivesarespecifictothoseachiev-ingthosegoalsLosAngelesCountyresidents willseemultipleiterationsofmediacoverage paidadvertisingin-storedisplayscontractor marketingandin-personpresentations(inthe pilotmarketingareas)Forexamplearesi-dentinAltadenamightseethemoreintensive marketingandoutreacheffortsThatmayspur themtoactionmdashbutiftheyalreadyhadplans toremodelorhadpreviouslyworkedwitha contractortheymightcalltheircontractorand thusactuallycometotheprogramthrough thecontractorThereforeitwillnotbeeasy todeterminepreciselywhathasmotivated eachpersontoparticipateinEnergyUpgrade Objectivestomeetinclude
About35-45ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughthemarket-ingandoutreacheffortsTomonitorwe willincludeashortsurveyaspartofthe rebateapplicationprocessaskingpartici-pantswhatdrewthemtothewebsiteand totheProgramThewebsitecanmonitor clickthroughstocontractorssitesfrom theProgramwebsiteprovidinganindica-tionofpotentialparticpantswhocameto thesitebeforehavingacontractorOnce apropertyownerinputsanaddressthe websitewillbeabletospecificallymonitor ifthatparticipantasksformultiple estimatesfromcontractorsanotherindica-
toroffindingacontractorthroughthesite
About45-50ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughcontractors Wewillaskcontractorstoprovideinfor-mationabouttheirmarketingeffortsand successratesTheywillbeabletoidentify participantsgainedthroughtheirownmar-ketingefforts
300000uniquehitsonthewebsitewhich willbemonitoredbythewebsiteFurther thewebsitewillanalyzewherevisitors camefrom(egaclickthroughfroman onlineadfromacontractorrsquoswebsite orduringthespecifictimeframeofanad campaign)
Virtualandactualldquoword-of-mouthrdquore-portedbymonitoringsocialmedia
Communicationskitsandmarketingkits availablebothphysicallyandthroughan on-demandprintsitemonitoredbyclient
Informationalmaterialsforcitiesmoni-toredbySouthBayCitiesCouncilofGov-ernments
50000000mediaadvertisingin-person impressionsmonitoredbybroadcast printonlinestatisticsandreportsfrom grassrootsmarketingefforts
Consolidatedinformationinone-stop-shop approachwillbedeliveredthroughthe website
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 37
description of marketing communication tools
PlacedEarned Social Media ThePlancallsforsocialmediatopushinfor-mationtoourtargetaudiencesincreaseper-ceptionsoftheProgramascommunity-based reachthosewhowillhelpgenerateadditional buzzindependentmarketingeffortsaboutthe Programandprovideamechanismforlisten-ingtowhatpeoplearesayingaboutEnergy Upgrademdashandrespondingwhennecessary
Online Paid Advertising Onlineadvertisingcampaignscanbeverycost-effectiveandhighlytargetedbydemographics areasofinterestandgeographicsAdsappear ontopic-relatedblogsonsearchenginepages (egGoogle)andoncontentpages(egwhen yousearchforinformationaboutarelated topicandselectawebsitetoview)
Types of Users Targetadsbyage genderincomelanguagepreferencezip codeorhotspots
Types of SearchesTargetadsbytypeof searchconductedbasedonkeywords
Adsareusuallysoldperldquoclickrdquomdashtheviewer hasclickedontheadandbeensenttothe EnergyUpgradeCAwebsiteWewillmake fourtypesofonlineadpurchases
1 Googleadsthatplaceadsbothonits searchpagesandonhundredsofwebsites targetedbytheabove
2 Networksthattargetspecificsitesand blogsthatmatchourtargetaudiences(eg HiveBlogsLosAngelesthatoffers350LA blogstochoosefrom)
3 Directlythroughselectpublishers(eg CurbedLAGreenGirlLAlocalpapers online)
4 Onlineeditionsoflocalpapersinpilot marketingareas
Twitter Twitterusersaremostlycollegegraduates haveattendedgraduateschoolandlivein householdsmakingover$50000ayear (nationally)Usersarethreetimesmorelikely tofollowbrandsandcompaniesonTwitter thanotherusersofsocialnetworkswith40 specificallyusingTwittertolearnaboutand provideopinionsonbrands
Twittercanpushthelatestdevelopmentsand newstopeoplewhohaveexpressedaninter-estedintheProgram(theymustsignupto receiveourTweetsorhavesearchedfortag wordsincludedinourTweets)Itrsquosalsoan easywayforthosewhofollowEnergyUpgrade onTwittertoshareTweetswiththeirfriends
38 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
therebygeneratingbuzzandhelpingmarket theProgramTwittercanshareProgram newsinrealtimedrivepeopletothewebsite facilitateearlyadoptersbuzzmakersreach youngerhomeownersandincreasemarketing effortsatalowcostTwittercanbeeffectively usedtocommunicatetheProgramandits milestonesinavarietyofways
bull Tweetaboutpressreleasesmajoran-nouncementsnewitemsonwebsiteor blogsmediastoriesandarticlesespecially aboutthosethataretimesensitiveandtell ouraudiencewhatishappeningwiththe Programandencouragesthemtopartici-pateorfindoutmore
bull PutaTweeticononthemainwebsiteal-lowingvisitorstothewebsitetobeginto followEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLos AngelesCountyonTwitterwithoneclick
bull FollowotherswhoTweetaboutthe ProgramaswellasthosewhoTweetabout relatedtopicsThiswillprovideanop-portunitytodirectlyrespondtoaperson whohasaquestionabouttheProgramand pointthemtoalinktothewebsite
Tweet Examples
bull ldquo100LAhomeownershavesigned upfortheProgramatwwwEnergyUpgra-deCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoReadaboutLArsquosnewenergyefficiency rebateProgramintheLAtimes httpwwwlatimesgreenblogcomrdquo
bull ldquoWanttosaveonyourutilitybills CheckoutwwwEnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoSignupfortheHomeEnergyUpgrade contestforachancetowinafree homeenergyefficiencyretrofitat EnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
Cost and Budget
SettingupaTwitteraccountisfreeasisusing anapplicationsuchasTweetDeckthathelps followotherswhoareTweetingaboutEnergy UpgradeCaliforniaTheonlysignificantcostis stafftimewhichcanbelimitedtoafewhours aweek
Facebook Facebookisalow-costandeasywayofboth marketingtheProgramandsupportingan onlinecommunityofpeopleinterestedinthe ProgramItwillreachaudienceswhoaremore likelytospendtimeonFacebookversusaweb-siteandwhomayprefertoreceiveshortreal timeProgramnewsviaFacebookratherthan emailsorwebsitesItisidealforpostinglinks tovideosandphotosrelatedtotheprojectIt complementsthewebsiteaplacewherefans oftheProgramcanfindinformationaskques-tionsandshareideasandexcitementThese fanswillgeneratebuzzbytellingtheirfriends abouttheProgramthroughFacebook
AFacebookpagewillcontaininformation abouttheProgramalinktothewebsite Programnewsvideosphotographsandother informationWhenthepageisupdatedfans willreceivelinksinemailalertingthemtothe newposts
Facebookisalsoidealforsharingthestoryof anearlyadopter(whowillalsoTweet)through updatesphotographsandvideosItlends itselfmuchmorenaturallytothispeople-fo-cusedapproachthanawebsitewhichismore formal
Additionalpoints
bull EncourageandperhapsrewardProgram adopterstosharetheirexperiencesask questionsetc
bull Setupcontrolstodeterminewhatcontent Fanscanposttothewall
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 39
bull Monitorupdatestothewallandtakedown Therearemanyexistingblogsthatcanbeused inappropriatecontent
bull Respondtoissuesquestionsandtakepart intheconversation
bull Adesignatedstaffpersonshouldmonitor thesiteitisalsoidealifseveralstaff memberspostcontentandifpartnersare activeparticipantsalthoughtheoverall strategyshouldbecentralized
Facebook Examples
Herearesomeexamplesofthetypesofpost-ingsforaFacebookpage
bull ldquoTheLATimesdescribesEnergyUpgrade CAasaperfectopportunitytobegreenand savemoneymdashintheFridaymoneysectionrdquo
bull ldquoWhydidyoudecidetoparticipatein EnergyUpgradeCATellushowyour energyefficiencyretrofitisgoingandwersquoll enteryouforachancetowina$50Home Depotgiftcardrdquo
bull ldquoWonderingwhetherEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaisrightforyouCheckoutthis videooftheSmithsinstallingnewinsula-tionandwindows--andreceivinga$3500 rebaterdquo
Cost and Budget
Relativelyfewdirectcostsstafftimewill fluctuateduringbusycalmperiodswithhigh activityatthebeginningastheProgramkicks offandafanbaseisestablishedOngoingstaff timeneededtokeeppagefreshwith3-4posts weekdailymaintenancerequiredtomonitor postingsfromfans
Blogs Blogsreachtargetaudienceswhoarealready interestedinrelatedtopicsandwhohavehigh potentialtoparticipateintheProgram
tofurthermarketingefforts
bull Identifybloggerswhowilllikelywrite positivelyabouttheProgramSendpress releasefactsheetsandPrograminforma-tiontobloggerswhowriteabouttopics suchastheenvironmentenergyefficiency homeimprovementremodelingreal estatehousingbargainssavingmoneyas wellastocompaniesthatsellsolarpanels contractorsetc
bull Bloggersarelookingfortopicalstoriesto writeaboutandwewillmaketheirnext blogposteasyBecauseEnergyUpgradeis ahighrewardoptionalProgrambloggers willwritefavorablyandhelptellthestory inafriendlyaccessibleandeasy-to-under-standway(althoughwedonrsquothavecontrol overwhattheywrite)Peoplewhoaredis-satisfiedwillwritenegativecommentsbut wewillmonitorblogsandactivelycorrect misperceptions
bull Tomonitorwhatothersarewritingabout EnergyUpgradeontheirblogswewilluse freeprogramslikeTechnoratiorGoogle Readertoscanallblogsandwebsitesthat mentiontheProgram
Blogs to Reach
Green Girl LA Blog (httpgreenlagirlcom)Thisindependent blogisfocusedonenvironmentalhap-peningsinLosAngelesArecentpostwas aboutagreennetworkingeventfeaturing TheBuildingDoctorspresentingwaysto makeyourhousemoreenergyefficient PreviouslyareporterbloggerfortheLA Timesthewriterisactiveandcoversa widevarietyofenvironmentalgreentopics happeninginLosAngeles
40 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
LA Times HomeBlog (wwwlatimesblogslatimescomhome_
blog)focusesontopicsrelatedtohouses andhashadseveralrecentpostsabout greenremodelingOneadvantageofa majornewspaperisthatthereportingis accurateandthereadershipislargerThey recentlywroteaboutauditionsforThisOld HousewhichisfeaturingaLosAngeles areahouseforasummerremodel
Bargain Babe (wwwbargainbabelatownluxecom) featuresLosAngelesbargainsYoucan searchforbargainsbyareaofLA(West-sideetc)orbytopicThisbloggerrecently wroteaboutappliancerebates
LA Times Green Remodeling (wwwlatimesblogslatimescompar-donourdustgreen_remodeling)writes aboutalltopicsrelatedtoremodelingin SouthernCaliforniawithseveralrecent postsongreentopicsArecentpostre-viewedthedifferentadvantagesofinstall-ingvarioustanklesswaterheatersPitch thatthebloggerfollowahomeenergy retrofitandhelptelltheirstoryaswellas announcebasicPrograminformation
LA Times Personal Finance wwwlatimescombusinesspersonal-finance
Home Remodeling wwwkathysremodelingblogcom
Energy Efficiency wwwlowimpactlivingcomblog
LA CreekFreak
LA Observed
LAist
YouTube PostallvideosrelatedtotheprojectonYou-TubeWewillworkwithourmediapartners todevelopacontestforearlyadopterstofilm theirexperienceandletwebsitevisitorsvote onthebestWinnerreceivesaprizetobe determined
ListServes Listservesreachgroupsofpeoplewhoare interestedinasimilartopicorwholiveina specificneighborhoodSendemailblaststo listservessuchasneighborhoodassociations homeremodelersandenvironmentalgroups withanenergyfocusCitystaffhasinforma-tionaddressesofneighborhoodandhom-eownerassociationslists
Multimedia for Presentations Website Developanengaginginformative6-8minute videofocusingoncontractorsandhomeown-ersthatcanbeusedduringpresentationsand presentedonCityTVThevideowillbeshot bothinEnglishandinSpanishandcover
bull Howtherebatesworktocreateasenseof urgencyaboutdoingtheenergyupgrades soonerratherputtingitofftotakeadvan-tageoftherebates
bull Theldquosealthenenhancerdquowholehouse concept
bull WhattheProgramelementsactuallylook likeandhowtheyareinstalledtoover-comebarrierssuchasthatonemighthave tomoveoutofthehouseortheenergy upgradesareldquouglyrdquo
bull Workingwithacontractorwhatbeing licensedandcertifiedmeansgettingmul-tiplebids
bull Financingoptions
bull Doingthepaperwork
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 41
Fromthatvideodevelop
bull Threeindividual2-minutevideosforuse onlineeachfocusingonaspecifictopicmdash
againinbothEnglishandSpanish
bull A15anda30spoteachinEnglishand SpanishforuseonCityTVandbroadcast
stations
Print Collateral Customizable fact sheetsInforma-tionsheets(onepagefrontandback)in EnglishSpanishandChinesethatcanalso bepostedonthewebsiteasPDFs
Program brochureMorehighlyde-signedforplacementinmunicipaloffices andevents
Customizable Brochure Brandedwith SunsetMagazineorNationalGeographic forcontractorsandrealtorstohandto customers
SignageBannersforeventsandstreet lamppostspostersformunicipaloffices andsmalleventsandpotentiallysignage forbussidestransitshelters
Speakers kits Countyandcitystaffwillreceivekitstoensure everyoneisfamiliarwithkeymessagesandhas informationtogivetoconstituentsThesecan besentdirectlytocitiesordistributedthrough COGsKitswillcontain
bull Talkingpoints
bull DVDofthevideo
bull PPTpresentationforpublicmeetings
bull Printedbrochuresforpermitofficesto includewithwelcomepacketsfornewho-meowners
bull Articlesandphotostheycanrunintheir onlineorprintedcitynewsletters
bull CDwithtemplatesforquickprintingand websitebuttontolinkfromtheirwebsiteto EnergyUpgradeCalifornia
42 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
description of key messages
Thefollowingmessageshadthehighestreso-nanceinpollingandfocusgroupsbothinLos AngelesCountyandtheBayArea
Primary Motivators Thefollowingtwomessagesaboutsaving moneyarekeytomotivatingalltargetaudi-encesTheyshouldbepartofeverypieceof advertisingorcollateralproduced
1 RebatesHomeownerswhomakeenergy-savinghomeimprovementscanqualifyfor a$1500federaltaxcreditandrebatesof upto$3500dependingonhowmuchthey reduceenergyconsumptionAdditional motivatorTaxcreditsonlyavailable untilDecember312010(Rebatesare preferredovertaxcreditsbecauseitrsquoscash nowratherthanlateranddependingon incomenoteveryonecangetthecredit)
2 Save on Utility Bills Upgradingahome touselessenergyandwatercanreduce utilitybillsby20ormoremdashsavingyou moneyovertime
Secondary Motivators Thefollowingmessagesarethenlayeredde-pendingonwhichaudienceisbeingtargeted
Help the EnvironmentClimate Change Weallneedtodoourparttohelp theenvironmentandslowclimatechange Makingourhomesmoregreenandenergy efficientisanimportantstepweshouldall take
Reduce Foreign OilFossil FuelsAt atimewhenwearetryingtoreduceour dependenceonforeignoilandotherfossil fuelsupgradingtheenergyefficiencyof ourhomesisanimportantstepwecanall take(Infocusgroupstheconceptofenergy independencefurtherresonatedasinde-pendencefromutilitycompaniesgetting offthegrid)
Certified Contractors Save Money Speciallytrainedandcertifiedcontractors knowhowtofindimprovementsthatthe averagehomeownerwouldnotTheiras-sessmentswillensurethatyoufindmore energysavingsandthereforesavemore moneyonyourutilitybillsAdditional motivatorContractorsarecertifiedbythe BuildingPerformanceInstituteworking withtheDepartmentofEnergyandEnvi-ronmentalProtectionAgency
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 43
Increase Property ValuesHomesthat areenergy-efficientandenvironmentally friendlyaremoreappealingtohomebuyers Theseupgradescanincreaseyourproperty value
ComfortUpgradingyourhomersquosenergy efficiencymdashinparticularupgradinginsula-tionmdashcanmakeitamorecomfortableplace toliveNomoredraftycoldroomsinthe winterorhotstuffyroomsinthesummer
Indoor Air QualityInsulationand ventilationcanreduceallergyandasthma-causingmoldandmildewimproving indoorairqualityespeciallyforinfantsand thosewithhealthconditions
Messengers Homeownersprefertoreceiveinformation fromimpartialtrustedsourcesThesemes-sengersreceivedthehighestscoresinpolling
bull Neighborsandotherhomeowners
bull Contractorthehomeownerisalready workingwithorreferredbyfriendneigh-bor
bull Architectsdesignprofessionals
bull Gasandelectricutilities
bull Environmentalorganizations
bull Homeimprovementstorestaff(when equippedwithflyers)
44 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 45
- Cover
- Table of Contents13
- Summary Overview13
- Introduction13
- Programs Goals and Objectives13
- Marketing and Outreach Program Goals and Structure13
- Strategy13
- Evaluation13
- Description of Marketing Communication Tools13
- Description of Key Messages13
-
introduction
The Statewide Challenge Californialegislation(AB32)requiresGreen HouseGas(GHG)emissionreductionto1990 levelsby2020andfurtherreductionsinGHG emissionsto80percentbelow1990levelsby 2050Theseprovisionshavebeenincorpo-ratedintothePublicUtilitiesCommissionrsquos (CPUC)2009EnergyEfficiencyStrategic Planwhichtargetsanaverage40reduction inpurchasedenergyfortheexistingbuilding stockby2020andan80reductionby2050
TheCPUCrsquosCaliforniaEnergyEfficiency StrategicPlansetsthefollowinggoalstobe reachedby2020
25ofexistinghomesexhibita70 decreaseinpurchasedenergyfrom2008 levels
75ofexistinghomesexhibita30 decreaseinpurchasedenergyfrom2008 levels
100ofexistingmulti-familyhomes exhibita40decreaseinpurchasedenergy from2008levels
TheCPUCrsquosstatewidegoalistoretrofit 130000housingunitsby2010
Additionallegislation(AB758)requiredthe CaliforniaEnergyCommission(CEC)tode-velopandimplementacomprehensiveenergy efficiencyprogramforexistingresidentialand nonresidentialbuildingstoreducetheirGHG emissionsinkeepingwithclimatechange mitigationEnergy Upgrade Californiais apartnershipbetweentheCECandtheCPUC topromoteenergyefficiencyimprovements tohomesandcommercialbuildingsfunded inpartthroughtheAmericanRecoveryand ReinvestmentAct
Market Opportunity AlongwithothercitiesacrossthestateLos AngelesCountywillalsoberequiredtocreate aClimateActionPlanandEnergyUpgrade CaliforniainLosAngelesCountywillbea centralGHGemissionreductionimplementa-tionstrategyEnergy Upgrade California in Los Angeles Countyisanallianceamong theCountyofLosAngelestheCitieswithin theCountySouthernCaliforniaEdison SouthernCaliforniaGasCompanyandthe municipallyownedutilitiesintheCountyThe
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 11
goalisaldquoone-stopshoprdquoforpropertyowners Apropertyownerinvestmentof$5000 toeasilyfindclearconsolidatedinformation abouttheProgramelementscertifiedcon-tractorsandalltherebatesincentivesand financingoptionsavailable
Mostoftheapproximately34millionhous-ingunitsinLosAngelesCountywerebuilt beforestateenergyefficiencystandards(Title 24)wereimplementedbeginninginthe early1980sMorerecentvintageresidential buildingsalsooffergreatpotentialforenergy savingsduetodeficienciesinconstruction specificationandfieldworkquality
Energyefficiencymeasuresincludeimprove-mentstoinsulationspaceheatingandair conditioningwaterheatinglightingwin-dowsanddoorssolarhotwatersystemsand otherfixeditems
to$15000forsingle-familybuildingtoimple-mentabuildingenergyretrofitcanoften achieveanaverageof20ormoreenergy savingsreduceutilitybillsimprovebuild-ingcomfortenhanceindoorairqualityand increasebuildingvalue
TheCountyanditspartnersarecollaborat-ingonawebsitecommunityoutreachand countywideadvertisingtoleverageefforts andfundingandtomaximizeparticipationin theProgrammdashwithagoalofpropertyowners completing30000energyefficiencyupgrades bysummer2013TheldquoMediaandAdvertis-ingFlightsrdquomatrixprovidesanoverviewof scheduleandtiming
12 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
programs goals and objectives
ThegoalsofEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLA Countyaretopromotejobcreationandreduce aggregategreenhousegasemissionsthrough energyandresource-savingretrofitsofexisting buildingstockthroughthreefundingsources
1 AmericanReinvestmentandRecoveryAct EnergyEfficiencyandConservationBlock Grant(EECBG)
2 USDepartmentofEnergyRetrofitRamp Up(RRU)funding
3 CaliforniaEnergyCommission Discretionarygrant
retrofit objectives by funding source
Objectivesthusfocusonspecifictargetnum-bersforcompletedretrofits
bull Retrofitabout27000single-familyhomes withanaverage20energyreduction Countywide(1605850single-familyresi-dentialhomesinLACounty)plus2600 multi-familyhomes
bull Reduceannualpurchasedenergycon-sumptioninthosehomesbyanaggregate 300billionBTUsperyearandassociated energycostsby$4millionperyear
bull Create3200jobsand
bull ReducetheCountyrsquosannualgreenhouse gasemissionsattributabletoenergycon-sumptioninitsexistingbuildingstockby 36287metrictonsCO2e
EECBG RRU CEC TOTAL
single-family Homes 15000 4200 8060 27260
multi-family Homes 0 1400 1240 2640
29900
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 13
marketing and outreach program goals and structure
1 Goals MarketingandoutreachforEnergyUpgrade CaliforniainLACountywillengageproperty ownersthrougheffectivestrategiesprovide clearandcompellinginformationaboutthe benefitsofanenergyefficiencyretrofitlist therebatesandtaxcreditsavailable(through thisProgramandthroughutilityprograms) explainfinancingoptionslistcertifiedcon-tractorsanddescribetheProgramprocessand optionsThemarketingandoutreachplanhas fivemajorgoals
1 Build broad positive awareness of the Program
2 Educate property owners to overcome barriers to participation
3 Target marketing efforts to drive participation by key audiences identified in surveys
4 Align and coordinate other marketing efforts by utilities and other partners
5 Create a sustained market for a whole-house performance approach leading to long-term behavioral change
2 Objectives ThePlanisdesignedtoachievethesemajor objectives
1 Program goals met
Marketing35-40ofProgrampar-ticipantsentertheProgramasaresultof marketingandoutreachefforts
Contractors45-50ofProgrampar-ticipantsentertheProgramasaresultof marketingbycontractors(usingmes-sagingandmaterialsdevelopedthrough thisPlan)
Partners10-15ofProgrampar-ticipantsentertheProgramasaresult ofmarketingbyothermethodssuch asrealtorsretailpartnersarchitects designersandCityefforts(usingmes-sagingandmaterialsdevelopedthrough thisPlan)
2 300000 unique hits on a robust website (or calls to the call center)
3 Virtual ldquoword-of-mouthrdquo buzz created through social media resulting in click throughs to the website
14 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
4 Communications kits available for county COG cities community leaders and environmental groups
5 Marketing kits available for partners (contractors realtors)
6 Informational materials placed with retailers cities county offices
7 50000000 mediaadvertisingin-person impressions through
Mainstreammedia(televisionradio print)storiesplaced
Multiculturalmedia(televisionradio print)storiesplaced
RadioTVPSAsplaced
CityTVprogramsplaced
PaidradioTVpromosads
Paidprintads
Communitymeetings
Targeteddirectmail
rebate structure
8 Consolidated information in a ldquoone-stop shoprdquo approach
3 Incentives and Financing Marketresearchshowsthatrebatesarepri-marymotivatorsforhomeownerstoundertake anenergyupgradeRebateswillbeavailable forconsumersfromvarioussourcesCur-rentlyutilityrebatesoffer$1000forthe BasicPathandupto$3500forthosereach-ing30energysavingsThefederalHome Starprogramisstillpendingmdashitcouldoffer homeownersupto$3000forelementsinthe BasicPath$3000forthosereaching20 energysavingsandupto$13000forthose reaching45energysavingsIncentivesfrom theCountyarealsostillpending(SeeRebate Structuretable)
Financingoptionsarebeinganalyzedandwill beavailableatlaunch
Allrebatesandfinancingwillbecoordinated onthewebsitewiththeultimategoalofprop-ertyownersfillingoutoneformandpopulat-ingallotherrequiredforms
ELEMENT COUNTy FUNdEd
FEd TAx CREdIT HOME STAR UTILITIES
Basic path tBD 30 of eligible $1000
advanced path tBD improvements up to $1500 (expires Dec 31) $2500 for 20
+$500 for 5 +$500 for 5
silver star tBD
gold star tBD
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 15
4 Coordination Between Local Government and Utilities Consumerswillbebestservedbyaunified brandandconsumermarketingcampaign consistentmessagingandastatewidewebsite portalwithonewebsiteaddressTheCounty ofLosAngelesSouthernCaliforniaEdison andSouthernCaliforniaGasCompanyhave beenworkingtogethertodevelopastrong coordinatedprogramInfacttheLosAngeles CountyProgramhasbecomeamodelforthe state
Coordinationwillalsoleverageresourcesand increasethemarketingeffectivenessoflocal governmentsandthelocalutilitiesAllma-terialswillbedevelopedcollaborativelyand costswillbesharedaccordingtothedivision ofresponsibilityThefollowingchartoutlines thekeydeliverablesandresponsibilities(next page)
16 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
marketingoutreach coordination
PROGRAM ELEMENT LEAd COMMENTS
COUNTy UTILITIES jOINT
market research X telephone surveys focus groups and market analysis
marketing communications plan X this document will direct all marketing
activities
program namelogo X
cec will own the brand and has final vote on statewide name tagline can be customized for la county
Website portal X
statewide portal linked to utility pages or sitesndashmain info and materials on this one site
advertising campaign principles development X
marketing templates X
Print and online available for cities to customize as needed
service territory media Buys (regional) X Mainstream and ethnic media buys
local media Buys (la county) X Both mainstream and ethnic media in
hotspots and la county
call center X one phone number managed by utilities county to help produce script
retail outlet materials X May include kiosks short videos
contractor marketing toolkit X tBD county will develop marketing materials
for contractors
direct mail (eg bill inserts other mailers) X
county assessor materials X
Materials included in water bills property tax bills
community-Based outreach X targeted grassroots marketing
(includes local events)
community events X X utilities attend countywide events county attends local events
public relations X X
utilities take lead for service territory county for local or supervisor-initiated PR
Home energy makeover contest X
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 17
strategy
TheProgramwilluseamulti-layeredmulti-facetedmarketingandoutreachstrategythat targetsaudiencesbyidentifyingwhotheyare wheretheyliveandtheeventsgoingonin theirlivesMarketingeffortsinclude
1 Countywide Marketing (and Media Relations)
2 Pilot Area Marketing
3 Trigger-Event Marketing
4 City Outreach
5 Contractor Marketing
6 Realtor Marketing
7 Retail Partner Marketing
8 Multi-Family Marketing
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing
1 Countywide Marketing
Thestrategyisentirelyresearch-drivenfocus-ingonthosepropertyownersmostlikelyto undertakeahomeenergyupgradeAnover-archinglayerofmainstreammarketingand advertisingwillbeaimedatthreeaudiences
1 Early AdoptersThosewhoarestrong environmentalistsalreadypoisedtoldquodo therightthingrdquofortheenvironmentand whojustneedtohearaboutaprogramand rebates
2 ldquoRetrofit-ReadyrdquoThosewhoarealready planninghomeimprovementsandjust needalittlemoreinformationaboutwhat stepstotaketosavemoneyandldquodothe rightthingrdquofortheenvironment
3 ldquoRetrofit-Persuadablerdquo Thosewho arethinkingabouttheirutilitybills homecomforttheenvironmentorour dependenceonfossilfuelsforeignoil (especiallyinlightoftherecentGulfoil spill)andwhoneedinformationabout whattypesofimprovementstheycould makeandwhatstepstotaketosave energysavemoneyandreducefossilfuel consumption
Outreachwillbeaimedattargetaudiences throughbothmainstreamandmulticultural mediaTheadvertisingwillalsospillover ontoaudiencesinspecificgeographicareas providingadditionalimpressionstothose whoarealsotargetedinthePilotMarketing AreasThiswillalsoaddtothecitiesrsquoefforts topromotetheProgramastheirresidents willalsoseethecountywidemarketingefforts
18 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Marketingwillfocusoneachtargetaudience providingimpressionsclosetotheirhomeand reachingouttomoremassaudiencesCounty-widemarketingandoutreachwillinclude tacticsinthetablebelow
The One-Stop Shop Allinformationwillbeconsolidatedina one-stopshopapproacheitherinaldquobrick andmortarrdquolocationthroughthewebsiteor callcenteroratcommunityeventsProperty ownerswillhaveeasyaccesstoinformation
abouteligibleenergyefficiencymeasures andretrofitoptionseligibilityforCounty-administeredfinancialvehiclesandincentives eligibilityforutility-sponsoredrebatesand incentivesfederalrebateandtaxcreditinfor-mationandaccesstolistsofqualifiedenergy retrofitcontractors
Propertyownerswhoarenoteligiblefororin-terestedinEnergyUpgradeCaliforniawould alsobeabletofindoutaboutopportunities forweatherizationprogramslow-incomerate
countywide marketingoutreach tactics
Cable TV
County Events
Mass Media
Out of Home
Radio
Retail Partners
City Information
City TV
Local Media
Transit Shelters
Theaters
Billboards
Community of Interest
Newsletters
Contractor Marketing
Direct Mail to Hot Spots
Online Ads
Site Signage
Social Media
Community Newsletters
Local Events
Target Audience
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 19
subsidiesgreenjobstrainingandotherinitia- Parcel-Based Market Analysistivesavailabletoqualifiedhouseholds
Identifying Locations of Target Audiences Thegeographiclocationoftargetaudiences willbeidentifiedthroughtwomarketanalysis efforts
Pilot Marketing Areas TheCountywillintensifymarketingefforts inspecificpilotmarketingareaswherehigh percentagesoftheEarlyAdopterandRetrofit ReadyaudiencesliveThesepilotmarketareas willbeidentifiedthroughdemographicanaly-sisbaseduponextensivemarketresearchas wellasadetailedanalysisofkeycommunity resourcessuchasstrongcommunitynetworks andcommunity-basedorganizationsinfluen-tiallocalmedialdquocommunityfeelrdquoetc(For moreinformationonthepilotmarketareas approachandengagementstrategiesseepage 23)
Adetailedmarketanalysisisbeingconducted tosupportspecificpiecesoftheoutreachand communicationsstrategybyidentifyingthe locationofaudiencesthatarereceptivetospe-cificoutreachstrategiesThetableonthenext pagedemonstratesthemarketanalysisaudi-ences(scenarios)andmarketstrategiesthat arebeinganalyzedtoidentifythelocationof targetaudiencesThemarketanalysisisbeing conductedusingconsumermarketresearch combinedwithdemographicdataandprop-ertycharacteristicsdatafromtheCountyas-sessorThemainproductfortheanalysiswill beaseparateanalysisreport(expectedAugust 2010)Thisreportwillincludecountywide ldquoheatmapsrdquothatidentifytheareasthathave ahighproportionoftargetpropertiesandare thereforeidealareasfortargetedmarketing ThesemapscanbeusedforEnergyUpgrade Californiaorcontractormarketingstrategies
countywide market capture cascade
Early Adopters
Retrofit ready
Retrofit persuadable
The Next Phase No way
MESSAGES
bull environment bull Fossil Fuels bull Rebates
available
AddITIONAL MESSAGES
bull save money on utility bills
bull Rebates
bull long-term attitudinal change
available AddITIONAL MESSAGES
bull Property values bull comfort bull Health bull ReBates available
20 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
market analysis scenarios
Link between Pilot Market Areas and Parcel-Based Market Analysis
Theaudiencesbeingexaminedinthepilot marketingareasoverlapwithbutarenotthe sameasthoseinthemarketanalysisThe marketanalysisthereforesupportsthepilot marketareaidentificationintwoways
1 Itaddspropertycharacteristicsgleaned fromconsumerresearchtothepilotmarket areaanalysisInthiswayScenarios1and 2(RetrofitReadyandRetrofitPersuadable) providefurtherdetailtothepilotmarket areasandallowforgeneralmarketingto
MARkET ANALySIS SCENARIO
AUdIENCE IdENTIFIEd
dATA ANALyzEd RELATEd MARkETING STRATEGy
1-early adopters retrofit ready
environmentalists ready to take action now with information about rebates
Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Pilot Marketing areas
2-retrofit persuadable
those who need information about types of improvements with emphasis on rebates and cost savings
Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Pilot Marketing areas
3a-Built environment Heating and cooling
Middle-aged to newer homes located inland that are larger and often have high ac heating bills
Property characteristics location of Home
trigger event Marketing utility Bills Pilot area Marketing
3b-Built environment-Heating
smaller older coastal homes that may have comfort issues in winter
Property characteristics location of Home
trigger event Marketing comfort Pilot Marketing areas
4-multi-family Multi-family homeowners Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Multi-family Marketing Pilot Marketing areas
5-Whole neighborhood
tracts of similarly-aged and built homes
Property characteristics location of Home
Whole neighborhood Marketing Pilot Marketing areas
bedirectedtospecificproperties(when appropriate)
2 Italsoidentifiesotherkeyaudiences (Scenarios3a3b4and5)thatcorrelate toothermarketingstrategiesasshown intableaboveTheresultsofthese scenarioswillbeoverlaidontopofthepilot marketareastoidentifyspecificparcels thatmayrespondtospecificmarketing strategiesForexamplewhenoverlaying thepropertiesidentifiedinScenario5 (Whole-NeighborhoodScenario)with thepilotmarketingareastheCounty canidentifypropertieswithinthepilot
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 21
marketingareathatwouldrespondtoa whole-neighborhoodmarketingapproach (bulkpurchasingmodelhomesasingle contractoretc)
Home Energy Makeover Contest HomeEnergyMakeoverContestsgenerate atremendousamountofpublicityandhave beensuccessfullyconductedinmanyother statesandcitiesTheyattractthousandsof entrantsTheconceptistobothgarnerfree publicityandmodelthebehaviortheProgram istryingtoencouragebyshowingtheldquowhole houseapproachrdquohoweasyupgradescanbe howmuchtherebatescanreducetheproject costandhowmuchdifferencetheymaketoa home
Thecontestwillalsodemonstratethemarket acceptanceforthehomeperformanceap-proachtotraditionalsingle-measurecontrac-torsThosecontractorswillseehowmany peopleenterthecontesttowinahomeperfor-mancemakeoverbasedonthewholehouseap-proachAllthosewhoenteredareleadswho maybeinterestedinawholehouseapproach ratherthansinglemeasures
Entrantsmustbeover18liveinLosAnge-lesCountyandownthehomeinwhichthey residethecontestcanbelimitedtothose whoreceiveservicefromSouthernCalifornia EdisonandorSouthernCaliforniaGas(in otherwordsitcanincludeorexcluderesi-dentsservedbymunicipalutilities)Entrants submitinformationabouttheirhomeand theirenergyconsumptionandgivepermis-sionfortheProgramjudgestoviewtheir energyconsumptionduringthepreviousyear Finalistsarebasedonthehighestenergycon-sumptionpersquarefootofamedian-sized homeAbout20finalistsreceivefreeenergy auditsfortheirhomesBasedontheaudit (andadditionalcriteriawewilldetermine)five winninghomesreceiveupto$15000inhome
energyimprovements(whichcanbesupple-mentedbyrebatesandadditionalfunding fromthepropertyowner)Thewinneragrees tomediacoverageanopenhouseandtoblog andorTweetduringandaftertheretrofit Wewillworkwithcontractorstogetsponsor-shipsaswellasdonatedauditsandupgrade elements
OnecontestwillbeheldinFall2010(withfive winners)andasecondcontestheldduring Springof2011(withfivewinners)
Aseparatecontestcouldbeheldformulti-familybuildingswithahigherwinning amount
Countywide Incentives TheProgramwillestablishalistofnon-profit organizationsthatareactiveinpromoting greenhomessustainabilityandotherenvi-ronmentalorcommunityprojectsEveryone intheCountywhocompletesanenergyaudit maydesignateanon-profitorganizationto receiveadonationfromtheProgramInfor-mationabouttheeligibleorganizationswill beonthewebsiteThiswillencouragethose non-profitstopromotetheProgramtotheir membersltNotethisconceptisstillbeing developedgt
Direct Mail Utilitieswillplacemessagesonouterbillen-velopessenttocustomersTheywillalsosend directmailaboutEnergyUpgradetoldquotarget areasrdquobasedonacombinationofenergy usageageofhomeandhouseholdincome DirectmailisscheduledforOctober2010
County Events Utilitieswillbeattendinglargeeventssuch astheSeptember2010and2011LACounty Fairswithawholehousethemethatincludes aminimodelhousethatvisitorscanldquotourrdquo Additionalproposedeventsinclude
22 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
bull LeagueofCitiesAnnualConference workshop(September2010)
bull PomonaHomeImprovementShow (October2010)
bull RemodelingShowattheLACountyFair (October2010)
bull CaliforniaAssociationofRealtors (October2010)
bull BuildingIndustryShow(November2010)
bull SouthernCaliforniaHomeImprovement Show(November2010)
bull NeighborWorksAmerica(February2011)
Online and Social Media TheProgramwillusesocialmediatoinex-pensivelyreachtargetaudiencesbeginningat launchandcontinuingthroughoutthePro-gramwithbriefpausesforrefiningThiswill beaccomplishedthroughoptimizingsearch wordsforsearchenginessuchasGoogleand Bingreachingappropriateindependentblogs aYouTubevideocontest(runbyamediapart-ner)andencouragingblogpostsandTweets byearlyadoptersandtheProgramitself(see DescriptionsofMarketingCommunications ToolsandDescriptionsofTargetAudiencesfor moredetails)Inadditionutilitieswilldevote spaceforinformationandalinkontheirland-ingpages
Countywide Media Buys Withalatesummerfalllaunchdatemedia buysneedtobespreadtoavoidtheelection monthofOctober2010EnergyUpgradeCali-forniainLosAngelescansponsoraweather broadcastmdashliveonlineandmobilemdashaswell as15and30spotsduringotherbroadcasts Wewillalsopurchaseliveandonlinespots withUnivisiontheSpanish-languagestation Radiobuyswillinclude15NationalPublic Radio(KPCCandKCRW)sponsorshipsand variousdrive-timespotsonEnglishandin-
languageAMandFMstationsSocialmedia buysincludeGoogleWordsandblogads(see DescriptionsofMarketingCommunications Tools)Printmediabuyswillbeinmulticul-turalpapers
(Afullmediabuyplanandschedulewillbe availableinAugust)
Countywide Media Relations TheProgramwillcoordinateCountyandutil-ityeffortsandwiththeCaliforniaEnergyCom-missionCaliforniaPublicUtilitiesCommis-sioneffortsMediarelationswillbeinthree phasespre-launchlaunchandmilestones
Pre-Launch (August ndash September)
bull DevelopandprovideaSpeakerrsquosKit withtalkingpoints
bull OrganizeCountymedialaunchevent (potentiallyenlistawillinghomeowner whosehousemightserveasalaunching padformediatours)
bull Respondtorequestsfromcities
bull Providepre-writtenarticlesforcity communitynewsletters
bull Issuepresskitsandpressrelease(in EnglishandSpanish)announcing launch
Launch (October)
bull Mediaeventtoannouncelaunchand HomeEnergyMakeoverContestpoten-tiallyon-siteatahousetodemonstrate upgrades
bull SendoutradioPSAs
Milestones (through 2013)
bull Mediaeventtoannouncewinnersofthe HomeEnergyMakeovercontest(could beconductedon-sitesurprisingthe winners)
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 23
bull ldquoRe-launchrdquopressreleaseandmedia eventinMarch2011forasecondHome EnergyMakeoverContestwithastrong ldquogetreadyforsummerrdquotheme
bull Pressreleasewhen10000thperson receivesarebate
bull Pressreleasewhenotherappropriate milestonesarereachedorthefunding forincentivesisclosetobeingdepleted
2 Pilot Marketing Areas
Itwillbecriticalforthelong-termsuccessof marketingeffortstohaveasignificantnumber ofearlysuccessesthatgeneratepositivepub-licityandword-of-mouthencouragingothers toalsoparticipateTheCountyintendsto stimulatethemarketfortheseearlyadopters byintensifyingmarketingeffortsinspecific pilotmarketingareas(withzipcodebound-aries)wherebasedonextensiveconsumer
countywide marketingoutreach tactics
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
television
ad buys on Broadcast tV univision google tV Paid county
ldquothis old Houserdquo segment on whole house per-formance and rebates while renovating house (filming in la this summer)
earned county
coverage on mainstream and multicultural sta-tions
earned utilities county
ldquoinfomercialrdquo and promos on city tV Placed county
radio
nPR sponsorship Paid county
commute time spots Paid county
coverage on california Report earned utilities county
Psas on mainstream stations Placed utilities county
spots on multicultural stations Paid county
coverage in mainstream and multicultural papers
earned utilities county
sunset Magazine green Home section earned county
ads in la times and Daily news real estate sections
Paid utilities county
ads in multicultural papers Paid county
Direct Mail to targets Paid utilities
24 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
countywide marketingoutreach tactics (conrsquot)
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
social media
Blogs (about homes environment bargains) earned county
Facebook page Placed county
ads targeted to interest in environment and or home improvements (this old House etc)
Paid county
google adWords targeted to interest in environment andor home improvements
Paid county
twitter both by the Program and by individual early adopters (with incentives)
Placed county
youtube early adopters make a video about their experience and results (with incentives)
Placed county
out of Home
Retail kiosks banners flyers links on retail websites
Placed utilities
community organizations
environmental groups and others newsletters websites email blasts
earned county
Home improvement shows booths Paid county
countywide events Paid utilities
Bloggersubject matter events Paid county
researchhighpercentagesoftargetaudiences livePilotmarketingprogramsinthoseareas willtesttheextentcommunity-basedmarket-ingpositivelyimpactsparticipationratesan effortrelatedtoRetrofitRampUpproposal requirements
Demographicdataprovidedbythemarketre-searchwillbeoverlaidwithenergyusagedata AdditionallyGIS-basedmarketanalysisatthe parcellevel(describedabove)willallowfor pinpointingofspecificneighborhoodswithin thepilotareasforoutreachthatcaninclude
door-to-doordirectmailandmarketingby contractorsaspartofaldquowholeneighbor-hoodrdquoapproachFocusingonpilotareaswill alsomeettheRetrofitRampUprequirements oftheDepartmentofEnergyFollowingisa summaryofplannedmarketingandoutreach efforts
Marketresearch-basedcriteriaforchoosing about15pilotareaswillinclude
Clusters of houses built before 1978 Thoselivinginolderhomesespecially
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 25
builtbeforeCaliforniarsquosEnergyEfficiency Standardsaremorelikelytobelievethat theirhousemightbeenergyinefficient andcouldbenefitfromenergyefficiency improvementsmdashandberesponsivetoan energyupgrade
High percentage of homeownership Thesemarketingeffortsfocusonsingle-familyresidentialhomeownerssoareas withhighrentalrateswillnotprovidea largeenoughnumberofeligibleunits
Income over $60000Thosewith incomesunder$60000didnotbelieve theywouldhavesufficientincometomake improvementsevenwithrebatesThey werenotinterestedinloans(manywith lowincomesalsofindthemselvesldquounder-waterrdquoontheirloansandthusnoteligible forsomefinancing)Inadditionwefound somepush-backinfocusgroupsabout ldquogovernmentofferingloanstopeoplewho canrsquotaffordthemafterthesub-primeloan debaclerdquo
Population with a high percentage of college-educatedThosewithacollege degreearemuchmorelikelytoindicate apreferencetomakeenergyefficiency upgradesThosewhohadcompletedsome collegeeducationarealsomorelikelyto indicateapreferenceforenergyefficiency upgradesthanthosewhohadnotcom-pletedany
Population with a high percentage of those age 35-54Thosewithchildren andorexpandingfamiliesaremorelikely tomakeimprovementsthanthoseunder 30(thereareveryfewhomeownersunder 30)andthoseover54
High percentage of households with 4+ peopleHouseholdswithmorepeople havehigherenergybillsResearchshows thatthoseinhomeswithmorethan4
peoplebelieveenergyupgradescanmakea bigimpactontheirbills
High energy usage Thehigherenergy usage(andbills)themorelikelypeopleare tobelievethatenergyefficiencyimprove-mentswillmakeadifferenceintheirbills
Afterlayeringthisinformationtocomeup withalistofpotentialareaswefurthercon-sidered
Clusters of 8000-20000 homesThe areashouldbelargeenoughtoprovidesub-stantialnumbersofeligibleunitsbutsmall enoughtoenablereachingmajorityofresi-dentsandgeneratingword-of-mouth
Has a diverse multicultural commu-nityAreasshouldhavestrongcommunity identitiesandsenseofplacesocommunity membersareproudofwheretheyliveand areencouragedtoimprovetheircommu-nity
Has strong neighborhood and com-munity organizationsWeneedto engagetheseorganizationsaspartnersto helpspreadtheword
Has existing communications such as newsletters blogsWeneedtoreach membersthroughexistingcrediblesources thatresidentsalreadyuseandtrust
ldquoSpill overrdquo opportunities to nearby neighborhoodsSincemarketingand mediaeffortswillpotentiallyalsobeseen byneighborsareasshouldbenearother areasthatmayalsomeettheprimary criteria
Climatetime of yearIndetermining whentorolloutthepilotswecantarget interiorareasinspringandcoastalareasin coldweather
26 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Basedonthemarketresearchcriteriafive pilotmarketingareasarescheduledforintense marketingatlaunchwithanadditional10 areasscheduledforintensemarketingin Spring2011
Thepilotmarketstrategyissupportedby theparcel-basedmarketanalysiswhichwill identifywhichneighborhoodspropertieswill bethebesttotargetusingthisapproachThe marketanalysiswillallowlimitedmarketing fundingtobeleveragedbyfocusingonthose thataremostlikelytorespondtothemarket-ingefforts
Wewillcreatemessagesandvisualsspecifical-lytailoredtoeachtargetcommunityrsquoscultural andlinguisticpreferencesImagessymbols andiconstypographycolorandoverall designcarrydifferentmeaningsindifferent culturesAmessageistypicallymosteffective ifitiscreatedwithcarefulattentiontothese idiosyncrasiesandwithintheldquoculturalmind-setrdquooftherecipientsCreatingheadlinesand taglinesdirectlyinthetargetlanguagerather thansimplytranslatingEnglishadvertising copyensuresthatcopyhasthecorrectrhythm andrhymeandisthereforemuchmore attention-grabbingandmemorable
Community Incentives Energy Champion Program Severalconceptsareunderconsiderationto developacommunityincentivestrategyto promoteparticipationinlinewiththeRetrofit RampUpproposalforinnovativeincentiveap-proachesIncentivesmaybedirectedatenergy auditscommunity-basedorganizationsthose willingtoprovidetestimonialsorblogtweet andpublicrecognitionefforts
Grassroots Community Organizing-Trainedorganizerswillpresentinformationat themeetingsof12-15influentialcommunity leadersandcommunity-basedorganizationsin
eachpilotareacapturetheircontactdataand helpspreadtheinformationtotheirmembers throughtheirnewsletterseventsandwebsites TheProgramwillprovidepre-writtencus-tomizablearticlespresentationsorvideoand websiteldquobuttonsrdquotolinktotheProgramsite Eachgroupwillbeofferedanincentiveofado-nationtotheirorganizationforeverymember whocompletesahomeenergyupgradeThis willencourageCBOvolunteerstoincrease theirmarketingeffortsFriendlyrivalrieswill beencouragedCommunitygroupswillreport namesofparticipantscheckedforjobcomple-tionbytheProgram(underdevelopment)
Community Events One-on-onefacetimewithhomeownersis anidealwaytoengagepotentialparticipants Well-trainedorganizerswillattendfiveevents ineachtargetareaprovidinghomeowners withinformation(pocketsizemultilingual handouts)andcapturingtheircontactinfor-mationforfollowupTheycanhavehome-ownerssignuponthewebsiteonsiteifappro-priateandperhapsevenhavethemprovideus withavideocommitmentldquoItookthePledgerdquo withpermissiontopostonthewebsiteAsa luretotheboothhomeownerswillbeoffered freeitemssuchaslightbulbsmagnetsand reusablecupswithcoldwater(imprintedwith thewebsite)manufacturedintheUS
Print Radio Outdoor and Out-of Home Advertising Localmediawillcoverthelaunchofthe Programandwewillstrategicallyplaceads inlocalmediaandcommunitynewsletters Outdooradvertising(smallstreet-levelbiode-gradableeco-postersbussheltersbussides) strategicallyplacedinhigh-trafficareaswillre-inforcethemessageoveraone-monthperiod
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 27
Pilot Area Example Altadena Altadenawasidentifiedasacommunitythat fitsourtargetcriteriaItisadiverseunincor-poratedcommunitywithsixneighborhoods andanapproximatepopulationof40000The averagehouseholdincomeisabout$94000 Morethan50ofadultresidentsaremarried withchildrenandcommuteanaverageof62 milesperdaytowhite-collarjobsFully40of theadultsinthiscommunityhaveabachelors
degreeorhigherandareinvolvedinmany communityeventsandorganizationsThere areapproximately12000homesinthiscom-munityand10000ofthosehomesareowner-occupiedThegraphicshowshowoutreach wouldbeconcentratedinthisarea
pilot area outreachmarketing tactics
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
radio
Psas on multicultural stations earned county
coverage in local papers earned county
ads in local and multicultural papers Paid county
outdoor
Bus shelters in area Paid county
on-street lampost signage Paid county
Billboards Paid county
social media
Blogs (relevant to the area) earned county
online ads targeted by location Paid county
listserves of neighborhood associations (through cities)
earned county
out of Home
Movie theater ads in area Paid county
lawn signs on homes in area (through contractors)
Paid county
community organizations
community meetings with incentives to organizations for participation
earnedPaid county
community events Paid county Door hangers Paid county
28 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Home Depot
Ace Hardware
Lowersquos
Master Builders
Great Indoors
Home Expo
altadena marketing target
Hoy La Opinioacuten
Pasadena Star News
Altadena Headlines Examiner
Boulevard Magazine
Arroyo Magazine
Pasadena Weekly
Altadena Connection
Sentinel
KLVE
KPCC Pasadena
KCBS
KROQ Pasadena
KAZN Pasadena
Church Bulletins
Summer Concert Series at Farnsworth Park
Fourth of July Fireworks at
Town amp Country Club
Black History Parade
World Music Festival in Pasadena
Haunted House at
Farnsworth Park
Art Break
Rose Parade
National Latino
Congreso
Altadena Neighborhood Association
Altadena Chamber of Commerce
Altadena Arts Council
Altadena Town Council
Faith-based Organizations
Altadena Town amp Country Club
Altadena League of
Women Voters
Altadena Historical Society
Altadena Community Improvement Center
Sheriff Support Group
Santa Coming to Farnsworth
Park
Altadena California
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 29
3 Trigger-Event Marketing
Thissuiteofstrategieswillbeaimedatcaptur-ingenergyefficiencyopportunitiesfrommul-tipletriggereventsParticipantswillmainly comethroughcontractorsrealtorsandretail partnerspropertyownerswillhavealsoseen countywideadvertising
trigger event marketing
4 City and COG Outreach
OutreachbyCitiesandCOGswillbecritical becauseoftheirexistingrelationshipswith localconstituenciesCitieswillbeprovided withamini-marketingplantalkingpoints videocustomizabletemplatesoffactsheets articlesfortheirnewslettersandadvertising
EvENT dESCRIPTION LEAd AGENT COLLATERAL TACTIC
1 Replace on burnout (heating air conditioners water heaters)
Homeowners either in process of replacing an item or have already done some efficiency projects
county bull Retail partners
bull HVac installers
bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors installers
bull Retail displays
2 life-stage changes (growing family)
Homeowners working with a contractor
county bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors bull ads in media for home remodels
3 Home remodel Homeowners working with an architect contractor
county bull contractors bull architects
bull Materials for contractors
bull ads in media for home remodels
3 improvements at time of purchase
Homeowners interested are preparing a new home for move-in (research shows more interest at purchase than at sale)
shared bull contractors bull Realtors bull Home
inspectors bull city permit
offices bull city welcome
kits bull Retail
bull Brochures for cities
bull ads in weekend homes for sale sections
bull Presentations to realtor groups
bull Retail displays
4 improvements at sale
House owners preparing for sale
county bull contractors bull Realtors
bull Materials for contractors
5 complaints high utility bills cold hot house
Homeowners aware of energy-saving improvements but not whole house approach
county bull contractors bull HeRs raters
bull Materials for contractors
30 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
city amp cog outreach
materialssotheycandeveloplow-costout-reachtotheirresidentsCitieswithcommuni-tiestargetedinthePilotAreaMarketingplans willbeinformedandencouragedtodoout-reachtothoseareasAllCitieswillbeencour-agedtodothefollowing
Run stories in print and online news-letters
Send information to neighborhood associations homeowners associa-tions historic preservation districts and other appropriate community organizations
Provide information in City permit-ting offices and City Hall lobbies
Provide information at strategically located Environmental Information Centers and at COG office locations
Provide information in ldquonew home-ownersrdquo welcome kits (either directly from the city or through title compa-
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAId EARNEd
LEAd
pio coordination contact all participating citiesrsquo Pios na county
letters Key messages for letters from mayors etc to constituents Provide to Pios or city managers
na county
Website links Button for cities to place on their website to link to Program site
na county
city tV informational videos and spot promos Placed county
Welcome brochure
Brochure aimed at new homeowners before they move in
na county
articles Pre-written customizable newsletter articles earned county
email blasts Pre-written customizable info spots for communityneighborhood listserves
earned county
niesmortgage brokers)
Run videos and spots on City TV stations
5 Contractor Marketing
Localcontractorsarecriticaltothesuccess ofEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLosAngeles CountyTheyprovidetheservicesthatcom-prisetheProgramandtheycanhelpmarket theProgramtopropertyownersInfactwe estimatethatupto50ofProgrampartici-pantswillentertheProgramthrougharela-tionshipwithacontractor(theymayhavealso seenmediacoverageandadvertisingwhich spurredthemtotakeaction)Thisuniquerole requiresthattheProgramtakeatwo-tiered approachofengagingthecontractormdashmoti-vatinglocalbuildingprofessionalstoundergo thetrainingandcertificationprocessandalso providingthemwiththetoolstoeffectively promotetheprogramtoexistingandnew clientsThefollowingsectiondescribesspecific
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 31
contractor target
United Brotherhood Building Industry Carpenters (Training)
Association ofSouthern California
Email Blast
Contractors Magazines
Contractor
OnlineAds
Big Box Stores
ConractorsLicensing Schools
Realtor Associations
strategiesassociatedwithbothapproaches
Forthepurposesoftheprogramcontractors aredividedintoparticularsegmentsbasedon thetypeofserviceprovidedAninitialanalysis oftheindustryrevealedthefollowinglikely categories
HomePerformance(HP)Contractors
ProductionBuilders
HVACSystemSpecialtyTrades (windowsetc)
RemodelingContractors
SolarContractors
BuildingPerformance
Institute
Southwest Regional
City Permit Association
Offices of Carpenters
Lumber Yards
StateLicensing
Board
American Instituteof Architects
LA Chapter
Outreach to Contractors TheProgramwillcoordinatewithcontractor groupsandotherbuildingprofessionaltrade organizationstoschedulebriefpresentations abouttheProgramandthecontractortraining processForlargerorganizationsthePro-grammayworkdirectlywiththecompanyto arrangeon-sitepresentationsThesepresenta-tionsareinformalinnatureandwillbeusedto promotethecertificationorientationsrequired forcontractorparticipationintheprogram
KeyMessagestoContractors
$30millioninAmericanRecoveryand ReinvestmentActmoneyisworkinginLA Countytocreateconstructionindustryjobs
32 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
EnergyUpgradeCaliforniaOffersbig rebatesandfinancingoptionsfor homeownersdoinghomeenergy efficiencyretrofits
Therewillbemarketingandadvertis-ingstatewideandlocallytopromotethe Program
Therewillbemarketingmaterialsforyou tousetomarketyourbusiness
YoumustbelicensedandBuildingPerfor-manceInstitute-certifiedtobepartofthe Program
HomeownersmustworkwithBPI-certified contractorstheyrsquollchoosefromacontrac-tordatabaseonthewebsite
KeyOutreachMethods
BuildingIndustryAssociationofSouthern California
SouthwestRegionalCouncilofCarpenters
RealtorsAssociation
UnitedBrotherhood-Carpenters(Training Program)
Citypermittingoffice
Lumberyards
AmericanInstituteofArchitectsLA Chapter(toeducatethemaswell)
ArticlesinformationinContractortrade publications(magazinesnewslettersetc) magazines
CarpentersUnionLocals
ContractorsLicenseSchools(andonline)
BigBoxHomeImprovementstores(de-pendingonIOUrelationships)
wwwcslbcagov
Emailblasttoalllicensedcontractors
Contractor Outreach to Consumers Differentopportunitiesexistfordifferent contractorsdependingontheprobablework scopeThefollowingtableoutlinesafew potentialpathwaysforhowcontractorscan participateintheProgram
contractors outreach to customers
CONTRACTOR TyPE
TRIGGER EvENT vALUE TO CONTRACTOR
BUSINESS MOdEL
Home Performance upgrade lead generation scale for high volume
Production Builder new Business Development
create new division
HVac Replacement lead generation Value-add
expand services
specialty trade lead generation Partner with certified gc
Remodeler Remodel life-stage transition
Value-add sub work to HP contractor
solar Renewables lead generation Partner with certified gc
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 33
BPI-certifiedgeneralcontractorswillbelisted ontheEnergyUpgradeconsumerwebsite sendingmanyleadsdirectlytothemThey alsohaveaccesstotheldquoheatmapsrdquotousefor developingtheirownadvertisingcampaigns
Contractorswillbeattendingorientationses-sionstoensuretheythoroughlyunderstand theProgramrebatesfinancingoptionsand canhelpguidetheircustomersthroughthe processTheywillbeprovidedwithContractor MarketingKitstoensuretheyhaveathandthe keymessagesthathavebeenresonatingwith homeownersandhaveinformationtogive topotentialcustomerswhomightormight nothavebeentothewebsiteKitscanbesent directlytocontractorsordistributedatthe orientationsessionsKitswillcontain
Talkingpoints
DVDofthevideo
Printedfactsheetstoleavewithcustomers (withroomfortheircontactinfo)more canbeordered
Printedldquoslimjimrdquoprogrambrochure
Printedlengthierbrochuresaboutthe wholehouseapproach(brandedby Scientific American Magazine)
CDwithldquobuttonrdquotolinktoEnergyUpgrade fromtheirownwebsitesandPDFsofsite signageforprinting
Contractorswillhaveaccesstoaseparatesec-tionofthewebsitewheretheywillfindinfor-mationaboutProgrameventspromotionsand advertisinganon-demandprintsectionfor additionalcopiesofbrochuresanychanges totheProgramandasingletradecontractor databaseforassemblingteamsforcustomers whowouldlikesolarpanelsornewwindows forexample
6 Realtor Marketing
Giventhatthenationalaveragelengthofhome ownershipisroughlysixyearsrealestate agentswillbeincontactandadvisingalarge percentageofthenewandexistinghomeown-ersthatEnergyUpgradeistargetingforhome energyretrofitsThishighlevelofinfluence makesrealtorsoneofthelargestpartner groups
Realestateagentswillbeengagedonthree levels
1) Outreach
2) Training
3) Support
Outreach Outreachwillbeconductedthroughavariety ofvenuesthatwillincludeCaliforniaAssocia-tionofRealtorsreg(CAR)regionalconferences heldinSouthernCaliforniapartnershipwith themanyrealtorassociationslocatedinLos AngelesCountyanddirectvisitstorealestate agentsrsquoofficesforshortpresentationsPart-nershipswiththe15-20localRealtorsAsso-ciationswillbeachievedthroughoneormore RealtorAdvisoryBoardswhichincludethe GovernmentAffairsDirectorsfromeachof theseorganizationsAselectfewoftheseor-ganizationswillbeusedaspilotsfortargeted outreachduringearlystagesoftheProgram Oncethestrategyhasbeentestedandrevised itwillberolledouttoalloftheRealtorsAs-sociationsinLosAngelesCounty
ThefallCARRealtorExpowillbethemain kickoffeventforoutreachtoindividualreal-torsandrealtorofficesEnergyUpgradeplans tohavea30-minutetalkembeddedinthe SpeakersProgramandaboothsetuponthe ExpofloortoinformrealtorsaboutthePro-gramavailabletrainingsandthesupport
34 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
toolsthathavebeendevelopedThisevent willreachthemajorityofrealtorsintheLos Angelesareabutwillnotincludethelarge populationofrealestateagentsthatarenot membersofCARToreachthispopulation emailsocialmediaandtargetedofficevisits willbeconducted
Training EnergyUpgradewillprovidetrainingforreal estateagentsintwoformsTherealestate agenttrainingmodulecurrentlyunderdevel-opmentbyBuildItGreenwillbeusedasthe maintrainingforumThistrainingmodule isexpectedtotaketwofulldaystocomplete andwillcoverpropertyassessedcleanenergy financingenergyefficientmortgagesrebate programsbuildingscienceenergyefficiency andgreenbuildingpracticesappropriateto California
Additionalweb-basedtrainingwillbeprovided tointroducerealestateagentstotheProgram andtodrivethemtogetin-persontraining throughtheBuildItGreentrainingmodule
Support Cultivatingandclosingtoolswillbegener-atedtoassistrealtorsinusingEnergyUpgrade Californiatradetoexpandtheirbusinesswhile drivinghigherlevelsofprogramparticipation RealtorKitswillbesimilartotheContractor Kitsandtheywillhaveaccesstothedatabase ofgeneralandsingletradecontractors
7 Retail Partner Marketing
Utilitieswillpartnerwithretailoutletsthat canincludeBestBuyCostcoSearsLowes andHomeDepotParticipatingretailoutlets willbeprovided
Information centersEnd-displays detailingtheEnergyUpgradeProgram withadiagramillustratingthehouseas asystemconcept(multiplecomponents thatacttogethertomaximizesavings)and actionscustomerscantaketocapturethose savingsandrebatesIn-storecustomer educationcanshiftcustomerperception ofenergyupgradesandmotivatethem toparticipateinmultipleenergy-efficient measuresinsteadofjustoneAnadditional benefitfortheretailerisassociationwith thestatewideprogram
Program collateral One-sheet takeawaysforcustomerstoreference andshare
Video Theshortvideoscanbeplayed onaloop
Table tent cardsPlacedthroughout storesectionsthatcorrelatewiththe EnergyUpgradeProgram(CFLsappli-ancesceilingfansinsulationwindows) Againthiswillencouragecustomersto performmultipleenergyupgradesinstead ofjustoneCross-promotionhelpseducate customersandencourageparticipationin multiplemeasuresthusincreasingproduct purchase
Window clings ldquoOfficialEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaInformationCenterrdquotagline bannersplacedatstorefrontThiswillpo-sitiontheretailerasanactiveparticipantin thestatewideprogramandbuildsretailer credibilityasagreenadvocate
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 35
8 Multi-Family Outreach
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesandsched-ulesarestillinplanningphasesandbeing developedthroughastatewideconsortium
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesarebeing
developed
36 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
evaluation
Theprimarygoalsofthemarketingplanareto buildpositiveawarenessoftheEnergyUp-gradeCaliforniaProgramandcreateasus-tainedmarketforawholehouseapproach(see page8)Objectivesarespecifictothoseachiev-ingthosegoalsLosAngelesCountyresidents willseemultipleiterationsofmediacoverage paidadvertisingin-storedisplayscontractor marketingandin-personpresentations(inthe pilotmarketingareas)Forexamplearesi-dentinAltadenamightseethemoreintensive marketingandoutreacheffortsThatmayspur themtoactionmdashbutiftheyalreadyhadplans toremodelorhadpreviouslyworkedwitha contractortheymightcalltheircontractorand thusactuallycometotheprogramthrough thecontractorThereforeitwillnotbeeasy todeterminepreciselywhathasmotivated eachpersontoparticipateinEnergyUpgrade Objectivestomeetinclude
About35-45ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughthemarket-ingandoutreacheffortsTomonitorwe willincludeashortsurveyaspartofthe rebateapplicationprocessaskingpartici-pantswhatdrewthemtothewebsiteand totheProgramThewebsitecanmonitor clickthroughstocontractorssitesfrom theProgramwebsiteprovidinganindica-tionofpotentialparticpantswhocameto thesitebeforehavingacontractorOnce apropertyownerinputsanaddressthe websitewillbeabletospecificallymonitor ifthatparticipantasksformultiple estimatesfromcontractorsanotherindica-
toroffindingacontractorthroughthesite
About45-50ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughcontractors Wewillaskcontractorstoprovideinfor-mationabouttheirmarketingeffortsand successratesTheywillbeabletoidentify participantsgainedthroughtheirownmar-ketingefforts
300000uniquehitsonthewebsitewhich willbemonitoredbythewebsiteFurther thewebsitewillanalyzewherevisitors camefrom(egaclickthroughfroman onlineadfromacontractorrsquoswebsite orduringthespecifictimeframeofanad campaign)
Virtualandactualldquoword-of-mouthrdquore-portedbymonitoringsocialmedia
Communicationskitsandmarketingkits availablebothphysicallyandthroughan on-demandprintsitemonitoredbyclient
Informationalmaterialsforcitiesmoni-toredbySouthBayCitiesCouncilofGov-ernments
50000000mediaadvertisingin-person impressionsmonitoredbybroadcast printonlinestatisticsandreportsfrom grassrootsmarketingefforts
Consolidatedinformationinone-stop-shop approachwillbedeliveredthroughthe website
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 37
description of marketing communication tools
PlacedEarned Social Media ThePlancallsforsocialmediatopushinfor-mationtoourtargetaudiencesincreaseper-ceptionsoftheProgramascommunity-based reachthosewhowillhelpgenerateadditional buzzindependentmarketingeffortsaboutthe Programandprovideamechanismforlisten-ingtowhatpeoplearesayingaboutEnergy Upgrademdashandrespondingwhennecessary
Online Paid Advertising Onlineadvertisingcampaignscanbeverycost-effectiveandhighlytargetedbydemographics areasofinterestandgeographicsAdsappear ontopic-relatedblogsonsearchenginepages (egGoogle)andoncontentpages(egwhen yousearchforinformationaboutarelated topicandselectawebsitetoview)
Types of Users Targetadsbyage genderincomelanguagepreferencezip codeorhotspots
Types of SearchesTargetadsbytypeof searchconductedbasedonkeywords
Adsareusuallysoldperldquoclickrdquomdashtheviewer hasclickedontheadandbeensenttothe EnergyUpgradeCAwebsiteWewillmake fourtypesofonlineadpurchases
1 Googleadsthatplaceadsbothonits searchpagesandonhundredsofwebsites targetedbytheabove
2 Networksthattargetspecificsitesand blogsthatmatchourtargetaudiences(eg HiveBlogsLosAngelesthatoffers350LA blogstochoosefrom)
3 Directlythroughselectpublishers(eg CurbedLAGreenGirlLAlocalpapers online)
4 Onlineeditionsoflocalpapersinpilot marketingareas
Twitter Twitterusersaremostlycollegegraduates haveattendedgraduateschoolandlivein householdsmakingover$50000ayear (nationally)Usersarethreetimesmorelikely tofollowbrandsandcompaniesonTwitter thanotherusersofsocialnetworkswith40 specificallyusingTwittertolearnaboutand provideopinionsonbrands
Twittercanpushthelatestdevelopmentsand newstopeoplewhohaveexpressedaninter-estedintheProgram(theymustsignupto receiveourTweetsorhavesearchedfortag wordsincludedinourTweets)Itrsquosalsoan easywayforthosewhofollowEnergyUpgrade onTwittertoshareTweetswiththeirfriends
38 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
therebygeneratingbuzzandhelpingmarket theProgramTwittercanshareProgram newsinrealtimedrivepeopletothewebsite facilitateearlyadoptersbuzzmakersreach youngerhomeownersandincreasemarketing effortsatalowcostTwittercanbeeffectively usedtocommunicatetheProgramandits milestonesinavarietyofways
bull Tweetaboutpressreleasesmajoran-nouncementsnewitemsonwebsiteor blogsmediastoriesandarticlesespecially aboutthosethataretimesensitiveandtell ouraudiencewhatishappeningwiththe Programandencouragesthemtopartici-pateorfindoutmore
bull PutaTweeticononthemainwebsiteal-lowingvisitorstothewebsitetobeginto followEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLos AngelesCountyonTwitterwithoneclick
bull FollowotherswhoTweetaboutthe ProgramaswellasthosewhoTweetabout relatedtopicsThiswillprovideanop-portunitytodirectlyrespondtoaperson whohasaquestionabouttheProgramand pointthemtoalinktothewebsite
Tweet Examples
bull ldquo100LAhomeownershavesigned upfortheProgramatwwwEnergyUpgra-deCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoReadaboutLArsquosnewenergyefficiency rebateProgramintheLAtimes httpwwwlatimesgreenblogcomrdquo
bull ldquoWanttosaveonyourutilitybills CheckoutwwwEnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoSignupfortheHomeEnergyUpgrade contestforachancetowinafree homeenergyefficiencyretrofitat EnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
Cost and Budget
SettingupaTwitteraccountisfreeasisusing anapplicationsuchasTweetDeckthathelps followotherswhoareTweetingaboutEnergy UpgradeCaliforniaTheonlysignificantcostis stafftimewhichcanbelimitedtoafewhours aweek
Facebook Facebookisalow-costandeasywayofboth marketingtheProgramandsupportingan onlinecommunityofpeopleinterestedinthe ProgramItwillreachaudienceswhoaremore likelytospendtimeonFacebookversusaweb-siteandwhomayprefertoreceiveshortreal timeProgramnewsviaFacebookratherthan emailsorwebsitesItisidealforpostinglinks tovideosandphotosrelatedtotheprojectIt complementsthewebsiteaplacewherefans oftheProgramcanfindinformationaskques-tionsandshareideasandexcitementThese fanswillgeneratebuzzbytellingtheirfriends abouttheProgramthroughFacebook
AFacebookpagewillcontaininformation abouttheProgramalinktothewebsite Programnewsvideosphotographsandother informationWhenthepageisupdatedfans willreceivelinksinemailalertingthemtothe newposts
Facebookisalsoidealforsharingthestoryof anearlyadopter(whowillalsoTweet)through updatesphotographsandvideosItlends itselfmuchmorenaturallytothispeople-fo-cusedapproachthanawebsitewhichismore formal
Additionalpoints
bull EncourageandperhapsrewardProgram adopterstosharetheirexperiencesask questionsetc
bull Setupcontrolstodeterminewhatcontent Fanscanposttothewall
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 39
bull Monitorupdatestothewallandtakedown Therearemanyexistingblogsthatcanbeused inappropriatecontent
bull Respondtoissuesquestionsandtakepart intheconversation
bull Adesignatedstaffpersonshouldmonitor thesiteitisalsoidealifseveralstaff memberspostcontentandifpartnersare activeparticipantsalthoughtheoverall strategyshouldbecentralized
Facebook Examples
Herearesomeexamplesofthetypesofpost-ingsforaFacebookpage
bull ldquoTheLATimesdescribesEnergyUpgrade CAasaperfectopportunitytobegreenand savemoneymdashintheFridaymoneysectionrdquo
bull ldquoWhydidyoudecidetoparticipatein EnergyUpgradeCATellushowyour energyefficiencyretrofitisgoingandwersquoll enteryouforachancetowina$50Home Depotgiftcardrdquo
bull ldquoWonderingwhetherEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaisrightforyouCheckoutthis videooftheSmithsinstallingnewinsula-tionandwindows--andreceivinga$3500 rebaterdquo
Cost and Budget
Relativelyfewdirectcostsstafftimewill fluctuateduringbusycalmperiodswithhigh activityatthebeginningastheProgramkicks offandafanbaseisestablishedOngoingstaff timeneededtokeeppagefreshwith3-4posts weekdailymaintenancerequiredtomonitor postingsfromfans
Blogs Blogsreachtargetaudienceswhoarealready interestedinrelatedtopicsandwhohavehigh potentialtoparticipateintheProgram
tofurthermarketingefforts
bull Identifybloggerswhowilllikelywrite positivelyabouttheProgramSendpress releasefactsheetsandPrograminforma-tiontobloggerswhowriteabouttopics suchastheenvironmentenergyefficiency homeimprovementremodelingreal estatehousingbargainssavingmoneyas wellastocompaniesthatsellsolarpanels contractorsetc
bull Bloggersarelookingfortopicalstoriesto writeaboutandwewillmaketheirnext blogposteasyBecauseEnergyUpgradeis ahighrewardoptionalProgrambloggers willwritefavorablyandhelptellthestory inafriendlyaccessibleandeasy-to-under-standway(althoughwedonrsquothavecontrol overwhattheywrite)Peoplewhoaredis-satisfiedwillwritenegativecommentsbut wewillmonitorblogsandactivelycorrect misperceptions
bull Tomonitorwhatothersarewritingabout EnergyUpgradeontheirblogswewilluse freeprogramslikeTechnoratiorGoogle Readertoscanallblogsandwebsitesthat mentiontheProgram
Blogs to Reach
Green Girl LA Blog (httpgreenlagirlcom)Thisindependent blogisfocusedonenvironmentalhap-peningsinLosAngelesArecentpostwas aboutagreennetworkingeventfeaturing TheBuildingDoctorspresentingwaysto makeyourhousemoreenergyefficient PreviouslyareporterbloggerfortheLA Timesthewriterisactiveandcoversa widevarietyofenvironmentalgreentopics happeninginLosAngeles
40 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
LA Times HomeBlog (wwwlatimesblogslatimescomhome_
blog)focusesontopicsrelatedtohouses andhashadseveralrecentpostsabout greenremodelingOneadvantageofa majornewspaperisthatthereportingis accurateandthereadershipislargerThey recentlywroteaboutauditionsforThisOld HousewhichisfeaturingaLosAngeles areahouseforasummerremodel
Bargain Babe (wwwbargainbabelatownluxecom) featuresLosAngelesbargainsYoucan searchforbargainsbyareaofLA(West-sideetc)orbytopicThisbloggerrecently wroteaboutappliancerebates
LA Times Green Remodeling (wwwlatimesblogslatimescompar-donourdustgreen_remodeling)writes aboutalltopicsrelatedtoremodelingin SouthernCaliforniawithseveralrecent postsongreentopicsArecentpostre-viewedthedifferentadvantagesofinstall-ingvarioustanklesswaterheatersPitch thatthebloggerfollowahomeenergy retrofitandhelptelltheirstoryaswellas announcebasicPrograminformation
LA Times Personal Finance wwwlatimescombusinesspersonal-finance
Home Remodeling wwwkathysremodelingblogcom
Energy Efficiency wwwlowimpactlivingcomblog
LA CreekFreak
LA Observed
LAist
YouTube PostallvideosrelatedtotheprojectonYou-TubeWewillworkwithourmediapartners todevelopacontestforearlyadopterstofilm theirexperienceandletwebsitevisitorsvote onthebestWinnerreceivesaprizetobe determined
ListServes Listservesreachgroupsofpeoplewhoare interestedinasimilartopicorwholiveina specificneighborhoodSendemailblaststo listservessuchasneighborhoodassociations homeremodelersandenvironmentalgroups withanenergyfocusCitystaffhasinforma-tionaddressesofneighborhoodandhom-eownerassociationslists
Multimedia for Presentations Website Developanengaginginformative6-8minute videofocusingoncontractorsandhomeown-ersthatcanbeusedduringpresentationsand presentedonCityTVThevideowillbeshot bothinEnglishandinSpanishandcover
bull Howtherebatesworktocreateasenseof urgencyaboutdoingtheenergyupgrades soonerratherputtingitofftotakeadvan-tageoftherebates
bull Theldquosealthenenhancerdquowholehouse concept
bull WhattheProgramelementsactuallylook likeandhowtheyareinstalledtoover-comebarrierssuchasthatonemighthave tomoveoutofthehouseortheenergy upgradesareldquouglyrdquo
bull Workingwithacontractorwhatbeing licensedandcertifiedmeansgettingmul-tiplebids
bull Financingoptions
bull Doingthepaperwork
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 41
Fromthatvideodevelop
bull Threeindividual2-minutevideosforuse onlineeachfocusingonaspecifictopicmdash
againinbothEnglishandSpanish
bull A15anda30spoteachinEnglishand SpanishforuseonCityTVandbroadcast
stations
Print Collateral Customizable fact sheetsInforma-tionsheets(onepagefrontandback)in EnglishSpanishandChinesethatcanalso bepostedonthewebsiteasPDFs
Program brochureMorehighlyde-signedforplacementinmunicipaloffices andevents
Customizable Brochure Brandedwith SunsetMagazineorNationalGeographic forcontractorsandrealtorstohandto customers
SignageBannersforeventsandstreet lamppostspostersformunicipaloffices andsmalleventsandpotentiallysignage forbussidestransitshelters
Speakers kits Countyandcitystaffwillreceivekitstoensure everyoneisfamiliarwithkeymessagesandhas informationtogivetoconstituentsThesecan besentdirectlytocitiesordistributedthrough COGsKitswillcontain
bull Talkingpoints
bull DVDofthevideo
bull PPTpresentationforpublicmeetings
bull Printedbrochuresforpermitofficesto includewithwelcomepacketsfornewho-meowners
bull Articlesandphotostheycanrunintheir onlineorprintedcitynewsletters
bull CDwithtemplatesforquickprintingand websitebuttontolinkfromtheirwebsiteto EnergyUpgradeCalifornia
42 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
description of key messages
Thefollowingmessageshadthehighestreso-nanceinpollingandfocusgroupsbothinLos AngelesCountyandtheBayArea
Primary Motivators Thefollowingtwomessagesaboutsaving moneyarekeytomotivatingalltargetaudi-encesTheyshouldbepartofeverypieceof advertisingorcollateralproduced
1 RebatesHomeownerswhomakeenergy-savinghomeimprovementscanqualifyfor a$1500federaltaxcreditandrebatesof upto$3500dependingonhowmuchthey reduceenergyconsumptionAdditional motivatorTaxcreditsonlyavailable untilDecember312010(Rebatesare preferredovertaxcreditsbecauseitrsquoscash nowratherthanlateranddependingon incomenoteveryonecangetthecredit)
2 Save on Utility Bills Upgradingahome touselessenergyandwatercanreduce utilitybillsby20ormoremdashsavingyou moneyovertime
Secondary Motivators Thefollowingmessagesarethenlayeredde-pendingonwhichaudienceisbeingtargeted
Help the EnvironmentClimate Change Weallneedtodoourparttohelp theenvironmentandslowclimatechange Makingourhomesmoregreenandenergy efficientisanimportantstepweshouldall take
Reduce Foreign OilFossil FuelsAt atimewhenwearetryingtoreduceour dependenceonforeignoilandotherfossil fuelsupgradingtheenergyefficiencyof ourhomesisanimportantstepwecanall take(Infocusgroupstheconceptofenergy independencefurtherresonatedasinde-pendencefromutilitycompaniesgetting offthegrid)
Certified Contractors Save Money Speciallytrainedandcertifiedcontractors knowhowtofindimprovementsthatthe averagehomeownerwouldnotTheiras-sessmentswillensurethatyoufindmore energysavingsandthereforesavemore moneyonyourutilitybillsAdditional motivatorContractorsarecertifiedbythe BuildingPerformanceInstituteworking withtheDepartmentofEnergyandEnvi-ronmentalProtectionAgency
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 43
Increase Property ValuesHomesthat areenergy-efficientandenvironmentally friendlyaremoreappealingtohomebuyers Theseupgradescanincreaseyourproperty value
ComfortUpgradingyourhomersquosenergy efficiencymdashinparticularupgradinginsula-tionmdashcanmakeitamorecomfortableplace toliveNomoredraftycoldroomsinthe winterorhotstuffyroomsinthesummer
Indoor Air QualityInsulationand ventilationcanreduceallergyandasthma-causingmoldandmildewimproving indoorairqualityespeciallyforinfantsand thosewithhealthconditions
Messengers Homeownersprefertoreceiveinformation fromimpartialtrustedsourcesThesemes-sengersreceivedthehighestscoresinpolling
bull Neighborsandotherhomeowners
bull Contractorthehomeownerisalready workingwithorreferredbyfriendneigh-bor
bull Architectsdesignprofessionals
bull Gasandelectricutilities
bull Environmentalorganizations
bull Homeimprovementstorestaff(when equippedwithflyers)
44 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 45
- Cover
- Table of Contents13
- Summary Overview13
- Introduction13
- Programs Goals and Objectives13
- Marketing and Outreach Program Goals and Structure13
- Strategy13
- Evaluation13
- Description of Marketing Communication Tools13
- Description of Key Messages13
-
goalisaldquoone-stopshoprdquoforpropertyowners Apropertyownerinvestmentof$5000 toeasilyfindclearconsolidatedinformation abouttheProgramelementscertifiedcon-tractorsandalltherebatesincentivesand financingoptionsavailable
Mostoftheapproximately34millionhous-ingunitsinLosAngelesCountywerebuilt beforestateenergyefficiencystandards(Title 24)wereimplementedbeginninginthe early1980sMorerecentvintageresidential buildingsalsooffergreatpotentialforenergy savingsduetodeficienciesinconstruction specificationandfieldworkquality
Energyefficiencymeasuresincludeimprove-mentstoinsulationspaceheatingandair conditioningwaterheatinglightingwin-dowsanddoorssolarhotwatersystemsand otherfixeditems
to$15000forsingle-familybuildingtoimple-mentabuildingenergyretrofitcanoften achieveanaverageof20ormoreenergy savingsreduceutilitybillsimprovebuild-ingcomfortenhanceindoorairqualityand increasebuildingvalue
TheCountyanditspartnersarecollaborat-ingonawebsitecommunityoutreachand countywideadvertisingtoleverageefforts andfundingandtomaximizeparticipationin theProgrammdashwithagoalofpropertyowners completing30000energyefficiencyupgrades bysummer2013TheldquoMediaandAdvertis-ingFlightsrdquomatrixprovidesanoverviewof scheduleandtiming
12 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
programs goals and objectives
ThegoalsofEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLA Countyaretopromotejobcreationandreduce aggregategreenhousegasemissionsthrough energyandresource-savingretrofitsofexisting buildingstockthroughthreefundingsources
1 AmericanReinvestmentandRecoveryAct EnergyEfficiencyandConservationBlock Grant(EECBG)
2 USDepartmentofEnergyRetrofitRamp Up(RRU)funding
3 CaliforniaEnergyCommission Discretionarygrant
retrofit objectives by funding source
Objectivesthusfocusonspecifictargetnum-bersforcompletedretrofits
bull Retrofitabout27000single-familyhomes withanaverage20energyreduction Countywide(1605850single-familyresi-dentialhomesinLACounty)plus2600 multi-familyhomes
bull Reduceannualpurchasedenergycon-sumptioninthosehomesbyanaggregate 300billionBTUsperyearandassociated energycostsby$4millionperyear
bull Create3200jobsand
bull ReducetheCountyrsquosannualgreenhouse gasemissionsattributabletoenergycon-sumptioninitsexistingbuildingstockby 36287metrictonsCO2e
EECBG RRU CEC TOTAL
single-family Homes 15000 4200 8060 27260
multi-family Homes 0 1400 1240 2640
29900
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 13
marketing and outreach program goals and structure
1 Goals MarketingandoutreachforEnergyUpgrade CaliforniainLACountywillengageproperty ownersthrougheffectivestrategiesprovide clearandcompellinginformationaboutthe benefitsofanenergyefficiencyretrofitlist therebatesandtaxcreditsavailable(through thisProgramandthroughutilityprograms) explainfinancingoptionslistcertifiedcon-tractorsanddescribetheProgramprocessand optionsThemarketingandoutreachplanhas fivemajorgoals
1 Build broad positive awareness of the Program
2 Educate property owners to overcome barriers to participation
3 Target marketing efforts to drive participation by key audiences identified in surveys
4 Align and coordinate other marketing efforts by utilities and other partners
5 Create a sustained market for a whole-house performance approach leading to long-term behavioral change
2 Objectives ThePlanisdesignedtoachievethesemajor objectives
1 Program goals met
Marketing35-40ofProgrampar-ticipantsentertheProgramasaresultof marketingandoutreachefforts
Contractors45-50ofProgrampar-ticipantsentertheProgramasaresultof marketingbycontractors(usingmes-sagingandmaterialsdevelopedthrough thisPlan)
Partners10-15ofProgrampar-ticipantsentertheProgramasaresult ofmarketingbyothermethodssuch asrealtorsretailpartnersarchitects designersandCityefforts(usingmes-sagingandmaterialsdevelopedthrough thisPlan)
2 300000 unique hits on a robust website (or calls to the call center)
3 Virtual ldquoword-of-mouthrdquo buzz created through social media resulting in click throughs to the website
14 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
4 Communications kits available for county COG cities community leaders and environmental groups
5 Marketing kits available for partners (contractors realtors)
6 Informational materials placed with retailers cities county offices
7 50000000 mediaadvertisingin-person impressions through
Mainstreammedia(televisionradio print)storiesplaced
Multiculturalmedia(televisionradio print)storiesplaced
RadioTVPSAsplaced
CityTVprogramsplaced
PaidradioTVpromosads
Paidprintads
Communitymeetings
Targeteddirectmail
rebate structure
8 Consolidated information in a ldquoone-stop shoprdquo approach
3 Incentives and Financing Marketresearchshowsthatrebatesarepri-marymotivatorsforhomeownerstoundertake anenergyupgradeRebateswillbeavailable forconsumersfromvarioussourcesCur-rentlyutilityrebatesoffer$1000forthe BasicPathandupto$3500forthosereach-ing30energysavingsThefederalHome Starprogramisstillpendingmdashitcouldoffer homeownersupto$3000forelementsinthe BasicPath$3000forthosereaching20 energysavingsandupto$13000forthose reaching45energysavingsIncentivesfrom theCountyarealsostillpending(SeeRebate Structuretable)
Financingoptionsarebeinganalyzedandwill beavailableatlaunch
Allrebatesandfinancingwillbecoordinated onthewebsitewiththeultimategoalofprop-ertyownersfillingoutoneformandpopulat-ingallotherrequiredforms
ELEMENT COUNTy FUNdEd
FEd TAx CREdIT HOME STAR UTILITIES
Basic path tBD 30 of eligible $1000
advanced path tBD improvements up to $1500 (expires Dec 31) $2500 for 20
+$500 for 5 +$500 for 5
silver star tBD
gold star tBD
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 15
4 Coordination Between Local Government and Utilities Consumerswillbebestservedbyaunified brandandconsumermarketingcampaign consistentmessagingandastatewidewebsite portalwithonewebsiteaddressTheCounty ofLosAngelesSouthernCaliforniaEdison andSouthernCaliforniaGasCompanyhave beenworkingtogethertodevelopastrong coordinatedprogramInfacttheLosAngeles CountyProgramhasbecomeamodelforthe state
Coordinationwillalsoleverageresourcesand increasethemarketingeffectivenessoflocal governmentsandthelocalutilitiesAllma-terialswillbedevelopedcollaborativelyand costswillbesharedaccordingtothedivision ofresponsibilityThefollowingchartoutlines thekeydeliverablesandresponsibilities(next page)
16 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
marketingoutreach coordination
PROGRAM ELEMENT LEAd COMMENTS
COUNTy UTILITIES jOINT
market research X telephone surveys focus groups and market analysis
marketing communications plan X this document will direct all marketing
activities
program namelogo X
cec will own the brand and has final vote on statewide name tagline can be customized for la county
Website portal X
statewide portal linked to utility pages or sitesndashmain info and materials on this one site
advertising campaign principles development X
marketing templates X
Print and online available for cities to customize as needed
service territory media Buys (regional) X Mainstream and ethnic media buys
local media Buys (la county) X Both mainstream and ethnic media in
hotspots and la county
call center X one phone number managed by utilities county to help produce script
retail outlet materials X May include kiosks short videos
contractor marketing toolkit X tBD county will develop marketing materials
for contractors
direct mail (eg bill inserts other mailers) X
county assessor materials X
Materials included in water bills property tax bills
community-Based outreach X targeted grassroots marketing
(includes local events)
community events X X utilities attend countywide events county attends local events
public relations X X
utilities take lead for service territory county for local or supervisor-initiated PR
Home energy makeover contest X
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 17
strategy
TheProgramwilluseamulti-layeredmulti-facetedmarketingandoutreachstrategythat targetsaudiencesbyidentifyingwhotheyare wheretheyliveandtheeventsgoingonin theirlivesMarketingeffortsinclude
1 Countywide Marketing (and Media Relations)
2 Pilot Area Marketing
3 Trigger-Event Marketing
4 City Outreach
5 Contractor Marketing
6 Realtor Marketing
7 Retail Partner Marketing
8 Multi-Family Marketing
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing
1 Countywide Marketing
Thestrategyisentirelyresearch-drivenfocus-ingonthosepropertyownersmostlikelyto undertakeahomeenergyupgradeAnover-archinglayerofmainstreammarketingand advertisingwillbeaimedatthreeaudiences
1 Early AdoptersThosewhoarestrong environmentalistsalreadypoisedtoldquodo therightthingrdquofortheenvironmentand whojustneedtohearaboutaprogramand rebates
2 ldquoRetrofit-ReadyrdquoThosewhoarealready planninghomeimprovementsandjust needalittlemoreinformationaboutwhat stepstotaketosavemoneyandldquodothe rightthingrdquofortheenvironment
3 ldquoRetrofit-Persuadablerdquo Thosewho arethinkingabouttheirutilitybills homecomforttheenvironmentorour dependenceonfossilfuelsforeignoil (especiallyinlightoftherecentGulfoil spill)andwhoneedinformationabout whattypesofimprovementstheycould makeandwhatstepstotaketosave energysavemoneyandreducefossilfuel consumption
Outreachwillbeaimedattargetaudiences throughbothmainstreamandmulticultural mediaTheadvertisingwillalsospillover ontoaudiencesinspecificgeographicareas providingadditionalimpressionstothose whoarealsotargetedinthePilotMarketing AreasThiswillalsoaddtothecitiesrsquoefforts topromotetheProgramastheirresidents willalsoseethecountywidemarketingefforts
18 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Marketingwillfocusoneachtargetaudience providingimpressionsclosetotheirhomeand reachingouttomoremassaudiencesCounty-widemarketingandoutreachwillinclude tacticsinthetablebelow
The One-Stop Shop Allinformationwillbeconsolidatedina one-stopshopapproacheitherinaldquobrick andmortarrdquolocationthroughthewebsiteor callcenteroratcommunityeventsProperty ownerswillhaveeasyaccesstoinformation
abouteligibleenergyefficiencymeasures andretrofitoptionseligibilityforCounty-administeredfinancialvehiclesandincentives eligibilityforutility-sponsoredrebatesand incentivesfederalrebateandtaxcreditinfor-mationandaccesstolistsofqualifiedenergy retrofitcontractors
Propertyownerswhoarenoteligiblefororin-terestedinEnergyUpgradeCaliforniawould alsobeabletofindoutaboutopportunities forweatherizationprogramslow-incomerate
countywide marketingoutreach tactics
Cable TV
County Events
Mass Media
Out of Home
Radio
Retail Partners
City Information
City TV
Local Media
Transit Shelters
Theaters
Billboards
Community of Interest
Newsletters
Contractor Marketing
Direct Mail to Hot Spots
Online Ads
Site Signage
Social Media
Community Newsletters
Local Events
Target Audience
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 19
subsidiesgreenjobstrainingandotherinitia- Parcel-Based Market Analysistivesavailabletoqualifiedhouseholds
Identifying Locations of Target Audiences Thegeographiclocationoftargetaudiences willbeidentifiedthroughtwomarketanalysis efforts
Pilot Marketing Areas TheCountywillintensifymarketingefforts inspecificpilotmarketingareaswherehigh percentagesoftheEarlyAdopterandRetrofit ReadyaudiencesliveThesepilotmarketareas willbeidentifiedthroughdemographicanaly-sisbaseduponextensivemarketresearchas wellasadetailedanalysisofkeycommunity resourcessuchasstrongcommunitynetworks andcommunity-basedorganizationsinfluen-tiallocalmedialdquocommunityfeelrdquoetc(For moreinformationonthepilotmarketareas approachandengagementstrategiesseepage 23)
Adetailedmarketanalysisisbeingconducted tosupportspecificpiecesoftheoutreachand communicationsstrategybyidentifyingthe locationofaudiencesthatarereceptivetospe-cificoutreachstrategiesThetableonthenext pagedemonstratesthemarketanalysisaudi-ences(scenarios)andmarketstrategiesthat arebeinganalyzedtoidentifythelocationof targetaudiencesThemarketanalysisisbeing conductedusingconsumermarketresearch combinedwithdemographicdataandprop-ertycharacteristicsdatafromtheCountyas-sessorThemainproductfortheanalysiswill beaseparateanalysisreport(expectedAugust 2010)Thisreportwillincludecountywide ldquoheatmapsrdquothatidentifytheareasthathave ahighproportionoftargetpropertiesandare thereforeidealareasfortargetedmarketing ThesemapscanbeusedforEnergyUpgrade Californiaorcontractormarketingstrategies
countywide market capture cascade
Early Adopters
Retrofit ready
Retrofit persuadable
The Next Phase No way
MESSAGES
bull environment bull Fossil Fuels bull Rebates
available
AddITIONAL MESSAGES
bull save money on utility bills
bull Rebates
bull long-term attitudinal change
available AddITIONAL MESSAGES
bull Property values bull comfort bull Health bull ReBates available
20 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
market analysis scenarios
Link between Pilot Market Areas and Parcel-Based Market Analysis
Theaudiencesbeingexaminedinthepilot marketingareasoverlapwithbutarenotthe sameasthoseinthemarketanalysisThe marketanalysisthereforesupportsthepilot marketareaidentificationintwoways
1 Itaddspropertycharacteristicsgleaned fromconsumerresearchtothepilotmarket areaanalysisInthiswayScenarios1and 2(RetrofitReadyandRetrofitPersuadable) providefurtherdetailtothepilotmarket areasandallowforgeneralmarketingto
MARkET ANALySIS SCENARIO
AUdIENCE IdENTIFIEd
dATA ANALyzEd RELATEd MARkETING STRATEGy
1-early adopters retrofit ready
environmentalists ready to take action now with information about rebates
Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Pilot Marketing areas
2-retrofit persuadable
those who need information about types of improvements with emphasis on rebates and cost savings
Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Pilot Marketing areas
3a-Built environment Heating and cooling
Middle-aged to newer homes located inland that are larger and often have high ac heating bills
Property characteristics location of Home
trigger event Marketing utility Bills Pilot area Marketing
3b-Built environment-Heating
smaller older coastal homes that may have comfort issues in winter
Property characteristics location of Home
trigger event Marketing comfort Pilot Marketing areas
4-multi-family Multi-family homeowners Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Multi-family Marketing Pilot Marketing areas
5-Whole neighborhood
tracts of similarly-aged and built homes
Property characteristics location of Home
Whole neighborhood Marketing Pilot Marketing areas
bedirectedtospecificproperties(when appropriate)
2 Italsoidentifiesotherkeyaudiences (Scenarios3a3b4and5)thatcorrelate toothermarketingstrategiesasshown intableaboveTheresultsofthese scenarioswillbeoverlaidontopofthepilot marketareastoidentifyspecificparcels thatmayrespondtospecificmarketing strategiesForexamplewhenoverlaying thepropertiesidentifiedinScenario5 (Whole-NeighborhoodScenario)with thepilotmarketingareastheCounty canidentifypropertieswithinthepilot
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 21
marketingareathatwouldrespondtoa whole-neighborhoodmarketingapproach (bulkpurchasingmodelhomesasingle contractoretc)
Home Energy Makeover Contest HomeEnergyMakeoverContestsgenerate atremendousamountofpublicityandhave beensuccessfullyconductedinmanyother statesandcitiesTheyattractthousandsof entrantsTheconceptistobothgarnerfree publicityandmodelthebehaviortheProgram istryingtoencouragebyshowingtheldquowhole houseapproachrdquohoweasyupgradescanbe howmuchtherebatescanreducetheproject costandhowmuchdifferencetheymaketoa home
Thecontestwillalsodemonstratethemarket acceptanceforthehomeperformanceap-proachtotraditionalsingle-measurecontrac-torsThosecontractorswillseehowmany peopleenterthecontesttowinahomeperfor-mancemakeoverbasedonthewholehouseap-proachAllthosewhoenteredareleadswho maybeinterestedinawholehouseapproach ratherthansinglemeasures
Entrantsmustbeover18liveinLosAnge-lesCountyandownthehomeinwhichthey residethecontestcanbelimitedtothose whoreceiveservicefromSouthernCalifornia EdisonandorSouthernCaliforniaGas(in otherwordsitcanincludeorexcluderesi-dentsservedbymunicipalutilities)Entrants submitinformationabouttheirhomeand theirenergyconsumptionandgivepermis-sionfortheProgramjudgestoviewtheir energyconsumptionduringthepreviousyear Finalistsarebasedonthehighestenergycon-sumptionpersquarefootofamedian-sized homeAbout20finalistsreceivefreeenergy auditsfortheirhomesBasedontheaudit (andadditionalcriteriawewilldetermine)five winninghomesreceiveupto$15000inhome
energyimprovements(whichcanbesupple-mentedbyrebatesandadditionalfunding fromthepropertyowner)Thewinneragrees tomediacoverageanopenhouseandtoblog andorTweetduringandaftertheretrofit Wewillworkwithcontractorstogetsponsor-shipsaswellasdonatedauditsandupgrade elements
OnecontestwillbeheldinFall2010(withfive winners)andasecondcontestheldduring Springof2011(withfivewinners)
Aseparatecontestcouldbeheldformulti-familybuildingswithahigherwinning amount
Countywide Incentives TheProgramwillestablishalistofnon-profit organizationsthatareactiveinpromoting greenhomessustainabilityandotherenvi-ronmentalorcommunityprojectsEveryone intheCountywhocompletesanenergyaudit maydesignateanon-profitorganizationto receiveadonationfromtheProgramInfor-mationabouttheeligibleorganizationswill beonthewebsiteThiswillencouragethose non-profitstopromotetheProgramtotheir membersltNotethisconceptisstillbeing developedgt
Direct Mail Utilitieswillplacemessagesonouterbillen-velopessenttocustomersTheywillalsosend directmailaboutEnergyUpgradetoldquotarget areasrdquobasedonacombinationofenergy usageageofhomeandhouseholdincome DirectmailisscheduledforOctober2010
County Events Utilitieswillbeattendinglargeeventssuch astheSeptember2010and2011LACounty Fairswithawholehousethemethatincludes aminimodelhousethatvisitorscanldquotourrdquo Additionalproposedeventsinclude
22 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
bull LeagueofCitiesAnnualConference workshop(September2010)
bull PomonaHomeImprovementShow (October2010)
bull RemodelingShowattheLACountyFair (October2010)
bull CaliforniaAssociationofRealtors (October2010)
bull BuildingIndustryShow(November2010)
bull SouthernCaliforniaHomeImprovement Show(November2010)
bull NeighborWorksAmerica(February2011)
Online and Social Media TheProgramwillusesocialmediatoinex-pensivelyreachtargetaudiencesbeginningat launchandcontinuingthroughoutthePro-gramwithbriefpausesforrefiningThiswill beaccomplishedthroughoptimizingsearch wordsforsearchenginessuchasGoogleand Bingreachingappropriateindependentblogs aYouTubevideocontest(runbyamediapart-ner)andencouragingblogpostsandTweets byearlyadoptersandtheProgramitself(see DescriptionsofMarketingCommunications ToolsandDescriptionsofTargetAudiencesfor moredetails)Inadditionutilitieswilldevote spaceforinformationandalinkontheirland-ingpages
Countywide Media Buys Withalatesummerfalllaunchdatemedia buysneedtobespreadtoavoidtheelection monthofOctober2010EnergyUpgradeCali-forniainLosAngelescansponsoraweather broadcastmdashliveonlineandmobilemdashaswell as15and30spotsduringotherbroadcasts Wewillalsopurchaseliveandonlinespots withUnivisiontheSpanish-languagestation Radiobuyswillinclude15NationalPublic Radio(KPCCandKCRW)sponsorshipsand variousdrive-timespotsonEnglishandin-
languageAMandFMstationsSocialmedia buysincludeGoogleWordsandblogads(see DescriptionsofMarketingCommunications Tools)Printmediabuyswillbeinmulticul-turalpapers
(Afullmediabuyplanandschedulewillbe availableinAugust)
Countywide Media Relations TheProgramwillcoordinateCountyandutil-ityeffortsandwiththeCaliforniaEnergyCom-missionCaliforniaPublicUtilitiesCommis-sioneffortsMediarelationswillbeinthree phasespre-launchlaunchandmilestones
Pre-Launch (August ndash September)
bull DevelopandprovideaSpeakerrsquosKit withtalkingpoints
bull OrganizeCountymedialaunchevent (potentiallyenlistawillinghomeowner whosehousemightserveasalaunching padformediatours)
bull Respondtorequestsfromcities
bull Providepre-writtenarticlesforcity communitynewsletters
bull Issuepresskitsandpressrelease(in EnglishandSpanish)announcing launch
Launch (October)
bull Mediaeventtoannouncelaunchand HomeEnergyMakeoverContestpoten-tiallyon-siteatahousetodemonstrate upgrades
bull SendoutradioPSAs
Milestones (through 2013)
bull Mediaeventtoannouncewinnersofthe HomeEnergyMakeovercontest(could beconductedon-sitesurprisingthe winners)
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 23
bull ldquoRe-launchrdquopressreleaseandmedia eventinMarch2011forasecondHome EnergyMakeoverContestwithastrong ldquogetreadyforsummerrdquotheme
bull Pressreleasewhen10000thperson receivesarebate
bull Pressreleasewhenotherappropriate milestonesarereachedorthefunding forincentivesisclosetobeingdepleted
2 Pilot Marketing Areas
Itwillbecriticalforthelong-termsuccessof marketingeffortstohaveasignificantnumber ofearlysuccessesthatgeneratepositivepub-licityandword-of-mouthencouragingothers toalsoparticipateTheCountyintendsto stimulatethemarketfortheseearlyadopters byintensifyingmarketingeffortsinspecific pilotmarketingareas(withzipcodebound-aries)wherebasedonextensiveconsumer
countywide marketingoutreach tactics
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
television
ad buys on Broadcast tV univision google tV Paid county
ldquothis old Houserdquo segment on whole house per-formance and rebates while renovating house (filming in la this summer)
earned county
coverage on mainstream and multicultural sta-tions
earned utilities county
ldquoinfomercialrdquo and promos on city tV Placed county
radio
nPR sponsorship Paid county
commute time spots Paid county
coverage on california Report earned utilities county
Psas on mainstream stations Placed utilities county
spots on multicultural stations Paid county
coverage in mainstream and multicultural papers
earned utilities county
sunset Magazine green Home section earned county
ads in la times and Daily news real estate sections
Paid utilities county
ads in multicultural papers Paid county
Direct Mail to targets Paid utilities
24 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
countywide marketingoutreach tactics (conrsquot)
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
social media
Blogs (about homes environment bargains) earned county
Facebook page Placed county
ads targeted to interest in environment and or home improvements (this old House etc)
Paid county
google adWords targeted to interest in environment andor home improvements
Paid county
twitter both by the Program and by individual early adopters (with incentives)
Placed county
youtube early adopters make a video about their experience and results (with incentives)
Placed county
out of Home
Retail kiosks banners flyers links on retail websites
Placed utilities
community organizations
environmental groups and others newsletters websites email blasts
earned county
Home improvement shows booths Paid county
countywide events Paid utilities
Bloggersubject matter events Paid county
researchhighpercentagesoftargetaudiences livePilotmarketingprogramsinthoseareas willtesttheextentcommunity-basedmarket-ingpositivelyimpactsparticipationratesan effortrelatedtoRetrofitRampUpproposal requirements
Demographicdataprovidedbythemarketre-searchwillbeoverlaidwithenergyusagedata AdditionallyGIS-basedmarketanalysisatthe parcellevel(describedabove)willallowfor pinpointingofspecificneighborhoodswithin thepilotareasforoutreachthatcaninclude
door-to-doordirectmailandmarketingby contractorsaspartofaldquowholeneighbor-hoodrdquoapproachFocusingonpilotareaswill alsomeettheRetrofitRampUprequirements oftheDepartmentofEnergyFollowingisa summaryofplannedmarketingandoutreach efforts
Marketresearch-basedcriteriaforchoosing about15pilotareaswillinclude
Clusters of houses built before 1978 Thoselivinginolderhomesespecially
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 25
builtbeforeCaliforniarsquosEnergyEfficiency Standardsaremorelikelytobelievethat theirhousemightbeenergyinefficient andcouldbenefitfromenergyefficiency improvementsmdashandberesponsivetoan energyupgrade
High percentage of homeownership Thesemarketingeffortsfocusonsingle-familyresidentialhomeownerssoareas withhighrentalrateswillnotprovidea largeenoughnumberofeligibleunits
Income over $60000Thosewith incomesunder$60000didnotbelieve theywouldhavesufficientincometomake improvementsevenwithrebatesThey werenotinterestedinloans(manywith lowincomesalsofindthemselvesldquounder-waterrdquoontheirloansandthusnoteligible forsomefinancing)Inadditionwefound somepush-backinfocusgroupsabout ldquogovernmentofferingloanstopeoplewho canrsquotaffordthemafterthesub-primeloan debaclerdquo
Population with a high percentage of college-educatedThosewithacollege degreearemuchmorelikelytoindicate apreferencetomakeenergyefficiency upgradesThosewhohadcompletedsome collegeeducationarealsomorelikelyto indicateapreferenceforenergyefficiency upgradesthanthosewhohadnotcom-pletedany
Population with a high percentage of those age 35-54Thosewithchildren andorexpandingfamiliesaremorelikely tomakeimprovementsthanthoseunder 30(thereareveryfewhomeownersunder 30)andthoseover54
High percentage of households with 4+ peopleHouseholdswithmorepeople havehigherenergybillsResearchshows thatthoseinhomeswithmorethan4
peoplebelieveenergyupgradescanmakea bigimpactontheirbills
High energy usage Thehigherenergy usage(andbills)themorelikelypeopleare tobelievethatenergyefficiencyimprove-mentswillmakeadifferenceintheirbills
Afterlayeringthisinformationtocomeup withalistofpotentialareaswefurthercon-sidered
Clusters of 8000-20000 homesThe areashouldbelargeenoughtoprovidesub-stantialnumbersofeligibleunitsbutsmall enoughtoenablereachingmajorityofresi-dentsandgeneratingword-of-mouth
Has a diverse multicultural commu-nityAreasshouldhavestrongcommunity identitiesandsenseofplacesocommunity membersareproudofwheretheyliveand areencouragedtoimprovetheircommu-nity
Has strong neighborhood and com-munity organizationsWeneedto engagetheseorganizationsaspartnersto helpspreadtheword
Has existing communications such as newsletters blogsWeneedtoreach membersthroughexistingcrediblesources thatresidentsalreadyuseandtrust
ldquoSpill overrdquo opportunities to nearby neighborhoodsSincemarketingand mediaeffortswillpotentiallyalsobeseen byneighborsareasshouldbenearother areasthatmayalsomeettheprimary criteria
Climatetime of yearIndetermining whentorolloutthepilotswecantarget interiorareasinspringandcoastalareasin coldweather
26 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Basedonthemarketresearchcriteriafive pilotmarketingareasarescheduledforintense marketingatlaunchwithanadditional10 areasscheduledforintensemarketingin Spring2011
Thepilotmarketstrategyissupportedby theparcel-basedmarketanalysiswhichwill identifywhichneighborhoodspropertieswill bethebesttotargetusingthisapproachThe marketanalysiswillallowlimitedmarketing fundingtobeleveragedbyfocusingonthose thataremostlikelytorespondtothemarket-ingefforts
Wewillcreatemessagesandvisualsspecifical-lytailoredtoeachtargetcommunityrsquoscultural andlinguisticpreferencesImagessymbols andiconstypographycolorandoverall designcarrydifferentmeaningsindifferent culturesAmessageistypicallymosteffective ifitiscreatedwithcarefulattentiontothese idiosyncrasiesandwithintheldquoculturalmind-setrdquooftherecipientsCreatingheadlinesand taglinesdirectlyinthetargetlanguagerather thansimplytranslatingEnglishadvertising copyensuresthatcopyhasthecorrectrhythm andrhymeandisthereforemuchmore attention-grabbingandmemorable
Community Incentives Energy Champion Program Severalconceptsareunderconsiderationto developacommunityincentivestrategyto promoteparticipationinlinewiththeRetrofit RampUpproposalforinnovativeincentiveap-proachesIncentivesmaybedirectedatenergy auditscommunity-basedorganizationsthose willingtoprovidetestimonialsorblogtweet andpublicrecognitionefforts
Grassroots Community Organizing-Trainedorganizerswillpresentinformationat themeetingsof12-15influentialcommunity leadersandcommunity-basedorganizationsin
eachpilotareacapturetheircontactdataand helpspreadtheinformationtotheirmembers throughtheirnewsletterseventsandwebsites TheProgramwillprovidepre-writtencus-tomizablearticlespresentationsorvideoand websiteldquobuttonsrdquotolinktotheProgramsite Eachgroupwillbeofferedanincentiveofado-nationtotheirorganizationforeverymember whocompletesahomeenergyupgradeThis willencourageCBOvolunteerstoincrease theirmarketingeffortsFriendlyrivalrieswill beencouragedCommunitygroupswillreport namesofparticipantscheckedforjobcomple-tionbytheProgram(underdevelopment)
Community Events One-on-onefacetimewithhomeownersis anidealwaytoengagepotentialparticipants Well-trainedorganizerswillattendfiveevents ineachtargetareaprovidinghomeowners withinformation(pocketsizemultilingual handouts)andcapturingtheircontactinfor-mationforfollowupTheycanhavehome-ownerssignuponthewebsiteonsiteifappro-priateandperhapsevenhavethemprovideus withavideocommitmentldquoItookthePledgerdquo withpermissiontopostonthewebsiteAsa luretotheboothhomeownerswillbeoffered freeitemssuchaslightbulbsmagnetsand reusablecupswithcoldwater(imprintedwith thewebsite)manufacturedintheUS
Print Radio Outdoor and Out-of Home Advertising Localmediawillcoverthelaunchofthe Programandwewillstrategicallyplaceads inlocalmediaandcommunitynewsletters Outdooradvertising(smallstreet-levelbiode-gradableeco-postersbussheltersbussides) strategicallyplacedinhigh-trafficareaswillre-inforcethemessageoveraone-monthperiod
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 27
Pilot Area Example Altadena Altadenawasidentifiedasacommunitythat fitsourtargetcriteriaItisadiverseunincor-poratedcommunitywithsixneighborhoods andanapproximatepopulationof40000The averagehouseholdincomeisabout$94000 Morethan50ofadultresidentsaremarried withchildrenandcommuteanaverageof62 milesperdaytowhite-collarjobsFully40of theadultsinthiscommunityhaveabachelors
degreeorhigherandareinvolvedinmany communityeventsandorganizationsThere areapproximately12000homesinthiscom-munityand10000ofthosehomesareowner-occupiedThegraphicshowshowoutreach wouldbeconcentratedinthisarea
pilot area outreachmarketing tactics
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
radio
Psas on multicultural stations earned county
coverage in local papers earned county
ads in local and multicultural papers Paid county
outdoor
Bus shelters in area Paid county
on-street lampost signage Paid county
Billboards Paid county
social media
Blogs (relevant to the area) earned county
online ads targeted by location Paid county
listserves of neighborhood associations (through cities)
earned county
out of Home
Movie theater ads in area Paid county
lawn signs on homes in area (through contractors)
Paid county
community organizations
community meetings with incentives to organizations for participation
earnedPaid county
community events Paid county Door hangers Paid county
28 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Home Depot
Ace Hardware
Lowersquos
Master Builders
Great Indoors
Home Expo
altadena marketing target
Hoy La Opinioacuten
Pasadena Star News
Altadena Headlines Examiner
Boulevard Magazine
Arroyo Magazine
Pasadena Weekly
Altadena Connection
Sentinel
KLVE
KPCC Pasadena
KCBS
KROQ Pasadena
KAZN Pasadena
Church Bulletins
Summer Concert Series at Farnsworth Park
Fourth of July Fireworks at
Town amp Country Club
Black History Parade
World Music Festival in Pasadena
Haunted House at
Farnsworth Park
Art Break
Rose Parade
National Latino
Congreso
Altadena Neighborhood Association
Altadena Chamber of Commerce
Altadena Arts Council
Altadena Town Council
Faith-based Organizations
Altadena Town amp Country Club
Altadena League of
Women Voters
Altadena Historical Society
Altadena Community Improvement Center
Sheriff Support Group
Santa Coming to Farnsworth
Park
Altadena California
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 29
3 Trigger-Event Marketing
Thissuiteofstrategieswillbeaimedatcaptur-ingenergyefficiencyopportunitiesfrommul-tipletriggereventsParticipantswillmainly comethroughcontractorsrealtorsandretail partnerspropertyownerswillhavealsoseen countywideadvertising
trigger event marketing
4 City and COG Outreach
OutreachbyCitiesandCOGswillbecritical becauseoftheirexistingrelationshipswith localconstituenciesCitieswillbeprovided withamini-marketingplantalkingpoints videocustomizabletemplatesoffactsheets articlesfortheirnewslettersandadvertising
EvENT dESCRIPTION LEAd AGENT COLLATERAL TACTIC
1 Replace on burnout (heating air conditioners water heaters)
Homeowners either in process of replacing an item or have already done some efficiency projects
county bull Retail partners
bull HVac installers
bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors installers
bull Retail displays
2 life-stage changes (growing family)
Homeowners working with a contractor
county bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors bull ads in media for home remodels
3 Home remodel Homeowners working with an architect contractor
county bull contractors bull architects
bull Materials for contractors
bull ads in media for home remodels
3 improvements at time of purchase
Homeowners interested are preparing a new home for move-in (research shows more interest at purchase than at sale)
shared bull contractors bull Realtors bull Home
inspectors bull city permit
offices bull city welcome
kits bull Retail
bull Brochures for cities
bull ads in weekend homes for sale sections
bull Presentations to realtor groups
bull Retail displays
4 improvements at sale
House owners preparing for sale
county bull contractors bull Realtors
bull Materials for contractors
5 complaints high utility bills cold hot house
Homeowners aware of energy-saving improvements but not whole house approach
county bull contractors bull HeRs raters
bull Materials for contractors
30 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
city amp cog outreach
materialssotheycandeveloplow-costout-reachtotheirresidentsCitieswithcommuni-tiestargetedinthePilotAreaMarketingplans willbeinformedandencouragedtodoout-reachtothoseareasAllCitieswillbeencour-agedtodothefollowing
Run stories in print and online news-letters
Send information to neighborhood associations homeowners associa-tions historic preservation districts and other appropriate community organizations
Provide information in City permit-ting offices and City Hall lobbies
Provide information at strategically located Environmental Information Centers and at COG office locations
Provide information in ldquonew home-ownersrdquo welcome kits (either directly from the city or through title compa-
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAId EARNEd
LEAd
pio coordination contact all participating citiesrsquo Pios na county
letters Key messages for letters from mayors etc to constituents Provide to Pios or city managers
na county
Website links Button for cities to place on their website to link to Program site
na county
city tV informational videos and spot promos Placed county
Welcome brochure
Brochure aimed at new homeowners before they move in
na county
articles Pre-written customizable newsletter articles earned county
email blasts Pre-written customizable info spots for communityneighborhood listserves
earned county
niesmortgage brokers)
Run videos and spots on City TV stations
5 Contractor Marketing
Localcontractorsarecriticaltothesuccess ofEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLosAngeles CountyTheyprovidetheservicesthatcom-prisetheProgramandtheycanhelpmarket theProgramtopropertyownersInfactwe estimatethatupto50ofProgrampartici-pantswillentertheProgramthrougharela-tionshipwithacontractor(theymayhavealso seenmediacoverageandadvertisingwhich spurredthemtotakeaction)Thisuniquerole requiresthattheProgramtakeatwo-tiered approachofengagingthecontractormdashmoti-vatinglocalbuildingprofessionalstoundergo thetrainingandcertificationprocessandalso providingthemwiththetoolstoeffectively promotetheprogramtoexistingandnew clientsThefollowingsectiondescribesspecific
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 31
contractor target
United Brotherhood Building Industry Carpenters (Training)
Association ofSouthern California
Email Blast
Contractors Magazines
Contractor
OnlineAds
Big Box Stores
ConractorsLicensing Schools
Realtor Associations
strategiesassociatedwithbothapproaches
Forthepurposesoftheprogramcontractors aredividedintoparticularsegmentsbasedon thetypeofserviceprovidedAninitialanalysis oftheindustryrevealedthefollowinglikely categories
HomePerformance(HP)Contractors
ProductionBuilders
HVACSystemSpecialtyTrades (windowsetc)
RemodelingContractors
SolarContractors
BuildingPerformance
Institute
Southwest Regional
City Permit Association
Offices of Carpenters
Lumber Yards
StateLicensing
Board
American Instituteof Architects
LA Chapter
Outreach to Contractors TheProgramwillcoordinatewithcontractor groupsandotherbuildingprofessionaltrade organizationstoschedulebriefpresentations abouttheProgramandthecontractortraining processForlargerorganizationsthePro-grammayworkdirectlywiththecompanyto arrangeon-sitepresentationsThesepresenta-tionsareinformalinnatureandwillbeusedto promotethecertificationorientationsrequired forcontractorparticipationintheprogram
KeyMessagestoContractors
$30millioninAmericanRecoveryand ReinvestmentActmoneyisworkinginLA Countytocreateconstructionindustryjobs
32 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
EnergyUpgradeCaliforniaOffersbig rebatesandfinancingoptionsfor homeownersdoinghomeenergy efficiencyretrofits
Therewillbemarketingandadvertis-ingstatewideandlocallytopromotethe Program
Therewillbemarketingmaterialsforyou tousetomarketyourbusiness
YoumustbelicensedandBuildingPerfor-manceInstitute-certifiedtobepartofthe Program
HomeownersmustworkwithBPI-certified contractorstheyrsquollchoosefromacontrac-tordatabaseonthewebsite
KeyOutreachMethods
BuildingIndustryAssociationofSouthern California
SouthwestRegionalCouncilofCarpenters
RealtorsAssociation
UnitedBrotherhood-Carpenters(Training Program)
Citypermittingoffice
Lumberyards
AmericanInstituteofArchitectsLA Chapter(toeducatethemaswell)
ArticlesinformationinContractortrade publications(magazinesnewslettersetc) magazines
CarpentersUnionLocals
ContractorsLicenseSchools(andonline)
BigBoxHomeImprovementstores(de-pendingonIOUrelationships)
wwwcslbcagov
Emailblasttoalllicensedcontractors
Contractor Outreach to Consumers Differentopportunitiesexistfordifferent contractorsdependingontheprobablework scopeThefollowingtableoutlinesafew potentialpathwaysforhowcontractorscan participateintheProgram
contractors outreach to customers
CONTRACTOR TyPE
TRIGGER EvENT vALUE TO CONTRACTOR
BUSINESS MOdEL
Home Performance upgrade lead generation scale for high volume
Production Builder new Business Development
create new division
HVac Replacement lead generation Value-add
expand services
specialty trade lead generation Partner with certified gc
Remodeler Remodel life-stage transition
Value-add sub work to HP contractor
solar Renewables lead generation Partner with certified gc
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 33
BPI-certifiedgeneralcontractorswillbelisted ontheEnergyUpgradeconsumerwebsite sendingmanyleadsdirectlytothemThey alsohaveaccesstotheldquoheatmapsrdquotousefor developingtheirownadvertisingcampaigns
Contractorswillbeattendingorientationses-sionstoensuretheythoroughlyunderstand theProgramrebatesfinancingoptionsand canhelpguidetheircustomersthroughthe processTheywillbeprovidedwithContractor MarketingKitstoensuretheyhaveathandthe keymessagesthathavebeenresonatingwith homeownersandhaveinformationtogive topotentialcustomerswhomightormight nothavebeentothewebsiteKitscanbesent directlytocontractorsordistributedatthe orientationsessionsKitswillcontain
Talkingpoints
DVDofthevideo
Printedfactsheetstoleavewithcustomers (withroomfortheircontactinfo)more canbeordered
Printedldquoslimjimrdquoprogrambrochure
Printedlengthierbrochuresaboutthe wholehouseapproach(brandedby Scientific American Magazine)
CDwithldquobuttonrdquotolinktoEnergyUpgrade fromtheirownwebsitesandPDFsofsite signageforprinting
Contractorswillhaveaccesstoaseparatesec-tionofthewebsitewheretheywillfindinfor-mationaboutProgrameventspromotionsand advertisinganon-demandprintsectionfor additionalcopiesofbrochuresanychanges totheProgramandasingletradecontractor databaseforassemblingteamsforcustomers whowouldlikesolarpanelsornewwindows forexample
6 Realtor Marketing
Giventhatthenationalaveragelengthofhome ownershipisroughlysixyearsrealestate agentswillbeincontactandadvisingalarge percentageofthenewandexistinghomeown-ersthatEnergyUpgradeistargetingforhome energyretrofitsThishighlevelofinfluence makesrealtorsoneofthelargestpartner groups
Realestateagentswillbeengagedonthree levels
1) Outreach
2) Training
3) Support
Outreach Outreachwillbeconductedthroughavariety ofvenuesthatwillincludeCaliforniaAssocia-tionofRealtorsreg(CAR)regionalconferences heldinSouthernCaliforniapartnershipwith themanyrealtorassociationslocatedinLos AngelesCountyanddirectvisitstorealestate agentsrsquoofficesforshortpresentationsPart-nershipswiththe15-20localRealtorsAsso-ciationswillbeachievedthroughoneormore RealtorAdvisoryBoardswhichincludethe GovernmentAffairsDirectorsfromeachof theseorganizationsAselectfewoftheseor-ganizationswillbeusedaspilotsfortargeted outreachduringearlystagesoftheProgram Oncethestrategyhasbeentestedandrevised itwillberolledouttoalloftheRealtorsAs-sociationsinLosAngelesCounty
ThefallCARRealtorExpowillbethemain kickoffeventforoutreachtoindividualreal-torsandrealtorofficesEnergyUpgradeplans tohavea30-minutetalkembeddedinthe SpeakersProgramandaboothsetuponthe ExpofloortoinformrealtorsaboutthePro-gramavailabletrainingsandthesupport
34 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
toolsthathavebeendevelopedThisevent willreachthemajorityofrealtorsintheLos Angelesareabutwillnotincludethelarge populationofrealestateagentsthatarenot membersofCARToreachthispopulation emailsocialmediaandtargetedofficevisits willbeconducted
Training EnergyUpgradewillprovidetrainingforreal estateagentsintwoformsTherealestate agenttrainingmodulecurrentlyunderdevel-opmentbyBuildItGreenwillbeusedasthe maintrainingforumThistrainingmodule isexpectedtotaketwofulldaystocomplete andwillcoverpropertyassessedcleanenergy financingenergyefficientmortgagesrebate programsbuildingscienceenergyefficiency andgreenbuildingpracticesappropriateto California
Additionalweb-basedtrainingwillbeprovided tointroducerealestateagentstotheProgram andtodrivethemtogetin-persontraining throughtheBuildItGreentrainingmodule
Support Cultivatingandclosingtoolswillbegener-atedtoassistrealtorsinusingEnergyUpgrade Californiatradetoexpandtheirbusinesswhile drivinghigherlevelsofprogramparticipation RealtorKitswillbesimilartotheContractor Kitsandtheywillhaveaccesstothedatabase ofgeneralandsingletradecontractors
7 Retail Partner Marketing
Utilitieswillpartnerwithretailoutletsthat canincludeBestBuyCostcoSearsLowes andHomeDepotParticipatingretailoutlets willbeprovided
Information centersEnd-displays detailingtheEnergyUpgradeProgram withadiagramillustratingthehouseas asystemconcept(multiplecomponents thatacttogethertomaximizesavings)and actionscustomerscantaketocapturethose savingsandrebatesIn-storecustomer educationcanshiftcustomerperception ofenergyupgradesandmotivatethem toparticipateinmultipleenergy-efficient measuresinsteadofjustoneAnadditional benefitfortheretailerisassociationwith thestatewideprogram
Program collateral One-sheet takeawaysforcustomerstoreference andshare
Video Theshortvideoscanbeplayed onaloop
Table tent cardsPlacedthroughout storesectionsthatcorrelatewiththe EnergyUpgradeProgram(CFLsappli-ancesceilingfansinsulationwindows) Againthiswillencouragecustomersto performmultipleenergyupgradesinstead ofjustoneCross-promotionhelpseducate customersandencourageparticipationin multiplemeasuresthusincreasingproduct purchase
Window clings ldquoOfficialEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaInformationCenterrdquotagline bannersplacedatstorefrontThiswillpo-sitiontheretailerasanactiveparticipantin thestatewideprogramandbuildsretailer credibilityasagreenadvocate
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 35
8 Multi-Family Outreach
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesandsched-ulesarestillinplanningphasesandbeing developedthroughastatewideconsortium
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesarebeing
developed
36 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
evaluation
Theprimarygoalsofthemarketingplanareto buildpositiveawarenessoftheEnergyUp-gradeCaliforniaProgramandcreateasus-tainedmarketforawholehouseapproach(see page8)Objectivesarespecifictothoseachiev-ingthosegoalsLosAngelesCountyresidents willseemultipleiterationsofmediacoverage paidadvertisingin-storedisplayscontractor marketingandin-personpresentations(inthe pilotmarketingareas)Forexamplearesi-dentinAltadenamightseethemoreintensive marketingandoutreacheffortsThatmayspur themtoactionmdashbutiftheyalreadyhadplans toremodelorhadpreviouslyworkedwitha contractortheymightcalltheircontractorand thusactuallycometotheprogramthrough thecontractorThereforeitwillnotbeeasy todeterminepreciselywhathasmotivated eachpersontoparticipateinEnergyUpgrade Objectivestomeetinclude
About35-45ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughthemarket-ingandoutreacheffortsTomonitorwe willincludeashortsurveyaspartofthe rebateapplicationprocessaskingpartici-pantswhatdrewthemtothewebsiteand totheProgramThewebsitecanmonitor clickthroughstocontractorssitesfrom theProgramwebsiteprovidinganindica-tionofpotentialparticpantswhocameto thesitebeforehavingacontractorOnce apropertyownerinputsanaddressthe websitewillbeabletospecificallymonitor ifthatparticipantasksformultiple estimatesfromcontractorsanotherindica-
toroffindingacontractorthroughthesite
About45-50ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughcontractors Wewillaskcontractorstoprovideinfor-mationabouttheirmarketingeffortsand successratesTheywillbeabletoidentify participantsgainedthroughtheirownmar-ketingefforts
300000uniquehitsonthewebsitewhich willbemonitoredbythewebsiteFurther thewebsitewillanalyzewherevisitors camefrom(egaclickthroughfroman onlineadfromacontractorrsquoswebsite orduringthespecifictimeframeofanad campaign)
Virtualandactualldquoword-of-mouthrdquore-portedbymonitoringsocialmedia
Communicationskitsandmarketingkits availablebothphysicallyandthroughan on-demandprintsitemonitoredbyclient
Informationalmaterialsforcitiesmoni-toredbySouthBayCitiesCouncilofGov-ernments
50000000mediaadvertisingin-person impressionsmonitoredbybroadcast printonlinestatisticsandreportsfrom grassrootsmarketingefforts
Consolidatedinformationinone-stop-shop approachwillbedeliveredthroughthe website
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 37
description of marketing communication tools
PlacedEarned Social Media ThePlancallsforsocialmediatopushinfor-mationtoourtargetaudiencesincreaseper-ceptionsoftheProgramascommunity-based reachthosewhowillhelpgenerateadditional buzzindependentmarketingeffortsaboutthe Programandprovideamechanismforlisten-ingtowhatpeoplearesayingaboutEnergy Upgrademdashandrespondingwhennecessary
Online Paid Advertising Onlineadvertisingcampaignscanbeverycost-effectiveandhighlytargetedbydemographics areasofinterestandgeographicsAdsappear ontopic-relatedblogsonsearchenginepages (egGoogle)andoncontentpages(egwhen yousearchforinformationaboutarelated topicandselectawebsitetoview)
Types of Users Targetadsbyage genderincomelanguagepreferencezip codeorhotspots
Types of SearchesTargetadsbytypeof searchconductedbasedonkeywords
Adsareusuallysoldperldquoclickrdquomdashtheviewer hasclickedontheadandbeensenttothe EnergyUpgradeCAwebsiteWewillmake fourtypesofonlineadpurchases
1 Googleadsthatplaceadsbothonits searchpagesandonhundredsofwebsites targetedbytheabove
2 Networksthattargetspecificsitesand blogsthatmatchourtargetaudiences(eg HiveBlogsLosAngelesthatoffers350LA blogstochoosefrom)
3 Directlythroughselectpublishers(eg CurbedLAGreenGirlLAlocalpapers online)
4 Onlineeditionsoflocalpapersinpilot marketingareas
Twitter Twitterusersaremostlycollegegraduates haveattendedgraduateschoolandlivein householdsmakingover$50000ayear (nationally)Usersarethreetimesmorelikely tofollowbrandsandcompaniesonTwitter thanotherusersofsocialnetworkswith40 specificallyusingTwittertolearnaboutand provideopinionsonbrands
Twittercanpushthelatestdevelopmentsand newstopeoplewhohaveexpressedaninter-estedintheProgram(theymustsignupto receiveourTweetsorhavesearchedfortag wordsincludedinourTweets)Itrsquosalsoan easywayforthosewhofollowEnergyUpgrade onTwittertoshareTweetswiththeirfriends
38 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
therebygeneratingbuzzandhelpingmarket theProgramTwittercanshareProgram newsinrealtimedrivepeopletothewebsite facilitateearlyadoptersbuzzmakersreach youngerhomeownersandincreasemarketing effortsatalowcostTwittercanbeeffectively usedtocommunicatetheProgramandits milestonesinavarietyofways
bull Tweetaboutpressreleasesmajoran-nouncementsnewitemsonwebsiteor blogsmediastoriesandarticlesespecially aboutthosethataretimesensitiveandtell ouraudiencewhatishappeningwiththe Programandencouragesthemtopartici-pateorfindoutmore
bull PutaTweeticononthemainwebsiteal-lowingvisitorstothewebsitetobeginto followEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLos AngelesCountyonTwitterwithoneclick
bull FollowotherswhoTweetaboutthe ProgramaswellasthosewhoTweetabout relatedtopicsThiswillprovideanop-portunitytodirectlyrespondtoaperson whohasaquestionabouttheProgramand pointthemtoalinktothewebsite
Tweet Examples
bull ldquo100LAhomeownershavesigned upfortheProgramatwwwEnergyUpgra-deCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoReadaboutLArsquosnewenergyefficiency rebateProgramintheLAtimes httpwwwlatimesgreenblogcomrdquo
bull ldquoWanttosaveonyourutilitybills CheckoutwwwEnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoSignupfortheHomeEnergyUpgrade contestforachancetowinafree homeenergyefficiencyretrofitat EnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
Cost and Budget
SettingupaTwitteraccountisfreeasisusing anapplicationsuchasTweetDeckthathelps followotherswhoareTweetingaboutEnergy UpgradeCaliforniaTheonlysignificantcostis stafftimewhichcanbelimitedtoafewhours aweek
Facebook Facebookisalow-costandeasywayofboth marketingtheProgramandsupportingan onlinecommunityofpeopleinterestedinthe ProgramItwillreachaudienceswhoaremore likelytospendtimeonFacebookversusaweb-siteandwhomayprefertoreceiveshortreal timeProgramnewsviaFacebookratherthan emailsorwebsitesItisidealforpostinglinks tovideosandphotosrelatedtotheprojectIt complementsthewebsiteaplacewherefans oftheProgramcanfindinformationaskques-tionsandshareideasandexcitementThese fanswillgeneratebuzzbytellingtheirfriends abouttheProgramthroughFacebook
AFacebookpagewillcontaininformation abouttheProgramalinktothewebsite Programnewsvideosphotographsandother informationWhenthepageisupdatedfans willreceivelinksinemailalertingthemtothe newposts
Facebookisalsoidealforsharingthestoryof anearlyadopter(whowillalsoTweet)through updatesphotographsandvideosItlends itselfmuchmorenaturallytothispeople-fo-cusedapproachthanawebsitewhichismore formal
Additionalpoints
bull EncourageandperhapsrewardProgram adopterstosharetheirexperiencesask questionsetc
bull Setupcontrolstodeterminewhatcontent Fanscanposttothewall
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 39
bull Monitorupdatestothewallandtakedown Therearemanyexistingblogsthatcanbeused inappropriatecontent
bull Respondtoissuesquestionsandtakepart intheconversation
bull Adesignatedstaffpersonshouldmonitor thesiteitisalsoidealifseveralstaff memberspostcontentandifpartnersare activeparticipantsalthoughtheoverall strategyshouldbecentralized
Facebook Examples
Herearesomeexamplesofthetypesofpost-ingsforaFacebookpage
bull ldquoTheLATimesdescribesEnergyUpgrade CAasaperfectopportunitytobegreenand savemoneymdashintheFridaymoneysectionrdquo
bull ldquoWhydidyoudecidetoparticipatein EnergyUpgradeCATellushowyour energyefficiencyretrofitisgoingandwersquoll enteryouforachancetowina$50Home Depotgiftcardrdquo
bull ldquoWonderingwhetherEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaisrightforyouCheckoutthis videooftheSmithsinstallingnewinsula-tionandwindows--andreceivinga$3500 rebaterdquo
Cost and Budget
Relativelyfewdirectcostsstafftimewill fluctuateduringbusycalmperiodswithhigh activityatthebeginningastheProgramkicks offandafanbaseisestablishedOngoingstaff timeneededtokeeppagefreshwith3-4posts weekdailymaintenancerequiredtomonitor postingsfromfans
Blogs Blogsreachtargetaudienceswhoarealready interestedinrelatedtopicsandwhohavehigh potentialtoparticipateintheProgram
tofurthermarketingefforts
bull Identifybloggerswhowilllikelywrite positivelyabouttheProgramSendpress releasefactsheetsandPrograminforma-tiontobloggerswhowriteabouttopics suchastheenvironmentenergyefficiency homeimprovementremodelingreal estatehousingbargainssavingmoneyas wellastocompaniesthatsellsolarpanels contractorsetc
bull Bloggersarelookingfortopicalstoriesto writeaboutandwewillmaketheirnext blogposteasyBecauseEnergyUpgradeis ahighrewardoptionalProgrambloggers willwritefavorablyandhelptellthestory inafriendlyaccessibleandeasy-to-under-standway(althoughwedonrsquothavecontrol overwhattheywrite)Peoplewhoaredis-satisfiedwillwritenegativecommentsbut wewillmonitorblogsandactivelycorrect misperceptions
bull Tomonitorwhatothersarewritingabout EnergyUpgradeontheirblogswewilluse freeprogramslikeTechnoratiorGoogle Readertoscanallblogsandwebsitesthat mentiontheProgram
Blogs to Reach
Green Girl LA Blog (httpgreenlagirlcom)Thisindependent blogisfocusedonenvironmentalhap-peningsinLosAngelesArecentpostwas aboutagreennetworkingeventfeaturing TheBuildingDoctorspresentingwaysto makeyourhousemoreenergyefficient PreviouslyareporterbloggerfortheLA Timesthewriterisactiveandcoversa widevarietyofenvironmentalgreentopics happeninginLosAngeles
40 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
LA Times HomeBlog (wwwlatimesblogslatimescomhome_
blog)focusesontopicsrelatedtohouses andhashadseveralrecentpostsabout greenremodelingOneadvantageofa majornewspaperisthatthereportingis accurateandthereadershipislargerThey recentlywroteaboutauditionsforThisOld HousewhichisfeaturingaLosAngeles areahouseforasummerremodel
Bargain Babe (wwwbargainbabelatownluxecom) featuresLosAngelesbargainsYoucan searchforbargainsbyareaofLA(West-sideetc)orbytopicThisbloggerrecently wroteaboutappliancerebates
LA Times Green Remodeling (wwwlatimesblogslatimescompar-donourdustgreen_remodeling)writes aboutalltopicsrelatedtoremodelingin SouthernCaliforniawithseveralrecent postsongreentopicsArecentpostre-viewedthedifferentadvantagesofinstall-ingvarioustanklesswaterheatersPitch thatthebloggerfollowahomeenergy retrofitandhelptelltheirstoryaswellas announcebasicPrograminformation
LA Times Personal Finance wwwlatimescombusinesspersonal-finance
Home Remodeling wwwkathysremodelingblogcom
Energy Efficiency wwwlowimpactlivingcomblog
LA CreekFreak
LA Observed
LAist
YouTube PostallvideosrelatedtotheprojectonYou-TubeWewillworkwithourmediapartners todevelopacontestforearlyadopterstofilm theirexperienceandletwebsitevisitorsvote onthebestWinnerreceivesaprizetobe determined
ListServes Listservesreachgroupsofpeoplewhoare interestedinasimilartopicorwholiveina specificneighborhoodSendemailblaststo listservessuchasneighborhoodassociations homeremodelersandenvironmentalgroups withanenergyfocusCitystaffhasinforma-tionaddressesofneighborhoodandhom-eownerassociationslists
Multimedia for Presentations Website Developanengaginginformative6-8minute videofocusingoncontractorsandhomeown-ersthatcanbeusedduringpresentationsand presentedonCityTVThevideowillbeshot bothinEnglishandinSpanishandcover
bull Howtherebatesworktocreateasenseof urgencyaboutdoingtheenergyupgrades soonerratherputtingitofftotakeadvan-tageoftherebates
bull Theldquosealthenenhancerdquowholehouse concept
bull WhattheProgramelementsactuallylook likeandhowtheyareinstalledtoover-comebarrierssuchasthatonemighthave tomoveoutofthehouseortheenergy upgradesareldquouglyrdquo
bull Workingwithacontractorwhatbeing licensedandcertifiedmeansgettingmul-tiplebids
bull Financingoptions
bull Doingthepaperwork
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 41
Fromthatvideodevelop
bull Threeindividual2-minutevideosforuse onlineeachfocusingonaspecifictopicmdash
againinbothEnglishandSpanish
bull A15anda30spoteachinEnglishand SpanishforuseonCityTVandbroadcast
stations
Print Collateral Customizable fact sheetsInforma-tionsheets(onepagefrontandback)in EnglishSpanishandChinesethatcanalso bepostedonthewebsiteasPDFs
Program brochureMorehighlyde-signedforplacementinmunicipaloffices andevents
Customizable Brochure Brandedwith SunsetMagazineorNationalGeographic forcontractorsandrealtorstohandto customers
SignageBannersforeventsandstreet lamppostspostersformunicipaloffices andsmalleventsandpotentiallysignage forbussidestransitshelters
Speakers kits Countyandcitystaffwillreceivekitstoensure everyoneisfamiliarwithkeymessagesandhas informationtogivetoconstituentsThesecan besentdirectlytocitiesordistributedthrough COGsKitswillcontain
bull Talkingpoints
bull DVDofthevideo
bull PPTpresentationforpublicmeetings
bull Printedbrochuresforpermitofficesto includewithwelcomepacketsfornewho-meowners
bull Articlesandphotostheycanrunintheir onlineorprintedcitynewsletters
bull CDwithtemplatesforquickprintingand websitebuttontolinkfromtheirwebsiteto EnergyUpgradeCalifornia
42 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
description of key messages
Thefollowingmessageshadthehighestreso-nanceinpollingandfocusgroupsbothinLos AngelesCountyandtheBayArea
Primary Motivators Thefollowingtwomessagesaboutsaving moneyarekeytomotivatingalltargetaudi-encesTheyshouldbepartofeverypieceof advertisingorcollateralproduced
1 RebatesHomeownerswhomakeenergy-savinghomeimprovementscanqualifyfor a$1500federaltaxcreditandrebatesof upto$3500dependingonhowmuchthey reduceenergyconsumptionAdditional motivatorTaxcreditsonlyavailable untilDecember312010(Rebatesare preferredovertaxcreditsbecauseitrsquoscash nowratherthanlateranddependingon incomenoteveryonecangetthecredit)
2 Save on Utility Bills Upgradingahome touselessenergyandwatercanreduce utilitybillsby20ormoremdashsavingyou moneyovertime
Secondary Motivators Thefollowingmessagesarethenlayeredde-pendingonwhichaudienceisbeingtargeted
Help the EnvironmentClimate Change Weallneedtodoourparttohelp theenvironmentandslowclimatechange Makingourhomesmoregreenandenergy efficientisanimportantstepweshouldall take
Reduce Foreign OilFossil FuelsAt atimewhenwearetryingtoreduceour dependenceonforeignoilandotherfossil fuelsupgradingtheenergyefficiencyof ourhomesisanimportantstepwecanall take(Infocusgroupstheconceptofenergy independencefurtherresonatedasinde-pendencefromutilitycompaniesgetting offthegrid)
Certified Contractors Save Money Speciallytrainedandcertifiedcontractors knowhowtofindimprovementsthatthe averagehomeownerwouldnotTheiras-sessmentswillensurethatyoufindmore energysavingsandthereforesavemore moneyonyourutilitybillsAdditional motivatorContractorsarecertifiedbythe BuildingPerformanceInstituteworking withtheDepartmentofEnergyandEnvi-ronmentalProtectionAgency
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 43
Increase Property ValuesHomesthat areenergy-efficientandenvironmentally friendlyaremoreappealingtohomebuyers Theseupgradescanincreaseyourproperty value
ComfortUpgradingyourhomersquosenergy efficiencymdashinparticularupgradinginsula-tionmdashcanmakeitamorecomfortableplace toliveNomoredraftycoldroomsinthe winterorhotstuffyroomsinthesummer
Indoor Air QualityInsulationand ventilationcanreduceallergyandasthma-causingmoldandmildewimproving indoorairqualityespeciallyforinfantsand thosewithhealthconditions
Messengers Homeownersprefertoreceiveinformation fromimpartialtrustedsourcesThesemes-sengersreceivedthehighestscoresinpolling
bull Neighborsandotherhomeowners
bull Contractorthehomeownerisalready workingwithorreferredbyfriendneigh-bor
bull Architectsdesignprofessionals
bull Gasandelectricutilities
bull Environmentalorganizations
bull Homeimprovementstorestaff(when equippedwithflyers)
44 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 45
- Cover
- Table of Contents13
- Summary Overview13
- Introduction13
- Programs Goals and Objectives13
- Marketing and Outreach Program Goals and Structure13
- Strategy13
- Evaluation13
- Description of Marketing Communication Tools13
- Description of Key Messages13
-
programs goals and objectives
ThegoalsofEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLA Countyaretopromotejobcreationandreduce aggregategreenhousegasemissionsthrough energyandresource-savingretrofitsofexisting buildingstockthroughthreefundingsources
1 AmericanReinvestmentandRecoveryAct EnergyEfficiencyandConservationBlock Grant(EECBG)
2 USDepartmentofEnergyRetrofitRamp Up(RRU)funding
3 CaliforniaEnergyCommission Discretionarygrant
retrofit objectives by funding source
Objectivesthusfocusonspecifictargetnum-bersforcompletedretrofits
bull Retrofitabout27000single-familyhomes withanaverage20energyreduction Countywide(1605850single-familyresi-dentialhomesinLACounty)plus2600 multi-familyhomes
bull Reduceannualpurchasedenergycon-sumptioninthosehomesbyanaggregate 300billionBTUsperyearandassociated energycostsby$4millionperyear
bull Create3200jobsand
bull ReducetheCountyrsquosannualgreenhouse gasemissionsattributabletoenergycon-sumptioninitsexistingbuildingstockby 36287metrictonsCO2e
EECBG RRU CEC TOTAL
single-family Homes 15000 4200 8060 27260
multi-family Homes 0 1400 1240 2640
29900
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 13
marketing and outreach program goals and structure
1 Goals MarketingandoutreachforEnergyUpgrade CaliforniainLACountywillengageproperty ownersthrougheffectivestrategiesprovide clearandcompellinginformationaboutthe benefitsofanenergyefficiencyretrofitlist therebatesandtaxcreditsavailable(through thisProgramandthroughutilityprograms) explainfinancingoptionslistcertifiedcon-tractorsanddescribetheProgramprocessand optionsThemarketingandoutreachplanhas fivemajorgoals
1 Build broad positive awareness of the Program
2 Educate property owners to overcome barriers to participation
3 Target marketing efforts to drive participation by key audiences identified in surveys
4 Align and coordinate other marketing efforts by utilities and other partners
5 Create a sustained market for a whole-house performance approach leading to long-term behavioral change
2 Objectives ThePlanisdesignedtoachievethesemajor objectives
1 Program goals met
Marketing35-40ofProgrampar-ticipantsentertheProgramasaresultof marketingandoutreachefforts
Contractors45-50ofProgrampar-ticipantsentertheProgramasaresultof marketingbycontractors(usingmes-sagingandmaterialsdevelopedthrough thisPlan)
Partners10-15ofProgrampar-ticipantsentertheProgramasaresult ofmarketingbyothermethodssuch asrealtorsretailpartnersarchitects designersandCityefforts(usingmes-sagingandmaterialsdevelopedthrough thisPlan)
2 300000 unique hits on a robust website (or calls to the call center)
3 Virtual ldquoword-of-mouthrdquo buzz created through social media resulting in click throughs to the website
14 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
4 Communications kits available for county COG cities community leaders and environmental groups
5 Marketing kits available for partners (contractors realtors)
6 Informational materials placed with retailers cities county offices
7 50000000 mediaadvertisingin-person impressions through
Mainstreammedia(televisionradio print)storiesplaced
Multiculturalmedia(televisionradio print)storiesplaced
RadioTVPSAsplaced
CityTVprogramsplaced
PaidradioTVpromosads
Paidprintads
Communitymeetings
Targeteddirectmail
rebate structure
8 Consolidated information in a ldquoone-stop shoprdquo approach
3 Incentives and Financing Marketresearchshowsthatrebatesarepri-marymotivatorsforhomeownerstoundertake anenergyupgradeRebateswillbeavailable forconsumersfromvarioussourcesCur-rentlyutilityrebatesoffer$1000forthe BasicPathandupto$3500forthosereach-ing30energysavingsThefederalHome Starprogramisstillpendingmdashitcouldoffer homeownersupto$3000forelementsinthe BasicPath$3000forthosereaching20 energysavingsandupto$13000forthose reaching45energysavingsIncentivesfrom theCountyarealsostillpending(SeeRebate Structuretable)
Financingoptionsarebeinganalyzedandwill beavailableatlaunch
Allrebatesandfinancingwillbecoordinated onthewebsitewiththeultimategoalofprop-ertyownersfillingoutoneformandpopulat-ingallotherrequiredforms
ELEMENT COUNTy FUNdEd
FEd TAx CREdIT HOME STAR UTILITIES
Basic path tBD 30 of eligible $1000
advanced path tBD improvements up to $1500 (expires Dec 31) $2500 for 20
+$500 for 5 +$500 for 5
silver star tBD
gold star tBD
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 15
4 Coordination Between Local Government and Utilities Consumerswillbebestservedbyaunified brandandconsumermarketingcampaign consistentmessagingandastatewidewebsite portalwithonewebsiteaddressTheCounty ofLosAngelesSouthernCaliforniaEdison andSouthernCaliforniaGasCompanyhave beenworkingtogethertodevelopastrong coordinatedprogramInfacttheLosAngeles CountyProgramhasbecomeamodelforthe state
Coordinationwillalsoleverageresourcesand increasethemarketingeffectivenessoflocal governmentsandthelocalutilitiesAllma-terialswillbedevelopedcollaborativelyand costswillbesharedaccordingtothedivision ofresponsibilityThefollowingchartoutlines thekeydeliverablesandresponsibilities(next page)
16 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
marketingoutreach coordination
PROGRAM ELEMENT LEAd COMMENTS
COUNTy UTILITIES jOINT
market research X telephone surveys focus groups and market analysis
marketing communications plan X this document will direct all marketing
activities
program namelogo X
cec will own the brand and has final vote on statewide name tagline can be customized for la county
Website portal X
statewide portal linked to utility pages or sitesndashmain info and materials on this one site
advertising campaign principles development X
marketing templates X
Print and online available for cities to customize as needed
service territory media Buys (regional) X Mainstream and ethnic media buys
local media Buys (la county) X Both mainstream and ethnic media in
hotspots and la county
call center X one phone number managed by utilities county to help produce script
retail outlet materials X May include kiosks short videos
contractor marketing toolkit X tBD county will develop marketing materials
for contractors
direct mail (eg bill inserts other mailers) X
county assessor materials X
Materials included in water bills property tax bills
community-Based outreach X targeted grassroots marketing
(includes local events)
community events X X utilities attend countywide events county attends local events
public relations X X
utilities take lead for service territory county for local or supervisor-initiated PR
Home energy makeover contest X
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 17
strategy
TheProgramwilluseamulti-layeredmulti-facetedmarketingandoutreachstrategythat targetsaudiencesbyidentifyingwhotheyare wheretheyliveandtheeventsgoingonin theirlivesMarketingeffortsinclude
1 Countywide Marketing (and Media Relations)
2 Pilot Area Marketing
3 Trigger-Event Marketing
4 City Outreach
5 Contractor Marketing
6 Realtor Marketing
7 Retail Partner Marketing
8 Multi-Family Marketing
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing
1 Countywide Marketing
Thestrategyisentirelyresearch-drivenfocus-ingonthosepropertyownersmostlikelyto undertakeahomeenergyupgradeAnover-archinglayerofmainstreammarketingand advertisingwillbeaimedatthreeaudiences
1 Early AdoptersThosewhoarestrong environmentalistsalreadypoisedtoldquodo therightthingrdquofortheenvironmentand whojustneedtohearaboutaprogramand rebates
2 ldquoRetrofit-ReadyrdquoThosewhoarealready planninghomeimprovementsandjust needalittlemoreinformationaboutwhat stepstotaketosavemoneyandldquodothe rightthingrdquofortheenvironment
3 ldquoRetrofit-Persuadablerdquo Thosewho arethinkingabouttheirutilitybills homecomforttheenvironmentorour dependenceonfossilfuelsforeignoil (especiallyinlightoftherecentGulfoil spill)andwhoneedinformationabout whattypesofimprovementstheycould makeandwhatstepstotaketosave energysavemoneyandreducefossilfuel consumption
Outreachwillbeaimedattargetaudiences throughbothmainstreamandmulticultural mediaTheadvertisingwillalsospillover ontoaudiencesinspecificgeographicareas providingadditionalimpressionstothose whoarealsotargetedinthePilotMarketing AreasThiswillalsoaddtothecitiesrsquoefforts topromotetheProgramastheirresidents willalsoseethecountywidemarketingefforts
18 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Marketingwillfocusoneachtargetaudience providingimpressionsclosetotheirhomeand reachingouttomoremassaudiencesCounty-widemarketingandoutreachwillinclude tacticsinthetablebelow
The One-Stop Shop Allinformationwillbeconsolidatedina one-stopshopapproacheitherinaldquobrick andmortarrdquolocationthroughthewebsiteor callcenteroratcommunityeventsProperty ownerswillhaveeasyaccesstoinformation
abouteligibleenergyefficiencymeasures andretrofitoptionseligibilityforCounty-administeredfinancialvehiclesandincentives eligibilityforutility-sponsoredrebatesand incentivesfederalrebateandtaxcreditinfor-mationandaccesstolistsofqualifiedenergy retrofitcontractors
Propertyownerswhoarenoteligiblefororin-terestedinEnergyUpgradeCaliforniawould alsobeabletofindoutaboutopportunities forweatherizationprogramslow-incomerate
countywide marketingoutreach tactics
Cable TV
County Events
Mass Media
Out of Home
Radio
Retail Partners
City Information
City TV
Local Media
Transit Shelters
Theaters
Billboards
Community of Interest
Newsletters
Contractor Marketing
Direct Mail to Hot Spots
Online Ads
Site Signage
Social Media
Community Newsletters
Local Events
Target Audience
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 19
subsidiesgreenjobstrainingandotherinitia- Parcel-Based Market Analysistivesavailabletoqualifiedhouseholds
Identifying Locations of Target Audiences Thegeographiclocationoftargetaudiences willbeidentifiedthroughtwomarketanalysis efforts
Pilot Marketing Areas TheCountywillintensifymarketingefforts inspecificpilotmarketingareaswherehigh percentagesoftheEarlyAdopterandRetrofit ReadyaudiencesliveThesepilotmarketareas willbeidentifiedthroughdemographicanaly-sisbaseduponextensivemarketresearchas wellasadetailedanalysisofkeycommunity resourcessuchasstrongcommunitynetworks andcommunity-basedorganizationsinfluen-tiallocalmedialdquocommunityfeelrdquoetc(For moreinformationonthepilotmarketareas approachandengagementstrategiesseepage 23)
Adetailedmarketanalysisisbeingconducted tosupportspecificpiecesoftheoutreachand communicationsstrategybyidentifyingthe locationofaudiencesthatarereceptivetospe-cificoutreachstrategiesThetableonthenext pagedemonstratesthemarketanalysisaudi-ences(scenarios)andmarketstrategiesthat arebeinganalyzedtoidentifythelocationof targetaudiencesThemarketanalysisisbeing conductedusingconsumermarketresearch combinedwithdemographicdataandprop-ertycharacteristicsdatafromtheCountyas-sessorThemainproductfortheanalysiswill beaseparateanalysisreport(expectedAugust 2010)Thisreportwillincludecountywide ldquoheatmapsrdquothatidentifytheareasthathave ahighproportionoftargetpropertiesandare thereforeidealareasfortargetedmarketing ThesemapscanbeusedforEnergyUpgrade Californiaorcontractormarketingstrategies
countywide market capture cascade
Early Adopters
Retrofit ready
Retrofit persuadable
The Next Phase No way
MESSAGES
bull environment bull Fossil Fuels bull Rebates
available
AddITIONAL MESSAGES
bull save money on utility bills
bull Rebates
bull long-term attitudinal change
available AddITIONAL MESSAGES
bull Property values bull comfort bull Health bull ReBates available
20 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
market analysis scenarios
Link between Pilot Market Areas and Parcel-Based Market Analysis
Theaudiencesbeingexaminedinthepilot marketingareasoverlapwithbutarenotthe sameasthoseinthemarketanalysisThe marketanalysisthereforesupportsthepilot marketareaidentificationintwoways
1 Itaddspropertycharacteristicsgleaned fromconsumerresearchtothepilotmarket areaanalysisInthiswayScenarios1and 2(RetrofitReadyandRetrofitPersuadable) providefurtherdetailtothepilotmarket areasandallowforgeneralmarketingto
MARkET ANALySIS SCENARIO
AUdIENCE IdENTIFIEd
dATA ANALyzEd RELATEd MARkETING STRATEGy
1-early adopters retrofit ready
environmentalists ready to take action now with information about rebates
Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Pilot Marketing areas
2-retrofit persuadable
those who need information about types of improvements with emphasis on rebates and cost savings
Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Pilot Marketing areas
3a-Built environment Heating and cooling
Middle-aged to newer homes located inland that are larger and often have high ac heating bills
Property characteristics location of Home
trigger event Marketing utility Bills Pilot area Marketing
3b-Built environment-Heating
smaller older coastal homes that may have comfort issues in winter
Property characteristics location of Home
trigger event Marketing comfort Pilot Marketing areas
4-multi-family Multi-family homeowners Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Multi-family Marketing Pilot Marketing areas
5-Whole neighborhood
tracts of similarly-aged and built homes
Property characteristics location of Home
Whole neighborhood Marketing Pilot Marketing areas
bedirectedtospecificproperties(when appropriate)
2 Italsoidentifiesotherkeyaudiences (Scenarios3a3b4and5)thatcorrelate toothermarketingstrategiesasshown intableaboveTheresultsofthese scenarioswillbeoverlaidontopofthepilot marketareastoidentifyspecificparcels thatmayrespondtospecificmarketing strategiesForexamplewhenoverlaying thepropertiesidentifiedinScenario5 (Whole-NeighborhoodScenario)with thepilotmarketingareastheCounty canidentifypropertieswithinthepilot
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 21
marketingareathatwouldrespondtoa whole-neighborhoodmarketingapproach (bulkpurchasingmodelhomesasingle contractoretc)
Home Energy Makeover Contest HomeEnergyMakeoverContestsgenerate atremendousamountofpublicityandhave beensuccessfullyconductedinmanyother statesandcitiesTheyattractthousandsof entrantsTheconceptistobothgarnerfree publicityandmodelthebehaviortheProgram istryingtoencouragebyshowingtheldquowhole houseapproachrdquohoweasyupgradescanbe howmuchtherebatescanreducetheproject costandhowmuchdifferencetheymaketoa home
Thecontestwillalsodemonstratethemarket acceptanceforthehomeperformanceap-proachtotraditionalsingle-measurecontrac-torsThosecontractorswillseehowmany peopleenterthecontesttowinahomeperfor-mancemakeoverbasedonthewholehouseap-proachAllthosewhoenteredareleadswho maybeinterestedinawholehouseapproach ratherthansinglemeasures
Entrantsmustbeover18liveinLosAnge-lesCountyandownthehomeinwhichthey residethecontestcanbelimitedtothose whoreceiveservicefromSouthernCalifornia EdisonandorSouthernCaliforniaGas(in otherwordsitcanincludeorexcluderesi-dentsservedbymunicipalutilities)Entrants submitinformationabouttheirhomeand theirenergyconsumptionandgivepermis-sionfortheProgramjudgestoviewtheir energyconsumptionduringthepreviousyear Finalistsarebasedonthehighestenergycon-sumptionpersquarefootofamedian-sized homeAbout20finalistsreceivefreeenergy auditsfortheirhomesBasedontheaudit (andadditionalcriteriawewilldetermine)five winninghomesreceiveupto$15000inhome
energyimprovements(whichcanbesupple-mentedbyrebatesandadditionalfunding fromthepropertyowner)Thewinneragrees tomediacoverageanopenhouseandtoblog andorTweetduringandaftertheretrofit Wewillworkwithcontractorstogetsponsor-shipsaswellasdonatedauditsandupgrade elements
OnecontestwillbeheldinFall2010(withfive winners)andasecondcontestheldduring Springof2011(withfivewinners)
Aseparatecontestcouldbeheldformulti-familybuildingswithahigherwinning amount
Countywide Incentives TheProgramwillestablishalistofnon-profit organizationsthatareactiveinpromoting greenhomessustainabilityandotherenvi-ronmentalorcommunityprojectsEveryone intheCountywhocompletesanenergyaudit maydesignateanon-profitorganizationto receiveadonationfromtheProgramInfor-mationabouttheeligibleorganizationswill beonthewebsiteThiswillencouragethose non-profitstopromotetheProgramtotheir membersltNotethisconceptisstillbeing developedgt
Direct Mail Utilitieswillplacemessagesonouterbillen-velopessenttocustomersTheywillalsosend directmailaboutEnergyUpgradetoldquotarget areasrdquobasedonacombinationofenergy usageageofhomeandhouseholdincome DirectmailisscheduledforOctober2010
County Events Utilitieswillbeattendinglargeeventssuch astheSeptember2010and2011LACounty Fairswithawholehousethemethatincludes aminimodelhousethatvisitorscanldquotourrdquo Additionalproposedeventsinclude
22 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
bull LeagueofCitiesAnnualConference workshop(September2010)
bull PomonaHomeImprovementShow (October2010)
bull RemodelingShowattheLACountyFair (October2010)
bull CaliforniaAssociationofRealtors (October2010)
bull BuildingIndustryShow(November2010)
bull SouthernCaliforniaHomeImprovement Show(November2010)
bull NeighborWorksAmerica(February2011)
Online and Social Media TheProgramwillusesocialmediatoinex-pensivelyreachtargetaudiencesbeginningat launchandcontinuingthroughoutthePro-gramwithbriefpausesforrefiningThiswill beaccomplishedthroughoptimizingsearch wordsforsearchenginessuchasGoogleand Bingreachingappropriateindependentblogs aYouTubevideocontest(runbyamediapart-ner)andencouragingblogpostsandTweets byearlyadoptersandtheProgramitself(see DescriptionsofMarketingCommunications ToolsandDescriptionsofTargetAudiencesfor moredetails)Inadditionutilitieswilldevote spaceforinformationandalinkontheirland-ingpages
Countywide Media Buys Withalatesummerfalllaunchdatemedia buysneedtobespreadtoavoidtheelection monthofOctober2010EnergyUpgradeCali-forniainLosAngelescansponsoraweather broadcastmdashliveonlineandmobilemdashaswell as15and30spotsduringotherbroadcasts Wewillalsopurchaseliveandonlinespots withUnivisiontheSpanish-languagestation Radiobuyswillinclude15NationalPublic Radio(KPCCandKCRW)sponsorshipsand variousdrive-timespotsonEnglishandin-
languageAMandFMstationsSocialmedia buysincludeGoogleWordsandblogads(see DescriptionsofMarketingCommunications Tools)Printmediabuyswillbeinmulticul-turalpapers
(Afullmediabuyplanandschedulewillbe availableinAugust)
Countywide Media Relations TheProgramwillcoordinateCountyandutil-ityeffortsandwiththeCaliforniaEnergyCom-missionCaliforniaPublicUtilitiesCommis-sioneffortsMediarelationswillbeinthree phasespre-launchlaunchandmilestones
Pre-Launch (August ndash September)
bull DevelopandprovideaSpeakerrsquosKit withtalkingpoints
bull OrganizeCountymedialaunchevent (potentiallyenlistawillinghomeowner whosehousemightserveasalaunching padformediatours)
bull Respondtorequestsfromcities
bull Providepre-writtenarticlesforcity communitynewsletters
bull Issuepresskitsandpressrelease(in EnglishandSpanish)announcing launch
Launch (October)
bull Mediaeventtoannouncelaunchand HomeEnergyMakeoverContestpoten-tiallyon-siteatahousetodemonstrate upgrades
bull SendoutradioPSAs
Milestones (through 2013)
bull Mediaeventtoannouncewinnersofthe HomeEnergyMakeovercontest(could beconductedon-sitesurprisingthe winners)
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 23
bull ldquoRe-launchrdquopressreleaseandmedia eventinMarch2011forasecondHome EnergyMakeoverContestwithastrong ldquogetreadyforsummerrdquotheme
bull Pressreleasewhen10000thperson receivesarebate
bull Pressreleasewhenotherappropriate milestonesarereachedorthefunding forincentivesisclosetobeingdepleted
2 Pilot Marketing Areas
Itwillbecriticalforthelong-termsuccessof marketingeffortstohaveasignificantnumber ofearlysuccessesthatgeneratepositivepub-licityandword-of-mouthencouragingothers toalsoparticipateTheCountyintendsto stimulatethemarketfortheseearlyadopters byintensifyingmarketingeffortsinspecific pilotmarketingareas(withzipcodebound-aries)wherebasedonextensiveconsumer
countywide marketingoutreach tactics
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
television
ad buys on Broadcast tV univision google tV Paid county
ldquothis old Houserdquo segment on whole house per-formance and rebates while renovating house (filming in la this summer)
earned county
coverage on mainstream and multicultural sta-tions
earned utilities county
ldquoinfomercialrdquo and promos on city tV Placed county
radio
nPR sponsorship Paid county
commute time spots Paid county
coverage on california Report earned utilities county
Psas on mainstream stations Placed utilities county
spots on multicultural stations Paid county
coverage in mainstream and multicultural papers
earned utilities county
sunset Magazine green Home section earned county
ads in la times and Daily news real estate sections
Paid utilities county
ads in multicultural papers Paid county
Direct Mail to targets Paid utilities
24 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
countywide marketingoutreach tactics (conrsquot)
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
social media
Blogs (about homes environment bargains) earned county
Facebook page Placed county
ads targeted to interest in environment and or home improvements (this old House etc)
Paid county
google adWords targeted to interest in environment andor home improvements
Paid county
twitter both by the Program and by individual early adopters (with incentives)
Placed county
youtube early adopters make a video about their experience and results (with incentives)
Placed county
out of Home
Retail kiosks banners flyers links on retail websites
Placed utilities
community organizations
environmental groups and others newsletters websites email blasts
earned county
Home improvement shows booths Paid county
countywide events Paid utilities
Bloggersubject matter events Paid county
researchhighpercentagesoftargetaudiences livePilotmarketingprogramsinthoseareas willtesttheextentcommunity-basedmarket-ingpositivelyimpactsparticipationratesan effortrelatedtoRetrofitRampUpproposal requirements
Demographicdataprovidedbythemarketre-searchwillbeoverlaidwithenergyusagedata AdditionallyGIS-basedmarketanalysisatthe parcellevel(describedabove)willallowfor pinpointingofspecificneighborhoodswithin thepilotareasforoutreachthatcaninclude
door-to-doordirectmailandmarketingby contractorsaspartofaldquowholeneighbor-hoodrdquoapproachFocusingonpilotareaswill alsomeettheRetrofitRampUprequirements oftheDepartmentofEnergyFollowingisa summaryofplannedmarketingandoutreach efforts
Marketresearch-basedcriteriaforchoosing about15pilotareaswillinclude
Clusters of houses built before 1978 Thoselivinginolderhomesespecially
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 25
builtbeforeCaliforniarsquosEnergyEfficiency Standardsaremorelikelytobelievethat theirhousemightbeenergyinefficient andcouldbenefitfromenergyefficiency improvementsmdashandberesponsivetoan energyupgrade
High percentage of homeownership Thesemarketingeffortsfocusonsingle-familyresidentialhomeownerssoareas withhighrentalrateswillnotprovidea largeenoughnumberofeligibleunits
Income over $60000Thosewith incomesunder$60000didnotbelieve theywouldhavesufficientincometomake improvementsevenwithrebatesThey werenotinterestedinloans(manywith lowincomesalsofindthemselvesldquounder-waterrdquoontheirloansandthusnoteligible forsomefinancing)Inadditionwefound somepush-backinfocusgroupsabout ldquogovernmentofferingloanstopeoplewho canrsquotaffordthemafterthesub-primeloan debaclerdquo
Population with a high percentage of college-educatedThosewithacollege degreearemuchmorelikelytoindicate apreferencetomakeenergyefficiency upgradesThosewhohadcompletedsome collegeeducationarealsomorelikelyto indicateapreferenceforenergyefficiency upgradesthanthosewhohadnotcom-pletedany
Population with a high percentage of those age 35-54Thosewithchildren andorexpandingfamiliesaremorelikely tomakeimprovementsthanthoseunder 30(thereareveryfewhomeownersunder 30)andthoseover54
High percentage of households with 4+ peopleHouseholdswithmorepeople havehigherenergybillsResearchshows thatthoseinhomeswithmorethan4
peoplebelieveenergyupgradescanmakea bigimpactontheirbills
High energy usage Thehigherenergy usage(andbills)themorelikelypeopleare tobelievethatenergyefficiencyimprove-mentswillmakeadifferenceintheirbills
Afterlayeringthisinformationtocomeup withalistofpotentialareaswefurthercon-sidered
Clusters of 8000-20000 homesThe areashouldbelargeenoughtoprovidesub-stantialnumbersofeligibleunitsbutsmall enoughtoenablereachingmajorityofresi-dentsandgeneratingword-of-mouth
Has a diverse multicultural commu-nityAreasshouldhavestrongcommunity identitiesandsenseofplacesocommunity membersareproudofwheretheyliveand areencouragedtoimprovetheircommu-nity
Has strong neighborhood and com-munity organizationsWeneedto engagetheseorganizationsaspartnersto helpspreadtheword
Has existing communications such as newsletters blogsWeneedtoreach membersthroughexistingcrediblesources thatresidentsalreadyuseandtrust
ldquoSpill overrdquo opportunities to nearby neighborhoodsSincemarketingand mediaeffortswillpotentiallyalsobeseen byneighborsareasshouldbenearother areasthatmayalsomeettheprimary criteria
Climatetime of yearIndetermining whentorolloutthepilotswecantarget interiorareasinspringandcoastalareasin coldweather
26 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Basedonthemarketresearchcriteriafive pilotmarketingareasarescheduledforintense marketingatlaunchwithanadditional10 areasscheduledforintensemarketingin Spring2011
Thepilotmarketstrategyissupportedby theparcel-basedmarketanalysiswhichwill identifywhichneighborhoodspropertieswill bethebesttotargetusingthisapproachThe marketanalysiswillallowlimitedmarketing fundingtobeleveragedbyfocusingonthose thataremostlikelytorespondtothemarket-ingefforts
Wewillcreatemessagesandvisualsspecifical-lytailoredtoeachtargetcommunityrsquoscultural andlinguisticpreferencesImagessymbols andiconstypographycolorandoverall designcarrydifferentmeaningsindifferent culturesAmessageistypicallymosteffective ifitiscreatedwithcarefulattentiontothese idiosyncrasiesandwithintheldquoculturalmind-setrdquooftherecipientsCreatingheadlinesand taglinesdirectlyinthetargetlanguagerather thansimplytranslatingEnglishadvertising copyensuresthatcopyhasthecorrectrhythm andrhymeandisthereforemuchmore attention-grabbingandmemorable
Community Incentives Energy Champion Program Severalconceptsareunderconsiderationto developacommunityincentivestrategyto promoteparticipationinlinewiththeRetrofit RampUpproposalforinnovativeincentiveap-proachesIncentivesmaybedirectedatenergy auditscommunity-basedorganizationsthose willingtoprovidetestimonialsorblogtweet andpublicrecognitionefforts
Grassroots Community Organizing-Trainedorganizerswillpresentinformationat themeetingsof12-15influentialcommunity leadersandcommunity-basedorganizationsin
eachpilotareacapturetheircontactdataand helpspreadtheinformationtotheirmembers throughtheirnewsletterseventsandwebsites TheProgramwillprovidepre-writtencus-tomizablearticlespresentationsorvideoand websiteldquobuttonsrdquotolinktotheProgramsite Eachgroupwillbeofferedanincentiveofado-nationtotheirorganizationforeverymember whocompletesahomeenergyupgradeThis willencourageCBOvolunteerstoincrease theirmarketingeffortsFriendlyrivalrieswill beencouragedCommunitygroupswillreport namesofparticipantscheckedforjobcomple-tionbytheProgram(underdevelopment)
Community Events One-on-onefacetimewithhomeownersis anidealwaytoengagepotentialparticipants Well-trainedorganizerswillattendfiveevents ineachtargetareaprovidinghomeowners withinformation(pocketsizemultilingual handouts)andcapturingtheircontactinfor-mationforfollowupTheycanhavehome-ownerssignuponthewebsiteonsiteifappro-priateandperhapsevenhavethemprovideus withavideocommitmentldquoItookthePledgerdquo withpermissiontopostonthewebsiteAsa luretotheboothhomeownerswillbeoffered freeitemssuchaslightbulbsmagnetsand reusablecupswithcoldwater(imprintedwith thewebsite)manufacturedintheUS
Print Radio Outdoor and Out-of Home Advertising Localmediawillcoverthelaunchofthe Programandwewillstrategicallyplaceads inlocalmediaandcommunitynewsletters Outdooradvertising(smallstreet-levelbiode-gradableeco-postersbussheltersbussides) strategicallyplacedinhigh-trafficareaswillre-inforcethemessageoveraone-monthperiod
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 27
Pilot Area Example Altadena Altadenawasidentifiedasacommunitythat fitsourtargetcriteriaItisadiverseunincor-poratedcommunitywithsixneighborhoods andanapproximatepopulationof40000The averagehouseholdincomeisabout$94000 Morethan50ofadultresidentsaremarried withchildrenandcommuteanaverageof62 milesperdaytowhite-collarjobsFully40of theadultsinthiscommunityhaveabachelors
degreeorhigherandareinvolvedinmany communityeventsandorganizationsThere areapproximately12000homesinthiscom-munityand10000ofthosehomesareowner-occupiedThegraphicshowshowoutreach wouldbeconcentratedinthisarea
pilot area outreachmarketing tactics
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
radio
Psas on multicultural stations earned county
coverage in local papers earned county
ads in local and multicultural papers Paid county
outdoor
Bus shelters in area Paid county
on-street lampost signage Paid county
Billboards Paid county
social media
Blogs (relevant to the area) earned county
online ads targeted by location Paid county
listserves of neighborhood associations (through cities)
earned county
out of Home
Movie theater ads in area Paid county
lawn signs on homes in area (through contractors)
Paid county
community organizations
community meetings with incentives to organizations for participation
earnedPaid county
community events Paid county Door hangers Paid county
28 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Home Depot
Ace Hardware
Lowersquos
Master Builders
Great Indoors
Home Expo
altadena marketing target
Hoy La Opinioacuten
Pasadena Star News
Altadena Headlines Examiner
Boulevard Magazine
Arroyo Magazine
Pasadena Weekly
Altadena Connection
Sentinel
KLVE
KPCC Pasadena
KCBS
KROQ Pasadena
KAZN Pasadena
Church Bulletins
Summer Concert Series at Farnsworth Park
Fourth of July Fireworks at
Town amp Country Club
Black History Parade
World Music Festival in Pasadena
Haunted House at
Farnsworth Park
Art Break
Rose Parade
National Latino
Congreso
Altadena Neighborhood Association
Altadena Chamber of Commerce
Altadena Arts Council
Altadena Town Council
Faith-based Organizations
Altadena Town amp Country Club
Altadena League of
Women Voters
Altadena Historical Society
Altadena Community Improvement Center
Sheriff Support Group
Santa Coming to Farnsworth
Park
Altadena California
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 29
3 Trigger-Event Marketing
Thissuiteofstrategieswillbeaimedatcaptur-ingenergyefficiencyopportunitiesfrommul-tipletriggereventsParticipantswillmainly comethroughcontractorsrealtorsandretail partnerspropertyownerswillhavealsoseen countywideadvertising
trigger event marketing
4 City and COG Outreach
OutreachbyCitiesandCOGswillbecritical becauseoftheirexistingrelationshipswith localconstituenciesCitieswillbeprovided withamini-marketingplantalkingpoints videocustomizabletemplatesoffactsheets articlesfortheirnewslettersandadvertising
EvENT dESCRIPTION LEAd AGENT COLLATERAL TACTIC
1 Replace on burnout (heating air conditioners water heaters)
Homeowners either in process of replacing an item or have already done some efficiency projects
county bull Retail partners
bull HVac installers
bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors installers
bull Retail displays
2 life-stage changes (growing family)
Homeowners working with a contractor
county bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors bull ads in media for home remodels
3 Home remodel Homeowners working with an architect contractor
county bull contractors bull architects
bull Materials for contractors
bull ads in media for home remodels
3 improvements at time of purchase
Homeowners interested are preparing a new home for move-in (research shows more interest at purchase than at sale)
shared bull contractors bull Realtors bull Home
inspectors bull city permit
offices bull city welcome
kits bull Retail
bull Brochures for cities
bull ads in weekend homes for sale sections
bull Presentations to realtor groups
bull Retail displays
4 improvements at sale
House owners preparing for sale
county bull contractors bull Realtors
bull Materials for contractors
5 complaints high utility bills cold hot house
Homeowners aware of energy-saving improvements but not whole house approach
county bull contractors bull HeRs raters
bull Materials for contractors
30 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
city amp cog outreach
materialssotheycandeveloplow-costout-reachtotheirresidentsCitieswithcommuni-tiestargetedinthePilotAreaMarketingplans willbeinformedandencouragedtodoout-reachtothoseareasAllCitieswillbeencour-agedtodothefollowing
Run stories in print and online news-letters
Send information to neighborhood associations homeowners associa-tions historic preservation districts and other appropriate community organizations
Provide information in City permit-ting offices and City Hall lobbies
Provide information at strategically located Environmental Information Centers and at COG office locations
Provide information in ldquonew home-ownersrdquo welcome kits (either directly from the city or through title compa-
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAId EARNEd
LEAd
pio coordination contact all participating citiesrsquo Pios na county
letters Key messages for letters from mayors etc to constituents Provide to Pios or city managers
na county
Website links Button for cities to place on their website to link to Program site
na county
city tV informational videos and spot promos Placed county
Welcome brochure
Brochure aimed at new homeowners before they move in
na county
articles Pre-written customizable newsletter articles earned county
email blasts Pre-written customizable info spots for communityneighborhood listserves
earned county
niesmortgage brokers)
Run videos and spots on City TV stations
5 Contractor Marketing
Localcontractorsarecriticaltothesuccess ofEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLosAngeles CountyTheyprovidetheservicesthatcom-prisetheProgramandtheycanhelpmarket theProgramtopropertyownersInfactwe estimatethatupto50ofProgrampartici-pantswillentertheProgramthrougharela-tionshipwithacontractor(theymayhavealso seenmediacoverageandadvertisingwhich spurredthemtotakeaction)Thisuniquerole requiresthattheProgramtakeatwo-tiered approachofengagingthecontractormdashmoti-vatinglocalbuildingprofessionalstoundergo thetrainingandcertificationprocessandalso providingthemwiththetoolstoeffectively promotetheprogramtoexistingandnew clientsThefollowingsectiondescribesspecific
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 31
contractor target
United Brotherhood Building Industry Carpenters (Training)
Association ofSouthern California
Email Blast
Contractors Magazines
Contractor
OnlineAds
Big Box Stores
ConractorsLicensing Schools
Realtor Associations
strategiesassociatedwithbothapproaches
Forthepurposesoftheprogramcontractors aredividedintoparticularsegmentsbasedon thetypeofserviceprovidedAninitialanalysis oftheindustryrevealedthefollowinglikely categories
HomePerformance(HP)Contractors
ProductionBuilders
HVACSystemSpecialtyTrades (windowsetc)
RemodelingContractors
SolarContractors
BuildingPerformance
Institute
Southwest Regional
City Permit Association
Offices of Carpenters
Lumber Yards
StateLicensing
Board
American Instituteof Architects
LA Chapter
Outreach to Contractors TheProgramwillcoordinatewithcontractor groupsandotherbuildingprofessionaltrade organizationstoschedulebriefpresentations abouttheProgramandthecontractortraining processForlargerorganizationsthePro-grammayworkdirectlywiththecompanyto arrangeon-sitepresentationsThesepresenta-tionsareinformalinnatureandwillbeusedto promotethecertificationorientationsrequired forcontractorparticipationintheprogram
KeyMessagestoContractors
$30millioninAmericanRecoveryand ReinvestmentActmoneyisworkinginLA Countytocreateconstructionindustryjobs
32 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
EnergyUpgradeCaliforniaOffersbig rebatesandfinancingoptionsfor homeownersdoinghomeenergy efficiencyretrofits
Therewillbemarketingandadvertis-ingstatewideandlocallytopromotethe Program
Therewillbemarketingmaterialsforyou tousetomarketyourbusiness
YoumustbelicensedandBuildingPerfor-manceInstitute-certifiedtobepartofthe Program
HomeownersmustworkwithBPI-certified contractorstheyrsquollchoosefromacontrac-tordatabaseonthewebsite
KeyOutreachMethods
BuildingIndustryAssociationofSouthern California
SouthwestRegionalCouncilofCarpenters
RealtorsAssociation
UnitedBrotherhood-Carpenters(Training Program)
Citypermittingoffice
Lumberyards
AmericanInstituteofArchitectsLA Chapter(toeducatethemaswell)
ArticlesinformationinContractortrade publications(magazinesnewslettersetc) magazines
CarpentersUnionLocals
ContractorsLicenseSchools(andonline)
BigBoxHomeImprovementstores(de-pendingonIOUrelationships)
wwwcslbcagov
Emailblasttoalllicensedcontractors
Contractor Outreach to Consumers Differentopportunitiesexistfordifferent contractorsdependingontheprobablework scopeThefollowingtableoutlinesafew potentialpathwaysforhowcontractorscan participateintheProgram
contractors outreach to customers
CONTRACTOR TyPE
TRIGGER EvENT vALUE TO CONTRACTOR
BUSINESS MOdEL
Home Performance upgrade lead generation scale for high volume
Production Builder new Business Development
create new division
HVac Replacement lead generation Value-add
expand services
specialty trade lead generation Partner with certified gc
Remodeler Remodel life-stage transition
Value-add sub work to HP contractor
solar Renewables lead generation Partner with certified gc
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 33
BPI-certifiedgeneralcontractorswillbelisted ontheEnergyUpgradeconsumerwebsite sendingmanyleadsdirectlytothemThey alsohaveaccesstotheldquoheatmapsrdquotousefor developingtheirownadvertisingcampaigns
Contractorswillbeattendingorientationses-sionstoensuretheythoroughlyunderstand theProgramrebatesfinancingoptionsand canhelpguidetheircustomersthroughthe processTheywillbeprovidedwithContractor MarketingKitstoensuretheyhaveathandthe keymessagesthathavebeenresonatingwith homeownersandhaveinformationtogive topotentialcustomerswhomightormight nothavebeentothewebsiteKitscanbesent directlytocontractorsordistributedatthe orientationsessionsKitswillcontain
Talkingpoints
DVDofthevideo
Printedfactsheetstoleavewithcustomers (withroomfortheircontactinfo)more canbeordered
Printedldquoslimjimrdquoprogrambrochure
Printedlengthierbrochuresaboutthe wholehouseapproach(brandedby Scientific American Magazine)
CDwithldquobuttonrdquotolinktoEnergyUpgrade fromtheirownwebsitesandPDFsofsite signageforprinting
Contractorswillhaveaccesstoaseparatesec-tionofthewebsitewheretheywillfindinfor-mationaboutProgrameventspromotionsand advertisinganon-demandprintsectionfor additionalcopiesofbrochuresanychanges totheProgramandasingletradecontractor databaseforassemblingteamsforcustomers whowouldlikesolarpanelsornewwindows forexample
6 Realtor Marketing
Giventhatthenationalaveragelengthofhome ownershipisroughlysixyearsrealestate agentswillbeincontactandadvisingalarge percentageofthenewandexistinghomeown-ersthatEnergyUpgradeistargetingforhome energyretrofitsThishighlevelofinfluence makesrealtorsoneofthelargestpartner groups
Realestateagentswillbeengagedonthree levels
1) Outreach
2) Training
3) Support
Outreach Outreachwillbeconductedthroughavariety ofvenuesthatwillincludeCaliforniaAssocia-tionofRealtorsreg(CAR)regionalconferences heldinSouthernCaliforniapartnershipwith themanyrealtorassociationslocatedinLos AngelesCountyanddirectvisitstorealestate agentsrsquoofficesforshortpresentationsPart-nershipswiththe15-20localRealtorsAsso-ciationswillbeachievedthroughoneormore RealtorAdvisoryBoardswhichincludethe GovernmentAffairsDirectorsfromeachof theseorganizationsAselectfewoftheseor-ganizationswillbeusedaspilotsfortargeted outreachduringearlystagesoftheProgram Oncethestrategyhasbeentestedandrevised itwillberolledouttoalloftheRealtorsAs-sociationsinLosAngelesCounty
ThefallCARRealtorExpowillbethemain kickoffeventforoutreachtoindividualreal-torsandrealtorofficesEnergyUpgradeplans tohavea30-minutetalkembeddedinthe SpeakersProgramandaboothsetuponthe ExpofloortoinformrealtorsaboutthePro-gramavailabletrainingsandthesupport
34 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
toolsthathavebeendevelopedThisevent willreachthemajorityofrealtorsintheLos Angelesareabutwillnotincludethelarge populationofrealestateagentsthatarenot membersofCARToreachthispopulation emailsocialmediaandtargetedofficevisits willbeconducted
Training EnergyUpgradewillprovidetrainingforreal estateagentsintwoformsTherealestate agenttrainingmodulecurrentlyunderdevel-opmentbyBuildItGreenwillbeusedasthe maintrainingforumThistrainingmodule isexpectedtotaketwofulldaystocomplete andwillcoverpropertyassessedcleanenergy financingenergyefficientmortgagesrebate programsbuildingscienceenergyefficiency andgreenbuildingpracticesappropriateto California
Additionalweb-basedtrainingwillbeprovided tointroducerealestateagentstotheProgram andtodrivethemtogetin-persontraining throughtheBuildItGreentrainingmodule
Support Cultivatingandclosingtoolswillbegener-atedtoassistrealtorsinusingEnergyUpgrade Californiatradetoexpandtheirbusinesswhile drivinghigherlevelsofprogramparticipation RealtorKitswillbesimilartotheContractor Kitsandtheywillhaveaccesstothedatabase ofgeneralandsingletradecontractors
7 Retail Partner Marketing
Utilitieswillpartnerwithretailoutletsthat canincludeBestBuyCostcoSearsLowes andHomeDepotParticipatingretailoutlets willbeprovided
Information centersEnd-displays detailingtheEnergyUpgradeProgram withadiagramillustratingthehouseas asystemconcept(multiplecomponents thatacttogethertomaximizesavings)and actionscustomerscantaketocapturethose savingsandrebatesIn-storecustomer educationcanshiftcustomerperception ofenergyupgradesandmotivatethem toparticipateinmultipleenergy-efficient measuresinsteadofjustoneAnadditional benefitfortheretailerisassociationwith thestatewideprogram
Program collateral One-sheet takeawaysforcustomerstoreference andshare
Video Theshortvideoscanbeplayed onaloop
Table tent cardsPlacedthroughout storesectionsthatcorrelatewiththe EnergyUpgradeProgram(CFLsappli-ancesceilingfansinsulationwindows) Againthiswillencouragecustomersto performmultipleenergyupgradesinstead ofjustoneCross-promotionhelpseducate customersandencourageparticipationin multiplemeasuresthusincreasingproduct purchase
Window clings ldquoOfficialEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaInformationCenterrdquotagline bannersplacedatstorefrontThiswillpo-sitiontheretailerasanactiveparticipantin thestatewideprogramandbuildsretailer credibilityasagreenadvocate
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 35
8 Multi-Family Outreach
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesandsched-ulesarestillinplanningphasesandbeing developedthroughastatewideconsortium
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesarebeing
developed
36 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
evaluation
Theprimarygoalsofthemarketingplanareto buildpositiveawarenessoftheEnergyUp-gradeCaliforniaProgramandcreateasus-tainedmarketforawholehouseapproach(see page8)Objectivesarespecifictothoseachiev-ingthosegoalsLosAngelesCountyresidents willseemultipleiterationsofmediacoverage paidadvertisingin-storedisplayscontractor marketingandin-personpresentations(inthe pilotmarketingareas)Forexamplearesi-dentinAltadenamightseethemoreintensive marketingandoutreacheffortsThatmayspur themtoactionmdashbutiftheyalreadyhadplans toremodelorhadpreviouslyworkedwitha contractortheymightcalltheircontractorand thusactuallycometotheprogramthrough thecontractorThereforeitwillnotbeeasy todeterminepreciselywhathasmotivated eachpersontoparticipateinEnergyUpgrade Objectivestomeetinclude
About35-45ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughthemarket-ingandoutreacheffortsTomonitorwe willincludeashortsurveyaspartofthe rebateapplicationprocessaskingpartici-pantswhatdrewthemtothewebsiteand totheProgramThewebsitecanmonitor clickthroughstocontractorssitesfrom theProgramwebsiteprovidinganindica-tionofpotentialparticpantswhocameto thesitebeforehavingacontractorOnce apropertyownerinputsanaddressthe websitewillbeabletospecificallymonitor ifthatparticipantasksformultiple estimatesfromcontractorsanotherindica-
toroffindingacontractorthroughthesite
About45-50ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughcontractors Wewillaskcontractorstoprovideinfor-mationabouttheirmarketingeffortsand successratesTheywillbeabletoidentify participantsgainedthroughtheirownmar-ketingefforts
300000uniquehitsonthewebsitewhich willbemonitoredbythewebsiteFurther thewebsitewillanalyzewherevisitors camefrom(egaclickthroughfroman onlineadfromacontractorrsquoswebsite orduringthespecifictimeframeofanad campaign)
Virtualandactualldquoword-of-mouthrdquore-portedbymonitoringsocialmedia
Communicationskitsandmarketingkits availablebothphysicallyandthroughan on-demandprintsitemonitoredbyclient
Informationalmaterialsforcitiesmoni-toredbySouthBayCitiesCouncilofGov-ernments
50000000mediaadvertisingin-person impressionsmonitoredbybroadcast printonlinestatisticsandreportsfrom grassrootsmarketingefforts
Consolidatedinformationinone-stop-shop approachwillbedeliveredthroughthe website
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 37
description of marketing communication tools
PlacedEarned Social Media ThePlancallsforsocialmediatopushinfor-mationtoourtargetaudiencesincreaseper-ceptionsoftheProgramascommunity-based reachthosewhowillhelpgenerateadditional buzzindependentmarketingeffortsaboutthe Programandprovideamechanismforlisten-ingtowhatpeoplearesayingaboutEnergy Upgrademdashandrespondingwhennecessary
Online Paid Advertising Onlineadvertisingcampaignscanbeverycost-effectiveandhighlytargetedbydemographics areasofinterestandgeographicsAdsappear ontopic-relatedblogsonsearchenginepages (egGoogle)andoncontentpages(egwhen yousearchforinformationaboutarelated topicandselectawebsitetoview)
Types of Users Targetadsbyage genderincomelanguagepreferencezip codeorhotspots
Types of SearchesTargetadsbytypeof searchconductedbasedonkeywords
Adsareusuallysoldperldquoclickrdquomdashtheviewer hasclickedontheadandbeensenttothe EnergyUpgradeCAwebsiteWewillmake fourtypesofonlineadpurchases
1 Googleadsthatplaceadsbothonits searchpagesandonhundredsofwebsites targetedbytheabove
2 Networksthattargetspecificsitesand blogsthatmatchourtargetaudiences(eg HiveBlogsLosAngelesthatoffers350LA blogstochoosefrom)
3 Directlythroughselectpublishers(eg CurbedLAGreenGirlLAlocalpapers online)
4 Onlineeditionsoflocalpapersinpilot marketingareas
Twitter Twitterusersaremostlycollegegraduates haveattendedgraduateschoolandlivein householdsmakingover$50000ayear (nationally)Usersarethreetimesmorelikely tofollowbrandsandcompaniesonTwitter thanotherusersofsocialnetworkswith40 specificallyusingTwittertolearnaboutand provideopinionsonbrands
Twittercanpushthelatestdevelopmentsand newstopeoplewhohaveexpressedaninter-estedintheProgram(theymustsignupto receiveourTweetsorhavesearchedfortag wordsincludedinourTweets)Itrsquosalsoan easywayforthosewhofollowEnergyUpgrade onTwittertoshareTweetswiththeirfriends
38 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
therebygeneratingbuzzandhelpingmarket theProgramTwittercanshareProgram newsinrealtimedrivepeopletothewebsite facilitateearlyadoptersbuzzmakersreach youngerhomeownersandincreasemarketing effortsatalowcostTwittercanbeeffectively usedtocommunicatetheProgramandits milestonesinavarietyofways
bull Tweetaboutpressreleasesmajoran-nouncementsnewitemsonwebsiteor blogsmediastoriesandarticlesespecially aboutthosethataretimesensitiveandtell ouraudiencewhatishappeningwiththe Programandencouragesthemtopartici-pateorfindoutmore
bull PutaTweeticononthemainwebsiteal-lowingvisitorstothewebsitetobeginto followEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLos AngelesCountyonTwitterwithoneclick
bull FollowotherswhoTweetaboutthe ProgramaswellasthosewhoTweetabout relatedtopicsThiswillprovideanop-portunitytodirectlyrespondtoaperson whohasaquestionabouttheProgramand pointthemtoalinktothewebsite
Tweet Examples
bull ldquo100LAhomeownershavesigned upfortheProgramatwwwEnergyUpgra-deCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoReadaboutLArsquosnewenergyefficiency rebateProgramintheLAtimes httpwwwlatimesgreenblogcomrdquo
bull ldquoWanttosaveonyourutilitybills CheckoutwwwEnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoSignupfortheHomeEnergyUpgrade contestforachancetowinafree homeenergyefficiencyretrofitat EnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
Cost and Budget
SettingupaTwitteraccountisfreeasisusing anapplicationsuchasTweetDeckthathelps followotherswhoareTweetingaboutEnergy UpgradeCaliforniaTheonlysignificantcostis stafftimewhichcanbelimitedtoafewhours aweek
Facebook Facebookisalow-costandeasywayofboth marketingtheProgramandsupportingan onlinecommunityofpeopleinterestedinthe ProgramItwillreachaudienceswhoaremore likelytospendtimeonFacebookversusaweb-siteandwhomayprefertoreceiveshortreal timeProgramnewsviaFacebookratherthan emailsorwebsitesItisidealforpostinglinks tovideosandphotosrelatedtotheprojectIt complementsthewebsiteaplacewherefans oftheProgramcanfindinformationaskques-tionsandshareideasandexcitementThese fanswillgeneratebuzzbytellingtheirfriends abouttheProgramthroughFacebook
AFacebookpagewillcontaininformation abouttheProgramalinktothewebsite Programnewsvideosphotographsandother informationWhenthepageisupdatedfans willreceivelinksinemailalertingthemtothe newposts
Facebookisalsoidealforsharingthestoryof anearlyadopter(whowillalsoTweet)through updatesphotographsandvideosItlends itselfmuchmorenaturallytothispeople-fo-cusedapproachthanawebsitewhichismore formal
Additionalpoints
bull EncourageandperhapsrewardProgram adopterstosharetheirexperiencesask questionsetc
bull Setupcontrolstodeterminewhatcontent Fanscanposttothewall
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 39
bull Monitorupdatestothewallandtakedown Therearemanyexistingblogsthatcanbeused inappropriatecontent
bull Respondtoissuesquestionsandtakepart intheconversation
bull Adesignatedstaffpersonshouldmonitor thesiteitisalsoidealifseveralstaff memberspostcontentandifpartnersare activeparticipantsalthoughtheoverall strategyshouldbecentralized
Facebook Examples
Herearesomeexamplesofthetypesofpost-ingsforaFacebookpage
bull ldquoTheLATimesdescribesEnergyUpgrade CAasaperfectopportunitytobegreenand savemoneymdashintheFridaymoneysectionrdquo
bull ldquoWhydidyoudecidetoparticipatein EnergyUpgradeCATellushowyour energyefficiencyretrofitisgoingandwersquoll enteryouforachancetowina$50Home Depotgiftcardrdquo
bull ldquoWonderingwhetherEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaisrightforyouCheckoutthis videooftheSmithsinstallingnewinsula-tionandwindows--andreceivinga$3500 rebaterdquo
Cost and Budget
Relativelyfewdirectcostsstafftimewill fluctuateduringbusycalmperiodswithhigh activityatthebeginningastheProgramkicks offandafanbaseisestablishedOngoingstaff timeneededtokeeppagefreshwith3-4posts weekdailymaintenancerequiredtomonitor postingsfromfans
Blogs Blogsreachtargetaudienceswhoarealready interestedinrelatedtopicsandwhohavehigh potentialtoparticipateintheProgram
tofurthermarketingefforts
bull Identifybloggerswhowilllikelywrite positivelyabouttheProgramSendpress releasefactsheetsandPrograminforma-tiontobloggerswhowriteabouttopics suchastheenvironmentenergyefficiency homeimprovementremodelingreal estatehousingbargainssavingmoneyas wellastocompaniesthatsellsolarpanels contractorsetc
bull Bloggersarelookingfortopicalstoriesto writeaboutandwewillmaketheirnext blogposteasyBecauseEnergyUpgradeis ahighrewardoptionalProgrambloggers willwritefavorablyandhelptellthestory inafriendlyaccessibleandeasy-to-under-standway(althoughwedonrsquothavecontrol overwhattheywrite)Peoplewhoaredis-satisfiedwillwritenegativecommentsbut wewillmonitorblogsandactivelycorrect misperceptions
bull Tomonitorwhatothersarewritingabout EnergyUpgradeontheirblogswewilluse freeprogramslikeTechnoratiorGoogle Readertoscanallblogsandwebsitesthat mentiontheProgram
Blogs to Reach
Green Girl LA Blog (httpgreenlagirlcom)Thisindependent blogisfocusedonenvironmentalhap-peningsinLosAngelesArecentpostwas aboutagreennetworkingeventfeaturing TheBuildingDoctorspresentingwaysto makeyourhousemoreenergyefficient PreviouslyareporterbloggerfortheLA Timesthewriterisactiveandcoversa widevarietyofenvironmentalgreentopics happeninginLosAngeles
40 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
LA Times HomeBlog (wwwlatimesblogslatimescomhome_
blog)focusesontopicsrelatedtohouses andhashadseveralrecentpostsabout greenremodelingOneadvantageofa majornewspaperisthatthereportingis accurateandthereadershipislargerThey recentlywroteaboutauditionsforThisOld HousewhichisfeaturingaLosAngeles areahouseforasummerremodel
Bargain Babe (wwwbargainbabelatownluxecom) featuresLosAngelesbargainsYoucan searchforbargainsbyareaofLA(West-sideetc)orbytopicThisbloggerrecently wroteaboutappliancerebates
LA Times Green Remodeling (wwwlatimesblogslatimescompar-donourdustgreen_remodeling)writes aboutalltopicsrelatedtoremodelingin SouthernCaliforniawithseveralrecent postsongreentopicsArecentpostre-viewedthedifferentadvantagesofinstall-ingvarioustanklesswaterheatersPitch thatthebloggerfollowahomeenergy retrofitandhelptelltheirstoryaswellas announcebasicPrograminformation
LA Times Personal Finance wwwlatimescombusinesspersonal-finance
Home Remodeling wwwkathysremodelingblogcom
Energy Efficiency wwwlowimpactlivingcomblog
LA CreekFreak
LA Observed
LAist
YouTube PostallvideosrelatedtotheprojectonYou-TubeWewillworkwithourmediapartners todevelopacontestforearlyadopterstofilm theirexperienceandletwebsitevisitorsvote onthebestWinnerreceivesaprizetobe determined
ListServes Listservesreachgroupsofpeoplewhoare interestedinasimilartopicorwholiveina specificneighborhoodSendemailblaststo listservessuchasneighborhoodassociations homeremodelersandenvironmentalgroups withanenergyfocusCitystaffhasinforma-tionaddressesofneighborhoodandhom-eownerassociationslists
Multimedia for Presentations Website Developanengaginginformative6-8minute videofocusingoncontractorsandhomeown-ersthatcanbeusedduringpresentationsand presentedonCityTVThevideowillbeshot bothinEnglishandinSpanishandcover
bull Howtherebatesworktocreateasenseof urgencyaboutdoingtheenergyupgrades soonerratherputtingitofftotakeadvan-tageoftherebates
bull Theldquosealthenenhancerdquowholehouse concept
bull WhattheProgramelementsactuallylook likeandhowtheyareinstalledtoover-comebarrierssuchasthatonemighthave tomoveoutofthehouseortheenergy upgradesareldquouglyrdquo
bull Workingwithacontractorwhatbeing licensedandcertifiedmeansgettingmul-tiplebids
bull Financingoptions
bull Doingthepaperwork
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 41
Fromthatvideodevelop
bull Threeindividual2-minutevideosforuse onlineeachfocusingonaspecifictopicmdash
againinbothEnglishandSpanish
bull A15anda30spoteachinEnglishand SpanishforuseonCityTVandbroadcast
stations
Print Collateral Customizable fact sheetsInforma-tionsheets(onepagefrontandback)in EnglishSpanishandChinesethatcanalso bepostedonthewebsiteasPDFs
Program brochureMorehighlyde-signedforplacementinmunicipaloffices andevents
Customizable Brochure Brandedwith SunsetMagazineorNationalGeographic forcontractorsandrealtorstohandto customers
SignageBannersforeventsandstreet lamppostspostersformunicipaloffices andsmalleventsandpotentiallysignage forbussidestransitshelters
Speakers kits Countyandcitystaffwillreceivekitstoensure everyoneisfamiliarwithkeymessagesandhas informationtogivetoconstituentsThesecan besentdirectlytocitiesordistributedthrough COGsKitswillcontain
bull Talkingpoints
bull DVDofthevideo
bull PPTpresentationforpublicmeetings
bull Printedbrochuresforpermitofficesto includewithwelcomepacketsfornewho-meowners
bull Articlesandphotostheycanrunintheir onlineorprintedcitynewsletters
bull CDwithtemplatesforquickprintingand websitebuttontolinkfromtheirwebsiteto EnergyUpgradeCalifornia
42 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
description of key messages
Thefollowingmessageshadthehighestreso-nanceinpollingandfocusgroupsbothinLos AngelesCountyandtheBayArea
Primary Motivators Thefollowingtwomessagesaboutsaving moneyarekeytomotivatingalltargetaudi-encesTheyshouldbepartofeverypieceof advertisingorcollateralproduced
1 RebatesHomeownerswhomakeenergy-savinghomeimprovementscanqualifyfor a$1500federaltaxcreditandrebatesof upto$3500dependingonhowmuchthey reduceenergyconsumptionAdditional motivatorTaxcreditsonlyavailable untilDecember312010(Rebatesare preferredovertaxcreditsbecauseitrsquoscash nowratherthanlateranddependingon incomenoteveryonecangetthecredit)
2 Save on Utility Bills Upgradingahome touselessenergyandwatercanreduce utilitybillsby20ormoremdashsavingyou moneyovertime
Secondary Motivators Thefollowingmessagesarethenlayeredde-pendingonwhichaudienceisbeingtargeted
Help the EnvironmentClimate Change Weallneedtodoourparttohelp theenvironmentandslowclimatechange Makingourhomesmoregreenandenergy efficientisanimportantstepweshouldall take
Reduce Foreign OilFossil FuelsAt atimewhenwearetryingtoreduceour dependenceonforeignoilandotherfossil fuelsupgradingtheenergyefficiencyof ourhomesisanimportantstepwecanall take(Infocusgroupstheconceptofenergy independencefurtherresonatedasinde-pendencefromutilitycompaniesgetting offthegrid)
Certified Contractors Save Money Speciallytrainedandcertifiedcontractors knowhowtofindimprovementsthatthe averagehomeownerwouldnotTheiras-sessmentswillensurethatyoufindmore energysavingsandthereforesavemore moneyonyourutilitybillsAdditional motivatorContractorsarecertifiedbythe BuildingPerformanceInstituteworking withtheDepartmentofEnergyandEnvi-ronmentalProtectionAgency
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 43
Increase Property ValuesHomesthat areenergy-efficientandenvironmentally friendlyaremoreappealingtohomebuyers Theseupgradescanincreaseyourproperty value
ComfortUpgradingyourhomersquosenergy efficiencymdashinparticularupgradinginsula-tionmdashcanmakeitamorecomfortableplace toliveNomoredraftycoldroomsinthe winterorhotstuffyroomsinthesummer
Indoor Air QualityInsulationand ventilationcanreduceallergyandasthma-causingmoldandmildewimproving indoorairqualityespeciallyforinfantsand thosewithhealthconditions
Messengers Homeownersprefertoreceiveinformation fromimpartialtrustedsourcesThesemes-sengersreceivedthehighestscoresinpolling
bull Neighborsandotherhomeowners
bull Contractorthehomeownerisalready workingwithorreferredbyfriendneigh-bor
bull Architectsdesignprofessionals
bull Gasandelectricutilities
bull Environmentalorganizations
bull Homeimprovementstorestaff(when equippedwithflyers)
44 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 45
- Cover
- Table of Contents13
- Summary Overview13
- Introduction13
- Programs Goals and Objectives13
- Marketing and Outreach Program Goals and Structure13
- Strategy13
- Evaluation13
- Description of Marketing Communication Tools13
- Description of Key Messages13
-
marketing and outreach program goals and structure
1 Goals MarketingandoutreachforEnergyUpgrade CaliforniainLACountywillengageproperty ownersthrougheffectivestrategiesprovide clearandcompellinginformationaboutthe benefitsofanenergyefficiencyretrofitlist therebatesandtaxcreditsavailable(through thisProgramandthroughutilityprograms) explainfinancingoptionslistcertifiedcon-tractorsanddescribetheProgramprocessand optionsThemarketingandoutreachplanhas fivemajorgoals
1 Build broad positive awareness of the Program
2 Educate property owners to overcome barriers to participation
3 Target marketing efforts to drive participation by key audiences identified in surveys
4 Align and coordinate other marketing efforts by utilities and other partners
5 Create a sustained market for a whole-house performance approach leading to long-term behavioral change
2 Objectives ThePlanisdesignedtoachievethesemajor objectives
1 Program goals met
Marketing35-40ofProgrampar-ticipantsentertheProgramasaresultof marketingandoutreachefforts
Contractors45-50ofProgrampar-ticipantsentertheProgramasaresultof marketingbycontractors(usingmes-sagingandmaterialsdevelopedthrough thisPlan)
Partners10-15ofProgrampar-ticipantsentertheProgramasaresult ofmarketingbyothermethodssuch asrealtorsretailpartnersarchitects designersandCityefforts(usingmes-sagingandmaterialsdevelopedthrough thisPlan)
2 300000 unique hits on a robust website (or calls to the call center)
3 Virtual ldquoword-of-mouthrdquo buzz created through social media resulting in click throughs to the website
14 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
4 Communications kits available for county COG cities community leaders and environmental groups
5 Marketing kits available for partners (contractors realtors)
6 Informational materials placed with retailers cities county offices
7 50000000 mediaadvertisingin-person impressions through
Mainstreammedia(televisionradio print)storiesplaced
Multiculturalmedia(televisionradio print)storiesplaced
RadioTVPSAsplaced
CityTVprogramsplaced
PaidradioTVpromosads
Paidprintads
Communitymeetings
Targeteddirectmail
rebate structure
8 Consolidated information in a ldquoone-stop shoprdquo approach
3 Incentives and Financing Marketresearchshowsthatrebatesarepri-marymotivatorsforhomeownerstoundertake anenergyupgradeRebateswillbeavailable forconsumersfromvarioussourcesCur-rentlyutilityrebatesoffer$1000forthe BasicPathandupto$3500forthosereach-ing30energysavingsThefederalHome Starprogramisstillpendingmdashitcouldoffer homeownersupto$3000forelementsinthe BasicPath$3000forthosereaching20 energysavingsandupto$13000forthose reaching45energysavingsIncentivesfrom theCountyarealsostillpending(SeeRebate Structuretable)
Financingoptionsarebeinganalyzedandwill beavailableatlaunch
Allrebatesandfinancingwillbecoordinated onthewebsitewiththeultimategoalofprop-ertyownersfillingoutoneformandpopulat-ingallotherrequiredforms
ELEMENT COUNTy FUNdEd
FEd TAx CREdIT HOME STAR UTILITIES
Basic path tBD 30 of eligible $1000
advanced path tBD improvements up to $1500 (expires Dec 31) $2500 for 20
+$500 for 5 +$500 for 5
silver star tBD
gold star tBD
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 15
4 Coordination Between Local Government and Utilities Consumerswillbebestservedbyaunified brandandconsumermarketingcampaign consistentmessagingandastatewidewebsite portalwithonewebsiteaddressTheCounty ofLosAngelesSouthernCaliforniaEdison andSouthernCaliforniaGasCompanyhave beenworkingtogethertodevelopastrong coordinatedprogramInfacttheLosAngeles CountyProgramhasbecomeamodelforthe state
Coordinationwillalsoleverageresourcesand increasethemarketingeffectivenessoflocal governmentsandthelocalutilitiesAllma-terialswillbedevelopedcollaborativelyand costswillbesharedaccordingtothedivision ofresponsibilityThefollowingchartoutlines thekeydeliverablesandresponsibilities(next page)
16 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
marketingoutreach coordination
PROGRAM ELEMENT LEAd COMMENTS
COUNTy UTILITIES jOINT
market research X telephone surveys focus groups and market analysis
marketing communications plan X this document will direct all marketing
activities
program namelogo X
cec will own the brand and has final vote on statewide name tagline can be customized for la county
Website portal X
statewide portal linked to utility pages or sitesndashmain info and materials on this one site
advertising campaign principles development X
marketing templates X
Print and online available for cities to customize as needed
service territory media Buys (regional) X Mainstream and ethnic media buys
local media Buys (la county) X Both mainstream and ethnic media in
hotspots and la county
call center X one phone number managed by utilities county to help produce script
retail outlet materials X May include kiosks short videos
contractor marketing toolkit X tBD county will develop marketing materials
for contractors
direct mail (eg bill inserts other mailers) X
county assessor materials X
Materials included in water bills property tax bills
community-Based outreach X targeted grassroots marketing
(includes local events)
community events X X utilities attend countywide events county attends local events
public relations X X
utilities take lead for service territory county for local or supervisor-initiated PR
Home energy makeover contest X
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 17
strategy
TheProgramwilluseamulti-layeredmulti-facetedmarketingandoutreachstrategythat targetsaudiencesbyidentifyingwhotheyare wheretheyliveandtheeventsgoingonin theirlivesMarketingeffortsinclude
1 Countywide Marketing (and Media Relations)
2 Pilot Area Marketing
3 Trigger-Event Marketing
4 City Outreach
5 Contractor Marketing
6 Realtor Marketing
7 Retail Partner Marketing
8 Multi-Family Marketing
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing
1 Countywide Marketing
Thestrategyisentirelyresearch-drivenfocus-ingonthosepropertyownersmostlikelyto undertakeahomeenergyupgradeAnover-archinglayerofmainstreammarketingand advertisingwillbeaimedatthreeaudiences
1 Early AdoptersThosewhoarestrong environmentalistsalreadypoisedtoldquodo therightthingrdquofortheenvironmentand whojustneedtohearaboutaprogramand rebates
2 ldquoRetrofit-ReadyrdquoThosewhoarealready planninghomeimprovementsandjust needalittlemoreinformationaboutwhat stepstotaketosavemoneyandldquodothe rightthingrdquofortheenvironment
3 ldquoRetrofit-Persuadablerdquo Thosewho arethinkingabouttheirutilitybills homecomforttheenvironmentorour dependenceonfossilfuelsforeignoil (especiallyinlightoftherecentGulfoil spill)andwhoneedinformationabout whattypesofimprovementstheycould makeandwhatstepstotaketosave energysavemoneyandreducefossilfuel consumption
Outreachwillbeaimedattargetaudiences throughbothmainstreamandmulticultural mediaTheadvertisingwillalsospillover ontoaudiencesinspecificgeographicareas providingadditionalimpressionstothose whoarealsotargetedinthePilotMarketing AreasThiswillalsoaddtothecitiesrsquoefforts topromotetheProgramastheirresidents willalsoseethecountywidemarketingefforts
18 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Marketingwillfocusoneachtargetaudience providingimpressionsclosetotheirhomeand reachingouttomoremassaudiencesCounty-widemarketingandoutreachwillinclude tacticsinthetablebelow
The One-Stop Shop Allinformationwillbeconsolidatedina one-stopshopapproacheitherinaldquobrick andmortarrdquolocationthroughthewebsiteor callcenteroratcommunityeventsProperty ownerswillhaveeasyaccesstoinformation
abouteligibleenergyefficiencymeasures andretrofitoptionseligibilityforCounty-administeredfinancialvehiclesandincentives eligibilityforutility-sponsoredrebatesand incentivesfederalrebateandtaxcreditinfor-mationandaccesstolistsofqualifiedenergy retrofitcontractors
Propertyownerswhoarenoteligiblefororin-terestedinEnergyUpgradeCaliforniawould alsobeabletofindoutaboutopportunities forweatherizationprogramslow-incomerate
countywide marketingoutreach tactics
Cable TV
County Events
Mass Media
Out of Home
Radio
Retail Partners
City Information
City TV
Local Media
Transit Shelters
Theaters
Billboards
Community of Interest
Newsletters
Contractor Marketing
Direct Mail to Hot Spots
Online Ads
Site Signage
Social Media
Community Newsletters
Local Events
Target Audience
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 19
subsidiesgreenjobstrainingandotherinitia- Parcel-Based Market Analysistivesavailabletoqualifiedhouseholds
Identifying Locations of Target Audiences Thegeographiclocationoftargetaudiences willbeidentifiedthroughtwomarketanalysis efforts
Pilot Marketing Areas TheCountywillintensifymarketingefforts inspecificpilotmarketingareaswherehigh percentagesoftheEarlyAdopterandRetrofit ReadyaudiencesliveThesepilotmarketareas willbeidentifiedthroughdemographicanaly-sisbaseduponextensivemarketresearchas wellasadetailedanalysisofkeycommunity resourcessuchasstrongcommunitynetworks andcommunity-basedorganizationsinfluen-tiallocalmedialdquocommunityfeelrdquoetc(For moreinformationonthepilotmarketareas approachandengagementstrategiesseepage 23)
Adetailedmarketanalysisisbeingconducted tosupportspecificpiecesoftheoutreachand communicationsstrategybyidentifyingthe locationofaudiencesthatarereceptivetospe-cificoutreachstrategiesThetableonthenext pagedemonstratesthemarketanalysisaudi-ences(scenarios)andmarketstrategiesthat arebeinganalyzedtoidentifythelocationof targetaudiencesThemarketanalysisisbeing conductedusingconsumermarketresearch combinedwithdemographicdataandprop-ertycharacteristicsdatafromtheCountyas-sessorThemainproductfortheanalysiswill beaseparateanalysisreport(expectedAugust 2010)Thisreportwillincludecountywide ldquoheatmapsrdquothatidentifytheareasthathave ahighproportionoftargetpropertiesandare thereforeidealareasfortargetedmarketing ThesemapscanbeusedforEnergyUpgrade Californiaorcontractormarketingstrategies
countywide market capture cascade
Early Adopters
Retrofit ready
Retrofit persuadable
The Next Phase No way
MESSAGES
bull environment bull Fossil Fuels bull Rebates
available
AddITIONAL MESSAGES
bull save money on utility bills
bull Rebates
bull long-term attitudinal change
available AddITIONAL MESSAGES
bull Property values bull comfort bull Health bull ReBates available
20 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
market analysis scenarios
Link between Pilot Market Areas and Parcel-Based Market Analysis
Theaudiencesbeingexaminedinthepilot marketingareasoverlapwithbutarenotthe sameasthoseinthemarketanalysisThe marketanalysisthereforesupportsthepilot marketareaidentificationintwoways
1 Itaddspropertycharacteristicsgleaned fromconsumerresearchtothepilotmarket areaanalysisInthiswayScenarios1and 2(RetrofitReadyandRetrofitPersuadable) providefurtherdetailtothepilotmarket areasandallowforgeneralmarketingto
MARkET ANALySIS SCENARIO
AUdIENCE IdENTIFIEd
dATA ANALyzEd RELATEd MARkETING STRATEGy
1-early adopters retrofit ready
environmentalists ready to take action now with information about rebates
Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Pilot Marketing areas
2-retrofit persuadable
those who need information about types of improvements with emphasis on rebates and cost savings
Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Pilot Marketing areas
3a-Built environment Heating and cooling
Middle-aged to newer homes located inland that are larger and often have high ac heating bills
Property characteristics location of Home
trigger event Marketing utility Bills Pilot area Marketing
3b-Built environment-Heating
smaller older coastal homes that may have comfort issues in winter
Property characteristics location of Home
trigger event Marketing comfort Pilot Marketing areas
4-multi-family Multi-family homeowners Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Multi-family Marketing Pilot Marketing areas
5-Whole neighborhood
tracts of similarly-aged and built homes
Property characteristics location of Home
Whole neighborhood Marketing Pilot Marketing areas
bedirectedtospecificproperties(when appropriate)
2 Italsoidentifiesotherkeyaudiences (Scenarios3a3b4and5)thatcorrelate toothermarketingstrategiesasshown intableaboveTheresultsofthese scenarioswillbeoverlaidontopofthepilot marketareastoidentifyspecificparcels thatmayrespondtospecificmarketing strategiesForexamplewhenoverlaying thepropertiesidentifiedinScenario5 (Whole-NeighborhoodScenario)with thepilotmarketingareastheCounty canidentifypropertieswithinthepilot
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 21
marketingareathatwouldrespondtoa whole-neighborhoodmarketingapproach (bulkpurchasingmodelhomesasingle contractoretc)
Home Energy Makeover Contest HomeEnergyMakeoverContestsgenerate atremendousamountofpublicityandhave beensuccessfullyconductedinmanyother statesandcitiesTheyattractthousandsof entrantsTheconceptistobothgarnerfree publicityandmodelthebehaviortheProgram istryingtoencouragebyshowingtheldquowhole houseapproachrdquohoweasyupgradescanbe howmuchtherebatescanreducetheproject costandhowmuchdifferencetheymaketoa home
Thecontestwillalsodemonstratethemarket acceptanceforthehomeperformanceap-proachtotraditionalsingle-measurecontrac-torsThosecontractorswillseehowmany peopleenterthecontesttowinahomeperfor-mancemakeoverbasedonthewholehouseap-proachAllthosewhoenteredareleadswho maybeinterestedinawholehouseapproach ratherthansinglemeasures
Entrantsmustbeover18liveinLosAnge-lesCountyandownthehomeinwhichthey residethecontestcanbelimitedtothose whoreceiveservicefromSouthernCalifornia EdisonandorSouthernCaliforniaGas(in otherwordsitcanincludeorexcluderesi-dentsservedbymunicipalutilities)Entrants submitinformationabouttheirhomeand theirenergyconsumptionandgivepermis-sionfortheProgramjudgestoviewtheir energyconsumptionduringthepreviousyear Finalistsarebasedonthehighestenergycon-sumptionpersquarefootofamedian-sized homeAbout20finalistsreceivefreeenergy auditsfortheirhomesBasedontheaudit (andadditionalcriteriawewilldetermine)five winninghomesreceiveupto$15000inhome
energyimprovements(whichcanbesupple-mentedbyrebatesandadditionalfunding fromthepropertyowner)Thewinneragrees tomediacoverageanopenhouseandtoblog andorTweetduringandaftertheretrofit Wewillworkwithcontractorstogetsponsor-shipsaswellasdonatedauditsandupgrade elements
OnecontestwillbeheldinFall2010(withfive winners)andasecondcontestheldduring Springof2011(withfivewinners)
Aseparatecontestcouldbeheldformulti-familybuildingswithahigherwinning amount
Countywide Incentives TheProgramwillestablishalistofnon-profit organizationsthatareactiveinpromoting greenhomessustainabilityandotherenvi-ronmentalorcommunityprojectsEveryone intheCountywhocompletesanenergyaudit maydesignateanon-profitorganizationto receiveadonationfromtheProgramInfor-mationabouttheeligibleorganizationswill beonthewebsiteThiswillencouragethose non-profitstopromotetheProgramtotheir membersltNotethisconceptisstillbeing developedgt
Direct Mail Utilitieswillplacemessagesonouterbillen-velopessenttocustomersTheywillalsosend directmailaboutEnergyUpgradetoldquotarget areasrdquobasedonacombinationofenergy usageageofhomeandhouseholdincome DirectmailisscheduledforOctober2010
County Events Utilitieswillbeattendinglargeeventssuch astheSeptember2010and2011LACounty Fairswithawholehousethemethatincludes aminimodelhousethatvisitorscanldquotourrdquo Additionalproposedeventsinclude
22 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
bull LeagueofCitiesAnnualConference workshop(September2010)
bull PomonaHomeImprovementShow (October2010)
bull RemodelingShowattheLACountyFair (October2010)
bull CaliforniaAssociationofRealtors (October2010)
bull BuildingIndustryShow(November2010)
bull SouthernCaliforniaHomeImprovement Show(November2010)
bull NeighborWorksAmerica(February2011)
Online and Social Media TheProgramwillusesocialmediatoinex-pensivelyreachtargetaudiencesbeginningat launchandcontinuingthroughoutthePro-gramwithbriefpausesforrefiningThiswill beaccomplishedthroughoptimizingsearch wordsforsearchenginessuchasGoogleand Bingreachingappropriateindependentblogs aYouTubevideocontest(runbyamediapart-ner)andencouragingblogpostsandTweets byearlyadoptersandtheProgramitself(see DescriptionsofMarketingCommunications ToolsandDescriptionsofTargetAudiencesfor moredetails)Inadditionutilitieswilldevote spaceforinformationandalinkontheirland-ingpages
Countywide Media Buys Withalatesummerfalllaunchdatemedia buysneedtobespreadtoavoidtheelection monthofOctober2010EnergyUpgradeCali-forniainLosAngelescansponsoraweather broadcastmdashliveonlineandmobilemdashaswell as15and30spotsduringotherbroadcasts Wewillalsopurchaseliveandonlinespots withUnivisiontheSpanish-languagestation Radiobuyswillinclude15NationalPublic Radio(KPCCandKCRW)sponsorshipsand variousdrive-timespotsonEnglishandin-
languageAMandFMstationsSocialmedia buysincludeGoogleWordsandblogads(see DescriptionsofMarketingCommunications Tools)Printmediabuyswillbeinmulticul-turalpapers
(Afullmediabuyplanandschedulewillbe availableinAugust)
Countywide Media Relations TheProgramwillcoordinateCountyandutil-ityeffortsandwiththeCaliforniaEnergyCom-missionCaliforniaPublicUtilitiesCommis-sioneffortsMediarelationswillbeinthree phasespre-launchlaunchandmilestones
Pre-Launch (August ndash September)
bull DevelopandprovideaSpeakerrsquosKit withtalkingpoints
bull OrganizeCountymedialaunchevent (potentiallyenlistawillinghomeowner whosehousemightserveasalaunching padformediatours)
bull Respondtorequestsfromcities
bull Providepre-writtenarticlesforcity communitynewsletters
bull Issuepresskitsandpressrelease(in EnglishandSpanish)announcing launch
Launch (October)
bull Mediaeventtoannouncelaunchand HomeEnergyMakeoverContestpoten-tiallyon-siteatahousetodemonstrate upgrades
bull SendoutradioPSAs
Milestones (through 2013)
bull Mediaeventtoannouncewinnersofthe HomeEnergyMakeovercontest(could beconductedon-sitesurprisingthe winners)
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 23
bull ldquoRe-launchrdquopressreleaseandmedia eventinMarch2011forasecondHome EnergyMakeoverContestwithastrong ldquogetreadyforsummerrdquotheme
bull Pressreleasewhen10000thperson receivesarebate
bull Pressreleasewhenotherappropriate milestonesarereachedorthefunding forincentivesisclosetobeingdepleted
2 Pilot Marketing Areas
Itwillbecriticalforthelong-termsuccessof marketingeffortstohaveasignificantnumber ofearlysuccessesthatgeneratepositivepub-licityandword-of-mouthencouragingothers toalsoparticipateTheCountyintendsto stimulatethemarketfortheseearlyadopters byintensifyingmarketingeffortsinspecific pilotmarketingareas(withzipcodebound-aries)wherebasedonextensiveconsumer
countywide marketingoutreach tactics
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
television
ad buys on Broadcast tV univision google tV Paid county
ldquothis old Houserdquo segment on whole house per-formance and rebates while renovating house (filming in la this summer)
earned county
coverage on mainstream and multicultural sta-tions
earned utilities county
ldquoinfomercialrdquo and promos on city tV Placed county
radio
nPR sponsorship Paid county
commute time spots Paid county
coverage on california Report earned utilities county
Psas on mainstream stations Placed utilities county
spots on multicultural stations Paid county
coverage in mainstream and multicultural papers
earned utilities county
sunset Magazine green Home section earned county
ads in la times and Daily news real estate sections
Paid utilities county
ads in multicultural papers Paid county
Direct Mail to targets Paid utilities
24 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
countywide marketingoutreach tactics (conrsquot)
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
social media
Blogs (about homes environment bargains) earned county
Facebook page Placed county
ads targeted to interest in environment and or home improvements (this old House etc)
Paid county
google adWords targeted to interest in environment andor home improvements
Paid county
twitter both by the Program and by individual early adopters (with incentives)
Placed county
youtube early adopters make a video about their experience and results (with incentives)
Placed county
out of Home
Retail kiosks banners flyers links on retail websites
Placed utilities
community organizations
environmental groups and others newsletters websites email blasts
earned county
Home improvement shows booths Paid county
countywide events Paid utilities
Bloggersubject matter events Paid county
researchhighpercentagesoftargetaudiences livePilotmarketingprogramsinthoseareas willtesttheextentcommunity-basedmarket-ingpositivelyimpactsparticipationratesan effortrelatedtoRetrofitRampUpproposal requirements
Demographicdataprovidedbythemarketre-searchwillbeoverlaidwithenergyusagedata AdditionallyGIS-basedmarketanalysisatthe parcellevel(describedabove)willallowfor pinpointingofspecificneighborhoodswithin thepilotareasforoutreachthatcaninclude
door-to-doordirectmailandmarketingby contractorsaspartofaldquowholeneighbor-hoodrdquoapproachFocusingonpilotareaswill alsomeettheRetrofitRampUprequirements oftheDepartmentofEnergyFollowingisa summaryofplannedmarketingandoutreach efforts
Marketresearch-basedcriteriaforchoosing about15pilotareaswillinclude
Clusters of houses built before 1978 Thoselivinginolderhomesespecially
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 25
builtbeforeCaliforniarsquosEnergyEfficiency Standardsaremorelikelytobelievethat theirhousemightbeenergyinefficient andcouldbenefitfromenergyefficiency improvementsmdashandberesponsivetoan energyupgrade
High percentage of homeownership Thesemarketingeffortsfocusonsingle-familyresidentialhomeownerssoareas withhighrentalrateswillnotprovidea largeenoughnumberofeligibleunits
Income over $60000Thosewith incomesunder$60000didnotbelieve theywouldhavesufficientincometomake improvementsevenwithrebatesThey werenotinterestedinloans(manywith lowincomesalsofindthemselvesldquounder-waterrdquoontheirloansandthusnoteligible forsomefinancing)Inadditionwefound somepush-backinfocusgroupsabout ldquogovernmentofferingloanstopeoplewho canrsquotaffordthemafterthesub-primeloan debaclerdquo
Population with a high percentage of college-educatedThosewithacollege degreearemuchmorelikelytoindicate apreferencetomakeenergyefficiency upgradesThosewhohadcompletedsome collegeeducationarealsomorelikelyto indicateapreferenceforenergyefficiency upgradesthanthosewhohadnotcom-pletedany
Population with a high percentage of those age 35-54Thosewithchildren andorexpandingfamiliesaremorelikely tomakeimprovementsthanthoseunder 30(thereareveryfewhomeownersunder 30)andthoseover54
High percentage of households with 4+ peopleHouseholdswithmorepeople havehigherenergybillsResearchshows thatthoseinhomeswithmorethan4
peoplebelieveenergyupgradescanmakea bigimpactontheirbills
High energy usage Thehigherenergy usage(andbills)themorelikelypeopleare tobelievethatenergyefficiencyimprove-mentswillmakeadifferenceintheirbills
Afterlayeringthisinformationtocomeup withalistofpotentialareaswefurthercon-sidered
Clusters of 8000-20000 homesThe areashouldbelargeenoughtoprovidesub-stantialnumbersofeligibleunitsbutsmall enoughtoenablereachingmajorityofresi-dentsandgeneratingword-of-mouth
Has a diverse multicultural commu-nityAreasshouldhavestrongcommunity identitiesandsenseofplacesocommunity membersareproudofwheretheyliveand areencouragedtoimprovetheircommu-nity
Has strong neighborhood and com-munity organizationsWeneedto engagetheseorganizationsaspartnersto helpspreadtheword
Has existing communications such as newsletters blogsWeneedtoreach membersthroughexistingcrediblesources thatresidentsalreadyuseandtrust
ldquoSpill overrdquo opportunities to nearby neighborhoodsSincemarketingand mediaeffortswillpotentiallyalsobeseen byneighborsareasshouldbenearother areasthatmayalsomeettheprimary criteria
Climatetime of yearIndetermining whentorolloutthepilotswecantarget interiorareasinspringandcoastalareasin coldweather
26 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Basedonthemarketresearchcriteriafive pilotmarketingareasarescheduledforintense marketingatlaunchwithanadditional10 areasscheduledforintensemarketingin Spring2011
Thepilotmarketstrategyissupportedby theparcel-basedmarketanalysiswhichwill identifywhichneighborhoodspropertieswill bethebesttotargetusingthisapproachThe marketanalysiswillallowlimitedmarketing fundingtobeleveragedbyfocusingonthose thataremostlikelytorespondtothemarket-ingefforts
Wewillcreatemessagesandvisualsspecifical-lytailoredtoeachtargetcommunityrsquoscultural andlinguisticpreferencesImagessymbols andiconstypographycolorandoverall designcarrydifferentmeaningsindifferent culturesAmessageistypicallymosteffective ifitiscreatedwithcarefulattentiontothese idiosyncrasiesandwithintheldquoculturalmind-setrdquooftherecipientsCreatingheadlinesand taglinesdirectlyinthetargetlanguagerather thansimplytranslatingEnglishadvertising copyensuresthatcopyhasthecorrectrhythm andrhymeandisthereforemuchmore attention-grabbingandmemorable
Community Incentives Energy Champion Program Severalconceptsareunderconsiderationto developacommunityincentivestrategyto promoteparticipationinlinewiththeRetrofit RampUpproposalforinnovativeincentiveap-proachesIncentivesmaybedirectedatenergy auditscommunity-basedorganizationsthose willingtoprovidetestimonialsorblogtweet andpublicrecognitionefforts
Grassroots Community Organizing-Trainedorganizerswillpresentinformationat themeetingsof12-15influentialcommunity leadersandcommunity-basedorganizationsin
eachpilotareacapturetheircontactdataand helpspreadtheinformationtotheirmembers throughtheirnewsletterseventsandwebsites TheProgramwillprovidepre-writtencus-tomizablearticlespresentationsorvideoand websiteldquobuttonsrdquotolinktotheProgramsite Eachgroupwillbeofferedanincentiveofado-nationtotheirorganizationforeverymember whocompletesahomeenergyupgradeThis willencourageCBOvolunteerstoincrease theirmarketingeffortsFriendlyrivalrieswill beencouragedCommunitygroupswillreport namesofparticipantscheckedforjobcomple-tionbytheProgram(underdevelopment)
Community Events One-on-onefacetimewithhomeownersis anidealwaytoengagepotentialparticipants Well-trainedorganizerswillattendfiveevents ineachtargetareaprovidinghomeowners withinformation(pocketsizemultilingual handouts)andcapturingtheircontactinfor-mationforfollowupTheycanhavehome-ownerssignuponthewebsiteonsiteifappro-priateandperhapsevenhavethemprovideus withavideocommitmentldquoItookthePledgerdquo withpermissiontopostonthewebsiteAsa luretotheboothhomeownerswillbeoffered freeitemssuchaslightbulbsmagnetsand reusablecupswithcoldwater(imprintedwith thewebsite)manufacturedintheUS
Print Radio Outdoor and Out-of Home Advertising Localmediawillcoverthelaunchofthe Programandwewillstrategicallyplaceads inlocalmediaandcommunitynewsletters Outdooradvertising(smallstreet-levelbiode-gradableeco-postersbussheltersbussides) strategicallyplacedinhigh-trafficareaswillre-inforcethemessageoveraone-monthperiod
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 27
Pilot Area Example Altadena Altadenawasidentifiedasacommunitythat fitsourtargetcriteriaItisadiverseunincor-poratedcommunitywithsixneighborhoods andanapproximatepopulationof40000The averagehouseholdincomeisabout$94000 Morethan50ofadultresidentsaremarried withchildrenandcommuteanaverageof62 milesperdaytowhite-collarjobsFully40of theadultsinthiscommunityhaveabachelors
degreeorhigherandareinvolvedinmany communityeventsandorganizationsThere areapproximately12000homesinthiscom-munityand10000ofthosehomesareowner-occupiedThegraphicshowshowoutreach wouldbeconcentratedinthisarea
pilot area outreachmarketing tactics
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
radio
Psas on multicultural stations earned county
coverage in local papers earned county
ads in local and multicultural papers Paid county
outdoor
Bus shelters in area Paid county
on-street lampost signage Paid county
Billboards Paid county
social media
Blogs (relevant to the area) earned county
online ads targeted by location Paid county
listserves of neighborhood associations (through cities)
earned county
out of Home
Movie theater ads in area Paid county
lawn signs on homes in area (through contractors)
Paid county
community organizations
community meetings with incentives to organizations for participation
earnedPaid county
community events Paid county Door hangers Paid county
28 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Home Depot
Ace Hardware
Lowersquos
Master Builders
Great Indoors
Home Expo
altadena marketing target
Hoy La Opinioacuten
Pasadena Star News
Altadena Headlines Examiner
Boulevard Magazine
Arroyo Magazine
Pasadena Weekly
Altadena Connection
Sentinel
KLVE
KPCC Pasadena
KCBS
KROQ Pasadena
KAZN Pasadena
Church Bulletins
Summer Concert Series at Farnsworth Park
Fourth of July Fireworks at
Town amp Country Club
Black History Parade
World Music Festival in Pasadena
Haunted House at
Farnsworth Park
Art Break
Rose Parade
National Latino
Congreso
Altadena Neighborhood Association
Altadena Chamber of Commerce
Altadena Arts Council
Altadena Town Council
Faith-based Organizations
Altadena Town amp Country Club
Altadena League of
Women Voters
Altadena Historical Society
Altadena Community Improvement Center
Sheriff Support Group
Santa Coming to Farnsworth
Park
Altadena California
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 29
3 Trigger-Event Marketing
Thissuiteofstrategieswillbeaimedatcaptur-ingenergyefficiencyopportunitiesfrommul-tipletriggereventsParticipantswillmainly comethroughcontractorsrealtorsandretail partnerspropertyownerswillhavealsoseen countywideadvertising
trigger event marketing
4 City and COG Outreach
OutreachbyCitiesandCOGswillbecritical becauseoftheirexistingrelationshipswith localconstituenciesCitieswillbeprovided withamini-marketingplantalkingpoints videocustomizabletemplatesoffactsheets articlesfortheirnewslettersandadvertising
EvENT dESCRIPTION LEAd AGENT COLLATERAL TACTIC
1 Replace on burnout (heating air conditioners water heaters)
Homeowners either in process of replacing an item or have already done some efficiency projects
county bull Retail partners
bull HVac installers
bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors installers
bull Retail displays
2 life-stage changes (growing family)
Homeowners working with a contractor
county bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors bull ads in media for home remodels
3 Home remodel Homeowners working with an architect contractor
county bull contractors bull architects
bull Materials for contractors
bull ads in media for home remodels
3 improvements at time of purchase
Homeowners interested are preparing a new home for move-in (research shows more interest at purchase than at sale)
shared bull contractors bull Realtors bull Home
inspectors bull city permit
offices bull city welcome
kits bull Retail
bull Brochures for cities
bull ads in weekend homes for sale sections
bull Presentations to realtor groups
bull Retail displays
4 improvements at sale
House owners preparing for sale
county bull contractors bull Realtors
bull Materials for contractors
5 complaints high utility bills cold hot house
Homeowners aware of energy-saving improvements but not whole house approach
county bull contractors bull HeRs raters
bull Materials for contractors
30 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
city amp cog outreach
materialssotheycandeveloplow-costout-reachtotheirresidentsCitieswithcommuni-tiestargetedinthePilotAreaMarketingplans willbeinformedandencouragedtodoout-reachtothoseareasAllCitieswillbeencour-agedtodothefollowing
Run stories in print and online news-letters
Send information to neighborhood associations homeowners associa-tions historic preservation districts and other appropriate community organizations
Provide information in City permit-ting offices and City Hall lobbies
Provide information at strategically located Environmental Information Centers and at COG office locations
Provide information in ldquonew home-ownersrdquo welcome kits (either directly from the city or through title compa-
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAId EARNEd
LEAd
pio coordination contact all participating citiesrsquo Pios na county
letters Key messages for letters from mayors etc to constituents Provide to Pios or city managers
na county
Website links Button for cities to place on their website to link to Program site
na county
city tV informational videos and spot promos Placed county
Welcome brochure
Brochure aimed at new homeowners before they move in
na county
articles Pre-written customizable newsletter articles earned county
email blasts Pre-written customizable info spots for communityneighborhood listserves
earned county
niesmortgage brokers)
Run videos and spots on City TV stations
5 Contractor Marketing
Localcontractorsarecriticaltothesuccess ofEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLosAngeles CountyTheyprovidetheservicesthatcom-prisetheProgramandtheycanhelpmarket theProgramtopropertyownersInfactwe estimatethatupto50ofProgrampartici-pantswillentertheProgramthrougharela-tionshipwithacontractor(theymayhavealso seenmediacoverageandadvertisingwhich spurredthemtotakeaction)Thisuniquerole requiresthattheProgramtakeatwo-tiered approachofengagingthecontractormdashmoti-vatinglocalbuildingprofessionalstoundergo thetrainingandcertificationprocessandalso providingthemwiththetoolstoeffectively promotetheprogramtoexistingandnew clientsThefollowingsectiondescribesspecific
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 31
contractor target
United Brotherhood Building Industry Carpenters (Training)
Association ofSouthern California
Email Blast
Contractors Magazines
Contractor
OnlineAds
Big Box Stores
ConractorsLicensing Schools
Realtor Associations
strategiesassociatedwithbothapproaches
Forthepurposesoftheprogramcontractors aredividedintoparticularsegmentsbasedon thetypeofserviceprovidedAninitialanalysis oftheindustryrevealedthefollowinglikely categories
HomePerformance(HP)Contractors
ProductionBuilders
HVACSystemSpecialtyTrades (windowsetc)
RemodelingContractors
SolarContractors
BuildingPerformance
Institute
Southwest Regional
City Permit Association
Offices of Carpenters
Lumber Yards
StateLicensing
Board
American Instituteof Architects
LA Chapter
Outreach to Contractors TheProgramwillcoordinatewithcontractor groupsandotherbuildingprofessionaltrade organizationstoschedulebriefpresentations abouttheProgramandthecontractortraining processForlargerorganizationsthePro-grammayworkdirectlywiththecompanyto arrangeon-sitepresentationsThesepresenta-tionsareinformalinnatureandwillbeusedto promotethecertificationorientationsrequired forcontractorparticipationintheprogram
KeyMessagestoContractors
$30millioninAmericanRecoveryand ReinvestmentActmoneyisworkinginLA Countytocreateconstructionindustryjobs
32 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
EnergyUpgradeCaliforniaOffersbig rebatesandfinancingoptionsfor homeownersdoinghomeenergy efficiencyretrofits
Therewillbemarketingandadvertis-ingstatewideandlocallytopromotethe Program
Therewillbemarketingmaterialsforyou tousetomarketyourbusiness
YoumustbelicensedandBuildingPerfor-manceInstitute-certifiedtobepartofthe Program
HomeownersmustworkwithBPI-certified contractorstheyrsquollchoosefromacontrac-tordatabaseonthewebsite
KeyOutreachMethods
BuildingIndustryAssociationofSouthern California
SouthwestRegionalCouncilofCarpenters
RealtorsAssociation
UnitedBrotherhood-Carpenters(Training Program)
Citypermittingoffice
Lumberyards
AmericanInstituteofArchitectsLA Chapter(toeducatethemaswell)
ArticlesinformationinContractortrade publications(magazinesnewslettersetc) magazines
CarpentersUnionLocals
ContractorsLicenseSchools(andonline)
BigBoxHomeImprovementstores(de-pendingonIOUrelationships)
wwwcslbcagov
Emailblasttoalllicensedcontractors
Contractor Outreach to Consumers Differentopportunitiesexistfordifferent contractorsdependingontheprobablework scopeThefollowingtableoutlinesafew potentialpathwaysforhowcontractorscan participateintheProgram
contractors outreach to customers
CONTRACTOR TyPE
TRIGGER EvENT vALUE TO CONTRACTOR
BUSINESS MOdEL
Home Performance upgrade lead generation scale for high volume
Production Builder new Business Development
create new division
HVac Replacement lead generation Value-add
expand services
specialty trade lead generation Partner with certified gc
Remodeler Remodel life-stage transition
Value-add sub work to HP contractor
solar Renewables lead generation Partner with certified gc
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 33
BPI-certifiedgeneralcontractorswillbelisted ontheEnergyUpgradeconsumerwebsite sendingmanyleadsdirectlytothemThey alsohaveaccesstotheldquoheatmapsrdquotousefor developingtheirownadvertisingcampaigns
Contractorswillbeattendingorientationses-sionstoensuretheythoroughlyunderstand theProgramrebatesfinancingoptionsand canhelpguidetheircustomersthroughthe processTheywillbeprovidedwithContractor MarketingKitstoensuretheyhaveathandthe keymessagesthathavebeenresonatingwith homeownersandhaveinformationtogive topotentialcustomerswhomightormight nothavebeentothewebsiteKitscanbesent directlytocontractorsordistributedatthe orientationsessionsKitswillcontain
Talkingpoints
DVDofthevideo
Printedfactsheetstoleavewithcustomers (withroomfortheircontactinfo)more canbeordered
Printedldquoslimjimrdquoprogrambrochure
Printedlengthierbrochuresaboutthe wholehouseapproach(brandedby Scientific American Magazine)
CDwithldquobuttonrdquotolinktoEnergyUpgrade fromtheirownwebsitesandPDFsofsite signageforprinting
Contractorswillhaveaccesstoaseparatesec-tionofthewebsitewheretheywillfindinfor-mationaboutProgrameventspromotionsand advertisinganon-demandprintsectionfor additionalcopiesofbrochuresanychanges totheProgramandasingletradecontractor databaseforassemblingteamsforcustomers whowouldlikesolarpanelsornewwindows forexample
6 Realtor Marketing
Giventhatthenationalaveragelengthofhome ownershipisroughlysixyearsrealestate agentswillbeincontactandadvisingalarge percentageofthenewandexistinghomeown-ersthatEnergyUpgradeistargetingforhome energyretrofitsThishighlevelofinfluence makesrealtorsoneofthelargestpartner groups
Realestateagentswillbeengagedonthree levels
1) Outreach
2) Training
3) Support
Outreach Outreachwillbeconductedthroughavariety ofvenuesthatwillincludeCaliforniaAssocia-tionofRealtorsreg(CAR)regionalconferences heldinSouthernCaliforniapartnershipwith themanyrealtorassociationslocatedinLos AngelesCountyanddirectvisitstorealestate agentsrsquoofficesforshortpresentationsPart-nershipswiththe15-20localRealtorsAsso-ciationswillbeachievedthroughoneormore RealtorAdvisoryBoardswhichincludethe GovernmentAffairsDirectorsfromeachof theseorganizationsAselectfewoftheseor-ganizationswillbeusedaspilotsfortargeted outreachduringearlystagesoftheProgram Oncethestrategyhasbeentestedandrevised itwillberolledouttoalloftheRealtorsAs-sociationsinLosAngelesCounty
ThefallCARRealtorExpowillbethemain kickoffeventforoutreachtoindividualreal-torsandrealtorofficesEnergyUpgradeplans tohavea30-minutetalkembeddedinthe SpeakersProgramandaboothsetuponthe ExpofloortoinformrealtorsaboutthePro-gramavailabletrainingsandthesupport
34 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
toolsthathavebeendevelopedThisevent willreachthemajorityofrealtorsintheLos Angelesareabutwillnotincludethelarge populationofrealestateagentsthatarenot membersofCARToreachthispopulation emailsocialmediaandtargetedofficevisits willbeconducted
Training EnergyUpgradewillprovidetrainingforreal estateagentsintwoformsTherealestate agenttrainingmodulecurrentlyunderdevel-opmentbyBuildItGreenwillbeusedasthe maintrainingforumThistrainingmodule isexpectedtotaketwofulldaystocomplete andwillcoverpropertyassessedcleanenergy financingenergyefficientmortgagesrebate programsbuildingscienceenergyefficiency andgreenbuildingpracticesappropriateto California
Additionalweb-basedtrainingwillbeprovided tointroducerealestateagentstotheProgram andtodrivethemtogetin-persontraining throughtheBuildItGreentrainingmodule
Support Cultivatingandclosingtoolswillbegener-atedtoassistrealtorsinusingEnergyUpgrade Californiatradetoexpandtheirbusinesswhile drivinghigherlevelsofprogramparticipation RealtorKitswillbesimilartotheContractor Kitsandtheywillhaveaccesstothedatabase ofgeneralandsingletradecontractors
7 Retail Partner Marketing
Utilitieswillpartnerwithretailoutletsthat canincludeBestBuyCostcoSearsLowes andHomeDepotParticipatingretailoutlets willbeprovided
Information centersEnd-displays detailingtheEnergyUpgradeProgram withadiagramillustratingthehouseas asystemconcept(multiplecomponents thatacttogethertomaximizesavings)and actionscustomerscantaketocapturethose savingsandrebatesIn-storecustomer educationcanshiftcustomerperception ofenergyupgradesandmotivatethem toparticipateinmultipleenergy-efficient measuresinsteadofjustoneAnadditional benefitfortheretailerisassociationwith thestatewideprogram
Program collateral One-sheet takeawaysforcustomerstoreference andshare
Video Theshortvideoscanbeplayed onaloop
Table tent cardsPlacedthroughout storesectionsthatcorrelatewiththe EnergyUpgradeProgram(CFLsappli-ancesceilingfansinsulationwindows) Againthiswillencouragecustomersto performmultipleenergyupgradesinstead ofjustoneCross-promotionhelpseducate customersandencourageparticipationin multiplemeasuresthusincreasingproduct purchase
Window clings ldquoOfficialEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaInformationCenterrdquotagline bannersplacedatstorefrontThiswillpo-sitiontheretailerasanactiveparticipantin thestatewideprogramandbuildsretailer credibilityasagreenadvocate
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 35
8 Multi-Family Outreach
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesandsched-ulesarestillinplanningphasesandbeing developedthroughastatewideconsortium
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesarebeing
developed
36 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
evaluation
Theprimarygoalsofthemarketingplanareto buildpositiveawarenessoftheEnergyUp-gradeCaliforniaProgramandcreateasus-tainedmarketforawholehouseapproach(see page8)Objectivesarespecifictothoseachiev-ingthosegoalsLosAngelesCountyresidents willseemultipleiterationsofmediacoverage paidadvertisingin-storedisplayscontractor marketingandin-personpresentations(inthe pilotmarketingareas)Forexamplearesi-dentinAltadenamightseethemoreintensive marketingandoutreacheffortsThatmayspur themtoactionmdashbutiftheyalreadyhadplans toremodelorhadpreviouslyworkedwitha contractortheymightcalltheircontractorand thusactuallycometotheprogramthrough thecontractorThereforeitwillnotbeeasy todeterminepreciselywhathasmotivated eachpersontoparticipateinEnergyUpgrade Objectivestomeetinclude
About35-45ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughthemarket-ingandoutreacheffortsTomonitorwe willincludeashortsurveyaspartofthe rebateapplicationprocessaskingpartici-pantswhatdrewthemtothewebsiteand totheProgramThewebsitecanmonitor clickthroughstocontractorssitesfrom theProgramwebsiteprovidinganindica-tionofpotentialparticpantswhocameto thesitebeforehavingacontractorOnce apropertyownerinputsanaddressthe websitewillbeabletospecificallymonitor ifthatparticipantasksformultiple estimatesfromcontractorsanotherindica-
toroffindingacontractorthroughthesite
About45-50ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughcontractors Wewillaskcontractorstoprovideinfor-mationabouttheirmarketingeffortsand successratesTheywillbeabletoidentify participantsgainedthroughtheirownmar-ketingefforts
300000uniquehitsonthewebsitewhich willbemonitoredbythewebsiteFurther thewebsitewillanalyzewherevisitors camefrom(egaclickthroughfroman onlineadfromacontractorrsquoswebsite orduringthespecifictimeframeofanad campaign)
Virtualandactualldquoword-of-mouthrdquore-portedbymonitoringsocialmedia
Communicationskitsandmarketingkits availablebothphysicallyandthroughan on-demandprintsitemonitoredbyclient
Informationalmaterialsforcitiesmoni-toredbySouthBayCitiesCouncilofGov-ernments
50000000mediaadvertisingin-person impressionsmonitoredbybroadcast printonlinestatisticsandreportsfrom grassrootsmarketingefforts
Consolidatedinformationinone-stop-shop approachwillbedeliveredthroughthe website
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 37
description of marketing communication tools
PlacedEarned Social Media ThePlancallsforsocialmediatopushinfor-mationtoourtargetaudiencesincreaseper-ceptionsoftheProgramascommunity-based reachthosewhowillhelpgenerateadditional buzzindependentmarketingeffortsaboutthe Programandprovideamechanismforlisten-ingtowhatpeoplearesayingaboutEnergy Upgrademdashandrespondingwhennecessary
Online Paid Advertising Onlineadvertisingcampaignscanbeverycost-effectiveandhighlytargetedbydemographics areasofinterestandgeographicsAdsappear ontopic-relatedblogsonsearchenginepages (egGoogle)andoncontentpages(egwhen yousearchforinformationaboutarelated topicandselectawebsitetoview)
Types of Users Targetadsbyage genderincomelanguagepreferencezip codeorhotspots
Types of SearchesTargetadsbytypeof searchconductedbasedonkeywords
Adsareusuallysoldperldquoclickrdquomdashtheviewer hasclickedontheadandbeensenttothe EnergyUpgradeCAwebsiteWewillmake fourtypesofonlineadpurchases
1 Googleadsthatplaceadsbothonits searchpagesandonhundredsofwebsites targetedbytheabove
2 Networksthattargetspecificsitesand blogsthatmatchourtargetaudiences(eg HiveBlogsLosAngelesthatoffers350LA blogstochoosefrom)
3 Directlythroughselectpublishers(eg CurbedLAGreenGirlLAlocalpapers online)
4 Onlineeditionsoflocalpapersinpilot marketingareas
Twitter Twitterusersaremostlycollegegraduates haveattendedgraduateschoolandlivein householdsmakingover$50000ayear (nationally)Usersarethreetimesmorelikely tofollowbrandsandcompaniesonTwitter thanotherusersofsocialnetworkswith40 specificallyusingTwittertolearnaboutand provideopinionsonbrands
Twittercanpushthelatestdevelopmentsand newstopeoplewhohaveexpressedaninter-estedintheProgram(theymustsignupto receiveourTweetsorhavesearchedfortag wordsincludedinourTweets)Itrsquosalsoan easywayforthosewhofollowEnergyUpgrade onTwittertoshareTweetswiththeirfriends
38 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
therebygeneratingbuzzandhelpingmarket theProgramTwittercanshareProgram newsinrealtimedrivepeopletothewebsite facilitateearlyadoptersbuzzmakersreach youngerhomeownersandincreasemarketing effortsatalowcostTwittercanbeeffectively usedtocommunicatetheProgramandits milestonesinavarietyofways
bull Tweetaboutpressreleasesmajoran-nouncementsnewitemsonwebsiteor blogsmediastoriesandarticlesespecially aboutthosethataretimesensitiveandtell ouraudiencewhatishappeningwiththe Programandencouragesthemtopartici-pateorfindoutmore
bull PutaTweeticononthemainwebsiteal-lowingvisitorstothewebsitetobeginto followEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLos AngelesCountyonTwitterwithoneclick
bull FollowotherswhoTweetaboutthe ProgramaswellasthosewhoTweetabout relatedtopicsThiswillprovideanop-portunitytodirectlyrespondtoaperson whohasaquestionabouttheProgramand pointthemtoalinktothewebsite
Tweet Examples
bull ldquo100LAhomeownershavesigned upfortheProgramatwwwEnergyUpgra-deCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoReadaboutLArsquosnewenergyefficiency rebateProgramintheLAtimes httpwwwlatimesgreenblogcomrdquo
bull ldquoWanttosaveonyourutilitybills CheckoutwwwEnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoSignupfortheHomeEnergyUpgrade contestforachancetowinafree homeenergyefficiencyretrofitat EnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
Cost and Budget
SettingupaTwitteraccountisfreeasisusing anapplicationsuchasTweetDeckthathelps followotherswhoareTweetingaboutEnergy UpgradeCaliforniaTheonlysignificantcostis stafftimewhichcanbelimitedtoafewhours aweek
Facebook Facebookisalow-costandeasywayofboth marketingtheProgramandsupportingan onlinecommunityofpeopleinterestedinthe ProgramItwillreachaudienceswhoaremore likelytospendtimeonFacebookversusaweb-siteandwhomayprefertoreceiveshortreal timeProgramnewsviaFacebookratherthan emailsorwebsitesItisidealforpostinglinks tovideosandphotosrelatedtotheprojectIt complementsthewebsiteaplacewherefans oftheProgramcanfindinformationaskques-tionsandshareideasandexcitementThese fanswillgeneratebuzzbytellingtheirfriends abouttheProgramthroughFacebook
AFacebookpagewillcontaininformation abouttheProgramalinktothewebsite Programnewsvideosphotographsandother informationWhenthepageisupdatedfans willreceivelinksinemailalertingthemtothe newposts
Facebookisalsoidealforsharingthestoryof anearlyadopter(whowillalsoTweet)through updatesphotographsandvideosItlends itselfmuchmorenaturallytothispeople-fo-cusedapproachthanawebsitewhichismore formal
Additionalpoints
bull EncourageandperhapsrewardProgram adopterstosharetheirexperiencesask questionsetc
bull Setupcontrolstodeterminewhatcontent Fanscanposttothewall
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 39
bull Monitorupdatestothewallandtakedown Therearemanyexistingblogsthatcanbeused inappropriatecontent
bull Respondtoissuesquestionsandtakepart intheconversation
bull Adesignatedstaffpersonshouldmonitor thesiteitisalsoidealifseveralstaff memberspostcontentandifpartnersare activeparticipantsalthoughtheoverall strategyshouldbecentralized
Facebook Examples
Herearesomeexamplesofthetypesofpost-ingsforaFacebookpage
bull ldquoTheLATimesdescribesEnergyUpgrade CAasaperfectopportunitytobegreenand savemoneymdashintheFridaymoneysectionrdquo
bull ldquoWhydidyoudecidetoparticipatein EnergyUpgradeCATellushowyour energyefficiencyretrofitisgoingandwersquoll enteryouforachancetowina$50Home Depotgiftcardrdquo
bull ldquoWonderingwhetherEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaisrightforyouCheckoutthis videooftheSmithsinstallingnewinsula-tionandwindows--andreceivinga$3500 rebaterdquo
Cost and Budget
Relativelyfewdirectcostsstafftimewill fluctuateduringbusycalmperiodswithhigh activityatthebeginningastheProgramkicks offandafanbaseisestablishedOngoingstaff timeneededtokeeppagefreshwith3-4posts weekdailymaintenancerequiredtomonitor postingsfromfans
Blogs Blogsreachtargetaudienceswhoarealready interestedinrelatedtopicsandwhohavehigh potentialtoparticipateintheProgram
tofurthermarketingefforts
bull Identifybloggerswhowilllikelywrite positivelyabouttheProgramSendpress releasefactsheetsandPrograminforma-tiontobloggerswhowriteabouttopics suchastheenvironmentenergyefficiency homeimprovementremodelingreal estatehousingbargainssavingmoneyas wellastocompaniesthatsellsolarpanels contractorsetc
bull Bloggersarelookingfortopicalstoriesto writeaboutandwewillmaketheirnext blogposteasyBecauseEnergyUpgradeis ahighrewardoptionalProgrambloggers willwritefavorablyandhelptellthestory inafriendlyaccessibleandeasy-to-under-standway(althoughwedonrsquothavecontrol overwhattheywrite)Peoplewhoaredis-satisfiedwillwritenegativecommentsbut wewillmonitorblogsandactivelycorrect misperceptions
bull Tomonitorwhatothersarewritingabout EnergyUpgradeontheirblogswewilluse freeprogramslikeTechnoratiorGoogle Readertoscanallblogsandwebsitesthat mentiontheProgram
Blogs to Reach
Green Girl LA Blog (httpgreenlagirlcom)Thisindependent blogisfocusedonenvironmentalhap-peningsinLosAngelesArecentpostwas aboutagreennetworkingeventfeaturing TheBuildingDoctorspresentingwaysto makeyourhousemoreenergyefficient PreviouslyareporterbloggerfortheLA Timesthewriterisactiveandcoversa widevarietyofenvironmentalgreentopics happeninginLosAngeles
40 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
LA Times HomeBlog (wwwlatimesblogslatimescomhome_
blog)focusesontopicsrelatedtohouses andhashadseveralrecentpostsabout greenremodelingOneadvantageofa majornewspaperisthatthereportingis accurateandthereadershipislargerThey recentlywroteaboutauditionsforThisOld HousewhichisfeaturingaLosAngeles areahouseforasummerremodel
Bargain Babe (wwwbargainbabelatownluxecom) featuresLosAngelesbargainsYoucan searchforbargainsbyareaofLA(West-sideetc)orbytopicThisbloggerrecently wroteaboutappliancerebates
LA Times Green Remodeling (wwwlatimesblogslatimescompar-donourdustgreen_remodeling)writes aboutalltopicsrelatedtoremodelingin SouthernCaliforniawithseveralrecent postsongreentopicsArecentpostre-viewedthedifferentadvantagesofinstall-ingvarioustanklesswaterheatersPitch thatthebloggerfollowahomeenergy retrofitandhelptelltheirstoryaswellas announcebasicPrograminformation
LA Times Personal Finance wwwlatimescombusinesspersonal-finance
Home Remodeling wwwkathysremodelingblogcom
Energy Efficiency wwwlowimpactlivingcomblog
LA CreekFreak
LA Observed
LAist
YouTube PostallvideosrelatedtotheprojectonYou-TubeWewillworkwithourmediapartners todevelopacontestforearlyadopterstofilm theirexperienceandletwebsitevisitorsvote onthebestWinnerreceivesaprizetobe determined
ListServes Listservesreachgroupsofpeoplewhoare interestedinasimilartopicorwholiveina specificneighborhoodSendemailblaststo listservessuchasneighborhoodassociations homeremodelersandenvironmentalgroups withanenergyfocusCitystaffhasinforma-tionaddressesofneighborhoodandhom-eownerassociationslists
Multimedia for Presentations Website Developanengaginginformative6-8minute videofocusingoncontractorsandhomeown-ersthatcanbeusedduringpresentationsand presentedonCityTVThevideowillbeshot bothinEnglishandinSpanishandcover
bull Howtherebatesworktocreateasenseof urgencyaboutdoingtheenergyupgrades soonerratherputtingitofftotakeadvan-tageoftherebates
bull Theldquosealthenenhancerdquowholehouse concept
bull WhattheProgramelementsactuallylook likeandhowtheyareinstalledtoover-comebarrierssuchasthatonemighthave tomoveoutofthehouseortheenergy upgradesareldquouglyrdquo
bull Workingwithacontractorwhatbeing licensedandcertifiedmeansgettingmul-tiplebids
bull Financingoptions
bull Doingthepaperwork
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 41
Fromthatvideodevelop
bull Threeindividual2-minutevideosforuse onlineeachfocusingonaspecifictopicmdash
againinbothEnglishandSpanish
bull A15anda30spoteachinEnglishand SpanishforuseonCityTVandbroadcast
stations
Print Collateral Customizable fact sheetsInforma-tionsheets(onepagefrontandback)in EnglishSpanishandChinesethatcanalso bepostedonthewebsiteasPDFs
Program brochureMorehighlyde-signedforplacementinmunicipaloffices andevents
Customizable Brochure Brandedwith SunsetMagazineorNationalGeographic forcontractorsandrealtorstohandto customers
SignageBannersforeventsandstreet lamppostspostersformunicipaloffices andsmalleventsandpotentiallysignage forbussidestransitshelters
Speakers kits Countyandcitystaffwillreceivekitstoensure everyoneisfamiliarwithkeymessagesandhas informationtogivetoconstituentsThesecan besentdirectlytocitiesordistributedthrough COGsKitswillcontain
bull Talkingpoints
bull DVDofthevideo
bull PPTpresentationforpublicmeetings
bull Printedbrochuresforpermitofficesto includewithwelcomepacketsfornewho-meowners
bull Articlesandphotostheycanrunintheir onlineorprintedcitynewsletters
bull CDwithtemplatesforquickprintingand websitebuttontolinkfromtheirwebsiteto EnergyUpgradeCalifornia
42 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
description of key messages
Thefollowingmessageshadthehighestreso-nanceinpollingandfocusgroupsbothinLos AngelesCountyandtheBayArea
Primary Motivators Thefollowingtwomessagesaboutsaving moneyarekeytomotivatingalltargetaudi-encesTheyshouldbepartofeverypieceof advertisingorcollateralproduced
1 RebatesHomeownerswhomakeenergy-savinghomeimprovementscanqualifyfor a$1500federaltaxcreditandrebatesof upto$3500dependingonhowmuchthey reduceenergyconsumptionAdditional motivatorTaxcreditsonlyavailable untilDecember312010(Rebatesare preferredovertaxcreditsbecauseitrsquoscash nowratherthanlateranddependingon incomenoteveryonecangetthecredit)
2 Save on Utility Bills Upgradingahome touselessenergyandwatercanreduce utilitybillsby20ormoremdashsavingyou moneyovertime
Secondary Motivators Thefollowingmessagesarethenlayeredde-pendingonwhichaudienceisbeingtargeted
Help the EnvironmentClimate Change Weallneedtodoourparttohelp theenvironmentandslowclimatechange Makingourhomesmoregreenandenergy efficientisanimportantstepweshouldall take
Reduce Foreign OilFossil FuelsAt atimewhenwearetryingtoreduceour dependenceonforeignoilandotherfossil fuelsupgradingtheenergyefficiencyof ourhomesisanimportantstepwecanall take(Infocusgroupstheconceptofenergy independencefurtherresonatedasinde-pendencefromutilitycompaniesgetting offthegrid)
Certified Contractors Save Money Speciallytrainedandcertifiedcontractors knowhowtofindimprovementsthatthe averagehomeownerwouldnotTheiras-sessmentswillensurethatyoufindmore energysavingsandthereforesavemore moneyonyourutilitybillsAdditional motivatorContractorsarecertifiedbythe BuildingPerformanceInstituteworking withtheDepartmentofEnergyandEnvi-ronmentalProtectionAgency
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 43
Increase Property ValuesHomesthat areenergy-efficientandenvironmentally friendlyaremoreappealingtohomebuyers Theseupgradescanincreaseyourproperty value
ComfortUpgradingyourhomersquosenergy efficiencymdashinparticularupgradinginsula-tionmdashcanmakeitamorecomfortableplace toliveNomoredraftycoldroomsinthe winterorhotstuffyroomsinthesummer
Indoor Air QualityInsulationand ventilationcanreduceallergyandasthma-causingmoldandmildewimproving indoorairqualityespeciallyforinfantsand thosewithhealthconditions
Messengers Homeownersprefertoreceiveinformation fromimpartialtrustedsourcesThesemes-sengersreceivedthehighestscoresinpolling
bull Neighborsandotherhomeowners
bull Contractorthehomeownerisalready workingwithorreferredbyfriendneigh-bor
bull Architectsdesignprofessionals
bull Gasandelectricutilities
bull Environmentalorganizations
bull Homeimprovementstorestaff(when equippedwithflyers)
44 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 45
- Cover
- Table of Contents13
- Summary Overview13
- Introduction13
- Programs Goals and Objectives13
- Marketing and Outreach Program Goals and Structure13
- Strategy13
- Evaluation13
- Description of Marketing Communication Tools13
- Description of Key Messages13
-
4 Communications kits available for county COG cities community leaders and environmental groups
5 Marketing kits available for partners (contractors realtors)
6 Informational materials placed with retailers cities county offices
7 50000000 mediaadvertisingin-person impressions through
Mainstreammedia(televisionradio print)storiesplaced
Multiculturalmedia(televisionradio print)storiesplaced
RadioTVPSAsplaced
CityTVprogramsplaced
PaidradioTVpromosads
Paidprintads
Communitymeetings
Targeteddirectmail
rebate structure
8 Consolidated information in a ldquoone-stop shoprdquo approach
3 Incentives and Financing Marketresearchshowsthatrebatesarepri-marymotivatorsforhomeownerstoundertake anenergyupgradeRebateswillbeavailable forconsumersfromvarioussourcesCur-rentlyutilityrebatesoffer$1000forthe BasicPathandupto$3500forthosereach-ing30energysavingsThefederalHome Starprogramisstillpendingmdashitcouldoffer homeownersupto$3000forelementsinthe BasicPath$3000forthosereaching20 energysavingsandupto$13000forthose reaching45energysavingsIncentivesfrom theCountyarealsostillpending(SeeRebate Structuretable)
Financingoptionsarebeinganalyzedandwill beavailableatlaunch
Allrebatesandfinancingwillbecoordinated onthewebsitewiththeultimategoalofprop-ertyownersfillingoutoneformandpopulat-ingallotherrequiredforms
ELEMENT COUNTy FUNdEd
FEd TAx CREdIT HOME STAR UTILITIES
Basic path tBD 30 of eligible $1000
advanced path tBD improvements up to $1500 (expires Dec 31) $2500 for 20
+$500 for 5 +$500 for 5
silver star tBD
gold star tBD
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 15
4 Coordination Between Local Government and Utilities Consumerswillbebestservedbyaunified brandandconsumermarketingcampaign consistentmessagingandastatewidewebsite portalwithonewebsiteaddressTheCounty ofLosAngelesSouthernCaliforniaEdison andSouthernCaliforniaGasCompanyhave beenworkingtogethertodevelopastrong coordinatedprogramInfacttheLosAngeles CountyProgramhasbecomeamodelforthe state
Coordinationwillalsoleverageresourcesand increasethemarketingeffectivenessoflocal governmentsandthelocalutilitiesAllma-terialswillbedevelopedcollaborativelyand costswillbesharedaccordingtothedivision ofresponsibilityThefollowingchartoutlines thekeydeliverablesandresponsibilities(next page)
16 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
marketingoutreach coordination
PROGRAM ELEMENT LEAd COMMENTS
COUNTy UTILITIES jOINT
market research X telephone surveys focus groups and market analysis
marketing communications plan X this document will direct all marketing
activities
program namelogo X
cec will own the brand and has final vote on statewide name tagline can be customized for la county
Website portal X
statewide portal linked to utility pages or sitesndashmain info and materials on this one site
advertising campaign principles development X
marketing templates X
Print and online available for cities to customize as needed
service territory media Buys (regional) X Mainstream and ethnic media buys
local media Buys (la county) X Both mainstream and ethnic media in
hotspots and la county
call center X one phone number managed by utilities county to help produce script
retail outlet materials X May include kiosks short videos
contractor marketing toolkit X tBD county will develop marketing materials
for contractors
direct mail (eg bill inserts other mailers) X
county assessor materials X
Materials included in water bills property tax bills
community-Based outreach X targeted grassroots marketing
(includes local events)
community events X X utilities attend countywide events county attends local events
public relations X X
utilities take lead for service territory county for local or supervisor-initiated PR
Home energy makeover contest X
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 17
strategy
TheProgramwilluseamulti-layeredmulti-facetedmarketingandoutreachstrategythat targetsaudiencesbyidentifyingwhotheyare wheretheyliveandtheeventsgoingonin theirlivesMarketingeffortsinclude
1 Countywide Marketing (and Media Relations)
2 Pilot Area Marketing
3 Trigger-Event Marketing
4 City Outreach
5 Contractor Marketing
6 Realtor Marketing
7 Retail Partner Marketing
8 Multi-Family Marketing
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing
1 Countywide Marketing
Thestrategyisentirelyresearch-drivenfocus-ingonthosepropertyownersmostlikelyto undertakeahomeenergyupgradeAnover-archinglayerofmainstreammarketingand advertisingwillbeaimedatthreeaudiences
1 Early AdoptersThosewhoarestrong environmentalistsalreadypoisedtoldquodo therightthingrdquofortheenvironmentand whojustneedtohearaboutaprogramand rebates
2 ldquoRetrofit-ReadyrdquoThosewhoarealready planninghomeimprovementsandjust needalittlemoreinformationaboutwhat stepstotaketosavemoneyandldquodothe rightthingrdquofortheenvironment
3 ldquoRetrofit-Persuadablerdquo Thosewho arethinkingabouttheirutilitybills homecomforttheenvironmentorour dependenceonfossilfuelsforeignoil (especiallyinlightoftherecentGulfoil spill)andwhoneedinformationabout whattypesofimprovementstheycould makeandwhatstepstotaketosave energysavemoneyandreducefossilfuel consumption
Outreachwillbeaimedattargetaudiences throughbothmainstreamandmulticultural mediaTheadvertisingwillalsospillover ontoaudiencesinspecificgeographicareas providingadditionalimpressionstothose whoarealsotargetedinthePilotMarketing AreasThiswillalsoaddtothecitiesrsquoefforts topromotetheProgramastheirresidents willalsoseethecountywidemarketingefforts
18 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Marketingwillfocusoneachtargetaudience providingimpressionsclosetotheirhomeand reachingouttomoremassaudiencesCounty-widemarketingandoutreachwillinclude tacticsinthetablebelow
The One-Stop Shop Allinformationwillbeconsolidatedina one-stopshopapproacheitherinaldquobrick andmortarrdquolocationthroughthewebsiteor callcenteroratcommunityeventsProperty ownerswillhaveeasyaccesstoinformation
abouteligibleenergyefficiencymeasures andretrofitoptionseligibilityforCounty-administeredfinancialvehiclesandincentives eligibilityforutility-sponsoredrebatesand incentivesfederalrebateandtaxcreditinfor-mationandaccesstolistsofqualifiedenergy retrofitcontractors
Propertyownerswhoarenoteligiblefororin-terestedinEnergyUpgradeCaliforniawould alsobeabletofindoutaboutopportunities forweatherizationprogramslow-incomerate
countywide marketingoutreach tactics
Cable TV
County Events
Mass Media
Out of Home
Radio
Retail Partners
City Information
City TV
Local Media
Transit Shelters
Theaters
Billboards
Community of Interest
Newsletters
Contractor Marketing
Direct Mail to Hot Spots
Online Ads
Site Signage
Social Media
Community Newsletters
Local Events
Target Audience
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 19
subsidiesgreenjobstrainingandotherinitia- Parcel-Based Market Analysistivesavailabletoqualifiedhouseholds
Identifying Locations of Target Audiences Thegeographiclocationoftargetaudiences willbeidentifiedthroughtwomarketanalysis efforts
Pilot Marketing Areas TheCountywillintensifymarketingefforts inspecificpilotmarketingareaswherehigh percentagesoftheEarlyAdopterandRetrofit ReadyaudiencesliveThesepilotmarketareas willbeidentifiedthroughdemographicanaly-sisbaseduponextensivemarketresearchas wellasadetailedanalysisofkeycommunity resourcessuchasstrongcommunitynetworks andcommunity-basedorganizationsinfluen-tiallocalmedialdquocommunityfeelrdquoetc(For moreinformationonthepilotmarketareas approachandengagementstrategiesseepage 23)
Adetailedmarketanalysisisbeingconducted tosupportspecificpiecesoftheoutreachand communicationsstrategybyidentifyingthe locationofaudiencesthatarereceptivetospe-cificoutreachstrategiesThetableonthenext pagedemonstratesthemarketanalysisaudi-ences(scenarios)andmarketstrategiesthat arebeinganalyzedtoidentifythelocationof targetaudiencesThemarketanalysisisbeing conductedusingconsumermarketresearch combinedwithdemographicdataandprop-ertycharacteristicsdatafromtheCountyas-sessorThemainproductfortheanalysiswill beaseparateanalysisreport(expectedAugust 2010)Thisreportwillincludecountywide ldquoheatmapsrdquothatidentifytheareasthathave ahighproportionoftargetpropertiesandare thereforeidealareasfortargetedmarketing ThesemapscanbeusedforEnergyUpgrade Californiaorcontractormarketingstrategies
countywide market capture cascade
Early Adopters
Retrofit ready
Retrofit persuadable
The Next Phase No way
MESSAGES
bull environment bull Fossil Fuels bull Rebates
available
AddITIONAL MESSAGES
bull save money on utility bills
bull Rebates
bull long-term attitudinal change
available AddITIONAL MESSAGES
bull Property values bull comfort bull Health bull ReBates available
20 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
market analysis scenarios
Link between Pilot Market Areas and Parcel-Based Market Analysis
Theaudiencesbeingexaminedinthepilot marketingareasoverlapwithbutarenotthe sameasthoseinthemarketanalysisThe marketanalysisthereforesupportsthepilot marketareaidentificationintwoways
1 Itaddspropertycharacteristicsgleaned fromconsumerresearchtothepilotmarket areaanalysisInthiswayScenarios1and 2(RetrofitReadyandRetrofitPersuadable) providefurtherdetailtothepilotmarket areasandallowforgeneralmarketingto
MARkET ANALySIS SCENARIO
AUdIENCE IdENTIFIEd
dATA ANALyzEd RELATEd MARkETING STRATEGy
1-early adopters retrofit ready
environmentalists ready to take action now with information about rebates
Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Pilot Marketing areas
2-retrofit persuadable
those who need information about types of improvements with emphasis on rebates and cost savings
Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Pilot Marketing areas
3a-Built environment Heating and cooling
Middle-aged to newer homes located inland that are larger and often have high ac heating bills
Property characteristics location of Home
trigger event Marketing utility Bills Pilot area Marketing
3b-Built environment-Heating
smaller older coastal homes that may have comfort issues in winter
Property characteristics location of Home
trigger event Marketing comfort Pilot Marketing areas
4-multi-family Multi-family homeowners Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Multi-family Marketing Pilot Marketing areas
5-Whole neighborhood
tracts of similarly-aged and built homes
Property characteristics location of Home
Whole neighborhood Marketing Pilot Marketing areas
bedirectedtospecificproperties(when appropriate)
2 Italsoidentifiesotherkeyaudiences (Scenarios3a3b4and5)thatcorrelate toothermarketingstrategiesasshown intableaboveTheresultsofthese scenarioswillbeoverlaidontopofthepilot marketareastoidentifyspecificparcels thatmayrespondtospecificmarketing strategiesForexamplewhenoverlaying thepropertiesidentifiedinScenario5 (Whole-NeighborhoodScenario)with thepilotmarketingareastheCounty canidentifypropertieswithinthepilot
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 21
marketingareathatwouldrespondtoa whole-neighborhoodmarketingapproach (bulkpurchasingmodelhomesasingle contractoretc)
Home Energy Makeover Contest HomeEnergyMakeoverContestsgenerate atremendousamountofpublicityandhave beensuccessfullyconductedinmanyother statesandcitiesTheyattractthousandsof entrantsTheconceptistobothgarnerfree publicityandmodelthebehaviortheProgram istryingtoencouragebyshowingtheldquowhole houseapproachrdquohoweasyupgradescanbe howmuchtherebatescanreducetheproject costandhowmuchdifferencetheymaketoa home
Thecontestwillalsodemonstratethemarket acceptanceforthehomeperformanceap-proachtotraditionalsingle-measurecontrac-torsThosecontractorswillseehowmany peopleenterthecontesttowinahomeperfor-mancemakeoverbasedonthewholehouseap-proachAllthosewhoenteredareleadswho maybeinterestedinawholehouseapproach ratherthansinglemeasures
Entrantsmustbeover18liveinLosAnge-lesCountyandownthehomeinwhichthey residethecontestcanbelimitedtothose whoreceiveservicefromSouthernCalifornia EdisonandorSouthernCaliforniaGas(in otherwordsitcanincludeorexcluderesi-dentsservedbymunicipalutilities)Entrants submitinformationabouttheirhomeand theirenergyconsumptionandgivepermis-sionfortheProgramjudgestoviewtheir energyconsumptionduringthepreviousyear Finalistsarebasedonthehighestenergycon-sumptionpersquarefootofamedian-sized homeAbout20finalistsreceivefreeenergy auditsfortheirhomesBasedontheaudit (andadditionalcriteriawewilldetermine)five winninghomesreceiveupto$15000inhome
energyimprovements(whichcanbesupple-mentedbyrebatesandadditionalfunding fromthepropertyowner)Thewinneragrees tomediacoverageanopenhouseandtoblog andorTweetduringandaftertheretrofit Wewillworkwithcontractorstogetsponsor-shipsaswellasdonatedauditsandupgrade elements
OnecontestwillbeheldinFall2010(withfive winners)andasecondcontestheldduring Springof2011(withfivewinners)
Aseparatecontestcouldbeheldformulti-familybuildingswithahigherwinning amount
Countywide Incentives TheProgramwillestablishalistofnon-profit organizationsthatareactiveinpromoting greenhomessustainabilityandotherenvi-ronmentalorcommunityprojectsEveryone intheCountywhocompletesanenergyaudit maydesignateanon-profitorganizationto receiveadonationfromtheProgramInfor-mationabouttheeligibleorganizationswill beonthewebsiteThiswillencouragethose non-profitstopromotetheProgramtotheir membersltNotethisconceptisstillbeing developedgt
Direct Mail Utilitieswillplacemessagesonouterbillen-velopessenttocustomersTheywillalsosend directmailaboutEnergyUpgradetoldquotarget areasrdquobasedonacombinationofenergy usageageofhomeandhouseholdincome DirectmailisscheduledforOctober2010
County Events Utilitieswillbeattendinglargeeventssuch astheSeptember2010and2011LACounty Fairswithawholehousethemethatincludes aminimodelhousethatvisitorscanldquotourrdquo Additionalproposedeventsinclude
22 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
bull LeagueofCitiesAnnualConference workshop(September2010)
bull PomonaHomeImprovementShow (October2010)
bull RemodelingShowattheLACountyFair (October2010)
bull CaliforniaAssociationofRealtors (October2010)
bull BuildingIndustryShow(November2010)
bull SouthernCaliforniaHomeImprovement Show(November2010)
bull NeighborWorksAmerica(February2011)
Online and Social Media TheProgramwillusesocialmediatoinex-pensivelyreachtargetaudiencesbeginningat launchandcontinuingthroughoutthePro-gramwithbriefpausesforrefiningThiswill beaccomplishedthroughoptimizingsearch wordsforsearchenginessuchasGoogleand Bingreachingappropriateindependentblogs aYouTubevideocontest(runbyamediapart-ner)andencouragingblogpostsandTweets byearlyadoptersandtheProgramitself(see DescriptionsofMarketingCommunications ToolsandDescriptionsofTargetAudiencesfor moredetails)Inadditionutilitieswilldevote spaceforinformationandalinkontheirland-ingpages
Countywide Media Buys Withalatesummerfalllaunchdatemedia buysneedtobespreadtoavoidtheelection monthofOctober2010EnergyUpgradeCali-forniainLosAngelescansponsoraweather broadcastmdashliveonlineandmobilemdashaswell as15and30spotsduringotherbroadcasts Wewillalsopurchaseliveandonlinespots withUnivisiontheSpanish-languagestation Radiobuyswillinclude15NationalPublic Radio(KPCCandKCRW)sponsorshipsand variousdrive-timespotsonEnglishandin-
languageAMandFMstationsSocialmedia buysincludeGoogleWordsandblogads(see DescriptionsofMarketingCommunications Tools)Printmediabuyswillbeinmulticul-turalpapers
(Afullmediabuyplanandschedulewillbe availableinAugust)
Countywide Media Relations TheProgramwillcoordinateCountyandutil-ityeffortsandwiththeCaliforniaEnergyCom-missionCaliforniaPublicUtilitiesCommis-sioneffortsMediarelationswillbeinthree phasespre-launchlaunchandmilestones
Pre-Launch (August ndash September)
bull DevelopandprovideaSpeakerrsquosKit withtalkingpoints
bull OrganizeCountymedialaunchevent (potentiallyenlistawillinghomeowner whosehousemightserveasalaunching padformediatours)
bull Respondtorequestsfromcities
bull Providepre-writtenarticlesforcity communitynewsletters
bull Issuepresskitsandpressrelease(in EnglishandSpanish)announcing launch
Launch (October)
bull Mediaeventtoannouncelaunchand HomeEnergyMakeoverContestpoten-tiallyon-siteatahousetodemonstrate upgrades
bull SendoutradioPSAs
Milestones (through 2013)
bull Mediaeventtoannouncewinnersofthe HomeEnergyMakeovercontest(could beconductedon-sitesurprisingthe winners)
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 23
bull ldquoRe-launchrdquopressreleaseandmedia eventinMarch2011forasecondHome EnergyMakeoverContestwithastrong ldquogetreadyforsummerrdquotheme
bull Pressreleasewhen10000thperson receivesarebate
bull Pressreleasewhenotherappropriate milestonesarereachedorthefunding forincentivesisclosetobeingdepleted
2 Pilot Marketing Areas
Itwillbecriticalforthelong-termsuccessof marketingeffortstohaveasignificantnumber ofearlysuccessesthatgeneratepositivepub-licityandword-of-mouthencouragingothers toalsoparticipateTheCountyintendsto stimulatethemarketfortheseearlyadopters byintensifyingmarketingeffortsinspecific pilotmarketingareas(withzipcodebound-aries)wherebasedonextensiveconsumer
countywide marketingoutreach tactics
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
television
ad buys on Broadcast tV univision google tV Paid county
ldquothis old Houserdquo segment on whole house per-formance and rebates while renovating house (filming in la this summer)
earned county
coverage on mainstream and multicultural sta-tions
earned utilities county
ldquoinfomercialrdquo and promos on city tV Placed county
radio
nPR sponsorship Paid county
commute time spots Paid county
coverage on california Report earned utilities county
Psas on mainstream stations Placed utilities county
spots on multicultural stations Paid county
coverage in mainstream and multicultural papers
earned utilities county
sunset Magazine green Home section earned county
ads in la times and Daily news real estate sections
Paid utilities county
ads in multicultural papers Paid county
Direct Mail to targets Paid utilities
24 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
countywide marketingoutreach tactics (conrsquot)
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
social media
Blogs (about homes environment bargains) earned county
Facebook page Placed county
ads targeted to interest in environment and or home improvements (this old House etc)
Paid county
google adWords targeted to interest in environment andor home improvements
Paid county
twitter both by the Program and by individual early adopters (with incentives)
Placed county
youtube early adopters make a video about their experience and results (with incentives)
Placed county
out of Home
Retail kiosks banners flyers links on retail websites
Placed utilities
community organizations
environmental groups and others newsletters websites email blasts
earned county
Home improvement shows booths Paid county
countywide events Paid utilities
Bloggersubject matter events Paid county
researchhighpercentagesoftargetaudiences livePilotmarketingprogramsinthoseareas willtesttheextentcommunity-basedmarket-ingpositivelyimpactsparticipationratesan effortrelatedtoRetrofitRampUpproposal requirements
Demographicdataprovidedbythemarketre-searchwillbeoverlaidwithenergyusagedata AdditionallyGIS-basedmarketanalysisatthe parcellevel(describedabove)willallowfor pinpointingofspecificneighborhoodswithin thepilotareasforoutreachthatcaninclude
door-to-doordirectmailandmarketingby contractorsaspartofaldquowholeneighbor-hoodrdquoapproachFocusingonpilotareaswill alsomeettheRetrofitRampUprequirements oftheDepartmentofEnergyFollowingisa summaryofplannedmarketingandoutreach efforts
Marketresearch-basedcriteriaforchoosing about15pilotareaswillinclude
Clusters of houses built before 1978 Thoselivinginolderhomesespecially
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 25
builtbeforeCaliforniarsquosEnergyEfficiency Standardsaremorelikelytobelievethat theirhousemightbeenergyinefficient andcouldbenefitfromenergyefficiency improvementsmdashandberesponsivetoan energyupgrade
High percentage of homeownership Thesemarketingeffortsfocusonsingle-familyresidentialhomeownerssoareas withhighrentalrateswillnotprovidea largeenoughnumberofeligibleunits
Income over $60000Thosewith incomesunder$60000didnotbelieve theywouldhavesufficientincometomake improvementsevenwithrebatesThey werenotinterestedinloans(manywith lowincomesalsofindthemselvesldquounder-waterrdquoontheirloansandthusnoteligible forsomefinancing)Inadditionwefound somepush-backinfocusgroupsabout ldquogovernmentofferingloanstopeoplewho canrsquotaffordthemafterthesub-primeloan debaclerdquo
Population with a high percentage of college-educatedThosewithacollege degreearemuchmorelikelytoindicate apreferencetomakeenergyefficiency upgradesThosewhohadcompletedsome collegeeducationarealsomorelikelyto indicateapreferenceforenergyefficiency upgradesthanthosewhohadnotcom-pletedany
Population with a high percentage of those age 35-54Thosewithchildren andorexpandingfamiliesaremorelikely tomakeimprovementsthanthoseunder 30(thereareveryfewhomeownersunder 30)andthoseover54
High percentage of households with 4+ peopleHouseholdswithmorepeople havehigherenergybillsResearchshows thatthoseinhomeswithmorethan4
peoplebelieveenergyupgradescanmakea bigimpactontheirbills
High energy usage Thehigherenergy usage(andbills)themorelikelypeopleare tobelievethatenergyefficiencyimprove-mentswillmakeadifferenceintheirbills
Afterlayeringthisinformationtocomeup withalistofpotentialareaswefurthercon-sidered
Clusters of 8000-20000 homesThe areashouldbelargeenoughtoprovidesub-stantialnumbersofeligibleunitsbutsmall enoughtoenablereachingmajorityofresi-dentsandgeneratingword-of-mouth
Has a diverse multicultural commu-nityAreasshouldhavestrongcommunity identitiesandsenseofplacesocommunity membersareproudofwheretheyliveand areencouragedtoimprovetheircommu-nity
Has strong neighborhood and com-munity organizationsWeneedto engagetheseorganizationsaspartnersto helpspreadtheword
Has existing communications such as newsletters blogsWeneedtoreach membersthroughexistingcrediblesources thatresidentsalreadyuseandtrust
ldquoSpill overrdquo opportunities to nearby neighborhoodsSincemarketingand mediaeffortswillpotentiallyalsobeseen byneighborsareasshouldbenearother areasthatmayalsomeettheprimary criteria
Climatetime of yearIndetermining whentorolloutthepilotswecantarget interiorareasinspringandcoastalareasin coldweather
26 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Basedonthemarketresearchcriteriafive pilotmarketingareasarescheduledforintense marketingatlaunchwithanadditional10 areasscheduledforintensemarketingin Spring2011
Thepilotmarketstrategyissupportedby theparcel-basedmarketanalysiswhichwill identifywhichneighborhoodspropertieswill bethebesttotargetusingthisapproachThe marketanalysiswillallowlimitedmarketing fundingtobeleveragedbyfocusingonthose thataremostlikelytorespondtothemarket-ingefforts
Wewillcreatemessagesandvisualsspecifical-lytailoredtoeachtargetcommunityrsquoscultural andlinguisticpreferencesImagessymbols andiconstypographycolorandoverall designcarrydifferentmeaningsindifferent culturesAmessageistypicallymosteffective ifitiscreatedwithcarefulattentiontothese idiosyncrasiesandwithintheldquoculturalmind-setrdquooftherecipientsCreatingheadlinesand taglinesdirectlyinthetargetlanguagerather thansimplytranslatingEnglishadvertising copyensuresthatcopyhasthecorrectrhythm andrhymeandisthereforemuchmore attention-grabbingandmemorable
Community Incentives Energy Champion Program Severalconceptsareunderconsiderationto developacommunityincentivestrategyto promoteparticipationinlinewiththeRetrofit RampUpproposalforinnovativeincentiveap-proachesIncentivesmaybedirectedatenergy auditscommunity-basedorganizationsthose willingtoprovidetestimonialsorblogtweet andpublicrecognitionefforts
Grassroots Community Organizing-Trainedorganizerswillpresentinformationat themeetingsof12-15influentialcommunity leadersandcommunity-basedorganizationsin
eachpilotareacapturetheircontactdataand helpspreadtheinformationtotheirmembers throughtheirnewsletterseventsandwebsites TheProgramwillprovidepre-writtencus-tomizablearticlespresentationsorvideoand websiteldquobuttonsrdquotolinktotheProgramsite Eachgroupwillbeofferedanincentiveofado-nationtotheirorganizationforeverymember whocompletesahomeenergyupgradeThis willencourageCBOvolunteerstoincrease theirmarketingeffortsFriendlyrivalrieswill beencouragedCommunitygroupswillreport namesofparticipantscheckedforjobcomple-tionbytheProgram(underdevelopment)
Community Events One-on-onefacetimewithhomeownersis anidealwaytoengagepotentialparticipants Well-trainedorganizerswillattendfiveevents ineachtargetareaprovidinghomeowners withinformation(pocketsizemultilingual handouts)andcapturingtheircontactinfor-mationforfollowupTheycanhavehome-ownerssignuponthewebsiteonsiteifappro-priateandperhapsevenhavethemprovideus withavideocommitmentldquoItookthePledgerdquo withpermissiontopostonthewebsiteAsa luretotheboothhomeownerswillbeoffered freeitemssuchaslightbulbsmagnetsand reusablecupswithcoldwater(imprintedwith thewebsite)manufacturedintheUS
Print Radio Outdoor and Out-of Home Advertising Localmediawillcoverthelaunchofthe Programandwewillstrategicallyplaceads inlocalmediaandcommunitynewsletters Outdooradvertising(smallstreet-levelbiode-gradableeco-postersbussheltersbussides) strategicallyplacedinhigh-trafficareaswillre-inforcethemessageoveraone-monthperiod
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 27
Pilot Area Example Altadena Altadenawasidentifiedasacommunitythat fitsourtargetcriteriaItisadiverseunincor-poratedcommunitywithsixneighborhoods andanapproximatepopulationof40000The averagehouseholdincomeisabout$94000 Morethan50ofadultresidentsaremarried withchildrenandcommuteanaverageof62 milesperdaytowhite-collarjobsFully40of theadultsinthiscommunityhaveabachelors
degreeorhigherandareinvolvedinmany communityeventsandorganizationsThere areapproximately12000homesinthiscom-munityand10000ofthosehomesareowner-occupiedThegraphicshowshowoutreach wouldbeconcentratedinthisarea
pilot area outreachmarketing tactics
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
radio
Psas on multicultural stations earned county
coverage in local papers earned county
ads in local and multicultural papers Paid county
outdoor
Bus shelters in area Paid county
on-street lampost signage Paid county
Billboards Paid county
social media
Blogs (relevant to the area) earned county
online ads targeted by location Paid county
listserves of neighborhood associations (through cities)
earned county
out of Home
Movie theater ads in area Paid county
lawn signs on homes in area (through contractors)
Paid county
community organizations
community meetings with incentives to organizations for participation
earnedPaid county
community events Paid county Door hangers Paid county
28 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Home Depot
Ace Hardware
Lowersquos
Master Builders
Great Indoors
Home Expo
altadena marketing target
Hoy La Opinioacuten
Pasadena Star News
Altadena Headlines Examiner
Boulevard Magazine
Arroyo Magazine
Pasadena Weekly
Altadena Connection
Sentinel
KLVE
KPCC Pasadena
KCBS
KROQ Pasadena
KAZN Pasadena
Church Bulletins
Summer Concert Series at Farnsworth Park
Fourth of July Fireworks at
Town amp Country Club
Black History Parade
World Music Festival in Pasadena
Haunted House at
Farnsworth Park
Art Break
Rose Parade
National Latino
Congreso
Altadena Neighborhood Association
Altadena Chamber of Commerce
Altadena Arts Council
Altadena Town Council
Faith-based Organizations
Altadena Town amp Country Club
Altadena League of
Women Voters
Altadena Historical Society
Altadena Community Improvement Center
Sheriff Support Group
Santa Coming to Farnsworth
Park
Altadena California
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 29
3 Trigger-Event Marketing
Thissuiteofstrategieswillbeaimedatcaptur-ingenergyefficiencyopportunitiesfrommul-tipletriggereventsParticipantswillmainly comethroughcontractorsrealtorsandretail partnerspropertyownerswillhavealsoseen countywideadvertising
trigger event marketing
4 City and COG Outreach
OutreachbyCitiesandCOGswillbecritical becauseoftheirexistingrelationshipswith localconstituenciesCitieswillbeprovided withamini-marketingplantalkingpoints videocustomizabletemplatesoffactsheets articlesfortheirnewslettersandadvertising
EvENT dESCRIPTION LEAd AGENT COLLATERAL TACTIC
1 Replace on burnout (heating air conditioners water heaters)
Homeowners either in process of replacing an item or have already done some efficiency projects
county bull Retail partners
bull HVac installers
bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors installers
bull Retail displays
2 life-stage changes (growing family)
Homeowners working with a contractor
county bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors bull ads in media for home remodels
3 Home remodel Homeowners working with an architect contractor
county bull contractors bull architects
bull Materials for contractors
bull ads in media for home remodels
3 improvements at time of purchase
Homeowners interested are preparing a new home for move-in (research shows more interest at purchase than at sale)
shared bull contractors bull Realtors bull Home
inspectors bull city permit
offices bull city welcome
kits bull Retail
bull Brochures for cities
bull ads in weekend homes for sale sections
bull Presentations to realtor groups
bull Retail displays
4 improvements at sale
House owners preparing for sale
county bull contractors bull Realtors
bull Materials for contractors
5 complaints high utility bills cold hot house
Homeowners aware of energy-saving improvements but not whole house approach
county bull contractors bull HeRs raters
bull Materials for contractors
30 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
city amp cog outreach
materialssotheycandeveloplow-costout-reachtotheirresidentsCitieswithcommuni-tiestargetedinthePilotAreaMarketingplans willbeinformedandencouragedtodoout-reachtothoseareasAllCitieswillbeencour-agedtodothefollowing
Run stories in print and online news-letters
Send information to neighborhood associations homeowners associa-tions historic preservation districts and other appropriate community organizations
Provide information in City permit-ting offices and City Hall lobbies
Provide information at strategically located Environmental Information Centers and at COG office locations
Provide information in ldquonew home-ownersrdquo welcome kits (either directly from the city or through title compa-
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAId EARNEd
LEAd
pio coordination contact all participating citiesrsquo Pios na county
letters Key messages for letters from mayors etc to constituents Provide to Pios or city managers
na county
Website links Button for cities to place on their website to link to Program site
na county
city tV informational videos and spot promos Placed county
Welcome brochure
Brochure aimed at new homeowners before they move in
na county
articles Pre-written customizable newsletter articles earned county
email blasts Pre-written customizable info spots for communityneighborhood listserves
earned county
niesmortgage brokers)
Run videos and spots on City TV stations
5 Contractor Marketing
Localcontractorsarecriticaltothesuccess ofEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLosAngeles CountyTheyprovidetheservicesthatcom-prisetheProgramandtheycanhelpmarket theProgramtopropertyownersInfactwe estimatethatupto50ofProgrampartici-pantswillentertheProgramthrougharela-tionshipwithacontractor(theymayhavealso seenmediacoverageandadvertisingwhich spurredthemtotakeaction)Thisuniquerole requiresthattheProgramtakeatwo-tiered approachofengagingthecontractormdashmoti-vatinglocalbuildingprofessionalstoundergo thetrainingandcertificationprocessandalso providingthemwiththetoolstoeffectively promotetheprogramtoexistingandnew clientsThefollowingsectiondescribesspecific
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 31
contractor target
United Brotherhood Building Industry Carpenters (Training)
Association ofSouthern California
Email Blast
Contractors Magazines
Contractor
OnlineAds
Big Box Stores
ConractorsLicensing Schools
Realtor Associations
strategiesassociatedwithbothapproaches
Forthepurposesoftheprogramcontractors aredividedintoparticularsegmentsbasedon thetypeofserviceprovidedAninitialanalysis oftheindustryrevealedthefollowinglikely categories
HomePerformance(HP)Contractors
ProductionBuilders
HVACSystemSpecialtyTrades (windowsetc)
RemodelingContractors
SolarContractors
BuildingPerformance
Institute
Southwest Regional
City Permit Association
Offices of Carpenters
Lumber Yards
StateLicensing
Board
American Instituteof Architects
LA Chapter
Outreach to Contractors TheProgramwillcoordinatewithcontractor groupsandotherbuildingprofessionaltrade organizationstoschedulebriefpresentations abouttheProgramandthecontractortraining processForlargerorganizationsthePro-grammayworkdirectlywiththecompanyto arrangeon-sitepresentationsThesepresenta-tionsareinformalinnatureandwillbeusedto promotethecertificationorientationsrequired forcontractorparticipationintheprogram
KeyMessagestoContractors
$30millioninAmericanRecoveryand ReinvestmentActmoneyisworkinginLA Countytocreateconstructionindustryjobs
32 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
EnergyUpgradeCaliforniaOffersbig rebatesandfinancingoptionsfor homeownersdoinghomeenergy efficiencyretrofits
Therewillbemarketingandadvertis-ingstatewideandlocallytopromotethe Program
Therewillbemarketingmaterialsforyou tousetomarketyourbusiness
YoumustbelicensedandBuildingPerfor-manceInstitute-certifiedtobepartofthe Program
HomeownersmustworkwithBPI-certified contractorstheyrsquollchoosefromacontrac-tordatabaseonthewebsite
KeyOutreachMethods
BuildingIndustryAssociationofSouthern California
SouthwestRegionalCouncilofCarpenters
RealtorsAssociation
UnitedBrotherhood-Carpenters(Training Program)
Citypermittingoffice
Lumberyards
AmericanInstituteofArchitectsLA Chapter(toeducatethemaswell)
ArticlesinformationinContractortrade publications(magazinesnewslettersetc) magazines
CarpentersUnionLocals
ContractorsLicenseSchools(andonline)
BigBoxHomeImprovementstores(de-pendingonIOUrelationships)
wwwcslbcagov
Emailblasttoalllicensedcontractors
Contractor Outreach to Consumers Differentopportunitiesexistfordifferent contractorsdependingontheprobablework scopeThefollowingtableoutlinesafew potentialpathwaysforhowcontractorscan participateintheProgram
contractors outreach to customers
CONTRACTOR TyPE
TRIGGER EvENT vALUE TO CONTRACTOR
BUSINESS MOdEL
Home Performance upgrade lead generation scale for high volume
Production Builder new Business Development
create new division
HVac Replacement lead generation Value-add
expand services
specialty trade lead generation Partner with certified gc
Remodeler Remodel life-stage transition
Value-add sub work to HP contractor
solar Renewables lead generation Partner with certified gc
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 33
BPI-certifiedgeneralcontractorswillbelisted ontheEnergyUpgradeconsumerwebsite sendingmanyleadsdirectlytothemThey alsohaveaccesstotheldquoheatmapsrdquotousefor developingtheirownadvertisingcampaigns
Contractorswillbeattendingorientationses-sionstoensuretheythoroughlyunderstand theProgramrebatesfinancingoptionsand canhelpguidetheircustomersthroughthe processTheywillbeprovidedwithContractor MarketingKitstoensuretheyhaveathandthe keymessagesthathavebeenresonatingwith homeownersandhaveinformationtogive topotentialcustomerswhomightormight nothavebeentothewebsiteKitscanbesent directlytocontractorsordistributedatthe orientationsessionsKitswillcontain
Talkingpoints
DVDofthevideo
Printedfactsheetstoleavewithcustomers (withroomfortheircontactinfo)more canbeordered
Printedldquoslimjimrdquoprogrambrochure
Printedlengthierbrochuresaboutthe wholehouseapproach(brandedby Scientific American Magazine)
CDwithldquobuttonrdquotolinktoEnergyUpgrade fromtheirownwebsitesandPDFsofsite signageforprinting
Contractorswillhaveaccesstoaseparatesec-tionofthewebsitewheretheywillfindinfor-mationaboutProgrameventspromotionsand advertisinganon-demandprintsectionfor additionalcopiesofbrochuresanychanges totheProgramandasingletradecontractor databaseforassemblingteamsforcustomers whowouldlikesolarpanelsornewwindows forexample
6 Realtor Marketing
Giventhatthenationalaveragelengthofhome ownershipisroughlysixyearsrealestate agentswillbeincontactandadvisingalarge percentageofthenewandexistinghomeown-ersthatEnergyUpgradeistargetingforhome energyretrofitsThishighlevelofinfluence makesrealtorsoneofthelargestpartner groups
Realestateagentswillbeengagedonthree levels
1) Outreach
2) Training
3) Support
Outreach Outreachwillbeconductedthroughavariety ofvenuesthatwillincludeCaliforniaAssocia-tionofRealtorsreg(CAR)regionalconferences heldinSouthernCaliforniapartnershipwith themanyrealtorassociationslocatedinLos AngelesCountyanddirectvisitstorealestate agentsrsquoofficesforshortpresentationsPart-nershipswiththe15-20localRealtorsAsso-ciationswillbeachievedthroughoneormore RealtorAdvisoryBoardswhichincludethe GovernmentAffairsDirectorsfromeachof theseorganizationsAselectfewoftheseor-ganizationswillbeusedaspilotsfortargeted outreachduringearlystagesoftheProgram Oncethestrategyhasbeentestedandrevised itwillberolledouttoalloftheRealtorsAs-sociationsinLosAngelesCounty
ThefallCARRealtorExpowillbethemain kickoffeventforoutreachtoindividualreal-torsandrealtorofficesEnergyUpgradeplans tohavea30-minutetalkembeddedinthe SpeakersProgramandaboothsetuponthe ExpofloortoinformrealtorsaboutthePro-gramavailabletrainingsandthesupport
34 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
toolsthathavebeendevelopedThisevent willreachthemajorityofrealtorsintheLos Angelesareabutwillnotincludethelarge populationofrealestateagentsthatarenot membersofCARToreachthispopulation emailsocialmediaandtargetedofficevisits willbeconducted
Training EnergyUpgradewillprovidetrainingforreal estateagentsintwoformsTherealestate agenttrainingmodulecurrentlyunderdevel-opmentbyBuildItGreenwillbeusedasthe maintrainingforumThistrainingmodule isexpectedtotaketwofulldaystocomplete andwillcoverpropertyassessedcleanenergy financingenergyefficientmortgagesrebate programsbuildingscienceenergyefficiency andgreenbuildingpracticesappropriateto California
Additionalweb-basedtrainingwillbeprovided tointroducerealestateagentstotheProgram andtodrivethemtogetin-persontraining throughtheBuildItGreentrainingmodule
Support Cultivatingandclosingtoolswillbegener-atedtoassistrealtorsinusingEnergyUpgrade Californiatradetoexpandtheirbusinesswhile drivinghigherlevelsofprogramparticipation RealtorKitswillbesimilartotheContractor Kitsandtheywillhaveaccesstothedatabase ofgeneralandsingletradecontractors
7 Retail Partner Marketing
Utilitieswillpartnerwithretailoutletsthat canincludeBestBuyCostcoSearsLowes andHomeDepotParticipatingretailoutlets willbeprovided
Information centersEnd-displays detailingtheEnergyUpgradeProgram withadiagramillustratingthehouseas asystemconcept(multiplecomponents thatacttogethertomaximizesavings)and actionscustomerscantaketocapturethose savingsandrebatesIn-storecustomer educationcanshiftcustomerperception ofenergyupgradesandmotivatethem toparticipateinmultipleenergy-efficient measuresinsteadofjustoneAnadditional benefitfortheretailerisassociationwith thestatewideprogram
Program collateral One-sheet takeawaysforcustomerstoreference andshare
Video Theshortvideoscanbeplayed onaloop
Table tent cardsPlacedthroughout storesectionsthatcorrelatewiththe EnergyUpgradeProgram(CFLsappli-ancesceilingfansinsulationwindows) Againthiswillencouragecustomersto performmultipleenergyupgradesinstead ofjustoneCross-promotionhelpseducate customersandencourageparticipationin multiplemeasuresthusincreasingproduct purchase
Window clings ldquoOfficialEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaInformationCenterrdquotagline bannersplacedatstorefrontThiswillpo-sitiontheretailerasanactiveparticipantin thestatewideprogramandbuildsretailer credibilityasagreenadvocate
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 35
8 Multi-Family Outreach
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesandsched-ulesarestillinplanningphasesandbeing developedthroughastatewideconsortium
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesarebeing
developed
36 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
evaluation
Theprimarygoalsofthemarketingplanareto buildpositiveawarenessoftheEnergyUp-gradeCaliforniaProgramandcreateasus-tainedmarketforawholehouseapproach(see page8)Objectivesarespecifictothoseachiev-ingthosegoalsLosAngelesCountyresidents willseemultipleiterationsofmediacoverage paidadvertisingin-storedisplayscontractor marketingandin-personpresentations(inthe pilotmarketingareas)Forexamplearesi-dentinAltadenamightseethemoreintensive marketingandoutreacheffortsThatmayspur themtoactionmdashbutiftheyalreadyhadplans toremodelorhadpreviouslyworkedwitha contractortheymightcalltheircontractorand thusactuallycometotheprogramthrough thecontractorThereforeitwillnotbeeasy todeterminepreciselywhathasmotivated eachpersontoparticipateinEnergyUpgrade Objectivestomeetinclude
About35-45ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughthemarket-ingandoutreacheffortsTomonitorwe willincludeashortsurveyaspartofthe rebateapplicationprocessaskingpartici-pantswhatdrewthemtothewebsiteand totheProgramThewebsitecanmonitor clickthroughstocontractorssitesfrom theProgramwebsiteprovidinganindica-tionofpotentialparticpantswhocameto thesitebeforehavingacontractorOnce apropertyownerinputsanaddressthe websitewillbeabletospecificallymonitor ifthatparticipantasksformultiple estimatesfromcontractorsanotherindica-
toroffindingacontractorthroughthesite
About45-50ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughcontractors Wewillaskcontractorstoprovideinfor-mationabouttheirmarketingeffortsand successratesTheywillbeabletoidentify participantsgainedthroughtheirownmar-ketingefforts
300000uniquehitsonthewebsitewhich willbemonitoredbythewebsiteFurther thewebsitewillanalyzewherevisitors camefrom(egaclickthroughfroman onlineadfromacontractorrsquoswebsite orduringthespecifictimeframeofanad campaign)
Virtualandactualldquoword-of-mouthrdquore-portedbymonitoringsocialmedia
Communicationskitsandmarketingkits availablebothphysicallyandthroughan on-demandprintsitemonitoredbyclient
Informationalmaterialsforcitiesmoni-toredbySouthBayCitiesCouncilofGov-ernments
50000000mediaadvertisingin-person impressionsmonitoredbybroadcast printonlinestatisticsandreportsfrom grassrootsmarketingefforts
Consolidatedinformationinone-stop-shop approachwillbedeliveredthroughthe website
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 37
description of marketing communication tools
PlacedEarned Social Media ThePlancallsforsocialmediatopushinfor-mationtoourtargetaudiencesincreaseper-ceptionsoftheProgramascommunity-based reachthosewhowillhelpgenerateadditional buzzindependentmarketingeffortsaboutthe Programandprovideamechanismforlisten-ingtowhatpeoplearesayingaboutEnergy Upgrademdashandrespondingwhennecessary
Online Paid Advertising Onlineadvertisingcampaignscanbeverycost-effectiveandhighlytargetedbydemographics areasofinterestandgeographicsAdsappear ontopic-relatedblogsonsearchenginepages (egGoogle)andoncontentpages(egwhen yousearchforinformationaboutarelated topicandselectawebsitetoview)
Types of Users Targetadsbyage genderincomelanguagepreferencezip codeorhotspots
Types of SearchesTargetadsbytypeof searchconductedbasedonkeywords
Adsareusuallysoldperldquoclickrdquomdashtheviewer hasclickedontheadandbeensenttothe EnergyUpgradeCAwebsiteWewillmake fourtypesofonlineadpurchases
1 Googleadsthatplaceadsbothonits searchpagesandonhundredsofwebsites targetedbytheabove
2 Networksthattargetspecificsitesand blogsthatmatchourtargetaudiences(eg HiveBlogsLosAngelesthatoffers350LA blogstochoosefrom)
3 Directlythroughselectpublishers(eg CurbedLAGreenGirlLAlocalpapers online)
4 Onlineeditionsoflocalpapersinpilot marketingareas
Twitter Twitterusersaremostlycollegegraduates haveattendedgraduateschoolandlivein householdsmakingover$50000ayear (nationally)Usersarethreetimesmorelikely tofollowbrandsandcompaniesonTwitter thanotherusersofsocialnetworkswith40 specificallyusingTwittertolearnaboutand provideopinionsonbrands
Twittercanpushthelatestdevelopmentsand newstopeoplewhohaveexpressedaninter-estedintheProgram(theymustsignupto receiveourTweetsorhavesearchedfortag wordsincludedinourTweets)Itrsquosalsoan easywayforthosewhofollowEnergyUpgrade onTwittertoshareTweetswiththeirfriends
38 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
therebygeneratingbuzzandhelpingmarket theProgramTwittercanshareProgram newsinrealtimedrivepeopletothewebsite facilitateearlyadoptersbuzzmakersreach youngerhomeownersandincreasemarketing effortsatalowcostTwittercanbeeffectively usedtocommunicatetheProgramandits milestonesinavarietyofways
bull Tweetaboutpressreleasesmajoran-nouncementsnewitemsonwebsiteor blogsmediastoriesandarticlesespecially aboutthosethataretimesensitiveandtell ouraudiencewhatishappeningwiththe Programandencouragesthemtopartici-pateorfindoutmore
bull PutaTweeticononthemainwebsiteal-lowingvisitorstothewebsitetobeginto followEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLos AngelesCountyonTwitterwithoneclick
bull FollowotherswhoTweetaboutthe ProgramaswellasthosewhoTweetabout relatedtopicsThiswillprovideanop-portunitytodirectlyrespondtoaperson whohasaquestionabouttheProgramand pointthemtoalinktothewebsite
Tweet Examples
bull ldquo100LAhomeownershavesigned upfortheProgramatwwwEnergyUpgra-deCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoReadaboutLArsquosnewenergyefficiency rebateProgramintheLAtimes httpwwwlatimesgreenblogcomrdquo
bull ldquoWanttosaveonyourutilitybills CheckoutwwwEnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoSignupfortheHomeEnergyUpgrade contestforachancetowinafree homeenergyefficiencyretrofitat EnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
Cost and Budget
SettingupaTwitteraccountisfreeasisusing anapplicationsuchasTweetDeckthathelps followotherswhoareTweetingaboutEnergy UpgradeCaliforniaTheonlysignificantcostis stafftimewhichcanbelimitedtoafewhours aweek
Facebook Facebookisalow-costandeasywayofboth marketingtheProgramandsupportingan onlinecommunityofpeopleinterestedinthe ProgramItwillreachaudienceswhoaremore likelytospendtimeonFacebookversusaweb-siteandwhomayprefertoreceiveshortreal timeProgramnewsviaFacebookratherthan emailsorwebsitesItisidealforpostinglinks tovideosandphotosrelatedtotheprojectIt complementsthewebsiteaplacewherefans oftheProgramcanfindinformationaskques-tionsandshareideasandexcitementThese fanswillgeneratebuzzbytellingtheirfriends abouttheProgramthroughFacebook
AFacebookpagewillcontaininformation abouttheProgramalinktothewebsite Programnewsvideosphotographsandother informationWhenthepageisupdatedfans willreceivelinksinemailalertingthemtothe newposts
Facebookisalsoidealforsharingthestoryof anearlyadopter(whowillalsoTweet)through updatesphotographsandvideosItlends itselfmuchmorenaturallytothispeople-fo-cusedapproachthanawebsitewhichismore formal
Additionalpoints
bull EncourageandperhapsrewardProgram adopterstosharetheirexperiencesask questionsetc
bull Setupcontrolstodeterminewhatcontent Fanscanposttothewall
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 39
bull Monitorupdatestothewallandtakedown Therearemanyexistingblogsthatcanbeused inappropriatecontent
bull Respondtoissuesquestionsandtakepart intheconversation
bull Adesignatedstaffpersonshouldmonitor thesiteitisalsoidealifseveralstaff memberspostcontentandifpartnersare activeparticipantsalthoughtheoverall strategyshouldbecentralized
Facebook Examples
Herearesomeexamplesofthetypesofpost-ingsforaFacebookpage
bull ldquoTheLATimesdescribesEnergyUpgrade CAasaperfectopportunitytobegreenand savemoneymdashintheFridaymoneysectionrdquo
bull ldquoWhydidyoudecidetoparticipatein EnergyUpgradeCATellushowyour energyefficiencyretrofitisgoingandwersquoll enteryouforachancetowina$50Home Depotgiftcardrdquo
bull ldquoWonderingwhetherEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaisrightforyouCheckoutthis videooftheSmithsinstallingnewinsula-tionandwindows--andreceivinga$3500 rebaterdquo
Cost and Budget
Relativelyfewdirectcostsstafftimewill fluctuateduringbusycalmperiodswithhigh activityatthebeginningastheProgramkicks offandafanbaseisestablishedOngoingstaff timeneededtokeeppagefreshwith3-4posts weekdailymaintenancerequiredtomonitor postingsfromfans
Blogs Blogsreachtargetaudienceswhoarealready interestedinrelatedtopicsandwhohavehigh potentialtoparticipateintheProgram
tofurthermarketingefforts
bull Identifybloggerswhowilllikelywrite positivelyabouttheProgramSendpress releasefactsheetsandPrograminforma-tiontobloggerswhowriteabouttopics suchastheenvironmentenergyefficiency homeimprovementremodelingreal estatehousingbargainssavingmoneyas wellastocompaniesthatsellsolarpanels contractorsetc
bull Bloggersarelookingfortopicalstoriesto writeaboutandwewillmaketheirnext blogposteasyBecauseEnergyUpgradeis ahighrewardoptionalProgrambloggers willwritefavorablyandhelptellthestory inafriendlyaccessibleandeasy-to-under-standway(althoughwedonrsquothavecontrol overwhattheywrite)Peoplewhoaredis-satisfiedwillwritenegativecommentsbut wewillmonitorblogsandactivelycorrect misperceptions
bull Tomonitorwhatothersarewritingabout EnergyUpgradeontheirblogswewilluse freeprogramslikeTechnoratiorGoogle Readertoscanallblogsandwebsitesthat mentiontheProgram
Blogs to Reach
Green Girl LA Blog (httpgreenlagirlcom)Thisindependent blogisfocusedonenvironmentalhap-peningsinLosAngelesArecentpostwas aboutagreennetworkingeventfeaturing TheBuildingDoctorspresentingwaysto makeyourhousemoreenergyefficient PreviouslyareporterbloggerfortheLA Timesthewriterisactiveandcoversa widevarietyofenvironmentalgreentopics happeninginLosAngeles
40 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
LA Times HomeBlog (wwwlatimesblogslatimescomhome_
blog)focusesontopicsrelatedtohouses andhashadseveralrecentpostsabout greenremodelingOneadvantageofa majornewspaperisthatthereportingis accurateandthereadershipislargerThey recentlywroteaboutauditionsforThisOld HousewhichisfeaturingaLosAngeles areahouseforasummerremodel
Bargain Babe (wwwbargainbabelatownluxecom) featuresLosAngelesbargainsYoucan searchforbargainsbyareaofLA(West-sideetc)orbytopicThisbloggerrecently wroteaboutappliancerebates
LA Times Green Remodeling (wwwlatimesblogslatimescompar-donourdustgreen_remodeling)writes aboutalltopicsrelatedtoremodelingin SouthernCaliforniawithseveralrecent postsongreentopicsArecentpostre-viewedthedifferentadvantagesofinstall-ingvarioustanklesswaterheatersPitch thatthebloggerfollowahomeenergy retrofitandhelptelltheirstoryaswellas announcebasicPrograminformation
LA Times Personal Finance wwwlatimescombusinesspersonal-finance
Home Remodeling wwwkathysremodelingblogcom
Energy Efficiency wwwlowimpactlivingcomblog
LA CreekFreak
LA Observed
LAist
YouTube PostallvideosrelatedtotheprojectonYou-TubeWewillworkwithourmediapartners todevelopacontestforearlyadopterstofilm theirexperienceandletwebsitevisitorsvote onthebestWinnerreceivesaprizetobe determined
ListServes Listservesreachgroupsofpeoplewhoare interestedinasimilartopicorwholiveina specificneighborhoodSendemailblaststo listservessuchasneighborhoodassociations homeremodelersandenvironmentalgroups withanenergyfocusCitystaffhasinforma-tionaddressesofneighborhoodandhom-eownerassociationslists
Multimedia for Presentations Website Developanengaginginformative6-8minute videofocusingoncontractorsandhomeown-ersthatcanbeusedduringpresentationsand presentedonCityTVThevideowillbeshot bothinEnglishandinSpanishandcover
bull Howtherebatesworktocreateasenseof urgencyaboutdoingtheenergyupgrades soonerratherputtingitofftotakeadvan-tageoftherebates
bull Theldquosealthenenhancerdquowholehouse concept
bull WhattheProgramelementsactuallylook likeandhowtheyareinstalledtoover-comebarrierssuchasthatonemighthave tomoveoutofthehouseortheenergy upgradesareldquouglyrdquo
bull Workingwithacontractorwhatbeing licensedandcertifiedmeansgettingmul-tiplebids
bull Financingoptions
bull Doingthepaperwork
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 41
Fromthatvideodevelop
bull Threeindividual2-minutevideosforuse onlineeachfocusingonaspecifictopicmdash
againinbothEnglishandSpanish
bull A15anda30spoteachinEnglishand SpanishforuseonCityTVandbroadcast
stations
Print Collateral Customizable fact sheetsInforma-tionsheets(onepagefrontandback)in EnglishSpanishandChinesethatcanalso bepostedonthewebsiteasPDFs
Program brochureMorehighlyde-signedforplacementinmunicipaloffices andevents
Customizable Brochure Brandedwith SunsetMagazineorNationalGeographic forcontractorsandrealtorstohandto customers
SignageBannersforeventsandstreet lamppostspostersformunicipaloffices andsmalleventsandpotentiallysignage forbussidestransitshelters
Speakers kits Countyandcitystaffwillreceivekitstoensure everyoneisfamiliarwithkeymessagesandhas informationtogivetoconstituentsThesecan besentdirectlytocitiesordistributedthrough COGsKitswillcontain
bull Talkingpoints
bull DVDofthevideo
bull PPTpresentationforpublicmeetings
bull Printedbrochuresforpermitofficesto includewithwelcomepacketsfornewho-meowners
bull Articlesandphotostheycanrunintheir onlineorprintedcitynewsletters
bull CDwithtemplatesforquickprintingand websitebuttontolinkfromtheirwebsiteto EnergyUpgradeCalifornia
42 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
description of key messages
Thefollowingmessageshadthehighestreso-nanceinpollingandfocusgroupsbothinLos AngelesCountyandtheBayArea
Primary Motivators Thefollowingtwomessagesaboutsaving moneyarekeytomotivatingalltargetaudi-encesTheyshouldbepartofeverypieceof advertisingorcollateralproduced
1 RebatesHomeownerswhomakeenergy-savinghomeimprovementscanqualifyfor a$1500federaltaxcreditandrebatesof upto$3500dependingonhowmuchthey reduceenergyconsumptionAdditional motivatorTaxcreditsonlyavailable untilDecember312010(Rebatesare preferredovertaxcreditsbecauseitrsquoscash nowratherthanlateranddependingon incomenoteveryonecangetthecredit)
2 Save on Utility Bills Upgradingahome touselessenergyandwatercanreduce utilitybillsby20ormoremdashsavingyou moneyovertime
Secondary Motivators Thefollowingmessagesarethenlayeredde-pendingonwhichaudienceisbeingtargeted
Help the EnvironmentClimate Change Weallneedtodoourparttohelp theenvironmentandslowclimatechange Makingourhomesmoregreenandenergy efficientisanimportantstepweshouldall take
Reduce Foreign OilFossil FuelsAt atimewhenwearetryingtoreduceour dependenceonforeignoilandotherfossil fuelsupgradingtheenergyefficiencyof ourhomesisanimportantstepwecanall take(Infocusgroupstheconceptofenergy independencefurtherresonatedasinde-pendencefromutilitycompaniesgetting offthegrid)
Certified Contractors Save Money Speciallytrainedandcertifiedcontractors knowhowtofindimprovementsthatthe averagehomeownerwouldnotTheiras-sessmentswillensurethatyoufindmore energysavingsandthereforesavemore moneyonyourutilitybillsAdditional motivatorContractorsarecertifiedbythe BuildingPerformanceInstituteworking withtheDepartmentofEnergyandEnvi-ronmentalProtectionAgency
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 43
Increase Property ValuesHomesthat areenergy-efficientandenvironmentally friendlyaremoreappealingtohomebuyers Theseupgradescanincreaseyourproperty value
ComfortUpgradingyourhomersquosenergy efficiencymdashinparticularupgradinginsula-tionmdashcanmakeitamorecomfortableplace toliveNomoredraftycoldroomsinthe winterorhotstuffyroomsinthesummer
Indoor Air QualityInsulationand ventilationcanreduceallergyandasthma-causingmoldandmildewimproving indoorairqualityespeciallyforinfantsand thosewithhealthconditions
Messengers Homeownersprefertoreceiveinformation fromimpartialtrustedsourcesThesemes-sengersreceivedthehighestscoresinpolling
bull Neighborsandotherhomeowners
bull Contractorthehomeownerisalready workingwithorreferredbyfriendneigh-bor
bull Architectsdesignprofessionals
bull Gasandelectricutilities
bull Environmentalorganizations
bull Homeimprovementstorestaff(when equippedwithflyers)
44 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 45
- Cover
- Table of Contents13
- Summary Overview13
- Introduction13
- Programs Goals and Objectives13
- Marketing and Outreach Program Goals and Structure13
- Strategy13
- Evaluation13
- Description of Marketing Communication Tools13
- Description of Key Messages13
-
4 Coordination Between Local Government and Utilities Consumerswillbebestservedbyaunified brandandconsumermarketingcampaign consistentmessagingandastatewidewebsite portalwithonewebsiteaddressTheCounty ofLosAngelesSouthernCaliforniaEdison andSouthernCaliforniaGasCompanyhave beenworkingtogethertodevelopastrong coordinatedprogramInfacttheLosAngeles CountyProgramhasbecomeamodelforthe state
Coordinationwillalsoleverageresourcesand increasethemarketingeffectivenessoflocal governmentsandthelocalutilitiesAllma-terialswillbedevelopedcollaborativelyand costswillbesharedaccordingtothedivision ofresponsibilityThefollowingchartoutlines thekeydeliverablesandresponsibilities(next page)
16 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
marketingoutreach coordination
PROGRAM ELEMENT LEAd COMMENTS
COUNTy UTILITIES jOINT
market research X telephone surveys focus groups and market analysis
marketing communications plan X this document will direct all marketing
activities
program namelogo X
cec will own the brand and has final vote on statewide name tagline can be customized for la county
Website portal X
statewide portal linked to utility pages or sitesndashmain info and materials on this one site
advertising campaign principles development X
marketing templates X
Print and online available for cities to customize as needed
service territory media Buys (regional) X Mainstream and ethnic media buys
local media Buys (la county) X Both mainstream and ethnic media in
hotspots and la county
call center X one phone number managed by utilities county to help produce script
retail outlet materials X May include kiosks short videos
contractor marketing toolkit X tBD county will develop marketing materials
for contractors
direct mail (eg bill inserts other mailers) X
county assessor materials X
Materials included in water bills property tax bills
community-Based outreach X targeted grassroots marketing
(includes local events)
community events X X utilities attend countywide events county attends local events
public relations X X
utilities take lead for service territory county for local or supervisor-initiated PR
Home energy makeover contest X
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 17
strategy
TheProgramwilluseamulti-layeredmulti-facetedmarketingandoutreachstrategythat targetsaudiencesbyidentifyingwhotheyare wheretheyliveandtheeventsgoingonin theirlivesMarketingeffortsinclude
1 Countywide Marketing (and Media Relations)
2 Pilot Area Marketing
3 Trigger-Event Marketing
4 City Outreach
5 Contractor Marketing
6 Realtor Marketing
7 Retail Partner Marketing
8 Multi-Family Marketing
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing
1 Countywide Marketing
Thestrategyisentirelyresearch-drivenfocus-ingonthosepropertyownersmostlikelyto undertakeahomeenergyupgradeAnover-archinglayerofmainstreammarketingand advertisingwillbeaimedatthreeaudiences
1 Early AdoptersThosewhoarestrong environmentalistsalreadypoisedtoldquodo therightthingrdquofortheenvironmentand whojustneedtohearaboutaprogramand rebates
2 ldquoRetrofit-ReadyrdquoThosewhoarealready planninghomeimprovementsandjust needalittlemoreinformationaboutwhat stepstotaketosavemoneyandldquodothe rightthingrdquofortheenvironment
3 ldquoRetrofit-Persuadablerdquo Thosewho arethinkingabouttheirutilitybills homecomforttheenvironmentorour dependenceonfossilfuelsforeignoil (especiallyinlightoftherecentGulfoil spill)andwhoneedinformationabout whattypesofimprovementstheycould makeandwhatstepstotaketosave energysavemoneyandreducefossilfuel consumption
Outreachwillbeaimedattargetaudiences throughbothmainstreamandmulticultural mediaTheadvertisingwillalsospillover ontoaudiencesinspecificgeographicareas providingadditionalimpressionstothose whoarealsotargetedinthePilotMarketing AreasThiswillalsoaddtothecitiesrsquoefforts topromotetheProgramastheirresidents willalsoseethecountywidemarketingefforts
18 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Marketingwillfocusoneachtargetaudience providingimpressionsclosetotheirhomeand reachingouttomoremassaudiencesCounty-widemarketingandoutreachwillinclude tacticsinthetablebelow
The One-Stop Shop Allinformationwillbeconsolidatedina one-stopshopapproacheitherinaldquobrick andmortarrdquolocationthroughthewebsiteor callcenteroratcommunityeventsProperty ownerswillhaveeasyaccesstoinformation
abouteligibleenergyefficiencymeasures andretrofitoptionseligibilityforCounty-administeredfinancialvehiclesandincentives eligibilityforutility-sponsoredrebatesand incentivesfederalrebateandtaxcreditinfor-mationandaccesstolistsofqualifiedenergy retrofitcontractors
Propertyownerswhoarenoteligiblefororin-terestedinEnergyUpgradeCaliforniawould alsobeabletofindoutaboutopportunities forweatherizationprogramslow-incomerate
countywide marketingoutreach tactics
Cable TV
County Events
Mass Media
Out of Home
Radio
Retail Partners
City Information
City TV
Local Media
Transit Shelters
Theaters
Billboards
Community of Interest
Newsletters
Contractor Marketing
Direct Mail to Hot Spots
Online Ads
Site Signage
Social Media
Community Newsletters
Local Events
Target Audience
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 19
subsidiesgreenjobstrainingandotherinitia- Parcel-Based Market Analysistivesavailabletoqualifiedhouseholds
Identifying Locations of Target Audiences Thegeographiclocationoftargetaudiences willbeidentifiedthroughtwomarketanalysis efforts
Pilot Marketing Areas TheCountywillintensifymarketingefforts inspecificpilotmarketingareaswherehigh percentagesoftheEarlyAdopterandRetrofit ReadyaudiencesliveThesepilotmarketareas willbeidentifiedthroughdemographicanaly-sisbaseduponextensivemarketresearchas wellasadetailedanalysisofkeycommunity resourcessuchasstrongcommunitynetworks andcommunity-basedorganizationsinfluen-tiallocalmedialdquocommunityfeelrdquoetc(For moreinformationonthepilotmarketareas approachandengagementstrategiesseepage 23)
Adetailedmarketanalysisisbeingconducted tosupportspecificpiecesoftheoutreachand communicationsstrategybyidentifyingthe locationofaudiencesthatarereceptivetospe-cificoutreachstrategiesThetableonthenext pagedemonstratesthemarketanalysisaudi-ences(scenarios)andmarketstrategiesthat arebeinganalyzedtoidentifythelocationof targetaudiencesThemarketanalysisisbeing conductedusingconsumermarketresearch combinedwithdemographicdataandprop-ertycharacteristicsdatafromtheCountyas-sessorThemainproductfortheanalysiswill beaseparateanalysisreport(expectedAugust 2010)Thisreportwillincludecountywide ldquoheatmapsrdquothatidentifytheareasthathave ahighproportionoftargetpropertiesandare thereforeidealareasfortargetedmarketing ThesemapscanbeusedforEnergyUpgrade Californiaorcontractormarketingstrategies
countywide market capture cascade
Early Adopters
Retrofit ready
Retrofit persuadable
The Next Phase No way
MESSAGES
bull environment bull Fossil Fuels bull Rebates
available
AddITIONAL MESSAGES
bull save money on utility bills
bull Rebates
bull long-term attitudinal change
available AddITIONAL MESSAGES
bull Property values bull comfort bull Health bull ReBates available
20 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
market analysis scenarios
Link between Pilot Market Areas and Parcel-Based Market Analysis
Theaudiencesbeingexaminedinthepilot marketingareasoverlapwithbutarenotthe sameasthoseinthemarketanalysisThe marketanalysisthereforesupportsthepilot marketareaidentificationintwoways
1 Itaddspropertycharacteristicsgleaned fromconsumerresearchtothepilotmarket areaanalysisInthiswayScenarios1and 2(RetrofitReadyandRetrofitPersuadable) providefurtherdetailtothepilotmarket areasandallowforgeneralmarketingto
MARkET ANALySIS SCENARIO
AUdIENCE IdENTIFIEd
dATA ANALyzEd RELATEd MARkETING STRATEGy
1-early adopters retrofit ready
environmentalists ready to take action now with information about rebates
Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Pilot Marketing areas
2-retrofit persuadable
those who need information about types of improvements with emphasis on rebates and cost savings
Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Pilot Marketing areas
3a-Built environment Heating and cooling
Middle-aged to newer homes located inland that are larger and often have high ac heating bills
Property characteristics location of Home
trigger event Marketing utility Bills Pilot area Marketing
3b-Built environment-Heating
smaller older coastal homes that may have comfort issues in winter
Property characteristics location of Home
trigger event Marketing comfort Pilot Marketing areas
4-multi-family Multi-family homeowners Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Multi-family Marketing Pilot Marketing areas
5-Whole neighborhood
tracts of similarly-aged and built homes
Property characteristics location of Home
Whole neighborhood Marketing Pilot Marketing areas
bedirectedtospecificproperties(when appropriate)
2 Italsoidentifiesotherkeyaudiences (Scenarios3a3b4and5)thatcorrelate toothermarketingstrategiesasshown intableaboveTheresultsofthese scenarioswillbeoverlaidontopofthepilot marketareastoidentifyspecificparcels thatmayrespondtospecificmarketing strategiesForexamplewhenoverlaying thepropertiesidentifiedinScenario5 (Whole-NeighborhoodScenario)with thepilotmarketingareastheCounty canidentifypropertieswithinthepilot
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 21
marketingareathatwouldrespondtoa whole-neighborhoodmarketingapproach (bulkpurchasingmodelhomesasingle contractoretc)
Home Energy Makeover Contest HomeEnergyMakeoverContestsgenerate atremendousamountofpublicityandhave beensuccessfullyconductedinmanyother statesandcitiesTheyattractthousandsof entrantsTheconceptistobothgarnerfree publicityandmodelthebehaviortheProgram istryingtoencouragebyshowingtheldquowhole houseapproachrdquohoweasyupgradescanbe howmuchtherebatescanreducetheproject costandhowmuchdifferencetheymaketoa home
Thecontestwillalsodemonstratethemarket acceptanceforthehomeperformanceap-proachtotraditionalsingle-measurecontrac-torsThosecontractorswillseehowmany peopleenterthecontesttowinahomeperfor-mancemakeoverbasedonthewholehouseap-proachAllthosewhoenteredareleadswho maybeinterestedinawholehouseapproach ratherthansinglemeasures
Entrantsmustbeover18liveinLosAnge-lesCountyandownthehomeinwhichthey residethecontestcanbelimitedtothose whoreceiveservicefromSouthernCalifornia EdisonandorSouthernCaliforniaGas(in otherwordsitcanincludeorexcluderesi-dentsservedbymunicipalutilities)Entrants submitinformationabouttheirhomeand theirenergyconsumptionandgivepermis-sionfortheProgramjudgestoviewtheir energyconsumptionduringthepreviousyear Finalistsarebasedonthehighestenergycon-sumptionpersquarefootofamedian-sized homeAbout20finalistsreceivefreeenergy auditsfortheirhomesBasedontheaudit (andadditionalcriteriawewilldetermine)five winninghomesreceiveupto$15000inhome
energyimprovements(whichcanbesupple-mentedbyrebatesandadditionalfunding fromthepropertyowner)Thewinneragrees tomediacoverageanopenhouseandtoblog andorTweetduringandaftertheretrofit Wewillworkwithcontractorstogetsponsor-shipsaswellasdonatedauditsandupgrade elements
OnecontestwillbeheldinFall2010(withfive winners)andasecondcontestheldduring Springof2011(withfivewinners)
Aseparatecontestcouldbeheldformulti-familybuildingswithahigherwinning amount
Countywide Incentives TheProgramwillestablishalistofnon-profit organizationsthatareactiveinpromoting greenhomessustainabilityandotherenvi-ronmentalorcommunityprojectsEveryone intheCountywhocompletesanenergyaudit maydesignateanon-profitorganizationto receiveadonationfromtheProgramInfor-mationabouttheeligibleorganizationswill beonthewebsiteThiswillencouragethose non-profitstopromotetheProgramtotheir membersltNotethisconceptisstillbeing developedgt
Direct Mail Utilitieswillplacemessagesonouterbillen-velopessenttocustomersTheywillalsosend directmailaboutEnergyUpgradetoldquotarget areasrdquobasedonacombinationofenergy usageageofhomeandhouseholdincome DirectmailisscheduledforOctober2010
County Events Utilitieswillbeattendinglargeeventssuch astheSeptember2010and2011LACounty Fairswithawholehousethemethatincludes aminimodelhousethatvisitorscanldquotourrdquo Additionalproposedeventsinclude
22 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
bull LeagueofCitiesAnnualConference workshop(September2010)
bull PomonaHomeImprovementShow (October2010)
bull RemodelingShowattheLACountyFair (October2010)
bull CaliforniaAssociationofRealtors (October2010)
bull BuildingIndustryShow(November2010)
bull SouthernCaliforniaHomeImprovement Show(November2010)
bull NeighborWorksAmerica(February2011)
Online and Social Media TheProgramwillusesocialmediatoinex-pensivelyreachtargetaudiencesbeginningat launchandcontinuingthroughoutthePro-gramwithbriefpausesforrefiningThiswill beaccomplishedthroughoptimizingsearch wordsforsearchenginessuchasGoogleand Bingreachingappropriateindependentblogs aYouTubevideocontest(runbyamediapart-ner)andencouragingblogpostsandTweets byearlyadoptersandtheProgramitself(see DescriptionsofMarketingCommunications ToolsandDescriptionsofTargetAudiencesfor moredetails)Inadditionutilitieswilldevote spaceforinformationandalinkontheirland-ingpages
Countywide Media Buys Withalatesummerfalllaunchdatemedia buysneedtobespreadtoavoidtheelection monthofOctober2010EnergyUpgradeCali-forniainLosAngelescansponsoraweather broadcastmdashliveonlineandmobilemdashaswell as15and30spotsduringotherbroadcasts Wewillalsopurchaseliveandonlinespots withUnivisiontheSpanish-languagestation Radiobuyswillinclude15NationalPublic Radio(KPCCandKCRW)sponsorshipsand variousdrive-timespotsonEnglishandin-
languageAMandFMstationsSocialmedia buysincludeGoogleWordsandblogads(see DescriptionsofMarketingCommunications Tools)Printmediabuyswillbeinmulticul-turalpapers
(Afullmediabuyplanandschedulewillbe availableinAugust)
Countywide Media Relations TheProgramwillcoordinateCountyandutil-ityeffortsandwiththeCaliforniaEnergyCom-missionCaliforniaPublicUtilitiesCommis-sioneffortsMediarelationswillbeinthree phasespre-launchlaunchandmilestones
Pre-Launch (August ndash September)
bull DevelopandprovideaSpeakerrsquosKit withtalkingpoints
bull OrganizeCountymedialaunchevent (potentiallyenlistawillinghomeowner whosehousemightserveasalaunching padformediatours)
bull Respondtorequestsfromcities
bull Providepre-writtenarticlesforcity communitynewsletters
bull Issuepresskitsandpressrelease(in EnglishandSpanish)announcing launch
Launch (October)
bull Mediaeventtoannouncelaunchand HomeEnergyMakeoverContestpoten-tiallyon-siteatahousetodemonstrate upgrades
bull SendoutradioPSAs
Milestones (through 2013)
bull Mediaeventtoannouncewinnersofthe HomeEnergyMakeovercontest(could beconductedon-sitesurprisingthe winners)
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 23
bull ldquoRe-launchrdquopressreleaseandmedia eventinMarch2011forasecondHome EnergyMakeoverContestwithastrong ldquogetreadyforsummerrdquotheme
bull Pressreleasewhen10000thperson receivesarebate
bull Pressreleasewhenotherappropriate milestonesarereachedorthefunding forincentivesisclosetobeingdepleted
2 Pilot Marketing Areas
Itwillbecriticalforthelong-termsuccessof marketingeffortstohaveasignificantnumber ofearlysuccessesthatgeneratepositivepub-licityandword-of-mouthencouragingothers toalsoparticipateTheCountyintendsto stimulatethemarketfortheseearlyadopters byintensifyingmarketingeffortsinspecific pilotmarketingareas(withzipcodebound-aries)wherebasedonextensiveconsumer
countywide marketingoutreach tactics
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
television
ad buys on Broadcast tV univision google tV Paid county
ldquothis old Houserdquo segment on whole house per-formance and rebates while renovating house (filming in la this summer)
earned county
coverage on mainstream and multicultural sta-tions
earned utilities county
ldquoinfomercialrdquo and promos on city tV Placed county
radio
nPR sponsorship Paid county
commute time spots Paid county
coverage on california Report earned utilities county
Psas on mainstream stations Placed utilities county
spots on multicultural stations Paid county
coverage in mainstream and multicultural papers
earned utilities county
sunset Magazine green Home section earned county
ads in la times and Daily news real estate sections
Paid utilities county
ads in multicultural papers Paid county
Direct Mail to targets Paid utilities
24 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
countywide marketingoutreach tactics (conrsquot)
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
social media
Blogs (about homes environment bargains) earned county
Facebook page Placed county
ads targeted to interest in environment and or home improvements (this old House etc)
Paid county
google adWords targeted to interest in environment andor home improvements
Paid county
twitter both by the Program and by individual early adopters (with incentives)
Placed county
youtube early adopters make a video about their experience and results (with incentives)
Placed county
out of Home
Retail kiosks banners flyers links on retail websites
Placed utilities
community organizations
environmental groups and others newsletters websites email blasts
earned county
Home improvement shows booths Paid county
countywide events Paid utilities
Bloggersubject matter events Paid county
researchhighpercentagesoftargetaudiences livePilotmarketingprogramsinthoseareas willtesttheextentcommunity-basedmarket-ingpositivelyimpactsparticipationratesan effortrelatedtoRetrofitRampUpproposal requirements
Demographicdataprovidedbythemarketre-searchwillbeoverlaidwithenergyusagedata AdditionallyGIS-basedmarketanalysisatthe parcellevel(describedabove)willallowfor pinpointingofspecificneighborhoodswithin thepilotareasforoutreachthatcaninclude
door-to-doordirectmailandmarketingby contractorsaspartofaldquowholeneighbor-hoodrdquoapproachFocusingonpilotareaswill alsomeettheRetrofitRampUprequirements oftheDepartmentofEnergyFollowingisa summaryofplannedmarketingandoutreach efforts
Marketresearch-basedcriteriaforchoosing about15pilotareaswillinclude
Clusters of houses built before 1978 Thoselivinginolderhomesespecially
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 25
builtbeforeCaliforniarsquosEnergyEfficiency Standardsaremorelikelytobelievethat theirhousemightbeenergyinefficient andcouldbenefitfromenergyefficiency improvementsmdashandberesponsivetoan energyupgrade
High percentage of homeownership Thesemarketingeffortsfocusonsingle-familyresidentialhomeownerssoareas withhighrentalrateswillnotprovidea largeenoughnumberofeligibleunits
Income over $60000Thosewith incomesunder$60000didnotbelieve theywouldhavesufficientincometomake improvementsevenwithrebatesThey werenotinterestedinloans(manywith lowincomesalsofindthemselvesldquounder-waterrdquoontheirloansandthusnoteligible forsomefinancing)Inadditionwefound somepush-backinfocusgroupsabout ldquogovernmentofferingloanstopeoplewho canrsquotaffordthemafterthesub-primeloan debaclerdquo
Population with a high percentage of college-educatedThosewithacollege degreearemuchmorelikelytoindicate apreferencetomakeenergyefficiency upgradesThosewhohadcompletedsome collegeeducationarealsomorelikelyto indicateapreferenceforenergyefficiency upgradesthanthosewhohadnotcom-pletedany
Population with a high percentage of those age 35-54Thosewithchildren andorexpandingfamiliesaremorelikely tomakeimprovementsthanthoseunder 30(thereareveryfewhomeownersunder 30)andthoseover54
High percentage of households with 4+ peopleHouseholdswithmorepeople havehigherenergybillsResearchshows thatthoseinhomeswithmorethan4
peoplebelieveenergyupgradescanmakea bigimpactontheirbills
High energy usage Thehigherenergy usage(andbills)themorelikelypeopleare tobelievethatenergyefficiencyimprove-mentswillmakeadifferenceintheirbills
Afterlayeringthisinformationtocomeup withalistofpotentialareaswefurthercon-sidered
Clusters of 8000-20000 homesThe areashouldbelargeenoughtoprovidesub-stantialnumbersofeligibleunitsbutsmall enoughtoenablereachingmajorityofresi-dentsandgeneratingword-of-mouth
Has a diverse multicultural commu-nityAreasshouldhavestrongcommunity identitiesandsenseofplacesocommunity membersareproudofwheretheyliveand areencouragedtoimprovetheircommu-nity
Has strong neighborhood and com-munity organizationsWeneedto engagetheseorganizationsaspartnersto helpspreadtheword
Has existing communications such as newsletters blogsWeneedtoreach membersthroughexistingcrediblesources thatresidentsalreadyuseandtrust
ldquoSpill overrdquo opportunities to nearby neighborhoodsSincemarketingand mediaeffortswillpotentiallyalsobeseen byneighborsareasshouldbenearother areasthatmayalsomeettheprimary criteria
Climatetime of yearIndetermining whentorolloutthepilotswecantarget interiorareasinspringandcoastalareasin coldweather
26 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Basedonthemarketresearchcriteriafive pilotmarketingareasarescheduledforintense marketingatlaunchwithanadditional10 areasscheduledforintensemarketingin Spring2011
Thepilotmarketstrategyissupportedby theparcel-basedmarketanalysiswhichwill identifywhichneighborhoodspropertieswill bethebesttotargetusingthisapproachThe marketanalysiswillallowlimitedmarketing fundingtobeleveragedbyfocusingonthose thataremostlikelytorespondtothemarket-ingefforts
Wewillcreatemessagesandvisualsspecifical-lytailoredtoeachtargetcommunityrsquoscultural andlinguisticpreferencesImagessymbols andiconstypographycolorandoverall designcarrydifferentmeaningsindifferent culturesAmessageistypicallymosteffective ifitiscreatedwithcarefulattentiontothese idiosyncrasiesandwithintheldquoculturalmind-setrdquooftherecipientsCreatingheadlinesand taglinesdirectlyinthetargetlanguagerather thansimplytranslatingEnglishadvertising copyensuresthatcopyhasthecorrectrhythm andrhymeandisthereforemuchmore attention-grabbingandmemorable
Community Incentives Energy Champion Program Severalconceptsareunderconsiderationto developacommunityincentivestrategyto promoteparticipationinlinewiththeRetrofit RampUpproposalforinnovativeincentiveap-proachesIncentivesmaybedirectedatenergy auditscommunity-basedorganizationsthose willingtoprovidetestimonialsorblogtweet andpublicrecognitionefforts
Grassroots Community Organizing-Trainedorganizerswillpresentinformationat themeetingsof12-15influentialcommunity leadersandcommunity-basedorganizationsin
eachpilotareacapturetheircontactdataand helpspreadtheinformationtotheirmembers throughtheirnewsletterseventsandwebsites TheProgramwillprovidepre-writtencus-tomizablearticlespresentationsorvideoand websiteldquobuttonsrdquotolinktotheProgramsite Eachgroupwillbeofferedanincentiveofado-nationtotheirorganizationforeverymember whocompletesahomeenergyupgradeThis willencourageCBOvolunteerstoincrease theirmarketingeffortsFriendlyrivalrieswill beencouragedCommunitygroupswillreport namesofparticipantscheckedforjobcomple-tionbytheProgram(underdevelopment)
Community Events One-on-onefacetimewithhomeownersis anidealwaytoengagepotentialparticipants Well-trainedorganizerswillattendfiveevents ineachtargetareaprovidinghomeowners withinformation(pocketsizemultilingual handouts)andcapturingtheircontactinfor-mationforfollowupTheycanhavehome-ownerssignuponthewebsiteonsiteifappro-priateandperhapsevenhavethemprovideus withavideocommitmentldquoItookthePledgerdquo withpermissiontopostonthewebsiteAsa luretotheboothhomeownerswillbeoffered freeitemssuchaslightbulbsmagnetsand reusablecupswithcoldwater(imprintedwith thewebsite)manufacturedintheUS
Print Radio Outdoor and Out-of Home Advertising Localmediawillcoverthelaunchofthe Programandwewillstrategicallyplaceads inlocalmediaandcommunitynewsletters Outdooradvertising(smallstreet-levelbiode-gradableeco-postersbussheltersbussides) strategicallyplacedinhigh-trafficareaswillre-inforcethemessageoveraone-monthperiod
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 27
Pilot Area Example Altadena Altadenawasidentifiedasacommunitythat fitsourtargetcriteriaItisadiverseunincor-poratedcommunitywithsixneighborhoods andanapproximatepopulationof40000The averagehouseholdincomeisabout$94000 Morethan50ofadultresidentsaremarried withchildrenandcommuteanaverageof62 milesperdaytowhite-collarjobsFully40of theadultsinthiscommunityhaveabachelors
degreeorhigherandareinvolvedinmany communityeventsandorganizationsThere areapproximately12000homesinthiscom-munityand10000ofthosehomesareowner-occupiedThegraphicshowshowoutreach wouldbeconcentratedinthisarea
pilot area outreachmarketing tactics
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
radio
Psas on multicultural stations earned county
coverage in local papers earned county
ads in local and multicultural papers Paid county
outdoor
Bus shelters in area Paid county
on-street lampost signage Paid county
Billboards Paid county
social media
Blogs (relevant to the area) earned county
online ads targeted by location Paid county
listserves of neighborhood associations (through cities)
earned county
out of Home
Movie theater ads in area Paid county
lawn signs on homes in area (through contractors)
Paid county
community organizations
community meetings with incentives to organizations for participation
earnedPaid county
community events Paid county Door hangers Paid county
28 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Home Depot
Ace Hardware
Lowersquos
Master Builders
Great Indoors
Home Expo
altadena marketing target
Hoy La Opinioacuten
Pasadena Star News
Altadena Headlines Examiner
Boulevard Magazine
Arroyo Magazine
Pasadena Weekly
Altadena Connection
Sentinel
KLVE
KPCC Pasadena
KCBS
KROQ Pasadena
KAZN Pasadena
Church Bulletins
Summer Concert Series at Farnsworth Park
Fourth of July Fireworks at
Town amp Country Club
Black History Parade
World Music Festival in Pasadena
Haunted House at
Farnsworth Park
Art Break
Rose Parade
National Latino
Congreso
Altadena Neighborhood Association
Altadena Chamber of Commerce
Altadena Arts Council
Altadena Town Council
Faith-based Organizations
Altadena Town amp Country Club
Altadena League of
Women Voters
Altadena Historical Society
Altadena Community Improvement Center
Sheriff Support Group
Santa Coming to Farnsworth
Park
Altadena California
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 29
3 Trigger-Event Marketing
Thissuiteofstrategieswillbeaimedatcaptur-ingenergyefficiencyopportunitiesfrommul-tipletriggereventsParticipantswillmainly comethroughcontractorsrealtorsandretail partnerspropertyownerswillhavealsoseen countywideadvertising
trigger event marketing
4 City and COG Outreach
OutreachbyCitiesandCOGswillbecritical becauseoftheirexistingrelationshipswith localconstituenciesCitieswillbeprovided withamini-marketingplantalkingpoints videocustomizabletemplatesoffactsheets articlesfortheirnewslettersandadvertising
EvENT dESCRIPTION LEAd AGENT COLLATERAL TACTIC
1 Replace on burnout (heating air conditioners water heaters)
Homeowners either in process of replacing an item or have already done some efficiency projects
county bull Retail partners
bull HVac installers
bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors installers
bull Retail displays
2 life-stage changes (growing family)
Homeowners working with a contractor
county bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors bull ads in media for home remodels
3 Home remodel Homeowners working with an architect contractor
county bull contractors bull architects
bull Materials for contractors
bull ads in media for home remodels
3 improvements at time of purchase
Homeowners interested are preparing a new home for move-in (research shows more interest at purchase than at sale)
shared bull contractors bull Realtors bull Home
inspectors bull city permit
offices bull city welcome
kits bull Retail
bull Brochures for cities
bull ads in weekend homes for sale sections
bull Presentations to realtor groups
bull Retail displays
4 improvements at sale
House owners preparing for sale
county bull contractors bull Realtors
bull Materials for contractors
5 complaints high utility bills cold hot house
Homeowners aware of energy-saving improvements but not whole house approach
county bull contractors bull HeRs raters
bull Materials for contractors
30 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
city amp cog outreach
materialssotheycandeveloplow-costout-reachtotheirresidentsCitieswithcommuni-tiestargetedinthePilotAreaMarketingplans willbeinformedandencouragedtodoout-reachtothoseareasAllCitieswillbeencour-agedtodothefollowing
Run stories in print and online news-letters
Send information to neighborhood associations homeowners associa-tions historic preservation districts and other appropriate community organizations
Provide information in City permit-ting offices and City Hall lobbies
Provide information at strategically located Environmental Information Centers and at COG office locations
Provide information in ldquonew home-ownersrdquo welcome kits (either directly from the city or through title compa-
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAId EARNEd
LEAd
pio coordination contact all participating citiesrsquo Pios na county
letters Key messages for letters from mayors etc to constituents Provide to Pios or city managers
na county
Website links Button for cities to place on their website to link to Program site
na county
city tV informational videos and spot promos Placed county
Welcome brochure
Brochure aimed at new homeowners before they move in
na county
articles Pre-written customizable newsletter articles earned county
email blasts Pre-written customizable info spots for communityneighborhood listserves
earned county
niesmortgage brokers)
Run videos and spots on City TV stations
5 Contractor Marketing
Localcontractorsarecriticaltothesuccess ofEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLosAngeles CountyTheyprovidetheservicesthatcom-prisetheProgramandtheycanhelpmarket theProgramtopropertyownersInfactwe estimatethatupto50ofProgrampartici-pantswillentertheProgramthrougharela-tionshipwithacontractor(theymayhavealso seenmediacoverageandadvertisingwhich spurredthemtotakeaction)Thisuniquerole requiresthattheProgramtakeatwo-tiered approachofengagingthecontractormdashmoti-vatinglocalbuildingprofessionalstoundergo thetrainingandcertificationprocessandalso providingthemwiththetoolstoeffectively promotetheprogramtoexistingandnew clientsThefollowingsectiondescribesspecific
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 31
contractor target
United Brotherhood Building Industry Carpenters (Training)
Association ofSouthern California
Email Blast
Contractors Magazines
Contractor
OnlineAds
Big Box Stores
ConractorsLicensing Schools
Realtor Associations
strategiesassociatedwithbothapproaches
Forthepurposesoftheprogramcontractors aredividedintoparticularsegmentsbasedon thetypeofserviceprovidedAninitialanalysis oftheindustryrevealedthefollowinglikely categories
HomePerformance(HP)Contractors
ProductionBuilders
HVACSystemSpecialtyTrades (windowsetc)
RemodelingContractors
SolarContractors
BuildingPerformance
Institute
Southwest Regional
City Permit Association
Offices of Carpenters
Lumber Yards
StateLicensing
Board
American Instituteof Architects
LA Chapter
Outreach to Contractors TheProgramwillcoordinatewithcontractor groupsandotherbuildingprofessionaltrade organizationstoschedulebriefpresentations abouttheProgramandthecontractortraining processForlargerorganizationsthePro-grammayworkdirectlywiththecompanyto arrangeon-sitepresentationsThesepresenta-tionsareinformalinnatureandwillbeusedto promotethecertificationorientationsrequired forcontractorparticipationintheprogram
KeyMessagestoContractors
$30millioninAmericanRecoveryand ReinvestmentActmoneyisworkinginLA Countytocreateconstructionindustryjobs
32 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
EnergyUpgradeCaliforniaOffersbig rebatesandfinancingoptionsfor homeownersdoinghomeenergy efficiencyretrofits
Therewillbemarketingandadvertis-ingstatewideandlocallytopromotethe Program
Therewillbemarketingmaterialsforyou tousetomarketyourbusiness
YoumustbelicensedandBuildingPerfor-manceInstitute-certifiedtobepartofthe Program
HomeownersmustworkwithBPI-certified contractorstheyrsquollchoosefromacontrac-tordatabaseonthewebsite
KeyOutreachMethods
BuildingIndustryAssociationofSouthern California
SouthwestRegionalCouncilofCarpenters
RealtorsAssociation
UnitedBrotherhood-Carpenters(Training Program)
Citypermittingoffice
Lumberyards
AmericanInstituteofArchitectsLA Chapter(toeducatethemaswell)
ArticlesinformationinContractortrade publications(magazinesnewslettersetc) magazines
CarpentersUnionLocals
ContractorsLicenseSchools(andonline)
BigBoxHomeImprovementstores(de-pendingonIOUrelationships)
wwwcslbcagov
Emailblasttoalllicensedcontractors
Contractor Outreach to Consumers Differentopportunitiesexistfordifferent contractorsdependingontheprobablework scopeThefollowingtableoutlinesafew potentialpathwaysforhowcontractorscan participateintheProgram
contractors outreach to customers
CONTRACTOR TyPE
TRIGGER EvENT vALUE TO CONTRACTOR
BUSINESS MOdEL
Home Performance upgrade lead generation scale for high volume
Production Builder new Business Development
create new division
HVac Replacement lead generation Value-add
expand services
specialty trade lead generation Partner with certified gc
Remodeler Remodel life-stage transition
Value-add sub work to HP contractor
solar Renewables lead generation Partner with certified gc
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 33
BPI-certifiedgeneralcontractorswillbelisted ontheEnergyUpgradeconsumerwebsite sendingmanyleadsdirectlytothemThey alsohaveaccesstotheldquoheatmapsrdquotousefor developingtheirownadvertisingcampaigns
Contractorswillbeattendingorientationses-sionstoensuretheythoroughlyunderstand theProgramrebatesfinancingoptionsand canhelpguidetheircustomersthroughthe processTheywillbeprovidedwithContractor MarketingKitstoensuretheyhaveathandthe keymessagesthathavebeenresonatingwith homeownersandhaveinformationtogive topotentialcustomerswhomightormight nothavebeentothewebsiteKitscanbesent directlytocontractorsordistributedatthe orientationsessionsKitswillcontain
Talkingpoints
DVDofthevideo
Printedfactsheetstoleavewithcustomers (withroomfortheircontactinfo)more canbeordered
Printedldquoslimjimrdquoprogrambrochure
Printedlengthierbrochuresaboutthe wholehouseapproach(brandedby Scientific American Magazine)
CDwithldquobuttonrdquotolinktoEnergyUpgrade fromtheirownwebsitesandPDFsofsite signageforprinting
Contractorswillhaveaccesstoaseparatesec-tionofthewebsitewheretheywillfindinfor-mationaboutProgrameventspromotionsand advertisinganon-demandprintsectionfor additionalcopiesofbrochuresanychanges totheProgramandasingletradecontractor databaseforassemblingteamsforcustomers whowouldlikesolarpanelsornewwindows forexample
6 Realtor Marketing
Giventhatthenationalaveragelengthofhome ownershipisroughlysixyearsrealestate agentswillbeincontactandadvisingalarge percentageofthenewandexistinghomeown-ersthatEnergyUpgradeistargetingforhome energyretrofitsThishighlevelofinfluence makesrealtorsoneofthelargestpartner groups
Realestateagentswillbeengagedonthree levels
1) Outreach
2) Training
3) Support
Outreach Outreachwillbeconductedthroughavariety ofvenuesthatwillincludeCaliforniaAssocia-tionofRealtorsreg(CAR)regionalconferences heldinSouthernCaliforniapartnershipwith themanyrealtorassociationslocatedinLos AngelesCountyanddirectvisitstorealestate agentsrsquoofficesforshortpresentationsPart-nershipswiththe15-20localRealtorsAsso-ciationswillbeachievedthroughoneormore RealtorAdvisoryBoardswhichincludethe GovernmentAffairsDirectorsfromeachof theseorganizationsAselectfewoftheseor-ganizationswillbeusedaspilotsfortargeted outreachduringearlystagesoftheProgram Oncethestrategyhasbeentestedandrevised itwillberolledouttoalloftheRealtorsAs-sociationsinLosAngelesCounty
ThefallCARRealtorExpowillbethemain kickoffeventforoutreachtoindividualreal-torsandrealtorofficesEnergyUpgradeplans tohavea30-minutetalkembeddedinthe SpeakersProgramandaboothsetuponthe ExpofloortoinformrealtorsaboutthePro-gramavailabletrainingsandthesupport
34 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
toolsthathavebeendevelopedThisevent willreachthemajorityofrealtorsintheLos Angelesareabutwillnotincludethelarge populationofrealestateagentsthatarenot membersofCARToreachthispopulation emailsocialmediaandtargetedofficevisits willbeconducted
Training EnergyUpgradewillprovidetrainingforreal estateagentsintwoformsTherealestate agenttrainingmodulecurrentlyunderdevel-opmentbyBuildItGreenwillbeusedasthe maintrainingforumThistrainingmodule isexpectedtotaketwofulldaystocomplete andwillcoverpropertyassessedcleanenergy financingenergyefficientmortgagesrebate programsbuildingscienceenergyefficiency andgreenbuildingpracticesappropriateto California
Additionalweb-basedtrainingwillbeprovided tointroducerealestateagentstotheProgram andtodrivethemtogetin-persontraining throughtheBuildItGreentrainingmodule
Support Cultivatingandclosingtoolswillbegener-atedtoassistrealtorsinusingEnergyUpgrade Californiatradetoexpandtheirbusinesswhile drivinghigherlevelsofprogramparticipation RealtorKitswillbesimilartotheContractor Kitsandtheywillhaveaccesstothedatabase ofgeneralandsingletradecontractors
7 Retail Partner Marketing
Utilitieswillpartnerwithretailoutletsthat canincludeBestBuyCostcoSearsLowes andHomeDepotParticipatingretailoutlets willbeprovided
Information centersEnd-displays detailingtheEnergyUpgradeProgram withadiagramillustratingthehouseas asystemconcept(multiplecomponents thatacttogethertomaximizesavings)and actionscustomerscantaketocapturethose savingsandrebatesIn-storecustomer educationcanshiftcustomerperception ofenergyupgradesandmotivatethem toparticipateinmultipleenergy-efficient measuresinsteadofjustoneAnadditional benefitfortheretailerisassociationwith thestatewideprogram
Program collateral One-sheet takeawaysforcustomerstoreference andshare
Video Theshortvideoscanbeplayed onaloop
Table tent cardsPlacedthroughout storesectionsthatcorrelatewiththe EnergyUpgradeProgram(CFLsappli-ancesceilingfansinsulationwindows) Againthiswillencouragecustomersto performmultipleenergyupgradesinstead ofjustoneCross-promotionhelpseducate customersandencourageparticipationin multiplemeasuresthusincreasingproduct purchase
Window clings ldquoOfficialEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaInformationCenterrdquotagline bannersplacedatstorefrontThiswillpo-sitiontheretailerasanactiveparticipantin thestatewideprogramandbuildsretailer credibilityasagreenadvocate
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 35
8 Multi-Family Outreach
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesandsched-ulesarestillinplanningphasesandbeing developedthroughastatewideconsortium
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesarebeing
developed
36 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
evaluation
Theprimarygoalsofthemarketingplanareto buildpositiveawarenessoftheEnergyUp-gradeCaliforniaProgramandcreateasus-tainedmarketforawholehouseapproach(see page8)Objectivesarespecifictothoseachiev-ingthosegoalsLosAngelesCountyresidents willseemultipleiterationsofmediacoverage paidadvertisingin-storedisplayscontractor marketingandin-personpresentations(inthe pilotmarketingareas)Forexamplearesi-dentinAltadenamightseethemoreintensive marketingandoutreacheffortsThatmayspur themtoactionmdashbutiftheyalreadyhadplans toremodelorhadpreviouslyworkedwitha contractortheymightcalltheircontractorand thusactuallycometotheprogramthrough thecontractorThereforeitwillnotbeeasy todeterminepreciselywhathasmotivated eachpersontoparticipateinEnergyUpgrade Objectivestomeetinclude
About35-45ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughthemarket-ingandoutreacheffortsTomonitorwe willincludeashortsurveyaspartofthe rebateapplicationprocessaskingpartici-pantswhatdrewthemtothewebsiteand totheProgramThewebsitecanmonitor clickthroughstocontractorssitesfrom theProgramwebsiteprovidinganindica-tionofpotentialparticpantswhocameto thesitebeforehavingacontractorOnce apropertyownerinputsanaddressthe websitewillbeabletospecificallymonitor ifthatparticipantasksformultiple estimatesfromcontractorsanotherindica-
toroffindingacontractorthroughthesite
About45-50ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughcontractors Wewillaskcontractorstoprovideinfor-mationabouttheirmarketingeffortsand successratesTheywillbeabletoidentify participantsgainedthroughtheirownmar-ketingefforts
300000uniquehitsonthewebsitewhich willbemonitoredbythewebsiteFurther thewebsitewillanalyzewherevisitors camefrom(egaclickthroughfroman onlineadfromacontractorrsquoswebsite orduringthespecifictimeframeofanad campaign)
Virtualandactualldquoword-of-mouthrdquore-portedbymonitoringsocialmedia
Communicationskitsandmarketingkits availablebothphysicallyandthroughan on-demandprintsitemonitoredbyclient
Informationalmaterialsforcitiesmoni-toredbySouthBayCitiesCouncilofGov-ernments
50000000mediaadvertisingin-person impressionsmonitoredbybroadcast printonlinestatisticsandreportsfrom grassrootsmarketingefforts
Consolidatedinformationinone-stop-shop approachwillbedeliveredthroughthe website
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 37
description of marketing communication tools
PlacedEarned Social Media ThePlancallsforsocialmediatopushinfor-mationtoourtargetaudiencesincreaseper-ceptionsoftheProgramascommunity-based reachthosewhowillhelpgenerateadditional buzzindependentmarketingeffortsaboutthe Programandprovideamechanismforlisten-ingtowhatpeoplearesayingaboutEnergy Upgrademdashandrespondingwhennecessary
Online Paid Advertising Onlineadvertisingcampaignscanbeverycost-effectiveandhighlytargetedbydemographics areasofinterestandgeographicsAdsappear ontopic-relatedblogsonsearchenginepages (egGoogle)andoncontentpages(egwhen yousearchforinformationaboutarelated topicandselectawebsitetoview)
Types of Users Targetadsbyage genderincomelanguagepreferencezip codeorhotspots
Types of SearchesTargetadsbytypeof searchconductedbasedonkeywords
Adsareusuallysoldperldquoclickrdquomdashtheviewer hasclickedontheadandbeensenttothe EnergyUpgradeCAwebsiteWewillmake fourtypesofonlineadpurchases
1 Googleadsthatplaceadsbothonits searchpagesandonhundredsofwebsites targetedbytheabove
2 Networksthattargetspecificsitesand blogsthatmatchourtargetaudiences(eg HiveBlogsLosAngelesthatoffers350LA blogstochoosefrom)
3 Directlythroughselectpublishers(eg CurbedLAGreenGirlLAlocalpapers online)
4 Onlineeditionsoflocalpapersinpilot marketingareas
Twitter Twitterusersaremostlycollegegraduates haveattendedgraduateschoolandlivein householdsmakingover$50000ayear (nationally)Usersarethreetimesmorelikely tofollowbrandsandcompaniesonTwitter thanotherusersofsocialnetworkswith40 specificallyusingTwittertolearnaboutand provideopinionsonbrands
Twittercanpushthelatestdevelopmentsand newstopeoplewhohaveexpressedaninter-estedintheProgram(theymustsignupto receiveourTweetsorhavesearchedfortag wordsincludedinourTweets)Itrsquosalsoan easywayforthosewhofollowEnergyUpgrade onTwittertoshareTweetswiththeirfriends
38 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
therebygeneratingbuzzandhelpingmarket theProgramTwittercanshareProgram newsinrealtimedrivepeopletothewebsite facilitateearlyadoptersbuzzmakersreach youngerhomeownersandincreasemarketing effortsatalowcostTwittercanbeeffectively usedtocommunicatetheProgramandits milestonesinavarietyofways
bull Tweetaboutpressreleasesmajoran-nouncementsnewitemsonwebsiteor blogsmediastoriesandarticlesespecially aboutthosethataretimesensitiveandtell ouraudiencewhatishappeningwiththe Programandencouragesthemtopartici-pateorfindoutmore
bull PutaTweeticononthemainwebsiteal-lowingvisitorstothewebsitetobeginto followEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLos AngelesCountyonTwitterwithoneclick
bull FollowotherswhoTweetaboutthe ProgramaswellasthosewhoTweetabout relatedtopicsThiswillprovideanop-portunitytodirectlyrespondtoaperson whohasaquestionabouttheProgramand pointthemtoalinktothewebsite
Tweet Examples
bull ldquo100LAhomeownershavesigned upfortheProgramatwwwEnergyUpgra-deCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoReadaboutLArsquosnewenergyefficiency rebateProgramintheLAtimes httpwwwlatimesgreenblogcomrdquo
bull ldquoWanttosaveonyourutilitybills CheckoutwwwEnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoSignupfortheHomeEnergyUpgrade contestforachancetowinafree homeenergyefficiencyretrofitat EnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
Cost and Budget
SettingupaTwitteraccountisfreeasisusing anapplicationsuchasTweetDeckthathelps followotherswhoareTweetingaboutEnergy UpgradeCaliforniaTheonlysignificantcostis stafftimewhichcanbelimitedtoafewhours aweek
Facebook Facebookisalow-costandeasywayofboth marketingtheProgramandsupportingan onlinecommunityofpeopleinterestedinthe ProgramItwillreachaudienceswhoaremore likelytospendtimeonFacebookversusaweb-siteandwhomayprefertoreceiveshortreal timeProgramnewsviaFacebookratherthan emailsorwebsitesItisidealforpostinglinks tovideosandphotosrelatedtotheprojectIt complementsthewebsiteaplacewherefans oftheProgramcanfindinformationaskques-tionsandshareideasandexcitementThese fanswillgeneratebuzzbytellingtheirfriends abouttheProgramthroughFacebook
AFacebookpagewillcontaininformation abouttheProgramalinktothewebsite Programnewsvideosphotographsandother informationWhenthepageisupdatedfans willreceivelinksinemailalertingthemtothe newposts
Facebookisalsoidealforsharingthestoryof anearlyadopter(whowillalsoTweet)through updatesphotographsandvideosItlends itselfmuchmorenaturallytothispeople-fo-cusedapproachthanawebsitewhichismore formal
Additionalpoints
bull EncourageandperhapsrewardProgram adopterstosharetheirexperiencesask questionsetc
bull Setupcontrolstodeterminewhatcontent Fanscanposttothewall
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 39
bull Monitorupdatestothewallandtakedown Therearemanyexistingblogsthatcanbeused inappropriatecontent
bull Respondtoissuesquestionsandtakepart intheconversation
bull Adesignatedstaffpersonshouldmonitor thesiteitisalsoidealifseveralstaff memberspostcontentandifpartnersare activeparticipantsalthoughtheoverall strategyshouldbecentralized
Facebook Examples
Herearesomeexamplesofthetypesofpost-ingsforaFacebookpage
bull ldquoTheLATimesdescribesEnergyUpgrade CAasaperfectopportunitytobegreenand savemoneymdashintheFridaymoneysectionrdquo
bull ldquoWhydidyoudecidetoparticipatein EnergyUpgradeCATellushowyour energyefficiencyretrofitisgoingandwersquoll enteryouforachancetowina$50Home Depotgiftcardrdquo
bull ldquoWonderingwhetherEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaisrightforyouCheckoutthis videooftheSmithsinstallingnewinsula-tionandwindows--andreceivinga$3500 rebaterdquo
Cost and Budget
Relativelyfewdirectcostsstafftimewill fluctuateduringbusycalmperiodswithhigh activityatthebeginningastheProgramkicks offandafanbaseisestablishedOngoingstaff timeneededtokeeppagefreshwith3-4posts weekdailymaintenancerequiredtomonitor postingsfromfans
Blogs Blogsreachtargetaudienceswhoarealready interestedinrelatedtopicsandwhohavehigh potentialtoparticipateintheProgram
tofurthermarketingefforts
bull Identifybloggerswhowilllikelywrite positivelyabouttheProgramSendpress releasefactsheetsandPrograminforma-tiontobloggerswhowriteabouttopics suchastheenvironmentenergyefficiency homeimprovementremodelingreal estatehousingbargainssavingmoneyas wellastocompaniesthatsellsolarpanels contractorsetc
bull Bloggersarelookingfortopicalstoriesto writeaboutandwewillmaketheirnext blogposteasyBecauseEnergyUpgradeis ahighrewardoptionalProgrambloggers willwritefavorablyandhelptellthestory inafriendlyaccessibleandeasy-to-under-standway(althoughwedonrsquothavecontrol overwhattheywrite)Peoplewhoaredis-satisfiedwillwritenegativecommentsbut wewillmonitorblogsandactivelycorrect misperceptions
bull Tomonitorwhatothersarewritingabout EnergyUpgradeontheirblogswewilluse freeprogramslikeTechnoratiorGoogle Readertoscanallblogsandwebsitesthat mentiontheProgram
Blogs to Reach
Green Girl LA Blog (httpgreenlagirlcom)Thisindependent blogisfocusedonenvironmentalhap-peningsinLosAngelesArecentpostwas aboutagreennetworkingeventfeaturing TheBuildingDoctorspresentingwaysto makeyourhousemoreenergyefficient PreviouslyareporterbloggerfortheLA Timesthewriterisactiveandcoversa widevarietyofenvironmentalgreentopics happeninginLosAngeles
40 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
LA Times HomeBlog (wwwlatimesblogslatimescomhome_
blog)focusesontopicsrelatedtohouses andhashadseveralrecentpostsabout greenremodelingOneadvantageofa majornewspaperisthatthereportingis accurateandthereadershipislargerThey recentlywroteaboutauditionsforThisOld HousewhichisfeaturingaLosAngeles areahouseforasummerremodel
Bargain Babe (wwwbargainbabelatownluxecom) featuresLosAngelesbargainsYoucan searchforbargainsbyareaofLA(West-sideetc)orbytopicThisbloggerrecently wroteaboutappliancerebates
LA Times Green Remodeling (wwwlatimesblogslatimescompar-donourdustgreen_remodeling)writes aboutalltopicsrelatedtoremodelingin SouthernCaliforniawithseveralrecent postsongreentopicsArecentpostre-viewedthedifferentadvantagesofinstall-ingvarioustanklesswaterheatersPitch thatthebloggerfollowahomeenergy retrofitandhelptelltheirstoryaswellas announcebasicPrograminformation
LA Times Personal Finance wwwlatimescombusinesspersonal-finance
Home Remodeling wwwkathysremodelingblogcom
Energy Efficiency wwwlowimpactlivingcomblog
LA CreekFreak
LA Observed
LAist
YouTube PostallvideosrelatedtotheprojectonYou-TubeWewillworkwithourmediapartners todevelopacontestforearlyadopterstofilm theirexperienceandletwebsitevisitorsvote onthebestWinnerreceivesaprizetobe determined
ListServes Listservesreachgroupsofpeoplewhoare interestedinasimilartopicorwholiveina specificneighborhoodSendemailblaststo listservessuchasneighborhoodassociations homeremodelersandenvironmentalgroups withanenergyfocusCitystaffhasinforma-tionaddressesofneighborhoodandhom-eownerassociationslists
Multimedia for Presentations Website Developanengaginginformative6-8minute videofocusingoncontractorsandhomeown-ersthatcanbeusedduringpresentationsand presentedonCityTVThevideowillbeshot bothinEnglishandinSpanishandcover
bull Howtherebatesworktocreateasenseof urgencyaboutdoingtheenergyupgrades soonerratherputtingitofftotakeadvan-tageoftherebates
bull Theldquosealthenenhancerdquowholehouse concept
bull WhattheProgramelementsactuallylook likeandhowtheyareinstalledtoover-comebarrierssuchasthatonemighthave tomoveoutofthehouseortheenergy upgradesareldquouglyrdquo
bull Workingwithacontractorwhatbeing licensedandcertifiedmeansgettingmul-tiplebids
bull Financingoptions
bull Doingthepaperwork
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 41
Fromthatvideodevelop
bull Threeindividual2-minutevideosforuse onlineeachfocusingonaspecifictopicmdash
againinbothEnglishandSpanish
bull A15anda30spoteachinEnglishand SpanishforuseonCityTVandbroadcast
stations
Print Collateral Customizable fact sheetsInforma-tionsheets(onepagefrontandback)in EnglishSpanishandChinesethatcanalso bepostedonthewebsiteasPDFs
Program brochureMorehighlyde-signedforplacementinmunicipaloffices andevents
Customizable Brochure Brandedwith SunsetMagazineorNationalGeographic forcontractorsandrealtorstohandto customers
SignageBannersforeventsandstreet lamppostspostersformunicipaloffices andsmalleventsandpotentiallysignage forbussidestransitshelters
Speakers kits Countyandcitystaffwillreceivekitstoensure everyoneisfamiliarwithkeymessagesandhas informationtogivetoconstituentsThesecan besentdirectlytocitiesordistributedthrough COGsKitswillcontain
bull Talkingpoints
bull DVDofthevideo
bull PPTpresentationforpublicmeetings
bull Printedbrochuresforpermitofficesto includewithwelcomepacketsfornewho-meowners
bull Articlesandphotostheycanrunintheir onlineorprintedcitynewsletters
bull CDwithtemplatesforquickprintingand websitebuttontolinkfromtheirwebsiteto EnergyUpgradeCalifornia
42 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
description of key messages
Thefollowingmessageshadthehighestreso-nanceinpollingandfocusgroupsbothinLos AngelesCountyandtheBayArea
Primary Motivators Thefollowingtwomessagesaboutsaving moneyarekeytomotivatingalltargetaudi-encesTheyshouldbepartofeverypieceof advertisingorcollateralproduced
1 RebatesHomeownerswhomakeenergy-savinghomeimprovementscanqualifyfor a$1500federaltaxcreditandrebatesof upto$3500dependingonhowmuchthey reduceenergyconsumptionAdditional motivatorTaxcreditsonlyavailable untilDecember312010(Rebatesare preferredovertaxcreditsbecauseitrsquoscash nowratherthanlateranddependingon incomenoteveryonecangetthecredit)
2 Save on Utility Bills Upgradingahome touselessenergyandwatercanreduce utilitybillsby20ormoremdashsavingyou moneyovertime
Secondary Motivators Thefollowingmessagesarethenlayeredde-pendingonwhichaudienceisbeingtargeted
Help the EnvironmentClimate Change Weallneedtodoourparttohelp theenvironmentandslowclimatechange Makingourhomesmoregreenandenergy efficientisanimportantstepweshouldall take
Reduce Foreign OilFossil FuelsAt atimewhenwearetryingtoreduceour dependenceonforeignoilandotherfossil fuelsupgradingtheenergyefficiencyof ourhomesisanimportantstepwecanall take(Infocusgroupstheconceptofenergy independencefurtherresonatedasinde-pendencefromutilitycompaniesgetting offthegrid)
Certified Contractors Save Money Speciallytrainedandcertifiedcontractors knowhowtofindimprovementsthatthe averagehomeownerwouldnotTheiras-sessmentswillensurethatyoufindmore energysavingsandthereforesavemore moneyonyourutilitybillsAdditional motivatorContractorsarecertifiedbythe BuildingPerformanceInstituteworking withtheDepartmentofEnergyandEnvi-ronmentalProtectionAgency
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 43
Increase Property ValuesHomesthat areenergy-efficientandenvironmentally friendlyaremoreappealingtohomebuyers Theseupgradescanincreaseyourproperty value
ComfortUpgradingyourhomersquosenergy efficiencymdashinparticularupgradinginsula-tionmdashcanmakeitamorecomfortableplace toliveNomoredraftycoldroomsinthe winterorhotstuffyroomsinthesummer
Indoor Air QualityInsulationand ventilationcanreduceallergyandasthma-causingmoldandmildewimproving indoorairqualityespeciallyforinfantsand thosewithhealthconditions
Messengers Homeownersprefertoreceiveinformation fromimpartialtrustedsourcesThesemes-sengersreceivedthehighestscoresinpolling
bull Neighborsandotherhomeowners
bull Contractorthehomeownerisalready workingwithorreferredbyfriendneigh-bor
bull Architectsdesignprofessionals
bull Gasandelectricutilities
bull Environmentalorganizations
bull Homeimprovementstorestaff(when equippedwithflyers)
44 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 45
- Cover
- Table of Contents13
- Summary Overview13
- Introduction13
- Programs Goals and Objectives13
- Marketing and Outreach Program Goals and Structure13
- Strategy13
- Evaluation13
- Description of Marketing Communication Tools13
- Description of Key Messages13
-
marketingoutreach coordination
PROGRAM ELEMENT LEAd COMMENTS
COUNTy UTILITIES jOINT
market research X telephone surveys focus groups and market analysis
marketing communications plan X this document will direct all marketing
activities
program namelogo X
cec will own the brand and has final vote on statewide name tagline can be customized for la county
Website portal X
statewide portal linked to utility pages or sitesndashmain info and materials on this one site
advertising campaign principles development X
marketing templates X
Print and online available for cities to customize as needed
service territory media Buys (regional) X Mainstream and ethnic media buys
local media Buys (la county) X Both mainstream and ethnic media in
hotspots and la county
call center X one phone number managed by utilities county to help produce script
retail outlet materials X May include kiosks short videos
contractor marketing toolkit X tBD county will develop marketing materials
for contractors
direct mail (eg bill inserts other mailers) X
county assessor materials X
Materials included in water bills property tax bills
community-Based outreach X targeted grassroots marketing
(includes local events)
community events X X utilities attend countywide events county attends local events
public relations X X
utilities take lead for service territory county for local or supervisor-initiated PR
Home energy makeover contest X
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 17
strategy
TheProgramwilluseamulti-layeredmulti-facetedmarketingandoutreachstrategythat targetsaudiencesbyidentifyingwhotheyare wheretheyliveandtheeventsgoingonin theirlivesMarketingeffortsinclude
1 Countywide Marketing (and Media Relations)
2 Pilot Area Marketing
3 Trigger-Event Marketing
4 City Outreach
5 Contractor Marketing
6 Realtor Marketing
7 Retail Partner Marketing
8 Multi-Family Marketing
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing
1 Countywide Marketing
Thestrategyisentirelyresearch-drivenfocus-ingonthosepropertyownersmostlikelyto undertakeahomeenergyupgradeAnover-archinglayerofmainstreammarketingand advertisingwillbeaimedatthreeaudiences
1 Early AdoptersThosewhoarestrong environmentalistsalreadypoisedtoldquodo therightthingrdquofortheenvironmentand whojustneedtohearaboutaprogramand rebates
2 ldquoRetrofit-ReadyrdquoThosewhoarealready planninghomeimprovementsandjust needalittlemoreinformationaboutwhat stepstotaketosavemoneyandldquodothe rightthingrdquofortheenvironment
3 ldquoRetrofit-Persuadablerdquo Thosewho arethinkingabouttheirutilitybills homecomforttheenvironmentorour dependenceonfossilfuelsforeignoil (especiallyinlightoftherecentGulfoil spill)andwhoneedinformationabout whattypesofimprovementstheycould makeandwhatstepstotaketosave energysavemoneyandreducefossilfuel consumption
Outreachwillbeaimedattargetaudiences throughbothmainstreamandmulticultural mediaTheadvertisingwillalsospillover ontoaudiencesinspecificgeographicareas providingadditionalimpressionstothose whoarealsotargetedinthePilotMarketing AreasThiswillalsoaddtothecitiesrsquoefforts topromotetheProgramastheirresidents willalsoseethecountywidemarketingefforts
18 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Marketingwillfocusoneachtargetaudience providingimpressionsclosetotheirhomeand reachingouttomoremassaudiencesCounty-widemarketingandoutreachwillinclude tacticsinthetablebelow
The One-Stop Shop Allinformationwillbeconsolidatedina one-stopshopapproacheitherinaldquobrick andmortarrdquolocationthroughthewebsiteor callcenteroratcommunityeventsProperty ownerswillhaveeasyaccesstoinformation
abouteligibleenergyefficiencymeasures andretrofitoptionseligibilityforCounty-administeredfinancialvehiclesandincentives eligibilityforutility-sponsoredrebatesand incentivesfederalrebateandtaxcreditinfor-mationandaccesstolistsofqualifiedenergy retrofitcontractors
Propertyownerswhoarenoteligiblefororin-terestedinEnergyUpgradeCaliforniawould alsobeabletofindoutaboutopportunities forweatherizationprogramslow-incomerate
countywide marketingoutreach tactics
Cable TV
County Events
Mass Media
Out of Home
Radio
Retail Partners
City Information
City TV
Local Media
Transit Shelters
Theaters
Billboards
Community of Interest
Newsletters
Contractor Marketing
Direct Mail to Hot Spots
Online Ads
Site Signage
Social Media
Community Newsletters
Local Events
Target Audience
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 19
subsidiesgreenjobstrainingandotherinitia- Parcel-Based Market Analysistivesavailabletoqualifiedhouseholds
Identifying Locations of Target Audiences Thegeographiclocationoftargetaudiences willbeidentifiedthroughtwomarketanalysis efforts
Pilot Marketing Areas TheCountywillintensifymarketingefforts inspecificpilotmarketingareaswherehigh percentagesoftheEarlyAdopterandRetrofit ReadyaudiencesliveThesepilotmarketareas willbeidentifiedthroughdemographicanaly-sisbaseduponextensivemarketresearchas wellasadetailedanalysisofkeycommunity resourcessuchasstrongcommunitynetworks andcommunity-basedorganizationsinfluen-tiallocalmedialdquocommunityfeelrdquoetc(For moreinformationonthepilotmarketareas approachandengagementstrategiesseepage 23)
Adetailedmarketanalysisisbeingconducted tosupportspecificpiecesoftheoutreachand communicationsstrategybyidentifyingthe locationofaudiencesthatarereceptivetospe-cificoutreachstrategiesThetableonthenext pagedemonstratesthemarketanalysisaudi-ences(scenarios)andmarketstrategiesthat arebeinganalyzedtoidentifythelocationof targetaudiencesThemarketanalysisisbeing conductedusingconsumermarketresearch combinedwithdemographicdataandprop-ertycharacteristicsdatafromtheCountyas-sessorThemainproductfortheanalysiswill beaseparateanalysisreport(expectedAugust 2010)Thisreportwillincludecountywide ldquoheatmapsrdquothatidentifytheareasthathave ahighproportionoftargetpropertiesandare thereforeidealareasfortargetedmarketing ThesemapscanbeusedforEnergyUpgrade Californiaorcontractormarketingstrategies
countywide market capture cascade
Early Adopters
Retrofit ready
Retrofit persuadable
The Next Phase No way
MESSAGES
bull environment bull Fossil Fuels bull Rebates
available
AddITIONAL MESSAGES
bull save money on utility bills
bull Rebates
bull long-term attitudinal change
available AddITIONAL MESSAGES
bull Property values bull comfort bull Health bull ReBates available
20 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
market analysis scenarios
Link between Pilot Market Areas and Parcel-Based Market Analysis
Theaudiencesbeingexaminedinthepilot marketingareasoverlapwithbutarenotthe sameasthoseinthemarketanalysisThe marketanalysisthereforesupportsthepilot marketareaidentificationintwoways
1 Itaddspropertycharacteristicsgleaned fromconsumerresearchtothepilotmarket areaanalysisInthiswayScenarios1and 2(RetrofitReadyandRetrofitPersuadable) providefurtherdetailtothepilotmarket areasandallowforgeneralmarketingto
MARkET ANALySIS SCENARIO
AUdIENCE IdENTIFIEd
dATA ANALyzEd RELATEd MARkETING STRATEGy
1-early adopters retrofit ready
environmentalists ready to take action now with information about rebates
Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Pilot Marketing areas
2-retrofit persuadable
those who need information about types of improvements with emphasis on rebates and cost savings
Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Pilot Marketing areas
3a-Built environment Heating and cooling
Middle-aged to newer homes located inland that are larger and often have high ac heating bills
Property characteristics location of Home
trigger event Marketing utility Bills Pilot area Marketing
3b-Built environment-Heating
smaller older coastal homes that may have comfort issues in winter
Property characteristics location of Home
trigger event Marketing comfort Pilot Marketing areas
4-multi-family Multi-family homeowners Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Multi-family Marketing Pilot Marketing areas
5-Whole neighborhood
tracts of similarly-aged and built homes
Property characteristics location of Home
Whole neighborhood Marketing Pilot Marketing areas
bedirectedtospecificproperties(when appropriate)
2 Italsoidentifiesotherkeyaudiences (Scenarios3a3b4and5)thatcorrelate toothermarketingstrategiesasshown intableaboveTheresultsofthese scenarioswillbeoverlaidontopofthepilot marketareastoidentifyspecificparcels thatmayrespondtospecificmarketing strategiesForexamplewhenoverlaying thepropertiesidentifiedinScenario5 (Whole-NeighborhoodScenario)with thepilotmarketingareastheCounty canidentifypropertieswithinthepilot
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 21
marketingareathatwouldrespondtoa whole-neighborhoodmarketingapproach (bulkpurchasingmodelhomesasingle contractoretc)
Home Energy Makeover Contest HomeEnergyMakeoverContestsgenerate atremendousamountofpublicityandhave beensuccessfullyconductedinmanyother statesandcitiesTheyattractthousandsof entrantsTheconceptistobothgarnerfree publicityandmodelthebehaviortheProgram istryingtoencouragebyshowingtheldquowhole houseapproachrdquohoweasyupgradescanbe howmuchtherebatescanreducetheproject costandhowmuchdifferencetheymaketoa home
Thecontestwillalsodemonstratethemarket acceptanceforthehomeperformanceap-proachtotraditionalsingle-measurecontrac-torsThosecontractorswillseehowmany peopleenterthecontesttowinahomeperfor-mancemakeoverbasedonthewholehouseap-proachAllthosewhoenteredareleadswho maybeinterestedinawholehouseapproach ratherthansinglemeasures
Entrantsmustbeover18liveinLosAnge-lesCountyandownthehomeinwhichthey residethecontestcanbelimitedtothose whoreceiveservicefromSouthernCalifornia EdisonandorSouthernCaliforniaGas(in otherwordsitcanincludeorexcluderesi-dentsservedbymunicipalutilities)Entrants submitinformationabouttheirhomeand theirenergyconsumptionandgivepermis-sionfortheProgramjudgestoviewtheir energyconsumptionduringthepreviousyear Finalistsarebasedonthehighestenergycon-sumptionpersquarefootofamedian-sized homeAbout20finalistsreceivefreeenergy auditsfortheirhomesBasedontheaudit (andadditionalcriteriawewilldetermine)five winninghomesreceiveupto$15000inhome
energyimprovements(whichcanbesupple-mentedbyrebatesandadditionalfunding fromthepropertyowner)Thewinneragrees tomediacoverageanopenhouseandtoblog andorTweetduringandaftertheretrofit Wewillworkwithcontractorstogetsponsor-shipsaswellasdonatedauditsandupgrade elements
OnecontestwillbeheldinFall2010(withfive winners)andasecondcontestheldduring Springof2011(withfivewinners)
Aseparatecontestcouldbeheldformulti-familybuildingswithahigherwinning amount
Countywide Incentives TheProgramwillestablishalistofnon-profit organizationsthatareactiveinpromoting greenhomessustainabilityandotherenvi-ronmentalorcommunityprojectsEveryone intheCountywhocompletesanenergyaudit maydesignateanon-profitorganizationto receiveadonationfromtheProgramInfor-mationabouttheeligibleorganizationswill beonthewebsiteThiswillencouragethose non-profitstopromotetheProgramtotheir membersltNotethisconceptisstillbeing developedgt
Direct Mail Utilitieswillplacemessagesonouterbillen-velopessenttocustomersTheywillalsosend directmailaboutEnergyUpgradetoldquotarget areasrdquobasedonacombinationofenergy usageageofhomeandhouseholdincome DirectmailisscheduledforOctober2010
County Events Utilitieswillbeattendinglargeeventssuch astheSeptember2010and2011LACounty Fairswithawholehousethemethatincludes aminimodelhousethatvisitorscanldquotourrdquo Additionalproposedeventsinclude
22 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
bull LeagueofCitiesAnnualConference workshop(September2010)
bull PomonaHomeImprovementShow (October2010)
bull RemodelingShowattheLACountyFair (October2010)
bull CaliforniaAssociationofRealtors (October2010)
bull BuildingIndustryShow(November2010)
bull SouthernCaliforniaHomeImprovement Show(November2010)
bull NeighborWorksAmerica(February2011)
Online and Social Media TheProgramwillusesocialmediatoinex-pensivelyreachtargetaudiencesbeginningat launchandcontinuingthroughoutthePro-gramwithbriefpausesforrefiningThiswill beaccomplishedthroughoptimizingsearch wordsforsearchenginessuchasGoogleand Bingreachingappropriateindependentblogs aYouTubevideocontest(runbyamediapart-ner)andencouragingblogpostsandTweets byearlyadoptersandtheProgramitself(see DescriptionsofMarketingCommunications ToolsandDescriptionsofTargetAudiencesfor moredetails)Inadditionutilitieswilldevote spaceforinformationandalinkontheirland-ingpages
Countywide Media Buys Withalatesummerfalllaunchdatemedia buysneedtobespreadtoavoidtheelection monthofOctober2010EnergyUpgradeCali-forniainLosAngelescansponsoraweather broadcastmdashliveonlineandmobilemdashaswell as15and30spotsduringotherbroadcasts Wewillalsopurchaseliveandonlinespots withUnivisiontheSpanish-languagestation Radiobuyswillinclude15NationalPublic Radio(KPCCandKCRW)sponsorshipsand variousdrive-timespotsonEnglishandin-
languageAMandFMstationsSocialmedia buysincludeGoogleWordsandblogads(see DescriptionsofMarketingCommunications Tools)Printmediabuyswillbeinmulticul-turalpapers
(Afullmediabuyplanandschedulewillbe availableinAugust)
Countywide Media Relations TheProgramwillcoordinateCountyandutil-ityeffortsandwiththeCaliforniaEnergyCom-missionCaliforniaPublicUtilitiesCommis-sioneffortsMediarelationswillbeinthree phasespre-launchlaunchandmilestones
Pre-Launch (August ndash September)
bull DevelopandprovideaSpeakerrsquosKit withtalkingpoints
bull OrganizeCountymedialaunchevent (potentiallyenlistawillinghomeowner whosehousemightserveasalaunching padformediatours)
bull Respondtorequestsfromcities
bull Providepre-writtenarticlesforcity communitynewsletters
bull Issuepresskitsandpressrelease(in EnglishandSpanish)announcing launch
Launch (October)
bull Mediaeventtoannouncelaunchand HomeEnergyMakeoverContestpoten-tiallyon-siteatahousetodemonstrate upgrades
bull SendoutradioPSAs
Milestones (through 2013)
bull Mediaeventtoannouncewinnersofthe HomeEnergyMakeovercontest(could beconductedon-sitesurprisingthe winners)
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 23
bull ldquoRe-launchrdquopressreleaseandmedia eventinMarch2011forasecondHome EnergyMakeoverContestwithastrong ldquogetreadyforsummerrdquotheme
bull Pressreleasewhen10000thperson receivesarebate
bull Pressreleasewhenotherappropriate milestonesarereachedorthefunding forincentivesisclosetobeingdepleted
2 Pilot Marketing Areas
Itwillbecriticalforthelong-termsuccessof marketingeffortstohaveasignificantnumber ofearlysuccessesthatgeneratepositivepub-licityandword-of-mouthencouragingothers toalsoparticipateTheCountyintendsto stimulatethemarketfortheseearlyadopters byintensifyingmarketingeffortsinspecific pilotmarketingareas(withzipcodebound-aries)wherebasedonextensiveconsumer
countywide marketingoutreach tactics
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
television
ad buys on Broadcast tV univision google tV Paid county
ldquothis old Houserdquo segment on whole house per-formance and rebates while renovating house (filming in la this summer)
earned county
coverage on mainstream and multicultural sta-tions
earned utilities county
ldquoinfomercialrdquo and promos on city tV Placed county
radio
nPR sponsorship Paid county
commute time spots Paid county
coverage on california Report earned utilities county
Psas on mainstream stations Placed utilities county
spots on multicultural stations Paid county
coverage in mainstream and multicultural papers
earned utilities county
sunset Magazine green Home section earned county
ads in la times and Daily news real estate sections
Paid utilities county
ads in multicultural papers Paid county
Direct Mail to targets Paid utilities
24 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
countywide marketingoutreach tactics (conrsquot)
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
social media
Blogs (about homes environment bargains) earned county
Facebook page Placed county
ads targeted to interest in environment and or home improvements (this old House etc)
Paid county
google adWords targeted to interest in environment andor home improvements
Paid county
twitter both by the Program and by individual early adopters (with incentives)
Placed county
youtube early adopters make a video about their experience and results (with incentives)
Placed county
out of Home
Retail kiosks banners flyers links on retail websites
Placed utilities
community organizations
environmental groups and others newsletters websites email blasts
earned county
Home improvement shows booths Paid county
countywide events Paid utilities
Bloggersubject matter events Paid county
researchhighpercentagesoftargetaudiences livePilotmarketingprogramsinthoseareas willtesttheextentcommunity-basedmarket-ingpositivelyimpactsparticipationratesan effortrelatedtoRetrofitRampUpproposal requirements
Demographicdataprovidedbythemarketre-searchwillbeoverlaidwithenergyusagedata AdditionallyGIS-basedmarketanalysisatthe parcellevel(describedabove)willallowfor pinpointingofspecificneighborhoodswithin thepilotareasforoutreachthatcaninclude
door-to-doordirectmailandmarketingby contractorsaspartofaldquowholeneighbor-hoodrdquoapproachFocusingonpilotareaswill alsomeettheRetrofitRampUprequirements oftheDepartmentofEnergyFollowingisa summaryofplannedmarketingandoutreach efforts
Marketresearch-basedcriteriaforchoosing about15pilotareaswillinclude
Clusters of houses built before 1978 Thoselivinginolderhomesespecially
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 25
builtbeforeCaliforniarsquosEnergyEfficiency Standardsaremorelikelytobelievethat theirhousemightbeenergyinefficient andcouldbenefitfromenergyefficiency improvementsmdashandberesponsivetoan energyupgrade
High percentage of homeownership Thesemarketingeffortsfocusonsingle-familyresidentialhomeownerssoareas withhighrentalrateswillnotprovidea largeenoughnumberofeligibleunits
Income over $60000Thosewith incomesunder$60000didnotbelieve theywouldhavesufficientincometomake improvementsevenwithrebatesThey werenotinterestedinloans(manywith lowincomesalsofindthemselvesldquounder-waterrdquoontheirloansandthusnoteligible forsomefinancing)Inadditionwefound somepush-backinfocusgroupsabout ldquogovernmentofferingloanstopeoplewho canrsquotaffordthemafterthesub-primeloan debaclerdquo
Population with a high percentage of college-educatedThosewithacollege degreearemuchmorelikelytoindicate apreferencetomakeenergyefficiency upgradesThosewhohadcompletedsome collegeeducationarealsomorelikelyto indicateapreferenceforenergyefficiency upgradesthanthosewhohadnotcom-pletedany
Population with a high percentage of those age 35-54Thosewithchildren andorexpandingfamiliesaremorelikely tomakeimprovementsthanthoseunder 30(thereareveryfewhomeownersunder 30)andthoseover54
High percentage of households with 4+ peopleHouseholdswithmorepeople havehigherenergybillsResearchshows thatthoseinhomeswithmorethan4
peoplebelieveenergyupgradescanmakea bigimpactontheirbills
High energy usage Thehigherenergy usage(andbills)themorelikelypeopleare tobelievethatenergyefficiencyimprove-mentswillmakeadifferenceintheirbills
Afterlayeringthisinformationtocomeup withalistofpotentialareaswefurthercon-sidered
Clusters of 8000-20000 homesThe areashouldbelargeenoughtoprovidesub-stantialnumbersofeligibleunitsbutsmall enoughtoenablereachingmajorityofresi-dentsandgeneratingword-of-mouth
Has a diverse multicultural commu-nityAreasshouldhavestrongcommunity identitiesandsenseofplacesocommunity membersareproudofwheretheyliveand areencouragedtoimprovetheircommu-nity
Has strong neighborhood and com-munity organizationsWeneedto engagetheseorganizationsaspartnersto helpspreadtheword
Has existing communications such as newsletters blogsWeneedtoreach membersthroughexistingcrediblesources thatresidentsalreadyuseandtrust
ldquoSpill overrdquo opportunities to nearby neighborhoodsSincemarketingand mediaeffortswillpotentiallyalsobeseen byneighborsareasshouldbenearother areasthatmayalsomeettheprimary criteria
Climatetime of yearIndetermining whentorolloutthepilotswecantarget interiorareasinspringandcoastalareasin coldweather
26 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Basedonthemarketresearchcriteriafive pilotmarketingareasarescheduledforintense marketingatlaunchwithanadditional10 areasscheduledforintensemarketingin Spring2011
Thepilotmarketstrategyissupportedby theparcel-basedmarketanalysiswhichwill identifywhichneighborhoodspropertieswill bethebesttotargetusingthisapproachThe marketanalysiswillallowlimitedmarketing fundingtobeleveragedbyfocusingonthose thataremostlikelytorespondtothemarket-ingefforts
Wewillcreatemessagesandvisualsspecifical-lytailoredtoeachtargetcommunityrsquoscultural andlinguisticpreferencesImagessymbols andiconstypographycolorandoverall designcarrydifferentmeaningsindifferent culturesAmessageistypicallymosteffective ifitiscreatedwithcarefulattentiontothese idiosyncrasiesandwithintheldquoculturalmind-setrdquooftherecipientsCreatingheadlinesand taglinesdirectlyinthetargetlanguagerather thansimplytranslatingEnglishadvertising copyensuresthatcopyhasthecorrectrhythm andrhymeandisthereforemuchmore attention-grabbingandmemorable
Community Incentives Energy Champion Program Severalconceptsareunderconsiderationto developacommunityincentivestrategyto promoteparticipationinlinewiththeRetrofit RampUpproposalforinnovativeincentiveap-proachesIncentivesmaybedirectedatenergy auditscommunity-basedorganizationsthose willingtoprovidetestimonialsorblogtweet andpublicrecognitionefforts
Grassroots Community Organizing-Trainedorganizerswillpresentinformationat themeetingsof12-15influentialcommunity leadersandcommunity-basedorganizationsin
eachpilotareacapturetheircontactdataand helpspreadtheinformationtotheirmembers throughtheirnewsletterseventsandwebsites TheProgramwillprovidepre-writtencus-tomizablearticlespresentationsorvideoand websiteldquobuttonsrdquotolinktotheProgramsite Eachgroupwillbeofferedanincentiveofado-nationtotheirorganizationforeverymember whocompletesahomeenergyupgradeThis willencourageCBOvolunteerstoincrease theirmarketingeffortsFriendlyrivalrieswill beencouragedCommunitygroupswillreport namesofparticipantscheckedforjobcomple-tionbytheProgram(underdevelopment)
Community Events One-on-onefacetimewithhomeownersis anidealwaytoengagepotentialparticipants Well-trainedorganizerswillattendfiveevents ineachtargetareaprovidinghomeowners withinformation(pocketsizemultilingual handouts)andcapturingtheircontactinfor-mationforfollowupTheycanhavehome-ownerssignuponthewebsiteonsiteifappro-priateandperhapsevenhavethemprovideus withavideocommitmentldquoItookthePledgerdquo withpermissiontopostonthewebsiteAsa luretotheboothhomeownerswillbeoffered freeitemssuchaslightbulbsmagnetsand reusablecupswithcoldwater(imprintedwith thewebsite)manufacturedintheUS
Print Radio Outdoor and Out-of Home Advertising Localmediawillcoverthelaunchofthe Programandwewillstrategicallyplaceads inlocalmediaandcommunitynewsletters Outdooradvertising(smallstreet-levelbiode-gradableeco-postersbussheltersbussides) strategicallyplacedinhigh-trafficareaswillre-inforcethemessageoveraone-monthperiod
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 27
Pilot Area Example Altadena Altadenawasidentifiedasacommunitythat fitsourtargetcriteriaItisadiverseunincor-poratedcommunitywithsixneighborhoods andanapproximatepopulationof40000The averagehouseholdincomeisabout$94000 Morethan50ofadultresidentsaremarried withchildrenandcommuteanaverageof62 milesperdaytowhite-collarjobsFully40of theadultsinthiscommunityhaveabachelors
degreeorhigherandareinvolvedinmany communityeventsandorganizationsThere areapproximately12000homesinthiscom-munityand10000ofthosehomesareowner-occupiedThegraphicshowshowoutreach wouldbeconcentratedinthisarea
pilot area outreachmarketing tactics
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
radio
Psas on multicultural stations earned county
coverage in local papers earned county
ads in local and multicultural papers Paid county
outdoor
Bus shelters in area Paid county
on-street lampost signage Paid county
Billboards Paid county
social media
Blogs (relevant to the area) earned county
online ads targeted by location Paid county
listserves of neighborhood associations (through cities)
earned county
out of Home
Movie theater ads in area Paid county
lawn signs on homes in area (through contractors)
Paid county
community organizations
community meetings with incentives to organizations for participation
earnedPaid county
community events Paid county Door hangers Paid county
28 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Home Depot
Ace Hardware
Lowersquos
Master Builders
Great Indoors
Home Expo
altadena marketing target
Hoy La Opinioacuten
Pasadena Star News
Altadena Headlines Examiner
Boulevard Magazine
Arroyo Magazine
Pasadena Weekly
Altadena Connection
Sentinel
KLVE
KPCC Pasadena
KCBS
KROQ Pasadena
KAZN Pasadena
Church Bulletins
Summer Concert Series at Farnsworth Park
Fourth of July Fireworks at
Town amp Country Club
Black History Parade
World Music Festival in Pasadena
Haunted House at
Farnsworth Park
Art Break
Rose Parade
National Latino
Congreso
Altadena Neighborhood Association
Altadena Chamber of Commerce
Altadena Arts Council
Altadena Town Council
Faith-based Organizations
Altadena Town amp Country Club
Altadena League of
Women Voters
Altadena Historical Society
Altadena Community Improvement Center
Sheriff Support Group
Santa Coming to Farnsworth
Park
Altadena California
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 29
3 Trigger-Event Marketing
Thissuiteofstrategieswillbeaimedatcaptur-ingenergyefficiencyopportunitiesfrommul-tipletriggereventsParticipantswillmainly comethroughcontractorsrealtorsandretail partnerspropertyownerswillhavealsoseen countywideadvertising
trigger event marketing
4 City and COG Outreach
OutreachbyCitiesandCOGswillbecritical becauseoftheirexistingrelationshipswith localconstituenciesCitieswillbeprovided withamini-marketingplantalkingpoints videocustomizabletemplatesoffactsheets articlesfortheirnewslettersandadvertising
EvENT dESCRIPTION LEAd AGENT COLLATERAL TACTIC
1 Replace on burnout (heating air conditioners water heaters)
Homeowners either in process of replacing an item or have already done some efficiency projects
county bull Retail partners
bull HVac installers
bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors installers
bull Retail displays
2 life-stage changes (growing family)
Homeowners working with a contractor
county bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors bull ads in media for home remodels
3 Home remodel Homeowners working with an architect contractor
county bull contractors bull architects
bull Materials for contractors
bull ads in media for home remodels
3 improvements at time of purchase
Homeowners interested are preparing a new home for move-in (research shows more interest at purchase than at sale)
shared bull contractors bull Realtors bull Home
inspectors bull city permit
offices bull city welcome
kits bull Retail
bull Brochures for cities
bull ads in weekend homes for sale sections
bull Presentations to realtor groups
bull Retail displays
4 improvements at sale
House owners preparing for sale
county bull contractors bull Realtors
bull Materials for contractors
5 complaints high utility bills cold hot house
Homeowners aware of energy-saving improvements but not whole house approach
county bull contractors bull HeRs raters
bull Materials for contractors
30 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
city amp cog outreach
materialssotheycandeveloplow-costout-reachtotheirresidentsCitieswithcommuni-tiestargetedinthePilotAreaMarketingplans willbeinformedandencouragedtodoout-reachtothoseareasAllCitieswillbeencour-agedtodothefollowing
Run stories in print and online news-letters
Send information to neighborhood associations homeowners associa-tions historic preservation districts and other appropriate community organizations
Provide information in City permit-ting offices and City Hall lobbies
Provide information at strategically located Environmental Information Centers and at COG office locations
Provide information in ldquonew home-ownersrdquo welcome kits (either directly from the city or through title compa-
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAId EARNEd
LEAd
pio coordination contact all participating citiesrsquo Pios na county
letters Key messages for letters from mayors etc to constituents Provide to Pios or city managers
na county
Website links Button for cities to place on their website to link to Program site
na county
city tV informational videos and spot promos Placed county
Welcome brochure
Brochure aimed at new homeowners before they move in
na county
articles Pre-written customizable newsletter articles earned county
email blasts Pre-written customizable info spots for communityneighborhood listserves
earned county
niesmortgage brokers)
Run videos and spots on City TV stations
5 Contractor Marketing
Localcontractorsarecriticaltothesuccess ofEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLosAngeles CountyTheyprovidetheservicesthatcom-prisetheProgramandtheycanhelpmarket theProgramtopropertyownersInfactwe estimatethatupto50ofProgrampartici-pantswillentertheProgramthrougharela-tionshipwithacontractor(theymayhavealso seenmediacoverageandadvertisingwhich spurredthemtotakeaction)Thisuniquerole requiresthattheProgramtakeatwo-tiered approachofengagingthecontractormdashmoti-vatinglocalbuildingprofessionalstoundergo thetrainingandcertificationprocessandalso providingthemwiththetoolstoeffectively promotetheprogramtoexistingandnew clientsThefollowingsectiondescribesspecific
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 31
contractor target
United Brotherhood Building Industry Carpenters (Training)
Association ofSouthern California
Email Blast
Contractors Magazines
Contractor
OnlineAds
Big Box Stores
ConractorsLicensing Schools
Realtor Associations
strategiesassociatedwithbothapproaches
Forthepurposesoftheprogramcontractors aredividedintoparticularsegmentsbasedon thetypeofserviceprovidedAninitialanalysis oftheindustryrevealedthefollowinglikely categories
HomePerformance(HP)Contractors
ProductionBuilders
HVACSystemSpecialtyTrades (windowsetc)
RemodelingContractors
SolarContractors
BuildingPerformance
Institute
Southwest Regional
City Permit Association
Offices of Carpenters
Lumber Yards
StateLicensing
Board
American Instituteof Architects
LA Chapter
Outreach to Contractors TheProgramwillcoordinatewithcontractor groupsandotherbuildingprofessionaltrade organizationstoschedulebriefpresentations abouttheProgramandthecontractortraining processForlargerorganizationsthePro-grammayworkdirectlywiththecompanyto arrangeon-sitepresentationsThesepresenta-tionsareinformalinnatureandwillbeusedto promotethecertificationorientationsrequired forcontractorparticipationintheprogram
KeyMessagestoContractors
$30millioninAmericanRecoveryand ReinvestmentActmoneyisworkinginLA Countytocreateconstructionindustryjobs
32 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
EnergyUpgradeCaliforniaOffersbig rebatesandfinancingoptionsfor homeownersdoinghomeenergy efficiencyretrofits
Therewillbemarketingandadvertis-ingstatewideandlocallytopromotethe Program
Therewillbemarketingmaterialsforyou tousetomarketyourbusiness
YoumustbelicensedandBuildingPerfor-manceInstitute-certifiedtobepartofthe Program
HomeownersmustworkwithBPI-certified contractorstheyrsquollchoosefromacontrac-tordatabaseonthewebsite
KeyOutreachMethods
BuildingIndustryAssociationofSouthern California
SouthwestRegionalCouncilofCarpenters
RealtorsAssociation
UnitedBrotherhood-Carpenters(Training Program)
Citypermittingoffice
Lumberyards
AmericanInstituteofArchitectsLA Chapter(toeducatethemaswell)
ArticlesinformationinContractortrade publications(magazinesnewslettersetc) magazines
CarpentersUnionLocals
ContractorsLicenseSchools(andonline)
BigBoxHomeImprovementstores(de-pendingonIOUrelationships)
wwwcslbcagov
Emailblasttoalllicensedcontractors
Contractor Outreach to Consumers Differentopportunitiesexistfordifferent contractorsdependingontheprobablework scopeThefollowingtableoutlinesafew potentialpathwaysforhowcontractorscan participateintheProgram
contractors outreach to customers
CONTRACTOR TyPE
TRIGGER EvENT vALUE TO CONTRACTOR
BUSINESS MOdEL
Home Performance upgrade lead generation scale for high volume
Production Builder new Business Development
create new division
HVac Replacement lead generation Value-add
expand services
specialty trade lead generation Partner with certified gc
Remodeler Remodel life-stage transition
Value-add sub work to HP contractor
solar Renewables lead generation Partner with certified gc
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 33
BPI-certifiedgeneralcontractorswillbelisted ontheEnergyUpgradeconsumerwebsite sendingmanyleadsdirectlytothemThey alsohaveaccesstotheldquoheatmapsrdquotousefor developingtheirownadvertisingcampaigns
Contractorswillbeattendingorientationses-sionstoensuretheythoroughlyunderstand theProgramrebatesfinancingoptionsand canhelpguidetheircustomersthroughthe processTheywillbeprovidedwithContractor MarketingKitstoensuretheyhaveathandthe keymessagesthathavebeenresonatingwith homeownersandhaveinformationtogive topotentialcustomerswhomightormight nothavebeentothewebsiteKitscanbesent directlytocontractorsordistributedatthe orientationsessionsKitswillcontain
Talkingpoints
DVDofthevideo
Printedfactsheetstoleavewithcustomers (withroomfortheircontactinfo)more canbeordered
Printedldquoslimjimrdquoprogrambrochure
Printedlengthierbrochuresaboutthe wholehouseapproach(brandedby Scientific American Magazine)
CDwithldquobuttonrdquotolinktoEnergyUpgrade fromtheirownwebsitesandPDFsofsite signageforprinting
Contractorswillhaveaccesstoaseparatesec-tionofthewebsitewheretheywillfindinfor-mationaboutProgrameventspromotionsand advertisinganon-demandprintsectionfor additionalcopiesofbrochuresanychanges totheProgramandasingletradecontractor databaseforassemblingteamsforcustomers whowouldlikesolarpanelsornewwindows forexample
6 Realtor Marketing
Giventhatthenationalaveragelengthofhome ownershipisroughlysixyearsrealestate agentswillbeincontactandadvisingalarge percentageofthenewandexistinghomeown-ersthatEnergyUpgradeistargetingforhome energyretrofitsThishighlevelofinfluence makesrealtorsoneofthelargestpartner groups
Realestateagentswillbeengagedonthree levels
1) Outreach
2) Training
3) Support
Outreach Outreachwillbeconductedthroughavariety ofvenuesthatwillincludeCaliforniaAssocia-tionofRealtorsreg(CAR)regionalconferences heldinSouthernCaliforniapartnershipwith themanyrealtorassociationslocatedinLos AngelesCountyanddirectvisitstorealestate agentsrsquoofficesforshortpresentationsPart-nershipswiththe15-20localRealtorsAsso-ciationswillbeachievedthroughoneormore RealtorAdvisoryBoardswhichincludethe GovernmentAffairsDirectorsfromeachof theseorganizationsAselectfewoftheseor-ganizationswillbeusedaspilotsfortargeted outreachduringearlystagesoftheProgram Oncethestrategyhasbeentestedandrevised itwillberolledouttoalloftheRealtorsAs-sociationsinLosAngelesCounty
ThefallCARRealtorExpowillbethemain kickoffeventforoutreachtoindividualreal-torsandrealtorofficesEnergyUpgradeplans tohavea30-minutetalkembeddedinthe SpeakersProgramandaboothsetuponthe ExpofloortoinformrealtorsaboutthePro-gramavailabletrainingsandthesupport
34 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
toolsthathavebeendevelopedThisevent willreachthemajorityofrealtorsintheLos Angelesareabutwillnotincludethelarge populationofrealestateagentsthatarenot membersofCARToreachthispopulation emailsocialmediaandtargetedofficevisits willbeconducted
Training EnergyUpgradewillprovidetrainingforreal estateagentsintwoformsTherealestate agenttrainingmodulecurrentlyunderdevel-opmentbyBuildItGreenwillbeusedasthe maintrainingforumThistrainingmodule isexpectedtotaketwofulldaystocomplete andwillcoverpropertyassessedcleanenergy financingenergyefficientmortgagesrebate programsbuildingscienceenergyefficiency andgreenbuildingpracticesappropriateto California
Additionalweb-basedtrainingwillbeprovided tointroducerealestateagentstotheProgram andtodrivethemtogetin-persontraining throughtheBuildItGreentrainingmodule
Support Cultivatingandclosingtoolswillbegener-atedtoassistrealtorsinusingEnergyUpgrade Californiatradetoexpandtheirbusinesswhile drivinghigherlevelsofprogramparticipation RealtorKitswillbesimilartotheContractor Kitsandtheywillhaveaccesstothedatabase ofgeneralandsingletradecontractors
7 Retail Partner Marketing
Utilitieswillpartnerwithretailoutletsthat canincludeBestBuyCostcoSearsLowes andHomeDepotParticipatingretailoutlets willbeprovided
Information centersEnd-displays detailingtheEnergyUpgradeProgram withadiagramillustratingthehouseas asystemconcept(multiplecomponents thatacttogethertomaximizesavings)and actionscustomerscantaketocapturethose savingsandrebatesIn-storecustomer educationcanshiftcustomerperception ofenergyupgradesandmotivatethem toparticipateinmultipleenergy-efficient measuresinsteadofjustoneAnadditional benefitfortheretailerisassociationwith thestatewideprogram
Program collateral One-sheet takeawaysforcustomerstoreference andshare
Video Theshortvideoscanbeplayed onaloop
Table tent cardsPlacedthroughout storesectionsthatcorrelatewiththe EnergyUpgradeProgram(CFLsappli-ancesceilingfansinsulationwindows) Againthiswillencouragecustomersto performmultipleenergyupgradesinstead ofjustoneCross-promotionhelpseducate customersandencourageparticipationin multiplemeasuresthusincreasingproduct purchase
Window clings ldquoOfficialEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaInformationCenterrdquotagline bannersplacedatstorefrontThiswillpo-sitiontheretailerasanactiveparticipantin thestatewideprogramandbuildsretailer credibilityasagreenadvocate
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 35
8 Multi-Family Outreach
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesandsched-ulesarestillinplanningphasesandbeing developedthroughastatewideconsortium
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesarebeing
developed
36 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
evaluation
Theprimarygoalsofthemarketingplanareto buildpositiveawarenessoftheEnergyUp-gradeCaliforniaProgramandcreateasus-tainedmarketforawholehouseapproach(see page8)Objectivesarespecifictothoseachiev-ingthosegoalsLosAngelesCountyresidents willseemultipleiterationsofmediacoverage paidadvertisingin-storedisplayscontractor marketingandin-personpresentations(inthe pilotmarketingareas)Forexamplearesi-dentinAltadenamightseethemoreintensive marketingandoutreacheffortsThatmayspur themtoactionmdashbutiftheyalreadyhadplans toremodelorhadpreviouslyworkedwitha contractortheymightcalltheircontractorand thusactuallycometotheprogramthrough thecontractorThereforeitwillnotbeeasy todeterminepreciselywhathasmotivated eachpersontoparticipateinEnergyUpgrade Objectivestomeetinclude
About35-45ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughthemarket-ingandoutreacheffortsTomonitorwe willincludeashortsurveyaspartofthe rebateapplicationprocessaskingpartici-pantswhatdrewthemtothewebsiteand totheProgramThewebsitecanmonitor clickthroughstocontractorssitesfrom theProgramwebsiteprovidinganindica-tionofpotentialparticpantswhocameto thesitebeforehavingacontractorOnce apropertyownerinputsanaddressthe websitewillbeabletospecificallymonitor ifthatparticipantasksformultiple estimatesfromcontractorsanotherindica-
toroffindingacontractorthroughthesite
About45-50ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughcontractors Wewillaskcontractorstoprovideinfor-mationabouttheirmarketingeffortsand successratesTheywillbeabletoidentify participantsgainedthroughtheirownmar-ketingefforts
300000uniquehitsonthewebsitewhich willbemonitoredbythewebsiteFurther thewebsitewillanalyzewherevisitors camefrom(egaclickthroughfroman onlineadfromacontractorrsquoswebsite orduringthespecifictimeframeofanad campaign)
Virtualandactualldquoword-of-mouthrdquore-portedbymonitoringsocialmedia
Communicationskitsandmarketingkits availablebothphysicallyandthroughan on-demandprintsitemonitoredbyclient
Informationalmaterialsforcitiesmoni-toredbySouthBayCitiesCouncilofGov-ernments
50000000mediaadvertisingin-person impressionsmonitoredbybroadcast printonlinestatisticsandreportsfrom grassrootsmarketingefforts
Consolidatedinformationinone-stop-shop approachwillbedeliveredthroughthe website
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 37
description of marketing communication tools
PlacedEarned Social Media ThePlancallsforsocialmediatopushinfor-mationtoourtargetaudiencesincreaseper-ceptionsoftheProgramascommunity-based reachthosewhowillhelpgenerateadditional buzzindependentmarketingeffortsaboutthe Programandprovideamechanismforlisten-ingtowhatpeoplearesayingaboutEnergy Upgrademdashandrespondingwhennecessary
Online Paid Advertising Onlineadvertisingcampaignscanbeverycost-effectiveandhighlytargetedbydemographics areasofinterestandgeographicsAdsappear ontopic-relatedblogsonsearchenginepages (egGoogle)andoncontentpages(egwhen yousearchforinformationaboutarelated topicandselectawebsitetoview)
Types of Users Targetadsbyage genderincomelanguagepreferencezip codeorhotspots
Types of SearchesTargetadsbytypeof searchconductedbasedonkeywords
Adsareusuallysoldperldquoclickrdquomdashtheviewer hasclickedontheadandbeensenttothe EnergyUpgradeCAwebsiteWewillmake fourtypesofonlineadpurchases
1 Googleadsthatplaceadsbothonits searchpagesandonhundredsofwebsites targetedbytheabove
2 Networksthattargetspecificsitesand blogsthatmatchourtargetaudiences(eg HiveBlogsLosAngelesthatoffers350LA blogstochoosefrom)
3 Directlythroughselectpublishers(eg CurbedLAGreenGirlLAlocalpapers online)
4 Onlineeditionsoflocalpapersinpilot marketingareas
Twitter Twitterusersaremostlycollegegraduates haveattendedgraduateschoolandlivein householdsmakingover$50000ayear (nationally)Usersarethreetimesmorelikely tofollowbrandsandcompaniesonTwitter thanotherusersofsocialnetworkswith40 specificallyusingTwittertolearnaboutand provideopinionsonbrands
Twittercanpushthelatestdevelopmentsand newstopeoplewhohaveexpressedaninter-estedintheProgram(theymustsignupto receiveourTweetsorhavesearchedfortag wordsincludedinourTweets)Itrsquosalsoan easywayforthosewhofollowEnergyUpgrade onTwittertoshareTweetswiththeirfriends
38 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
therebygeneratingbuzzandhelpingmarket theProgramTwittercanshareProgram newsinrealtimedrivepeopletothewebsite facilitateearlyadoptersbuzzmakersreach youngerhomeownersandincreasemarketing effortsatalowcostTwittercanbeeffectively usedtocommunicatetheProgramandits milestonesinavarietyofways
bull Tweetaboutpressreleasesmajoran-nouncementsnewitemsonwebsiteor blogsmediastoriesandarticlesespecially aboutthosethataretimesensitiveandtell ouraudiencewhatishappeningwiththe Programandencouragesthemtopartici-pateorfindoutmore
bull PutaTweeticononthemainwebsiteal-lowingvisitorstothewebsitetobeginto followEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLos AngelesCountyonTwitterwithoneclick
bull FollowotherswhoTweetaboutthe ProgramaswellasthosewhoTweetabout relatedtopicsThiswillprovideanop-portunitytodirectlyrespondtoaperson whohasaquestionabouttheProgramand pointthemtoalinktothewebsite
Tweet Examples
bull ldquo100LAhomeownershavesigned upfortheProgramatwwwEnergyUpgra-deCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoReadaboutLArsquosnewenergyefficiency rebateProgramintheLAtimes httpwwwlatimesgreenblogcomrdquo
bull ldquoWanttosaveonyourutilitybills CheckoutwwwEnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoSignupfortheHomeEnergyUpgrade contestforachancetowinafree homeenergyefficiencyretrofitat EnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
Cost and Budget
SettingupaTwitteraccountisfreeasisusing anapplicationsuchasTweetDeckthathelps followotherswhoareTweetingaboutEnergy UpgradeCaliforniaTheonlysignificantcostis stafftimewhichcanbelimitedtoafewhours aweek
Facebook Facebookisalow-costandeasywayofboth marketingtheProgramandsupportingan onlinecommunityofpeopleinterestedinthe ProgramItwillreachaudienceswhoaremore likelytospendtimeonFacebookversusaweb-siteandwhomayprefertoreceiveshortreal timeProgramnewsviaFacebookratherthan emailsorwebsitesItisidealforpostinglinks tovideosandphotosrelatedtotheprojectIt complementsthewebsiteaplacewherefans oftheProgramcanfindinformationaskques-tionsandshareideasandexcitementThese fanswillgeneratebuzzbytellingtheirfriends abouttheProgramthroughFacebook
AFacebookpagewillcontaininformation abouttheProgramalinktothewebsite Programnewsvideosphotographsandother informationWhenthepageisupdatedfans willreceivelinksinemailalertingthemtothe newposts
Facebookisalsoidealforsharingthestoryof anearlyadopter(whowillalsoTweet)through updatesphotographsandvideosItlends itselfmuchmorenaturallytothispeople-fo-cusedapproachthanawebsitewhichismore formal
Additionalpoints
bull EncourageandperhapsrewardProgram adopterstosharetheirexperiencesask questionsetc
bull Setupcontrolstodeterminewhatcontent Fanscanposttothewall
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 39
bull Monitorupdatestothewallandtakedown Therearemanyexistingblogsthatcanbeused inappropriatecontent
bull Respondtoissuesquestionsandtakepart intheconversation
bull Adesignatedstaffpersonshouldmonitor thesiteitisalsoidealifseveralstaff memberspostcontentandifpartnersare activeparticipantsalthoughtheoverall strategyshouldbecentralized
Facebook Examples
Herearesomeexamplesofthetypesofpost-ingsforaFacebookpage
bull ldquoTheLATimesdescribesEnergyUpgrade CAasaperfectopportunitytobegreenand savemoneymdashintheFridaymoneysectionrdquo
bull ldquoWhydidyoudecidetoparticipatein EnergyUpgradeCATellushowyour energyefficiencyretrofitisgoingandwersquoll enteryouforachancetowina$50Home Depotgiftcardrdquo
bull ldquoWonderingwhetherEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaisrightforyouCheckoutthis videooftheSmithsinstallingnewinsula-tionandwindows--andreceivinga$3500 rebaterdquo
Cost and Budget
Relativelyfewdirectcostsstafftimewill fluctuateduringbusycalmperiodswithhigh activityatthebeginningastheProgramkicks offandafanbaseisestablishedOngoingstaff timeneededtokeeppagefreshwith3-4posts weekdailymaintenancerequiredtomonitor postingsfromfans
Blogs Blogsreachtargetaudienceswhoarealready interestedinrelatedtopicsandwhohavehigh potentialtoparticipateintheProgram
tofurthermarketingefforts
bull Identifybloggerswhowilllikelywrite positivelyabouttheProgramSendpress releasefactsheetsandPrograminforma-tiontobloggerswhowriteabouttopics suchastheenvironmentenergyefficiency homeimprovementremodelingreal estatehousingbargainssavingmoneyas wellastocompaniesthatsellsolarpanels contractorsetc
bull Bloggersarelookingfortopicalstoriesto writeaboutandwewillmaketheirnext blogposteasyBecauseEnergyUpgradeis ahighrewardoptionalProgrambloggers willwritefavorablyandhelptellthestory inafriendlyaccessibleandeasy-to-under-standway(althoughwedonrsquothavecontrol overwhattheywrite)Peoplewhoaredis-satisfiedwillwritenegativecommentsbut wewillmonitorblogsandactivelycorrect misperceptions
bull Tomonitorwhatothersarewritingabout EnergyUpgradeontheirblogswewilluse freeprogramslikeTechnoratiorGoogle Readertoscanallblogsandwebsitesthat mentiontheProgram
Blogs to Reach
Green Girl LA Blog (httpgreenlagirlcom)Thisindependent blogisfocusedonenvironmentalhap-peningsinLosAngelesArecentpostwas aboutagreennetworkingeventfeaturing TheBuildingDoctorspresentingwaysto makeyourhousemoreenergyefficient PreviouslyareporterbloggerfortheLA Timesthewriterisactiveandcoversa widevarietyofenvironmentalgreentopics happeninginLosAngeles
40 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
LA Times HomeBlog (wwwlatimesblogslatimescomhome_
blog)focusesontopicsrelatedtohouses andhashadseveralrecentpostsabout greenremodelingOneadvantageofa majornewspaperisthatthereportingis accurateandthereadershipislargerThey recentlywroteaboutauditionsforThisOld HousewhichisfeaturingaLosAngeles areahouseforasummerremodel
Bargain Babe (wwwbargainbabelatownluxecom) featuresLosAngelesbargainsYoucan searchforbargainsbyareaofLA(West-sideetc)orbytopicThisbloggerrecently wroteaboutappliancerebates
LA Times Green Remodeling (wwwlatimesblogslatimescompar-donourdustgreen_remodeling)writes aboutalltopicsrelatedtoremodelingin SouthernCaliforniawithseveralrecent postsongreentopicsArecentpostre-viewedthedifferentadvantagesofinstall-ingvarioustanklesswaterheatersPitch thatthebloggerfollowahomeenergy retrofitandhelptelltheirstoryaswellas announcebasicPrograminformation
LA Times Personal Finance wwwlatimescombusinesspersonal-finance
Home Remodeling wwwkathysremodelingblogcom
Energy Efficiency wwwlowimpactlivingcomblog
LA CreekFreak
LA Observed
LAist
YouTube PostallvideosrelatedtotheprojectonYou-TubeWewillworkwithourmediapartners todevelopacontestforearlyadopterstofilm theirexperienceandletwebsitevisitorsvote onthebestWinnerreceivesaprizetobe determined
ListServes Listservesreachgroupsofpeoplewhoare interestedinasimilartopicorwholiveina specificneighborhoodSendemailblaststo listservessuchasneighborhoodassociations homeremodelersandenvironmentalgroups withanenergyfocusCitystaffhasinforma-tionaddressesofneighborhoodandhom-eownerassociationslists
Multimedia for Presentations Website Developanengaginginformative6-8minute videofocusingoncontractorsandhomeown-ersthatcanbeusedduringpresentationsand presentedonCityTVThevideowillbeshot bothinEnglishandinSpanishandcover
bull Howtherebatesworktocreateasenseof urgencyaboutdoingtheenergyupgrades soonerratherputtingitofftotakeadvan-tageoftherebates
bull Theldquosealthenenhancerdquowholehouse concept
bull WhattheProgramelementsactuallylook likeandhowtheyareinstalledtoover-comebarrierssuchasthatonemighthave tomoveoutofthehouseortheenergy upgradesareldquouglyrdquo
bull Workingwithacontractorwhatbeing licensedandcertifiedmeansgettingmul-tiplebids
bull Financingoptions
bull Doingthepaperwork
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 41
Fromthatvideodevelop
bull Threeindividual2-minutevideosforuse onlineeachfocusingonaspecifictopicmdash
againinbothEnglishandSpanish
bull A15anda30spoteachinEnglishand SpanishforuseonCityTVandbroadcast
stations
Print Collateral Customizable fact sheetsInforma-tionsheets(onepagefrontandback)in EnglishSpanishandChinesethatcanalso bepostedonthewebsiteasPDFs
Program brochureMorehighlyde-signedforplacementinmunicipaloffices andevents
Customizable Brochure Brandedwith SunsetMagazineorNationalGeographic forcontractorsandrealtorstohandto customers
SignageBannersforeventsandstreet lamppostspostersformunicipaloffices andsmalleventsandpotentiallysignage forbussidestransitshelters
Speakers kits Countyandcitystaffwillreceivekitstoensure everyoneisfamiliarwithkeymessagesandhas informationtogivetoconstituentsThesecan besentdirectlytocitiesordistributedthrough COGsKitswillcontain
bull Talkingpoints
bull DVDofthevideo
bull PPTpresentationforpublicmeetings
bull Printedbrochuresforpermitofficesto includewithwelcomepacketsfornewho-meowners
bull Articlesandphotostheycanrunintheir onlineorprintedcitynewsletters
bull CDwithtemplatesforquickprintingand websitebuttontolinkfromtheirwebsiteto EnergyUpgradeCalifornia
42 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
description of key messages
Thefollowingmessageshadthehighestreso-nanceinpollingandfocusgroupsbothinLos AngelesCountyandtheBayArea
Primary Motivators Thefollowingtwomessagesaboutsaving moneyarekeytomotivatingalltargetaudi-encesTheyshouldbepartofeverypieceof advertisingorcollateralproduced
1 RebatesHomeownerswhomakeenergy-savinghomeimprovementscanqualifyfor a$1500federaltaxcreditandrebatesof upto$3500dependingonhowmuchthey reduceenergyconsumptionAdditional motivatorTaxcreditsonlyavailable untilDecember312010(Rebatesare preferredovertaxcreditsbecauseitrsquoscash nowratherthanlateranddependingon incomenoteveryonecangetthecredit)
2 Save on Utility Bills Upgradingahome touselessenergyandwatercanreduce utilitybillsby20ormoremdashsavingyou moneyovertime
Secondary Motivators Thefollowingmessagesarethenlayeredde-pendingonwhichaudienceisbeingtargeted
Help the EnvironmentClimate Change Weallneedtodoourparttohelp theenvironmentandslowclimatechange Makingourhomesmoregreenandenergy efficientisanimportantstepweshouldall take
Reduce Foreign OilFossil FuelsAt atimewhenwearetryingtoreduceour dependenceonforeignoilandotherfossil fuelsupgradingtheenergyefficiencyof ourhomesisanimportantstepwecanall take(Infocusgroupstheconceptofenergy independencefurtherresonatedasinde-pendencefromutilitycompaniesgetting offthegrid)
Certified Contractors Save Money Speciallytrainedandcertifiedcontractors knowhowtofindimprovementsthatthe averagehomeownerwouldnotTheiras-sessmentswillensurethatyoufindmore energysavingsandthereforesavemore moneyonyourutilitybillsAdditional motivatorContractorsarecertifiedbythe BuildingPerformanceInstituteworking withtheDepartmentofEnergyandEnvi-ronmentalProtectionAgency
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 43
Increase Property ValuesHomesthat areenergy-efficientandenvironmentally friendlyaremoreappealingtohomebuyers Theseupgradescanincreaseyourproperty value
ComfortUpgradingyourhomersquosenergy efficiencymdashinparticularupgradinginsula-tionmdashcanmakeitamorecomfortableplace toliveNomoredraftycoldroomsinthe winterorhotstuffyroomsinthesummer
Indoor Air QualityInsulationand ventilationcanreduceallergyandasthma-causingmoldandmildewimproving indoorairqualityespeciallyforinfantsand thosewithhealthconditions
Messengers Homeownersprefertoreceiveinformation fromimpartialtrustedsourcesThesemes-sengersreceivedthehighestscoresinpolling
bull Neighborsandotherhomeowners
bull Contractorthehomeownerisalready workingwithorreferredbyfriendneigh-bor
bull Architectsdesignprofessionals
bull Gasandelectricutilities
bull Environmentalorganizations
bull Homeimprovementstorestaff(when equippedwithflyers)
44 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 45
- Cover
- Table of Contents13
- Summary Overview13
- Introduction13
- Programs Goals and Objectives13
- Marketing and Outreach Program Goals and Structure13
- Strategy13
- Evaluation13
- Description of Marketing Communication Tools13
- Description of Key Messages13
-
strategy
TheProgramwilluseamulti-layeredmulti-facetedmarketingandoutreachstrategythat targetsaudiencesbyidentifyingwhotheyare wheretheyliveandtheeventsgoingonin theirlivesMarketingeffortsinclude
1 Countywide Marketing (and Media Relations)
2 Pilot Area Marketing
3 Trigger-Event Marketing
4 City Outreach
5 Contractor Marketing
6 Realtor Marketing
7 Retail Partner Marketing
8 Multi-Family Marketing
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing
1 Countywide Marketing
Thestrategyisentirelyresearch-drivenfocus-ingonthosepropertyownersmostlikelyto undertakeahomeenergyupgradeAnover-archinglayerofmainstreammarketingand advertisingwillbeaimedatthreeaudiences
1 Early AdoptersThosewhoarestrong environmentalistsalreadypoisedtoldquodo therightthingrdquofortheenvironmentand whojustneedtohearaboutaprogramand rebates
2 ldquoRetrofit-ReadyrdquoThosewhoarealready planninghomeimprovementsandjust needalittlemoreinformationaboutwhat stepstotaketosavemoneyandldquodothe rightthingrdquofortheenvironment
3 ldquoRetrofit-Persuadablerdquo Thosewho arethinkingabouttheirutilitybills homecomforttheenvironmentorour dependenceonfossilfuelsforeignoil (especiallyinlightoftherecentGulfoil spill)andwhoneedinformationabout whattypesofimprovementstheycould makeandwhatstepstotaketosave energysavemoneyandreducefossilfuel consumption
Outreachwillbeaimedattargetaudiences throughbothmainstreamandmulticultural mediaTheadvertisingwillalsospillover ontoaudiencesinspecificgeographicareas providingadditionalimpressionstothose whoarealsotargetedinthePilotMarketing AreasThiswillalsoaddtothecitiesrsquoefforts topromotetheProgramastheirresidents willalsoseethecountywidemarketingefforts
18 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Marketingwillfocusoneachtargetaudience providingimpressionsclosetotheirhomeand reachingouttomoremassaudiencesCounty-widemarketingandoutreachwillinclude tacticsinthetablebelow
The One-Stop Shop Allinformationwillbeconsolidatedina one-stopshopapproacheitherinaldquobrick andmortarrdquolocationthroughthewebsiteor callcenteroratcommunityeventsProperty ownerswillhaveeasyaccesstoinformation
abouteligibleenergyefficiencymeasures andretrofitoptionseligibilityforCounty-administeredfinancialvehiclesandincentives eligibilityforutility-sponsoredrebatesand incentivesfederalrebateandtaxcreditinfor-mationandaccesstolistsofqualifiedenergy retrofitcontractors
Propertyownerswhoarenoteligiblefororin-terestedinEnergyUpgradeCaliforniawould alsobeabletofindoutaboutopportunities forweatherizationprogramslow-incomerate
countywide marketingoutreach tactics
Cable TV
County Events
Mass Media
Out of Home
Radio
Retail Partners
City Information
City TV
Local Media
Transit Shelters
Theaters
Billboards
Community of Interest
Newsletters
Contractor Marketing
Direct Mail to Hot Spots
Online Ads
Site Signage
Social Media
Community Newsletters
Local Events
Target Audience
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 19
subsidiesgreenjobstrainingandotherinitia- Parcel-Based Market Analysistivesavailabletoqualifiedhouseholds
Identifying Locations of Target Audiences Thegeographiclocationoftargetaudiences willbeidentifiedthroughtwomarketanalysis efforts
Pilot Marketing Areas TheCountywillintensifymarketingefforts inspecificpilotmarketingareaswherehigh percentagesoftheEarlyAdopterandRetrofit ReadyaudiencesliveThesepilotmarketareas willbeidentifiedthroughdemographicanaly-sisbaseduponextensivemarketresearchas wellasadetailedanalysisofkeycommunity resourcessuchasstrongcommunitynetworks andcommunity-basedorganizationsinfluen-tiallocalmedialdquocommunityfeelrdquoetc(For moreinformationonthepilotmarketareas approachandengagementstrategiesseepage 23)
Adetailedmarketanalysisisbeingconducted tosupportspecificpiecesoftheoutreachand communicationsstrategybyidentifyingthe locationofaudiencesthatarereceptivetospe-cificoutreachstrategiesThetableonthenext pagedemonstratesthemarketanalysisaudi-ences(scenarios)andmarketstrategiesthat arebeinganalyzedtoidentifythelocationof targetaudiencesThemarketanalysisisbeing conductedusingconsumermarketresearch combinedwithdemographicdataandprop-ertycharacteristicsdatafromtheCountyas-sessorThemainproductfortheanalysiswill beaseparateanalysisreport(expectedAugust 2010)Thisreportwillincludecountywide ldquoheatmapsrdquothatidentifytheareasthathave ahighproportionoftargetpropertiesandare thereforeidealareasfortargetedmarketing ThesemapscanbeusedforEnergyUpgrade Californiaorcontractormarketingstrategies
countywide market capture cascade
Early Adopters
Retrofit ready
Retrofit persuadable
The Next Phase No way
MESSAGES
bull environment bull Fossil Fuels bull Rebates
available
AddITIONAL MESSAGES
bull save money on utility bills
bull Rebates
bull long-term attitudinal change
available AddITIONAL MESSAGES
bull Property values bull comfort bull Health bull ReBates available
20 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
market analysis scenarios
Link between Pilot Market Areas and Parcel-Based Market Analysis
Theaudiencesbeingexaminedinthepilot marketingareasoverlapwithbutarenotthe sameasthoseinthemarketanalysisThe marketanalysisthereforesupportsthepilot marketareaidentificationintwoways
1 Itaddspropertycharacteristicsgleaned fromconsumerresearchtothepilotmarket areaanalysisInthiswayScenarios1and 2(RetrofitReadyandRetrofitPersuadable) providefurtherdetailtothepilotmarket areasandallowforgeneralmarketingto
MARkET ANALySIS SCENARIO
AUdIENCE IdENTIFIEd
dATA ANALyzEd RELATEd MARkETING STRATEGy
1-early adopters retrofit ready
environmentalists ready to take action now with information about rebates
Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Pilot Marketing areas
2-retrofit persuadable
those who need information about types of improvements with emphasis on rebates and cost savings
Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Pilot Marketing areas
3a-Built environment Heating and cooling
Middle-aged to newer homes located inland that are larger and often have high ac heating bills
Property characteristics location of Home
trigger event Marketing utility Bills Pilot area Marketing
3b-Built environment-Heating
smaller older coastal homes that may have comfort issues in winter
Property characteristics location of Home
trigger event Marketing comfort Pilot Marketing areas
4-multi-family Multi-family homeowners Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Multi-family Marketing Pilot Marketing areas
5-Whole neighborhood
tracts of similarly-aged and built homes
Property characteristics location of Home
Whole neighborhood Marketing Pilot Marketing areas
bedirectedtospecificproperties(when appropriate)
2 Italsoidentifiesotherkeyaudiences (Scenarios3a3b4and5)thatcorrelate toothermarketingstrategiesasshown intableaboveTheresultsofthese scenarioswillbeoverlaidontopofthepilot marketareastoidentifyspecificparcels thatmayrespondtospecificmarketing strategiesForexamplewhenoverlaying thepropertiesidentifiedinScenario5 (Whole-NeighborhoodScenario)with thepilotmarketingareastheCounty canidentifypropertieswithinthepilot
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 21
marketingareathatwouldrespondtoa whole-neighborhoodmarketingapproach (bulkpurchasingmodelhomesasingle contractoretc)
Home Energy Makeover Contest HomeEnergyMakeoverContestsgenerate atremendousamountofpublicityandhave beensuccessfullyconductedinmanyother statesandcitiesTheyattractthousandsof entrantsTheconceptistobothgarnerfree publicityandmodelthebehaviortheProgram istryingtoencouragebyshowingtheldquowhole houseapproachrdquohoweasyupgradescanbe howmuchtherebatescanreducetheproject costandhowmuchdifferencetheymaketoa home
Thecontestwillalsodemonstratethemarket acceptanceforthehomeperformanceap-proachtotraditionalsingle-measurecontrac-torsThosecontractorswillseehowmany peopleenterthecontesttowinahomeperfor-mancemakeoverbasedonthewholehouseap-proachAllthosewhoenteredareleadswho maybeinterestedinawholehouseapproach ratherthansinglemeasures
Entrantsmustbeover18liveinLosAnge-lesCountyandownthehomeinwhichthey residethecontestcanbelimitedtothose whoreceiveservicefromSouthernCalifornia EdisonandorSouthernCaliforniaGas(in otherwordsitcanincludeorexcluderesi-dentsservedbymunicipalutilities)Entrants submitinformationabouttheirhomeand theirenergyconsumptionandgivepermis-sionfortheProgramjudgestoviewtheir energyconsumptionduringthepreviousyear Finalistsarebasedonthehighestenergycon-sumptionpersquarefootofamedian-sized homeAbout20finalistsreceivefreeenergy auditsfortheirhomesBasedontheaudit (andadditionalcriteriawewilldetermine)five winninghomesreceiveupto$15000inhome
energyimprovements(whichcanbesupple-mentedbyrebatesandadditionalfunding fromthepropertyowner)Thewinneragrees tomediacoverageanopenhouseandtoblog andorTweetduringandaftertheretrofit Wewillworkwithcontractorstogetsponsor-shipsaswellasdonatedauditsandupgrade elements
OnecontestwillbeheldinFall2010(withfive winners)andasecondcontestheldduring Springof2011(withfivewinners)
Aseparatecontestcouldbeheldformulti-familybuildingswithahigherwinning amount
Countywide Incentives TheProgramwillestablishalistofnon-profit organizationsthatareactiveinpromoting greenhomessustainabilityandotherenvi-ronmentalorcommunityprojectsEveryone intheCountywhocompletesanenergyaudit maydesignateanon-profitorganizationto receiveadonationfromtheProgramInfor-mationabouttheeligibleorganizationswill beonthewebsiteThiswillencouragethose non-profitstopromotetheProgramtotheir membersltNotethisconceptisstillbeing developedgt
Direct Mail Utilitieswillplacemessagesonouterbillen-velopessenttocustomersTheywillalsosend directmailaboutEnergyUpgradetoldquotarget areasrdquobasedonacombinationofenergy usageageofhomeandhouseholdincome DirectmailisscheduledforOctober2010
County Events Utilitieswillbeattendinglargeeventssuch astheSeptember2010and2011LACounty Fairswithawholehousethemethatincludes aminimodelhousethatvisitorscanldquotourrdquo Additionalproposedeventsinclude
22 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
bull LeagueofCitiesAnnualConference workshop(September2010)
bull PomonaHomeImprovementShow (October2010)
bull RemodelingShowattheLACountyFair (October2010)
bull CaliforniaAssociationofRealtors (October2010)
bull BuildingIndustryShow(November2010)
bull SouthernCaliforniaHomeImprovement Show(November2010)
bull NeighborWorksAmerica(February2011)
Online and Social Media TheProgramwillusesocialmediatoinex-pensivelyreachtargetaudiencesbeginningat launchandcontinuingthroughoutthePro-gramwithbriefpausesforrefiningThiswill beaccomplishedthroughoptimizingsearch wordsforsearchenginessuchasGoogleand Bingreachingappropriateindependentblogs aYouTubevideocontest(runbyamediapart-ner)andencouragingblogpostsandTweets byearlyadoptersandtheProgramitself(see DescriptionsofMarketingCommunications ToolsandDescriptionsofTargetAudiencesfor moredetails)Inadditionutilitieswilldevote spaceforinformationandalinkontheirland-ingpages
Countywide Media Buys Withalatesummerfalllaunchdatemedia buysneedtobespreadtoavoidtheelection monthofOctober2010EnergyUpgradeCali-forniainLosAngelescansponsoraweather broadcastmdashliveonlineandmobilemdashaswell as15and30spotsduringotherbroadcasts Wewillalsopurchaseliveandonlinespots withUnivisiontheSpanish-languagestation Radiobuyswillinclude15NationalPublic Radio(KPCCandKCRW)sponsorshipsand variousdrive-timespotsonEnglishandin-
languageAMandFMstationsSocialmedia buysincludeGoogleWordsandblogads(see DescriptionsofMarketingCommunications Tools)Printmediabuyswillbeinmulticul-turalpapers
(Afullmediabuyplanandschedulewillbe availableinAugust)
Countywide Media Relations TheProgramwillcoordinateCountyandutil-ityeffortsandwiththeCaliforniaEnergyCom-missionCaliforniaPublicUtilitiesCommis-sioneffortsMediarelationswillbeinthree phasespre-launchlaunchandmilestones
Pre-Launch (August ndash September)
bull DevelopandprovideaSpeakerrsquosKit withtalkingpoints
bull OrganizeCountymedialaunchevent (potentiallyenlistawillinghomeowner whosehousemightserveasalaunching padformediatours)
bull Respondtorequestsfromcities
bull Providepre-writtenarticlesforcity communitynewsletters
bull Issuepresskitsandpressrelease(in EnglishandSpanish)announcing launch
Launch (October)
bull Mediaeventtoannouncelaunchand HomeEnergyMakeoverContestpoten-tiallyon-siteatahousetodemonstrate upgrades
bull SendoutradioPSAs
Milestones (through 2013)
bull Mediaeventtoannouncewinnersofthe HomeEnergyMakeovercontest(could beconductedon-sitesurprisingthe winners)
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 23
bull ldquoRe-launchrdquopressreleaseandmedia eventinMarch2011forasecondHome EnergyMakeoverContestwithastrong ldquogetreadyforsummerrdquotheme
bull Pressreleasewhen10000thperson receivesarebate
bull Pressreleasewhenotherappropriate milestonesarereachedorthefunding forincentivesisclosetobeingdepleted
2 Pilot Marketing Areas
Itwillbecriticalforthelong-termsuccessof marketingeffortstohaveasignificantnumber ofearlysuccessesthatgeneratepositivepub-licityandword-of-mouthencouragingothers toalsoparticipateTheCountyintendsto stimulatethemarketfortheseearlyadopters byintensifyingmarketingeffortsinspecific pilotmarketingareas(withzipcodebound-aries)wherebasedonextensiveconsumer
countywide marketingoutreach tactics
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
television
ad buys on Broadcast tV univision google tV Paid county
ldquothis old Houserdquo segment on whole house per-formance and rebates while renovating house (filming in la this summer)
earned county
coverage on mainstream and multicultural sta-tions
earned utilities county
ldquoinfomercialrdquo and promos on city tV Placed county
radio
nPR sponsorship Paid county
commute time spots Paid county
coverage on california Report earned utilities county
Psas on mainstream stations Placed utilities county
spots on multicultural stations Paid county
coverage in mainstream and multicultural papers
earned utilities county
sunset Magazine green Home section earned county
ads in la times and Daily news real estate sections
Paid utilities county
ads in multicultural papers Paid county
Direct Mail to targets Paid utilities
24 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
countywide marketingoutreach tactics (conrsquot)
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
social media
Blogs (about homes environment bargains) earned county
Facebook page Placed county
ads targeted to interest in environment and or home improvements (this old House etc)
Paid county
google adWords targeted to interest in environment andor home improvements
Paid county
twitter both by the Program and by individual early adopters (with incentives)
Placed county
youtube early adopters make a video about their experience and results (with incentives)
Placed county
out of Home
Retail kiosks banners flyers links on retail websites
Placed utilities
community organizations
environmental groups and others newsletters websites email blasts
earned county
Home improvement shows booths Paid county
countywide events Paid utilities
Bloggersubject matter events Paid county
researchhighpercentagesoftargetaudiences livePilotmarketingprogramsinthoseareas willtesttheextentcommunity-basedmarket-ingpositivelyimpactsparticipationratesan effortrelatedtoRetrofitRampUpproposal requirements
Demographicdataprovidedbythemarketre-searchwillbeoverlaidwithenergyusagedata AdditionallyGIS-basedmarketanalysisatthe parcellevel(describedabove)willallowfor pinpointingofspecificneighborhoodswithin thepilotareasforoutreachthatcaninclude
door-to-doordirectmailandmarketingby contractorsaspartofaldquowholeneighbor-hoodrdquoapproachFocusingonpilotareaswill alsomeettheRetrofitRampUprequirements oftheDepartmentofEnergyFollowingisa summaryofplannedmarketingandoutreach efforts
Marketresearch-basedcriteriaforchoosing about15pilotareaswillinclude
Clusters of houses built before 1978 Thoselivinginolderhomesespecially
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 25
builtbeforeCaliforniarsquosEnergyEfficiency Standardsaremorelikelytobelievethat theirhousemightbeenergyinefficient andcouldbenefitfromenergyefficiency improvementsmdashandberesponsivetoan energyupgrade
High percentage of homeownership Thesemarketingeffortsfocusonsingle-familyresidentialhomeownerssoareas withhighrentalrateswillnotprovidea largeenoughnumberofeligibleunits
Income over $60000Thosewith incomesunder$60000didnotbelieve theywouldhavesufficientincometomake improvementsevenwithrebatesThey werenotinterestedinloans(manywith lowincomesalsofindthemselvesldquounder-waterrdquoontheirloansandthusnoteligible forsomefinancing)Inadditionwefound somepush-backinfocusgroupsabout ldquogovernmentofferingloanstopeoplewho canrsquotaffordthemafterthesub-primeloan debaclerdquo
Population with a high percentage of college-educatedThosewithacollege degreearemuchmorelikelytoindicate apreferencetomakeenergyefficiency upgradesThosewhohadcompletedsome collegeeducationarealsomorelikelyto indicateapreferenceforenergyefficiency upgradesthanthosewhohadnotcom-pletedany
Population with a high percentage of those age 35-54Thosewithchildren andorexpandingfamiliesaremorelikely tomakeimprovementsthanthoseunder 30(thereareveryfewhomeownersunder 30)andthoseover54
High percentage of households with 4+ peopleHouseholdswithmorepeople havehigherenergybillsResearchshows thatthoseinhomeswithmorethan4
peoplebelieveenergyupgradescanmakea bigimpactontheirbills
High energy usage Thehigherenergy usage(andbills)themorelikelypeopleare tobelievethatenergyefficiencyimprove-mentswillmakeadifferenceintheirbills
Afterlayeringthisinformationtocomeup withalistofpotentialareaswefurthercon-sidered
Clusters of 8000-20000 homesThe areashouldbelargeenoughtoprovidesub-stantialnumbersofeligibleunitsbutsmall enoughtoenablereachingmajorityofresi-dentsandgeneratingword-of-mouth
Has a diverse multicultural commu-nityAreasshouldhavestrongcommunity identitiesandsenseofplacesocommunity membersareproudofwheretheyliveand areencouragedtoimprovetheircommu-nity
Has strong neighborhood and com-munity organizationsWeneedto engagetheseorganizationsaspartnersto helpspreadtheword
Has existing communications such as newsletters blogsWeneedtoreach membersthroughexistingcrediblesources thatresidentsalreadyuseandtrust
ldquoSpill overrdquo opportunities to nearby neighborhoodsSincemarketingand mediaeffortswillpotentiallyalsobeseen byneighborsareasshouldbenearother areasthatmayalsomeettheprimary criteria
Climatetime of yearIndetermining whentorolloutthepilotswecantarget interiorareasinspringandcoastalareasin coldweather
26 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Basedonthemarketresearchcriteriafive pilotmarketingareasarescheduledforintense marketingatlaunchwithanadditional10 areasscheduledforintensemarketingin Spring2011
Thepilotmarketstrategyissupportedby theparcel-basedmarketanalysiswhichwill identifywhichneighborhoodspropertieswill bethebesttotargetusingthisapproachThe marketanalysiswillallowlimitedmarketing fundingtobeleveragedbyfocusingonthose thataremostlikelytorespondtothemarket-ingefforts
Wewillcreatemessagesandvisualsspecifical-lytailoredtoeachtargetcommunityrsquoscultural andlinguisticpreferencesImagessymbols andiconstypographycolorandoverall designcarrydifferentmeaningsindifferent culturesAmessageistypicallymosteffective ifitiscreatedwithcarefulattentiontothese idiosyncrasiesandwithintheldquoculturalmind-setrdquooftherecipientsCreatingheadlinesand taglinesdirectlyinthetargetlanguagerather thansimplytranslatingEnglishadvertising copyensuresthatcopyhasthecorrectrhythm andrhymeandisthereforemuchmore attention-grabbingandmemorable
Community Incentives Energy Champion Program Severalconceptsareunderconsiderationto developacommunityincentivestrategyto promoteparticipationinlinewiththeRetrofit RampUpproposalforinnovativeincentiveap-proachesIncentivesmaybedirectedatenergy auditscommunity-basedorganizationsthose willingtoprovidetestimonialsorblogtweet andpublicrecognitionefforts
Grassroots Community Organizing-Trainedorganizerswillpresentinformationat themeetingsof12-15influentialcommunity leadersandcommunity-basedorganizationsin
eachpilotareacapturetheircontactdataand helpspreadtheinformationtotheirmembers throughtheirnewsletterseventsandwebsites TheProgramwillprovidepre-writtencus-tomizablearticlespresentationsorvideoand websiteldquobuttonsrdquotolinktotheProgramsite Eachgroupwillbeofferedanincentiveofado-nationtotheirorganizationforeverymember whocompletesahomeenergyupgradeThis willencourageCBOvolunteerstoincrease theirmarketingeffortsFriendlyrivalrieswill beencouragedCommunitygroupswillreport namesofparticipantscheckedforjobcomple-tionbytheProgram(underdevelopment)
Community Events One-on-onefacetimewithhomeownersis anidealwaytoengagepotentialparticipants Well-trainedorganizerswillattendfiveevents ineachtargetareaprovidinghomeowners withinformation(pocketsizemultilingual handouts)andcapturingtheircontactinfor-mationforfollowupTheycanhavehome-ownerssignuponthewebsiteonsiteifappro-priateandperhapsevenhavethemprovideus withavideocommitmentldquoItookthePledgerdquo withpermissiontopostonthewebsiteAsa luretotheboothhomeownerswillbeoffered freeitemssuchaslightbulbsmagnetsand reusablecupswithcoldwater(imprintedwith thewebsite)manufacturedintheUS
Print Radio Outdoor and Out-of Home Advertising Localmediawillcoverthelaunchofthe Programandwewillstrategicallyplaceads inlocalmediaandcommunitynewsletters Outdooradvertising(smallstreet-levelbiode-gradableeco-postersbussheltersbussides) strategicallyplacedinhigh-trafficareaswillre-inforcethemessageoveraone-monthperiod
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 27
Pilot Area Example Altadena Altadenawasidentifiedasacommunitythat fitsourtargetcriteriaItisadiverseunincor-poratedcommunitywithsixneighborhoods andanapproximatepopulationof40000The averagehouseholdincomeisabout$94000 Morethan50ofadultresidentsaremarried withchildrenandcommuteanaverageof62 milesperdaytowhite-collarjobsFully40of theadultsinthiscommunityhaveabachelors
degreeorhigherandareinvolvedinmany communityeventsandorganizationsThere areapproximately12000homesinthiscom-munityand10000ofthosehomesareowner-occupiedThegraphicshowshowoutreach wouldbeconcentratedinthisarea
pilot area outreachmarketing tactics
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
radio
Psas on multicultural stations earned county
coverage in local papers earned county
ads in local and multicultural papers Paid county
outdoor
Bus shelters in area Paid county
on-street lampost signage Paid county
Billboards Paid county
social media
Blogs (relevant to the area) earned county
online ads targeted by location Paid county
listserves of neighborhood associations (through cities)
earned county
out of Home
Movie theater ads in area Paid county
lawn signs on homes in area (through contractors)
Paid county
community organizations
community meetings with incentives to organizations for participation
earnedPaid county
community events Paid county Door hangers Paid county
28 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Home Depot
Ace Hardware
Lowersquos
Master Builders
Great Indoors
Home Expo
altadena marketing target
Hoy La Opinioacuten
Pasadena Star News
Altadena Headlines Examiner
Boulevard Magazine
Arroyo Magazine
Pasadena Weekly
Altadena Connection
Sentinel
KLVE
KPCC Pasadena
KCBS
KROQ Pasadena
KAZN Pasadena
Church Bulletins
Summer Concert Series at Farnsworth Park
Fourth of July Fireworks at
Town amp Country Club
Black History Parade
World Music Festival in Pasadena
Haunted House at
Farnsworth Park
Art Break
Rose Parade
National Latino
Congreso
Altadena Neighborhood Association
Altadena Chamber of Commerce
Altadena Arts Council
Altadena Town Council
Faith-based Organizations
Altadena Town amp Country Club
Altadena League of
Women Voters
Altadena Historical Society
Altadena Community Improvement Center
Sheriff Support Group
Santa Coming to Farnsworth
Park
Altadena California
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 29
3 Trigger-Event Marketing
Thissuiteofstrategieswillbeaimedatcaptur-ingenergyefficiencyopportunitiesfrommul-tipletriggereventsParticipantswillmainly comethroughcontractorsrealtorsandretail partnerspropertyownerswillhavealsoseen countywideadvertising
trigger event marketing
4 City and COG Outreach
OutreachbyCitiesandCOGswillbecritical becauseoftheirexistingrelationshipswith localconstituenciesCitieswillbeprovided withamini-marketingplantalkingpoints videocustomizabletemplatesoffactsheets articlesfortheirnewslettersandadvertising
EvENT dESCRIPTION LEAd AGENT COLLATERAL TACTIC
1 Replace on burnout (heating air conditioners water heaters)
Homeowners either in process of replacing an item or have already done some efficiency projects
county bull Retail partners
bull HVac installers
bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors installers
bull Retail displays
2 life-stage changes (growing family)
Homeowners working with a contractor
county bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors bull ads in media for home remodels
3 Home remodel Homeowners working with an architect contractor
county bull contractors bull architects
bull Materials for contractors
bull ads in media for home remodels
3 improvements at time of purchase
Homeowners interested are preparing a new home for move-in (research shows more interest at purchase than at sale)
shared bull contractors bull Realtors bull Home
inspectors bull city permit
offices bull city welcome
kits bull Retail
bull Brochures for cities
bull ads in weekend homes for sale sections
bull Presentations to realtor groups
bull Retail displays
4 improvements at sale
House owners preparing for sale
county bull contractors bull Realtors
bull Materials for contractors
5 complaints high utility bills cold hot house
Homeowners aware of energy-saving improvements but not whole house approach
county bull contractors bull HeRs raters
bull Materials for contractors
30 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
city amp cog outreach
materialssotheycandeveloplow-costout-reachtotheirresidentsCitieswithcommuni-tiestargetedinthePilotAreaMarketingplans willbeinformedandencouragedtodoout-reachtothoseareasAllCitieswillbeencour-agedtodothefollowing
Run stories in print and online news-letters
Send information to neighborhood associations homeowners associa-tions historic preservation districts and other appropriate community organizations
Provide information in City permit-ting offices and City Hall lobbies
Provide information at strategically located Environmental Information Centers and at COG office locations
Provide information in ldquonew home-ownersrdquo welcome kits (either directly from the city or through title compa-
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAId EARNEd
LEAd
pio coordination contact all participating citiesrsquo Pios na county
letters Key messages for letters from mayors etc to constituents Provide to Pios or city managers
na county
Website links Button for cities to place on their website to link to Program site
na county
city tV informational videos and spot promos Placed county
Welcome brochure
Brochure aimed at new homeowners before they move in
na county
articles Pre-written customizable newsletter articles earned county
email blasts Pre-written customizable info spots for communityneighborhood listserves
earned county
niesmortgage brokers)
Run videos and spots on City TV stations
5 Contractor Marketing
Localcontractorsarecriticaltothesuccess ofEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLosAngeles CountyTheyprovidetheservicesthatcom-prisetheProgramandtheycanhelpmarket theProgramtopropertyownersInfactwe estimatethatupto50ofProgrampartici-pantswillentertheProgramthrougharela-tionshipwithacontractor(theymayhavealso seenmediacoverageandadvertisingwhich spurredthemtotakeaction)Thisuniquerole requiresthattheProgramtakeatwo-tiered approachofengagingthecontractormdashmoti-vatinglocalbuildingprofessionalstoundergo thetrainingandcertificationprocessandalso providingthemwiththetoolstoeffectively promotetheprogramtoexistingandnew clientsThefollowingsectiondescribesspecific
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 31
contractor target
United Brotherhood Building Industry Carpenters (Training)
Association ofSouthern California
Email Blast
Contractors Magazines
Contractor
OnlineAds
Big Box Stores
ConractorsLicensing Schools
Realtor Associations
strategiesassociatedwithbothapproaches
Forthepurposesoftheprogramcontractors aredividedintoparticularsegmentsbasedon thetypeofserviceprovidedAninitialanalysis oftheindustryrevealedthefollowinglikely categories
HomePerformance(HP)Contractors
ProductionBuilders
HVACSystemSpecialtyTrades (windowsetc)
RemodelingContractors
SolarContractors
BuildingPerformance
Institute
Southwest Regional
City Permit Association
Offices of Carpenters
Lumber Yards
StateLicensing
Board
American Instituteof Architects
LA Chapter
Outreach to Contractors TheProgramwillcoordinatewithcontractor groupsandotherbuildingprofessionaltrade organizationstoschedulebriefpresentations abouttheProgramandthecontractortraining processForlargerorganizationsthePro-grammayworkdirectlywiththecompanyto arrangeon-sitepresentationsThesepresenta-tionsareinformalinnatureandwillbeusedto promotethecertificationorientationsrequired forcontractorparticipationintheprogram
KeyMessagestoContractors
$30millioninAmericanRecoveryand ReinvestmentActmoneyisworkinginLA Countytocreateconstructionindustryjobs
32 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
EnergyUpgradeCaliforniaOffersbig rebatesandfinancingoptionsfor homeownersdoinghomeenergy efficiencyretrofits
Therewillbemarketingandadvertis-ingstatewideandlocallytopromotethe Program
Therewillbemarketingmaterialsforyou tousetomarketyourbusiness
YoumustbelicensedandBuildingPerfor-manceInstitute-certifiedtobepartofthe Program
HomeownersmustworkwithBPI-certified contractorstheyrsquollchoosefromacontrac-tordatabaseonthewebsite
KeyOutreachMethods
BuildingIndustryAssociationofSouthern California
SouthwestRegionalCouncilofCarpenters
RealtorsAssociation
UnitedBrotherhood-Carpenters(Training Program)
Citypermittingoffice
Lumberyards
AmericanInstituteofArchitectsLA Chapter(toeducatethemaswell)
ArticlesinformationinContractortrade publications(magazinesnewslettersetc) magazines
CarpentersUnionLocals
ContractorsLicenseSchools(andonline)
BigBoxHomeImprovementstores(de-pendingonIOUrelationships)
wwwcslbcagov
Emailblasttoalllicensedcontractors
Contractor Outreach to Consumers Differentopportunitiesexistfordifferent contractorsdependingontheprobablework scopeThefollowingtableoutlinesafew potentialpathwaysforhowcontractorscan participateintheProgram
contractors outreach to customers
CONTRACTOR TyPE
TRIGGER EvENT vALUE TO CONTRACTOR
BUSINESS MOdEL
Home Performance upgrade lead generation scale for high volume
Production Builder new Business Development
create new division
HVac Replacement lead generation Value-add
expand services
specialty trade lead generation Partner with certified gc
Remodeler Remodel life-stage transition
Value-add sub work to HP contractor
solar Renewables lead generation Partner with certified gc
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 33
BPI-certifiedgeneralcontractorswillbelisted ontheEnergyUpgradeconsumerwebsite sendingmanyleadsdirectlytothemThey alsohaveaccesstotheldquoheatmapsrdquotousefor developingtheirownadvertisingcampaigns
Contractorswillbeattendingorientationses-sionstoensuretheythoroughlyunderstand theProgramrebatesfinancingoptionsand canhelpguidetheircustomersthroughthe processTheywillbeprovidedwithContractor MarketingKitstoensuretheyhaveathandthe keymessagesthathavebeenresonatingwith homeownersandhaveinformationtogive topotentialcustomerswhomightormight nothavebeentothewebsiteKitscanbesent directlytocontractorsordistributedatthe orientationsessionsKitswillcontain
Talkingpoints
DVDofthevideo
Printedfactsheetstoleavewithcustomers (withroomfortheircontactinfo)more canbeordered
Printedldquoslimjimrdquoprogrambrochure
Printedlengthierbrochuresaboutthe wholehouseapproach(brandedby Scientific American Magazine)
CDwithldquobuttonrdquotolinktoEnergyUpgrade fromtheirownwebsitesandPDFsofsite signageforprinting
Contractorswillhaveaccesstoaseparatesec-tionofthewebsitewheretheywillfindinfor-mationaboutProgrameventspromotionsand advertisinganon-demandprintsectionfor additionalcopiesofbrochuresanychanges totheProgramandasingletradecontractor databaseforassemblingteamsforcustomers whowouldlikesolarpanelsornewwindows forexample
6 Realtor Marketing
Giventhatthenationalaveragelengthofhome ownershipisroughlysixyearsrealestate agentswillbeincontactandadvisingalarge percentageofthenewandexistinghomeown-ersthatEnergyUpgradeistargetingforhome energyretrofitsThishighlevelofinfluence makesrealtorsoneofthelargestpartner groups
Realestateagentswillbeengagedonthree levels
1) Outreach
2) Training
3) Support
Outreach Outreachwillbeconductedthroughavariety ofvenuesthatwillincludeCaliforniaAssocia-tionofRealtorsreg(CAR)regionalconferences heldinSouthernCaliforniapartnershipwith themanyrealtorassociationslocatedinLos AngelesCountyanddirectvisitstorealestate agentsrsquoofficesforshortpresentationsPart-nershipswiththe15-20localRealtorsAsso-ciationswillbeachievedthroughoneormore RealtorAdvisoryBoardswhichincludethe GovernmentAffairsDirectorsfromeachof theseorganizationsAselectfewoftheseor-ganizationswillbeusedaspilotsfortargeted outreachduringearlystagesoftheProgram Oncethestrategyhasbeentestedandrevised itwillberolledouttoalloftheRealtorsAs-sociationsinLosAngelesCounty
ThefallCARRealtorExpowillbethemain kickoffeventforoutreachtoindividualreal-torsandrealtorofficesEnergyUpgradeplans tohavea30-minutetalkembeddedinthe SpeakersProgramandaboothsetuponthe ExpofloortoinformrealtorsaboutthePro-gramavailabletrainingsandthesupport
34 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
toolsthathavebeendevelopedThisevent willreachthemajorityofrealtorsintheLos Angelesareabutwillnotincludethelarge populationofrealestateagentsthatarenot membersofCARToreachthispopulation emailsocialmediaandtargetedofficevisits willbeconducted
Training EnergyUpgradewillprovidetrainingforreal estateagentsintwoformsTherealestate agenttrainingmodulecurrentlyunderdevel-opmentbyBuildItGreenwillbeusedasthe maintrainingforumThistrainingmodule isexpectedtotaketwofulldaystocomplete andwillcoverpropertyassessedcleanenergy financingenergyefficientmortgagesrebate programsbuildingscienceenergyefficiency andgreenbuildingpracticesappropriateto California
Additionalweb-basedtrainingwillbeprovided tointroducerealestateagentstotheProgram andtodrivethemtogetin-persontraining throughtheBuildItGreentrainingmodule
Support Cultivatingandclosingtoolswillbegener-atedtoassistrealtorsinusingEnergyUpgrade Californiatradetoexpandtheirbusinesswhile drivinghigherlevelsofprogramparticipation RealtorKitswillbesimilartotheContractor Kitsandtheywillhaveaccesstothedatabase ofgeneralandsingletradecontractors
7 Retail Partner Marketing
Utilitieswillpartnerwithretailoutletsthat canincludeBestBuyCostcoSearsLowes andHomeDepotParticipatingretailoutlets willbeprovided
Information centersEnd-displays detailingtheEnergyUpgradeProgram withadiagramillustratingthehouseas asystemconcept(multiplecomponents thatacttogethertomaximizesavings)and actionscustomerscantaketocapturethose savingsandrebatesIn-storecustomer educationcanshiftcustomerperception ofenergyupgradesandmotivatethem toparticipateinmultipleenergy-efficient measuresinsteadofjustoneAnadditional benefitfortheretailerisassociationwith thestatewideprogram
Program collateral One-sheet takeawaysforcustomerstoreference andshare
Video Theshortvideoscanbeplayed onaloop
Table tent cardsPlacedthroughout storesectionsthatcorrelatewiththe EnergyUpgradeProgram(CFLsappli-ancesceilingfansinsulationwindows) Againthiswillencouragecustomersto performmultipleenergyupgradesinstead ofjustoneCross-promotionhelpseducate customersandencourageparticipationin multiplemeasuresthusincreasingproduct purchase
Window clings ldquoOfficialEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaInformationCenterrdquotagline bannersplacedatstorefrontThiswillpo-sitiontheretailerasanactiveparticipantin thestatewideprogramandbuildsretailer credibilityasagreenadvocate
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 35
8 Multi-Family Outreach
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesandsched-ulesarestillinplanningphasesandbeing developedthroughastatewideconsortium
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesarebeing
developed
36 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
evaluation
Theprimarygoalsofthemarketingplanareto buildpositiveawarenessoftheEnergyUp-gradeCaliforniaProgramandcreateasus-tainedmarketforawholehouseapproach(see page8)Objectivesarespecifictothoseachiev-ingthosegoalsLosAngelesCountyresidents willseemultipleiterationsofmediacoverage paidadvertisingin-storedisplayscontractor marketingandin-personpresentations(inthe pilotmarketingareas)Forexamplearesi-dentinAltadenamightseethemoreintensive marketingandoutreacheffortsThatmayspur themtoactionmdashbutiftheyalreadyhadplans toremodelorhadpreviouslyworkedwitha contractortheymightcalltheircontractorand thusactuallycometotheprogramthrough thecontractorThereforeitwillnotbeeasy todeterminepreciselywhathasmotivated eachpersontoparticipateinEnergyUpgrade Objectivestomeetinclude
About35-45ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughthemarket-ingandoutreacheffortsTomonitorwe willincludeashortsurveyaspartofthe rebateapplicationprocessaskingpartici-pantswhatdrewthemtothewebsiteand totheProgramThewebsitecanmonitor clickthroughstocontractorssitesfrom theProgramwebsiteprovidinganindica-tionofpotentialparticpantswhocameto thesitebeforehavingacontractorOnce apropertyownerinputsanaddressthe websitewillbeabletospecificallymonitor ifthatparticipantasksformultiple estimatesfromcontractorsanotherindica-
toroffindingacontractorthroughthesite
About45-50ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughcontractors Wewillaskcontractorstoprovideinfor-mationabouttheirmarketingeffortsand successratesTheywillbeabletoidentify participantsgainedthroughtheirownmar-ketingefforts
300000uniquehitsonthewebsitewhich willbemonitoredbythewebsiteFurther thewebsitewillanalyzewherevisitors camefrom(egaclickthroughfroman onlineadfromacontractorrsquoswebsite orduringthespecifictimeframeofanad campaign)
Virtualandactualldquoword-of-mouthrdquore-portedbymonitoringsocialmedia
Communicationskitsandmarketingkits availablebothphysicallyandthroughan on-demandprintsitemonitoredbyclient
Informationalmaterialsforcitiesmoni-toredbySouthBayCitiesCouncilofGov-ernments
50000000mediaadvertisingin-person impressionsmonitoredbybroadcast printonlinestatisticsandreportsfrom grassrootsmarketingefforts
Consolidatedinformationinone-stop-shop approachwillbedeliveredthroughthe website
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 37
description of marketing communication tools
PlacedEarned Social Media ThePlancallsforsocialmediatopushinfor-mationtoourtargetaudiencesincreaseper-ceptionsoftheProgramascommunity-based reachthosewhowillhelpgenerateadditional buzzindependentmarketingeffortsaboutthe Programandprovideamechanismforlisten-ingtowhatpeoplearesayingaboutEnergy Upgrademdashandrespondingwhennecessary
Online Paid Advertising Onlineadvertisingcampaignscanbeverycost-effectiveandhighlytargetedbydemographics areasofinterestandgeographicsAdsappear ontopic-relatedblogsonsearchenginepages (egGoogle)andoncontentpages(egwhen yousearchforinformationaboutarelated topicandselectawebsitetoview)
Types of Users Targetadsbyage genderincomelanguagepreferencezip codeorhotspots
Types of SearchesTargetadsbytypeof searchconductedbasedonkeywords
Adsareusuallysoldperldquoclickrdquomdashtheviewer hasclickedontheadandbeensenttothe EnergyUpgradeCAwebsiteWewillmake fourtypesofonlineadpurchases
1 Googleadsthatplaceadsbothonits searchpagesandonhundredsofwebsites targetedbytheabove
2 Networksthattargetspecificsitesand blogsthatmatchourtargetaudiences(eg HiveBlogsLosAngelesthatoffers350LA blogstochoosefrom)
3 Directlythroughselectpublishers(eg CurbedLAGreenGirlLAlocalpapers online)
4 Onlineeditionsoflocalpapersinpilot marketingareas
Twitter Twitterusersaremostlycollegegraduates haveattendedgraduateschoolandlivein householdsmakingover$50000ayear (nationally)Usersarethreetimesmorelikely tofollowbrandsandcompaniesonTwitter thanotherusersofsocialnetworkswith40 specificallyusingTwittertolearnaboutand provideopinionsonbrands
Twittercanpushthelatestdevelopmentsand newstopeoplewhohaveexpressedaninter-estedintheProgram(theymustsignupto receiveourTweetsorhavesearchedfortag wordsincludedinourTweets)Itrsquosalsoan easywayforthosewhofollowEnergyUpgrade onTwittertoshareTweetswiththeirfriends
38 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
therebygeneratingbuzzandhelpingmarket theProgramTwittercanshareProgram newsinrealtimedrivepeopletothewebsite facilitateearlyadoptersbuzzmakersreach youngerhomeownersandincreasemarketing effortsatalowcostTwittercanbeeffectively usedtocommunicatetheProgramandits milestonesinavarietyofways
bull Tweetaboutpressreleasesmajoran-nouncementsnewitemsonwebsiteor blogsmediastoriesandarticlesespecially aboutthosethataretimesensitiveandtell ouraudiencewhatishappeningwiththe Programandencouragesthemtopartici-pateorfindoutmore
bull PutaTweeticononthemainwebsiteal-lowingvisitorstothewebsitetobeginto followEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLos AngelesCountyonTwitterwithoneclick
bull FollowotherswhoTweetaboutthe ProgramaswellasthosewhoTweetabout relatedtopicsThiswillprovideanop-portunitytodirectlyrespondtoaperson whohasaquestionabouttheProgramand pointthemtoalinktothewebsite
Tweet Examples
bull ldquo100LAhomeownershavesigned upfortheProgramatwwwEnergyUpgra-deCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoReadaboutLArsquosnewenergyefficiency rebateProgramintheLAtimes httpwwwlatimesgreenblogcomrdquo
bull ldquoWanttosaveonyourutilitybills CheckoutwwwEnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoSignupfortheHomeEnergyUpgrade contestforachancetowinafree homeenergyefficiencyretrofitat EnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
Cost and Budget
SettingupaTwitteraccountisfreeasisusing anapplicationsuchasTweetDeckthathelps followotherswhoareTweetingaboutEnergy UpgradeCaliforniaTheonlysignificantcostis stafftimewhichcanbelimitedtoafewhours aweek
Facebook Facebookisalow-costandeasywayofboth marketingtheProgramandsupportingan onlinecommunityofpeopleinterestedinthe ProgramItwillreachaudienceswhoaremore likelytospendtimeonFacebookversusaweb-siteandwhomayprefertoreceiveshortreal timeProgramnewsviaFacebookratherthan emailsorwebsitesItisidealforpostinglinks tovideosandphotosrelatedtotheprojectIt complementsthewebsiteaplacewherefans oftheProgramcanfindinformationaskques-tionsandshareideasandexcitementThese fanswillgeneratebuzzbytellingtheirfriends abouttheProgramthroughFacebook
AFacebookpagewillcontaininformation abouttheProgramalinktothewebsite Programnewsvideosphotographsandother informationWhenthepageisupdatedfans willreceivelinksinemailalertingthemtothe newposts
Facebookisalsoidealforsharingthestoryof anearlyadopter(whowillalsoTweet)through updatesphotographsandvideosItlends itselfmuchmorenaturallytothispeople-fo-cusedapproachthanawebsitewhichismore formal
Additionalpoints
bull EncourageandperhapsrewardProgram adopterstosharetheirexperiencesask questionsetc
bull Setupcontrolstodeterminewhatcontent Fanscanposttothewall
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 39
bull Monitorupdatestothewallandtakedown Therearemanyexistingblogsthatcanbeused inappropriatecontent
bull Respondtoissuesquestionsandtakepart intheconversation
bull Adesignatedstaffpersonshouldmonitor thesiteitisalsoidealifseveralstaff memberspostcontentandifpartnersare activeparticipantsalthoughtheoverall strategyshouldbecentralized
Facebook Examples
Herearesomeexamplesofthetypesofpost-ingsforaFacebookpage
bull ldquoTheLATimesdescribesEnergyUpgrade CAasaperfectopportunitytobegreenand savemoneymdashintheFridaymoneysectionrdquo
bull ldquoWhydidyoudecidetoparticipatein EnergyUpgradeCATellushowyour energyefficiencyretrofitisgoingandwersquoll enteryouforachancetowina$50Home Depotgiftcardrdquo
bull ldquoWonderingwhetherEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaisrightforyouCheckoutthis videooftheSmithsinstallingnewinsula-tionandwindows--andreceivinga$3500 rebaterdquo
Cost and Budget
Relativelyfewdirectcostsstafftimewill fluctuateduringbusycalmperiodswithhigh activityatthebeginningastheProgramkicks offandafanbaseisestablishedOngoingstaff timeneededtokeeppagefreshwith3-4posts weekdailymaintenancerequiredtomonitor postingsfromfans
Blogs Blogsreachtargetaudienceswhoarealready interestedinrelatedtopicsandwhohavehigh potentialtoparticipateintheProgram
tofurthermarketingefforts
bull Identifybloggerswhowilllikelywrite positivelyabouttheProgramSendpress releasefactsheetsandPrograminforma-tiontobloggerswhowriteabouttopics suchastheenvironmentenergyefficiency homeimprovementremodelingreal estatehousingbargainssavingmoneyas wellastocompaniesthatsellsolarpanels contractorsetc
bull Bloggersarelookingfortopicalstoriesto writeaboutandwewillmaketheirnext blogposteasyBecauseEnergyUpgradeis ahighrewardoptionalProgrambloggers willwritefavorablyandhelptellthestory inafriendlyaccessibleandeasy-to-under-standway(althoughwedonrsquothavecontrol overwhattheywrite)Peoplewhoaredis-satisfiedwillwritenegativecommentsbut wewillmonitorblogsandactivelycorrect misperceptions
bull Tomonitorwhatothersarewritingabout EnergyUpgradeontheirblogswewilluse freeprogramslikeTechnoratiorGoogle Readertoscanallblogsandwebsitesthat mentiontheProgram
Blogs to Reach
Green Girl LA Blog (httpgreenlagirlcom)Thisindependent blogisfocusedonenvironmentalhap-peningsinLosAngelesArecentpostwas aboutagreennetworkingeventfeaturing TheBuildingDoctorspresentingwaysto makeyourhousemoreenergyefficient PreviouslyareporterbloggerfortheLA Timesthewriterisactiveandcoversa widevarietyofenvironmentalgreentopics happeninginLosAngeles
40 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
LA Times HomeBlog (wwwlatimesblogslatimescomhome_
blog)focusesontopicsrelatedtohouses andhashadseveralrecentpostsabout greenremodelingOneadvantageofa majornewspaperisthatthereportingis accurateandthereadershipislargerThey recentlywroteaboutauditionsforThisOld HousewhichisfeaturingaLosAngeles areahouseforasummerremodel
Bargain Babe (wwwbargainbabelatownluxecom) featuresLosAngelesbargainsYoucan searchforbargainsbyareaofLA(West-sideetc)orbytopicThisbloggerrecently wroteaboutappliancerebates
LA Times Green Remodeling (wwwlatimesblogslatimescompar-donourdustgreen_remodeling)writes aboutalltopicsrelatedtoremodelingin SouthernCaliforniawithseveralrecent postsongreentopicsArecentpostre-viewedthedifferentadvantagesofinstall-ingvarioustanklesswaterheatersPitch thatthebloggerfollowahomeenergy retrofitandhelptelltheirstoryaswellas announcebasicPrograminformation
LA Times Personal Finance wwwlatimescombusinesspersonal-finance
Home Remodeling wwwkathysremodelingblogcom
Energy Efficiency wwwlowimpactlivingcomblog
LA CreekFreak
LA Observed
LAist
YouTube PostallvideosrelatedtotheprojectonYou-TubeWewillworkwithourmediapartners todevelopacontestforearlyadopterstofilm theirexperienceandletwebsitevisitorsvote onthebestWinnerreceivesaprizetobe determined
ListServes Listservesreachgroupsofpeoplewhoare interestedinasimilartopicorwholiveina specificneighborhoodSendemailblaststo listservessuchasneighborhoodassociations homeremodelersandenvironmentalgroups withanenergyfocusCitystaffhasinforma-tionaddressesofneighborhoodandhom-eownerassociationslists
Multimedia for Presentations Website Developanengaginginformative6-8minute videofocusingoncontractorsandhomeown-ersthatcanbeusedduringpresentationsand presentedonCityTVThevideowillbeshot bothinEnglishandinSpanishandcover
bull Howtherebatesworktocreateasenseof urgencyaboutdoingtheenergyupgrades soonerratherputtingitofftotakeadvan-tageoftherebates
bull Theldquosealthenenhancerdquowholehouse concept
bull WhattheProgramelementsactuallylook likeandhowtheyareinstalledtoover-comebarrierssuchasthatonemighthave tomoveoutofthehouseortheenergy upgradesareldquouglyrdquo
bull Workingwithacontractorwhatbeing licensedandcertifiedmeansgettingmul-tiplebids
bull Financingoptions
bull Doingthepaperwork
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 41
Fromthatvideodevelop
bull Threeindividual2-minutevideosforuse onlineeachfocusingonaspecifictopicmdash
againinbothEnglishandSpanish
bull A15anda30spoteachinEnglishand SpanishforuseonCityTVandbroadcast
stations
Print Collateral Customizable fact sheetsInforma-tionsheets(onepagefrontandback)in EnglishSpanishandChinesethatcanalso bepostedonthewebsiteasPDFs
Program brochureMorehighlyde-signedforplacementinmunicipaloffices andevents
Customizable Brochure Brandedwith SunsetMagazineorNationalGeographic forcontractorsandrealtorstohandto customers
SignageBannersforeventsandstreet lamppostspostersformunicipaloffices andsmalleventsandpotentiallysignage forbussidestransitshelters
Speakers kits Countyandcitystaffwillreceivekitstoensure everyoneisfamiliarwithkeymessagesandhas informationtogivetoconstituentsThesecan besentdirectlytocitiesordistributedthrough COGsKitswillcontain
bull Talkingpoints
bull DVDofthevideo
bull PPTpresentationforpublicmeetings
bull Printedbrochuresforpermitofficesto includewithwelcomepacketsfornewho-meowners
bull Articlesandphotostheycanrunintheir onlineorprintedcitynewsletters
bull CDwithtemplatesforquickprintingand websitebuttontolinkfromtheirwebsiteto EnergyUpgradeCalifornia
42 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
description of key messages
Thefollowingmessageshadthehighestreso-nanceinpollingandfocusgroupsbothinLos AngelesCountyandtheBayArea
Primary Motivators Thefollowingtwomessagesaboutsaving moneyarekeytomotivatingalltargetaudi-encesTheyshouldbepartofeverypieceof advertisingorcollateralproduced
1 RebatesHomeownerswhomakeenergy-savinghomeimprovementscanqualifyfor a$1500federaltaxcreditandrebatesof upto$3500dependingonhowmuchthey reduceenergyconsumptionAdditional motivatorTaxcreditsonlyavailable untilDecember312010(Rebatesare preferredovertaxcreditsbecauseitrsquoscash nowratherthanlateranddependingon incomenoteveryonecangetthecredit)
2 Save on Utility Bills Upgradingahome touselessenergyandwatercanreduce utilitybillsby20ormoremdashsavingyou moneyovertime
Secondary Motivators Thefollowingmessagesarethenlayeredde-pendingonwhichaudienceisbeingtargeted
Help the EnvironmentClimate Change Weallneedtodoourparttohelp theenvironmentandslowclimatechange Makingourhomesmoregreenandenergy efficientisanimportantstepweshouldall take
Reduce Foreign OilFossil FuelsAt atimewhenwearetryingtoreduceour dependenceonforeignoilandotherfossil fuelsupgradingtheenergyefficiencyof ourhomesisanimportantstepwecanall take(Infocusgroupstheconceptofenergy independencefurtherresonatedasinde-pendencefromutilitycompaniesgetting offthegrid)
Certified Contractors Save Money Speciallytrainedandcertifiedcontractors knowhowtofindimprovementsthatthe averagehomeownerwouldnotTheiras-sessmentswillensurethatyoufindmore energysavingsandthereforesavemore moneyonyourutilitybillsAdditional motivatorContractorsarecertifiedbythe BuildingPerformanceInstituteworking withtheDepartmentofEnergyandEnvi-ronmentalProtectionAgency
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 43
Increase Property ValuesHomesthat areenergy-efficientandenvironmentally friendlyaremoreappealingtohomebuyers Theseupgradescanincreaseyourproperty value
ComfortUpgradingyourhomersquosenergy efficiencymdashinparticularupgradinginsula-tionmdashcanmakeitamorecomfortableplace toliveNomoredraftycoldroomsinthe winterorhotstuffyroomsinthesummer
Indoor Air QualityInsulationand ventilationcanreduceallergyandasthma-causingmoldandmildewimproving indoorairqualityespeciallyforinfantsand thosewithhealthconditions
Messengers Homeownersprefertoreceiveinformation fromimpartialtrustedsourcesThesemes-sengersreceivedthehighestscoresinpolling
bull Neighborsandotherhomeowners
bull Contractorthehomeownerisalready workingwithorreferredbyfriendneigh-bor
bull Architectsdesignprofessionals
bull Gasandelectricutilities
bull Environmentalorganizations
bull Homeimprovementstorestaff(when equippedwithflyers)
44 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 45
- Cover
- Table of Contents13
- Summary Overview13
- Introduction13
- Programs Goals and Objectives13
- Marketing and Outreach Program Goals and Structure13
- Strategy13
- Evaluation13
- Description of Marketing Communication Tools13
- Description of Key Messages13
-
Marketingwillfocusoneachtargetaudience providingimpressionsclosetotheirhomeand reachingouttomoremassaudiencesCounty-widemarketingandoutreachwillinclude tacticsinthetablebelow
The One-Stop Shop Allinformationwillbeconsolidatedina one-stopshopapproacheitherinaldquobrick andmortarrdquolocationthroughthewebsiteor callcenteroratcommunityeventsProperty ownerswillhaveeasyaccesstoinformation
abouteligibleenergyefficiencymeasures andretrofitoptionseligibilityforCounty-administeredfinancialvehiclesandincentives eligibilityforutility-sponsoredrebatesand incentivesfederalrebateandtaxcreditinfor-mationandaccesstolistsofqualifiedenergy retrofitcontractors
Propertyownerswhoarenoteligiblefororin-terestedinEnergyUpgradeCaliforniawould alsobeabletofindoutaboutopportunities forweatherizationprogramslow-incomerate
countywide marketingoutreach tactics
Cable TV
County Events
Mass Media
Out of Home
Radio
Retail Partners
City Information
City TV
Local Media
Transit Shelters
Theaters
Billboards
Community of Interest
Newsletters
Contractor Marketing
Direct Mail to Hot Spots
Online Ads
Site Signage
Social Media
Community Newsletters
Local Events
Target Audience
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 19
subsidiesgreenjobstrainingandotherinitia- Parcel-Based Market Analysistivesavailabletoqualifiedhouseholds
Identifying Locations of Target Audiences Thegeographiclocationoftargetaudiences willbeidentifiedthroughtwomarketanalysis efforts
Pilot Marketing Areas TheCountywillintensifymarketingefforts inspecificpilotmarketingareaswherehigh percentagesoftheEarlyAdopterandRetrofit ReadyaudiencesliveThesepilotmarketareas willbeidentifiedthroughdemographicanaly-sisbaseduponextensivemarketresearchas wellasadetailedanalysisofkeycommunity resourcessuchasstrongcommunitynetworks andcommunity-basedorganizationsinfluen-tiallocalmedialdquocommunityfeelrdquoetc(For moreinformationonthepilotmarketareas approachandengagementstrategiesseepage 23)
Adetailedmarketanalysisisbeingconducted tosupportspecificpiecesoftheoutreachand communicationsstrategybyidentifyingthe locationofaudiencesthatarereceptivetospe-cificoutreachstrategiesThetableonthenext pagedemonstratesthemarketanalysisaudi-ences(scenarios)andmarketstrategiesthat arebeinganalyzedtoidentifythelocationof targetaudiencesThemarketanalysisisbeing conductedusingconsumermarketresearch combinedwithdemographicdataandprop-ertycharacteristicsdatafromtheCountyas-sessorThemainproductfortheanalysiswill beaseparateanalysisreport(expectedAugust 2010)Thisreportwillincludecountywide ldquoheatmapsrdquothatidentifytheareasthathave ahighproportionoftargetpropertiesandare thereforeidealareasfortargetedmarketing ThesemapscanbeusedforEnergyUpgrade Californiaorcontractormarketingstrategies
countywide market capture cascade
Early Adopters
Retrofit ready
Retrofit persuadable
The Next Phase No way
MESSAGES
bull environment bull Fossil Fuels bull Rebates
available
AddITIONAL MESSAGES
bull save money on utility bills
bull Rebates
bull long-term attitudinal change
available AddITIONAL MESSAGES
bull Property values bull comfort bull Health bull ReBates available
20 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
market analysis scenarios
Link between Pilot Market Areas and Parcel-Based Market Analysis
Theaudiencesbeingexaminedinthepilot marketingareasoverlapwithbutarenotthe sameasthoseinthemarketanalysisThe marketanalysisthereforesupportsthepilot marketareaidentificationintwoways
1 Itaddspropertycharacteristicsgleaned fromconsumerresearchtothepilotmarket areaanalysisInthiswayScenarios1and 2(RetrofitReadyandRetrofitPersuadable) providefurtherdetailtothepilotmarket areasandallowforgeneralmarketingto
MARkET ANALySIS SCENARIO
AUdIENCE IdENTIFIEd
dATA ANALyzEd RELATEd MARkETING STRATEGy
1-early adopters retrofit ready
environmentalists ready to take action now with information about rebates
Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Pilot Marketing areas
2-retrofit persuadable
those who need information about types of improvements with emphasis on rebates and cost savings
Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Pilot Marketing areas
3a-Built environment Heating and cooling
Middle-aged to newer homes located inland that are larger and often have high ac heating bills
Property characteristics location of Home
trigger event Marketing utility Bills Pilot area Marketing
3b-Built environment-Heating
smaller older coastal homes that may have comfort issues in winter
Property characteristics location of Home
trigger event Marketing comfort Pilot Marketing areas
4-multi-family Multi-family homeowners Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Multi-family Marketing Pilot Marketing areas
5-Whole neighborhood
tracts of similarly-aged and built homes
Property characteristics location of Home
Whole neighborhood Marketing Pilot Marketing areas
bedirectedtospecificproperties(when appropriate)
2 Italsoidentifiesotherkeyaudiences (Scenarios3a3b4and5)thatcorrelate toothermarketingstrategiesasshown intableaboveTheresultsofthese scenarioswillbeoverlaidontopofthepilot marketareastoidentifyspecificparcels thatmayrespondtospecificmarketing strategiesForexamplewhenoverlaying thepropertiesidentifiedinScenario5 (Whole-NeighborhoodScenario)with thepilotmarketingareastheCounty canidentifypropertieswithinthepilot
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 21
marketingareathatwouldrespondtoa whole-neighborhoodmarketingapproach (bulkpurchasingmodelhomesasingle contractoretc)
Home Energy Makeover Contest HomeEnergyMakeoverContestsgenerate atremendousamountofpublicityandhave beensuccessfullyconductedinmanyother statesandcitiesTheyattractthousandsof entrantsTheconceptistobothgarnerfree publicityandmodelthebehaviortheProgram istryingtoencouragebyshowingtheldquowhole houseapproachrdquohoweasyupgradescanbe howmuchtherebatescanreducetheproject costandhowmuchdifferencetheymaketoa home
Thecontestwillalsodemonstratethemarket acceptanceforthehomeperformanceap-proachtotraditionalsingle-measurecontrac-torsThosecontractorswillseehowmany peopleenterthecontesttowinahomeperfor-mancemakeoverbasedonthewholehouseap-proachAllthosewhoenteredareleadswho maybeinterestedinawholehouseapproach ratherthansinglemeasures
Entrantsmustbeover18liveinLosAnge-lesCountyandownthehomeinwhichthey residethecontestcanbelimitedtothose whoreceiveservicefromSouthernCalifornia EdisonandorSouthernCaliforniaGas(in otherwordsitcanincludeorexcluderesi-dentsservedbymunicipalutilities)Entrants submitinformationabouttheirhomeand theirenergyconsumptionandgivepermis-sionfortheProgramjudgestoviewtheir energyconsumptionduringthepreviousyear Finalistsarebasedonthehighestenergycon-sumptionpersquarefootofamedian-sized homeAbout20finalistsreceivefreeenergy auditsfortheirhomesBasedontheaudit (andadditionalcriteriawewilldetermine)five winninghomesreceiveupto$15000inhome
energyimprovements(whichcanbesupple-mentedbyrebatesandadditionalfunding fromthepropertyowner)Thewinneragrees tomediacoverageanopenhouseandtoblog andorTweetduringandaftertheretrofit Wewillworkwithcontractorstogetsponsor-shipsaswellasdonatedauditsandupgrade elements
OnecontestwillbeheldinFall2010(withfive winners)andasecondcontestheldduring Springof2011(withfivewinners)
Aseparatecontestcouldbeheldformulti-familybuildingswithahigherwinning amount
Countywide Incentives TheProgramwillestablishalistofnon-profit organizationsthatareactiveinpromoting greenhomessustainabilityandotherenvi-ronmentalorcommunityprojectsEveryone intheCountywhocompletesanenergyaudit maydesignateanon-profitorganizationto receiveadonationfromtheProgramInfor-mationabouttheeligibleorganizationswill beonthewebsiteThiswillencouragethose non-profitstopromotetheProgramtotheir membersltNotethisconceptisstillbeing developedgt
Direct Mail Utilitieswillplacemessagesonouterbillen-velopessenttocustomersTheywillalsosend directmailaboutEnergyUpgradetoldquotarget areasrdquobasedonacombinationofenergy usageageofhomeandhouseholdincome DirectmailisscheduledforOctober2010
County Events Utilitieswillbeattendinglargeeventssuch astheSeptember2010and2011LACounty Fairswithawholehousethemethatincludes aminimodelhousethatvisitorscanldquotourrdquo Additionalproposedeventsinclude
22 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
bull LeagueofCitiesAnnualConference workshop(September2010)
bull PomonaHomeImprovementShow (October2010)
bull RemodelingShowattheLACountyFair (October2010)
bull CaliforniaAssociationofRealtors (October2010)
bull BuildingIndustryShow(November2010)
bull SouthernCaliforniaHomeImprovement Show(November2010)
bull NeighborWorksAmerica(February2011)
Online and Social Media TheProgramwillusesocialmediatoinex-pensivelyreachtargetaudiencesbeginningat launchandcontinuingthroughoutthePro-gramwithbriefpausesforrefiningThiswill beaccomplishedthroughoptimizingsearch wordsforsearchenginessuchasGoogleand Bingreachingappropriateindependentblogs aYouTubevideocontest(runbyamediapart-ner)andencouragingblogpostsandTweets byearlyadoptersandtheProgramitself(see DescriptionsofMarketingCommunications ToolsandDescriptionsofTargetAudiencesfor moredetails)Inadditionutilitieswilldevote spaceforinformationandalinkontheirland-ingpages
Countywide Media Buys Withalatesummerfalllaunchdatemedia buysneedtobespreadtoavoidtheelection monthofOctober2010EnergyUpgradeCali-forniainLosAngelescansponsoraweather broadcastmdashliveonlineandmobilemdashaswell as15and30spotsduringotherbroadcasts Wewillalsopurchaseliveandonlinespots withUnivisiontheSpanish-languagestation Radiobuyswillinclude15NationalPublic Radio(KPCCandKCRW)sponsorshipsand variousdrive-timespotsonEnglishandin-
languageAMandFMstationsSocialmedia buysincludeGoogleWordsandblogads(see DescriptionsofMarketingCommunications Tools)Printmediabuyswillbeinmulticul-turalpapers
(Afullmediabuyplanandschedulewillbe availableinAugust)
Countywide Media Relations TheProgramwillcoordinateCountyandutil-ityeffortsandwiththeCaliforniaEnergyCom-missionCaliforniaPublicUtilitiesCommis-sioneffortsMediarelationswillbeinthree phasespre-launchlaunchandmilestones
Pre-Launch (August ndash September)
bull DevelopandprovideaSpeakerrsquosKit withtalkingpoints
bull OrganizeCountymedialaunchevent (potentiallyenlistawillinghomeowner whosehousemightserveasalaunching padformediatours)
bull Respondtorequestsfromcities
bull Providepre-writtenarticlesforcity communitynewsletters
bull Issuepresskitsandpressrelease(in EnglishandSpanish)announcing launch
Launch (October)
bull Mediaeventtoannouncelaunchand HomeEnergyMakeoverContestpoten-tiallyon-siteatahousetodemonstrate upgrades
bull SendoutradioPSAs
Milestones (through 2013)
bull Mediaeventtoannouncewinnersofthe HomeEnergyMakeovercontest(could beconductedon-sitesurprisingthe winners)
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 23
bull ldquoRe-launchrdquopressreleaseandmedia eventinMarch2011forasecondHome EnergyMakeoverContestwithastrong ldquogetreadyforsummerrdquotheme
bull Pressreleasewhen10000thperson receivesarebate
bull Pressreleasewhenotherappropriate milestonesarereachedorthefunding forincentivesisclosetobeingdepleted
2 Pilot Marketing Areas
Itwillbecriticalforthelong-termsuccessof marketingeffortstohaveasignificantnumber ofearlysuccessesthatgeneratepositivepub-licityandword-of-mouthencouragingothers toalsoparticipateTheCountyintendsto stimulatethemarketfortheseearlyadopters byintensifyingmarketingeffortsinspecific pilotmarketingareas(withzipcodebound-aries)wherebasedonextensiveconsumer
countywide marketingoutreach tactics
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
television
ad buys on Broadcast tV univision google tV Paid county
ldquothis old Houserdquo segment on whole house per-formance and rebates while renovating house (filming in la this summer)
earned county
coverage on mainstream and multicultural sta-tions
earned utilities county
ldquoinfomercialrdquo and promos on city tV Placed county
radio
nPR sponsorship Paid county
commute time spots Paid county
coverage on california Report earned utilities county
Psas on mainstream stations Placed utilities county
spots on multicultural stations Paid county
coverage in mainstream and multicultural papers
earned utilities county
sunset Magazine green Home section earned county
ads in la times and Daily news real estate sections
Paid utilities county
ads in multicultural papers Paid county
Direct Mail to targets Paid utilities
24 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
countywide marketingoutreach tactics (conrsquot)
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
social media
Blogs (about homes environment bargains) earned county
Facebook page Placed county
ads targeted to interest in environment and or home improvements (this old House etc)
Paid county
google adWords targeted to interest in environment andor home improvements
Paid county
twitter both by the Program and by individual early adopters (with incentives)
Placed county
youtube early adopters make a video about their experience and results (with incentives)
Placed county
out of Home
Retail kiosks banners flyers links on retail websites
Placed utilities
community organizations
environmental groups and others newsletters websites email blasts
earned county
Home improvement shows booths Paid county
countywide events Paid utilities
Bloggersubject matter events Paid county
researchhighpercentagesoftargetaudiences livePilotmarketingprogramsinthoseareas willtesttheextentcommunity-basedmarket-ingpositivelyimpactsparticipationratesan effortrelatedtoRetrofitRampUpproposal requirements
Demographicdataprovidedbythemarketre-searchwillbeoverlaidwithenergyusagedata AdditionallyGIS-basedmarketanalysisatthe parcellevel(describedabove)willallowfor pinpointingofspecificneighborhoodswithin thepilotareasforoutreachthatcaninclude
door-to-doordirectmailandmarketingby contractorsaspartofaldquowholeneighbor-hoodrdquoapproachFocusingonpilotareaswill alsomeettheRetrofitRampUprequirements oftheDepartmentofEnergyFollowingisa summaryofplannedmarketingandoutreach efforts
Marketresearch-basedcriteriaforchoosing about15pilotareaswillinclude
Clusters of houses built before 1978 Thoselivinginolderhomesespecially
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 25
builtbeforeCaliforniarsquosEnergyEfficiency Standardsaremorelikelytobelievethat theirhousemightbeenergyinefficient andcouldbenefitfromenergyefficiency improvementsmdashandberesponsivetoan energyupgrade
High percentage of homeownership Thesemarketingeffortsfocusonsingle-familyresidentialhomeownerssoareas withhighrentalrateswillnotprovidea largeenoughnumberofeligibleunits
Income over $60000Thosewith incomesunder$60000didnotbelieve theywouldhavesufficientincometomake improvementsevenwithrebatesThey werenotinterestedinloans(manywith lowincomesalsofindthemselvesldquounder-waterrdquoontheirloansandthusnoteligible forsomefinancing)Inadditionwefound somepush-backinfocusgroupsabout ldquogovernmentofferingloanstopeoplewho canrsquotaffordthemafterthesub-primeloan debaclerdquo
Population with a high percentage of college-educatedThosewithacollege degreearemuchmorelikelytoindicate apreferencetomakeenergyefficiency upgradesThosewhohadcompletedsome collegeeducationarealsomorelikelyto indicateapreferenceforenergyefficiency upgradesthanthosewhohadnotcom-pletedany
Population with a high percentage of those age 35-54Thosewithchildren andorexpandingfamiliesaremorelikely tomakeimprovementsthanthoseunder 30(thereareveryfewhomeownersunder 30)andthoseover54
High percentage of households with 4+ peopleHouseholdswithmorepeople havehigherenergybillsResearchshows thatthoseinhomeswithmorethan4
peoplebelieveenergyupgradescanmakea bigimpactontheirbills
High energy usage Thehigherenergy usage(andbills)themorelikelypeopleare tobelievethatenergyefficiencyimprove-mentswillmakeadifferenceintheirbills
Afterlayeringthisinformationtocomeup withalistofpotentialareaswefurthercon-sidered
Clusters of 8000-20000 homesThe areashouldbelargeenoughtoprovidesub-stantialnumbersofeligibleunitsbutsmall enoughtoenablereachingmajorityofresi-dentsandgeneratingword-of-mouth
Has a diverse multicultural commu-nityAreasshouldhavestrongcommunity identitiesandsenseofplacesocommunity membersareproudofwheretheyliveand areencouragedtoimprovetheircommu-nity
Has strong neighborhood and com-munity organizationsWeneedto engagetheseorganizationsaspartnersto helpspreadtheword
Has existing communications such as newsletters blogsWeneedtoreach membersthroughexistingcrediblesources thatresidentsalreadyuseandtrust
ldquoSpill overrdquo opportunities to nearby neighborhoodsSincemarketingand mediaeffortswillpotentiallyalsobeseen byneighborsareasshouldbenearother areasthatmayalsomeettheprimary criteria
Climatetime of yearIndetermining whentorolloutthepilotswecantarget interiorareasinspringandcoastalareasin coldweather
26 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Basedonthemarketresearchcriteriafive pilotmarketingareasarescheduledforintense marketingatlaunchwithanadditional10 areasscheduledforintensemarketingin Spring2011
Thepilotmarketstrategyissupportedby theparcel-basedmarketanalysiswhichwill identifywhichneighborhoodspropertieswill bethebesttotargetusingthisapproachThe marketanalysiswillallowlimitedmarketing fundingtobeleveragedbyfocusingonthose thataremostlikelytorespondtothemarket-ingefforts
Wewillcreatemessagesandvisualsspecifical-lytailoredtoeachtargetcommunityrsquoscultural andlinguisticpreferencesImagessymbols andiconstypographycolorandoverall designcarrydifferentmeaningsindifferent culturesAmessageistypicallymosteffective ifitiscreatedwithcarefulattentiontothese idiosyncrasiesandwithintheldquoculturalmind-setrdquooftherecipientsCreatingheadlinesand taglinesdirectlyinthetargetlanguagerather thansimplytranslatingEnglishadvertising copyensuresthatcopyhasthecorrectrhythm andrhymeandisthereforemuchmore attention-grabbingandmemorable
Community Incentives Energy Champion Program Severalconceptsareunderconsiderationto developacommunityincentivestrategyto promoteparticipationinlinewiththeRetrofit RampUpproposalforinnovativeincentiveap-proachesIncentivesmaybedirectedatenergy auditscommunity-basedorganizationsthose willingtoprovidetestimonialsorblogtweet andpublicrecognitionefforts
Grassroots Community Organizing-Trainedorganizerswillpresentinformationat themeetingsof12-15influentialcommunity leadersandcommunity-basedorganizationsin
eachpilotareacapturetheircontactdataand helpspreadtheinformationtotheirmembers throughtheirnewsletterseventsandwebsites TheProgramwillprovidepre-writtencus-tomizablearticlespresentationsorvideoand websiteldquobuttonsrdquotolinktotheProgramsite Eachgroupwillbeofferedanincentiveofado-nationtotheirorganizationforeverymember whocompletesahomeenergyupgradeThis willencourageCBOvolunteerstoincrease theirmarketingeffortsFriendlyrivalrieswill beencouragedCommunitygroupswillreport namesofparticipantscheckedforjobcomple-tionbytheProgram(underdevelopment)
Community Events One-on-onefacetimewithhomeownersis anidealwaytoengagepotentialparticipants Well-trainedorganizerswillattendfiveevents ineachtargetareaprovidinghomeowners withinformation(pocketsizemultilingual handouts)andcapturingtheircontactinfor-mationforfollowupTheycanhavehome-ownerssignuponthewebsiteonsiteifappro-priateandperhapsevenhavethemprovideus withavideocommitmentldquoItookthePledgerdquo withpermissiontopostonthewebsiteAsa luretotheboothhomeownerswillbeoffered freeitemssuchaslightbulbsmagnetsand reusablecupswithcoldwater(imprintedwith thewebsite)manufacturedintheUS
Print Radio Outdoor and Out-of Home Advertising Localmediawillcoverthelaunchofthe Programandwewillstrategicallyplaceads inlocalmediaandcommunitynewsletters Outdooradvertising(smallstreet-levelbiode-gradableeco-postersbussheltersbussides) strategicallyplacedinhigh-trafficareaswillre-inforcethemessageoveraone-monthperiod
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 27
Pilot Area Example Altadena Altadenawasidentifiedasacommunitythat fitsourtargetcriteriaItisadiverseunincor-poratedcommunitywithsixneighborhoods andanapproximatepopulationof40000The averagehouseholdincomeisabout$94000 Morethan50ofadultresidentsaremarried withchildrenandcommuteanaverageof62 milesperdaytowhite-collarjobsFully40of theadultsinthiscommunityhaveabachelors
degreeorhigherandareinvolvedinmany communityeventsandorganizationsThere areapproximately12000homesinthiscom-munityand10000ofthosehomesareowner-occupiedThegraphicshowshowoutreach wouldbeconcentratedinthisarea
pilot area outreachmarketing tactics
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
radio
Psas on multicultural stations earned county
coverage in local papers earned county
ads in local and multicultural papers Paid county
outdoor
Bus shelters in area Paid county
on-street lampost signage Paid county
Billboards Paid county
social media
Blogs (relevant to the area) earned county
online ads targeted by location Paid county
listserves of neighborhood associations (through cities)
earned county
out of Home
Movie theater ads in area Paid county
lawn signs on homes in area (through contractors)
Paid county
community organizations
community meetings with incentives to organizations for participation
earnedPaid county
community events Paid county Door hangers Paid county
28 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Home Depot
Ace Hardware
Lowersquos
Master Builders
Great Indoors
Home Expo
altadena marketing target
Hoy La Opinioacuten
Pasadena Star News
Altadena Headlines Examiner
Boulevard Magazine
Arroyo Magazine
Pasadena Weekly
Altadena Connection
Sentinel
KLVE
KPCC Pasadena
KCBS
KROQ Pasadena
KAZN Pasadena
Church Bulletins
Summer Concert Series at Farnsworth Park
Fourth of July Fireworks at
Town amp Country Club
Black History Parade
World Music Festival in Pasadena
Haunted House at
Farnsworth Park
Art Break
Rose Parade
National Latino
Congreso
Altadena Neighborhood Association
Altadena Chamber of Commerce
Altadena Arts Council
Altadena Town Council
Faith-based Organizations
Altadena Town amp Country Club
Altadena League of
Women Voters
Altadena Historical Society
Altadena Community Improvement Center
Sheriff Support Group
Santa Coming to Farnsworth
Park
Altadena California
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 29
3 Trigger-Event Marketing
Thissuiteofstrategieswillbeaimedatcaptur-ingenergyefficiencyopportunitiesfrommul-tipletriggereventsParticipantswillmainly comethroughcontractorsrealtorsandretail partnerspropertyownerswillhavealsoseen countywideadvertising
trigger event marketing
4 City and COG Outreach
OutreachbyCitiesandCOGswillbecritical becauseoftheirexistingrelationshipswith localconstituenciesCitieswillbeprovided withamini-marketingplantalkingpoints videocustomizabletemplatesoffactsheets articlesfortheirnewslettersandadvertising
EvENT dESCRIPTION LEAd AGENT COLLATERAL TACTIC
1 Replace on burnout (heating air conditioners water heaters)
Homeowners either in process of replacing an item or have already done some efficiency projects
county bull Retail partners
bull HVac installers
bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors installers
bull Retail displays
2 life-stage changes (growing family)
Homeowners working with a contractor
county bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors bull ads in media for home remodels
3 Home remodel Homeowners working with an architect contractor
county bull contractors bull architects
bull Materials for contractors
bull ads in media for home remodels
3 improvements at time of purchase
Homeowners interested are preparing a new home for move-in (research shows more interest at purchase than at sale)
shared bull contractors bull Realtors bull Home
inspectors bull city permit
offices bull city welcome
kits bull Retail
bull Brochures for cities
bull ads in weekend homes for sale sections
bull Presentations to realtor groups
bull Retail displays
4 improvements at sale
House owners preparing for sale
county bull contractors bull Realtors
bull Materials for contractors
5 complaints high utility bills cold hot house
Homeowners aware of energy-saving improvements but not whole house approach
county bull contractors bull HeRs raters
bull Materials for contractors
30 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
city amp cog outreach
materialssotheycandeveloplow-costout-reachtotheirresidentsCitieswithcommuni-tiestargetedinthePilotAreaMarketingplans willbeinformedandencouragedtodoout-reachtothoseareasAllCitieswillbeencour-agedtodothefollowing
Run stories in print and online news-letters
Send information to neighborhood associations homeowners associa-tions historic preservation districts and other appropriate community organizations
Provide information in City permit-ting offices and City Hall lobbies
Provide information at strategically located Environmental Information Centers and at COG office locations
Provide information in ldquonew home-ownersrdquo welcome kits (either directly from the city or through title compa-
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAId EARNEd
LEAd
pio coordination contact all participating citiesrsquo Pios na county
letters Key messages for letters from mayors etc to constituents Provide to Pios or city managers
na county
Website links Button for cities to place on their website to link to Program site
na county
city tV informational videos and spot promos Placed county
Welcome brochure
Brochure aimed at new homeowners before they move in
na county
articles Pre-written customizable newsletter articles earned county
email blasts Pre-written customizable info spots for communityneighborhood listserves
earned county
niesmortgage brokers)
Run videos and spots on City TV stations
5 Contractor Marketing
Localcontractorsarecriticaltothesuccess ofEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLosAngeles CountyTheyprovidetheservicesthatcom-prisetheProgramandtheycanhelpmarket theProgramtopropertyownersInfactwe estimatethatupto50ofProgrampartici-pantswillentertheProgramthrougharela-tionshipwithacontractor(theymayhavealso seenmediacoverageandadvertisingwhich spurredthemtotakeaction)Thisuniquerole requiresthattheProgramtakeatwo-tiered approachofengagingthecontractormdashmoti-vatinglocalbuildingprofessionalstoundergo thetrainingandcertificationprocessandalso providingthemwiththetoolstoeffectively promotetheprogramtoexistingandnew clientsThefollowingsectiondescribesspecific
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 31
contractor target
United Brotherhood Building Industry Carpenters (Training)
Association ofSouthern California
Email Blast
Contractors Magazines
Contractor
OnlineAds
Big Box Stores
ConractorsLicensing Schools
Realtor Associations
strategiesassociatedwithbothapproaches
Forthepurposesoftheprogramcontractors aredividedintoparticularsegmentsbasedon thetypeofserviceprovidedAninitialanalysis oftheindustryrevealedthefollowinglikely categories
HomePerformance(HP)Contractors
ProductionBuilders
HVACSystemSpecialtyTrades (windowsetc)
RemodelingContractors
SolarContractors
BuildingPerformance
Institute
Southwest Regional
City Permit Association
Offices of Carpenters
Lumber Yards
StateLicensing
Board
American Instituteof Architects
LA Chapter
Outreach to Contractors TheProgramwillcoordinatewithcontractor groupsandotherbuildingprofessionaltrade organizationstoschedulebriefpresentations abouttheProgramandthecontractortraining processForlargerorganizationsthePro-grammayworkdirectlywiththecompanyto arrangeon-sitepresentationsThesepresenta-tionsareinformalinnatureandwillbeusedto promotethecertificationorientationsrequired forcontractorparticipationintheprogram
KeyMessagestoContractors
$30millioninAmericanRecoveryand ReinvestmentActmoneyisworkinginLA Countytocreateconstructionindustryjobs
32 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
EnergyUpgradeCaliforniaOffersbig rebatesandfinancingoptionsfor homeownersdoinghomeenergy efficiencyretrofits
Therewillbemarketingandadvertis-ingstatewideandlocallytopromotethe Program
Therewillbemarketingmaterialsforyou tousetomarketyourbusiness
YoumustbelicensedandBuildingPerfor-manceInstitute-certifiedtobepartofthe Program
HomeownersmustworkwithBPI-certified contractorstheyrsquollchoosefromacontrac-tordatabaseonthewebsite
KeyOutreachMethods
BuildingIndustryAssociationofSouthern California
SouthwestRegionalCouncilofCarpenters
RealtorsAssociation
UnitedBrotherhood-Carpenters(Training Program)
Citypermittingoffice
Lumberyards
AmericanInstituteofArchitectsLA Chapter(toeducatethemaswell)
ArticlesinformationinContractortrade publications(magazinesnewslettersetc) magazines
CarpentersUnionLocals
ContractorsLicenseSchools(andonline)
BigBoxHomeImprovementstores(de-pendingonIOUrelationships)
wwwcslbcagov
Emailblasttoalllicensedcontractors
Contractor Outreach to Consumers Differentopportunitiesexistfordifferent contractorsdependingontheprobablework scopeThefollowingtableoutlinesafew potentialpathwaysforhowcontractorscan participateintheProgram
contractors outreach to customers
CONTRACTOR TyPE
TRIGGER EvENT vALUE TO CONTRACTOR
BUSINESS MOdEL
Home Performance upgrade lead generation scale for high volume
Production Builder new Business Development
create new division
HVac Replacement lead generation Value-add
expand services
specialty trade lead generation Partner with certified gc
Remodeler Remodel life-stage transition
Value-add sub work to HP contractor
solar Renewables lead generation Partner with certified gc
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 33
BPI-certifiedgeneralcontractorswillbelisted ontheEnergyUpgradeconsumerwebsite sendingmanyleadsdirectlytothemThey alsohaveaccesstotheldquoheatmapsrdquotousefor developingtheirownadvertisingcampaigns
Contractorswillbeattendingorientationses-sionstoensuretheythoroughlyunderstand theProgramrebatesfinancingoptionsand canhelpguidetheircustomersthroughthe processTheywillbeprovidedwithContractor MarketingKitstoensuretheyhaveathandthe keymessagesthathavebeenresonatingwith homeownersandhaveinformationtogive topotentialcustomerswhomightormight nothavebeentothewebsiteKitscanbesent directlytocontractorsordistributedatthe orientationsessionsKitswillcontain
Talkingpoints
DVDofthevideo
Printedfactsheetstoleavewithcustomers (withroomfortheircontactinfo)more canbeordered
Printedldquoslimjimrdquoprogrambrochure
Printedlengthierbrochuresaboutthe wholehouseapproach(brandedby Scientific American Magazine)
CDwithldquobuttonrdquotolinktoEnergyUpgrade fromtheirownwebsitesandPDFsofsite signageforprinting
Contractorswillhaveaccesstoaseparatesec-tionofthewebsitewheretheywillfindinfor-mationaboutProgrameventspromotionsand advertisinganon-demandprintsectionfor additionalcopiesofbrochuresanychanges totheProgramandasingletradecontractor databaseforassemblingteamsforcustomers whowouldlikesolarpanelsornewwindows forexample
6 Realtor Marketing
Giventhatthenationalaveragelengthofhome ownershipisroughlysixyearsrealestate agentswillbeincontactandadvisingalarge percentageofthenewandexistinghomeown-ersthatEnergyUpgradeistargetingforhome energyretrofitsThishighlevelofinfluence makesrealtorsoneofthelargestpartner groups
Realestateagentswillbeengagedonthree levels
1) Outreach
2) Training
3) Support
Outreach Outreachwillbeconductedthroughavariety ofvenuesthatwillincludeCaliforniaAssocia-tionofRealtorsreg(CAR)regionalconferences heldinSouthernCaliforniapartnershipwith themanyrealtorassociationslocatedinLos AngelesCountyanddirectvisitstorealestate agentsrsquoofficesforshortpresentationsPart-nershipswiththe15-20localRealtorsAsso-ciationswillbeachievedthroughoneormore RealtorAdvisoryBoardswhichincludethe GovernmentAffairsDirectorsfromeachof theseorganizationsAselectfewoftheseor-ganizationswillbeusedaspilotsfortargeted outreachduringearlystagesoftheProgram Oncethestrategyhasbeentestedandrevised itwillberolledouttoalloftheRealtorsAs-sociationsinLosAngelesCounty
ThefallCARRealtorExpowillbethemain kickoffeventforoutreachtoindividualreal-torsandrealtorofficesEnergyUpgradeplans tohavea30-minutetalkembeddedinthe SpeakersProgramandaboothsetuponthe ExpofloortoinformrealtorsaboutthePro-gramavailabletrainingsandthesupport
34 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
toolsthathavebeendevelopedThisevent willreachthemajorityofrealtorsintheLos Angelesareabutwillnotincludethelarge populationofrealestateagentsthatarenot membersofCARToreachthispopulation emailsocialmediaandtargetedofficevisits willbeconducted
Training EnergyUpgradewillprovidetrainingforreal estateagentsintwoformsTherealestate agenttrainingmodulecurrentlyunderdevel-opmentbyBuildItGreenwillbeusedasthe maintrainingforumThistrainingmodule isexpectedtotaketwofulldaystocomplete andwillcoverpropertyassessedcleanenergy financingenergyefficientmortgagesrebate programsbuildingscienceenergyefficiency andgreenbuildingpracticesappropriateto California
Additionalweb-basedtrainingwillbeprovided tointroducerealestateagentstotheProgram andtodrivethemtogetin-persontraining throughtheBuildItGreentrainingmodule
Support Cultivatingandclosingtoolswillbegener-atedtoassistrealtorsinusingEnergyUpgrade Californiatradetoexpandtheirbusinesswhile drivinghigherlevelsofprogramparticipation RealtorKitswillbesimilartotheContractor Kitsandtheywillhaveaccesstothedatabase ofgeneralandsingletradecontractors
7 Retail Partner Marketing
Utilitieswillpartnerwithretailoutletsthat canincludeBestBuyCostcoSearsLowes andHomeDepotParticipatingretailoutlets willbeprovided
Information centersEnd-displays detailingtheEnergyUpgradeProgram withadiagramillustratingthehouseas asystemconcept(multiplecomponents thatacttogethertomaximizesavings)and actionscustomerscantaketocapturethose savingsandrebatesIn-storecustomer educationcanshiftcustomerperception ofenergyupgradesandmotivatethem toparticipateinmultipleenergy-efficient measuresinsteadofjustoneAnadditional benefitfortheretailerisassociationwith thestatewideprogram
Program collateral One-sheet takeawaysforcustomerstoreference andshare
Video Theshortvideoscanbeplayed onaloop
Table tent cardsPlacedthroughout storesectionsthatcorrelatewiththe EnergyUpgradeProgram(CFLsappli-ancesceilingfansinsulationwindows) Againthiswillencouragecustomersto performmultipleenergyupgradesinstead ofjustoneCross-promotionhelpseducate customersandencourageparticipationin multiplemeasuresthusincreasingproduct purchase
Window clings ldquoOfficialEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaInformationCenterrdquotagline bannersplacedatstorefrontThiswillpo-sitiontheretailerasanactiveparticipantin thestatewideprogramandbuildsretailer credibilityasagreenadvocate
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 35
8 Multi-Family Outreach
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesandsched-ulesarestillinplanningphasesandbeing developedthroughastatewideconsortium
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesarebeing
developed
36 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
evaluation
Theprimarygoalsofthemarketingplanareto buildpositiveawarenessoftheEnergyUp-gradeCaliforniaProgramandcreateasus-tainedmarketforawholehouseapproach(see page8)Objectivesarespecifictothoseachiev-ingthosegoalsLosAngelesCountyresidents willseemultipleiterationsofmediacoverage paidadvertisingin-storedisplayscontractor marketingandin-personpresentations(inthe pilotmarketingareas)Forexamplearesi-dentinAltadenamightseethemoreintensive marketingandoutreacheffortsThatmayspur themtoactionmdashbutiftheyalreadyhadplans toremodelorhadpreviouslyworkedwitha contractortheymightcalltheircontractorand thusactuallycometotheprogramthrough thecontractorThereforeitwillnotbeeasy todeterminepreciselywhathasmotivated eachpersontoparticipateinEnergyUpgrade Objectivestomeetinclude
About35-45ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughthemarket-ingandoutreacheffortsTomonitorwe willincludeashortsurveyaspartofthe rebateapplicationprocessaskingpartici-pantswhatdrewthemtothewebsiteand totheProgramThewebsitecanmonitor clickthroughstocontractorssitesfrom theProgramwebsiteprovidinganindica-tionofpotentialparticpantswhocameto thesitebeforehavingacontractorOnce apropertyownerinputsanaddressthe websitewillbeabletospecificallymonitor ifthatparticipantasksformultiple estimatesfromcontractorsanotherindica-
toroffindingacontractorthroughthesite
About45-50ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughcontractors Wewillaskcontractorstoprovideinfor-mationabouttheirmarketingeffortsand successratesTheywillbeabletoidentify participantsgainedthroughtheirownmar-ketingefforts
300000uniquehitsonthewebsitewhich willbemonitoredbythewebsiteFurther thewebsitewillanalyzewherevisitors camefrom(egaclickthroughfroman onlineadfromacontractorrsquoswebsite orduringthespecifictimeframeofanad campaign)
Virtualandactualldquoword-of-mouthrdquore-portedbymonitoringsocialmedia
Communicationskitsandmarketingkits availablebothphysicallyandthroughan on-demandprintsitemonitoredbyclient
Informationalmaterialsforcitiesmoni-toredbySouthBayCitiesCouncilofGov-ernments
50000000mediaadvertisingin-person impressionsmonitoredbybroadcast printonlinestatisticsandreportsfrom grassrootsmarketingefforts
Consolidatedinformationinone-stop-shop approachwillbedeliveredthroughthe website
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 37
description of marketing communication tools
PlacedEarned Social Media ThePlancallsforsocialmediatopushinfor-mationtoourtargetaudiencesincreaseper-ceptionsoftheProgramascommunity-based reachthosewhowillhelpgenerateadditional buzzindependentmarketingeffortsaboutthe Programandprovideamechanismforlisten-ingtowhatpeoplearesayingaboutEnergy Upgrademdashandrespondingwhennecessary
Online Paid Advertising Onlineadvertisingcampaignscanbeverycost-effectiveandhighlytargetedbydemographics areasofinterestandgeographicsAdsappear ontopic-relatedblogsonsearchenginepages (egGoogle)andoncontentpages(egwhen yousearchforinformationaboutarelated topicandselectawebsitetoview)
Types of Users Targetadsbyage genderincomelanguagepreferencezip codeorhotspots
Types of SearchesTargetadsbytypeof searchconductedbasedonkeywords
Adsareusuallysoldperldquoclickrdquomdashtheviewer hasclickedontheadandbeensenttothe EnergyUpgradeCAwebsiteWewillmake fourtypesofonlineadpurchases
1 Googleadsthatplaceadsbothonits searchpagesandonhundredsofwebsites targetedbytheabove
2 Networksthattargetspecificsitesand blogsthatmatchourtargetaudiences(eg HiveBlogsLosAngelesthatoffers350LA blogstochoosefrom)
3 Directlythroughselectpublishers(eg CurbedLAGreenGirlLAlocalpapers online)
4 Onlineeditionsoflocalpapersinpilot marketingareas
Twitter Twitterusersaremostlycollegegraduates haveattendedgraduateschoolandlivein householdsmakingover$50000ayear (nationally)Usersarethreetimesmorelikely tofollowbrandsandcompaniesonTwitter thanotherusersofsocialnetworkswith40 specificallyusingTwittertolearnaboutand provideopinionsonbrands
Twittercanpushthelatestdevelopmentsand newstopeoplewhohaveexpressedaninter-estedintheProgram(theymustsignupto receiveourTweetsorhavesearchedfortag wordsincludedinourTweets)Itrsquosalsoan easywayforthosewhofollowEnergyUpgrade onTwittertoshareTweetswiththeirfriends
38 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
therebygeneratingbuzzandhelpingmarket theProgramTwittercanshareProgram newsinrealtimedrivepeopletothewebsite facilitateearlyadoptersbuzzmakersreach youngerhomeownersandincreasemarketing effortsatalowcostTwittercanbeeffectively usedtocommunicatetheProgramandits milestonesinavarietyofways
bull Tweetaboutpressreleasesmajoran-nouncementsnewitemsonwebsiteor blogsmediastoriesandarticlesespecially aboutthosethataretimesensitiveandtell ouraudiencewhatishappeningwiththe Programandencouragesthemtopartici-pateorfindoutmore
bull PutaTweeticononthemainwebsiteal-lowingvisitorstothewebsitetobeginto followEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLos AngelesCountyonTwitterwithoneclick
bull FollowotherswhoTweetaboutthe ProgramaswellasthosewhoTweetabout relatedtopicsThiswillprovideanop-portunitytodirectlyrespondtoaperson whohasaquestionabouttheProgramand pointthemtoalinktothewebsite
Tweet Examples
bull ldquo100LAhomeownershavesigned upfortheProgramatwwwEnergyUpgra-deCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoReadaboutLArsquosnewenergyefficiency rebateProgramintheLAtimes httpwwwlatimesgreenblogcomrdquo
bull ldquoWanttosaveonyourutilitybills CheckoutwwwEnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoSignupfortheHomeEnergyUpgrade contestforachancetowinafree homeenergyefficiencyretrofitat EnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
Cost and Budget
SettingupaTwitteraccountisfreeasisusing anapplicationsuchasTweetDeckthathelps followotherswhoareTweetingaboutEnergy UpgradeCaliforniaTheonlysignificantcostis stafftimewhichcanbelimitedtoafewhours aweek
Facebook Facebookisalow-costandeasywayofboth marketingtheProgramandsupportingan onlinecommunityofpeopleinterestedinthe ProgramItwillreachaudienceswhoaremore likelytospendtimeonFacebookversusaweb-siteandwhomayprefertoreceiveshortreal timeProgramnewsviaFacebookratherthan emailsorwebsitesItisidealforpostinglinks tovideosandphotosrelatedtotheprojectIt complementsthewebsiteaplacewherefans oftheProgramcanfindinformationaskques-tionsandshareideasandexcitementThese fanswillgeneratebuzzbytellingtheirfriends abouttheProgramthroughFacebook
AFacebookpagewillcontaininformation abouttheProgramalinktothewebsite Programnewsvideosphotographsandother informationWhenthepageisupdatedfans willreceivelinksinemailalertingthemtothe newposts
Facebookisalsoidealforsharingthestoryof anearlyadopter(whowillalsoTweet)through updatesphotographsandvideosItlends itselfmuchmorenaturallytothispeople-fo-cusedapproachthanawebsitewhichismore formal
Additionalpoints
bull EncourageandperhapsrewardProgram adopterstosharetheirexperiencesask questionsetc
bull Setupcontrolstodeterminewhatcontent Fanscanposttothewall
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 39
bull Monitorupdatestothewallandtakedown Therearemanyexistingblogsthatcanbeused inappropriatecontent
bull Respondtoissuesquestionsandtakepart intheconversation
bull Adesignatedstaffpersonshouldmonitor thesiteitisalsoidealifseveralstaff memberspostcontentandifpartnersare activeparticipantsalthoughtheoverall strategyshouldbecentralized
Facebook Examples
Herearesomeexamplesofthetypesofpost-ingsforaFacebookpage
bull ldquoTheLATimesdescribesEnergyUpgrade CAasaperfectopportunitytobegreenand savemoneymdashintheFridaymoneysectionrdquo
bull ldquoWhydidyoudecidetoparticipatein EnergyUpgradeCATellushowyour energyefficiencyretrofitisgoingandwersquoll enteryouforachancetowina$50Home Depotgiftcardrdquo
bull ldquoWonderingwhetherEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaisrightforyouCheckoutthis videooftheSmithsinstallingnewinsula-tionandwindows--andreceivinga$3500 rebaterdquo
Cost and Budget
Relativelyfewdirectcostsstafftimewill fluctuateduringbusycalmperiodswithhigh activityatthebeginningastheProgramkicks offandafanbaseisestablishedOngoingstaff timeneededtokeeppagefreshwith3-4posts weekdailymaintenancerequiredtomonitor postingsfromfans
Blogs Blogsreachtargetaudienceswhoarealready interestedinrelatedtopicsandwhohavehigh potentialtoparticipateintheProgram
tofurthermarketingefforts
bull Identifybloggerswhowilllikelywrite positivelyabouttheProgramSendpress releasefactsheetsandPrograminforma-tiontobloggerswhowriteabouttopics suchastheenvironmentenergyefficiency homeimprovementremodelingreal estatehousingbargainssavingmoneyas wellastocompaniesthatsellsolarpanels contractorsetc
bull Bloggersarelookingfortopicalstoriesto writeaboutandwewillmaketheirnext blogposteasyBecauseEnergyUpgradeis ahighrewardoptionalProgrambloggers willwritefavorablyandhelptellthestory inafriendlyaccessibleandeasy-to-under-standway(althoughwedonrsquothavecontrol overwhattheywrite)Peoplewhoaredis-satisfiedwillwritenegativecommentsbut wewillmonitorblogsandactivelycorrect misperceptions
bull Tomonitorwhatothersarewritingabout EnergyUpgradeontheirblogswewilluse freeprogramslikeTechnoratiorGoogle Readertoscanallblogsandwebsitesthat mentiontheProgram
Blogs to Reach
Green Girl LA Blog (httpgreenlagirlcom)Thisindependent blogisfocusedonenvironmentalhap-peningsinLosAngelesArecentpostwas aboutagreennetworkingeventfeaturing TheBuildingDoctorspresentingwaysto makeyourhousemoreenergyefficient PreviouslyareporterbloggerfortheLA Timesthewriterisactiveandcoversa widevarietyofenvironmentalgreentopics happeninginLosAngeles
40 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
LA Times HomeBlog (wwwlatimesblogslatimescomhome_
blog)focusesontopicsrelatedtohouses andhashadseveralrecentpostsabout greenremodelingOneadvantageofa majornewspaperisthatthereportingis accurateandthereadershipislargerThey recentlywroteaboutauditionsforThisOld HousewhichisfeaturingaLosAngeles areahouseforasummerremodel
Bargain Babe (wwwbargainbabelatownluxecom) featuresLosAngelesbargainsYoucan searchforbargainsbyareaofLA(West-sideetc)orbytopicThisbloggerrecently wroteaboutappliancerebates
LA Times Green Remodeling (wwwlatimesblogslatimescompar-donourdustgreen_remodeling)writes aboutalltopicsrelatedtoremodelingin SouthernCaliforniawithseveralrecent postsongreentopicsArecentpostre-viewedthedifferentadvantagesofinstall-ingvarioustanklesswaterheatersPitch thatthebloggerfollowahomeenergy retrofitandhelptelltheirstoryaswellas announcebasicPrograminformation
LA Times Personal Finance wwwlatimescombusinesspersonal-finance
Home Remodeling wwwkathysremodelingblogcom
Energy Efficiency wwwlowimpactlivingcomblog
LA CreekFreak
LA Observed
LAist
YouTube PostallvideosrelatedtotheprojectonYou-TubeWewillworkwithourmediapartners todevelopacontestforearlyadopterstofilm theirexperienceandletwebsitevisitorsvote onthebestWinnerreceivesaprizetobe determined
ListServes Listservesreachgroupsofpeoplewhoare interestedinasimilartopicorwholiveina specificneighborhoodSendemailblaststo listservessuchasneighborhoodassociations homeremodelersandenvironmentalgroups withanenergyfocusCitystaffhasinforma-tionaddressesofneighborhoodandhom-eownerassociationslists
Multimedia for Presentations Website Developanengaginginformative6-8minute videofocusingoncontractorsandhomeown-ersthatcanbeusedduringpresentationsand presentedonCityTVThevideowillbeshot bothinEnglishandinSpanishandcover
bull Howtherebatesworktocreateasenseof urgencyaboutdoingtheenergyupgrades soonerratherputtingitofftotakeadvan-tageoftherebates
bull Theldquosealthenenhancerdquowholehouse concept
bull WhattheProgramelementsactuallylook likeandhowtheyareinstalledtoover-comebarrierssuchasthatonemighthave tomoveoutofthehouseortheenergy upgradesareldquouglyrdquo
bull Workingwithacontractorwhatbeing licensedandcertifiedmeansgettingmul-tiplebids
bull Financingoptions
bull Doingthepaperwork
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 41
Fromthatvideodevelop
bull Threeindividual2-minutevideosforuse onlineeachfocusingonaspecifictopicmdash
againinbothEnglishandSpanish
bull A15anda30spoteachinEnglishand SpanishforuseonCityTVandbroadcast
stations
Print Collateral Customizable fact sheetsInforma-tionsheets(onepagefrontandback)in EnglishSpanishandChinesethatcanalso bepostedonthewebsiteasPDFs
Program brochureMorehighlyde-signedforplacementinmunicipaloffices andevents
Customizable Brochure Brandedwith SunsetMagazineorNationalGeographic forcontractorsandrealtorstohandto customers
SignageBannersforeventsandstreet lamppostspostersformunicipaloffices andsmalleventsandpotentiallysignage forbussidestransitshelters
Speakers kits Countyandcitystaffwillreceivekitstoensure everyoneisfamiliarwithkeymessagesandhas informationtogivetoconstituentsThesecan besentdirectlytocitiesordistributedthrough COGsKitswillcontain
bull Talkingpoints
bull DVDofthevideo
bull PPTpresentationforpublicmeetings
bull Printedbrochuresforpermitofficesto includewithwelcomepacketsfornewho-meowners
bull Articlesandphotostheycanrunintheir onlineorprintedcitynewsletters
bull CDwithtemplatesforquickprintingand websitebuttontolinkfromtheirwebsiteto EnergyUpgradeCalifornia
42 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
description of key messages
Thefollowingmessageshadthehighestreso-nanceinpollingandfocusgroupsbothinLos AngelesCountyandtheBayArea
Primary Motivators Thefollowingtwomessagesaboutsaving moneyarekeytomotivatingalltargetaudi-encesTheyshouldbepartofeverypieceof advertisingorcollateralproduced
1 RebatesHomeownerswhomakeenergy-savinghomeimprovementscanqualifyfor a$1500federaltaxcreditandrebatesof upto$3500dependingonhowmuchthey reduceenergyconsumptionAdditional motivatorTaxcreditsonlyavailable untilDecember312010(Rebatesare preferredovertaxcreditsbecauseitrsquoscash nowratherthanlateranddependingon incomenoteveryonecangetthecredit)
2 Save on Utility Bills Upgradingahome touselessenergyandwatercanreduce utilitybillsby20ormoremdashsavingyou moneyovertime
Secondary Motivators Thefollowingmessagesarethenlayeredde-pendingonwhichaudienceisbeingtargeted
Help the EnvironmentClimate Change Weallneedtodoourparttohelp theenvironmentandslowclimatechange Makingourhomesmoregreenandenergy efficientisanimportantstepweshouldall take
Reduce Foreign OilFossil FuelsAt atimewhenwearetryingtoreduceour dependenceonforeignoilandotherfossil fuelsupgradingtheenergyefficiencyof ourhomesisanimportantstepwecanall take(Infocusgroupstheconceptofenergy independencefurtherresonatedasinde-pendencefromutilitycompaniesgetting offthegrid)
Certified Contractors Save Money Speciallytrainedandcertifiedcontractors knowhowtofindimprovementsthatthe averagehomeownerwouldnotTheiras-sessmentswillensurethatyoufindmore energysavingsandthereforesavemore moneyonyourutilitybillsAdditional motivatorContractorsarecertifiedbythe BuildingPerformanceInstituteworking withtheDepartmentofEnergyandEnvi-ronmentalProtectionAgency
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 43
Increase Property ValuesHomesthat areenergy-efficientandenvironmentally friendlyaremoreappealingtohomebuyers Theseupgradescanincreaseyourproperty value
ComfortUpgradingyourhomersquosenergy efficiencymdashinparticularupgradinginsula-tionmdashcanmakeitamorecomfortableplace toliveNomoredraftycoldroomsinthe winterorhotstuffyroomsinthesummer
Indoor Air QualityInsulationand ventilationcanreduceallergyandasthma-causingmoldandmildewimproving indoorairqualityespeciallyforinfantsand thosewithhealthconditions
Messengers Homeownersprefertoreceiveinformation fromimpartialtrustedsourcesThesemes-sengersreceivedthehighestscoresinpolling
bull Neighborsandotherhomeowners
bull Contractorthehomeownerisalready workingwithorreferredbyfriendneigh-bor
bull Architectsdesignprofessionals
bull Gasandelectricutilities
bull Environmentalorganizations
bull Homeimprovementstorestaff(when equippedwithflyers)
44 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 45
- Cover
- Table of Contents13
- Summary Overview13
- Introduction13
- Programs Goals and Objectives13
- Marketing and Outreach Program Goals and Structure13
- Strategy13
- Evaluation13
- Description of Marketing Communication Tools13
- Description of Key Messages13
-
subsidiesgreenjobstrainingandotherinitia- Parcel-Based Market Analysistivesavailabletoqualifiedhouseholds
Identifying Locations of Target Audiences Thegeographiclocationoftargetaudiences willbeidentifiedthroughtwomarketanalysis efforts
Pilot Marketing Areas TheCountywillintensifymarketingefforts inspecificpilotmarketingareaswherehigh percentagesoftheEarlyAdopterandRetrofit ReadyaudiencesliveThesepilotmarketareas willbeidentifiedthroughdemographicanaly-sisbaseduponextensivemarketresearchas wellasadetailedanalysisofkeycommunity resourcessuchasstrongcommunitynetworks andcommunity-basedorganizationsinfluen-tiallocalmedialdquocommunityfeelrdquoetc(For moreinformationonthepilotmarketareas approachandengagementstrategiesseepage 23)
Adetailedmarketanalysisisbeingconducted tosupportspecificpiecesoftheoutreachand communicationsstrategybyidentifyingthe locationofaudiencesthatarereceptivetospe-cificoutreachstrategiesThetableonthenext pagedemonstratesthemarketanalysisaudi-ences(scenarios)andmarketstrategiesthat arebeinganalyzedtoidentifythelocationof targetaudiencesThemarketanalysisisbeing conductedusingconsumermarketresearch combinedwithdemographicdataandprop-ertycharacteristicsdatafromtheCountyas-sessorThemainproductfortheanalysiswill beaseparateanalysisreport(expectedAugust 2010)Thisreportwillincludecountywide ldquoheatmapsrdquothatidentifytheareasthathave ahighproportionoftargetpropertiesandare thereforeidealareasfortargetedmarketing ThesemapscanbeusedforEnergyUpgrade Californiaorcontractormarketingstrategies
countywide market capture cascade
Early Adopters
Retrofit ready
Retrofit persuadable
The Next Phase No way
MESSAGES
bull environment bull Fossil Fuels bull Rebates
available
AddITIONAL MESSAGES
bull save money on utility bills
bull Rebates
bull long-term attitudinal change
available AddITIONAL MESSAGES
bull Property values bull comfort bull Health bull ReBates available
20 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
market analysis scenarios
Link between Pilot Market Areas and Parcel-Based Market Analysis
Theaudiencesbeingexaminedinthepilot marketingareasoverlapwithbutarenotthe sameasthoseinthemarketanalysisThe marketanalysisthereforesupportsthepilot marketareaidentificationintwoways
1 Itaddspropertycharacteristicsgleaned fromconsumerresearchtothepilotmarket areaanalysisInthiswayScenarios1and 2(RetrofitReadyandRetrofitPersuadable) providefurtherdetailtothepilotmarket areasandallowforgeneralmarketingto
MARkET ANALySIS SCENARIO
AUdIENCE IdENTIFIEd
dATA ANALyzEd RELATEd MARkETING STRATEGy
1-early adopters retrofit ready
environmentalists ready to take action now with information about rebates
Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Pilot Marketing areas
2-retrofit persuadable
those who need information about types of improvements with emphasis on rebates and cost savings
Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Pilot Marketing areas
3a-Built environment Heating and cooling
Middle-aged to newer homes located inland that are larger and often have high ac heating bills
Property characteristics location of Home
trigger event Marketing utility Bills Pilot area Marketing
3b-Built environment-Heating
smaller older coastal homes that may have comfort issues in winter
Property characteristics location of Home
trigger event Marketing comfort Pilot Marketing areas
4-multi-family Multi-family homeowners Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Multi-family Marketing Pilot Marketing areas
5-Whole neighborhood
tracts of similarly-aged and built homes
Property characteristics location of Home
Whole neighborhood Marketing Pilot Marketing areas
bedirectedtospecificproperties(when appropriate)
2 Italsoidentifiesotherkeyaudiences (Scenarios3a3b4and5)thatcorrelate toothermarketingstrategiesasshown intableaboveTheresultsofthese scenarioswillbeoverlaidontopofthepilot marketareastoidentifyspecificparcels thatmayrespondtospecificmarketing strategiesForexamplewhenoverlaying thepropertiesidentifiedinScenario5 (Whole-NeighborhoodScenario)with thepilotmarketingareastheCounty canidentifypropertieswithinthepilot
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 21
marketingareathatwouldrespondtoa whole-neighborhoodmarketingapproach (bulkpurchasingmodelhomesasingle contractoretc)
Home Energy Makeover Contest HomeEnergyMakeoverContestsgenerate atremendousamountofpublicityandhave beensuccessfullyconductedinmanyother statesandcitiesTheyattractthousandsof entrantsTheconceptistobothgarnerfree publicityandmodelthebehaviortheProgram istryingtoencouragebyshowingtheldquowhole houseapproachrdquohoweasyupgradescanbe howmuchtherebatescanreducetheproject costandhowmuchdifferencetheymaketoa home
Thecontestwillalsodemonstratethemarket acceptanceforthehomeperformanceap-proachtotraditionalsingle-measurecontrac-torsThosecontractorswillseehowmany peopleenterthecontesttowinahomeperfor-mancemakeoverbasedonthewholehouseap-proachAllthosewhoenteredareleadswho maybeinterestedinawholehouseapproach ratherthansinglemeasures
Entrantsmustbeover18liveinLosAnge-lesCountyandownthehomeinwhichthey residethecontestcanbelimitedtothose whoreceiveservicefromSouthernCalifornia EdisonandorSouthernCaliforniaGas(in otherwordsitcanincludeorexcluderesi-dentsservedbymunicipalutilities)Entrants submitinformationabouttheirhomeand theirenergyconsumptionandgivepermis-sionfortheProgramjudgestoviewtheir energyconsumptionduringthepreviousyear Finalistsarebasedonthehighestenergycon-sumptionpersquarefootofamedian-sized homeAbout20finalistsreceivefreeenergy auditsfortheirhomesBasedontheaudit (andadditionalcriteriawewilldetermine)five winninghomesreceiveupto$15000inhome
energyimprovements(whichcanbesupple-mentedbyrebatesandadditionalfunding fromthepropertyowner)Thewinneragrees tomediacoverageanopenhouseandtoblog andorTweetduringandaftertheretrofit Wewillworkwithcontractorstogetsponsor-shipsaswellasdonatedauditsandupgrade elements
OnecontestwillbeheldinFall2010(withfive winners)andasecondcontestheldduring Springof2011(withfivewinners)
Aseparatecontestcouldbeheldformulti-familybuildingswithahigherwinning amount
Countywide Incentives TheProgramwillestablishalistofnon-profit organizationsthatareactiveinpromoting greenhomessustainabilityandotherenvi-ronmentalorcommunityprojectsEveryone intheCountywhocompletesanenergyaudit maydesignateanon-profitorganizationto receiveadonationfromtheProgramInfor-mationabouttheeligibleorganizationswill beonthewebsiteThiswillencouragethose non-profitstopromotetheProgramtotheir membersltNotethisconceptisstillbeing developedgt
Direct Mail Utilitieswillplacemessagesonouterbillen-velopessenttocustomersTheywillalsosend directmailaboutEnergyUpgradetoldquotarget areasrdquobasedonacombinationofenergy usageageofhomeandhouseholdincome DirectmailisscheduledforOctober2010
County Events Utilitieswillbeattendinglargeeventssuch astheSeptember2010and2011LACounty Fairswithawholehousethemethatincludes aminimodelhousethatvisitorscanldquotourrdquo Additionalproposedeventsinclude
22 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
bull LeagueofCitiesAnnualConference workshop(September2010)
bull PomonaHomeImprovementShow (October2010)
bull RemodelingShowattheLACountyFair (October2010)
bull CaliforniaAssociationofRealtors (October2010)
bull BuildingIndustryShow(November2010)
bull SouthernCaliforniaHomeImprovement Show(November2010)
bull NeighborWorksAmerica(February2011)
Online and Social Media TheProgramwillusesocialmediatoinex-pensivelyreachtargetaudiencesbeginningat launchandcontinuingthroughoutthePro-gramwithbriefpausesforrefiningThiswill beaccomplishedthroughoptimizingsearch wordsforsearchenginessuchasGoogleand Bingreachingappropriateindependentblogs aYouTubevideocontest(runbyamediapart-ner)andencouragingblogpostsandTweets byearlyadoptersandtheProgramitself(see DescriptionsofMarketingCommunications ToolsandDescriptionsofTargetAudiencesfor moredetails)Inadditionutilitieswilldevote spaceforinformationandalinkontheirland-ingpages
Countywide Media Buys Withalatesummerfalllaunchdatemedia buysneedtobespreadtoavoidtheelection monthofOctober2010EnergyUpgradeCali-forniainLosAngelescansponsoraweather broadcastmdashliveonlineandmobilemdashaswell as15and30spotsduringotherbroadcasts Wewillalsopurchaseliveandonlinespots withUnivisiontheSpanish-languagestation Radiobuyswillinclude15NationalPublic Radio(KPCCandKCRW)sponsorshipsand variousdrive-timespotsonEnglishandin-
languageAMandFMstationsSocialmedia buysincludeGoogleWordsandblogads(see DescriptionsofMarketingCommunications Tools)Printmediabuyswillbeinmulticul-turalpapers
(Afullmediabuyplanandschedulewillbe availableinAugust)
Countywide Media Relations TheProgramwillcoordinateCountyandutil-ityeffortsandwiththeCaliforniaEnergyCom-missionCaliforniaPublicUtilitiesCommis-sioneffortsMediarelationswillbeinthree phasespre-launchlaunchandmilestones
Pre-Launch (August ndash September)
bull DevelopandprovideaSpeakerrsquosKit withtalkingpoints
bull OrganizeCountymedialaunchevent (potentiallyenlistawillinghomeowner whosehousemightserveasalaunching padformediatours)
bull Respondtorequestsfromcities
bull Providepre-writtenarticlesforcity communitynewsletters
bull Issuepresskitsandpressrelease(in EnglishandSpanish)announcing launch
Launch (October)
bull Mediaeventtoannouncelaunchand HomeEnergyMakeoverContestpoten-tiallyon-siteatahousetodemonstrate upgrades
bull SendoutradioPSAs
Milestones (through 2013)
bull Mediaeventtoannouncewinnersofthe HomeEnergyMakeovercontest(could beconductedon-sitesurprisingthe winners)
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 23
bull ldquoRe-launchrdquopressreleaseandmedia eventinMarch2011forasecondHome EnergyMakeoverContestwithastrong ldquogetreadyforsummerrdquotheme
bull Pressreleasewhen10000thperson receivesarebate
bull Pressreleasewhenotherappropriate milestonesarereachedorthefunding forincentivesisclosetobeingdepleted
2 Pilot Marketing Areas
Itwillbecriticalforthelong-termsuccessof marketingeffortstohaveasignificantnumber ofearlysuccessesthatgeneratepositivepub-licityandword-of-mouthencouragingothers toalsoparticipateTheCountyintendsto stimulatethemarketfortheseearlyadopters byintensifyingmarketingeffortsinspecific pilotmarketingareas(withzipcodebound-aries)wherebasedonextensiveconsumer
countywide marketingoutreach tactics
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
television
ad buys on Broadcast tV univision google tV Paid county
ldquothis old Houserdquo segment on whole house per-formance and rebates while renovating house (filming in la this summer)
earned county
coverage on mainstream and multicultural sta-tions
earned utilities county
ldquoinfomercialrdquo and promos on city tV Placed county
radio
nPR sponsorship Paid county
commute time spots Paid county
coverage on california Report earned utilities county
Psas on mainstream stations Placed utilities county
spots on multicultural stations Paid county
coverage in mainstream and multicultural papers
earned utilities county
sunset Magazine green Home section earned county
ads in la times and Daily news real estate sections
Paid utilities county
ads in multicultural papers Paid county
Direct Mail to targets Paid utilities
24 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
countywide marketingoutreach tactics (conrsquot)
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
social media
Blogs (about homes environment bargains) earned county
Facebook page Placed county
ads targeted to interest in environment and or home improvements (this old House etc)
Paid county
google adWords targeted to interest in environment andor home improvements
Paid county
twitter both by the Program and by individual early adopters (with incentives)
Placed county
youtube early adopters make a video about their experience and results (with incentives)
Placed county
out of Home
Retail kiosks banners flyers links on retail websites
Placed utilities
community organizations
environmental groups and others newsletters websites email blasts
earned county
Home improvement shows booths Paid county
countywide events Paid utilities
Bloggersubject matter events Paid county
researchhighpercentagesoftargetaudiences livePilotmarketingprogramsinthoseareas willtesttheextentcommunity-basedmarket-ingpositivelyimpactsparticipationratesan effortrelatedtoRetrofitRampUpproposal requirements
Demographicdataprovidedbythemarketre-searchwillbeoverlaidwithenergyusagedata AdditionallyGIS-basedmarketanalysisatthe parcellevel(describedabove)willallowfor pinpointingofspecificneighborhoodswithin thepilotareasforoutreachthatcaninclude
door-to-doordirectmailandmarketingby contractorsaspartofaldquowholeneighbor-hoodrdquoapproachFocusingonpilotareaswill alsomeettheRetrofitRampUprequirements oftheDepartmentofEnergyFollowingisa summaryofplannedmarketingandoutreach efforts
Marketresearch-basedcriteriaforchoosing about15pilotareaswillinclude
Clusters of houses built before 1978 Thoselivinginolderhomesespecially
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 25
builtbeforeCaliforniarsquosEnergyEfficiency Standardsaremorelikelytobelievethat theirhousemightbeenergyinefficient andcouldbenefitfromenergyefficiency improvementsmdashandberesponsivetoan energyupgrade
High percentage of homeownership Thesemarketingeffortsfocusonsingle-familyresidentialhomeownerssoareas withhighrentalrateswillnotprovidea largeenoughnumberofeligibleunits
Income over $60000Thosewith incomesunder$60000didnotbelieve theywouldhavesufficientincometomake improvementsevenwithrebatesThey werenotinterestedinloans(manywith lowincomesalsofindthemselvesldquounder-waterrdquoontheirloansandthusnoteligible forsomefinancing)Inadditionwefound somepush-backinfocusgroupsabout ldquogovernmentofferingloanstopeoplewho canrsquotaffordthemafterthesub-primeloan debaclerdquo
Population with a high percentage of college-educatedThosewithacollege degreearemuchmorelikelytoindicate apreferencetomakeenergyefficiency upgradesThosewhohadcompletedsome collegeeducationarealsomorelikelyto indicateapreferenceforenergyefficiency upgradesthanthosewhohadnotcom-pletedany
Population with a high percentage of those age 35-54Thosewithchildren andorexpandingfamiliesaremorelikely tomakeimprovementsthanthoseunder 30(thereareveryfewhomeownersunder 30)andthoseover54
High percentage of households with 4+ peopleHouseholdswithmorepeople havehigherenergybillsResearchshows thatthoseinhomeswithmorethan4
peoplebelieveenergyupgradescanmakea bigimpactontheirbills
High energy usage Thehigherenergy usage(andbills)themorelikelypeopleare tobelievethatenergyefficiencyimprove-mentswillmakeadifferenceintheirbills
Afterlayeringthisinformationtocomeup withalistofpotentialareaswefurthercon-sidered
Clusters of 8000-20000 homesThe areashouldbelargeenoughtoprovidesub-stantialnumbersofeligibleunitsbutsmall enoughtoenablereachingmajorityofresi-dentsandgeneratingword-of-mouth
Has a diverse multicultural commu-nityAreasshouldhavestrongcommunity identitiesandsenseofplacesocommunity membersareproudofwheretheyliveand areencouragedtoimprovetheircommu-nity
Has strong neighborhood and com-munity organizationsWeneedto engagetheseorganizationsaspartnersto helpspreadtheword
Has existing communications such as newsletters blogsWeneedtoreach membersthroughexistingcrediblesources thatresidentsalreadyuseandtrust
ldquoSpill overrdquo opportunities to nearby neighborhoodsSincemarketingand mediaeffortswillpotentiallyalsobeseen byneighborsareasshouldbenearother areasthatmayalsomeettheprimary criteria
Climatetime of yearIndetermining whentorolloutthepilotswecantarget interiorareasinspringandcoastalareasin coldweather
26 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Basedonthemarketresearchcriteriafive pilotmarketingareasarescheduledforintense marketingatlaunchwithanadditional10 areasscheduledforintensemarketingin Spring2011
Thepilotmarketstrategyissupportedby theparcel-basedmarketanalysiswhichwill identifywhichneighborhoodspropertieswill bethebesttotargetusingthisapproachThe marketanalysiswillallowlimitedmarketing fundingtobeleveragedbyfocusingonthose thataremostlikelytorespondtothemarket-ingefforts
Wewillcreatemessagesandvisualsspecifical-lytailoredtoeachtargetcommunityrsquoscultural andlinguisticpreferencesImagessymbols andiconstypographycolorandoverall designcarrydifferentmeaningsindifferent culturesAmessageistypicallymosteffective ifitiscreatedwithcarefulattentiontothese idiosyncrasiesandwithintheldquoculturalmind-setrdquooftherecipientsCreatingheadlinesand taglinesdirectlyinthetargetlanguagerather thansimplytranslatingEnglishadvertising copyensuresthatcopyhasthecorrectrhythm andrhymeandisthereforemuchmore attention-grabbingandmemorable
Community Incentives Energy Champion Program Severalconceptsareunderconsiderationto developacommunityincentivestrategyto promoteparticipationinlinewiththeRetrofit RampUpproposalforinnovativeincentiveap-proachesIncentivesmaybedirectedatenergy auditscommunity-basedorganizationsthose willingtoprovidetestimonialsorblogtweet andpublicrecognitionefforts
Grassroots Community Organizing-Trainedorganizerswillpresentinformationat themeetingsof12-15influentialcommunity leadersandcommunity-basedorganizationsin
eachpilotareacapturetheircontactdataand helpspreadtheinformationtotheirmembers throughtheirnewsletterseventsandwebsites TheProgramwillprovidepre-writtencus-tomizablearticlespresentationsorvideoand websiteldquobuttonsrdquotolinktotheProgramsite Eachgroupwillbeofferedanincentiveofado-nationtotheirorganizationforeverymember whocompletesahomeenergyupgradeThis willencourageCBOvolunteerstoincrease theirmarketingeffortsFriendlyrivalrieswill beencouragedCommunitygroupswillreport namesofparticipantscheckedforjobcomple-tionbytheProgram(underdevelopment)
Community Events One-on-onefacetimewithhomeownersis anidealwaytoengagepotentialparticipants Well-trainedorganizerswillattendfiveevents ineachtargetareaprovidinghomeowners withinformation(pocketsizemultilingual handouts)andcapturingtheircontactinfor-mationforfollowupTheycanhavehome-ownerssignuponthewebsiteonsiteifappro-priateandperhapsevenhavethemprovideus withavideocommitmentldquoItookthePledgerdquo withpermissiontopostonthewebsiteAsa luretotheboothhomeownerswillbeoffered freeitemssuchaslightbulbsmagnetsand reusablecupswithcoldwater(imprintedwith thewebsite)manufacturedintheUS
Print Radio Outdoor and Out-of Home Advertising Localmediawillcoverthelaunchofthe Programandwewillstrategicallyplaceads inlocalmediaandcommunitynewsletters Outdooradvertising(smallstreet-levelbiode-gradableeco-postersbussheltersbussides) strategicallyplacedinhigh-trafficareaswillre-inforcethemessageoveraone-monthperiod
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 27
Pilot Area Example Altadena Altadenawasidentifiedasacommunitythat fitsourtargetcriteriaItisadiverseunincor-poratedcommunitywithsixneighborhoods andanapproximatepopulationof40000The averagehouseholdincomeisabout$94000 Morethan50ofadultresidentsaremarried withchildrenandcommuteanaverageof62 milesperdaytowhite-collarjobsFully40of theadultsinthiscommunityhaveabachelors
degreeorhigherandareinvolvedinmany communityeventsandorganizationsThere areapproximately12000homesinthiscom-munityand10000ofthosehomesareowner-occupiedThegraphicshowshowoutreach wouldbeconcentratedinthisarea
pilot area outreachmarketing tactics
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
radio
Psas on multicultural stations earned county
coverage in local papers earned county
ads in local and multicultural papers Paid county
outdoor
Bus shelters in area Paid county
on-street lampost signage Paid county
Billboards Paid county
social media
Blogs (relevant to the area) earned county
online ads targeted by location Paid county
listserves of neighborhood associations (through cities)
earned county
out of Home
Movie theater ads in area Paid county
lawn signs on homes in area (through contractors)
Paid county
community organizations
community meetings with incentives to organizations for participation
earnedPaid county
community events Paid county Door hangers Paid county
28 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Home Depot
Ace Hardware
Lowersquos
Master Builders
Great Indoors
Home Expo
altadena marketing target
Hoy La Opinioacuten
Pasadena Star News
Altadena Headlines Examiner
Boulevard Magazine
Arroyo Magazine
Pasadena Weekly
Altadena Connection
Sentinel
KLVE
KPCC Pasadena
KCBS
KROQ Pasadena
KAZN Pasadena
Church Bulletins
Summer Concert Series at Farnsworth Park
Fourth of July Fireworks at
Town amp Country Club
Black History Parade
World Music Festival in Pasadena
Haunted House at
Farnsworth Park
Art Break
Rose Parade
National Latino
Congreso
Altadena Neighborhood Association
Altadena Chamber of Commerce
Altadena Arts Council
Altadena Town Council
Faith-based Organizations
Altadena Town amp Country Club
Altadena League of
Women Voters
Altadena Historical Society
Altadena Community Improvement Center
Sheriff Support Group
Santa Coming to Farnsworth
Park
Altadena California
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 29
3 Trigger-Event Marketing
Thissuiteofstrategieswillbeaimedatcaptur-ingenergyefficiencyopportunitiesfrommul-tipletriggereventsParticipantswillmainly comethroughcontractorsrealtorsandretail partnerspropertyownerswillhavealsoseen countywideadvertising
trigger event marketing
4 City and COG Outreach
OutreachbyCitiesandCOGswillbecritical becauseoftheirexistingrelationshipswith localconstituenciesCitieswillbeprovided withamini-marketingplantalkingpoints videocustomizabletemplatesoffactsheets articlesfortheirnewslettersandadvertising
EvENT dESCRIPTION LEAd AGENT COLLATERAL TACTIC
1 Replace on burnout (heating air conditioners water heaters)
Homeowners either in process of replacing an item or have already done some efficiency projects
county bull Retail partners
bull HVac installers
bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors installers
bull Retail displays
2 life-stage changes (growing family)
Homeowners working with a contractor
county bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors bull ads in media for home remodels
3 Home remodel Homeowners working with an architect contractor
county bull contractors bull architects
bull Materials for contractors
bull ads in media for home remodels
3 improvements at time of purchase
Homeowners interested are preparing a new home for move-in (research shows more interest at purchase than at sale)
shared bull contractors bull Realtors bull Home
inspectors bull city permit
offices bull city welcome
kits bull Retail
bull Brochures for cities
bull ads in weekend homes for sale sections
bull Presentations to realtor groups
bull Retail displays
4 improvements at sale
House owners preparing for sale
county bull contractors bull Realtors
bull Materials for contractors
5 complaints high utility bills cold hot house
Homeowners aware of energy-saving improvements but not whole house approach
county bull contractors bull HeRs raters
bull Materials for contractors
30 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
city amp cog outreach
materialssotheycandeveloplow-costout-reachtotheirresidentsCitieswithcommuni-tiestargetedinthePilotAreaMarketingplans willbeinformedandencouragedtodoout-reachtothoseareasAllCitieswillbeencour-agedtodothefollowing
Run stories in print and online news-letters
Send information to neighborhood associations homeowners associa-tions historic preservation districts and other appropriate community organizations
Provide information in City permit-ting offices and City Hall lobbies
Provide information at strategically located Environmental Information Centers and at COG office locations
Provide information in ldquonew home-ownersrdquo welcome kits (either directly from the city or through title compa-
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAId EARNEd
LEAd
pio coordination contact all participating citiesrsquo Pios na county
letters Key messages for letters from mayors etc to constituents Provide to Pios or city managers
na county
Website links Button for cities to place on their website to link to Program site
na county
city tV informational videos and spot promos Placed county
Welcome brochure
Brochure aimed at new homeowners before they move in
na county
articles Pre-written customizable newsletter articles earned county
email blasts Pre-written customizable info spots for communityneighborhood listserves
earned county
niesmortgage brokers)
Run videos and spots on City TV stations
5 Contractor Marketing
Localcontractorsarecriticaltothesuccess ofEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLosAngeles CountyTheyprovidetheservicesthatcom-prisetheProgramandtheycanhelpmarket theProgramtopropertyownersInfactwe estimatethatupto50ofProgrampartici-pantswillentertheProgramthrougharela-tionshipwithacontractor(theymayhavealso seenmediacoverageandadvertisingwhich spurredthemtotakeaction)Thisuniquerole requiresthattheProgramtakeatwo-tiered approachofengagingthecontractormdashmoti-vatinglocalbuildingprofessionalstoundergo thetrainingandcertificationprocessandalso providingthemwiththetoolstoeffectively promotetheprogramtoexistingandnew clientsThefollowingsectiondescribesspecific
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 31
contractor target
United Brotherhood Building Industry Carpenters (Training)
Association ofSouthern California
Email Blast
Contractors Magazines
Contractor
OnlineAds
Big Box Stores
ConractorsLicensing Schools
Realtor Associations
strategiesassociatedwithbothapproaches
Forthepurposesoftheprogramcontractors aredividedintoparticularsegmentsbasedon thetypeofserviceprovidedAninitialanalysis oftheindustryrevealedthefollowinglikely categories
HomePerformance(HP)Contractors
ProductionBuilders
HVACSystemSpecialtyTrades (windowsetc)
RemodelingContractors
SolarContractors
BuildingPerformance
Institute
Southwest Regional
City Permit Association
Offices of Carpenters
Lumber Yards
StateLicensing
Board
American Instituteof Architects
LA Chapter
Outreach to Contractors TheProgramwillcoordinatewithcontractor groupsandotherbuildingprofessionaltrade organizationstoschedulebriefpresentations abouttheProgramandthecontractortraining processForlargerorganizationsthePro-grammayworkdirectlywiththecompanyto arrangeon-sitepresentationsThesepresenta-tionsareinformalinnatureandwillbeusedto promotethecertificationorientationsrequired forcontractorparticipationintheprogram
KeyMessagestoContractors
$30millioninAmericanRecoveryand ReinvestmentActmoneyisworkinginLA Countytocreateconstructionindustryjobs
32 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
EnergyUpgradeCaliforniaOffersbig rebatesandfinancingoptionsfor homeownersdoinghomeenergy efficiencyretrofits
Therewillbemarketingandadvertis-ingstatewideandlocallytopromotethe Program
Therewillbemarketingmaterialsforyou tousetomarketyourbusiness
YoumustbelicensedandBuildingPerfor-manceInstitute-certifiedtobepartofthe Program
HomeownersmustworkwithBPI-certified contractorstheyrsquollchoosefromacontrac-tordatabaseonthewebsite
KeyOutreachMethods
BuildingIndustryAssociationofSouthern California
SouthwestRegionalCouncilofCarpenters
RealtorsAssociation
UnitedBrotherhood-Carpenters(Training Program)
Citypermittingoffice
Lumberyards
AmericanInstituteofArchitectsLA Chapter(toeducatethemaswell)
ArticlesinformationinContractortrade publications(magazinesnewslettersetc) magazines
CarpentersUnionLocals
ContractorsLicenseSchools(andonline)
BigBoxHomeImprovementstores(de-pendingonIOUrelationships)
wwwcslbcagov
Emailblasttoalllicensedcontractors
Contractor Outreach to Consumers Differentopportunitiesexistfordifferent contractorsdependingontheprobablework scopeThefollowingtableoutlinesafew potentialpathwaysforhowcontractorscan participateintheProgram
contractors outreach to customers
CONTRACTOR TyPE
TRIGGER EvENT vALUE TO CONTRACTOR
BUSINESS MOdEL
Home Performance upgrade lead generation scale for high volume
Production Builder new Business Development
create new division
HVac Replacement lead generation Value-add
expand services
specialty trade lead generation Partner with certified gc
Remodeler Remodel life-stage transition
Value-add sub work to HP contractor
solar Renewables lead generation Partner with certified gc
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 33
BPI-certifiedgeneralcontractorswillbelisted ontheEnergyUpgradeconsumerwebsite sendingmanyleadsdirectlytothemThey alsohaveaccesstotheldquoheatmapsrdquotousefor developingtheirownadvertisingcampaigns
Contractorswillbeattendingorientationses-sionstoensuretheythoroughlyunderstand theProgramrebatesfinancingoptionsand canhelpguidetheircustomersthroughthe processTheywillbeprovidedwithContractor MarketingKitstoensuretheyhaveathandthe keymessagesthathavebeenresonatingwith homeownersandhaveinformationtogive topotentialcustomerswhomightormight nothavebeentothewebsiteKitscanbesent directlytocontractorsordistributedatthe orientationsessionsKitswillcontain
Talkingpoints
DVDofthevideo
Printedfactsheetstoleavewithcustomers (withroomfortheircontactinfo)more canbeordered
Printedldquoslimjimrdquoprogrambrochure
Printedlengthierbrochuresaboutthe wholehouseapproach(brandedby Scientific American Magazine)
CDwithldquobuttonrdquotolinktoEnergyUpgrade fromtheirownwebsitesandPDFsofsite signageforprinting
Contractorswillhaveaccesstoaseparatesec-tionofthewebsitewheretheywillfindinfor-mationaboutProgrameventspromotionsand advertisinganon-demandprintsectionfor additionalcopiesofbrochuresanychanges totheProgramandasingletradecontractor databaseforassemblingteamsforcustomers whowouldlikesolarpanelsornewwindows forexample
6 Realtor Marketing
Giventhatthenationalaveragelengthofhome ownershipisroughlysixyearsrealestate agentswillbeincontactandadvisingalarge percentageofthenewandexistinghomeown-ersthatEnergyUpgradeistargetingforhome energyretrofitsThishighlevelofinfluence makesrealtorsoneofthelargestpartner groups
Realestateagentswillbeengagedonthree levels
1) Outreach
2) Training
3) Support
Outreach Outreachwillbeconductedthroughavariety ofvenuesthatwillincludeCaliforniaAssocia-tionofRealtorsreg(CAR)regionalconferences heldinSouthernCaliforniapartnershipwith themanyrealtorassociationslocatedinLos AngelesCountyanddirectvisitstorealestate agentsrsquoofficesforshortpresentationsPart-nershipswiththe15-20localRealtorsAsso-ciationswillbeachievedthroughoneormore RealtorAdvisoryBoardswhichincludethe GovernmentAffairsDirectorsfromeachof theseorganizationsAselectfewoftheseor-ganizationswillbeusedaspilotsfortargeted outreachduringearlystagesoftheProgram Oncethestrategyhasbeentestedandrevised itwillberolledouttoalloftheRealtorsAs-sociationsinLosAngelesCounty
ThefallCARRealtorExpowillbethemain kickoffeventforoutreachtoindividualreal-torsandrealtorofficesEnergyUpgradeplans tohavea30-minutetalkembeddedinthe SpeakersProgramandaboothsetuponthe ExpofloortoinformrealtorsaboutthePro-gramavailabletrainingsandthesupport
34 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
toolsthathavebeendevelopedThisevent willreachthemajorityofrealtorsintheLos Angelesareabutwillnotincludethelarge populationofrealestateagentsthatarenot membersofCARToreachthispopulation emailsocialmediaandtargetedofficevisits willbeconducted
Training EnergyUpgradewillprovidetrainingforreal estateagentsintwoformsTherealestate agenttrainingmodulecurrentlyunderdevel-opmentbyBuildItGreenwillbeusedasthe maintrainingforumThistrainingmodule isexpectedtotaketwofulldaystocomplete andwillcoverpropertyassessedcleanenergy financingenergyefficientmortgagesrebate programsbuildingscienceenergyefficiency andgreenbuildingpracticesappropriateto California
Additionalweb-basedtrainingwillbeprovided tointroducerealestateagentstotheProgram andtodrivethemtogetin-persontraining throughtheBuildItGreentrainingmodule
Support Cultivatingandclosingtoolswillbegener-atedtoassistrealtorsinusingEnergyUpgrade Californiatradetoexpandtheirbusinesswhile drivinghigherlevelsofprogramparticipation RealtorKitswillbesimilartotheContractor Kitsandtheywillhaveaccesstothedatabase ofgeneralandsingletradecontractors
7 Retail Partner Marketing
Utilitieswillpartnerwithretailoutletsthat canincludeBestBuyCostcoSearsLowes andHomeDepotParticipatingretailoutlets willbeprovided
Information centersEnd-displays detailingtheEnergyUpgradeProgram withadiagramillustratingthehouseas asystemconcept(multiplecomponents thatacttogethertomaximizesavings)and actionscustomerscantaketocapturethose savingsandrebatesIn-storecustomer educationcanshiftcustomerperception ofenergyupgradesandmotivatethem toparticipateinmultipleenergy-efficient measuresinsteadofjustoneAnadditional benefitfortheretailerisassociationwith thestatewideprogram
Program collateral One-sheet takeawaysforcustomerstoreference andshare
Video Theshortvideoscanbeplayed onaloop
Table tent cardsPlacedthroughout storesectionsthatcorrelatewiththe EnergyUpgradeProgram(CFLsappli-ancesceilingfansinsulationwindows) Againthiswillencouragecustomersto performmultipleenergyupgradesinstead ofjustoneCross-promotionhelpseducate customersandencourageparticipationin multiplemeasuresthusincreasingproduct purchase
Window clings ldquoOfficialEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaInformationCenterrdquotagline bannersplacedatstorefrontThiswillpo-sitiontheretailerasanactiveparticipantin thestatewideprogramandbuildsretailer credibilityasagreenadvocate
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 35
8 Multi-Family Outreach
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesandsched-ulesarestillinplanningphasesandbeing developedthroughastatewideconsortium
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesarebeing
developed
36 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
evaluation
Theprimarygoalsofthemarketingplanareto buildpositiveawarenessoftheEnergyUp-gradeCaliforniaProgramandcreateasus-tainedmarketforawholehouseapproach(see page8)Objectivesarespecifictothoseachiev-ingthosegoalsLosAngelesCountyresidents willseemultipleiterationsofmediacoverage paidadvertisingin-storedisplayscontractor marketingandin-personpresentations(inthe pilotmarketingareas)Forexamplearesi-dentinAltadenamightseethemoreintensive marketingandoutreacheffortsThatmayspur themtoactionmdashbutiftheyalreadyhadplans toremodelorhadpreviouslyworkedwitha contractortheymightcalltheircontractorand thusactuallycometotheprogramthrough thecontractorThereforeitwillnotbeeasy todeterminepreciselywhathasmotivated eachpersontoparticipateinEnergyUpgrade Objectivestomeetinclude
About35-45ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughthemarket-ingandoutreacheffortsTomonitorwe willincludeashortsurveyaspartofthe rebateapplicationprocessaskingpartici-pantswhatdrewthemtothewebsiteand totheProgramThewebsitecanmonitor clickthroughstocontractorssitesfrom theProgramwebsiteprovidinganindica-tionofpotentialparticpantswhocameto thesitebeforehavingacontractorOnce apropertyownerinputsanaddressthe websitewillbeabletospecificallymonitor ifthatparticipantasksformultiple estimatesfromcontractorsanotherindica-
toroffindingacontractorthroughthesite
About45-50ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughcontractors Wewillaskcontractorstoprovideinfor-mationabouttheirmarketingeffortsand successratesTheywillbeabletoidentify participantsgainedthroughtheirownmar-ketingefforts
300000uniquehitsonthewebsitewhich willbemonitoredbythewebsiteFurther thewebsitewillanalyzewherevisitors camefrom(egaclickthroughfroman onlineadfromacontractorrsquoswebsite orduringthespecifictimeframeofanad campaign)
Virtualandactualldquoword-of-mouthrdquore-portedbymonitoringsocialmedia
Communicationskitsandmarketingkits availablebothphysicallyandthroughan on-demandprintsitemonitoredbyclient
Informationalmaterialsforcitiesmoni-toredbySouthBayCitiesCouncilofGov-ernments
50000000mediaadvertisingin-person impressionsmonitoredbybroadcast printonlinestatisticsandreportsfrom grassrootsmarketingefforts
Consolidatedinformationinone-stop-shop approachwillbedeliveredthroughthe website
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 37
description of marketing communication tools
PlacedEarned Social Media ThePlancallsforsocialmediatopushinfor-mationtoourtargetaudiencesincreaseper-ceptionsoftheProgramascommunity-based reachthosewhowillhelpgenerateadditional buzzindependentmarketingeffortsaboutthe Programandprovideamechanismforlisten-ingtowhatpeoplearesayingaboutEnergy Upgrademdashandrespondingwhennecessary
Online Paid Advertising Onlineadvertisingcampaignscanbeverycost-effectiveandhighlytargetedbydemographics areasofinterestandgeographicsAdsappear ontopic-relatedblogsonsearchenginepages (egGoogle)andoncontentpages(egwhen yousearchforinformationaboutarelated topicandselectawebsitetoview)
Types of Users Targetadsbyage genderincomelanguagepreferencezip codeorhotspots
Types of SearchesTargetadsbytypeof searchconductedbasedonkeywords
Adsareusuallysoldperldquoclickrdquomdashtheviewer hasclickedontheadandbeensenttothe EnergyUpgradeCAwebsiteWewillmake fourtypesofonlineadpurchases
1 Googleadsthatplaceadsbothonits searchpagesandonhundredsofwebsites targetedbytheabove
2 Networksthattargetspecificsitesand blogsthatmatchourtargetaudiences(eg HiveBlogsLosAngelesthatoffers350LA blogstochoosefrom)
3 Directlythroughselectpublishers(eg CurbedLAGreenGirlLAlocalpapers online)
4 Onlineeditionsoflocalpapersinpilot marketingareas
Twitter Twitterusersaremostlycollegegraduates haveattendedgraduateschoolandlivein householdsmakingover$50000ayear (nationally)Usersarethreetimesmorelikely tofollowbrandsandcompaniesonTwitter thanotherusersofsocialnetworkswith40 specificallyusingTwittertolearnaboutand provideopinionsonbrands
Twittercanpushthelatestdevelopmentsand newstopeoplewhohaveexpressedaninter-estedintheProgram(theymustsignupto receiveourTweetsorhavesearchedfortag wordsincludedinourTweets)Itrsquosalsoan easywayforthosewhofollowEnergyUpgrade onTwittertoshareTweetswiththeirfriends
38 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
therebygeneratingbuzzandhelpingmarket theProgramTwittercanshareProgram newsinrealtimedrivepeopletothewebsite facilitateearlyadoptersbuzzmakersreach youngerhomeownersandincreasemarketing effortsatalowcostTwittercanbeeffectively usedtocommunicatetheProgramandits milestonesinavarietyofways
bull Tweetaboutpressreleasesmajoran-nouncementsnewitemsonwebsiteor blogsmediastoriesandarticlesespecially aboutthosethataretimesensitiveandtell ouraudiencewhatishappeningwiththe Programandencouragesthemtopartici-pateorfindoutmore
bull PutaTweeticononthemainwebsiteal-lowingvisitorstothewebsitetobeginto followEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLos AngelesCountyonTwitterwithoneclick
bull FollowotherswhoTweetaboutthe ProgramaswellasthosewhoTweetabout relatedtopicsThiswillprovideanop-portunitytodirectlyrespondtoaperson whohasaquestionabouttheProgramand pointthemtoalinktothewebsite
Tweet Examples
bull ldquo100LAhomeownershavesigned upfortheProgramatwwwEnergyUpgra-deCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoReadaboutLArsquosnewenergyefficiency rebateProgramintheLAtimes httpwwwlatimesgreenblogcomrdquo
bull ldquoWanttosaveonyourutilitybills CheckoutwwwEnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoSignupfortheHomeEnergyUpgrade contestforachancetowinafree homeenergyefficiencyretrofitat EnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
Cost and Budget
SettingupaTwitteraccountisfreeasisusing anapplicationsuchasTweetDeckthathelps followotherswhoareTweetingaboutEnergy UpgradeCaliforniaTheonlysignificantcostis stafftimewhichcanbelimitedtoafewhours aweek
Facebook Facebookisalow-costandeasywayofboth marketingtheProgramandsupportingan onlinecommunityofpeopleinterestedinthe ProgramItwillreachaudienceswhoaremore likelytospendtimeonFacebookversusaweb-siteandwhomayprefertoreceiveshortreal timeProgramnewsviaFacebookratherthan emailsorwebsitesItisidealforpostinglinks tovideosandphotosrelatedtotheprojectIt complementsthewebsiteaplacewherefans oftheProgramcanfindinformationaskques-tionsandshareideasandexcitementThese fanswillgeneratebuzzbytellingtheirfriends abouttheProgramthroughFacebook
AFacebookpagewillcontaininformation abouttheProgramalinktothewebsite Programnewsvideosphotographsandother informationWhenthepageisupdatedfans willreceivelinksinemailalertingthemtothe newposts
Facebookisalsoidealforsharingthestoryof anearlyadopter(whowillalsoTweet)through updatesphotographsandvideosItlends itselfmuchmorenaturallytothispeople-fo-cusedapproachthanawebsitewhichismore formal
Additionalpoints
bull EncourageandperhapsrewardProgram adopterstosharetheirexperiencesask questionsetc
bull Setupcontrolstodeterminewhatcontent Fanscanposttothewall
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 39
bull Monitorupdatestothewallandtakedown Therearemanyexistingblogsthatcanbeused inappropriatecontent
bull Respondtoissuesquestionsandtakepart intheconversation
bull Adesignatedstaffpersonshouldmonitor thesiteitisalsoidealifseveralstaff memberspostcontentandifpartnersare activeparticipantsalthoughtheoverall strategyshouldbecentralized
Facebook Examples
Herearesomeexamplesofthetypesofpost-ingsforaFacebookpage
bull ldquoTheLATimesdescribesEnergyUpgrade CAasaperfectopportunitytobegreenand savemoneymdashintheFridaymoneysectionrdquo
bull ldquoWhydidyoudecidetoparticipatein EnergyUpgradeCATellushowyour energyefficiencyretrofitisgoingandwersquoll enteryouforachancetowina$50Home Depotgiftcardrdquo
bull ldquoWonderingwhetherEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaisrightforyouCheckoutthis videooftheSmithsinstallingnewinsula-tionandwindows--andreceivinga$3500 rebaterdquo
Cost and Budget
Relativelyfewdirectcostsstafftimewill fluctuateduringbusycalmperiodswithhigh activityatthebeginningastheProgramkicks offandafanbaseisestablishedOngoingstaff timeneededtokeeppagefreshwith3-4posts weekdailymaintenancerequiredtomonitor postingsfromfans
Blogs Blogsreachtargetaudienceswhoarealready interestedinrelatedtopicsandwhohavehigh potentialtoparticipateintheProgram
tofurthermarketingefforts
bull Identifybloggerswhowilllikelywrite positivelyabouttheProgramSendpress releasefactsheetsandPrograminforma-tiontobloggerswhowriteabouttopics suchastheenvironmentenergyefficiency homeimprovementremodelingreal estatehousingbargainssavingmoneyas wellastocompaniesthatsellsolarpanels contractorsetc
bull Bloggersarelookingfortopicalstoriesto writeaboutandwewillmaketheirnext blogposteasyBecauseEnergyUpgradeis ahighrewardoptionalProgrambloggers willwritefavorablyandhelptellthestory inafriendlyaccessibleandeasy-to-under-standway(althoughwedonrsquothavecontrol overwhattheywrite)Peoplewhoaredis-satisfiedwillwritenegativecommentsbut wewillmonitorblogsandactivelycorrect misperceptions
bull Tomonitorwhatothersarewritingabout EnergyUpgradeontheirblogswewilluse freeprogramslikeTechnoratiorGoogle Readertoscanallblogsandwebsitesthat mentiontheProgram
Blogs to Reach
Green Girl LA Blog (httpgreenlagirlcom)Thisindependent blogisfocusedonenvironmentalhap-peningsinLosAngelesArecentpostwas aboutagreennetworkingeventfeaturing TheBuildingDoctorspresentingwaysto makeyourhousemoreenergyefficient PreviouslyareporterbloggerfortheLA Timesthewriterisactiveandcoversa widevarietyofenvironmentalgreentopics happeninginLosAngeles
40 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
LA Times HomeBlog (wwwlatimesblogslatimescomhome_
blog)focusesontopicsrelatedtohouses andhashadseveralrecentpostsabout greenremodelingOneadvantageofa majornewspaperisthatthereportingis accurateandthereadershipislargerThey recentlywroteaboutauditionsforThisOld HousewhichisfeaturingaLosAngeles areahouseforasummerremodel
Bargain Babe (wwwbargainbabelatownluxecom) featuresLosAngelesbargainsYoucan searchforbargainsbyareaofLA(West-sideetc)orbytopicThisbloggerrecently wroteaboutappliancerebates
LA Times Green Remodeling (wwwlatimesblogslatimescompar-donourdustgreen_remodeling)writes aboutalltopicsrelatedtoremodelingin SouthernCaliforniawithseveralrecent postsongreentopicsArecentpostre-viewedthedifferentadvantagesofinstall-ingvarioustanklesswaterheatersPitch thatthebloggerfollowahomeenergy retrofitandhelptelltheirstoryaswellas announcebasicPrograminformation
LA Times Personal Finance wwwlatimescombusinesspersonal-finance
Home Remodeling wwwkathysremodelingblogcom
Energy Efficiency wwwlowimpactlivingcomblog
LA CreekFreak
LA Observed
LAist
YouTube PostallvideosrelatedtotheprojectonYou-TubeWewillworkwithourmediapartners todevelopacontestforearlyadopterstofilm theirexperienceandletwebsitevisitorsvote onthebestWinnerreceivesaprizetobe determined
ListServes Listservesreachgroupsofpeoplewhoare interestedinasimilartopicorwholiveina specificneighborhoodSendemailblaststo listservessuchasneighborhoodassociations homeremodelersandenvironmentalgroups withanenergyfocusCitystaffhasinforma-tionaddressesofneighborhoodandhom-eownerassociationslists
Multimedia for Presentations Website Developanengaginginformative6-8minute videofocusingoncontractorsandhomeown-ersthatcanbeusedduringpresentationsand presentedonCityTVThevideowillbeshot bothinEnglishandinSpanishandcover
bull Howtherebatesworktocreateasenseof urgencyaboutdoingtheenergyupgrades soonerratherputtingitofftotakeadvan-tageoftherebates
bull Theldquosealthenenhancerdquowholehouse concept
bull WhattheProgramelementsactuallylook likeandhowtheyareinstalledtoover-comebarrierssuchasthatonemighthave tomoveoutofthehouseortheenergy upgradesareldquouglyrdquo
bull Workingwithacontractorwhatbeing licensedandcertifiedmeansgettingmul-tiplebids
bull Financingoptions
bull Doingthepaperwork
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 41
Fromthatvideodevelop
bull Threeindividual2-minutevideosforuse onlineeachfocusingonaspecifictopicmdash
againinbothEnglishandSpanish
bull A15anda30spoteachinEnglishand SpanishforuseonCityTVandbroadcast
stations
Print Collateral Customizable fact sheetsInforma-tionsheets(onepagefrontandback)in EnglishSpanishandChinesethatcanalso bepostedonthewebsiteasPDFs
Program brochureMorehighlyde-signedforplacementinmunicipaloffices andevents
Customizable Brochure Brandedwith SunsetMagazineorNationalGeographic forcontractorsandrealtorstohandto customers
SignageBannersforeventsandstreet lamppostspostersformunicipaloffices andsmalleventsandpotentiallysignage forbussidestransitshelters
Speakers kits Countyandcitystaffwillreceivekitstoensure everyoneisfamiliarwithkeymessagesandhas informationtogivetoconstituentsThesecan besentdirectlytocitiesordistributedthrough COGsKitswillcontain
bull Talkingpoints
bull DVDofthevideo
bull PPTpresentationforpublicmeetings
bull Printedbrochuresforpermitofficesto includewithwelcomepacketsfornewho-meowners
bull Articlesandphotostheycanrunintheir onlineorprintedcitynewsletters
bull CDwithtemplatesforquickprintingand websitebuttontolinkfromtheirwebsiteto EnergyUpgradeCalifornia
42 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
description of key messages
Thefollowingmessageshadthehighestreso-nanceinpollingandfocusgroupsbothinLos AngelesCountyandtheBayArea
Primary Motivators Thefollowingtwomessagesaboutsaving moneyarekeytomotivatingalltargetaudi-encesTheyshouldbepartofeverypieceof advertisingorcollateralproduced
1 RebatesHomeownerswhomakeenergy-savinghomeimprovementscanqualifyfor a$1500federaltaxcreditandrebatesof upto$3500dependingonhowmuchthey reduceenergyconsumptionAdditional motivatorTaxcreditsonlyavailable untilDecember312010(Rebatesare preferredovertaxcreditsbecauseitrsquoscash nowratherthanlateranddependingon incomenoteveryonecangetthecredit)
2 Save on Utility Bills Upgradingahome touselessenergyandwatercanreduce utilitybillsby20ormoremdashsavingyou moneyovertime
Secondary Motivators Thefollowingmessagesarethenlayeredde-pendingonwhichaudienceisbeingtargeted
Help the EnvironmentClimate Change Weallneedtodoourparttohelp theenvironmentandslowclimatechange Makingourhomesmoregreenandenergy efficientisanimportantstepweshouldall take
Reduce Foreign OilFossil FuelsAt atimewhenwearetryingtoreduceour dependenceonforeignoilandotherfossil fuelsupgradingtheenergyefficiencyof ourhomesisanimportantstepwecanall take(Infocusgroupstheconceptofenergy independencefurtherresonatedasinde-pendencefromutilitycompaniesgetting offthegrid)
Certified Contractors Save Money Speciallytrainedandcertifiedcontractors knowhowtofindimprovementsthatthe averagehomeownerwouldnotTheiras-sessmentswillensurethatyoufindmore energysavingsandthereforesavemore moneyonyourutilitybillsAdditional motivatorContractorsarecertifiedbythe BuildingPerformanceInstituteworking withtheDepartmentofEnergyandEnvi-ronmentalProtectionAgency
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 43
Increase Property ValuesHomesthat areenergy-efficientandenvironmentally friendlyaremoreappealingtohomebuyers Theseupgradescanincreaseyourproperty value
ComfortUpgradingyourhomersquosenergy efficiencymdashinparticularupgradinginsula-tionmdashcanmakeitamorecomfortableplace toliveNomoredraftycoldroomsinthe winterorhotstuffyroomsinthesummer
Indoor Air QualityInsulationand ventilationcanreduceallergyandasthma-causingmoldandmildewimproving indoorairqualityespeciallyforinfantsand thosewithhealthconditions
Messengers Homeownersprefertoreceiveinformation fromimpartialtrustedsourcesThesemes-sengersreceivedthehighestscoresinpolling
bull Neighborsandotherhomeowners
bull Contractorthehomeownerisalready workingwithorreferredbyfriendneigh-bor
bull Architectsdesignprofessionals
bull Gasandelectricutilities
bull Environmentalorganizations
bull Homeimprovementstorestaff(when equippedwithflyers)
44 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 45
- Cover
- Table of Contents13
- Summary Overview13
- Introduction13
- Programs Goals and Objectives13
- Marketing and Outreach Program Goals and Structure13
- Strategy13
- Evaluation13
- Description of Marketing Communication Tools13
- Description of Key Messages13
-
market analysis scenarios
Link between Pilot Market Areas and Parcel-Based Market Analysis
Theaudiencesbeingexaminedinthepilot marketingareasoverlapwithbutarenotthe sameasthoseinthemarketanalysisThe marketanalysisthereforesupportsthepilot marketareaidentificationintwoways
1 Itaddspropertycharacteristicsgleaned fromconsumerresearchtothepilotmarket areaanalysisInthiswayScenarios1and 2(RetrofitReadyandRetrofitPersuadable) providefurtherdetailtothepilotmarket areasandallowforgeneralmarketingto
MARkET ANALySIS SCENARIO
AUdIENCE IdENTIFIEd
dATA ANALyzEd RELATEd MARkETING STRATEGy
1-early adopters retrofit ready
environmentalists ready to take action now with information about rebates
Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Pilot Marketing areas
2-retrofit persuadable
those who need information about types of improvements with emphasis on rebates and cost savings
Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Pilot Marketing areas
3a-Built environment Heating and cooling
Middle-aged to newer homes located inland that are larger and often have high ac heating bills
Property characteristics location of Home
trigger event Marketing utility Bills Pilot area Marketing
3b-Built environment-Heating
smaller older coastal homes that may have comfort issues in winter
Property characteristics location of Home
trigger event Marketing comfort Pilot Marketing areas
4-multi-family Multi-family homeowners Demographic criteria Property characteristics
Multi-family Marketing Pilot Marketing areas
5-Whole neighborhood
tracts of similarly-aged and built homes
Property characteristics location of Home
Whole neighborhood Marketing Pilot Marketing areas
bedirectedtospecificproperties(when appropriate)
2 Italsoidentifiesotherkeyaudiences (Scenarios3a3b4and5)thatcorrelate toothermarketingstrategiesasshown intableaboveTheresultsofthese scenarioswillbeoverlaidontopofthepilot marketareastoidentifyspecificparcels thatmayrespondtospecificmarketing strategiesForexamplewhenoverlaying thepropertiesidentifiedinScenario5 (Whole-NeighborhoodScenario)with thepilotmarketingareastheCounty canidentifypropertieswithinthepilot
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 21
marketingareathatwouldrespondtoa whole-neighborhoodmarketingapproach (bulkpurchasingmodelhomesasingle contractoretc)
Home Energy Makeover Contest HomeEnergyMakeoverContestsgenerate atremendousamountofpublicityandhave beensuccessfullyconductedinmanyother statesandcitiesTheyattractthousandsof entrantsTheconceptistobothgarnerfree publicityandmodelthebehaviortheProgram istryingtoencouragebyshowingtheldquowhole houseapproachrdquohoweasyupgradescanbe howmuchtherebatescanreducetheproject costandhowmuchdifferencetheymaketoa home
Thecontestwillalsodemonstratethemarket acceptanceforthehomeperformanceap-proachtotraditionalsingle-measurecontrac-torsThosecontractorswillseehowmany peopleenterthecontesttowinahomeperfor-mancemakeoverbasedonthewholehouseap-proachAllthosewhoenteredareleadswho maybeinterestedinawholehouseapproach ratherthansinglemeasures
Entrantsmustbeover18liveinLosAnge-lesCountyandownthehomeinwhichthey residethecontestcanbelimitedtothose whoreceiveservicefromSouthernCalifornia EdisonandorSouthernCaliforniaGas(in otherwordsitcanincludeorexcluderesi-dentsservedbymunicipalutilities)Entrants submitinformationabouttheirhomeand theirenergyconsumptionandgivepermis-sionfortheProgramjudgestoviewtheir energyconsumptionduringthepreviousyear Finalistsarebasedonthehighestenergycon-sumptionpersquarefootofamedian-sized homeAbout20finalistsreceivefreeenergy auditsfortheirhomesBasedontheaudit (andadditionalcriteriawewilldetermine)five winninghomesreceiveupto$15000inhome
energyimprovements(whichcanbesupple-mentedbyrebatesandadditionalfunding fromthepropertyowner)Thewinneragrees tomediacoverageanopenhouseandtoblog andorTweetduringandaftertheretrofit Wewillworkwithcontractorstogetsponsor-shipsaswellasdonatedauditsandupgrade elements
OnecontestwillbeheldinFall2010(withfive winners)andasecondcontestheldduring Springof2011(withfivewinners)
Aseparatecontestcouldbeheldformulti-familybuildingswithahigherwinning amount
Countywide Incentives TheProgramwillestablishalistofnon-profit organizationsthatareactiveinpromoting greenhomessustainabilityandotherenvi-ronmentalorcommunityprojectsEveryone intheCountywhocompletesanenergyaudit maydesignateanon-profitorganizationto receiveadonationfromtheProgramInfor-mationabouttheeligibleorganizationswill beonthewebsiteThiswillencouragethose non-profitstopromotetheProgramtotheir membersltNotethisconceptisstillbeing developedgt
Direct Mail Utilitieswillplacemessagesonouterbillen-velopessenttocustomersTheywillalsosend directmailaboutEnergyUpgradetoldquotarget areasrdquobasedonacombinationofenergy usageageofhomeandhouseholdincome DirectmailisscheduledforOctober2010
County Events Utilitieswillbeattendinglargeeventssuch astheSeptember2010and2011LACounty Fairswithawholehousethemethatincludes aminimodelhousethatvisitorscanldquotourrdquo Additionalproposedeventsinclude
22 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
bull LeagueofCitiesAnnualConference workshop(September2010)
bull PomonaHomeImprovementShow (October2010)
bull RemodelingShowattheLACountyFair (October2010)
bull CaliforniaAssociationofRealtors (October2010)
bull BuildingIndustryShow(November2010)
bull SouthernCaliforniaHomeImprovement Show(November2010)
bull NeighborWorksAmerica(February2011)
Online and Social Media TheProgramwillusesocialmediatoinex-pensivelyreachtargetaudiencesbeginningat launchandcontinuingthroughoutthePro-gramwithbriefpausesforrefiningThiswill beaccomplishedthroughoptimizingsearch wordsforsearchenginessuchasGoogleand Bingreachingappropriateindependentblogs aYouTubevideocontest(runbyamediapart-ner)andencouragingblogpostsandTweets byearlyadoptersandtheProgramitself(see DescriptionsofMarketingCommunications ToolsandDescriptionsofTargetAudiencesfor moredetails)Inadditionutilitieswilldevote spaceforinformationandalinkontheirland-ingpages
Countywide Media Buys Withalatesummerfalllaunchdatemedia buysneedtobespreadtoavoidtheelection monthofOctober2010EnergyUpgradeCali-forniainLosAngelescansponsoraweather broadcastmdashliveonlineandmobilemdashaswell as15and30spotsduringotherbroadcasts Wewillalsopurchaseliveandonlinespots withUnivisiontheSpanish-languagestation Radiobuyswillinclude15NationalPublic Radio(KPCCandKCRW)sponsorshipsand variousdrive-timespotsonEnglishandin-
languageAMandFMstationsSocialmedia buysincludeGoogleWordsandblogads(see DescriptionsofMarketingCommunications Tools)Printmediabuyswillbeinmulticul-turalpapers
(Afullmediabuyplanandschedulewillbe availableinAugust)
Countywide Media Relations TheProgramwillcoordinateCountyandutil-ityeffortsandwiththeCaliforniaEnergyCom-missionCaliforniaPublicUtilitiesCommis-sioneffortsMediarelationswillbeinthree phasespre-launchlaunchandmilestones
Pre-Launch (August ndash September)
bull DevelopandprovideaSpeakerrsquosKit withtalkingpoints
bull OrganizeCountymedialaunchevent (potentiallyenlistawillinghomeowner whosehousemightserveasalaunching padformediatours)
bull Respondtorequestsfromcities
bull Providepre-writtenarticlesforcity communitynewsletters
bull Issuepresskitsandpressrelease(in EnglishandSpanish)announcing launch
Launch (October)
bull Mediaeventtoannouncelaunchand HomeEnergyMakeoverContestpoten-tiallyon-siteatahousetodemonstrate upgrades
bull SendoutradioPSAs
Milestones (through 2013)
bull Mediaeventtoannouncewinnersofthe HomeEnergyMakeovercontest(could beconductedon-sitesurprisingthe winners)
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 23
bull ldquoRe-launchrdquopressreleaseandmedia eventinMarch2011forasecondHome EnergyMakeoverContestwithastrong ldquogetreadyforsummerrdquotheme
bull Pressreleasewhen10000thperson receivesarebate
bull Pressreleasewhenotherappropriate milestonesarereachedorthefunding forincentivesisclosetobeingdepleted
2 Pilot Marketing Areas
Itwillbecriticalforthelong-termsuccessof marketingeffortstohaveasignificantnumber ofearlysuccessesthatgeneratepositivepub-licityandword-of-mouthencouragingothers toalsoparticipateTheCountyintendsto stimulatethemarketfortheseearlyadopters byintensifyingmarketingeffortsinspecific pilotmarketingareas(withzipcodebound-aries)wherebasedonextensiveconsumer
countywide marketingoutreach tactics
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
television
ad buys on Broadcast tV univision google tV Paid county
ldquothis old Houserdquo segment on whole house per-formance and rebates while renovating house (filming in la this summer)
earned county
coverage on mainstream and multicultural sta-tions
earned utilities county
ldquoinfomercialrdquo and promos on city tV Placed county
radio
nPR sponsorship Paid county
commute time spots Paid county
coverage on california Report earned utilities county
Psas on mainstream stations Placed utilities county
spots on multicultural stations Paid county
coverage in mainstream and multicultural papers
earned utilities county
sunset Magazine green Home section earned county
ads in la times and Daily news real estate sections
Paid utilities county
ads in multicultural papers Paid county
Direct Mail to targets Paid utilities
24 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
countywide marketingoutreach tactics (conrsquot)
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
social media
Blogs (about homes environment bargains) earned county
Facebook page Placed county
ads targeted to interest in environment and or home improvements (this old House etc)
Paid county
google adWords targeted to interest in environment andor home improvements
Paid county
twitter both by the Program and by individual early adopters (with incentives)
Placed county
youtube early adopters make a video about their experience and results (with incentives)
Placed county
out of Home
Retail kiosks banners flyers links on retail websites
Placed utilities
community organizations
environmental groups and others newsletters websites email blasts
earned county
Home improvement shows booths Paid county
countywide events Paid utilities
Bloggersubject matter events Paid county
researchhighpercentagesoftargetaudiences livePilotmarketingprogramsinthoseareas willtesttheextentcommunity-basedmarket-ingpositivelyimpactsparticipationratesan effortrelatedtoRetrofitRampUpproposal requirements
Demographicdataprovidedbythemarketre-searchwillbeoverlaidwithenergyusagedata AdditionallyGIS-basedmarketanalysisatthe parcellevel(describedabove)willallowfor pinpointingofspecificneighborhoodswithin thepilotareasforoutreachthatcaninclude
door-to-doordirectmailandmarketingby contractorsaspartofaldquowholeneighbor-hoodrdquoapproachFocusingonpilotareaswill alsomeettheRetrofitRampUprequirements oftheDepartmentofEnergyFollowingisa summaryofplannedmarketingandoutreach efforts
Marketresearch-basedcriteriaforchoosing about15pilotareaswillinclude
Clusters of houses built before 1978 Thoselivinginolderhomesespecially
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 25
builtbeforeCaliforniarsquosEnergyEfficiency Standardsaremorelikelytobelievethat theirhousemightbeenergyinefficient andcouldbenefitfromenergyefficiency improvementsmdashandberesponsivetoan energyupgrade
High percentage of homeownership Thesemarketingeffortsfocusonsingle-familyresidentialhomeownerssoareas withhighrentalrateswillnotprovidea largeenoughnumberofeligibleunits
Income over $60000Thosewith incomesunder$60000didnotbelieve theywouldhavesufficientincometomake improvementsevenwithrebatesThey werenotinterestedinloans(manywith lowincomesalsofindthemselvesldquounder-waterrdquoontheirloansandthusnoteligible forsomefinancing)Inadditionwefound somepush-backinfocusgroupsabout ldquogovernmentofferingloanstopeoplewho canrsquotaffordthemafterthesub-primeloan debaclerdquo
Population with a high percentage of college-educatedThosewithacollege degreearemuchmorelikelytoindicate apreferencetomakeenergyefficiency upgradesThosewhohadcompletedsome collegeeducationarealsomorelikelyto indicateapreferenceforenergyefficiency upgradesthanthosewhohadnotcom-pletedany
Population with a high percentage of those age 35-54Thosewithchildren andorexpandingfamiliesaremorelikely tomakeimprovementsthanthoseunder 30(thereareveryfewhomeownersunder 30)andthoseover54
High percentage of households with 4+ peopleHouseholdswithmorepeople havehigherenergybillsResearchshows thatthoseinhomeswithmorethan4
peoplebelieveenergyupgradescanmakea bigimpactontheirbills
High energy usage Thehigherenergy usage(andbills)themorelikelypeopleare tobelievethatenergyefficiencyimprove-mentswillmakeadifferenceintheirbills
Afterlayeringthisinformationtocomeup withalistofpotentialareaswefurthercon-sidered
Clusters of 8000-20000 homesThe areashouldbelargeenoughtoprovidesub-stantialnumbersofeligibleunitsbutsmall enoughtoenablereachingmajorityofresi-dentsandgeneratingword-of-mouth
Has a diverse multicultural commu-nityAreasshouldhavestrongcommunity identitiesandsenseofplacesocommunity membersareproudofwheretheyliveand areencouragedtoimprovetheircommu-nity
Has strong neighborhood and com-munity organizationsWeneedto engagetheseorganizationsaspartnersto helpspreadtheword
Has existing communications such as newsletters blogsWeneedtoreach membersthroughexistingcrediblesources thatresidentsalreadyuseandtrust
ldquoSpill overrdquo opportunities to nearby neighborhoodsSincemarketingand mediaeffortswillpotentiallyalsobeseen byneighborsareasshouldbenearother areasthatmayalsomeettheprimary criteria
Climatetime of yearIndetermining whentorolloutthepilotswecantarget interiorareasinspringandcoastalareasin coldweather
26 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Basedonthemarketresearchcriteriafive pilotmarketingareasarescheduledforintense marketingatlaunchwithanadditional10 areasscheduledforintensemarketingin Spring2011
Thepilotmarketstrategyissupportedby theparcel-basedmarketanalysiswhichwill identifywhichneighborhoodspropertieswill bethebesttotargetusingthisapproachThe marketanalysiswillallowlimitedmarketing fundingtobeleveragedbyfocusingonthose thataremostlikelytorespondtothemarket-ingefforts
Wewillcreatemessagesandvisualsspecifical-lytailoredtoeachtargetcommunityrsquoscultural andlinguisticpreferencesImagessymbols andiconstypographycolorandoverall designcarrydifferentmeaningsindifferent culturesAmessageistypicallymosteffective ifitiscreatedwithcarefulattentiontothese idiosyncrasiesandwithintheldquoculturalmind-setrdquooftherecipientsCreatingheadlinesand taglinesdirectlyinthetargetlanguagerather thansimplytranslatingEnglishadvertising copyensuresthatcopyhasthecorrectrhythm andrhymeandisthereforemuchmore attention-grabbingandmemorable
Community Incentives Energy Champion Program Severalconceptsareunderconsiderationto developacommunityincentivestrategyto promoteparticipationinlinewiththeRetrofit RampUpproposalforinnovativeincentiveap-proachesIncentivesmaybedirectedatenergy auditscommunity-basedorganizationsthose willingtoprovidetestimonialsorblogtweet andpublicrecognitionefforts
Grassroots Community Organizing-Trainedorganizerswillpresentinformationat themeetingsof12-15influentialcommunity leadersandcommunity-basedorganizationsin
eachpilotareacapturetheircontactdataand helpspreadtheinformationtotheirmembers throughtheirnewsletterseventsandwebsites TheProgramwillprovidepre-writtencus-tomizablearticlespresentationsorvideoand websiteldquobuttonsrdquotolinktotheProgramsite Eachgroupwillbeofferedanincentiveofado-nationtotheirorganizationforeverymember whocompletesahomeenergyupgradeThis willencourageCBOvolunteerstoincrease theirmarketingeffortsFriendlyrivalrieswill beencouragedCommunitygroupswillreport namesofparticipantscheckedforjobcomple-tionbytheProgram(underdevelopment)
Community Events One-on-onefacetimewithhomeownersis anidealwaytoengagepotentialparticipants Well-trainedorganizerswillattendfiveevents ineachtargetareaprovidinghomeowners withinformation(pocketsizemultilingual handouts)andcapturingtheircontactinfor-mationforfollowupTheycanhavehome-ownerssignuponthewebsiteonsiteifappro-priateandperhapsevenhavethemprovideus withavideocommitmentldquoItookthePledgerdquo withpermissiontopostonthewebsiteAsa luretotheboothhomeownerswillbeoffered freeitemssuchaslightbulbsmagnetsand reusablecupswithcoldwater(imprintedwith thewebsite)manufacturedintheUS
Print Radio Outdoor and Out-of Home Advertising Localmediawillcoverthelaunchofthe Programandwewillstrategicallyplaceads inlocalmediaandcommunitynewsletters Outdooradvertising(smallstreet-levelbiode-gradableeco-postersbussheltersbussides) strategicallyplacedinhigh-trafficareaswillre-inforcethemessageoveraone-monthperiod
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 27
Pilot Area Example Altadena Altadenawasidentifiedasacommunitythat fitsourtargetcriteriaItisadiverseunincor-poratedcommunitywithsixneighborhoods andanapproximatepopulationof40000The averagehouseholdincomeisabout$94000 Morethan50ofadultresidentsaremarried withchildrenandcommuteanaverageof62 milesperdaytowhite-collarjobsFully40of theadultsinthiscommunityhaveabachelors
degreeorhigherandareinvolvedinmany communityeventsandorganizationsThere areapproximately12000homesinthiscom-munityand10000ofthosehomesareowner-occupiedThegraphicshowshowoutreach wouldbeconcentratedinthisarea
pilot area outreachmarketing tactics
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
radio
Psas on multicultural stations earned county
coverage in local papers earned county
ads in local and multicultural papers Paid county
outdoor
Bus shelters in area Paid county
on-street lampost signage Paid county
Billboards Paid county
social media
Blogs (relevant to the area) earned county
online ads targeted by location Paid county
listserves of neighborhood associations (through cities)
earned county
out of Home
Movie theater ads in area Paid county
lawn signs on homes in area (through contractors)
Paid county
community organizations
community meetings with incentives to organizations for participation
earnedPaid county
community events Paid county Door hangers Paid county
28 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Home Depot
Ace Hardware
Lowersquos
Master Builders
Great Indoors
Home Expo
altadena marketing target
Hoy La Opinioacuten
Pasadena Star News
Altadena Headlines Examiner
Boulevard Magazine
Arroyo Magazine
Pasadena Weekly
Altadena Connection
Sentinel
KLVE
KPCC Pasadena
KCBS
KROQ Pasadena
KAZN Pasadena
Church Bulletins
Summer Concert Series at Farnsworth Park
Fourth of July Fireworks at
Town amp Country Club
Black History Parade
World Music Festival in Pasadena
Haunted House at
Farnsworth Park
Art Break
Rose Parade
National Latino
Congreso
Altadena Neighborhood Association
Altadena Chamber of Commerce
Altadena Arts Council
Altadena Town Council
Faith-based Organizations
Altadena Town amp Country Club
Altadena League of
Women Voters
Altadena Historical Society
Altadena Community Improvement Center
Sheriff Support Group
Santa Coming to Farnsworth
Park
Altadena California
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 29
3 Trigger-Event Marketing
Thissuiteofstrategieswillbeaimedatcaptur-ingenergyefficiencyopportunitiesfrommul-tipletriggereventsParticipantswillmainly comethroughcontractorsrealtorsandretail partnerspropertyownerswillhavealsoseen countywideadvertising
trigger event marketing
4 City and COG Outreach
OutreachbyCitiesandCOGswillbecritical becauseoftheirexistingrelationshipswith localconstituenciesCitieswillbeprovided withamini-marketingplantalkingpoints videocustomizabletemplatesoffactsheets articlesfortheirnewslettersandadvertising
EvENT dESCRIPTION LEAd AGENT COLLATERAL TACTIC
1 Replace on burnout (heating air conditioners water heaters)
Homeowners either in process of replacing an item or have already done some efficiency projects
county bull Retail partners
bull HVac installers
bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors installers
bull Retail displays
2 life-stage changes (growing family)
Homeowners working with a contractor
county bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors bull ads in media for home remodels
3 Home remodel Homeowners working with an architect contractor
county bull contractors bull architects
bull Materials for contractors
bull ads in media for home remodels
3 improvements at time of purchase
Homeowners interested are preparing a new home for move-in (research shows more interest at purchase than at sale)
shared bull contractors bull Realtors bull Home
inspectors bull city permit
offices bull city welcome
kits bull Retail
bull Brochures for cities
bull ads in weekend homes for sale sections
bull Presentations to realtor groups
bull Retail displays
4 improvements at sale
House owners preparing for sale
county bull contractors bull Realtors
bull Materials for contractors
5 complaints high utility bills cold hot house
Homeowners aware of energy-saving improvements but not whole house approach
county bull contractors bull HeRs raters
bull Materials for contractors
30 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
city amp cog outreach
materialssotheycandeveloplow-costout-reachtotheirresidentsCitieswithcommuni-tiestargetedinthePilotAreaMarketingplans willbeinformedandencouragedtodoout-reachtothoseareasAllCitieswillbeencour-agedtodothefollowing
Run stories in print and online news-letters
Send information to neighborhood associations homeowners associa-tions historic preservation districts and other appropriate community organizations
Provide information in City permit-ting offices and City Hall lobbies
Provide information at strategically located Environmental Information Centers and at COG office locations
Provide information in ldquonew home-ownersrdquo welcome kits (either directly from the city or through title compa-
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAId EARNEd
LEAd
pio coordination contact all participating citiesrsquo Pios na county
letters Key messages for letters from mayors etc to constituents Provide to Pios or city managers
na county
Website links Button for cities to place on their website to link to Program site
na county
city tV informational videos and spot promos Placed county
Welcome brochure
Brochure aimed at new homeowners before they move in
na county
articles Pre-written customizable newsletter articles earned county
email blasts Pre-written customizable info spots for communityneighborhood listserves
earned county
niesmortgage brokers)
Run videos and spots on City TV stations
5 Contractor Marketing
Localcontractorsarecriticaltothesuccess ofEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLosAngeles CountyTheyprovidetheservicesthatcom-prisetheProgramandtheycanhelpmarket theProgramtopropertyownersInfactwe estimatethatupto50ofProgrampartici-pantswillentertheProgramthrougharela-tionshipwithacontractor(theymayhavealso seenmediacoverageandadvertisingwhich spurredthemtotakeaction)Thisuniquerole requiresthattheProgramtakeatwo-tiered approachofengagingthecontractormdashmoti-vatinglocalbuildingprofessionalstoundergo thetrainingandcertificationprocessandalso providingthemwiththetoolstoeffectively promotetheprogramtoexistingandnew clientsThefollowingsectiondescribesspecific
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 31
contractor target
United Brotherhood Building Industry Carpenters (Training)
Association ofSouthern California
Email Blast
Contractors Magazines
Contractor
OnlineAds
Big Box Stores
ConractorsLicensing Schools
Realtor Associations
strategiesassociatedwithbothapproaches
Forthepurposesoftheprogramcontractors aredividedintoparticularsegmentsbasedon thetypeofserviceprovidedAninitialanalysis oftheindustryrevealedthefollowinglikely categories
HomePerformance(HP)Contractors
ProductionBuilders
HVACSystemSpecialtyTrades (windowsetc)
RemodelingContractors
SolarContractors
BuildingPerformance
Institute
Southwest Regional
City Permit Association
Offices of Carpenters
Lumber Yards
StateLicensing
Board
American Instituteof Architects
LA Chapter
Outreach to Contractors TheProgramwillcoordinatewithcontractor groupsandotherbuildingprofessionaltrade organizationstoschedulebriefpresentations abouttheProgramandthecontractortraining processForlargerorganizationsthePro-grammayworkdirectlywiththecompanyto arrangeon-sitepresentationsThesepresenta-tionsareinformalinnatureandwillbeusedto promotethecertificationorientationsrequired forcontractorparticipationintheprogram
KeyMessagestoContractors
$30millioninAmericanRecoveryand ReinvestmentActmoneyisworkinginLA Countytocreateconstructionindustryjobs
32 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
EnergyUpgradeCaliforniaOffersbig rebatesandfinancingoptionsfor homeownersdoinghomeenergy efficiencyretrofits
Therewillbemarketingandadvertis-ingstatewideandlocallytopromotethe Program
Therewillbemarketingmaterialsforyou tousetomarketyourbusiness
YoumustbelicensedandBuildingPerfor-manceInstitute-certifiedtobepartofthe Program
HomeownersmustworkwithBPI-certified contractorstheyrsquollchoosefromacontrac-tordatabaseonthewebsite
KeyOutreachMethods
BuildingIndustryAssociationofSouthern California
SouthwestRegionalCouncilofCarpenters
RealtorsAssociation
UnitedBrotherhood-Carpenters(Training Program)
Citypermittingoffice
Lumberyards
AmericanInstituteofArchitectsLA Chapter(toeducatethemaswell)
ArticlesinformationinContractortrade publications(magazinesnewslettersetc) magazines
CarpentersUnionLocals
ContractorsLicenseSchools(andonline)
BigBoxHomeImprovementstores(de-pendingonIOUrelationships)
wwwcslbcagov
Emailblasttoalllicensedcontractors
Contractor Outreach to Consumers Differentopportunitiesexistfordifferent contractorsdependingontheprobablework scopeThefollowingtableoutlinesafew potentialpathwaysforhowcontractorscan participateintheProgram
contractors outreach to customers
CONTRACTOR TyPE
TRIGGER EvENT vALUE TO CONTRACTOR
BUSINESS MOdEL
Home Performance upgrade lead generation scale for high volume
Production Builder new Business Development
create new division
HVac Replacement lead generation Value-add
expand services
specialty trade lead generation Partner with certified gc
Remodeler Remodel life-stage transition
Value-add sub work to HP contractor
solar Renewables lead generation Partner with certified gc
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 33
BPI-certifiedgeneralcontractorswillbelisted ontheEnergyUpgradeconsumerwebsite sendingmanyleadsdirectlytothemThey alsohaveaccesstotheldquoheatmapsrdquotousefor developingtheirownadvertisingcampaigns
Contractorswillbeattendingorientationses-sionstoensuretheythoroughlyunderstand theProgramrebatesfinancingoptionsand canhelpguidetheircustomersthroughthe processTheywillbeprovidedwithContractor MarketingKitstoensuretheyhaveathandthe keymessagesthathavebeenresonatingwith homeownersandhaveinformationtogive topotentialcustomerswhomightormight nothavebeentothewebsiteKitscanbesent directlytocontractorsordistributedatthe orientationsessionsKitswillcontain
Talkingpoints
DVDofthevideo
Printedfactsheetstoleavewithcustomers (withroomfortheircontactinfo)more canbeordered
Printedldquoslimjimrdquoprogrambrochure
Printedlengthierbrochuresaboutthe wholehouseapproach(brandedby Scientific American Magazine)
CDwithldquobuttonrdquotolinktoEnergyUpgrade fromtheirownwebsitesandPDFsofsite signageforprinting
Contractorswillhaveaccesstoaseparatesec-tionofthewebsitewheretheywillfindinfor-mationaboutProgrameventspromotionsand advertisinganon-demandprintsectionfor additionalcopiesofbrochuresanychanges totheProgramandasingletradecontractor databaseforassemblingteamsforcustomers whowouldlikesolarpanelsornewwindows forexample
6 Realtor Marketing
Giventhatthenationalaveragelengthofhome ownershipisroughlysixyearsrealestate agentswillbeincontactandadvisingalarge percentageofthenewandexistinghomeown-ersthatEnergyUpgradeistargetingforhome energyretrofitsThishighlevelofinfluence makesrealtorsoneofthelargestpartner groups
Realestateagentswillbeengagedonthree levels
1) Outreach
2) Training
3) Support
Outreach Outreachwillbeconductedthroughavariety ofvenuesthatwillincludeCaliforniaAssocia-tionofRealtorsreg(CAR)regionalconferences heldinSouthernCaliforniapartnershipwith themanyrealtorassociationslocatedinLos AngelesCountyanddirectvisitstorealestate agentsrsquoofficesforshortpresentationsPart-nershipswiththe15-20localRealtorsAsso-ciationswillbeachievedthroughoneormore RealtorAdvisoryBoardswhichincludethe GovernmentAffairsDirectorsfromeachof theseorganizationsAselectfewoftheseor-ganizationswillbeusedaspilotsfortargeted outreachduringearlystagesoftheProgram Oncethestrategyhasbeentestedandrevised itwillberolledouttoalloftheRealtorsAs-sociationsinLosAngelesCounty
ThefallCARRealtorExpowillbethemain kickoffeventforoutreachtoindividualreal-torsandrealtorofficesEnergyUpgradeplans tohavea30-minutetalkembeddedinthe SpeakersProgramandaboothsetuponthe ExpofloortoinformrealtorsaboutthePro-gramavailabletrainingsandthesupport
34 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
toolsthathavebeendevelopedThisevent willreachthemajorityofrealtorsintheLos Angelesareabutwillnotincludethelarge populationofrealestateagentsthatarenot membersofCARToreachthispopulation emailsocialmediaandtargetedofficevisits willbeconducted
Training EnergyUpgradewillprovidetrainingforreal estateagentsintwoformsTherealestate agenttrainingmodulecurrentlyunderdevel-opmentbyBuildItGreenwillbeusedasthe maintrainingforumThistrainingmodule isexpectedtotaketwofulldaystocomplete andwillcoverpropertyassessedcleanenergy financingenergyefficientmortgagesrebate programsbuildingscienceenergyefficiency andgreenbuildingpracticesappropriateto California
Additionalweb-basedtrainingwillbeprovided tointroducerealestateagentstotheProgram andtodrivethemtogetin-persontraining throughtheBuildItGreentrainingmodule
Support Cultivatingandclosingtoolswillbegener-atedtoassistrealtorsinusingEnergyUpgrade Californiatradetoexpandtheirbusinesswhile drivinghigherlevelsofprogramparticipation RealtorKitswillbesimilartotheContractor Kitsandtheywillhaveaccesstothedatabase ofgeneralandsingletradecontractors
7 Retail Partner Marketing
Utilitieswillpartnerwithretailoutletsthat canincludeBestBuyCostcoSearsLowes andHomeDepotParticipatingretailoutlets willbeprovided
Information centersEnd-displays detailingtheEnergyUpgradeProgram withadiagramillustratingthehouseas asystemconcept(multiplecomponents thatacttogethertomaximizesavings)and actionscustomerscantaketocapturethose savingsandrebatesIn-storecustomer educationcanshiftcustomerperception ofenergyupgradesandmotivatethem toparticipateinmultipleenergy-efficient measuresinsteadofjustoneAnadditional benefitfortheretailerisassociationwith thestatewideprogram
Program collateral One-sheet takeawaysforcustomerstoreference andshare
Video Theshortvideoscanbeplayed onaloop
Table tent cardsPlacedthroughout storesectionsthatcorrelatewiththe EnergyUpgradeProgram(CFLsappli-ancesceilingfansinsulationwindows) Againthiswillencouragecustomersto performmultipleenergyupgradesinstead ofjustoneCross-promotionhelpseducate customersandencourageparticipationin multiplemeasuresthusincreasingproduct purchase
Window clings ldquoOfficialEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaInformationCenterrdquotagline bannersplacedatstorefrontThiswillpo-sitiontheretailerasanactiveparticipantin thestatewideprogramandbuildsretailer credibilityasagreenadvocate
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 35
8 Multi-Family Outreach
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesandsched-ulesarestillinplanningphasesandbeing developedthroughastatewideconsortium
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesarebeing
developed
36 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
evaluation
Theprimarygoalsofthemarketingplanareto buildpositiveawarenessoftheEnergyUp-gradeCaliforniaProgramandcreateasus-tainedmarketforawholehouseapproach(see page8)Objectivesarespecifictothoseachiev-ingthosegoalsLosAngelesCountyresidents willseemultipleiterationsofmediacoverage paidadvertisingin-storedisplayscontractor marketingandin-personpresentations(inthe pilotmarketingareas)Forexamplearesi-dentinAltadenamightseethemoreintensive marketingandoutreacheffortsThatmayspur themtoactionmdashbutiftheyalreadyhadplans toremodelorhadpreviouslyworkedwitha contractortheymightcalltheircontractorand thusactuallycometotheprogramthrough thecontractorThereforeitwillnotbeeasy todeterminepreciselywhathasmotivated eachpersontoparticipateinEnergyUpgrade Objectivestomeetinclude
About35-45ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughthemarket-ingandoutreacheffortsTomonitorwe willincludeashortsurveyaspartofthe rebateapplicationprocessaskingpartici-pantswhatdrewthemtothewebsiteand totheProgramThewebsitecanmonitor clickthroughstocontractorssitesfrom theProgramwebsiteprovidinganindica-tionofpotentialparticpantswhocameto thesitebeforehavingacontractorOnce apropertyownerinputsanaddressthe websitewillbeabletospecificallymonitor ifthatparticipantasksformultiple estimatesfromcontractorsanotherindica-
toroffindingacontractorthroughthesite
About45-50ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughcontractors Wewillaskcontractorstoprovideinfor-mationabouttheirmarketingeffortsand successratesTheywillbeabletoidentify participantsgainedthroughtheirownmar-ketingefforts
300000uniquehitsonthewebsitewhich willbemonitoredbythewebsiteFurther thewebsitewillanalyzewherevisitors camefrom(egaclickthroughfroman onlineadfromacontractorrsquoswebsite orduringthespecifictimeframeofanad campaign)
Virtualandactualldquoword-of-mouthrdquore-portedbymonitoringsocialmedia
Communicationskitsandmarketingkits availablebothphysicallyandthroughan on-demandprintsitemonitoredbyclient
Informationalmaterialsforcitiesmoni-toredbySouthBayCitiesCouncilofGov-ernments
50000000mediaadvertisingin-person impressionsmonitoredbybroadcast printonlinestatisticsandreportsfrom grassrootsmarketingefforts
Consolidatedinformationinone-stop-shop approachwillbedeliveredthroughthe website
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 37
description of marketing communication tools
PlacedEarned Social Media ThePlancallsforsocialmediatopushinfor-mationtoourtargetaudiencesincreaseper-ceptionsoftheProgramascommunity-based reachthosewhowillhelpgenerateadditional buzzindependentmarketingeffortsaboutthe Programandprovideamechanismforlisten-ingtowhatpeoplearesayingaboutEnergy Upgrademdashandrespondingwhennecessary
Online Paid Advertising Onlineadvertisingcampaignscanbeverycost-effectiveandhighlytargetedbydemographics areasofinterestandgeographicsAdsappear ontopic-relatedblogsonsearchenginepages (egGoogle)andoncontentpages(egwhen yousearchforinformationaboutarelated topicandselectawebsitetoview)
Types of Users Targetadsbyage genderincomelanguagepreferencezip codeorhotspots
Types of SearchesTargetadsbytypeof searchconductedbasedonkeywords
Adsareusuallysoldperldquoclickrdquomdashtheviewer hasclickedontheadandbeensenttothe EnergyUpgradeCAwebsiteWewillmake fourtypesofonlineadpurchases
1 Googleadsthatplaceadsbothonits searchpagesandonhundredsofwebsites targetedbytheabove
2 Networksthattargetspecificsitesand blogsthatmatchourtargetaudiences(eg HiveBlogsLosAngelesthatoffers350LA blogstochoosefrom)
3 Directlythroughselectpublishers(eg CurbedLAGreenGirlLAlocalpapers online)
4 Onlineeditionsoflocalpapersinpilot marketingareas
Twitter Twitterusersaremostlycollegegraduates haveattendedgraduateschoolandlivein householdsmakingover$50000ayear (nationally)Usersarethreetimesmorelikely tofollowbrandsandcompaniesonTwitter thanotherusersofsocialnetworkswith40 specificallyusingTwittertolearnaboutand provideopinionsonbrands
Twittercanpushthelatestdevelopmentsand newstopeoplewhohaveexpressedaninter-estedintheProgram(theymustsignupto receiveourTweetsorhavesearchedfortag wordsincludedinourTweets)Itrsquosalsoan easywayforthosewhofollowEnergyUpgrade onTwittertoshareTweetswiththeirfriends
38 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
therebygeneratingbuzzandhelpingmarket theProgramTwittercanshareProgram newsinrealtimedrivepeopletothewebsite facilitateearlyadoptersbuzzmakersreach youngerhomeownersandincreasemarketing effortsatalowcostTwittercanbeeffectively usedtocommunicatetheProgramandits milestonesinavarietyofways
bull Tweetaboutpressreleasesmajoran-nouncementsnewitemsonwebsiteor blogsmediastoriesandarticlesespecially aboutthosethataretimesensitiveandtell ouraudiencewhatishappeningwiththe Programandencouragesthemtopartici-pateorfindoutmore
bull PutaTweeticononthemainwebsiteal-lowingvisitorstothewebsitetobeginto followEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLos AngelesCountyonTwitterwithoneclick
bull FollowotherswhoTweetaboutthe ProgramaswellasthosewhoTweetabout relatedtopicsThiswillprovideanop-portunitytodirectlyrespondtoaperson whohasaquestionabouttheProgramand pointthemtoalinktothewebsite
Tweet Examples
bull ldquo100LAhomeownershavesigned upfortheProgramatwwwEnergyUpgra-deCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoReadaboutLArsquosnewenergyefficiency rebateProgramintheLAtimes httpwwwlatimesgreenblogcomrdquo
bull ldquoWanttosaveonyourutilitybills CheckoutwwwEnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoSignupfortheHomeEnergyUpgrade contestforachancetowinafree homeenergyefficiencyretrofitat EnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
Cost and Budget
SettingupaTwitteraccountisfreeasisusing anapplicationsuchasTweetDeckthathelps followotherswhoareTweetingaboutEnergy UpgradeCaliforniaTheonlysignificantcostis stafftimewhichcanbelimitedtoafewhours aweek
Facebook Facebookisalow-costandeasywayofboth marketingtheProgramandsupportingan onlinecommunityofpeopleinterestedinthe ProgramItwillreachaudienceswhoaremore likelytospendtimeonFacebookversusaweb-siteandwhomayprefertoreceiveshortreal timeProgramnewsviaFacebookratherthan emailsorwebsitesItisidealforpostinglinks tovideosandphotosrelatedtotheprojectIt complementsthewebsiteaplacewherefans oftheProgramcanfindinformationaskques-tionsandshareideasandexcitementThese fanswillgeneratebuzzbytellingtheirfriends abouttheProgramthroughFacebook
AFacebookpagewillcontaininformation abouttheProgramalinktothewebsite Programnewsvideosphotographsandother informationWhenthepageisupdatedfans willreceivelinksinemailalertingthemtothe newposts
Facebookisalsoidealforsharingthestoryof anearlyadopter(whowillalsoTweet)through updatesphotographsandvideosItlends itselfmuchmorenaturallytothispeople-fo-cusedapproachthanawebsitewhichismore formal
Additionalpoints
bull EncourageandperhapsrewardProgram adopterstosharetheirexperiencesask questionsetc
bull Setupcontrolstodeterminewhatcontent Fanscanposttothewall
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 39
bull Monitorupdatestothewallandtakedown Therearemanyexistingblogsthatcanbeused inappropriatecontent
bull Respondtoissuesquestionsandtakepart intheconversation
bull Adesignatedstaffpersonshouldmonitor thesiteitisalsoidealifseveralstaff memberspostcontentandifpartnersare activeparticipantsalthoughtheoverall strategyshouldbecentralized
Facebook Examples
Herearesomeexamplesofthetypesofpost-ingsforaFacebookpage
bull ldquoTheLATimesdescribesEnergyUpgrade CAasaperfectopportunitytobegreenand savemoneymdashintheFridaymoneysectionrdquo
bull ldquoWhydidyoudecidetoparticipatein EnergyUpgradeCATellushowyour energyefficiencyretrofitisgoingandwersquoll enteryouforachancetowina$50Home Depotgiftcardrdquo
bull ldquoWonderingwhetherEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaisrightforyouCheckoutthis videooftheSmithsinstallingnewinsula-tionandwindows--andreceivinga$3500 rebaterdquo
Cost and Budget
Relativelyfewdirectcostsstafftimewill fluctuateduringbusycalmperiodswithhigh activityatthebeginningastheProgramkicks offandafanbaseisestablishedOngoingstaff timeneededtokeeppagefreshwith3-4posts weekdailymaintenancerequiredtomonitor postingsfromfans
Blogs Blogsreachtargetaudienceswhoarealready interestedinrelatedtopicsandwhohavehigh potentialtoparticipateintheProgram
tofurthermarketingefforts
bull Identifybloggerswhowilllikelywrite positivelyabouttheProgramSendpress releasefactsheetsandPrograminforma-tiontobloggerswhowriteabouttopics suchastheenvironmentenergyefficiency homeimprovementremodelingreal estatehousingbargainssavingmoneyas wellastocompaniesthatsellsolarpanels contractorsetc
bull Bloggersarelookingfortopicalstoriesto writeaboutandwewillmaketheirnext blogposteasyBecauseEnergyUpgradeis ahighrewardoptionalProgrambloggers willwritefavorablyandhelptellthestory inafriendlyaccessibleandeasy-to-under-standway(althoughwedonrsquothavecontrol overwhattheywrite)Peoplewhoaredis-satisfiedwillwritenegativecommentsbut wewillmonitorblogsandactivelycorrect misperceptions
bull Tomonitorwhatothersarewritingabout EnergyUpgradeontheirblogswewilluse freeprogramslikeTechnoratiorGoogle Readertoscanallblogsandwebsitesthat mentiontheProgram
Blogs to Reach
Green Girl LA Blog (httpgreenlagirlcom)Thisindependent blogisfocusedonenvironmentalhap-peningsinLosAngelesArecentpostwas aboutagreennetworkingeventfeaturing TheBuildingDoctorspresentingwaysto makeyourhousemoreenergyefficient PreviouslyareporterbloggerfortheLA Timesthewriterisactiveandcoversa widevarietyofenvironmentalgreentopics happeninginLosAngeles
40 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
LA Times HomeBlog (wwwlatimesblogslatimescomhome_
blog)focusesontopicsrelatedtohouses andhashadseveralrecentpostsabout greenremodelingOneadvantageofa majornewspaperisthatthereportingis accurateandthereadershipislargerThey recentlywroteaboutauditionsforThisOld HousewhichisfeaturingaLosAngeles areahouseforasummerremodel
Bargain Babe (wwwbargainbabelatownluxecom) featuresLosAngelesbargainsYoucan searchforbargainsbyareaofLA(West-sideetc)orbytopicThisbloggerrecently wroteaboutappliancerebates
LA Times Green Remodeling (wwwlatimesblogslatimescompar-donourdustgreen_remodeling)writes aboutalltopicsrelatedtoremodelingin SouthernCaliforniawithseveralrecent postsongreentopicsArecentpostre-viewedthedifferentadvantagesofinstall-ingvarioustanklesswaterheatersPitch thatthebloggerfollowahomeenergy retrofitandhelptelltheirstoryaswellas announcebasicPrograminformation
LA Times Personal Finance wwwlatimescombusinesspersonal-finance
Home Remodeling wwwkathysremodelingblogcom
Energy Efficiency wwwlowimpactlivingcomblog
LA CreekFreak
LA Observed
LAist
YouTube PostallvideosrelatedtotheprojectonYou-TubeWewillworkwithourmediapartners todevelopacontestforearlyadopterstofilm theirexperienceandletwebsitevisitorsvote onthebestWinnerreceivesaprizetobe determined
ListServes Listservesreachgroupsofpeoplewhoare interestedinasimilartopicorwholiveina specificneighborhoodSendemailblaststo listservessuchasneighborhoodassociations homeremodelersandenvironmentalgroups withanenergyfocusCitystaffhasinforma-tionaddressesofneighborhoodandhom-eownerassociationslists
Multimedia for Presentations Website Developanengaginginformative6-8minute videofocusingoncontractorsandhomeown-ersthatcanbeusedduringpresentationsand presentedonCityTVThevideowillbeshot bothinEnglishandinSpanishandcover
bull Howtherebatesworktocreateasenseof urgencyaboutdoingtheenergyupgrades soonerratherputtingitofftotakeadvan-tageoftherebates
bull Theldquosealthenenhancerdquowholehouse concept
bull WhattheProgramelementsactuallylook likeandhowtheyareinstalledtoover-comebarrierssuchasthatonemighthave tomoveoutofthehouseortheenergy upgradesareldquouglyrdquo
bull Workingwithacontractorwhatbeing licensedandcertifiedmeansgettingmul-tiplebids
bull Financingoptions
bull Doingthepaperwork
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 41
Fromthatvideodevelop
bull Threeindividual2-minutevideosforuse onlineeachfocusingonaspecifictopicmdash
againinbothEnglishandSpanish
bull A15anda30spoteachinEnglishand SpanishforuseonCityTVandbroadcast
stations
Print Collateral Customizable fact sheetsInforma-tionsheets(onepagefrontandback)in EnglishSpanishandChinesethatcanalso bepostedonthewebsiteasPDFs
Program brochureMorehighlyde-signedforplacementinmunicipaloffices andevents
Customizable Brochure Brandedwith SunsetMagazineorNationalGeographic forcontractorsandrealtorstohandto customers
SignageBannersforeventsandstreet lamppostspostersformunicipaloffices andsmalleventsandpotentiallysignage forbussidestransitshelters
Speakers kits Countyandcitystaffwillreceivekitstoensure everyoneisfamiliarwithkeymessagesandhas informationtogivetoconstituentsThesecan besentdirectlytocitiesordistributedthrough COGsKitswillcontain
bull Talkingpoints
bull DVDofthevideo
bull PPTpresentationforpublicmeetings
bull Printedbrochuresforpermitofficesto includewithwelcomepacketsfornewho-meowners
bull Articlesandphotostheycanrunintheir onlineorprintedcitynewsletters
bull CDwithtemplatesforquickprintingand websitebuttontolinkfromtheirwebsiteto EnergyUpgradeCalifornia
42 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
description of key messages
Thefollowingmessageshadthehighestreso-nanceinpollingandfocusgroupsbothinLos AngelesCountyandtheBayArea
Primary Motivators Thefollowingtwomessagesaboutsaving moneyarekeytomotivatingalltargetaudi-encesTheyshouldbepartofeverypieceof advertisingorcollateralproduced
1 RebatesHomeownerswhomakeenergy-savinghomeimprovementscanqualifyfor a$1500federaltaxcreditandrebatesof upto$3500dependingonhowmuchthey reduceenergyconsumptionAdditional motivatorTaxcreditsonlyavailable untilDecember312010(Rebatesare preferredovertaxcreditsbecauseitrsquoscash nowratherthanlateranddependingon incomenoteveryonecangetthecredit)
2 Save on Utility Bills Upgradingahome touselessenergyandwatercanreduce utilitybillsby20ormoremdashsavingyou moneyovertime
Secondary Motivators Thefollowingmessagesarethenlayeredde-pendingonwhichaudienceisbeingtargeted
Help the EnvironmentClimate Change Weallneedtodoourparttohelp theenvironmentandslowclimatechange Makingourhomesmoregreenandenergy efficientisanimportantstepweshouldall take
Reduce Foreign OilFossil FuelsAt atimewhenwearetryingtoreduceour dependenceonforeignoilandotherfossil fuelsupgradingtheenergyefficiencyof ourhomesisanimportantstepwecanall take(Infocusgroupstheconceptofenergy independencefurtherresonatedasinde-pendencefromutilitycompaniesgetting offthegrid)
Certified Contractors Save Money Speciallytrainedandcertifiedcontractors knowhowtofindimprovementsthatthe averagehomeownerwouldnotTheiras-sessmentswillensurethatyoufindmore energysavingsandthereforesavemore moneyonyourutilitybillsAdditional motivatorContractorsarecertifiedbythe BuildingPerformanceInstituteworking withtheDepartmentofEnergyandEnvi-ronmentalProtectionAgency
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 43
Increase Property ValuesHomesthat areenergy-efficientandenvironmentally friendlyaremoreappealingtohomebuyers Theseupgradescanincreaseyourproperty value
ComfortUpgradingyourhomersquosenergy efficiencymdashinparticularupgradinginsula-tionmdashcanmakeitamorecomfortableplace toliveNomoredraftycoldroomsinthe winterorhotstuffyroomsinthesummer
Indoor Air QualityInsulationand ventilationcanreduceallergyandasthma-causingmoldandmildewimproving indoorairqualityespeciallyforinfantsand thosewithhealthconditions
Messengers Homeownersprefertoreceiveinformation fromimpartialtrustedsourcesThesemes-sengersreceivedthehighestscoresinpolling
bull Neighborsandotherhomeowners
bull Contractorthehomeownerisalready workingwithorreferredbyfriendneigh-bor
bull Architectsdesignprofessionals
bull Gasandelectricutilities
bull Environmentalorganizations
bull Homeimprovementstorestaff(when equippedwithflyers)
44 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 45
- Cover
- Table of Contents13
- Summary Overview13
- Introduction13
- Programs Goals and Objectives13
- Marketing and Outreach Program Goals and Structure13
- Strategy13
- Evaluation13
- Description of Marketing Communication Tools13
- Description of Key Messages13
-
marketingareathatwouldrespondtoa whole-neighborhoodmarketingapproach (bulkpurchasingmodelhomesasingle contractoretc)
Home Energy Makeover Contest HomeEnergyMakeoverContestsgenerate atremendousamountofpublicityandhave beensuccessfullyconductedinmanyother statesandcitiesTheyattractthousandsof entrantsTheconceptistobothgarnerfree publicityandmodelthebehaviortheProgram istryingtoencouragebyshowingtheldquowhole houseapproachrdquohoweasyupgradescanbe howmuchtherebatescanreducetheproject costandhowmuchdifferencetheymaketoa home
Thecontestwillalsodemonstratethemarket acceptanceforthehomeperformanceap-proachtotraditionalsingle-measurecontrac-torsThosecontractorswillseehowmany peopleenterthecontesttowinahomeperfor-mancemakeoverbasedonthewholehouseap-proachAllthosewhoenteredareleadswho maybeinterestedinawholehouseapproach ratherthansinglemeasures
Entrantsmustbeover18liveinLosAnge-lesCountyandownthehomeinwhichthey residethecontestcanbelimitedtothose whoreceiveservicefromSouthernCalifornia EdisonandorSouthernCaliforniaGas(in otherwordsitcanincludeorexcluderesi-dentsservedbymunicipalutilities)Entrants submitinformationabouttheirhomeand theirenergyconsumptionandgivepermis-sionfortheProgramjudgestoviewtheir energyconsumptionduringthepreviousyear Finalistsarebasedonthehighestenergycon-sumptionpersquarefootofamedian-sized homeAbout20finalistsreceivefreeenergy auditsfortheirhomesBasedontheaudit (andadditionalcriteriawewilldetermine)five winninghomesreceiveupto$15000inhome
energyimprovements(whichcanbesupple-mentedbyrebatesandadditionalfunding fromthepropertyowner)Thewinneragrees tomediacoverageanopenhouseandtoblog andorTweetduringandaftertheretrofit Wewillworkwithcontractorstogetsponsor-shipsaswellasdonatedauditsandupgrade elements
OnecontestwillbeheldinFall2010(withfive winners)andasecondcontestheldduring Springof2011(withfivewinners)
Aseparatecontestcouldbeheldformulti-familybuildingswithahigherwinning amount
Countywide Incentives TheProgramwillestablishalistofnon-profit organizationsthatareactiveinpromoting greenhomessustainabilityandotherenvi-ronmentalorcommunityprojectsEveryone intheCountywhocompletesanenergyaudit maydesignateanon-profitorganizationto receiveadonationfromtheProgramInfor-mationabouttheeligibleorganizationswill beonthewebsiteThiswillencouragethose non-profitstopromotetheProgramtotheir membersltNotethisconceptisstillbeing developedgt
Direct Mail Utilitieswillplacemessagesonouterbillen-velopessenttocustomersTheywillalsosend directmailaboutEnergyUpgradetoldquotarget areasrdquobasedonacombinationofenergy usageageofhomeandhouseholdincome DirectmailisscheduledforOctober2010
County Events Utilitieswillbeattendinglargeeventssuch astheSeptember2010and2011LACounty Fairswithawholehousethemethatincludes aminimodelhousethatvisitorscanldquotourrdquo Additionalproposedeventsinclude
22 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
bull LeagueofCitiesAnnualConference workshop(September2010)
bull PomonaHomeImprovementShow (October2010)
bull RemodelingShowattheLACountyFair (October2010)
bull CaliforniaAssociationofRealtors (October2010)
bull BuildingIndustryShow(November2010)
bull SouthernCaliforniaHomeImprovement Show(November2010)
bull NeighborWorksAmerica(February2011)
Online and Social Media TheProgramwillusesocialmediatoinex-pensivelyreachtargetaudiencesbeginningat launchandcontinuingthroughoutthePro-gramwithbriefpausesforrefiningThiswill beaccomplishedthroughoptimizingsearch wordsforsearchenginessuchasGoogleand Bingreachingappropriateindependentblogs aYouTubevideocontest(runbyamediapart-ner)andencouragingblogpostsandTweets byearlyadoptersandtheProgramitself(see DescriptionsofMarketingCommunications ToolsandDescriptionsofTargetAudiencesfor moredetails)Inadditionutilitieswilldevote spaceforinformationandalinkontheirland-ingpages
Countywide Media Buys Withalatesummerfalllaunchdatemedia buysneedtobespreadtoavoidtheelection monthofOctober2010EnergyUpgradeCali-forniainLosAngelescansponsoraweather broadcastmdashliveonlineandmobilemdashaswell as15and30spotsduringotherbroadcasts Wewillalsopurchaseliveandonlinespots withUnivisiontheSpanish-languagestation Radiobuyswillinclude15NationalPublic Radio(KPCCandKCRW)sponsorshipsand variousdrive-timespotsonEnglishandin-
languageAMandFMstationsSocialmedia buysincludeGoogleWordsandblogads(see DescriptionsofMarketingCommunications Tools)Printmediabuyswillbeinmulticul-turalpapers
(Afullmediabuyplanandschedulewillbe availableinAugust)
Countywide Media Relations TheProgramwillcoordinateCountyandutil-ityeffortsandwiththeCaliforniaEnergyCom-missionCaliforniaPublicUtilitiesCommis-sioneffortsMediarelationswillbeinthree phasespre-launchlaunchandmilestones
Pre-Launch (August ndash September)
bull DevelopandprovideaSpeakerrsquosKit withtalkingpoints
bull OrganizeCountymedialaunchevent (potentiallyenlistawillinghomeowner whosehousemightserveasalaunching padformediatours)
bull Respondtorequestsfromcities
bull Providepre-writtenarticlesforcity communitynewsletters
bull Issuepresskitsandpressrelease(in EnglishandSpanish)announcing launch
Launch (October)
bull Mediaeventtoannouncelaunchand HomeEnergyMakeoverContestpoten-tiallyon-siteatahousetodemonstrate upgrades
bull SendoutradioPSAs
Milestones (through 2013)
bull Mediaeventtoannouncewinnersofthe HomeEnergyMakeovercontest(could beconductedon-sitesurprisingthe winners)
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 23
bull ldquoRe-launchrdquopressreleaseandmedia eventinMarch2011forasecondHome EnergyMakeoverContestwithastrong ldquogetreadyforsummerrdquotheme
bull Pressreleasewhen10000thperson receivesarebate
bull Pressreleasewhenotherappropriate milestonesarereachedorthefunding forincentivesisclosetobeingdepleted
2 Pilot Marketing Areas
Itwillbecriticalforthelong-termsuccessof marketingeffortstohaveasignificantnumber ofearlysuccessesthatgeneratepositivepub-licityandword-of-mouthencouragingothers toalsoparticipateTheCountyintendsto stimulatethemarketfortheseearlyadopters byintensifyingmarketingeffortsinspecific pilotmarketingareas(withzipcodebound-aries)wherebasedonextensiveconsumer
countywide marketingoutreach tactics
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
television
ad buys on Broadcast tV univision google tV Paid county
ldquothis old Houserdquo segment on whole house per-formance and rebates while renovating house (filming in la this summer)
earned county
coverage on mainstream and multicultural sta-tions
earned utilities county
ldquoinfomercialrdquo and promos on city tV Placed county
radio
nPR sponsorship Paid county
commute time spots Paid county
coverage on california Report earned utilities county
Psas on mainstream stations Placed utilities county
spots on multicultural stations Paid county
coverage in mainstream and multicultural papers
earned utilities county
sunset Magazine green Home section earned county
ads in la times and Daily news real estate sections
Paid utilities county
ads in multicultural papers Paid county
Direct Mail to targets Paid utilities
24 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
countywide marketingoutreach tactics (conrsquot)
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
social media
Blogs (about homes environment bargains) earned county
Facebook page Placed county
ads targeted to interest in environment and or home improvements (this old House etc)
Paid county
google adWords targeted to interest in environment andor home improvements
Paid county
twitter both by the Program and by individual early adopters (with incentives)
Placed county
youtube early adopters make a video about their experience and results (with incentives)
Placed county
out of Home
Retail kiosks banners flyers links on retail websites
Placed utilities
community organizations
environmental groups and others newsletters websites email blasts
earned county
Home improvement shows booths Paid county
countywide events Paid utilities
Bloggersubject matter events Paid county
researchhighpercentagesoftargetaudiences livePilotmarketingprogramsinthoseareas willtesttheextentcommunity-basedmarket-ingpositivelyimpactsparticipationratesan effortrelatedtoRetrofitRampUpproposal requirements
Demographicdataprovidedbythemarketre-searchwillbeoverlaidwithenergyusagedata AdditionallyGIS-basedmarketanalysisatthe parcellevel(describedabove)willallowfor pinpointingofspecificneighborhoodswithin thepilotareasforoutreachthatcaninclude
door-to-doordirectmailandmarketingby contractorsaspartofaldquowholeneighbor-hoodrdquoapproachFocusingonpilotareaswill alsomeettheRetrofitRampUprequirements oftheDepartmentofEnergyFollowingisa summaryofplannedmarketingandoutreach efforts
Marketresearch-basedcriteriaforchoosing about15pilotareaswillinclude
Clusters of houses built before 1978 Thoselivinginolderhomesespecially
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 25
builtbeforeCaliforniarsquosEnergyEfficiency Standardsaremorelikelytobelievethat theirhousemightbeenergyinefficient andcouldbenefitfromenergyefficiency improvementsmdashandberesponsivetoan energyupgrade
High percentage of homeownership Thesemarketingeffortsfocusonsingle-familyresidentialhomeownerssoareas withhighrentalrateswillnotprovidea largeenoughnumberofeligibleunits
Income over $60000Thosewith incomesunder$60000didnotbelieve theywouldhavesufficientincometomake improvementsevenwithrebatesThey werenotinterestedinloans(manywith lowincomesalsofindthemselvesldquounder-waterrdquoontheirloansandthusnoteligible forsomefinancing)Inadditionwefound somepush-backinfocusgroupsabout ldquogovernmentofferingloanstopeoplewho canrsquotaffordthemafterthesub-primeloan debaclerdquo
Population with a high percentage of college-educatedThosewithacollege degreearemuchmorelikelytoindicate apreferencetomakeenergyefficiency upgradesThosewhohadcompletedsome collegeeducationarealsomorelikelyto indicateapreferenceforenergyefficiency upgradesthanthosewhohadnotcom-pletedany
Population with a high percentage of those age 35-54Thosewithchildren andorexpandingfamiliesaremorelikely tomakeimprovementsthanthoseunder 30(thereareveryfewhomeownersunder 30)andthoseover54
High percentage of households with 4+ peopleHouseholdswithmorepeople havehigherenergybillsResearchshows thatthoseinhomeswithmorethan4
peoplebelieveenergyupgradescanmakea bigimpactontheirbills
High energy usage Thehigherenergy usage(andbills)themorelikelypeopleare tobelievethatenergyefficiencyimprove-mentswillmakeadifferenceintheirbills
Afterlayeringthisinformationtocomeup withalistofpotentialareaswefurthercon-sidered
Clusters of 8000-20000 homesThe areashouldbelargeenoughtoprovidesub-stantialnumbersofeligibleunitsbutsmall enoughtoenablereachingmajorityofresi-dentsandgeneratingword-of-mouth
Has a diverse multicultural commu-nityAreasshouldhavestrongcommunity identitiesandsenseofplacesocommunity membersareproudofwheretheyliveand areencouragedtoimprovetheircommu-nity
Has strong neighborhood and com-munity organizationsWeneedto engagetheseorganizationsaspartnersto helpspreadtheword
Has existing communications such as newsletters blogsWeneedtoreach membersthroughexistingcrediblesources thatresidentsalreadyuseandtrust
ldquoSpill overrdquo opportunities to nearby neighborhoodsSincemarketingand mediaeffortswillpotentiallyalsobeseen byneighborsareasshouldbenearother areasthatmayalsomeettheprimary criteria
Climatetime of yearIndetermining whentorolloutthepilotswecantarget interiorareasinspringandcoastalareasin coldweather
26 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Basedonthemarketresearchcriteriafive pilotmarketingareasarescheduledforintense marketingatlaunchwithanadditional10 areasscheduledforintensemarketingin Spring2011
Thepilotmarketstrategyissupportedby theparcel-basedmarketanalysiswhichwill identifywhichneighborhoodspropertieswill bethebesttotargetusingthisapproachThe marketanalysiswillallowlimitedmarketing fundingtobeleveragedbyfocusingonthose thataremostlikelytorespondtothemarket-ingefforts
Wewillcreatemessagesandvisualsspecifical-lytailoredtoeachtargetcommunityrsquoscultural andlinguisticpreferencesImagessymbols andiconstypographycolorandoverall designcarrydifferentmeaningsindifferent culturesAmessageistypicallymosteffective ifitiscreatedwithcarefulattentiontothese idiosyncrasiesandwithintheldquoculturalmind-setrdquooftherecipientsCreatingheadlinesand taglinesdirectlyinthetargetlanguagerather thansimplytranslatingEnglishadvertising copyensuresthatcopyhasthecorrectrhythm andrhymeandisthereforemuchmore attention-grabbingandmemorable
Community Incentives Energy Champion Program Severalconceptsareunderconsiderationto developacommunityincentivestrategyto promoteparticipationinlinewiththeRetrofit RampUpproposalforinnovativeincentiveap-proachesIncentivesmaybedirectedatenergy auditscommunity-basedorganizationsthose willingtoprovidetestimonialsorblogtweet andpublicrecognitionefforts
Grassroots Community Organizing-Trainedorganizerswillpresentinformationat themeetingsof12-15influentialcommunity leadersandcommunity-basedorganizationsin
eachpilotareacapturetheircontactdataand helpspreadtheinformationtotheirmembers throughtheirnewsletterseventsandwebsites TheProgramwillprovidepre-writtencus-tomizablearticlespresentationsorvideoand websiteldquobuttonsrdquotolinktotheProgramsite Eachgroupwillbeofferedanincentiveofado-nationtotheirorganizationforeverymember whocompletesahomeenergyupgradeThis willencourageCBOvolunteerstoincrease theirmarketingeffortsFriendlyrivalrieswill beencouragedCommunitygroupswillreport namesofparticipantscheckedforjobcomple-tionbytheProgram(underdevelopment)
Community Events One-on-onefacetimewithhomeownersis anidealwaytoengagepotentialparticipants Well-trainedorganizerswillattendfiveevents ineachtargetareaprovidinghomeowners withinformation(pocketsizemultilingual handouts)andcapturingtheircontactinfor-mationforfollowupTheycanhavehome-ownerssignuponthewebsiteonsiteifappro-priateandperhapsevenhavethemprovideus withavideocommitmentldquoItookthePledgerdquo withpermissiontopostonthewebsiteAsa luretotheboothhomeownerswillbeoffered freeitemssuchaslightbulbsmagnetsand reusablecupswithcoldwater(imprintedwith thewebsite)manufacturedintheUS
Print Radio Outdoor and Out-of Home Advertising Localmediawillcoverthelaunchofthe Programandwewillstrategicallyplaceads inlocalmediaandcommunitynewsletters Outdooradvertising(smallstreet-levelbiode-gradableeco-postersbussheltersbussides) strategicallyplacedinhigh-trafficareaswillre-inforcethemessageoveraone-monthperiod
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 27
Pilot Area Example Altadena Altadenawasidentifiedasacommunitythat fitsourtargetcriteriaItisadiverseunincor-poratedcommunitywithsixneighborhoods andanapproximatepopulationof40000The averagehouseholdincomeisabout$94000 Morethan50ofadultresidentsaremarried withchildrenandcommuteanaverageof62 milesperdaytowhite-collarjobsFully40of theadultsinthiscommunityhaveabachelors
degreeorhigherandareinvolvedinmany communityeventsandorganizationsThere areapproximately12000homesinthiscom-munityand10000ofthosehomesareowner-occupiedThegraphicshowshowoutreach wouldbeconcentratedinthisarea
pilot area outreachmarketing tactics
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
radio
Psas on multicultural stations earned county
coverage in local papers earned county
ads in local and multicultural papers Paid county
outdoor
Bus shelters in area Paid county
on-street lampost signage Paid county
Billboards Paid county
social media
Blogs (relevant to the area) earned county
online ads targeted by location Paid county
listserves of neighborhood associations (through cities)
earned county
out of Home
Movie theater ads in area Paid county
lawn signs on homes in area (through contractors)
Paid county
community organizations
community meetings with incentives to organizations for participation
earnedPaid county
community events Paid county Door hangers Paid county
28 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Home Depot
Ace Hardware
Lowersquos
Master Builders
Great Indoors
Home Expo
altadena marketing target
Hoy La Opinioacuten
Pasadena Star News
Altadena Headlines Examiner
Boulevard Magazine
Arroyo Magazine
Pasadena Weekly
Altadena Connection
Sentinel
KLVE
KPCC Pasadena
KCBS
KROQ Pasadena
KAZN Pasadena
Church Bulletins
Summer Concert Series at Farnsworth Park
Fourth of July Fireworks at
Town amp Country Club
Black History Parade
World Music Festival in Pasadena
Haunted House at
Farnsworth Park
Art Break
Rose Parade
National Latino
Congreso
Altadena Neighborhood Association
Altadena Chamber of Commerce
Altadena Arts Council
Altadena Town Council
Faith-based Organizations
Altadena Town amp Country Club
Altadena League of
Women Voters
Altadena Historical Society
Altadena Community Improvement Center
Sheriff Support Group
Santa Coming to Farnsworth
Park
Altadena California
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 29
3 Trigger-Event Marketing
Thissuiteofstrategieswillbeaimedatcaptur-ingenergyefficiencyopportunitiesfrommul-tipletriggereventsParticipantswillmainly comethroughcontractorsrealtorsandretail partnerspropertyownerswillhavealsoseen countywideadvertising
trigger event marketing
4 City and COG Outreach
OutreachbyCitiesandCOGswillbecritical becauseoftheirexistingrelationshipswith localconstituenciesCitieswillbeprovided withamini-marketingplantalkingpoints videocustomizabletemplatesoffactsheets articlesfortheirnewslettersandadvertising
EvENT dESCRIPTION LEAd AGENT COLLATERAL TACTIC
1 Replace on burnout (heating air conditioners water heaters)
Homeowners either in process of replacing an item or have already done some efficiency projects
county bull Retail partners
bull HVac installers
bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors installers
bull Retail displays
2 life-stage changes (growing family)
Homeowners working with a contractor
county bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors bull ads in media for home remodels
3 Home remodel Homeowners working with an architect contractor
county bull contractors bull architects
bull Materials for contractors
bull ads in media for home remodels
3 improvements at time of purchase
Homeowners interested are preparing a new home for move-in (research shows more interest at purchase than at sale)
shared bull contractors bull Realtors bull Home
inspectors bull city permit
offices bull city welcome
kits bull Retail
bull Brochures for cities
bull ads in weekend homes for sale sections
bull Presentations to realtor groups
bull Retail displays
4 improvements at sale
House owners preparing for sale
county bull contractors bull Realtors
bull Materials for contractors
5 complaints high utility bills cold hot house
Homeowners aware of energy-saving improvements but not whole house approach
county bull contractors bull HeRs raters
bull Materials for contractors
30 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
city amp cog outreach
materialssotheycandeveloplow-costout-reachtotheirresidentsCitieswithcommuni-tiestargetedinthePilotAreaMarketingplans willbeinformedandencouragedtodoout-reachtothoseareasAllCitieswillbeencour-agedtodothefollowing
Run stories in print and online news-letters
Send information to neighborhood associations homeowners associa-tions historic preservation districts and other appropriate community organizations
Provide information in City permit-ting offices and City Hall lobbies
Provide information at strategically located Environmental Information Centers and at COG office locations
Provide information in ldquonew home-ownersrdquo welcome kits (either directly from the city or through title compa-
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAId EARNEd
LEAd
pio coordination contact all participating citiesrsquo Pios na county
letters Key messages for letters from mayors etc to constituents Provide to Pios or city managers
na county
Website links Button for cities to place on their website to link to Program site
na county
city tV informational videos and spot promos Placed county
Welcome brochure
Brochure aimed at new homeowners before they move in
na county
articles Pre-written customizable newsletter articles earned county
email blasts Pre-written customizable info spots for communityneighborhood listserves
earned county
niesmortgage brokers)
Run videos and spots on City TV stations
5 Contractor Marketing
Localcontractorsarecriticaltothesuccess ofEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLosAngeles CountyTheyprovidetheservicesthatcom-prisetheProgramandtheycanhelpmarket theProgramtopropertyownersInfactwe estimatethatupto50ofProgrampartici-pantswillentertheProgramthrougharela-tionshipwithacontractor(theymayhavealso seenmediacoverageandadvertisingwhich spurredthemtotakeaction)Thisuniquerole requiresthattheProgramtakeatwo-tiered approachofengagingthecontractormdashmoti-vatinglocalbuildingprofessionalstoundergo thetrainingandcertificationprocessandalso providingthemwiththetoolstoeffectively promotetheprogramtoexistingandnew clientsThefollowingsectiondescribesspecific
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 31
contractor target
United Brotherhood Building Industry Carpenters (Training)
Association ofSouthern California
Email Blast
Contractors Magazines
Contractor
OnlineAds
Big Box Stores
ConractorsLicensing Schools
Realtor Associations
strategiesassociatedwithbothapproaches
Forthepurposesoftheprogramcontractors aredividedintoparticularsegmentsbasedon thetypeofserviceprovidedAninitialanalysis oftheindustryrevealedthefollowinglikely categories
HomePerformance(HP)Contractors
ProductionBuilders
HVACSystemSpecialtyTrades (windowsetc)
RemodelingContractors
SolarContractors
BuildingPerformance
Institute
Southwest Regional
City Permit Association
Offices of Carpenters
Lumber Yards
StateLicensing
Board
American Instituteof Architects
LA Chapter
Outreach to Contractors TheProgramwillcoordinatewithcontractor groupsandotherbuildingprofessionaltrade organizationstoschedulebriefpresentations abouttheProgramandthecontractortraining processForlargerorganizationsthePro-grammayworkdirectlywiththecompanyto arrangeon-sitepresentationsThesepresenta-tionsareinformalinnatureandwillbeusedto promotethecertificationorientationsrequired forcontractorparticipationintheprogram
KeyMessagestoContractors
$30millioninAmericanRecoveryand ReinvestmentActmoneyisworkinginLA Countytocreateconstructionindustryjobs
32 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
EnergyUpgradeCaliforniaOffersbig rebatesandfinancingoptionsfor homeownersdoinghomeenergy efficiencyretrofits
Therewillbemarketingandadvertis-ingstatewideandlocallytopromotethe Program
Therewillbemarketingmaterialsforyou tousetomarketyourbusiness
YoumustbelicensedandBuildingPerfor-manceInstitute-certifiedtobepartofthe Program
HomeownersmustworkwithBPI-certified contractorstheyrsquollchoosefromacontrac-tordatabaseonthewebsite
KeyOutreachMethods
BuildingIndustryAssociationofSouthern California
SouthwestRegionalCouncilofCarpenters
RealtorsAssociation
UnitedBrotherhood-Carpenters(Training Program)
Citypermittingoffice
Lumberyards
AmericanInstituteofArchitectsLA Chapter(toeducatethemaswell)
ArticlesinformationinContractortrade publications(magazinesnewslettersetc) magazines
CarpentersUnionLocals
ContractorsLicenseSchools(andonline)
BigBoxHomeImprovementstores(de-pendingonIOUrelationships)
wwwcslbcagov
Emailblasttoalllicensedcontractors
Contractor Outreach to Consumers Differentopportunitiesexistfordifferent contractorsdependingontheprobablework scopeThefollowingtableoutlinesafew potentialpathwaysforhowcontractorscan participateintheProgram
contractors outreach to customers
CONTRACTOR TyPE
TRIGGER EvENT vALUE TO CONTRACTOR
BUSINESS MOdEL
Home Performance upgrade lead generation scale for high volume
Production Builder new Business Development
create new division
HVac Replacement lead generation Value-add
expand services
specialty trade lead generation Partner with certified gc
Remodeler Remodel life-stage transition
Value-add sub work to HP contractor
solar Renewables lead generation Partner with certified gc
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 33
BPI-certifiedgeneralcontractorswillbelisted ontheEnergyUpgradeconsumerwebsite sendingmanyleadsdirectlytothemThey alsohaveaccesstotheldquoheatmapsrdquotousefor developingtheirownadvertisingcampaigns
Contractorswillbeattendingorientationses-sionstoensuretheythoroughlyunderstand theProgramrebatesfinancingoptionsand canhelpguidetheircustomersthroughthe processTheywillbeprovidedwithContractor MarketingKitstoensuretheyhaveathandthe keymessagesthathavebeenresonatingwith homeownersandhaveinformationtogive topotentialcustomerswhomightormight nothavebeentothewebsiteKitscanbesent directlytocontractorsordistributedatthe orientationsessionsKitswillcontain
Talkingpoints
DVDofthevideo
Printedfactsheetstoleavewithcustomers (withroomfortheircontactinfo)more canbeordered
Printedldquoslimjimrdquoprogrambrochure
Printedlengthierbrochuresaboutthe wholehouseapproach(brandedby Scientific American Magazine)
CDwithldquobuttonrdquotolinktoEnergyUpgrade fromtheirownwebsitesandPDFsofsite signageforprinting
Contractorswillhaveaccesstoaseparatesec-tionofthewebsitewheretheywillfindinfor-mationaboutProgrameventspromotionsand advertisinganon-demandprintsectionfor additionalcopiesofbrochuresanychanges totheProgramandasingletradecontractor databaseforassemblingteamsforcustomers whowouldlikesolarpanelsornewwindows forexample
6 Realtor Marketing
Giventhatthenationalaveragelengthofhome ownershipisroughlysixyearsrealestate agentswillbeincontactandadvisingalarge percentageofthenewandexistinghomeown-ersthatEnergyUpgradeistargetingforhome energyretrofitsThishighlevelofinfluence makesrealtorsoneofthelargestpartner groups
Realestateagentswillbeengagedonthree levels
1) Outreach
2) Training
3) Support
Outreach Outreachwillbeconductedthroughavariety ofvenuesthatwillincludeCaliforniaAssocia-tionofRealtorsreg(CAR)regionalconferences heldinSouthernCaliforniapartnershipwith themanyrealtorassociationslocatedinLos AngelesCountyanddirectvisitstorealestate agentsrsquoofficesforshortpresentationsPart-nershipswiththe15-20localRealtorsAsso-ciationswillbeachievedthroughoneormore RealtorAdvisoryBoardswhichincludethe GovernmentAffairsDirectorsfromeachof theseorganizationsAselectfewoftheseor-ganizationswillbeusedaspilotsfortargeted outreachduringearlystagesoftheProgram Oncethestrategyhasbeentestedandrevised itwillberolledouttoalloftheRealtorsAs-sociationsinLosAngelesCounty
ThefallCARRealtorExpowillbethemain kickoffeventforoutreachtoindividualreal-torsandrealtorofficesEnergyUpgradeplans tohavea30-minutetalkembeddedinthe SpeakersProgramandaboothsetuponthe ExpofloortoinformrealtorsaboutthePro-gramavailabletrainingsandthesupport
34 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
toolsthathavebeendevelopedThisevent willreachthemajorityofrealtorsintheLos Angelesareabutwillnotincludethelarge populationofrealestateagentsthatarenot membersofCARToreachthispopulation emailsocialmediaandtargetedofficevisits willbeconducted
Training EnergyUpgradewillprovidetrainingforreal estateagentsintwoformsTherealestate agenttrainingmodulecurrentlyunderdevel-opmentbyBuildItGreenwillbeusedasthe maintrainingforumThistrainingmodule isexpectedtotaketwofulldaystocomplete andwillcoverpropertyassessedcleanenergy financingenergyefficientmortgagesrebate programsbuildingscienceenergyefficiency andgreenbuildingpracticesappropriateto California
Additionalweb-basedtrainingwillbeprovided tointroducerealestateagentstotheProgram andtodrivethemtogetin-persontraining throughtheBuildItGreentrainingmodule
Support Cultivatingandclosingtoolswillbegener-atedtoassistrealtorsinusingEnergyUpgrade Californiatradetoexpandtheirbusinesswhile drivinghigherlevelsofprogramparticipation RealtorKitswillbesimilartotheContractor Kitsandtheywillhaveaccesstothedatabase ofgeneralandsingletradecontractors
7 Retail Partner Marketing
Utilitieswillpartnerwithretailoutletsthat canincludeBestBuyCostcoSearsLowes andHomeDepotParticipatingretailoutlets willbeprovided
Information centersEnd-displays detailingtheEnergyUpgradeProgram withadiagramillustratingthehouseas asystemconcept(multiplecomponents thatacttogethertomaximizesavings)and actionscustomerscantaketocapturethose savingsandrebatesIn-storecustomer educationcanshiftcustomerperception ofenergyupgradesandmotivatethem toparticipateinmultipleenergy-efficient measuresinsteadofjustoneAnadditional benefitfortheretailerisassociationwith thestatewideprogram
Program collateral One-sheet takeawaysforcustomerstoreference andshare
Video Theshortvideoscanbeplayed onaloop
Table tent cardsPlacedthroughout storesectionsthatcorrelatewiththe EnergyUpgradeProgram(CFLsappli-ancesceilingfansinsulationwindows) Againthiswillencouragecustomersto performmultipleenergyupgradesinstead ofjustoneCross-promotionhelpseducate customersandencourageparticipationin multiplemeasuresthusincreasingproduct purchase
Window clings ldquoOfficialEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaInformationCenterrdquotagline bannersplacedatstorefrontThiswillpo-sitiontheretailerasanactiveparticipantin thestatewideprogramandbuildsretailer credibilityasagreenadvocate
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 35
8 Multi-Family Outreach
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesandsched-ulesarestillinplanningphasesandbeing developedthroughastatewideconsortium
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesarebeing
developed
36 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
evaluation
Theprimarygoalsofthemarketingplanareto buildpositiveawarenessoftheEnergyUp-gradeCaliforniaProgramandcreateasus-tainedmarketforawholehouseapproach(see page8)Objectivesarespecifictothoseachiev-ingthosegoalsLosAngelesCountyresidents willseemultipleiterationsofmediacoverage paidadvertisingin-storedisplayscontractor marketingandin-personpresentations(inthe pilotmarketingareas)Forexamplearesi-dentinAltadenamightseethemoreintensive marketingandoutreacheffortsThatmayspur themtoactionmdashbutiftheyalreadyhadplans toremodelorhadpreviouslyworkedwitha contractortheymightcalltheircontractorand thusactuallycometotheprogramthrough thecontractorThereforeitwillnotbeeasy todeterminepreciselywhathasmotivated eachpersontoparticipateinEnergyUpgrade Objectivestomeetinclude
About35-45ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughthemarket-ingandoutreacheffortsTomonitorwe willincludeashortsurveyaspartofthe rebateapplicationprocessaskingpartici-pantswhatdrewthemtothewebsiteand totheProgramThewebsitecanmonitor clickthroughstocontractorssitesfrom theProgramwebsiteprovidinganindica-tionofpotentialparticpantswhocameto thesitebeforehavingacontractorOnce apropertyownerinputsanaddressthe websitewillbeabletospecificallymonitor ifthatparticipantasksformultiple estimatesfromcontractorsanotherindica-
toroffindingacontractorthroughthesite
About45-50ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughcontractors Wewillaskcontractorstoprovideinfor-mationabouttheirmarketingeffortsand successratesTheywillbeabletoidentify participantsgainedthroughtheirownmar-ketingefforts
300000uniquehitsonthewebsitewhich willbemonitoredbythewebsiteFurther thewebsitewillanalyzewherevisitors camefrom(egaclickthroughfroman onlineadfromacontractorrsquoswebsite orduringthespecifictimeframeofanad campaign)
Virtualandactualldquoword-of-mouthrdquore-portedbymonitoringsocialmedia
Communicationskitsandmarketingkits availablebothphysicallyandthroughan on-demandprintsitemonitoredbyclient
Informationalmaterialsforcitiesmoni-toredbySouthBayCitiesCouncilofGov-ernments
50000000mediaadvertisingin-person impressionsmonitoredbybroadcast printonlinestatisticsandreportsfrom grassrootsmarketingefforts
Consolidatedinformationinone-stop-shop approachwillbedeliveredthroughthe website
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 37
description of marketing communication tools
PlacedEarned Social Media ThePlancallsforsocialmediatopushinfor-mationtoourtargetaudiencesincreaseper-ceptionsoftheProgramascommunity-based reachthosewhowillhelpgenerateadditional buzzindependentmarketingeffortsaboutthe Programandprovideamechanismforlisten-ingtowhatpeoplearesayingaboutEnergy Upgrademdashandrespondingwhennecessary
Online Paid Advertising Onlineadvertisingcampaignscanbeverycost-effectiveandhighlytargetedbydemographics areasofinterestandgeographicsAdsappear ontopic-relatedblogsonsearchenginepages (egGoogle)andoncontentpages(egwhen yousearchforinformationaboutarelated topicandselectawebsitetoview)
Types of Users Targetadsbyage genderincomelanguagepreferencezip codeorhotspots
Types of SearchesTargetadsbytypeof searchconductedbasedonkeywords
Adsareusuallysoldperldquoclickrdquomdashtheviewer hasclickedontheadandbeensenttothe EnergyUpgradeCAwebsiteWewillmake fourtypesofonlineadpurchases
1 Googleadsthatplaceadsbothonits searchpagesandonhundredsofwebsites targetedbytheabove
2 Networksthattargetspecificsitesand blogsthatmatchourtargetaudiences(eg HiveBlogsLosAngelesthatoffers350LA blogstochoosefrom)
3 Directlythroughselectpublishers(eg CurbedLAGreenGirlLAlocalpapers online)
4 Onlineeditionsoflocalpapersinpilot marketingareas
Twitter Twitterusersaremostlycollegegraduates haveattendedgraduateschoolandlivein householdsmakingover$50000ayear (nationally)Usersarethreetimesmorelikely tofollowbrandsandcompaniesonTwitter thanotherusersofsocialnetworkswith40 specificallyusingTwittertolearnaboutand provideopinionsonbrands
Twittercanpushthelatestdevelopmentsand newstopeoplewhohaveexpressedaninter-estedintheProgram(theymustsignupto receiveourTweetsorhavesearchedfortag wordsincludedinourTweets)Itrsquosalsoan easywayforthosewhofollowEnergyUpgrade onTwittertoshareTweetswiththeirfriends
38 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
therebygeneratingbuzzandhelpingmarket theProgramTwittercanshareProgram newsinrealtimedrivepeopletothewebsite facilitateearlyadoptersbuzzmakersreach youngerhomeownersandincreasemarketing effortsatalowcostTwittercanbeeffectively usedtocommunicatetheProgramandits milestonesinavarietyofways
bull Tweetaboutpressreleasesmajoran-nouncementsnewitemsonwebsiteor blogsmediastoriesandarticlesespecially aboutthosethataretimesensitiveandtell ouraudiencewhatishappeningwiththe Programandencouragesthemtopartici-pateorfindoutmore
bull PutaTweeticononthemainwebsiteal-lowingvisitorstothewebsitetobeginto followEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLos AngelesCountyonTwitterwithoneclick
bull FollowotherswhoTweetaboutthe ProgramaswellasthosewhoTweetabout relatedtopicsThiswillprovideanop-portunitytodirectlyrespondtoaperson whohasaquestionabouttheProgramand pointthemtoalinktothewebsite
Tweet Examples
bull ldquo100LAhomeownershavesigned upfortheProgramatwwwEnergyUpgra-deCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoReadaboutLArsquosnewenergyefficiency rebateProgramintheLAtimes httpwwwlatimesgreenblogcomrdquo
bull ldquoWanttosaveonyourutilitybills CheckoutwwwEnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoSignupfortheHomeEnergyUpgrade contestforachancetowinafree homeenergyefficiencyretrofitat EnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
Cost and Budget
SettingupaTwitteraccountisfreeasisusing anapplicationsuchasTweetDeckthathelps followotherswhoareTweetingaboutEnergy UpgradeCaliforniaTheonlysignificantcostis stafftimewhichcanbelimitedtoafewhours aweek
Facebook Facebookisalow-costandeasywayofboth marketingtheProgramandsupportingan onlinecommunityofpeopleinterestedinthe ProgramItwillreachaudienceswhoaremore likelytospendtimeonFacebookversusaweb-siteandwhomayprefertoreceiveshortreal timeProgramnewsviaFacebookratherthan emailsorwebsitesItisidealforpostinglinks tovideosandphotosrelatedtotheprojectIt complementsthewebsiteaplacewherefans oftheProgramcanfindinformationaskques-tionsandshareideasandexcitementThese fanswillgeneratebuzzbytellingtheirfriends abouttheProgramthroughFacebook
AFacebookpagewillcontaininformation abouttheProgramalinktothewebsite Programnewsvideosphotographsandother informationWhenthepageisupdatedfans willreceivelinksinemailalertingthemtothe newposts
Facebookisalsoidealforsharingthestoryof anearlyadopter(whowillalsoTweet)through updatesphotographsandvideosItlends itselfmuchmorenaturallytothispeople-fo-cusedapproachthanawebsitewhichismore formal
Additionalpoints
bull EncourageandperhapsrewardProgram adopterstosharetheirexperiencesask questionsetc
bull Setupcontrolstodeterminewhatcontent Fanscanposttothewall
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 39
bull Monitorupdatestothewallandtakedown Therearemanyexistingblogsthatcanbeused inappropriatecontent
bull Respondtoissuesquestionsandtakepart intheconversation
bull Adesignatedstaffpersonshouldmonitor thesiteitisalsoidealifseveralstaff memberspostcontentandifpartnersare activeparticipantsalthoughtheoverall strategyshouldbecentralized
Facebook Examples
Herearesomeexamplesofthetypesofpost-ingsforaFacebookpage
bull ldquoTheLATimesdescribesEnergyUpgrade CAasaperfectopportunitytobegreenand savemoneymdashintheFridaymoneysectionrdquo
bull ldquoWhydidyoudecidetoparticipatein EnergyUpgradeCATellushowyour energyefficiencyretrofitisgoingandwersquoll enteryouforachancetowina$50Home Depotgiftcardrdquo
bull ldquoWonderingwhetherEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaisrightforyouCheckoutthis videooftheSmithsinstallingnewinsula-tionandwindows--andreceivinga$3500 rebaterdquo
Cost and Budget
Relativelyfewdirectcostsstafftimewill fluctuateduringbusycalmperiodswithhigh activityatthebeginningastheProgramkicks offandafanbaseisestablishedOngoingstaff timeneededtokeeppagefreshwith3-4posts weekdailymaintenancerequiredtomonitor postingsfromfans
Blogs Blogsreachtargetaudienceswhoarealready interestedinrelatedtopicsandwhohavehigh potentialtoparticipateintheProgram
tofurthermarketingefforts
bull Identifybloggerswhowilllikelywrite positivelyabouttheProgramSendpress releasefactsheetsandPrograminforma-tiontobloggerswhowriteabouttopics suchastheenvironmentenergyefficiency homeimprovementremodelingreal estatehousingbargainssavingmoneyas wellastocompaniesthatsellsolarpanels contractorsetc
bull Bloggersarelookingfortopicalstoriesto writeaboutandwewillmaketheirnext blogposteasyBecauseEnergyUpgradeis ahighrewardoptionalProgrambloggers willwritefavorablyandhelptellthestory inafriendlyaccessibleandeasy-to-under-standway(althoughwedonrsquothavecontrol overwhattheywrite)Peoplewhoaredis-satisfiedwillwritenegativecommentsbut wewillmonitorblogsandactivelycorrect misperceptions
bull Tomonitorwhatothersarewritingabout EnergyUpgradeontheirblogswewilluse freeprogramslikeTechnoratiorGoogle Readertoscanallblogsandwebsitesthat mentiontheProgram
Blogs to Reach
Green Girl LA Blog (httpgreenlagirlcom)Thisindependent blogisfocusedonenvironmentalhap-peningsinLosAngelesArecentpostwas aboutagreennetworkingeventfeaturing TheBuildingDoctorspresentingwaysto makeyourhousemoreenergyefficient PreviouslyareporterbloggerfortheLA Timesthewriterisactiveandcoversa widevarietyofenvironmentalgreentopics happeninginLosAngeles
40 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
LA Times HomeBlog (wwwlatimesblogslatimescomhome_
blog)focusesontopicsrelatedtohouses andhashadseveralrecentpostsabout greenremodelingOneadvantageofa majornewspaperisthatthereportingis accurateandthereadershipislargerThey recentlywroteaboutauditionsforThisOld HousewhichisfeaturingaLosAngeles areahouseforasummerremodel
Bargain Babe (wwwbargainbabelatownluxecom) featuresLosAngelesbargainsYoucan searchforbargainsbyareaofLA(West-sideetc)orbytopicThisbloggerrecently wroteaboutappliancerebates
LA Times Green Remodeling (wwwlatimesblogslatimescompar-donourdustgreen_remodeling)writes aboutalltopicsrelatedtoremodelingin SouthernCaliforniawithseveralrecent postsongreentopicsArecentpostre-viewedthedifferentadvantagesofinstall-ingvarioustanklesswaterheatersPitch thatthebloggerfollowahomeenergy retrofitandhelptelltheirstoryaswellas announcebasicPrograminformation
LA Times Personal Finance wwwlatimescombusinesspersonal-finance
Home Remodeling wwwkathysremodelingblogcom
Energy Efficiency wwwlowimpactlivingcomblog
LA CreekFreak
LA Observed
LAist
YouTube PostallvideosrelatedtotheprojectonYou-TubeWewillworkwithourmediapartners todevelopacontestforearlyadopterstofilm theirexperienceandletwebsitevisitorsvote onthebestWinnerreceivesaprizetobe determined
ListServes Listservesreachgroupsofpeoplewhoare interestedinasimilartopicorwholiveina specificneighborhoodSendemailblaststo listservessuchasneighborhoodassociations homeremodelersandenvironmentalgroups withanenergyfocusCitystaffhasinforma-tionaddressesofneighborhoodandhom-eownerassociationslists
Multimedia for Presentations Website Developanengaginginformative6-8minute videofocusingoncontractorsandhomeown-ersthatcanbeusedduringpresentationsand presentedonCityTVThevideowillbeshot bothinEnglishandinSpanishandcover
bull Howtherebatesworktocreateasenseof urgencyaboutdoingtheenergyupgrades soonerratherputtingitofftotakeadvan-tageoftherebates
bull Theldquosealthenenhancerdquowholehouse concept
bull WhattheProgramelementsactuallylook likeandhowtheyareinstalledtoover-comebarrierssuchasthatonemighthave tomoveoutofthehouseortheenergy upgradesareldquouglyrdquo
bull Workingwithacontractorwhatbeing licensedandcertifiedmeansgettingmul-tiplebids
bull Financingoptions
bull Doingthepaperwork
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 41
Fromthatvideodevelop
bull Threeindividual2-minutevideosforuse onlineeachfocusingonaspecifictopicmdash
againinbothEnglishandSpanish
bull A15anda30spoteachinEnglishand SpanishforuseonCityTVandbroadcast
stations
Print Collateral Customizable fact sheetsInforma-tionsheets(onepagefrontandback)in EnglishSpanishandChinesethatcanalso bepostedonthewebsiteasPDFs
Program brochureMorehighlyde-signedforplacementinmunicipaloffices andevents
Customizable Brochure Brandedwith SunsetMagazineorNationalGeographic forcontractorsandrealtorstohandto customers
SignageBannersforeventsandstreet lamppostspostersformunicipaloffices andsmalleventsandpotentiallysignage forbussidestransitshelters
Speakers kits Countyandcitystaffwillreceivekitstoensure everyoneisfamiliarwithkeymessagesandhas informationtogivetoconstituentsThesecan besentdirectlytocitiesordistributedthrough COGsKitswillcontain
bull Talkingpoints
bull DVDofthevideo
bull PPTpresentationforpublicmeetings
bull Printedbrochuresforpermitofficesto includewithwelcomepacketsfornewho-meowners
bull Articlesandphotostheycanrunintheir onlineorprintedcitynewsletters
bull CDwithtemplatesforquickprintingand websitebuttontolinkfromtheirwebsiteto EnergyUpgradeCalifornia
42 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
description of key messages
Thefollowingmessageshadthehighestreso-nanceinpollingandfocusgroupsbothinLos AngelesCountyandtheBayArea
Primary Motivators Thefollowingtwomessagesaboutsaving moneyarekeytomotivatingalltargetaudi-encesTheyshouldbepartofeverypieceof advertisingorcollateralproduced
1 RebatesHomeownerswhomakeenergy-savinghomeimprovementscanqualifyfor a$1500federaltaxcreditandrebatesof upto$3500dependingonhowmuchthey reduceenergyconsumptionAdditional motivatorTaxcreditsonlyavailable untilDecember312010(Rebatesare preferredovertaxcreditsbecauseitrsquoscash nowratherthanlateranddependingon incomenoteveryonecangetthecredit)
2 Save on Utility Bills Upgradingahome touselessenergyandwatercanreduce utilitybillsby20ormoremdashsavingyou moneyovertime
Secondary Motivators Thefollowingmessagesarethenlayeredde-pendingonwhichaudienceisbeingtargeted
Help the EnvironmentClimate Change Weallneedtodoourparttohelp theenvironmentandslowclimatechange Makingourhomesmoregreenandenergy efficientisanimportantstepweshouldall take
Reduce Foreign OilFossil FuelsAt atimewhenwearetryingtoreduceour dependenceonforeignoilandotherfossil fuelsupgradingtheenergyefficiencyof ourhomesisanimportantstepwecanall take(Infocusgroupstheconceptofenergy independencefurtherresonatedasinde-pendencefromutilitycompaniesgetting offthegrid)
Certified Contractors Save Money Speciallytrainedandcertifiedcontractors knowhowtofindimprovementsthatthe averagehomeownerwouldnotTheiras-sessmentswillensurethatyoufindmore energysavingsandthereforesavemore moneyonyourutilitybillsAdditional motivatorContractorsarecertifiedbythe BuildingPerformanceInstituteworking withtheDepartmentofEnergyandEnvi-ronmentalProtectionAgency
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 43
Increase Property ValuesHomesthat areenergy-efficientandenvironmentally friendlyaremoreappealingtohomebuyers Theseupgradescanincreaseyourproperty value
ComfortUpgradingyourhomersquosenergy efficiencymdashinparticularupgradinginsula-tionmdashcanmakeitamorecomfortableplace toliveNomoredraftycoldroomsinthe winterorhotstuffyroomsinthesummer
Indoor Air QualityInsulationand ventilationcanreduceallergyandasthma-causingmoldandmildewimproving indoorairqualityespeciallyforinfantsand thosewithhealthconditions
Messengers Homeownersprefertoreceiveinformation fromimpartialtrustedsourcesThesemes-sengersreceivedthehighestscoresinpolling
bull Neighborsandotherhomeowners
bull Contractorthehomeownerisalready workingwithorreferredbyfriendneigh-bor
bull Architectsdesignprofessionals
bull Gasandelectricutilities
bull Environmentalorganizations
bull Homeimprovementstorestaff(when equippedwithflyers)
44 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 45
- Cover
- Table of Contents13
- Summary Overview13
- Introduction13
- Programs Goals and Objectives13
- Marketing and Outreach Program Goals and Structure13
- Strategy13
- Evaluation13
- Description of Marketing Communication Tools13
- Description of Key Messages13
-
bull LeagueofCitiesAnnualConference workshop(September2010)
bull PomonaHomeImprovementShow (October2010)
bull RemodelingShowattheLACountyFair (October2010)
bull CaliforniaAssociationofRealtors (October2010)
bull BuildingIndustryShow(November2010)
bull SouthernCaliforniaHomeImprovement Show(November2010)
bull NeighborWorksAmerica(February2011)
Online and Social Media TheProgramwillusesocialmediatoinex-pensivelyreachtargetaudiencesbeginningat launchandcontinuingthroughoutthePro-gramwithbriefpausesforrefiningThiswill beaccomplishedthroughoptimizingsearch wordsforsearchenginessuchasGoogleand Bingreachingappropriateindependentblogs aYouTubevideocontest(runbyamediapart-ner)andencouragingblogpostsandTweets byearlyadoptersandtheProgramitself(see DescriptionsofMarketingCommunications ToolsandDescriptionsofTargetAudiencesfor moredetails)Inadditionutilitieswilldevote spaceforinformationandalinkontheirland-ingpages
Countywide Media Buys Withalatesummerfalllaunchdatemedia buysneedtobespreadtoavoidtheelection monthofOctober2010EnergyUpgradeCali-forniainLosAngelescansponsoraweather broadcastmdashliveonlineandmobilemdashaswell as15and30spotsduringotherbroadcasts Wewillalsopurchaseliveandonlinespots withUnivisiontheSpanish-languagestation Radiobuyswillinclude15NationalPublic Radio(KPCCandKCRW)sponsorshipsand variousdrive-timespotsonEnglishandin-
languageAMandFMstationsSocialmedia buysincludeGoogleWordsandblogads(see DescriptionsofMarketingCommunications Tools)Printmediabuyswillbeinmulticul-turalpapers
(Afullmediabuyplanandschedulewillbe availableinAugust)
Countywide Media Relations TheProgramwillcoordinateCountyandutil-ityeffortsandwiththeCaliforniaEnergyCom-missionCaliforniaPublicUtilitiesCommis-sioneffortsMediarelationswillbeinthree phasespre-launchlaunchandmilestones
Pre-Launch (August ndash September)
bull DevelopandprovideaSpeakerrsquosKit withtalkingpoints
bull OrganizeCountymedialaunchevent (potentiallyenlistawillinghomeowner whosehousemightserveasalaunching padformediatours)
bull Respondtorequestsfromcities
bull Providepre-writtenarticlesforcity communitynewsletters
bull Issuepresskitsandpressrelease(in EnglishandSpanish)announcing launch
Launch (October)
bull Mediaeventtoannouncelaunchand HomeEnergyMakeoverContestpoten-tiallyon-siteatahousetodemonstrate upgrades
bull SendoutradioPSAs
Milestones (through 2013)
bull Mediaeventtoannouncewinnersofthe HomeEnergyMakeovercontest(could beconductedon-sitesurprisingthe winners)
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 23
bull ldquoRe-launchrdquopressreleaseandmedia eventinMarch2011forasecondHome EnergyMakeoverContestwithastrong ldquogetreadyforsummerrdquotheme
bull Pressreleasewhen10000thperson receivesarebate
bull Pressreleasewhenotherappropriate milestonesarereachedorthefunding forincentivesisclosetobeingdepleted
2 Pilot Marketing Areas
Itwillbecriticalforthelong-termsuccessof marketingeffortstohaveasignificantnumber ofearlysuccessesthatgeneratepositivepub-licityandword-of-mouthencouragingothers toalsoparticipateTheCountyintendsto stimulatethemarketfortheseearlyadopters byintensifyingmarketingeffortsinspecific pilotmarketingareas(withzipcodebound-aries)wherebasedonextensiveconsumer
countywide marketingoutreach tactics
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
television
ad buys on Broadcast tV univision google tV Paid county
ldquothis old Houserdquo segment on whole house per-formance and rebates while renovating house (filming in la this summer)
earned county
coverage on mainstream and multicultural sta-tions
earned utilities county
ldquoinfomercialrdquo and promos on city tV Placed county
radio
nPR sponsorship Paid county
commute time spots Paid county
coverage on california Report earned utilities county
Psas on mainstream stations Placed utilities county
spots on multicultural stations Paid county
coverage in mainstream and multicultural papers
earned utilities county
sunset Magazine green Home section earned county
ads in la times and Daily news real estate sections
Paid utilities county
ads in multicultural papers Paid county
Direct Mail to targets Paid utilities
24 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
countywide marketingoutreach tactics (conrsquot)
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
social media
Blogs (about homes environment bargains) earned county
Facebook page Placed county
ads targeted to interest in environment and or home improvements (this old House etc)
Paid county
google adWords targeted to interest in environment andor home improvements
Paid county
twitter both by the Program and by individual early adopters (with incentives)
Placed county
youtube early adopters make a video about their experience and results (with incentives)
Placed county
out of Home
Retail kiosks banners flyers links on retail websites
Placed utilities
community organizations
environmental groups and others newsletters websites email blasts
earned county
Home improvement shows booths Paid county
countywide events Paid utilities
Bloggersubject matter events Paid county
researchhighpercentagesoftargetaudiences livePilotmarketingprogramsinthoseareas willtesttheextentcommunity-basedmarket-ingpositivelyimpactsparticipationratesan effortrelatedtoRetrofitRampUpproposal requirements
Demographicdataprovidedbythemarketre-searchwillbeoverlaidwithenergyusagedata AdditionallyGIS-basedmarketanalysisatthe parcellevel(describedabove)willallowfor pinpointingofspecificneighborhoodswithin thepilotareasforoutreachthatcaninclude
door-to-doordirectmailandmarketingby contractorsaspartofaldquowholeneighbor-hoodrdquoapproachFocusingonpilotareaswill alsomeettheRetrofitRampUprequirements oftheDepartmentofEnergyFollowingisa summaryofplannedmarketingandoutreach efforts
Marketresearch-basedcriteriaforchoosing about15pilotareaswillinclude
Clusters of houses built before 1978 Thoselivinginolderhomesespecially
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 25
builtbeforeCaliforniarsquosEnergyEfficiency Standardsaremorelikelytobelievethat theirhousemightbeenergyinefficient andcouldbenefitfromenergyefficiency improvementsmdashandberesponsivetoan energyupgrade
High percentage of homeownership Thesemarketingeffortsfocusonsingle-familyresidentialhomeownerssoareas withhighrentalrateswillnotprovidea largeenoughnumberofeligibleunits
Income over $60000Thosewith incomesunder$60000didnotbelieve theywouldhavesufficientincometomake improvementsevenwithrebatesThey werenotinterestedinloans(manywith lowincomesalsofindthemselvesldquounder-waterrdquoontheirloansandthusnoteligible forsomefinancing)Inadditionwefound somepush-backinfocusgroupsabout ldquogovernmentofferingloanstopeoplewho canrsquotaffordthemafterthesub-primeloan debaclerdquo
Population with a high percentage of college-educatedThosewithacollege degreearemuchmorelikelytoindicate apreferencetomakeenergyefficiency upgradesThosewhohadcompletedsome collegeeducationarealsomorelikelyto indicateapreferenceforenergyefficiency upgradesthanthosewhohadnotcom-pletedany
Population with a high percentage of those age 35-54Thosewithchildren andorexpandingfamiliesaremorelikely tomakeimprovementsthanthoseunder 30(thereareveryfewhomeownersunder 30)andthoseover54
High percentage of households with 4+ peopleHouseholdswithmorepeople havehigherenergybillsResearchshows thatthoseinhomeswithmorethan4
peoplebelieveenergyupgradescanmakea bigimpactontheirbills
High energy usage Thehigherenergy usage(andbills)themorelikelypeopleare tobelievethatenergyefficiencyimprove-mentswillmakeadifferenceintheirbills
Afterlayeringthisinformationtocomeup withalistofpotentialareaswefurthercon-sidered
Clusters of 8000-20000 homesThe areashouldbelargeenoughtoprovidesub-stantialnumbersofeligibleunitsbutsmall enoughtoenablereachingmajorityofresi-dentsandgeneratingword-of-mouth
Has a diverse multicultural commu-nityAreasshouldhavestrongcommunity identitiesandsenseofplacesocommunity membersareproudofwheretheyliveand areencouragedtoimprovetheircommu-nity
Has strong neighborhood and com-munity organizationsWeneedto engagetheseorganizationsaspartnersto helpspreadtheword
Has existing communications such as newsletters blogsWeneedtoreach membersthroughexistingcrediblesources thatresidentsalreadyuseandtrust
ldquoSpill overrdquo opportunities to nearby neighborhoodsSincemarketingand mediaeffortswillpotentiallyalsobeseen byneighborsareasshouldbenearother areasthatmayalsomeettheprimary criteria
Climatetime of yearIndetermining whentorolloutthepilotswecantarget interiorareasinspringandcoastalareasin coldweather
26 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Basedonthemarketresearchcriteriafive pilotmarketingareasarescheduledforintense marketingatlaunchwithanadditional10 areasscheduledforintensemarketingin Spring2011
Thepilotmarketstrategyissupportedby theparcel-basedmarketanalysiswhichwill identifywhichneighborhoodspropertieswill bethebesttotargetusingthisapproachThe marketanalysiswillallowlimitedmarketing fundingtobeleveragedbyfocusingonthose thataremostlikelytorespondtothemarket-ingefforts
Wewillcreatemessagesandvisualsspecifical-lytailoredtoeachtargetcommunityrsquoscultural andlinguisticpreferencesImagessymbols andiconstypographycolorandoverall designcarrydifferentmeaningsindifferent culturesAmessageistypicallymosteffective ifitiscreatedwithcarefulattentiontothese idiosyncrasiesandwithintheldquoculturalmind-setrdquooftherecipientsCreatingheadlinesand taglinesdirectlyinthetargetlanguagerather thansimplytranslatingEnglishadvertising copyensuresthatcopyhasthecorrectrhythm andrhymeandisthereforemuchmore attention-grabbingandmemorable
Community Incentives Energy Champion Program Severalconceptsareunderconsiderationto developacommunityincentivestrategyto promoteparticipationinlinewiththeRetrofit RampUpproposalforinnovativeincentiveap-proachesIncentivesmaybedirectedatenergy auditscommunity-basedorganizationsthose willingtoprovidetestimonialsorblogtweet andpublicrecognitionefforts
Grassroots Community Organizing-Trainedorganizerswillpresentinformationat themeetingsof12-15influentialcommunity leadersandcommunity-basedorganizationsin
eachpilotareacapturetheircontactdataand helpspreadtheinformationtotheirmembers throughtheirnewsletterseventsandwebsites TheProgramwillprovidepre-writtencus-tomizablearticlespresentationsorvideoand websiteldquobuttonsrdquotolinktotheProgramsite Eachgroupwillbeofferedanincentiveofado-nationtotheirorganizationforeverymember whocompletesahomeenergyupgradeThis willencourageCBOvolunteerstoincrease theirmarketingeffortsFriendlyrivalrieswill beencouragedCommunitygroupswillreport namesofparticipantscheckedforjobcomple-tionbytheProgram(underdevelopment)
Community Events One-on-onefacetimewithhomeownersis anidealwaytoengagepotentialparticipants Well-trainedorganizerswillattendfiveevents ineachtargetareaprovidinghomeowners withinformation(pocketsizemultilingual handouts)andcapturingtheircontactinfor-mationforfollowupTheycanhavehome-ownerssignuponthewebsiteonsiteifappro-priateandperhapsevenhavethemprovideus withavideocommitmentldquoItookthePledgerdquo withpermissiontopostonthewebsiteAsa luretotheboothhomeownerswillbeoffered freeitemssuchaslightbulbsmagnetsand reusablecupswithcoldwater(imprintedwith thewebsite)manufacturedintheUS
Print Radio Outdoor and Out-of Home Advertising Localmediawillcoverthelaunchofthe Programandwewillstrategicallyplaceads inlocalmediaandcommunitynewsletters Outdooradvertising(smallstreet-levelbiode-gradableeco-postersbussheltersbussides) strategicallyplacedinhigh-trafficareaswillre-inforcethemessageoveraone-monthperiod
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 27
Pilot Area Example Altadena Altadenawasidentifiedasacommunitythat fitsourtargetcriteriaItisadiverseunincor-poratedcommunitywithsixneighborhoods andanapproximatepopulationof40000The averagehouseholdincomeisabout$94000 Morethan50ofadultresidentsaremarried withchildrenandcommuteanaverageof62 milesperdaytowhite-collarjobsFully40of theadultsinthiscommunityhaveabachelors
degreeorhigherandareinvolvedinmany communityeventsandorganizationsThere areapproximately12000homesinthiscom-munityand10000ofthosehomesareowner-occupiedThegraphicshowshowoutreach wouldbeconcentratedinthisarea
pilot area outreachmarketing tactics
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
radio
Psas on multicultural stations earned county
coverage in local papers earned county
ads in local and multicultural papers Paid county
outdoor
Bus shelters in area Paid county
on-street lampost signage Paid county
Billboards Paid county
social media
Blogs (relevant to the area) earned county
online ads targeted by location Paid county
listserves of neighborhood associations (through cities)
earned county
out of Home
Movie theater ads in area Paid county
lawn signs on homes in area (through contractors)
Paid county
community organizations
community meetings with incentives to organizations for participation
earnedPaid county
community events Paid county Door hangers Paid county
28 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Home Depot
Ace Hardware
Lowersquos
Master Builders
Great Indoors
Home Expo
altadena marketing target
Hoy La Opinioacuten
Pasadena Star News
Altadena Headlines Examiner
Boulevard Magazine
Arroyo Magazine
Pasadena Weekly
Altadena Connection
Sentinel
KLVE
KPCC Pasadena
KCBS
KROQ Pasadena
KAZN Pasadena
Church Bulletins
Summer Concert Series at Farnsworth Park
Fourth of July Fireworks at
Town amp Country Club
Black History Parade
World Music Festival in Pasadena
Haunted House at
Farnsworth Park
Art Break
Rose Parade
National Latino
Congreso
Altadena Neighborhood Association
Altadena Chamber of Commerce
Altadena Arts Council
Altadena Town Council
Faith-based Organizations
Altadena Town amp Country Club
Altadena League of
Women Voters
Altadena Historical Society
Altadena Community Improvement Center
Sheriff Support Group
Santa Coming to Farnsworth
Park
Altadena California
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 29
3 Trigger-Event Marketing
Thissuiteofstrategieswillbeaimedatcaptur-ingenergyefficiencyopportunitiesfrommul-tipletriggereventsParticipantswillmainly comethroughcontractorsrealtorsandretail partnerspropertyownerswillhavealsoseen countywideadvertising
trigger event marketing
4 City and COG Outreach
OutreachbyCitiesandCOGswillbecritical becauseoftheirexistingrelationshipswith localconstituenciesCitieswillbeprovided withamini-marketingplantalkingpoints videocustomizabletemplatesoffactsheets articlesfortheirnewslettersandadvertising
EvENT dESCRIPTION LEAd AGENT COLLATERAL TACTIC
1 Replace on burnout (heating air conditioners water heaters)
Homeowners either in process of replacing an item or have already done some efficiency projects
county bull Retail partners
bull HVac installers
bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors installers
bull Retail displays
2 life-stage changes (growing family)
Homeowners working with a contractor
county bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors bull ads in media for home remodels
3 Home remodel Homeowners working with an architect contractor
county bull contractors bull architects
bull Materials for contractors
bull ads in media for home remodels
3 improvements at time of purchase
Homeowners interested are preparing a new home for move-in (research shows more interest at purchase than at sale)
shared bull contractors bull Realtors bull Home
inspectors bull city permit
offices bull city welcome
kits bull Retail
bull Brochures for cities
bull ads in weekend homes for sale sections
bull Presentations to realtor groups
bull Retail displays
4 improvements at sale
House owners preparing for sale
county bull contractors bull Realtors
bull Materials for contractors
5 complaints high utility bills cold hot house
Homeowners aware of energy-saving improvements but not whole house approach
county bull contractors bull HeRs raters
bull Materials for contractors
30 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
city amp cog outreach
materialssotheycandeveloplow-costout-reachtotheirresidentsCitieswithcommuni-tiestargetedinthePilotAreaMarketingplans willbeinformedandencouragedtodoout-reachtothoseareasAllCitieswillbeencour-agedtodothefollowing
Run stories in print and online news-letters
Send information to neighborhood associations homeowners associa-tions historic preservation districts and other appropriate community organizations
Provide information in City permit-ting offices and City Hall lobbies
Provide information at strategically located Environmental Information Centers and at COG office locations
Provide information in ldquonew home-ownersrdquo welcome kits (either directly from the city or through title compa-
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAId EARNEd
LEAd
pio coordination contact all participating citiesrsquo Pios na county
letters Key messages for letters from mayors etc to constituents Provide to Pios or city managers
na county
Website links Button for cities to place on their website to link to Program site
na county
city tV informational videos and spot promos Placed county
Welcome brochure
Brochure aimed at new homeowners before they move in
na county
articles Pre-written customizable newsletter articles earned county
email blasts Pre-written customizable info spots for communityneighborhood listserves
earned county
niesmortgage brokers)
Run videos and spots on City TV stations
5 Contractor Marketing
Localcontractorsarecriticaltothesuccess ofEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLosAngeles CountyTheyprovidetheservicesthatcom-prisetheProgramandtheycanhelpmarket theProgramtopropertyownersInfactwe estimatethatupto50ofProgrampartici-pantswillentertheProgramthrougharela-tionshipwithacontractor(theymayhavealso seenmediacoverageandadvertisingwhich spurredthemtotakeaction)Thisuniquerole requiresthattheProgramtakeatwo-tiered approachofengagingthecontractormdashmoti-vatinglocalbuildingprofessionalstoundergo thetrainingandcertificationprocessandalso providingthemwiththetoolstoeffectively promotetheprogramtoexistingandnew clientsThefollowingsectiondescribesspecific
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 31
contractor target
United Brotherhood Building Industry Carpenters (Training)
Association ofSouthern California
Email Blast
Contractors Magazines
Contractor
OnlineAds
Big Box Stores
ConractorsLicensing Schools
Realtor Associations
strategiesassociatedwithbothapproaches
Forthepurposesoftheprogramcontractors aredividedintoparticularsegmentsbasedon thetypeofserviceprovidedAninitialanalysis oftheindustryrevealedthefollowinglikely categories
HomePerformance(HP)Contractors
ProductionBuilders
HVACSystemSpecialtyTrades (windowsetc)
RemodelingContractors
SolarContractors
BuildingPerformance
Institute
Southwest Regional
City Permit Association
Offices of Carpenters
Lumber Yards
StateLicensing
Board
American Instituteof Architects
LA Chapter
Outreach to Contractors TheProgramwillcoordinatewithcontractor groupsandotherbuildingprofessionaltrade organizationstoschedulebriefpresentations abouttheProgramandthecontractortraining processForlargerorganizationsthePro-grammayworkdirectlywiththecompanyto arrangeon-sitepresentationsThesepresenta-tionsareinformalinnatureandwillbeusedto promotethecertificationorientationsrequired forcontractorparticipationintheprogram
KeyMessagestoContractors
$30millioninAmericanRecoveryand ReinvestmentActmoneyisworkinginLA Countytocreateconstructionindustryjobs
32 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
EnergyUpgradeCaliforniaOffersbig rebatesandfinancingoptionsfor homeownersdoinghomeenergy efficiencyretrofits
Therewillbemarketingandadvertis-ingstatewideandlocallytopromotethe Program
Therewillbemarketingmaterialsforyou tousetomarketyourbusiness
YoumustbelicensedandBuildingPerfor-manceInstitute-certifiedtobepartofthe Program
HomeownersmustworkwithBPI-certified contractorstheyrsquollchoosefromacontrac-tordatabaseonthewebsite
KeyOutreachMethods
BuildingIndustryAssociationofSouthern California
SouthwestRegionalCouncilofCarpenters
RealtorsAssociation
UnitedBrotherhood-Carpenters(Training Program)
Citypermittingoffice
Lumberyards
AmericanInstituteofArchitectsLA Chapter(toeducatethemaswell)
ArticlesinformationinContractortrade publications(magazinesnewslettersetc) magazines
CarpentersUnionLocals
ContractorsLicenseSchools(andonline)
BigBoxHomeImprovementstores(de-pendingonIOUrelationships)
wwwcslbcagov
Emailblasttoalllicensedcontractors
Contractor Outreach to Consumers Differentopportunitiesexistfordifferent contractorsdependingontheprobablework scopeThefollowingtableoutlinesafew potentialpathwaysforhowcontractorscan participateintheProgram
contractors outreach to customers
CONTRACTOR TyPE
TRIGGER EvENT vALUE TO CONTRACTOR
BUSINESS MOdEL
Home Performance upgrade lead generation scale for high volume
Production Builder new Business Development
create new division
HVac Replacement lead generation Value-add
expand services
specialty trade lead generation Partner with certified gc
Remodeler Remodel life-stage transition
Value-add sub work to HP contractor
solar Renewables lead generation Partner with certified gc
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 33
BPI-certifiedgeneralcontractorswillbelisted ontheEnergyUpgradeconsumerwebsite sendingmanyleadsdirectlytothemThey alsohaveaccesstotheldquoheatmapsrdquotousefor developingtheirownadvertisingcampaigns
Contractorswillbeattendingorientationses-sionstoensuretheythoroughlyunderstand theProgramrebatesfinancingoptionsand canhelpguidetheircustomersthroughthe processTheywillbeprovidedwithContractor MarketingKitstoensuretheyhaveathandthe keymessagesthathavebeenresonatingwith homeownersandhaveinformationtogive topotentialcustomerswhomightormight nothavebeentothewebsiteKitscanbesent directlytocontractorsordistributedatthe orientationsessionsKitswillcontain
Talkingpoints
DVDofthevideo
Printedfactsheetstoleavewithcustomers (withroomfortheircontactinfo)more canbeordered
Printedldquoslimjimrdquoprogrambrochure
Printedlengthierbrochuresaboutthe wholehouseapproach(brandedby Scientific American Magazine)
CDwithldquobuttonrdquotolinktoEnergyUpgrade fromtheirownwebsitesandPDFsofsite signageforprinting
Contractorswillhaveaccesstoaseparatesec-tionofthewebsitewheretheywillfindinfor-mationaboutProgrameventspromotionsand advertisinganon-demandprintsectionfor additionalcopiesofbrochuresanychanges totheProgramandasingletradecontractor databaseforassemblingteamsforcustomers whowouldlikesolarpanelsornewwindows forexample
6 Realtor Marketing
Giventhatthenationalaveragelengthofhome ownershipisroughlysixyearsrealestate agentswillbeincontactandadvisingalarge percentageofthenewandexistinghomeown-ersthatEnergyUpgradeistargetingforhome energyretrofitsThishighlevelofinfluence makesrealtorsoneofthelargestpartner groups
Realestateagentswillbeengagedonthree levels
1) Outreach
2) Training
3) Support
Outreach Outreachwillbeconductedthroughavariety ofvenuesthatwillincludeCaliforniaAssocia-tionofRealtorsreg(CAR)regionalconferences heldinSouthernCaliforniapartnershipwith themanyrealtorassociationslocatedinLos AngelesCountyanddirectvisitstorealestate agentsrsquoofficesforshortpresentationsPart-nershipswiththe15-20localRealtorsAsso-ciationswillbeachievedthroughoneormore RealtorAdvisoryBoardswhichincludethe GovernmentAffairsDirectorsfromeachof theseorganizationsAselectfewoftheseor-ganizationswillbeusedaspilotsfortargeted outreachduringearlystagesoftheProgram Oncethestrategyhasbeentestedandrevised itwillberolledouttoalloftheRealtorsAs-sociationsinLosAngelesCounty
ThefallCARRealtorExpowillbethemain kickoffeventforoutreachtoindividualreal-torsandrealtorofficesEnergyUpgradeplans tohavea30-minutetalkembeddedinthe SpeakersProgramandaboothsetuponthe ExpofloortoinformrealtorsaboutthePro-gramavailabletrainingsandthesupport
34 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
toolsthathavebeendevelopedThisevent willreachthemajorityofrealtorsintheLos Angelesareabutwillnotincludethelarge populationofrealestateagentsthatarenot membersofCARToreachthispopulation emailsocialmediaandtargetedofficevisits willbeconducted
Training EnergyUpgradewillprovidetrainingforreal estateagentsintwoformsTherealestate agenttrainingmodulecurrentlyunderdevel-opmentbyBuildItGreenwillbeusedasthe maintrainingforumThistrainingmodule isexpectedtotaketwofulldaystocomplete andwillcoverpropertyassessedcleanenergy financingenergyefficientmortgagesrebate programsbuildingscienceenergyefficiency andgreenbuildingpracticesappropriateto California
Additionalweb-basedtrainingwillbeprovided tointroducerealestateagentstotheProgram andtodrivethemtogetin-persontraining throughtheBuildItGreentrainingmodule
Support Cultivatingandclosingtoolswillbegener-atedtoassistrealtorsinusingEnergyUpgrade Californiatradetoexpandtheirbusinesswhile drivinghigherlevelsofprogramparticipation RealtorKitswillbesimilartotheContractor Kitsandtheywillhaveaccesstothedatabase ofgeneralandsingletradecontractors
7 Retail Partner Marketing
Utilitieswillpartnerwithretailoutletsthat canincludeBestBuyCostcoSearsLowes andHomeDepotParticipatingretailoutlets willbeprovided
Information centersEnd-displays detailingtheEnergyUpgradeProgram withadiagramillustratingthehouseas asystemconcept(multiplecomponents thatacttogethertomaximizesavings)and actionscustomerscantaketocapturethose savingsandrebatesIn-storecustomer educationcanshiftcustomerperception ofenergyupgradesandmotivatethem toparticipateinmultipleenergy-efficient measuresinsteadofjustoneAnadditional benefitfortheretailerisassociationwith thestatewideprogram
Program collateral One-sheet takeawaysforcustomerstoreference andshare
Video Theshortvideoscanbeplayed onaloop
Table tent cardsPlacedthroughout storesectionsthatcorrelatewiththe EnergyUpgradeProgram(CFLsappli-ancesceilingfansinsulationwindows) Againthiswillencouragecustomersto performmultipleenergyupgradesinstead ofjustoneCross-promotionhelpseducate customersandencourageparticipationin multiplemeasuresthusincreasingproduct purchase
Window clings ldquoOfficialEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaInformationCenterrdquotagline bannersplacedatstorefrontThiswillpo-sitiontheretailerasanactiveparticipantin thestatewideprogramandbuildsretailer credibilityasagreenadvocate
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 35
8 Multi-Family Outreach
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesandsched-ulesarestillinplanningphasesandbeing developedthroughastatewideconsortium
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesarebeing
developed
36 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
evaluation
Theprimarygoalsofthemarketingplanareto buildpositiveawarenessoftheEnergyUp-gradeCaliforniaProgramandcreateasus-tainedmarketforawholehouseapproach(see page8)Objectivesarespecifictothoseachiev-ingthosegoalsLosAngelesCountyresidents willseemultipleiterationsofmediacoverage paidadvertisingin-storedisplayscontractor marketingandin-personpresentations(inthe pilotmarketingareas)Forexamplearesi-dentinAltadenamightseethemoreintensive marketingandoutreacheffortsThatmayspur themtoactionmdashbutiftheyalreadyhadplans toremodelorhadpreviouslyworkedwitha contractortheymightcalltheircontractorand thusactuallycometotheprogramthrough thecontractorThereforeitwillnotbeeasy todeterminepreciselywhathasmotivated eachpersontoparticipateinEnergyUpgrade Objectivestomeetinclude
About35-45ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughthemarket-ingandoutreacheffortsTomonitorwe willincludeashortsurveyaspartofthe rebateapplicationprocessaskingpartici-pantswhatdrewthemtothewebsiteand totheProgramThewebsitecanmonitor clickthroughstocontractorssitesfrom theProgramwebsiteprovidinganindica-tionofpotentialparticpantswhocameto thesitebeforehavingacontractorOnce apropertyownerinputsanaddressthe websitewillbeabletospecificallymonitor ifthatparticipantasksformultiple estimatesfromcontractorsanotherindica-
toroffindingacontractorthroughthesite
About45-50ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughcontractors Wewillaskcontractorstoprovideinfor-mationabouttheirmarketingeffortsand successratesTheywillbeabletoidentify participantsgainedthroughtheirownmar-ketingefforts
300000uniquehitsonthewebsitewhich willbemonitoredbythewebsiteFurther thewebsitewillanalyzewherevisitors camefrom(egaclickthroughfroman onlineadfromacontractorrsquoswebsite orduringthespecifictimeframeofanad campaign)
Virtualandactualldquoword-of-mouthrdquore-portedbymonitoringsocialmedia
Communicationskitsandmarketingkits availablebothphysicallyandthroughan on-demandprintsitemonitoredbyclient
Informationalmaterialsforcitiesmoni-toredbySouthBayCitiesCouncilofGov-ernments
50000000mediaadvertisingin-person impressionsmonitoredbybroadcast printonlinestatisticsandreportsfrom grassrootsmarketingefforts
Consolidatedinformationinone-stop-shop approachwillbedeliveredthroughthe website
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 37
description of marketing communication tools
PlacedEarned Social Media ThePlancallsforsocialmediatopushinfor-mationtoourtargetaudiencesincreaseper-ceptionsoftheProgramascommunity-based reachthosewhowillhelpgenerateadditional buzzindependentmarketingeffortsaboutthe Programandprovideamechanismforlisten-ingtowhatpeoplearesayingaboutEnergy Upgrademdashandrespondingwhennecessary
Online Paid Advertising Onlineadvertisingcampaignscanbeverycost-effectiveandhighlytargetedbydemographics areasofinterestandgeographicsAdsappear ontopic-relatedblogsonsearchenginepages (egGoogle)andoncontentpages(egwhen yousearchforinformationaboutarelated topicandselectawebsitetoview)
Types of Users Targetadsbyage genderincomelanguagepreferencezip codeorhotspots
Types of SearchesTargetadsbytypeof searchconductedbasedonkeywords
Adsareusuallysoldperldquoclickrdquomdashtheviewer hasclickedontheadandbeensenttothe EnergyUpgradeCAwebsiteWewillmake fourtypesofonlineadpurchases
1 Googleadsthatplaceadsbothonits searchpagesandonhundredsofwebsites targetedbytheabove
2 Networksthattargetspecificsitesand blogsthatmatchourtargetaudiences(eg HiveBlogsLosAngelesthatoffers350LA blogstochoosefrom)
3 Directlythroughselectpublishers(eg CurbedLAGreenGirlLAlocalpapers online)
4 Onlineeditionsoflocalpapersinpilot marketingareas
Twitter Twitterusersaremostlycollegegraduates haveattendedgraduateschoolandlivein householdsmakingover$50000ayear (nationally)Usersarethreetimesmorelikely tofollowbrandsandcompaniesonTwitter thanotherusersofsocialnetworkswith40 specificallyusingTwittertolearnaboutand provideopinionsonbrands
Twittercanpushthelatestdevelopmentsand newstopeoplewhohaveexpressedaninter-estedintheProgram(theymustsignupto receiveourTweetsorhavesearchedfortag wordsincludedinourTweets)Itrsquosalsoan easywayforthosewhofollowEnergyUpgrade onTwittertoshareTweetswiththeirfriends
38 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
therebygeneratingbuzzandhelpingmarket theProgramTwittercanshareProgram newsinrealtimedrivepeopletothewebsite facilitateearlyadoptersbuzzmakersreach youngerhomeownersandincreasemarketing effortsatalowcostTwittercanbeeffectively usedtocommunicatetheProgramandits milestonesinavarietyofways
bull Tweetaboutpressreleasesmajoran-nouncementsnewitemsonwebsiteor blogsmediastoriesandarticlesespecially aboutthosethataretimesensitiveandtell ouraudiencewhatishappeningwiththe Programandencouragesthemtopartici-pateorfindoutmore
bull PutaTweeticononthemainwebsiteal-lowingvisitorstothewebsitetobeginto followEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLos AngelesCountyonTwitterwithoneclick
bull FollowotherswhoTweetaboutthe ProgramaswellasthosewhoTweetabout relatedtopicsThiswillprovideanop-portunitytodirectlyrespondtoaperson whohasaquestionabouttheProgramand pointthemtoalinktothewebsite
Tweet Examples
bull ldquo100LAhomeownershavesigned upfortheProgramatwwwEnergyUpgra-deCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoReadaboutLArsquosnewenergyefficiency rebateProgramintheLAtimes httpwwwlatimesgreenblogcomrdquo
bull ldquoWanttosaveonyourutilitybills CheckoutwwwEnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoSignupfortheHomeEnergyUpgrade contestforachancetowinafree homeenergyefficiencyretrofitat EnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
Cost and Budget
SettingupaTwitteraccountisfreeasisusing anapplicationsuchasTweetDeckthathelps followotherswhoareTweetingaboutEnergy UpgradeCaliforniaTheonlysignificantcostis stafftimewhichcanbelimitedtoafewhours aweek
Facebook Facebookisalow-costandeasywayofboth marketingtheProgramandsupportingan onlinecommunityofpeopleinterestedinthe ProgramItwillreachaudienceswhoaremore likelytospendtimeonFacebookversusaweb-siteandwhomayprefertoreceiveshortreal timeProgramnewsviaFacebookratherthan emailsorwebsitesItisidealforpostinglinks tovideosandphotosrelatedtotheprojectIt complementsthewebsiteaplacewherefans oftheProgramcanfindinformationaskques-tionsandshareideasandexcitementThese fanswillgeneratebuzzbytellingtheirfriends abouttheProgramthroughFacebook
AFacebookpagewillcontaininformation abouttheProgramalinktothewebsite Programnewsvideosphotographsandother informationWhenthepageisupdatedfans willreceivelinksinemailalertingthemtothe newposts
Facebookisalsoidealforsharingthestoryof anearlyadopter(whowillalsoTweet)through updatesphotographsandvideosItlends itselfmuchmorenaturallytothispeople-fo-cusedapproachthanawebsitewhichismore formal
Additionalpoints
bull EncourageandperhapsrewardProgram adopterstosharetheirexperiencesask questionsetc
bull Setupcontrolstodeterminewhatcontent Fanscanposttothewall
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 39
bull Monitorupdatestothewallandtakedown Therearemanyexistingblogsthatcanbeused inappropriatecontent
bull Respondtoissuesquestionsandtakepart intheconversation
bull Adesignatedstaffpersonshouldmonitor thesiteitisalsoidealifseveralstaff memberspostcontentandifpartnersare activeparticipantsalthoughtheoverall strategyshouldbecentralized
Facebook Examples
Herearesomeexamplesofthetypesofpost-ingsforaFacebookpage
bull ldquoTheLATimesdescribesEnergyUpgrade CAasaperfectopportunitytobegreenand savemoneymdashintheFridaymoneysectionrdquo
bull ldquoWhydidyoudecidetoparticipatein EnergyUpgradeCATellushowyour energyefficiencyretrofitisgoingandwersquoll enteryouforachancetowina$50Home Depotgiftcardrdquo
bull ldquoWonderingwhetherEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaisrightforyouCheckoutthis videooftheSmithsinstallingnewinsula-tionandwindows--andreceivinga$3500 rebaterdquo
Cost and Budget
Relativelyfewdirectcostsstafftimewill fluctuateduringbusycalmperiodswithhigh activityatthebeginningastheProgramkicks offandafanbaseisestablishedOngoingstaff timeneededtokeeppagefreshwith3-4posts weekdailymaintenancerequiredtomonitor postingsfromfans
Blogs Blogsreachtargetaudienceswhoarealready interestedinrelatedtopicsandwhohavehigh potentialtoparticipateintheProgram
tofurthermarketingefforts
bull Identifybloggerswhowilllikelywrite positivelyabouttheProgramSendpress releasefactsheetsandPrograminforma-tiontobloggerswhowriteabouttopics suchastheenvironmentenergyefficiency homeimprovementremodelingreal estatehousingbargainssavingmoneyas wellastocompaniesthatsellsolarpanels contractorsetc
bull Bloggersarelookingfortopicalstoriesto writeaboutandwewillmaketheirnext blogposteasyBecauseEnergyUpgradeis ahighrewardoptionalProgrambloggers willwritefavorablyandhelptellthestory inafriendlyaccessibleandeasy-to-under-standway(althoughwedonrsquothavecontrol overwhattheywrite)Peoplewhoaredis-satisfiedwillwritenegativecommentsbut wewillmonitorblogsandactivelycorrect misperceptions
bull Tomonitorwhatothersarewritingabout EnergyUpgradeontheirblogswewilluse freeprogramslikeTechnoratiorGoogle Readertoscanallblogsandwebsitesthat mentiontheProgram
Blogs to Reach
Green Girl LA Blog (httpgreenlagirlcom)Thisindependent blogisfocusedonenvironmentalhap-peningsinLosAngelesArecentpostwas aboutagreennetworkingeventfeaturing TheBuildingDoctorspresentingwaysto makeyourhousemoreenergyefficient PreviouslyareporterbloggerfortheLA Timesthewriterisactiveandcoversa widevarietyofenvironmentalgreentopics happeninginLosAngeles
40 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
LA Times HomeBlog (wwwlatimesblogslatimescomhome_
blog)focusesontopicsrelatedtohouses andhashadseveralrecentpostsabout greenremodelingOneadvantageofa majornewspaperisthatthereportingis accurateandthereadershipislargerThey recentlywroteaboutauditionsforThisOld HousewhichisfeaturingaLosAngeles areahouseforasummerremodel
Bargain Babe (wwwbargainbabelatownluxecom) featuresLosAngelesbargainsYoucan searchforbargainsbyareaofLA(West-sideetc)orbytopicThisbloggerrecently wroteaboutappliancerebates
LA Times Green Remodeling (wwwlatimesblogslatimescompar-donourdustgreen_remodeling)writes aboutalltopicsrelatedtoremodelingin SouthernCaliforniawithseveralrecent postsongreentopicsArecentpostre-viewedthedifferentadvantagesofinstall-ingvarioustanklesswaterheatersPitch thatthebloggerfollowahomeenergy retrofitandhelptelltheirstoryaswellas announcebasicPrograminformation
LA Times Personal Finance wwwlatimescombusinesspersonal-finance
Home Remodeling wwwkathysremodelingblogcom
Energy Efficiency wwwlowimpactlivingcomblog
LA CreekFreak
LA Observed
LAist
YouTube PostallvideosrelatedtotheprojectonYou-TubeWewillworkwithourmediapartners todevelopacontestforearlyadopterstofilm theirexperienceandletwebsitevisitorsvote onthebestWinnerreceivesaprizetobe determined
ListServes Listservesreachgroupsofpeoplewhoare interestedinasimilartopicorwholiveina specificneighborhoodSendemailblaststo listservessuchasneighborhoodassociations homeremodelersandenvironmentalgroups withanenergyfocusCitystaffhasinforma-tionaddressesofneighborhoodandhom-eownerassociationslists
Multimedia for Presentations Website Developanengaginginformative6-8minute videofocusingoncontractorsandhomeown-ersthatcanbeusedduringpresentationsand presentedonCityTVThevideowillbeshot bothinEnglishandinSpanishandcover
bull Howtherebatesworktocreateasenseof urgencyaboutdoingtheenergyupgrades soonerratherputtingitofftotakeadvan-tageoftherebates
bull Theldquosealthenenhancerdquowholehouse concept
bull WhattheProgramelementsactuallylook likeandhowtheyareinstalledtoover-comebarrierssuchasthatonemighthave tomoveoutofthehouseortheenergy upgradesareldquouglyrdquo
bull Workingwithacontractorwhatbeing licensedandcertifiedmeansgettingmul-tiplebids
bull Financingoptions
bull Doingthepaperwork
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 41
Fromthatvideodevelop
bull Threeindividual2-minutevideosforuse onlineeachfocusingonaspecifictopicmdash
againinbothEnglishandSpanish
bull A15anda30spoteachinEnglishand SpanishforuseonCityTVandbroadcast
stations
Print Collateral Customizable fact sheetsInforma-tionsheets(onepagefrontandback)in EnglishSpanishandChinesethatcanalso bepostedonthewebsiteasPDFs
Program brochureMorehighlyde-signedforplacementinmunicipaloffices andevents
Customizable Brochure Brandedwith SunsetMagazineorNationalGeographic forcontractorsandrealtorstohandto customers
SignageBannersforeventsandstreet lamppostspostersformunicipaloffices andsmalleventsandpotentiallysignage forbussidestransitshelters
Speakers kits Countyandcitystaffwillreceivekitstoensure everyoneisfamiliarwithkeymessagesandhas informationtogivetoconstituentsThesecan besentdirectlytocitiesordistributedthrough COGsKitswillcontain
bull Talkingpoints
bull DVDofthevideo
bull PPTpresentationforpublicmeetings
bull Printedbrochuresforpermitofficesto includewithwelcomepacketsfornewho-meowners
bull Articlesandphotostheycanrunintheir onlineorprintedcitynewsletters
bull CDwithtemplatesforquickprintingand websitebuttontolinkfromtheirwebsiteto EnergyUpgradeCalifornia
42 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
description of key messages
Thefollowingmessageshadthehighestreso-nanceinpollingandfocusgroupsbothinLos AngelesCountyandtheBayArea
Primary Motivators Thefollowingtwomessagesaboutsaving moneyarekeytomotivatingalltargetaudi-encesTheyshouldbepartofeverypieceof advertisingorcollateralproduced
1 RebatesHomeownerswhomakeenergy-savinghomeimprovementscanqualifyfor a$1500federaltaxcreditandrebatesof upto$3500dependingonhowmuchthey reduceenergyconsumptionAdditional motivatorTaxcreditsonlyavailable untilDecember312010(Rebatesare preferredovertaxcreditsbecauseitrsquoscash nowratherthanlateranddependingon incomenoteveryonecangetthecredit)
2 Save on Utility Bills Upgradingahome touselessenergyandwatercanreduce utilitybillsby20ormoremdashsavingyou moneyovertime
Secondary Motivators Thefollowingmessagesarethenlayeredde-pendingonwhichaudienceisbeingtargeted
Help the EnvironmentClimate Change Weallneedtodoourparttohelp theenvironmentandslowclimatechange Makingourhomesmoregreenandenergy efficientisanimportantstepweshouldall take
Reduce Foreign OilFossil FuelsAt atimewhenwearetryingtoreduceour dependenceonforeignoilandotherfossil fuelsupgradingtheenergyefficiencyof ourhomesisanimportantstepwecanall take(Infocusgroupstheconceptofenergy independencefurtherresonatedasinde-pendencefromutilitycompaniesgetting offthegrid)
Certified Contractors Save Money Speciallytrainedandcertifiedcontractors knowhowtofindimprovementsthatthe averagehomeownerwouldnotTheiras-sessmentswillensurethatyoufindmore energysavingsandthereforesavemore moneyonyourutilitybillsAdditional motivatorContractorsarecertifiedbythe BuildingPerformanceInstituteworking withtheDepartmentofEnergyandEnvi-ronmentalProtectionAgency
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 43
Increase Property ValuesHomesthat areenergy-efficientandenvironmentally friendlyaremoreappealingtohomebuyers Theseupgradescanincreaseyourproperty value
ComfortUpgradingyourhomersquosenergy efficiencymdashinparticularupgradinginsula-tionmdashcanmakeitamorecomfortableplace toliveNomoredraftycoldroomsinthe winterorhotstuffyroomsinthesummer
Indoor Air QualityInsulationand ventilationcanreduceallergyandasthma-causingmoldandmildewimproving indoorairqualityespeciallyforinfantsand thosewithhealthconditions
Messengers Homeownersprefertoreceiveinformation fromimpartialtrustedsourcesThesemes-sengersreceivedthehighestscoresinpolling
bull Neighborsandotherhomeowners
bull Contractorthehomeownerisalready workingwithorreferredbyfriendneigh-bor
bull Architectsdesignprofessionals
bull Gasandelectricutilities
bull Environmentalorganizations
bull Homeimprovementstorestaff(when equippedwithflyers)
44 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 45
- Cover
- Table of Contents13
- Summary Overview13
- Introduction13
- Programs Goals and Objectives13
- Marketing and Outreach Program Goals and Structure13
- Strategy13
- Evaluation13
- Description of Marketing Communication Tools13
- Description of Key Messages13
-
bull ldquoRe-launchrdquopressreleaseandmedia eventinMarch2011forasecondHome EnergyMakeoverContestwithastrong ldquogetreadyforsummerrdquotheme
bull Pressreleasewhen10000thperson receivesarebate
bull Pressreleasewhenotherappropriate milestonesarereachedorthefunding forincentivesisclosetobeingdepleted
2 Pilot Marketing Areas
Itwillbecriticalforthelong-termsuccessof marketingeffortstohaveasignificantnumber ofearlysuccessesthatgeneratepositivepub-licityandword-of-mouthencouragingothers toalsoparticipateTheCountyintendsto stimulatethemarketfortheseearlyadopters byintensifyingmarketingeffortsinspecific pilotmarketingareas(withzipcodebound-aries)wherebasedonextensiveconsumer
countywide marketingoutreach tactics
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
television
ad buys on Broadcast tV univision google tV Paid county
ldquothis old Houserdquo segment on whole house per-formance and rebates while renovating house (filming in la this summer)
earned county
coverage on mainstream and multicultural sta-tions
earned utilities county
ldquoinfomercialrdquo and promos on city tV Placed county
radio
nPR sponsorship Paid county
commute time spots Paid county
coverage on california Report earned utilities county
Psas on mainstream stations Placed utilities county
spots on multicultural stations Paid county
coverage in mainstream and multicultural papers
earned utilities county
sunset Magazine green Home section earned county
ads in la times and Daily news real estate sections
Paid utilities county
ads in multicultural papers Paid county
Direct Mail to targets Paid utilities
24 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
countywide marketingoutreach tactics (conrsquot)
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
social media
Blogs (about homes environment bargains) earned county
Facebook page Placed county
ads targeted to interest in environment and or home improvements (this old House etc)
Paid county
google adWords targeted to interest in environment andor home improvements
Paid county
twitter both by the Program and by individual early adopters (with incentives)
Placed county
youtube early adopters make a video about their experience and results (with incentives)
Placed county
out of Home
Retail kiosks banners flyers links on retail websites
Placed utilities
community organizations
environmental groups and others newsletters websites email blasts
earned county
Home improvement shows booths Paid county
countywide events Paid utilities
Bloggersubject matter events Paid county
researchhighpercentagesoftargetaudiences livePilotmarketingprogramsinthoseareas willtesttheextentcommunity-basedmarket-ingpositivelyimpactsparticipationratesan effortrelatedtoRetrofitRampUpproposal requirements
Demographicdataprovidedbythemarketre-searchwillbeoverlaidwithenergyusagedata AdditionallyGIS-basedmarketanalysisatthe parcellevel(describedabove)willallowfor pinpointingofspecificneighborhoodswithin thepilotareasforoutreachthatcaninclude
door-to-doordirectmailandmarketingby contractorsaspartofaldquowholeneighbor-hoodrdquoapproachFocusingonpilotareaswill alsomeettheRetrofitRampUprequirements oftheDepartmentofEnergyFollowingisa summaryofplannedmarketingandoutreach efforts
Marketresearch-basedcriteriaforchoosing about15pilotareaswillinclude
Clusters of houses built before 1978 Thoselivinginolderhomesespecially
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 25
builtbeforeCaliforniarsquosEnergyEfficiency Standardsaremorelikelytobelievethat theirhousemightbeenergyinefficient andcouldbenefitfromenergyefficiency improvementsmdashandberesponsivetoan energyupgrade
High percentage of homeownership Thesemarketingeffortsfocusonsingle-familyresidentialhomeownerssoareas withhighrentalrateswillnotprovidea largeenoughnumberofeligibleunits
Income over $60000Thosewith incomesunder$60000didnotbelieve theywouldhavesufficientincometomake improvementsevenwithrebatesThey werenotinterestedinloans(manywith lowincomesalsofindthemselvesldquounder-waterrdquoontheirloansandthusnoteligible forsomefinancing)Inadditionwefound somepush-backinfocusgroupsabout ldquogovernmentofferingloanstopeoplewho canrsquotaffordthemafterthesub-primeloan debaclerdquo
Population with a high percentage of college-educatedThosewithacollege degreearemuchmorelikelytoindicate apreferencetomakeenergyefficiency upgradesThosewhohadcompletedsome collegeeducationarealsomorelikelyto indicateapreferenceforenergyefficiency upgradesthanthosewhohadnotcom-pletedany
Population with a high percentage of those age 35-54Thosewithchildren andorexpandingfamiliesaremorelikely tomakeimprovementsthanthoseunder 30(thereareveryfewhomeownersunder 30)andthoseover54
High percentage of households with 4+ peopleHouseholdswithmorepeople havehigherenergybillsResearchshows thatthoseinhomeswithmorethan4
peoplebelieveenergyupgradescanmakea bigimpactontheirbills
High energy usage Thehigherenergy usage(andbills)themorelikelypeopleare tobelievethatenergyefficiencyimprove-mentswillmakeadifferenceintheirbills
Afterlayeringthisinformationtocomeup withalistofpotentialareaswefurthercon-sidered
Clusters of 8000-20000 homesThe areashouldbelargeenoughtoprovidesub-stantialnumbersofeligibleunitsbutsmall enoughtoenablereachingmajorityofresi-dentsandgeneratingword-of-mouth
Has a diverse multicultural commu-nityAreasshouldhavestrongcommunity identitiesandsenseofplacesocommunity membersareproudofwheretheyliveand areencouragedtoimprovetheircommu-nity
Has strong neighborhood and com-munity organizationsWeneedto engagetheseorganizationsaspartnersto helpspreadtheword
Has existing communications such as newsletters blogsWeneedtoreach membersthroughexistingcrediblesources thatresidentsalreadyuseandtrust
ldquoSpill overrdquo opportunities to nearby neighborhoodsSincemarketingand mediaeffortswillpotentiallyalsobeseen byneighborsareasshouldbenearother areasthatmayalsomeettheprimary criteria
Climatetime of yearIndetermining whentorolloutthepilotswecantarget interiorareasinspringandcoastalareasin coldweather
26 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Basedonthemarketresearchcriteriafive pilotmarketingareasarescheduledforintense marketingatlaunchwithanadditional10 areasscheduledforintensemarketingin Spring2011
Thepilotmarketstrategyissupportedby theparcel-basedmarketanalysiswhichwill identifywhichneighborhoodspropertieswill bethebesttotargetusingthisapproachThe marketanalysiswillallowlimitedmarketing fundingtobeleveragedbyfocusingonthose thataremostlikelytorespondtothemarket-ingefforts
Wewillcreatemessagesandvisualsspecifical-lytailoredtoeachtargetcommunityrsquoscultural andlinguisticpreferencesImagessymbols andiconstypographycolorandoverall designcarrydifferentmeaningsindifferent culturesAmessageistypicallymosteffective ifitiscreatedwithcarefulattentiontothese idiosyncrasiesandwithintheldquoculturalmind-setrdquooftherecipientsCreatingheadlinesand taglinesdirectlyinthetargetlanguagerather thansimplytranslatingEnglishadvertising copyensuresthatcopyhasthecorrectrhythm andrhymeandisthereforemuchmore attention-grabbingandmemorable
Community Incentives Energy Champion Program Severalconceptsareunderconsiderationto developacommunityincentivestrategyto promoteparticipationinlinewiththeRetrofit RampUpproposalforinnovativeincentiveap-proachesIncentivesmaybedirectedatenergy auditscommunity-basedorganizationsthose willingtoprovidetestimonialsorblogtweet andpublicrecognitionefforts
Grassroots Community Organizing-Trainedorganizerswillpresentinformationat themeetingsof12-15influentialcommunity leadersandcommunity-basedorganizationsin
eachpilotareacapturetheircontactdataand helpspreadtheinformationtotheirmembers throughtheirnewsletterseventsandwebsites TheProgramwillprovidepre-writtencus-tomizablearticlespresentationsorvideoand websiteldquobuttonsrdquotolinktotheProgramsite Eachgroupwillbeofferedanincentiveofado-nationtotheirorganizationforeverymember whocompletesahomeenergyupgradeThis willencourageCBOvolunteerstoincrease theirmarketingeffortsFriendlyrivalrieswill beencouragedCommunitygroupswillreport namesofparticipantscheckedforjobcomple-tionbytheProgram(underdevelopment)
Community Events One-on-onefacetimewithhomeownersis anidealwaytoengagepotentialparticipants Well-trainedorganizerswillattendfiveevents ineachtargetareaprovidinghomeowners withinformation(pocketsizemultilingual handouts)andcapturingtheircontactinfor-mationforfollowupTheycanhavehome-ownerssignuponthewebsiteonsiteifappro-priateandperhapsevenhavethemprovideus withavideocommitmentldquoItookthePledgerdquo withpermissiontopostonthewebsiteAsa luretotheboothhomeownerswillbeoffered freeitemssuchaslightbulbsmagnetsand reusablecupswithcoldwater(imprintedwith thewebsite)manufacturedintheUS
Print Radio Outdoor and Out-of Home Advertising Localmediawillcoverthelaunchofthe Programandwewillstrategicallyplaceads inlocalmediaandcommunitynewsletters Outdooradvertising(smallstreet-levelbiode-gradableeco-postersbussheltersbussides) strategicallyplacedinhigh-trafficareaswillre-inforcethemessageoveraone-monthperiod
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 27
Pilot Area Example Altadena Altadenawasidentifiedasacommunitythat fitsourtargetcriteriaItisadiverseunincor-poratedcommunitywithsixneighborhoods andanapproximatepopulationof40000The averagehouseholdincomeisabout$94000 Morethan50ofadultresidentsaremarried withchildrenandcommuteanaverageof62 milesperdaytowhite-collarjobsFully40of theadultsinthiscommunityhaveabachelors
degreeorhigherandareinvolvedinmany communityeventsandorganizationsThere areapproximately12000homesinthiscom-munityand10000ofthosehomesareowner-occupiedThegraphicshowshowoutreach wouldbeconcentratedinthisarea
pilot area outreachmarketing tactics
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
radio
Psas on multicultural stations earned county
coverage in local papers earned county
ads in local and multicultural papers Paid county
outdoor
Bus shelters in area Paid county
on-street lampost signage Paid county
Billboards Paid county
social media
Blogs (relevant to the area) earned county
online ads targeted by location Paid county
listserves of neighborhood associations (through cities)
earned county
out of Home
Movie theater ads in area Paid county
lawn signs on homes in area (through contractors)
Paid county
community organizations
community meetings with incentives to organizations for participation
earnedPaid county
community events Paid county Door hangers Paid county
28 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Home Depot
Ace Hardware
Lowersquos
Master Builders
Great Indoors
Home Expo
altadena marketing target
Hoy La Opinioacuten
Pasadena Star News
Altadena Headlines Examiner
Boulevard Magazine
Arroyo Magazine
Pasadena Weekly
Altadena Connection
Sentinel
KLVE
KPCC Pasadena
KCBS
KROQ Pasadena
KAZN Pasadena
Church Bulletins
Summer Concert Series at Farnsworth Park
Fourth of July Fireworks at
Town amp Country Club
Black History Parade
World Music Festival in Pasadena
Haunted House at
Farnsworth Park
Art Break
Rose Parade
National Latino
Congreso
Altadena Neighborhood Association
Altadena Chamber of Commerce
Altadena Arts Council
Altadena Town Council
Faith-based Organizations
Altadena Town amp Country Club
Altadena League of
Women Voters
Altadena Historical Society
Altadena Community Improvement Center
Sheriff Support Group
Santa Coming to Farnsworth
Park
Altadena California
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 29
3 Trigger-Event Marketing
Thissuiteofstrategieswillbeaimedatcaptur-ingenergyefficiencyopportunitiesfrommul-tipletriggereventsParticipantswillmainly comethroughcontractorsrealtorsandretail partnerspropertyownerswillhavealsoseen countywideadvertising
trigger event marketing
4 City and COG Outreach
OutreachbyCitiesandCOGswillbecritical becauseoftheirexistingrelationshipswith localconstituenciesCitieswillbeprovided withamini-marketingplantalkingpoints videocustomizabletemplatesoffactsheets articlesfortheirnewslettersandadvertising
EvENT dESCRIPTION LEAd AGENT COLLATERAL TACTIC
1 Replace on burnout (heating air conditioners water heaters)
Homeowners either in process of replacing an item or have already done some efficiency projects
county bull Retail partners
bull HVac installers
bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors installers
bull Retail displays
2 life-stage changes (growing family)
Homeowners working with a contractor
county bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors bull ads in media for home remodels
3 Home remodel Homeowners working with an architect contractor
county bull contractors bull architects
bull Materials for contractors
bull ads in media for home remodels
3 improvements at time of purchase
Homeowners interested are preparing a new home for move-in (research shows more interest at purchase than at sale)
shared bull contractors bull Realtors bull Home
inspectors bull city permit
offices bull city welcome
kits bull Retail
bull Brochures for cities
bull ads in weekend homes for sale sections
bull Presentations to realtor groups
bull Retail displays
4 improvements at sale
House owners preparing for sale
county bull contractors bull Realtors
bull Materials for contractors
5 complaints high utility bills cold hot house
Homeowners aware of energy-saving improvements but not whole house approach
county bull contractors bull HeRs raters
bull Materials for contractors
30 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
city amp cog outreach
materialssotheycandeveloplow-costout-reachtotheirresidentsCitieswithcommuni-tiestargetedinthePilotAreaMarketingplans willbeinformedandencouragedtodoout-reachtothoseareasAllCitieswillbeencour-agedtodothefollowing
Run stories in print and online news-letters
Send information to neighborhood associations homeowners associa-tions historic preservation districts and other appropriate community organizations
Provide information in City permit-ting offices and City Hall lobbies
Provide information at strategically located Environmental Information Centers and at COG office locations
Provide information in ldquonew home-ownersrdquo welcome kits (either directly from the city or through title compa-
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAId EARNEd
LEAd
pio coordination contact all participating citiesrsquo Pios na county
letters Key messages for letters from mayors etc to constituents Provide to Pios or city managers
na county
Website links Button for cities to place on their website to link to Program site
na county
city tV informational videos and spot promos Placed county
Welcome brochure
Brochure aimed at new homeowners before they move in
na county
articles Pre-written customizable newsletter articles earned county
email blasts Pre-written customizable info spots for communityneighborhood listserves
earned county
niesmortgage brokers)
Run videos and spots on City TV stations
5 Contractor Marketing
Localcontractorsarecriticaltothesuccess ofEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLosAngeles CountyTheyprovidetheservicesthatcom-prisetheProgramandtheycanhelpmarket theProgramtopropertyownersInfactwe estimatethatupto50ofProgrampartici-pantswillentertheProgramthrougharela-tionshipwithacontractor(theymayhavealso seenmediacoverageandadvertisingwhich spurredthemtotakeaction)Thisuniquerole requiresthattheProgramtakeatwo-tiered approachofengagingthecontractormdashmoti-vatinglocalbuildingprofessionalstoundergo thetrainingandcertificationprocessandalso providingthemwiththetoolstoeffectively promotetheprogramtoexistingandnew clientsThefollowingsectiondescribesspecific
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 31
contractor target
United Brotherhood Building Industry Carpenters (Training)
Association ofSouthern California
Email Blast
Contractors Magazines
Contractor
OnlineAds
Big Box Stores
ConractorsLicensing Schools
Realtor Associations
strategiesassociatedwithbothapproaches
Forthepurposesoftheprogramcontractors aredividedintoparticularsegmentsbasedon thetypeofserviceprovidedAninitialanalysis oftheindustryrevealedthefollowinglikely categories
HomePerformance(HP)Contractors
ProductionBuilders
HVACSystemSpecialtyTrades (windowsetc)
RemodelingContractors
SolarContractors
BuildingPerformance
Institute
Southwest Regional
City Permit Association
Offices of Carpenters
Lumber Yards
StateLicensing
Board
American Instituteof Architects
LA Chapter
Outreach to Contractors TheProgramwillcoordinatewithcontractor groupsandotherbuildingprofessionaltrade organizationstoschedulebriefpresentations abouttheProgramandthecontractortraining processForlargerorganizationsthePro-grammayworkdirectlywiththecompanyto arrangeon-sitepresentationsThesepresenta-tionsareinformalinnatureandwillbeusedto promotethecertificationorientationsrequired forcontractorparticipationintheprogram
KeyMessagestoContractors
$30millioninAmericanRecoveryand ReinvestmentActmoneyisworkinginLA Countytocreateconstructionindustryjobs
32 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
EnergyUpgradeCaliforniaOffersbig rebatesandfinancingoptionsfor homeownersdoinghomeenergy efficiencyretrofits
Therewillbemarketingandadvertis-ingstatewideandlocallytopromotethe Program
Therewillbemarketingmaterialsforyou tousetomarketyourbusiness
YoumustbelicensedandBuildingPerfor-manceInstitute-certifiedtobepartofthe Program
HomeownersmustworkwithBPI-certified contractorstheyrsquollchoosefromacontrac-tordatabaseonthewebsite
KeyOutreachMethods
BuildingIndustryAssociationofSouthern California
SouthwestRegionalCouncilofCarpenters
RealtorsAssociation
UnitedBrotherhood-Carpenters(Training Program)
Citypermittingoffice
Lumberyards
AmericanInstituteofArchitectsLA Chapter(toeducatethemaswell)
ArticlesinformationinContractortrade publications(magazinesnewslettersetc) magazines
CarpentersUnionLocals
ContractorsLicenseSchools(andonline)
BigBoxHomeImprovementstores(de-pendingonIOUrelationships)
wwwcslbcagov
Emailblasttoalllicensedcontractors
Contractor Outreach to Consumers Differentopportunitiesexistfordifferent contractorsdependingontheprobablework scopeThefollowingtableoutlinesafew potentialpathwaysforhowcontractorscan participateintheProgram
contractors outreach to customers
CONTRACTOR TyPE
TRIGGER EvENT vALUE TO CONTRACTOR
BUSINESS MOdEL
Home Performance upgrade lead generation scale for high volume
Production Builder new Business Development
create new division
HVac Replacement lead generation Value-add
expand services
specialty trade lead generation Partner with certified gc
Remodeler Remodel life-stage transition
Value-add sub work to HP contractor
solar Renewables lead generation Partner with certified gc
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 33
BPI-certifiedgeneralcontractorswillbelisted ontheEnergyUpgradeconsumerwebsite sendingmanyleadsdirectlytothemThey alsohaveaccesstotheldquoheatmapsrdquotousefor developingtheirownadvertisingcampaigns
Contractorswillbeattendingorientationses-sionstoensuretheythoroughlyunderstand theProgramrebatesfinancingoptionsand canhelpguidetheircustomersthroughthe processTheywillbeprovidedwithContractor MarketingKitstoensuretheyhaveathandthe keymessagesthathavebeenresonatingwith homeownersandhaveinformationtogive topotentialcustomerswhomightormight nothavebeentothewebsiteKitscanbesent directlytocontractorsordistributedatthe orientationsessionsKitswillcontain
Talkingpoints
DVDofthevideo
Printedfactsheetstoleavewithcustomers (withroomfortheircontactinfo)more canbeordered
Printedldquoslimjimrdquoprogrambrochure
Printedlengthierbrochuresaboutthe wholehouseapproach(brandedby Scientific American Magazine)
CDwithldquobuttonrdquotolinktoEnergyUpgrade fromtheirownwebsitesandPDFsofsite signageforprinting
Contractorswillhaveaccesstoaseparatesec-tionofthewebsitewheretheywillfindinfor-mationaboutProgrameventspromotionsand advertisinganon-demandprintsectionfor additionalcopiesofbrochuresanychanges totheProgramandasingletradecontractor databaseforassemblingteamsforcustomers whowouldlikesolarpanelsornewwindows forexample
6 Realtor Marketing
Giventhatthenationalaveragelengthofhome ownershipisroughlysixyearsrealestate agentswillbeincontactandadvisingalarge percentageofthenewandexistinghomeown-ersthatEnergyUpgradeistargetingforhome energyretrofitsThishighlevelofinfluence makesrealtorsoneofthelargestpartner groups
Realestateagentswillbeengagedonthree levels
1) Outreach
2) Training
3) Support
Outreach Outreachwillbeconductedthroughavariety ofvenuesthatwillincludeCaliforniaAssocia-tionofRealtorsreg(CAR)regionalconferences heldinSouthernCaliforniapartnershipwith themanyrealtorassociationslocatedinLos AngelesCountyanddirectvisitstorealestate agentsrsquoofficesforshortpresentationsPart-nershipswiththe15-20localRealtorsAsso-ciationswillbeachievedthroughoneormore RealtorAdvisoryBoardswhichincludethe GovernmentAffairsDirectorsfromeachof theseorganizationsAselectfewoftheseor-ganizationswillbeusedaspilotsfortargeted outreachduringearlystagesoftheProgram Oncethestrategyhasbeentestedandrevised itwillberolledouttoalloftheRealtorsAs-sociationsinLosAngelesCounty
ThefallCARRealtorExpowillbethemain kickoffeventforoutreachtoindividualreal-torsandrealtorofficesEnergyUpgradeplans tohavea30-minutetalkembeddedinthe SpeakersProgramandaboothsetuponthe ExpofloortoinformrealtorsaboutthePro-gramavailabletrainingsandthesupport
34 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
toolsthathavebeendevelopedThisevent willreachthemajorityofrealtorsintheLos Angelesareabutwillnotincludethelarge populationofrealestateagentsthatarenot membersofCARToreachthispopulation emailsocialmediaandtargetedofficevisits willbeconducted
Training EnergyUpgradewillprovidetrainingforreal estateagentsintwoformsTherealestate agenttrainingmodulecurrentlyunderdevel-opmentbyBuildItGreenwillbeusedasthe maintrainingforumThistrainingmodule isexpectedtotaketwofulldaystocomplete andwillcoverpropertyassessedcleanenergy financingenergyefficientmortgagesrebate programsbuildingscienceenergyefficiency andgreenbuildingpracticesappropriateto California
Additionalweb-basedtrainingwillbeprovided tointroducerealestateagentstotheProgram andtodrivethemtogetin-persontraining throughtheBuildItGreentrainingmodule
Support Cultivatingandclosingtoolswillbegener-atedtoassistrealtorsinusingEnergyUpgrade Californiatradetoexpandtheirbusinesswhile drivinghigherlevelsofprogramparticipation RealtorKitswillbesimilartotheContractor Kitsandtheywillhaveaccesstothedatabase ofgeneralandsingletradecontractors
7 Retail Partner Marketing
Utilitieswillpartnerwithretailoutletsthat canincludeBestBuyCostcoSearsLowes andHomeDepotParticipatingretailoutlets willbeprovided
Information centersEnd-displays detailingtheEnergyUpgradeProgram withadiagramillustratingthehouseas asystemconcept(multiplecomponents thatacttogethertomaximizesavings)and actionscustomerscantaketocapturethose savingsandrebatesIn-storecustomer educationcanshiftcustomerperception ofenergyupgradesandmotivatethem toparticipateinmultipleenergy-efficient measuresinsteadofjustoneAnadditional benefitfortheretailerisassociationwith thestatewideprogram
Program collateral One-sheet takeawaysforcustomerstoreference andshare
Video Theshortvideoscanbeplayed onaloop
Table tent cardsPlacedthroughout storesectionsthatcorrelatewiththe EnergyUpgradeProgram(CFLsappli-ancesceilingfansinsulationwindows) Againthiswillencouragecustomersto performmultipleenergyupgradesinstead ofjustoneCross-promotionhelpseducate customersandencourageparticipationin multiplemeasuresthusincreasingproduct purchase
Window clings ldquoOfficialEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaInformationCenterrdquotagline bannersplacedatstorefrontThiswillpo-sitiontheretailerasanactiveparticipantin thestatewideprogramandbuildsretailer credibilityasagreenadvocate
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 35
8 Multi-Family Outreach
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesandsched-ulesarestillinplanningphasesandbeing developedthroughastatewideconsortium
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesarebeing
developed
36 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
evaluation
Theprimarygoalsofthemarketingplanareto buildpositiveawarenessoftheEnergyUp-gradeCaliforniaProgramandcreateasus-tainedmarketforawholehouseapproach(see page8)Objectivesarespecifictothoseachiev-ingthosegoalsLosAngelesCountyresidents willseemultipleiterationsofmediacoverage paidadvertisingin-storedisplayscontractor marketingandin-personpresentations(inthe pilotmarketingareas)Forexamplearesi-dentinAltadenamightseethemoreintensive marketingandoutreacheffortsThatmayspur themtoactionmdashbutiftheyalreadyhadplans toremodelorhadpreviouslyworkedwitha contractortheymightcalltheircontractorand thusactuallycometotheprogramthrough thecontractorThereforeitwillnotbeeasy todeterminepreciselywhathasmotivated eachpersontoparticipateinEnergyUpgrade Objectivestomeetinclude
About35-45ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughthemarket-ingandoutreacheffortsTomonitorwe willincludeashortsurveyaspartofthe rebateapplicationprocessaskingpartici-pantswhatdrewthemtothewebsiteand totheProgramThewebsitecanmonitor clickthroughstocontractorssitesfrom theProgramwebsiteprovidinganindica-tionofpotentialparticpantswhocameto thesitebeforehavingacontractorOnce apropertyownerinputsanaddressthe websitewillbeabletospecificallymonitor ifthatparticipantasksformultiple estimatesfromcontractorsanotherindica-
toroffindingacontractorthroughthesite
About45-50ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughcontractors Wewillaskcontractorstoprovideinfor-mationabouttheirmarketingeffortsand successratesTheywillbeabletoidentify participantsgainedthroughtheirownmar-ketingefforts
300000uniquehitsonthewebsitewhich willbemonitoredbythewebsiteFurther thewebsitewillanalyzewherevisitors camefrom(egaclickthroughfroman onlineadfromacontractorrsquoswebsite orduringthespecifictimeframeofanad campaign)
Virtualandactualldquoword-of-mouthrdquore-portedbymonitoringsocialmedia
Communicationskitsandmarketingkits availablebothphysicallyandthroughan on-demandprintsitemonitoredbyclient
Informationalmaterialsforcitiesmoni-toredbySouthBayCitiesCouncilofGov-ernments
50000000mediaadvertisingin-person impressionsmonitoredbybroadcast printonlinestatisticsandreportsfrom grassrootsmarketingefforts
Consolidatedinformationinone-stop-shop approachwillbedeliveredthroughthe website
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 37
description of marketing communication tools
PlacedEarned Social Media ThePlancallsforsocialmediatopushinfor-mationtoourtargetaudiencesincreaseper-ceptionsoftheProgramascommunity-based reachthosewhowillhelpgenerateadditional buzzindependentmarketingeffortsaboutthe Programandprovideamechanismforlisten-ingtowhatpeoplearesayingaboutEnergy Upgrademdashandrespondingwhennecessary
Online Paid Advertising Onlineadvertisingcampaignscanbeverycost-effectiveandhighlytargetedbydemographics areasofinterestandgeographicsAdsappear ontopic-relatedblogsonsearchenginepages (egGoogle)andoncontentpages(egwhen yousearchforinformationaboutarelated topicandselectawebsitetoview)
Types of Users Targetadsbyage genderincomelanguagepreferencezip codeorhotspots
Types of SearchesTargetadsbytypeof searchconductedbasedonkeywords
Adsareusuallysoldperldquoclickrdquomdashtheviewer hasclickedontheadandbeensenttothe EnergyUpgradeCAwebsiteWewillmake fourtypesofonlineadpurchases
1 Googleadsthatplaceadsbothonits searchpagesandonhundredsofwebsites targetedbytheabove
2 Networksthattargetspecificsitesand blogsthatmatchourtargetaudiences(eg HiveBlogsLosAngelesthatoffers350LA blogstochoosefrom)
3 Directlythroughselectpublishers(eg CurbedLAGreenGirlLAlocalpapers online)
4 Onlineeditionsoflocalpapersinpilot marketingareas
Twitter Twitterusersaremostlycollegegraduates haveattendedgraduateschoolandlivein householdsmakingover$50000ayear (nationally)Usersarethreetimesmorelikely tofollowbrandsandcompaniesonTwitter thanotherusersofsocialnetworkswith40 specificallyusingTwittertolearnaboutand provideopinionsonbrands
Twittercanpushthelatestdevelopmentsand newstopeoplewhohaveexpressedaninter-estedintheProgram(theymustsignupto receiveourTweetsorhavesearchedfortag wordsincludedinourTweets)Itrsquosalsoan easywayforthosewhofollowEnergyUpgrade onTwittertoshareTweetswiththeirfriends
38 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
therebygeneratingbuzzandhelpingmarket theProgramTwittercanshareProgram newsinrealtimedrivepeopletothewebsite facilitateearlyadoptersbuzzmakersreach youngerhomeownersandincreasemarketing effortsatalowcostTwittercanbeeffectively usedtocommunicatetheProgramandits milestonesinavarietyofways
bull Tweetaboutpressreleasesmajoran-nouncementsnewitemsonwebsiteor blogsmediastoriesandarticlesespecially aboutthosethataretimesensitiveandtell ouraudiencewhatishappeningwiththe Programandencouragesthemtopartici-pateorfindoutmore
bull PutaTweeticononthemainwebsiteal-lowingvisitorstothewebsitetobeginto followEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLos AngelesCountyonTwitterwithoneclick
bull FollowotherswhoTweetaboutthe ProgramaswellasthosewhoTweetabout relatedtopicsThiswillprovideanop-portunitytodirectlyrespondtoaperson whohasaquestionabouttheProgramand pointthemtoalinktothewebsite
Tweet Examples
bull ldquo100LAhomeownershavesigned upfortheProgramatwwwEnergyUpgra-deCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoReadaboutLArsquosnewenergyefficiency rebateProgramintheLAtimes httpwwwlatimesgreenblogcomrdquo
bull ldquoWanttosaveonyourutilitybills CheckoutwwwEnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoSignupfortheHomeEnergyUpgrade contestforachancetowinafree homeenergyefficiencyretrofitat EnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
Cost and Budget
SettingupaTwitteraccountisfreeasisusing anapplicationsuchasTweetDeckthathelps followotherswhoareTweetingaboutEnergy UpgradeCaliforniaTheonlysignificantcostis stafftimewhichcanbelimitedtoafewhours aweek
Facebook Facebookisalow-costandeasywayofboth marketingtheProgramandsupportingan onlinecommunityofpeopleinterestedinthe ProgramItwillreachaudienceswhoaremore likelytospendtimeonFacebookversusaweb-siteandwhomayprefertoreceiveshortreal timeProgramnewsviaFacebookratherthan emailsorwebsitesItisidealforpostinglinks tovideosandphotosrelatedtotheprojectIt complementsthewebsiteaplacewherefans oftheProgramcanfindinformationaskques-tionsandshareideasandexcitementThese fanswillgeneratebuzzbytellingtheirfriends abouttheProgramthroughFacebook
AFacebookpagewillcontaininformation abouttheProgramalinktothewebsite Programnewsvideosphotographsandother informationWhenthepageisupdatedfans willreceivelinksinemailalertingthemtothe newposts
Facebookisalsoidealforsharingthestoryof anearlyadopter(whowillalsoTweet)through updatesphotographsandvideosItlends itselfmuchmorenaturallytothispeople-fo-cusedapproachthanawebsitewhichismore formal
Additionalpoints
bull EncourageandperhapsrewardProgram adopterstosharetheirexperiencesask questionsetc
bull Setupcontrolstodeterminewhatcontent Fanscanposttothewall
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 39
bull Monitorupdatestothewallandtakedown Therearemanyexistingblogsthatcanbeused inappropriatecontent
bull Respondtoissuesquestionsandtakepart intheconversation
bull Adesignatedstaffpersonshouldmonitor thesiteitisalsoidealifseveralstaff memberspostcontentandifpartnersare activeparticipantsalthoughtheoverall strategyshouldbecentralized
Facebook Examples
Herearesomeexamplesofthetypesofpost-ingsforaFacebookpage
bull ldquoTheLATimesdescribesEnergyUpgrade CAasaperfectopportunitytobegreenand savemoneymdashintheFridaymoneysectionrdquo
bull ldquoWhydidyoudecidetoparticipatein EnergyUpgradeCATellushowyour energyefficiencyretrofitisgoingandwersquoll enteryouforachancetowina$50Home Depotgiftcardrdquo
bull ldquoWonderingwhetherEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaisrightforyouCheckoutthis videooftheSmithsinstallingnewinsula-tionandwindows--andreceivinga$3500 rebaterdquo
Cost and Budget
Relativelyfewdirectcostsstafftimewill fluctuateduringbusycalmperiodswithhigh activityatthebeginningastheProgramkicks offandafanbaseisestablishedOngoingstaff timeneededtokeeppagefreshwith3-4posts weekdailymaintenancerequiredtomonitor postingsfromfans
Blogs Blogsreachtargetaudienceswhoarealready interestedinrelatedtopicsandwhohavehigh potentialtoparticipateintheProgram
tofurthermarketingefforts
bull Identifybloggerswhowilllikelywrite positivelyabouttheProgramSendpress releasefactsheetsandPrograminforma-tiontobloggerswhowriteabouttopics suchastheenvironmentenergyefficiency homeimprovementremodelingreal estatehousingbargainssavingmoneyas wellastocompaniesthatsellsolarpanels contractorsetc
bull Bloggersarelookingfortopicalstoriesto writeaboutandwewillmaketheirnext blogposteasyBecauseEnergyUpgradeis ahighrewardoptionalProgrambloggers willwritefavorablyandhelptellthestory inafriendlyaccessibleandeasy-to-under-standway(althoughwedonrsquothavecontrol overwhattheywrite)Peoplewhoaredis-satisfiedwillwritenegativecommentsbut wewillmonitorblogsandactivelycorrect misperceptions
bull Tomonitorwhatothersarewritingabout EnergyUpgradeontheirblogswewilluse freeprogramslikeTechnoratiorGoogle Readertoscanallblogsandwebsitesthat mentiontheProgram
Blogs to Reach
Green Girl LA Blog (httpgreenlagirlcom)Thisindependent blogisfocusedonenvironmentalhap-peningsinLosAngelesArecentpostwas aboutagreennetworkingeventfeaturing TheBuildingDoctorspresentingwaysto makeyourhousemoreenergyefficient PreviouslyareporterbloggerfortheLA Timesthewriterisactiveandcoversa widevarietyofenvironmentalgreentopics happeninginLosAngeles
40 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
LA Times HomeBlog (wwwlatimesblogslatimescomhome_
blog)focusesontopicsrelatedtohouses andhashadseveralrecentpostsabout greenremodelingOneadvantageofa majornewspaperisthatthereportingis accurateandthereadershipislargerThey recentlywroteaboutauditionsforThisOld HousewhichisfeaturingaLosAngeles areahouseforasummerremodel
Bargain Babe (wwwbargainbabelatownluxecom) featuresLosAngelesbargainsYoucan searchforbargainsbyareaofLA(West-sideetc)orbytopicThisbloggerrecently wroteaboutappliancerebates
LA Times Green Remodeling (wwwlatimesblogslatimescompar-donourdustgreen_remodeling)writes aboutalltopicsrelatedtoremodelingin SouthernCaliforniawithseveralrecent postsongreentopicsArecentpostre-viewedthedifferentadvantagesofinstall-ingvarioustanklesswaterheatersPitch thatthebloggerfollowahomeenergy retrofitandhelptelltheirstoryaswellas announcebasicPrograminformation
LA Times Personal Finance wwwlatimescombusinesspersonal-finance
Home Remodeling wwwkathysremodelingblogcom
Energy Efficiency wwwlowimpactlivingcomblog
LA CreekFreak
LA Observed
LAist
YouTube PostallvideosrelatedtotheprojectonYou-TubeWewillworkwithourmediapartners todevelopacontestforearlyadopterstofilm theirexperienceandletwebsitevisitorsvote onthebestWinnerreceivesaprizetobe determined
ListServes Listservesreachgroupsofpeoplewhoare interestedinasimilartopicorwholiveina specificneighborhoodSendemailblaststo listservessuchasneighborhoodassociations homeremodelersandenvironmentalgroups withanenergyfocusCitystaffhasinforma-tionaddressesofneighborhoodandhom-eownerassociationslists
Multimedia for Presentations Website Developanengaginginformative6-8minute videofocusingoncontractorsandhomeown-ersthatcanbeusedduringpresentationsand presentedonCityTVThevideowillbeshot bothinEnglishandinSpanishandcover
bull Howtherebatesworktocreateasenseof urgencyaboutdoingtheenergyupgrades soonerratherputtingitofftotakeadvan-tageoftherebates
bull Theldquosealthenenhancerdquowholehouse concept
bull WhattheProgramelementsactuallylook likeandhowtheyareinstalledtoover-comebarrierssuchasthatonemighthave tomoveoutofthehouseortheenergy upgradesareldquouglyrdquo
bull Workingwithacontractorwhatbeing licensedandcertifiedmeansgettingmul-tiplebids
bull Financingoptions
bull Doingthepaperwork
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 41
Fromthatvideodevelop
bull Threeindividual2-minutevideosforuse onlineeachfocusingonaspecifictopicmdash
againinbothEnglishandSpanish
bull A15anda30spoteachinEnglishand SpanishforuseonCityTVandbroadcast
stations
Print Collateral Customizable fact sheetsInforma-tionsheets(onepagefrontandback)in EnglishSpanishandChinesethatcanalso bepostedonthewebsiteasPDFs
Program brochureMorehighlyde-signedforplacementinmunicipaloffices andevents
Customizable Brochure Brandedwith SunsetMagazineorNationalGeographic forcontractorsandrealtorstohandto customers
SignageBannersforeventsandstreet lamppostspostersformunicipaloffices andsmalleventsandpotentiallysignage forbussidestransitshelters
Speakers kits Countyandcitystaffwillreceivekitstoensure everyoneisfamiliarwithkeymessagesandhas informationtogivetoconstituentsThesecan besentdirectlytocitiesordistributedthrough COGsKitswillcontain
bull Talkingpoints
bull DVDofthevideo
bull PPTpresentationforpublicmeetings
bull Printedbrochuresforpermitofficesto includewithwelcomepacketsfornewho-meowners
bull Articlesandphotostheycanrunintheir onlineorprintedcitynewsletters
bull CDwithtemplatesforquickprintingand websitebuttontolinkfromtheirwebsiteto EnergyUpgradeCalifornia
42 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
description of key messages
Thefollowingmessageshadthehighestreso-nanceinpollingandfocusgroupsbothinLos AngelesCountyandtheBayArea
Primary Motivators Thefollowingtwomessagesaboutsaving moneyarekeytomotivatingalltargetaudi-encesTheyshouldbepartofeverypieceof advertisingorcollateralproduced
1 RebatesHomeownerswhomakeenergy-savinghomeimprovementscanqualifyfor a$1500federaltaxcreditandrebatesof upto$3500dependingonhowmuchthey reduceenergyconsumptionAdditional motivatorTaxcreditsonlyavailable untilDecember312010(Rebatesare preferredovertaxcreditsbecauseitrsquoscash nowratherthanlateranddependingon incomenoteveryonecangetthecredit)
2 Save on Utility Bills Upgradingahome touselessenergyandwatercanreduce utilitybillsby20ormoremdashsavingyou moneyovertime
Secondary Motivators Thefollowingmessagesarethenlayeredde-pendingonwhichaudienceisbeingtargeted
Help the EnvironmentClimate Change Weallneedtodoourparttohelp theenvironmentandslowclimatechange Makingourhomesmoregreenandenergy efficientisanimportantstepweshouldall take
Reduce Foreign OilFossil FuelsAt atimewhenwearetryingtoreduceour dependenceonforeignoilandotherfossil fuelsupgradingtheenergyefficiencyof ourhomesisanimportantstepwecanall take(Infocusgroupstheconceptofenergy independencefurtherresonatedasinde-pendencefromutilitycompaniesgetting offthegrid)
Certified Contractors Save Money Speciallytrainedandcertifiedcontractors knowhowtofindimprovementsthatthe averagehomeownerwouldnotTheiras-sessmentswillensurethatyoufindmore energysavingsandthereforesavemore moneyonyourutilitybillsAdditional motivatorContractorsarecertifiedbythe BuildingPerformanceInstituteworking withtheDepartmentofEnergyandEnvi-ronmentalProtectionAgency
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 43
Increase Property ValuesHomesthat areenergy-efficientandenvironmentally friendlyaremoreappealingtohomebuyers Theseupgradescanincreaseyourproperty value
ComfortUpgradingyourhomersquosenergy efficiencymdashinparticularupgradinginsula-tionmdashcanmakeitamorecomfortableplace toliveNomoredraftycoldroomsinthe winterorhotstuffyroomsinthesummer
Indoor Air QualityInsulationand ventilationcanreduceallergyandasthma-causingmoldandmildewimproving indoorairqualityespeciallyforinfantsand thosewithhealthconditions
Messengers Homeownersprefertoreceiveinformation fromimpartialtrustedsourcesThesemes-sengersreceivedthehighestscoresinpolling
bull Neighborsandotherhomeowners
bull Contractorthehomeownerisalready workingwithorreferredbyfriendneigh-bor
bull Architectsdesignprofessionals
bull Gasandelectricutilities
bull Environmentalorganizations
bull Homeimprovementstorestaff(when equippedwithflyers)
44 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 45
- Cover
- Table of Contents13
- Summary Overview13
- Introduction13
- Programs Goals and Objectives13
- Marketing and Outreach Program Goals and Structure13
- Strategy13
- Evaluation13
- Description of Marketing Communication Tools13
- Description of Key Messages13
-
countywide marketingoutreach tactics (conrsquot)
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
social media
Blogs (about homes environment bargains) earned county
Facebook page Placed county
ads targeted to interest in environment and or home improvements (this old House etc)
Paid county
google adWords targeted to interest in environment andor home improvements
Paid county
twitter both by the Program and by individual early adopters (with incentives)
Placed county
youtube early adopters make a video about their experience and results (with incentives)
Placed county
out of Home
Retail kiosks banners flyers links on retail websites
Placed utilities
community organizations
environmental groups and others newsletters websites email blasts
earned county
Home improvement shows booths Paid county
countywide events Paid utilities
Bloggersubject matter events Paid county
researchhighpercentagesoftargetaudiences livePilotmarketingprogramsinthoseareas willtesttheextentcommunity-basedmarket-ingpositivelyimpactsparticipationratesan effortrelatedtoRetrofitRampUpproposal requirements
Demographicdataprovidedbythemarketre-searchwillbeoverlaidwithenergyusagedata AdditionallyGIS-basedmarketanalysisatthe parcellevel(describedabove)willallowfor pinpointingofspecificneighborhoodswithin thepilotareasforoutreachthatcaninclude
door-to-doordirectmailandmarketingby contractorsaspartofaldquowholeneighbor-hoodrdquoapproachFocusingonpilotareaswill alsomeettheRetrofitRampUprequirements oftheDepartmentofEnergyFollowingisa summaryofplannedmarketingandoutreach efforts
Marketresearch-basedcriteriaforchoosing about15pilotareaswillinclude
Clusters of houses built before 1978 Thoselivinginolderhomesespecially
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 25
builtbeforeCaliforniarsquosEnergyEfficiency Standardsaremorelikelytobelievethat theirhousemightbeenergyinefficient andcouldbenefitfromenergyefficiency improvementsmdashandberesponsivetoan energyupgrade
High percentage of homeownership Thesemarketingeffortsfocusonsingle-familyresidentialhomeownerssoareas withhighrentalrateswillnotprovidea largeenoughnumberofeligibleunits
Income over $60000Thosewith incomesunder$60000didnotbelieve theywouldhavesufficientincometomake improvementsevenwithrebatesThey werenotinterestedinloans(manywith lowincomesalsofindthemselvesldquounder-waterrdquoontheirloansandthusnoteligible forsomefinancing)Inadditionwefound somepush-backinfocusgroupsabout ldquogovernmentofferingloanstopeoplewho canrsquotaffordthemafterthesub-primeloan debaclerdquo
Population with a high percentage of college-educatedThosewithacollege degreearemuchmorelikelytoindicate apreferencetomakeenergyefficiency upgradesThosewhohadcompletedsome collegeeducationarealsomorelikelyto indicateapreferenceforenergyefficiency upgradesthanthosewhohadnotcom-pletedany
Population with a high percentage of those age 35-54Thosewithchildren andorexpandingfamiliesaremorelikely tomakeimprovementsthanthoseunder 30(thereareveryfewhomeownersunder 30)andthoseover54
High percentage of households with 4+ peopleHouseholdswithmorepeople havehigherenergybillsResearchshows thatthoseinhomeswithmorethan4
peoplebelieveenergyupgradescanmakea bigimpactontheirbills
High energy usage Thehigherenergy usage(andbills)themorelikelypeopleare tobelievethatenergyefficiencyimprove-mentswillmakeadifferenceintheirbills
Afterlayeringthisinformationtocomeup withalistofpotentialareaswefurthercon-sidered
Clusters of 8000-20000 homesThe areashouldbelargeenoughtoprovidesub-stantialnumbersofeligibleunitsbutsmall enoughtoenablereachingmajorityofresi-dentsandgeneratingword-of-mouth
Has a diverse multicultural commu-nityAreasshouldhavestrongcommunity identitiesandsenseofplacesocommunity membersareproudofwheretheyliveand areencouragedtoimprovetheircommu-nity
Has strong neighborhood and com-munity organizationsWeneedto engagetheseorganizationsaspartnersto helpspreadtheword
Has existing communications such as newsletters blogsWeneedtoreach membersthroughexistingcrediblesources thatresidentsalreadyuseandtrust
ldquoSpill overrdquo opportunities to nearby neighborhoodsSincemarketingand mediaeffortswillpotentiallyalsobeseen byneighborsareasshouldbenearother areasthatmayalsomeettheprimary criteria
Climatetime of yearIndetermining whentorolloutthepilotswecantarget interiorareasinspringandcoastalareasin coldweather
26 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Basedonthemarketresearchcriteriafive pilotmarketingareasarescheduledforintense marketingatlaunchwithanadditional10 areasscheduledforintensemarketingin Spring2011
Thepilotmarketstrategyissupportedby theparcel-basedmarketanalysiswhichwill identifywhichneighborhoodspropertieswill bethebesttotargetusingthisapproachThe marketanalysiswillallowlimitedmarketing fundingtobeleveragedbyfocusingonthose thataremostlikelytorespondtothemarket-ingefforts
Wewillcreatemessagesandvisualsspecifical-lytailoredtoeachtargetcommunityrsquoscultural andlinguisticpreferencesImagessymbols andiconstypographycolorandoverall designcarrydifferentmeaningsindifferent culturesAmessageistypicallymosteffective ifitiscreatedwithcarefulattentiontothese idiosyncrasiesandwithintheldquoculturalmind-setrdquooftherecipientsCreatingheadlinesand taglinesdirectlyinthetargetlanguagerather thansimplytranslatingEnglishadvertising copyensuresthatcopyhasthecorrectrhythm andrhymeandisthereforemuchmore attention-grabbingandmemorable
Community Incentives Energy Champion Program Severalconceptsareunderconsiderationto developacommunityincentivestrategyto promoteparticipationinlinewiththeRetrofit RampUpproposalforinnovativeincentiveap-proachesIncentivesmaybedirectedatenergy auditscommunity-basedorganizationsthose willingtoprovidetestimonialsorblogtweet andpublicrecognitionefforts
Grassroots Community Organizing-Trainedorganizerswillpresentinformationat themeetingsof12-15influentialcommunity leadersandcommunity-basedorganizationsin
eachpilotareacapturetheircontactdataand helpspreadtheinformationtotheirmembers throughtheirnewsletterseventsandwebsites TheProgramwillprovidepre-writtencus-tomizablearticlespresentationsorvideoand websiteldquobuttonsrdquotolinktotheProgramsite Eachgroupwillbeofferedanincentiveofado-nationtotheirorganizationforeverymember whocompletesahomeenergyupgradeThis willencourageCBOvolunteerstoincrease theirmarketingeffortsFriendlyrivalrieswill beencouragedCommunitygroupswillreport namesofparticipantscheckedforjobcomple-tionbytheProgram(underdevelopment)
Community Events One-on-onefacetimewithhomeownersis anidealwaytoengagepotentialparticipants Well-trainedorganizerswillattendfiveevents ineachtargetareaprovidinghomeowners withinformation(pocketsizemultilingual handouts)andcapturingtheircontactinfor-mationforfollowupTheycanhavehome-ownerssignuponthewebsiteonsiteifappro-priateandperhapsevenhavethemprovideus withavideocommitmentldquoItookthePledgerdquo withpermissiontopostonthewebsiteAsa luretotheboothhomeownerswillbeoffered freeitemssuchaslightbulbsmagnetsand reusablecupswithcoldwater(imprintedwith thewebsite)manufacturedintheUS
Print Radio Outdoor and Out-of Home Advertising Localmediawillcoverthelaunchofthe Programandwewillstrategicallyplaceads inlocalmediaandcommunitynewsletters Outdooradvertising(smallstreet-levelbiode-gradableeco-postersbussheltersbussides) strategicallyplacedinhigh-trafficareaswillre-inforcethemessageoveraone-monthperiod
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 27
Pilot Area Example Altadena Altadenawasidentifiedasacommunitythat fitsourtargetcriteriaItisadiverseunincor-poratedcommunitywithsixneighborhoods andanapproximatepopulationof40000The averagehouseholdincomeisabout$94000 Morethan50ofadultresidentsaremarried withchildrenandcommuteanaverageof62 milesperdaytowhite-collarjobsFully40of theadultsinthiscommunityhaveabachelors
degreeorhigherandareinvolvedinmany communityeventsandorganizationsThere areapproximately12000homesinthiscom-munityand10000ofthosehomesareowner-occupiedThegraphicshowshowoutreach wouldbeconcentratedinthisarea
pilot area outreachmarketing tactics
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
radio
Psas on multicultural stations earned county
coverage in local papers earned county
ads in local and multicultural papers Paid county
outdoor
Bus shelters in area Paid county
on-street lampost signage Paid county
Billboards Paid county
social media
Blogs (relevant to the area) earned county
online ads targeted by location Paid county
listserves of neighborhood associations (through cities)
earned county
out of Home
Movie theater ads in area Paid county
lawn signs on homes in area (through contractors)
Paid county
community organizations
community meetings with incentives to organizations for participation
earnedPaid county
community events Paid county Door hangers Paid county
28 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Home Depot
Ace Hardware
Lowersquos
Master Builders
Great Indoors
Home Expo
altadena marketing target
Hoy La Opinioacuten
Pasadena Star News
Altadena Headlines Examiner
Boulevard Magazine
Arroyo Magazine
Pasadena Weekly
Altadena Connection
Sentinel
KLVE
KPCC Pasadena
KCBS
KROQ Pasadena
KAZN Pasadena
Church Bulletins
Summer Concert Series at Farnsworth Park
Fourth of July Fireworks at
Town amp Country Club
Black History Parade
World Music Festival in Pasadena
Haunted House at
Farnsworth Park
Art Break
Rose Parade
National Latino
Congreso
Altadena Neighborhood Association
Altadena Chamber of Commerce
Altadena Arts Council
Altadena Town Council
Faith-based Organizations
Altadena Town amp Country Club
Altadena League of
Women Voters
Altadena Historical Society
Altadena Community Improvement Center
Sheriff Support Group
Santa Coming to Farnsworth
Park
Altadena California
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 29
3 Trigger-Event Marketing
Thissuiteofstrategieswillbeaimedatcaptur-ingenergyefficiencyopportunitiesfrommul-tipletriggereventsParticipantswillmainly comethroughcontractorsrealtorsandretail partnerspropertyownerswillhavealsoseen countywideadvertising
trigger event marketing
4 City and COG Outreach
OutreachbyCitiesandCOGswillbecritical becauseoftheirexistingrelationshipswith localconstituenciesCitieswillbeprovided withamini-marketingplantalkingpoints videocustomizabletemplatesoffactsheets articlesfortheirnewslettersandadvertising
EvENT dESCRIPTION LEAd AGENT COLLATERAL TACTIC
1 Replace on burnout (heating air conditioners water heaters)
Homeowners either in process of replacing an item or have already done some efficiency projects
county bull Retail partners
bull HVac installers
bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors installers
bull Retail displays
2 life-stage changes (growing family)
Homeowners working with a contractor
county bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors bull ads in media for home remodels
3 Home remodel Homeowners working with an architect contractor
county bull contractors bull architects
bull Materials for contractors
bull ads in media for home remodels
3 improvements at time of purchase
Homeowners interested are preparing a new home for move-in (research shows more interest at purchase than at sale)
shared bull contractors bull Realtors bull Home
inspectors bull city permit
offices bull city welcome
kits bull Retail
bull Brochures for cities
bull ads in weekend homes for sale sections
bull Presentations to realtor groups
bull Retail displays
4 improvements at sale
House owners preparing for sale
county bull contractors bull Realtors
bull Materials for contractors
5 complaints high utility bills cold hot house
Homeowners aware of energy-saving improvements but not whole house approach
county bull contractors bull HeRs raters
bull Materials for contractors
30 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
city amp cog outreach
materialssotheycandeveloplow-costout-reachtotheirresidentsCitieswithcommuni-tiestargetedinthePilotAreaMarketingplans willbeinformedandencouragedtodoout-reachtothoseareasAllCitieswillbeencour-agedtodothefollowing
Run stories in print and online news-letters
Send information to neighborhood associations homeowners associa-tions historic preservation districts and other appropriate community organizations
Provide information in City permit-ting offices and City Hall lobbies
Provide information at strategically located Environmental Information Centers and at COG office locations
Provide information in ldquonew home-ownersrdquo welcome kits (either directly from the city or through title compa-
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAId EARNEd
LEAd
pio coordination contact all participating citiesrsquo Pios na county
letters Key messages for letters from mayors etc to constituents Provide to Pios or city managers
na county
Website links Button for cities to place on their website to link to Program site
na county
city tV informational videos and spot promos Placed county
Welcome brochure
Brochure aimed at new homeowners before they move in
na county
articles Pre-written customizable newsletter articles earned county
email blasts Pre-written customizable info spots for communityneighborhood listserves
earned county
niesmortgage brokers)
Run videos and spots on City TV stations
5 Contractor Marketing
Localcontractorsarecriticaltothesuccess ofEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLosAngeles CountyTheyprovidetheservicesthatcom-prisetheProgramandtheycanhelpmarket theProgramtopropertyownersInfactwe estimatethatupto50ofProgrampartici-pantswillentertheProgramthrougharela-tionshipwithacontractor(theymayhavealso seenmediacoverageandadvertisingwhich spurredthemtotakeaction)Thisuniquerole requiresthattheProgramtakeatwo-tiered approachofengagingthecontractormdashmoti-vatinglocalbuildingprofessionalstoundergo thetrainingandcertificationprocessandalso providingthemwiththetoolstoeffectively promotetheprogramtoexistingandnew clientsThefollowingsectiondescribesspecific
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 31
contractor target
United Brotherhood Building Industry Carpenters (Training)
Association ofSouthern California
Email Blast
Contractors Magazines
Contractor
OnlineAds
Big Box Stores
ConractorsLicensing Schools
Realtor Associations
strategiesassociatedwithbothapproaches
Forthepurposesoftheprogramcontractors aredividedintoparticularsegmentsbasedon thetypeofserviceprovidedAninitialanalysis oftheindustryrevealedthefollowinglikely categories
HomePerformance(HP)Contractors
ProductionBuilders
HVACSystemSpecialtyTrades (windowsetc)
RemodelingContractors
SolarContractors
BuildingPerformance
Institute
Southwest Regional
City Permit Association
Offices of Carpenters
Lumber Yards
StateLicensing
Board
American Instituteof Architects
LA Chapter
Outreach to Contractors TheProgramwillcoordinatewithcontractor groupsandotherbuildingprofessionaltrade organizationstoschedulebriefpresentations abouttheProgramandthecontractortraining processForlargerorganizationsthePro-grammayworkdirectlywiththecompanyto arrangeon-sitepresentationsThesepresenta-tionsareinformalinnatureandwillbeusedto promotethecertificationorientationsrequired forcontractorparticipationintheprogram
KeyMessagestoContractors
$30millioninAmericanRecoveryand ReinvestmentActmoneyisworkinginLA Countytocreateconstructionindustryjobs
32 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
EnergyUpgradeCaliforniaOffersbig rebatesandfinancingoptionsfor homeownersdoinghomeenergy efficiencyretrofits
Therewillbemarketingandadvertis-ingstatewideandlocallytopromotethe Program
Therewillbemarketingmaterialsforyou tousetomarketyourbusiness
YoumustbelicensedandBuildingPerfor-manceInstitute-certifiedtobepartofthe Program
HomeownersmustworkwithBPI-certified contractorstheyrsquollchoosefromacontrac-tordatabaseonthewebsite
KeyOutreachMethods
BuildingIndustryAssociationofSouthern California
SouthwestRegionalCouncilofCarpenters
RealtorsAssociation
UnitedBrotherhood-Carpenters(Training Program)
Citypermittingoffice
Lumberyards
AmericanInstituteofArchitectsLA Chapter(toeducatethemaswell)
ArticlesinformationinContractortrade publications(magazinesnewslettersetc) magazines
CarpentersUnionLocals
ContractorsLicenseSchools(andonline)
BigBoxHomeImprovementstores(de-pendingonIOUrelationships)
wwwcslbcagov
Emailblasttoalllicensedcontractors
Contractor Outreach to Consumers Differentopportunitiesexistfordifferent contractorsdependingontheprobablework scopeThefollowingtableoutlinesafew potentialpathwaysforhowcontractorscan participateintheProgram
contractors outreach to customers
CONTRACTOR TyPE
TRIGGER EvENT vALUE TO CONTRACTOR
BUSINESS MOdEL
Home Performance upgrade lead generation scale for high volume
Production Builder new Business Development
create new division
HVac Replacement lead generation Value-add
expand services
specialty trade lead generation Partner with certified gc
Remodeler Remodel life-stage transition
Value-add sub work to HP contractor
solar Renewables lead generation Partner with certified gc
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 33
BPI-certifiedgeneralcontractorswillbelisted ontheEnergyUpgradeconsumerwebsite sendingmanyleadsdirectlytothemThey alsohaveaccesstotheldquoheatmapsrdquotousefor developingtheirownadvertisingcampaigns
Contractorswillbeattendingorientationses-sionstoensuretheythoroughlyunderstand theProgramrebatesfinancingoptionsand canhelpguidetheircustomersthroughthe processTheywillbeprovidedwithContractor MarketingKitstoensuretheyhaveathandthe keymessagesthathavebeenresonatingwith homeownersandhaveinformationtogive topotentialcustomerswhomightormight nothavebeentothewebsiteKitscanbesent directlytocontractorsordistributedatthe orientationsessionsKitswillcontain
Talkingpoints
DVDofthevideo
Printedfactsheetstoleavewithcustomers (withroomfortheircontactinfo)more canbeordered
Printedldquoslimjimrdquoprogrambrochure
Printedlengthierbrochuresaboutthe wholehouseapproach(brandedby Scientific American Magazine)
CDwithldquobuttonrdquotolinktoEnergyUpgrade fromtheirownwebsitesandPDFsofsite signageforprinting
Contractorswillhaveaccesstoaseparatesec-tionofthewebsitewheretheywillfindinfor-mationaboutProgrameventspromotionsand advertisinganon-demandprintsectionfor additionalcopiesofbrochuresanychanges totheProgramandasingletradecontractor databaseforassemblingteamsforcustomers whowouldlikesolarpanelsornewwindows forexample
6 Realtor Marketing
Giventhatthenationalaveragelengthofhome ownershipisroughlysixyearsrealestate agentswillbeincontactandadvisingalarge percentageofthenewandexistinghomeown-ersthatEnergyUpgradeistargetingforhome energyretrofitsThishighlevelofinfluence makesrealtorsoneofthelargestpartner groups
Realestateagentswillbeengagedonthree levels
1) Outreach
2) Training
3) Support
Outreach Outreachwillbeconductedthroughavariety ofvenuesthatwillincludeCaliforniaAssocia-tionofRealtorsreg(CAR)regionalconferences heldinSouthernCaliforniapartnershipwith themanyrealtorassociationslocatedinLos AngelesCountyanddirectvisitstorealestate agentsrsquoofficesforshortpresentationsPart-nershipswiththe15-20localRealtorsAsso-ciationswillbeachievedthroughoneormore RealtorAdvisoryBoardswhichincludethe GovernmentAffairsDirectorsfromeachof theseorganizationsAselectfewoftheseor-ganizationswillbeusedaspilotsfortargeted outreachduringearlystagesoftheProgram Oncethestrategyhasbeentestedandrevised itwillberolledouttoalloftheRealtorsAs-sociationsinLosAngelesCounty
ThefallCARRealtorExpowillbethemain kickoffeventforoutreachtoindividualreal-torsandrealtorofficesEnergyUpgradeplans tohavea30-minutetalkembeddedinthe SpeakersProgramandaboothsetuponthe ExpofloortoinformrealtorsaboutthePro-gramavailabletrainingsandthesupport
34 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
toolsthathavebeendevelopedThisevent willreachthemajorityofrealtorsintheLos Angelesareabutwillnotincludethelarge populationofrealestateagentsthatarenot membersofCARToreachthispopulation emailsocialmediaandtargetedofficevisits willbeconducted
Training EnergyUpgradewillprovidetrainingforreal estateagentsintwoformsTherealestate agenttrainingmodulecurrentlyunderdevel-opmentbyBuildItGreenwillbeusedasthe maintrainingforumThistrainingmodule isexpectedtotaketwofulldaystocomplete andwillcoverpropertyassessedcleanenergy financingenergyefficientmortgagesrebate programsbuildingscienceenergyefficiency andgreenbuildingpracticesappropriateto California
Additionalweb-basedtrainingwillbeprovided tointroducerealestateagentstotheProgram andtodrivethemtogetin-persontraining throughtheBuildItGreentrainingmodule
Support Cultivatingandclosingtoolswillbegener-atedtoassistrealtorsinusingEnergyUpgrade Californiatradetoexpandtheirbusinesswhile drivinghigherlevelsofprogramparticipation RealtorKitswillbesimilartotheContractor Kitsandtheywillhaveaccesstothedatabase ofgeneralandsingletradecontractors
7 Retail Partner Marketing
Utilitieswillpartnerwithretailoutletsthat canincludeBestBuyCostcoSearsLowes andHomeDepotParticipatingretailoutlets willbeprovided
Information centersEnd-displays detailingtheEnergyUpgradeProgram withadiagramillustratingthehouseas asystemconcept(multiplecomponents thatacttogethertomaximizesavings)and actionscustomerscantaketocapturethose savingsandrebatesIn-storecustomer educationcanshiftcustomerperception ofenergyupgradesandmotivatethem toparticipateinmultipleenergy-efficient measuresinsteadofjustoneAnadditional benefitfortheretailerisassociationwith thestatewideprogram
Program collateral One-sheet takeawaysforcustomerstoreference andshare
Video Theshortvideoscanbeplayed onaloop
Table tent cardsPlacedthroughout storesectionsthatcorrelatewiththe EnergyUpgradeProgram(CFLsappli-ancesceilingfansinsulationwindows) Againthiswillencouragecustomersto performmultipleenergyupgradesinstead ofjustoneCross-promotionhelpseducate customersandencourageparticipationin multiplemeasuresthusincreasingproduct purchase
Window clings ldquoOfficialEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaInformationCenterrdquotagline bannersplacedatstorefrontThiswillpo-sitiontheretailerasanactiveparticipantin thestatewideprogramandbuildsretailer credibilityasagreenadvocate
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 35
8 Multi-Family Outreach
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesandsched-ulesarestillinplanningphasesandbeing developedthroughastatewideconsortium
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesarebeing
developed
36 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
evaluation
Theprimarygoalsofthemarketingplanareto buildpositiveawarenessoftheEnergyUp-gradeCaliforniaProgramandcreateasus-tainedmarketforawholehouseapproach(see page8)Objectivesarespecifictothoseachiev-ingthosegoalsLosAngelesCountyresidents willseemultipleiterationsofmediacoverage paidadvertisingin-storedisplayscontractor marketingandin-personpresentations(inthe pilotmarketingareas)Forexamplearesi-dentinAltadenamightseethemoreintensive marketingandoutreacheffortsThatmayspur themtoactionmdashbutiftheyalreadyhadplans toremodelorhadpreviouslyworkedwitha contractortheymightcalltheircontractorand thusactuallycometotheprogramthrough thecontractorThereforeitwillnotbeeasy todeterminepreciselywhathasmotivated eachpersontoparticipateinEnergyUpgrade Objectivestomeetinclude
About35-45ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughthemarket-ingandoutreacheffortsTomonitorwe willincludeashortsurveyaspartofthe rebateapplicationprocessaskingpartici-pantswhatdrewthemtothewebsiteand totheProgramThewebsitecanmonitor clickthroughstocontractorssitesfrom theProgramwebsiteprovidinganindica-tionofpotentialparticpantswhocameto thesitebeforehavingacontractorOnce apropertyownerinputsanaddressthe websitewillbeabletospecificallymonitor ifthatparticipantasksformultiple estimatesfromcontractorsanotherindica-
toroffindingacontractorthroughthesite
About45-50ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughcontractors Wewillaskcontractorstoprovideinfor-mationabouttheirmarketingeffortsand successratesTheywillbeabletoidentify participantsgainedthroughtheirownmar-ketingefforts
300000uniquehitsonthewebsitewhich willbemonitoredbythewebsiteFurther thewebsitewillanalyzewherevisitors camefrom(egaclickthroughfroman onlineadfromacontractorrsquoswebsite orduringthespecifictimeframeofanad campaign)
Virtualandactualldquoword-of-mouthrdquore-portedbymonitoringsocialmedia
Communicationskitsandmarketingkits availablebothphysicallyandthroughan on-demandprintsitemonitoredbyclient
Informationalmaterialsforcitiesmoni-toredbySouthBayCitiesCouncilofGov-ernments
50000000mediaadvertisingin-person impressionsmonitoredbybroadcast printonlinestatisticsandreportsfrom grassrootsmarketingefforts
Consolidatedinformationinone-stop-shop approachwillbedeliveredthroughthe website
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 37
description of marketing communication tools
PlacedEarned Social Media ThePlancallsforsocialmediatopushinfor-mationtoourtargetaudiencesincreaseper-ceptionsoftheProgramascommunity-based reachthosewhowillhelpgenerateadditional buzzindependentmarketingeffortsaboutthe Programandprovideamechanismforlisten-ingtowhatpeoplearesayingaboutEnergy Upgrademdashandrespondingwhennecessary
Online Paid Advertising Onlineadvertisingcampaignscanbeverycost-effectiveandhighlytargetedbydemographics areasofinterestandgeographicsAdsappear ontopic-relatedblogsonsearchenginepages (egGoogle)andoncontentpages(egwhen yousearchforinformationaboutarelated topicandselectawebsitetoview)
Types of Users Targetadsbyage genderincomelanguagepreferencezip codeorhotspots
Types of SearchesTargetadsbytypeof searchconductedbasedonkeywords
Adsareusuallysoldperldquoclickrdquomdashtheviewer hasclickedontheadandbeensenttothe EnergyUpgradeCAwebsiteWewillmake fourtypesofonlineadpurchases
1 Googleadsthatplaceadsbothonits searchpagesandonhundredsofwebsites targetedbytheabove
2 Networksthattargetspecificsitesand blogsthatmatchourtargetaudiences(eg HiveBlogsLosAngelesthatoffers350LA blogstochoosefrom)
3 Directlythroughselectpublishers(eg CurbedLAGreenGirlLAlocalpapers online)
4 Onlineeditionsoflocalpapersinpilot marketingareas
Twitter Twitterusersaremostlycollegegraduates haveattendedgraduateschoolandlivein householdsmakingover$50000ayear (nationally)Usersarethreetimesmorelikely tofollowbrandsandcompaniesonTwitter thanotherusersofsocialnetworkswith40 specificallyusingTwittertolearnaboutand provideopinionsonbrands
Twittercanpushthelatestdevelopmentsand newstopeoplewhohaveexpressedaninter-estedintheProgram(theymustsignupto receiveourTweetsorhavesearchedfortag wordsincludedinourTweets)Itrsquosalsoan easywayforthosewhofollowEnergyUpgrade onTwittertoshareTweetswiththeirfriends
38 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
therebygeneratingbuzzandhelpingmarket theProgramTwittercanshareProgram newsinrealtimedrivepeopletothewebsite facilitateearlyadoptersbuzzmakersreach youngerhomeownersandincreasemarketing effortsatalowcostTwittercanbeeffectively usedtocommunicatetheProgramandits milestonesinavarietyofways
bull Tweetaboutpressreleasesmajoran-nouncementsnewitemsonwebsiteor blogsmediastoriesandarticlesespecially aboutthosethataretimesensitiveandtell ouraudiencewhatishappeningwiththe Programandencouragesthemtopartici-pateorfindoutmore
bull PutaTweeticononthemainwebsiteal-lowingvisitorstothewebsitetobeginto followEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLos AngelesCountyonTwitterwithoneclick
bull FollowotherswhoTweetaboutthe ProgramaswellasthosewhoTweetabout relatedtopicsThiswillprovideanop-portunitytodirectlyrespondtoaperson whohasaquestionabouttheProgramand pointthemtoalinktothewebsite
Tweet Examples
bull ldquo100LAhomeownershavesigned upfortheProgramatwwwEnergyUpgra-deCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoReadaboutLArsquosnewenergyefficiency rebateProgramintheLAtimes httpwwwlatimesgreenblogcomrdquo
bull ldquoWanttosaveonyourutilitybills CheckoutwwwEnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoSignupfortheHomeEnergyUpgrade contestforachancetowinafree homeenergyefficiencyretrofitat EnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
Cost and Budget
SettingupaTwitteraccountisfreeasisusing anapplicationsuchasTweetDeckthathelps followotherswhoareTweetingaboutEnergy UpgradeCaliforniaTheonlysignificantcostis stafftimewhichcanbelimitedtoafewhours aweek
Facebook Facebookisalow-costandeasywayofboth marketingtheProgramandsupportingan onlinecommunityofpeopleinterestedinthe ProgramItwillreachaudienceswhoaremore likelytospendtimeonFacebookversusaweb-siteandwhomayprefertoreceiveshortreal timeProgramnewsviaFacebookratherthan emailsorwebsitesItisidealforpostinglinks tovideosandphotosrelatedtotheprojectIt complementsthewebsiteaplacewherefans oftheProgramcanfindinformationaskques-tionsandshareideasandexcitementThese fanswillgeneratebuzzbytellingtheirfriends abouttheProgramthroughFacebook
AFacebookpagewillcontaininformation abouttheProgramalinktothewebsite Programnewsvideosphotographsandother informationWhenthepageisupdatedfans willreceivelinksinemailalertingthemtothe newposts
Facebookisalsoidealforsharingthestoryof anearlyadopter(whowillalsoTweet)through updatesphotographsandvideosItlends itselfmuchmorenaturallytothispeople-fo-cusedapproachthanawebsitewhichismore formal
Additionalpoints
bull EncourageandperhapsrewardProgram adopterstosharetheirexperiencesask questionsetc
bull Setupcontrolstodeterminewhatcontent Fanscanposttothewall
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 39
bull Monitorupdatestothewallandtakedown Therearemanyexistingblogsthatcanbeused inappropriatecontent
bull Respondtoissuesquestionsandtakepart intheconversation
bull Adesignatedstaffpersonshouldmonitor thesiteitisalsoidealifseveralstaff memberspostcontentandifpartnersare activeparticipantsalthoughtheoverall strategyshouldbecentralized
Facebook Examples
Herearesomeexamplesofthetypesofpost-ingsforaFacebookpage
bull ldquoTheLATimesdescribesEnergyUpgrade CAasaperfectopportunitytobegreenand savemoneymdashintheFridaymoneysectionrdquo
bull ldquoWhydidyoudecidetoparticipatein EnergyUpgradeCATellushowyour energyefficiencyretrofitisgoingandwersquoll enteryouforachancetowina$50Home Depotgiftcardrdquo
bull ldquoWonderingwhetherEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaisrightforyouCheckoutthis videooftheSmithsinstallingnewinsula-tionandwindows--andreceivinga$3500 rebaterdquo
Cost and Budget
Relativelyfewdirectcostsstafftimewill fluctuateduringbusycalmperiodswithhigh activityatthebeginningastheProgramkicks offandafanbaseisestablishedOngoingstaff timeneededtokeeppagefreshwith3-4posts weekdailymaintenancerequiredtomonitor postingsfromfans
Blogs Blogsreachtargetaudienceswhoarealready interestedinrelatedtopicsandwhohavehigh potentialtoparticipateintheProgram
tofurthermarketingefforts
bull Identifybloggerswhowilllikelywrite positivelyabouttheProgramSendpress releasefactsheetsandPrograminforma-tiontobloggerswhowriteabouttopics suchastheenvironmentenergyefficiency homeimprovementremodelingreal estatehousingbargainssavingmoneyas wellastocompaniesthatsellsolarpanels contractorsetc
bull Bloggersarelookingfortopicalstoriesto writeaboutandwewillmaketheirnext blogposteasyBecauseEnergyUpgradeis ahighrewardoptionalProgrambloggers willwritefavorablyandhelptellthestory inafriendlyaccessibleandeasy-to-under-standway(althoughwedonrsquothavecontrol overwhattheywrite)Peoplewhoaredis-satisfiedwillwritenegativecommentsbut wewillmonitorblogsandactivelycorrect misperceptions
bull Tomonitorwhatothersarewritingabout EnergyUpgradeontheirblogswewilluse freeprogramslikeTechnoratiorGoogle Readertoscanallblogsandwebsitesthat mentiontheProgram
Blogs to Reach
Green Girl LA Blog (httpgreenlagirlcom)Thisindependent blogisfocusedonenvironmentalhap-peningsinLosAngelesArecentpostwas aboutagreennetworkingeventfeaturing TheBuildingDoctorspresentingwaysto makeyourhousemoreenergyefficient PreviouslyareporterbloggerfortheLA Timesthewriterisactiveandcoversa widevarietyofenvironmentalgreentopics happeninginLosAngeles
40 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
LA Times HomeBlog (wwwlatimesblogslatimescomhome_
blog)focusesontopicsrelatedtohouses andhashadseveralrecentpostsabout greenremodelingOneadvantageofa majornewspaperisthatthereportingis accurateandthereadershipislargerThey recentlywroteaboutauditionsforThisOld HousewhichisfeaturingaLosAngeles areahouseforasummerremodel
Bargain Babe (wwwbargainbabelatownluxecom) featuresLosAngelesbargainsYoucan searchforbargainsbyareaofLA(West-sideetc)orbytopicThisbloggerrecently wroteaboutappliancerebates
LA Times Green Remodeling (wwwlatimesblogslatimescompar-donourdustgreen_remodeling)writes aboutalltopicsrelatedtoremodelingin SouthernCaliforniawithseveralrecent postsongreentopicsArecentpostre-viewedthedifferentadvantagesofinstall-ingvarioustanklesswaterheatersPitch thatthebloggerfollowahomeenergy retrofitandhelptelltheirstoryaswellas announcebasicPrograminformation
LA Times Personal Finance wwwlatimescombusinesspersonal-finance
Home Remodeling wwwkathysremodelingblogcom
Energy Efficiency wwwlowimpactlivingcomblog
LA CreekFreak
LA Observed
LAist
YouTube PostallvideosrelatedtotheprojectonYou-TubeWewillworkwithourmediapartners todevelopacontestforearlyadopterstofilm theirexperienceandletwebsitevisitorsvote onthebestWinnerreceivesaprizetobe determined
ListServes Listservesreachgroupsofpeoplewhoare interestedinasimilartopicorwholiveina specificneighborhoodSendemailblaststo listservessuchasneighborhoodassociations homeremodelersandenvironmentalgroups withanenergyfocusCitystaffhasinforma-tionaddressesofneighborhoodandhom-eownerassociationslists
Multimedia for Presentations Website Developanengaginginformative6-8minute videofocusingoncontractorsandhomeown-ersthatcanbeusedduringpresentationsand presentedonCityTVThevideowillbeshot bothinEnglishandinSpanishandcover
bull Howtherebatesworktocreateasenseof urgencyaboutdoingtheenergyupgrades soonerratherputtingitofftotakeadvan-tageoftherebates
bull Theldquosealthenenhancerdquowholehouse concept
bull WhattheProgramelementsactuallylook likeandhowtheyareinstalledtoover-comebarrierssuchasthatonemighthave tomoveoutofthehouseortheenergy upgradesareldquouglyrdquo
bull Workingwithacontractorwhatbeing licensedandcertifiedmeansgettingmul-tiplebids
bull Financingoptions
bull Doingthepaperwork
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 41
Fromthatvideodevelop
bull Threeindividual2-minutevideosforuse onlineeachfocusingonaspecifictopicmdash
againinbothEnglishandSpanish
bull A15anda30spoteachinEnglishand SpanishforuseonCityTVandbroadcast
stations
Print Collateral Customizable fact sheetsInforma-tionsheets(onepagefrontandback)in EnglishSpanishandChinesethatcanalso bepostedonthewebsiteasPDFs
Program brochureMorehighlyde-signedforplacementinmunicipaloffices andevents
Customizable Brochure Brandedwith SunsetMagazineorNationalGeographic forcontractorsandrealtorstohandto customers
SignageBannersforeventsandstreet lamppostspostersformunicipaloffices andsmalleventsandpotentiallysignage forbussidestransitshelters
Speakers kits Countyandcitystaffwillreceivekitstoensure everyoneisfamiliarwithkeymessagesandhas informationtogivetoconstituentsThesecan besentdirectlytocitiesordistributedthrough COGsKitswillcontain
bull Talkingpoints
bull DVDofthevideo
bull PPTpresentationforpublicmeetings
bull Printedbrochuresforpermitofficesto includewithwelcomepacketsfornewho-meowners
bull Articlesandphotostheycanrunintheir onlineorprintedcitynewsletters
bull CDwithtemplatesforquickprintingand websitebuttontolinkfromtheirwebsiteto EnergyUpgradeCalifornia
42 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
description of key messages
Thefollowingmessageshadthehighestreso-nanceinpollingandfocusgroupsbothinLos AngelesCountyandtheBayArea
Primary Motivators Thefollowingtwomessagesaboutsaving moneyarekeytomotivatingalltargetaudi-encesTheyshouldbepartofeverypieceof advertisingorcollateralproduced
1 RebatesHomeownerswhomakeenergy-savinghomeimprovementscanqualifyfor a$1500federaltaxcreditandrebatesof upto$3500dependingonhowmuchthey reduceenergyconsumptionAdditional motivatorTaxcreditsonlyavailable untilDecember312010(Rebatesare preferredovertaxcreditsbecauseitrsquoscash nowratherthanlateranddependingon incomenoteveryonecangetthecredit)
2 Save on Utility Bills Upgradingahome touselessenergyandwatercanreduce utilitybillsby20ormoremdashsavingyou moneyovertime
Secondary Motivators Thefollowingmessagesarethenlayeredde-pendingonwhichaudienceisbeingtargeted
Help the EnvironmentClimate Change Weallneedtodoourparttohelp theenvironmentandslowclimatechange Makingourhomesmoregreenandenergy efficientisanimportantstepweshouldall take
Reduce Foreign OilFossil FuelsAt atimewhenwearetryingtoreduceour dependenceonforeignoilandotherfossil fuelsupgradingtheenergyefficiencyof ourhomesisanimportantstepwecanall take(Infocusgroupstheconceptofenergy independencefurtherresonatedasinde-pendencefromutilitycompaniesgetting offthegrid)
Certified Contractors Save Money Speciallytrainedandcertifiedcontractors knowhowtofindimprovementsthatthe averagehomeownerwouldnotTheiras-sessmentswillensurethatyoufindmore energysavingsandthereforesavemore moneyonyourutilitybillsAdditional motivatorContractorsarecertifiedbythe BuildingPerformanceInstituteworking withtheDepartmentofEnergyandEnvi-ronmentalProtectionAgency
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 43
Increase Property ValuesHomesthat areenergy-efficientandenvironmentally friendlyaremoreappealingtohomebuyers Theseupgradescanincreaseyourproperty value
ComfortUpgradingyourhomersquosenergy efficiencymdashinparticularupgradinginsula-tionmdashcanmakeitamorecomfortableplace toliveNomoredraftycoldroomsinthe winterorhotstuffyroomsinthesummer
Indoor Air QualityInsulationand ventilationcanreduceallergyandasthma-causingmoldandmildewimproving indoorairqualityespeciallyforinfantsand thosewithhealthconditions
Messengers Homeownersprefertoreceiveinformation fromimpartialtrustedsourcesThesemes-sengersreceivedthehighestscoresinpolling
bull Neighborsandotherhomeowners
bull Contractorthehomeownerisalready workingwithorreferredbyfriendneigh-bor
bull Architectsdesignprofessionals
bull Gasandelectricutilities
bull Environmentalorganizations
bull Homeimprovementstorestaff(when equippedwithflyers)
44 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 45
- Cover
- Table of Contents13
- Summary Overview13
- Introduction13
- Programs Goals and Objectives13
- Marketing and Outreach Program Goals and Structure13
- Strategy13
- Evaluation13
- Description of Marketing Communication Tools13
- Description of Key Messages13
-
builtbeforeCaliforniarsquosEnergyEfficiency Standardsaremorelikelytobelievethat theirhousemightbeenergyinefficient andcouldbenefitfromenergyefficiency improvementsmdashandberesponsivetoan energyupgrade
High percentage of homeownership Thesemarketingeffortsfocusonsingle-familyresidentialhomeownerssoareas withhighrentalrateswillnotprovidea largeenoughnumberofeligibleunits
Income over $60000Thosewith incomesunder$60000didnotbelieve theywouldhavesufficientincometomake improvementsevenwithrebatesThey werenotinterestedinloans(manywith lowincomesalsofindthemselvesldquounder-waterrdquoontheirloansandthusnoteligible forsomefinancing)Inadditionwefound somepush-backinfocusgroupsabout ldquogovernmentofferingloanstopeoplewho canrsquotaffordthemafterthesub-primeloan debaclerdquo
Population with a high percentage of college-educatedThosewithacollege degreearemuchmorelikelytoindicate apreferencetomakeenergyefficiency upgradesThosewhohadcompletedsome collegeeducationarealsomorelikelyto indicateapreferenceforenergyefficiency upgradesthanthosewhohadnotcom-pletedany
Population with a high percentage of those age 35-54Thosewithchildren andorexpandingfamiliesaremorelikely tomakeimprovementsthanthoseunder 30(thereareveryfewhomeownersunder 30)andthoseover54
High percentage of households with 4+ peopleHouseholdswithmorepeople havehigherenergybillsResearchshows thatthoseinhomeswithmorethan4
peoplebelieveenergyupgradescanmakea bigimpactontheirbills
High energy usage Thehigherenergy usage(andbills)themorelikelypeopleare tobelievethatenergyefficiencyimprove-mentswillmakeadifferenceintheirbills
Afterlayeringthisinformationtocomeup withalistofpotentialareaswefurthercon-sidered
Clusters of 8000-20000 homesThe areashouldbelargeenoughtoprovidesub-stantialnumbersofeligibleunitsbutsmall enoughtoenablereachingmajorityofresi-dentsandgeneratingword-of-mouth
Has a diverse multicultural commu-nityAreasshouldhavestrongcommunity identitiesandsenseofplacesocommunity membersareproudofwheretheyliveand areencouragedtoimprovetheircommu-nity
Has strong neighborhood and com-munity organizationsWeneedto engagetheseorganizationsaspartnersto helpspreadtheword
Has existing communications such as newsletters blogsWeneedtoreach membersthroughexistingcrediblesources thatresidentsalreadyuseandtrust
ldquoSpill overrdquo opportunities to nearby neighborhoodsSincemarketingand mediaeffortswillpotentiallyalsobeseen byneighborsareasshouldbenearother areasthatmayalsomeettheprimary criteria
Climatetime of yearIndetermining whentorolloutthepilotswecantarget interiorareasinspringandcoastalareasin coldweather
26 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Basedonthemarketresearchcriteriafive pilotmarketingareasarescheduledforintense marketingatlaunchwithanadditional10 areasscheduledforintensemarketingin Spring2011
Thepilotmarketstrategyissupportedby theparcel-basedmarketanalysiswhichwill identifywhichneighborhoodspropertieswill bethebesttotargetusingthisapproachThe marketanalysiswillallowlimitedmarketing fundingtobeleveragedbyfocusingonthose thataremostlikelytorespondtothemarket-ingefforts
Wewillcreatemessagesandvisualsspecifical-lytailoredtoeachtargetcommunityrsquoscultural andlinguisticpreferencesImagessymbols andiconstypographycolorandoverall designcarrydifferentmeaningsindifferent culturesAmessageistypicallymosteffective ifitiscreatedwithcarefulattentiontothese idiosyncrasiesandwithintheldquoculturalmind-setrdquooftherecipientsCreatingheadlinesand taglinesdirectlyinthetargetlanguagerather thansimplytranslatingEnglishadvertising copyensuresthatcopyhasthecorrectrhythm andrhymeandisthereforemuchmore attention-grabbingandmemorable
Community Incentives Energy Champion Program Severalconceptsareunderconsiderationto developacommunityincentivestrategyto promoteparticipationinlinewiththeRetrofit RampUpproposalforinnovativeincentiveap-proachesIncentivesmaybedirectedatenergy auditscommunity-basedorganizationsthose willingtoprovidetestimonialsorblogtweet andpublicrecognitionefforts
Grassroots Community Organizing-Trainedorganizerswillpresentinformationat themeetingsof12-15influentialcommunity leadersandcommunity-basedorganizationsin
eachpilotareacapturetheircontactdataand helpspreadtheinformationtotheirmembers throughtheirnewsletterseventsandwebsites TheProgramwillprovidepre-writtencus-tomizablearticlespresentationsorvideoand websiteldquobuttonsrdquotolinktotheProgramsite Eachgroupwillbeofferedanincentiveofado-nationtotheirorganizationforeverymember whocompletesahomeenergyupgradeThis willencourageCBOvolunteerstoincrease theirmarketingeffortsFriendlyrivalrieswill beencouragedCommunitygroupswillreport namesofparticipantscheckedforjobcomple-tionbytheProgram(underdevelopment)
Community Events One-on-onefacetimewithhomeownersis anidealwaytoengagepotentialparticipants Well-trainedorganizerswillattendfiveevents ineachtargetareaprovidinghomeowners withinformation(pocketsizemultilingual handouts)andcapturingtheircontactinfor-mationforfollowupTheycanhavehome-ownerssignuponthewebsiteonsiteifappro-priateandperhapsevenhavethemprovideus withavideocommitmentldquoItookthePledgerdquo withpermissiontopostonthewebsiteAsa luretotheboothhomeownerswillbeoffered freeitemssuchaslightbulbsmagnetsand reusablecupswithcoldwater(imprintedwith thewebsite)manufacturedintheUS
Print Radio Outdoor and Out-of Home Advertising Localmediawillcoverthelaunchofthe Programandwewillstrategicallyplaceads inlocalmediaandcommunitynewsletters Outdooradvertising(smallstreet-levelbiode-gradableeco-postersbussheltersbussides) strategicallyplacedinhigh-trafficareaswillre-inforcethemessageoveraone-monthperiod
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 27
Pilot Area Example Altadena Altadenawasidentifiedasacommunitythat fitsourtargetcriteriaItisadiverseunincor-poratedcommunitywithsixneighborhoods andanapproximatepopulationof40000The averagehouseholdincomeisabout$94000 Morethan50ofadultresidentsaremarried withchildrenandcommuteanaverageof62 milesperdaytowhite-collarjobsFully40of theadultsinthiscommunityhaveabachelors
degreeorhigherandareinvolvedinmany communityeventsandorganizationsThere areapproximately12000homesinthiscom-munityand10000ofthosehomesareowner-occupiedThegraphicshowshowoutreach wouldbeconcentratedinthisarea
pilot area outreachmarketing tactics
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
radio
Psas on multicultural stations earned county
coverage in local papers earned county
ads in local and multicultural papers Paid county
outdoor
Bus shelters in area Paid county
on-street lampost signage Paid county
Billboards Paid county
social media
Blogs (relevant to the area) earned county
online ads targeted by location Paid county
listserves of neighborhood associations (through cities)
earned county
out of Home
Movie theater ads in area Paid county
lawn signs on homes in area (through contractors)
Paid county
community organizations
community meetings with incentives to organizations for participation
earnedPaid county
community events Paid county Door hangers Paid county
28 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Home Depot
Ace Hardware
Lowersquos
Master Builders
Great Indoors
Home Expo
altadena marketing target
Hoy La Opinioacuten
Pasadena Star News
Altadena Headlines Examiner
Boulevard Magazine
Arroyo Magazine
Pasadena Weekly
Altadena Connection
Sentinel
KLVE
KPCC Pasadena
KCBS
KROQ Pasadena
KAZN Pasadena
Church Bulletins
Summer Concert Series at Farnsworth Park
Fourth of July Fireworks at
Town amp Country Club
Black History Parade
World Music Festival in Pasadena
Haunted House at
Farnsworth Park
Art Break
Rose Parade
National Latino
Congreso
Altadena Neighborhood Association
Altadena Chamber of Commerce
Altadena Arts Council
Altadena Town Council
Faith-based Organizations
Altadena Town amp Country Club
Altadena League of
Women Voters
Altadena Historical Society
Altadena Community Improvement Center
Sheriff Support Group
Santa Coming to Farnsworth
Park
Altadena California
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 29
3 Trigger-Event Marketing
Thissuiteofstrategieswillbeaimedatcaptur-ingenergyefficiencyopportunitiesfrommul-tipletriggereventsParticipantswillmainly comethroughcontractorsrealtorsandretail partnerspropertyownerswillhavealsoseen countywideadvertising
trigger event marketing
4 City and COG Outreach
OutreachbyCitiesandCOGswillbecritical becauseoftheirexistingrelationshipswith localconstituenciesCitieswillbeprovided withamini-marketingplantalkingpoints videocustomizabletemplatesoffactsheets articlesfortheirnewslettersandadvertising
EvENT dESCRIPTION LEAd AGENT COLLATERAL TACTIC
1 Replace on burnout (heating air conditioners water heaters)
Homeowners either in process of replacing an item or have already done some efficiency projects
county bull Retail partners
bull HVac installers
bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors installers
bull Retail displays
2 life-stage changes (growing family)
Homeowners working with a contractor
county bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors bull ads in media for home remodels
3 Home remodel Homeowners working with an architect contractor
county bull contractors bull architects
bull Materials for contractors
bull ads in media for home remodels
3 improvements at time of purchase
Homeowners interested are preparing a new home for move-in (research shows more interest at purchase than at sale)
shared bull contractors bull Realtors bull Home
inspectors bull city permit
offices bull city welcome
kits bull Retail
bull Brochures for cities
bull ads in weekend homes for sale sections
bull Presentations to realtor groups
bull Retail displays
4 improvements at sale
House owners preparing for sale
county bull contractors bull Realtors
bull Materials for contractors
5 complaints high utility bills cold hot house
Homeowners aware of energy-saving improvements but not whole house approach
county bull contractors bull HeRs raters
bull Materials for contractors
30 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
city amp cog outreach
materialssotheycandeveloplow-costout-reachtotheirresidentsCitieswithcommuni-tiestargetedinthePilotAreaMarketingplans willbeinformedandencouragedtodoout-reachtothoseareasAllCitieswillbeencour-agedtodothefollowing
Run stories in print and online news-letters
Send information to neighborhood associations homeowners associa-tions historic preservation districts and other appropriate community organizations
Provide information in City permit-ting offices and City Hall lobbies
Provide information at strategically located Environmental Information Centers and at COG office locations
Provide information in ldquonew home-ownersrdquo welcome kits (either directly from the city or through title compa-
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAId EARNEd
LEAd
pio coordination contact all participating citiesrsquo Pios na county
letters Key messages for letters from mayors etc to constituents Provide to Pios or city managers
na county
Website links Button for cities to place on their website to link to Program site
na county
city tV informational videos and spot promos Placed county
Welcome brochure
Brochure aimed at new homeowners before they move in
na county
articles Pre-written customizable newsletter articles earned county
email blasts Pre-written customizable info spots for communityneighborhood listserves
earned county
niesmortgage brokers)
Run videos and spots on City TV stations
5 Contractor Marketing
Localcontractorsarecriticaltothesuccess ofEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLosAngeles CountyTheyprovidetheservicesthatcom-prisetheProgramandtheycanhelpmarket theProgramtopropertyownersInfactwe estimatethatupto50ofProgrampartici-pantswillentertheProgramthrougharela-tionshipwithacontractor(theymayhavealso seenmediacoverageandadvertisingwhich spurredthemtotakeaction)Thisuniquerole requiresthattheProgramtakeatwo-tiered approachofengagingthecontractormdashmoti-vatinglocalbuildingprofessionalstoundergo thetrainingandcertificationprocessandalso providingthemwiththetoolstoeffectively promotetheprogramtoexistingandnew clientsThefollowingsectiondescribesspecific
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 31
contractor target
United Brotherhood Building Industry Carpenters (Training)
Association ofSouthern California
Email Blast
Contractors Magazines
Contractor
OnlineAds
Big Box Stores
ConractorsLicensing Schools
Realtor Associations
strategiesassociatedwithbothapproaches
Forthepurposesoftheprogramcontractors aredividedintoparticularsegmentsbasedon thetypeofserviceprovidedAninitialanalysis oftheindustryrevealedthefollowinglikely categories
HomePerformance(HP)Contractors
ProductionBuilders
HVACSystemSpecialtyTrades (windowsetc)
RemodelingContractors
SolarContractors
BuildingPerformance
Institute
Southwest Regional
City Permit Association
Offices of Carpenters
Lumber Yards
StateLicensing
Board
American Instituteof Architects
LA Chapter
Outreach to Contractors TheProgramwillcoordinatewithcontractor groupsandotherbuildingprofessionaltrade organizationstoschedulebriefpresentations abouttheProgramandthecontractortraining processForlargerorganizationsthePro-grammayworkdirectlywiththecompanyto arrangeon-sitepresentationsThesepresenta-tionsareinformalinnatureandwillbeusedto promotethecertificationorientationsrequired forcontractorparticipationintheprogram
KeyMessagestoContractors
$30millioninAmericanRecoveryand ReinvestmentActmoneyisworkinginLA Countytocreateconstructionindustryjobs
32 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
EnergyUpgradeCaliforniaOffersbig rebatesandfinancingoptionsfor homeownersdoinghomeenergy efficiencyretrofits
Therewillbemarketingandadvertis-ingstatewideandlocallytopromotethe Program
Therewillbemarketingmaterialsforyou tousetomarketyourbusiness
YoumustbelicensedandBuildingPerfor-manceInstitute-certifiedtobepartofthe Program
HomeownersmustworkwithBPI-certified contractorstheyrsquollchoosefromacontrac-tordatabaseonthewebsite
KeyOutreachMethods
BuildingIndustryAssociationofSouthern California
SouthwestRegionalCouncilofCarpenters
RealtorsAssociation
UnitedBrotherhood-Carpenters(Training Program)
Citypermittingoffice
Lumberyards
AmericanInstituteofArchitectsLA Chapter(toeducatethemaswell)
ArticlesinformationinContractortrade publications(magazinesnewslettersetc) magazines
CarpentersUnionLocals
ContractorsLicenseSchools(andonline)
BigBoxHomeImprovementstores(de-pendingonIOUrelationships)
wwwcslbcagov
Emailblasttoalllicensedcontractors
Contractor Outreach to Consumers Differentopportunitiesexistfordifferent contractorsdependingontheprobablework scopeThefollowingtableoutlinesafew potentialpathwaysforhowcontractorscan participateintheProgram
contractors outreach to customers
CONTRACTOR TyPE
TRIGGER EvENT vALUE TO CONTRACTOR
BUSINESS MOdEL
Home Performance upgrade lead generation scale for high volume
Production Builder new Business Development
create new division
HVac Replacement lead generation Value-add
expand services
specialty trade lead generation Partner with certified gc
Remodeler Remodel life-stage transition
Value-add sub work to HP contractor
solar Renewables lead generation Partner with certified gc
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 33
BPI-certifiedgeneralcontractorswillbelisted ontheEnergyUpgradeconsumerwebsite sendingmanyleadsdirectlytothemThey alsohaveaccesstotheldquoheatmapsrdquotousefor developingtheirownadvertisingcampaigns
Contractorswillbeattendingorientationses-sionstoensuretheythoroughlyunderstand theProgramrebatesfinancingoptionsand canhelpguidetheircustomersthroughthe processTheywillbeprovidedwithContractor MarketingKitstoensuretheyhaveathandthe keymessagesthathavebeenresonatingwith homeownersandhaveinformationtogive topotentialcustomerswhomightormight nothavebeentothewebsiteKitscanbesent directlytocontractorsordistributedatthe orientationsessionsKitswillcontain
Talkingpoints
DVDofthevideo
Printedfactsheetstoleavewithcustomers (withroomfortheircontactinfo)more canbeordered
Printedldquoslimjimrdquoprogrambrochure
Printedlengthierbrochuresaboutthe wholehouseapproach(brandedby Scientific American Magazine)
CDwithldquobuttonrdquotolinktoEnergyUpgrade fromtheirownwebsitesandPDFsofsite signageforprinting
Contractorswillhaveaccesstoaseparatesec-tionofthewebsitewheretheywillfindinfor-mationaboutProgrameventspromotionsand advertisinganon-demandprintsectionfor additionalcopiesofbrochuresanychanges totheProgramandasingletradecontractor databaseforassemblingteamsforcustomers whowouldlikesolarpanelsornewwindows forexample
6 Realtor Marketing
Giventhatthenationalaveragelengthofhome ownershipisroughlysixyearsrealestate agentswillbeincontactandadvisingalarge percentageofthenewandexistinghomeown-ersthatEnergyUpgradeistargetingforhome energyretrofitsThishighlevelofinfluence makesrealtorsoneofthelargestpartner groups
Realestateagentswillbeengagedonthree levels
1) Outreach
2) Training
3) Support
Outreach Outreachwillbeconductedthroughavariety ofvenuesthatwillincludeCaliforniaAssocia-tionofRealtorsreg(CAR)regionalconferences heldinSouthernCaliforniapartnershipwith themanyrealtorassociationslocatedinLos AngelesCountyanddirectvisitstorealestate agentsrsquoofficesforshortpresentationsPart-nershipswiththe15-20localRealtorsAsso-ciationswillbeachievedthroughoneormore RealtorAdvisoryBoardswhichincludethe GovernmentAffairsDirectorsfromeachof theseorganizationsAselectfewoftheseor-ganizationswillbeusedaspilotsfortargeted outreachduringearlystagesoftheProgram Oncethestrategyhasbeentestedandrevised itwillberolledouttoalloftheRealtorsAs-sociationsinLosAngelesCounty
ThefallCARRealtorExpowillbethemain kickoffeventforoutreachtoindividualreal-torsandrealtorofficesEnergyUpgradeplans tohavea30-minutetalkembeddedinthe SpeakersProgramandaboothsetuponthe ExpofloortoinformrealtorsaboutthePro-gramavailabletrainingsandthesupport
34 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
toolsthathavebeendevelopedThisevent willreachthemajorityofrealtorsintheLos Angelesareabutwillnotincludethelarge populationofrealestateagentsthatarenot membersofCARToreachthispopulation emailsocialmediaandtargetedofficevisits willbeconducted
Training EnergyUpgradewillprovidetrainingforreal estateagentsintwoformsTherealestate agenttrainingmodulecurrentlyunderdevel-opmentbyBuildItGreenwillbeusedasthe maintrainingforumThistrainingmodule isexpectedtotaketwofulldaystocomplete andwillcoverpropertyassessedcleanenergy financingenergyefficientmortgagesrebate programsbuildingscienceenergyefficiency andgreenbuildingpracticesappropriateto California
Additionalweb-basedtrainingwillbeprovided tointroducerealestateagentstotheProgram andtodrivethemtogetin-persontraining throughtheBuildItGreentrainingmodule
Support Cultivatingandclosingtoolswillbegener-atedtoassistrealtorsinusingEnergyUpgrade Californiatradetoexpandtheirbusinesswhile drivinghigherlevelsofprogramparticipation RealtorKitswillbesimilartotheContractor Kitsandtheywillhaveaccesstothedatabase ofgeneralandsingletradecontractors
7 Retail Partner Marketing
Utilitieswillpartnerwithretailoutletsthat canincludeBestBuyCostcoSearsLowes andHomeDepotParticipatingretailoutlets willbeprovided
Information centersEnd-displays detailingtheEnergyUpgradeProgram withadiagramillustratingthehouseas asystemconcept(multiplecomponents thatacttogethertomaximizesavings)and actionscustomerscantaketocapturethose savingsandrebatesIn-storecustomer educationcanshiftcustomerperception ofenergyupgradesandmotivatethem toparticipateinmultipleenergy-efficient measuresinsteadofjustoneAnadditional benefitfortheretailerisassociationwith thestatewideprogram
Program collateral One-sheet takeawaysforcustomerstoreference andshare
Video Theshortvideoscanbeplayed onaloop
Table tent cardsPlacedthroughout storesectionsthatcorrelatewiththe EnergyUpgradeProgram(CFLsappli-ancesceilingfansinsulationwindows) Againthiswillencouragecustomersto performmultipleenergyupgradesinstead ofjustoneCross-promotionhelpseducate customersandencourageparticipationin multiplemeasuresthusincreasingproduct purchase
Window clings ldquoOfficialEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaInformationCenterrdquotagline bannersplacedatstorefrontThiswillpo-sitiontheretailerasanactiveparticipantin thestatewideprogramandbuildsretailer credibilityasagreenadvocate
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 35
8 Multi-Family Outreach
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesandsched-ulesarestillinplanningphasesandbeing developedthroughastatewideconsortium
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesarebeing
developed
36 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
evaluation
Theprimarygoalsofthemarketingplanareto buildpositiveawarenessoftheEnergyUp-gradeCaliforniaProgramandcreateasus-tainedmarketforawholehouseapproach(see page8)Objectivesarespecifictothoseachiev-ingthosegoalsLosAngelesCountyresidents willseemultipleiterationsofmediacoverage paidadvertisingin-storedisplayscontractor marketingandin-personpresentations(inthe pilotmarketingareas)Forexamplearesi-dentinAltadenamightseethemoreintensive marketingandoutreacheffortsThatmayspur themtoactionmdashbutiftheyalreadyhadplans toremodelorhadpreviouslyworkedwitha contractortheymightcalltheircontractorand thusactuallycometotheprogramthrough thecontractorThereforeitwillnotbeeasy todeterminepreciselywhathasmotivated eachpersontoparticipateinEnergyUpgrade Objectivestomeetinclude
About35-45ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughthemarket-ingandoutreacheffortsTomonitorwe willincludeashortsurveyaspartofthe rebateapplicationprocessaskingpartici-pantswhatdrewthemtothewebsiteand totheProgramThewebsitecanmonitor clickthroughstocontractorssitesfrom theProgramwebsiteprovidinganindica-tionofpotentialparticpantswhocameto thesitebeforehavingacontractorOnce apropertyownerinputsanaddressthe websitewillbeabletospecificallymonitor ifthatparticipantasksformultiple estimatesfromcontractorsanotherindica-
toroffindingacontractorthroughthesite
About45-50ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughcontractors Wewillaskcontractorstoprovideinfor-mationabouttheirmarketingeffortsand successratesTheywillbeabletoidentify participantsgainedthroughtheirownmar-ketingefforts
300000uniquehitsonthewebsitewhich willbemonitoredbythewebsiteFurther thewebsitewillanalyzewherevisitors camefrom(egaclickthroughfroman onlineadfromacontractorrsquoswebsite orduringthespecifictimeframeofanad campaign)
Virtualandactualldquoword-of-mouthrdquore-portedbymonitoringsocialmedia
Communicationskitsandmarketingkits availablebothphysicallyandthroughan on-demandprintsitemonitoredbyclient
Informationalmaterialsforcitiesmoni-toredbySouthBayCitiesCouncilofGov-ernments
50000000mediaadvertisingin-person impressionsmonitoredbybroadcast printonlinestatisticsandreportsfrom grassrootsmarketingefforts
Consolidatedinformationinone-stop-shop approachwillbedeliveredthroughthe website
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 37
description of marketing communication tools
PlacedEarned Social Media ThePlancallsforsocialmediatopushinfor-mationtoourtargetaudiencesincreaseper-ceptionsoftheProgramascommunity-based reachthosewhowillhelpgenerateadditional buzzindependentmarketingeffortsaboutthe Programandprovideamechanismforlisten-ingtowhatpeoplearesayingaboutEnergy Upgrademdashandrespondingwhennecessary
Online Paid Advertising Onlineadvertisingcampaignscanbeverycost-effectiveandhighlytargetedbydemographics areasofinterestandgeographicsAdsappear ontopic-relatedblogsonsearchenginepages (egGoogle)andoncontentpages(egwhen yousearchforinformationaboutarelated topicandselectawebsitetoview)
Types of Users Targetadsbyage genderincomelanguagepreferencezip codeorhotspots
Types of SearchesTargetadsbytypeof searchconductedbasedonkeywords
Adsareusuallysoldperldquoclickrdquomdashtheviewer hasclickedontheadandbeensenttothe EnergyUpgradeCAwebsiteWewillmake fourtypesofonlineadpurchases
1 Googleadsthatplaceadsbothonits searchpagesandonhundredsofwebsites targetedbytheabove
2 Networksthattargetspecificsitesand blogsthatmatchourtargetaudiences(eg HiveBlogsLosAngelesthatoffers350LA blogstochoosefrom)
3 Directlythroughselectpublishers(eg CurbedLAGreenGirlLAlocalpapers online)
4 Onlineeditionsoflocalpapersinpilot marketingareas
Twitter Twitterusersaremostlycollegegraduates haveattendedgraduateschoolandlivein householdsmakingover$50000ayear (nationally)Usersarethreetimesmorelikely tofollowbrandsandcompaniesonTwitter thanotherusersofsocialnetworkswith40 specificallyusingTwittertolearnaboutand provideopinionsonbrands
Twittercanpushthelatestdevelopmentsand newstopeoplewhohaveexpressedaninter-estedintheProgram(theymustsignupto receiveourTweetsorhavesearchedfortag wordsincludedinourTweets)Itrsquosalsoan easywayforthosewhofollowEnergyUpgrade onTwittertoshareTweetswiththeirfriends
38 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
therebygeneratingbuzzandhelpingmarket theProgramTwittercanshareProgram newsinrealtimedrivepeopletothewebsite facilitateearlyadoptersbuzzmakersreach youngerhomeownersandincreasemarketing effortsatalowcostTwittercanbeeffectively usedtocommunicatetheProgramandits milestonesinavarietyofways
bull Tweetaboutpressreleasesmajoran-nouncementsnewitemsonwebsiteor blogsmediastoriesandarticlesespecially aboutthosethataretimesensitiveandtell ouraudiencewhatishappeningwiththe Programandencouragesthemtopartici-pateorfindoutmore
bull PutaTweeticononthemainwebsiteal-lowingvisitorstothewebsitetobeginto followEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLos AngelesCountyonTwitterwithoneclick
bull FollowotherswhoTweetaboutthe ProgramaswellasthosewhoTweetabout relatedtopicsThiswillprovideanop-portunitytodirectlyrespondtoaperson whohasaquestionabouttheProgramand pointthemtoalinktothewebsite
Tweet Examples
bull ldquo100LAhomeownershavesigned upfortheProgramatwwwEnergyUpgra-deCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoReadaboutLArsquosnewenergyefficiency rebateProgramintheLAtimes httpwwwlatimesgreenblogcomrdquo
bull ldquoWanttosaveonyourutilitybills CheckoutwwwEnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoSignupfortheHomeEnergyUpgrade contestforachancetowinafree homeenergyefficiencyretrofitat EnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
Cost and Budget
SettingupaTwitteraccountisfreeasisusing anapplicationsuchasTweetDeckthathelps followotherswhoareTweetingaboutEnergy UpgradeCaliforniaTheonlysignificantcostis stafftimewhichcanbelimitedtoafewhours aweek
Facebook Facebookisalow-costandeasywayofboth marketingtheProgramandsupportingan onlinecommunityofpeopleinterestedinthe ProgramItwillreachaudienceswhoaremore likelytospendtimeonFacebookversusaweb-siteandwhomayprefertoreceiveshortreal timeProgramnewsviaFacebookratherthan emailsorwebsitesItisidealforpostinglinks tovideosandphotosrelatedtotheprojectIt complementsthewebsiteaplacewherefans oftheProgramcanfindinformationaskques-tionsandshareideasandexcitementThese fanswillgeneratebuzzbytellingtheirfriends abouttheProgramthroughFacebook
AFacebookpagewillcontaininformation abouttheProgramalinktothewebsite Programnewsvideosphotographsandother informationWhenthepageisupdatedfans willreceivelinksinemailalertingthemtothe newposts
Facebookisalsoidealforsharingthestoryof anearlyadopter(whowillalsoTweet)through updatesphotographsandvideosItlends itselfmuchmorenaturallytothispeople-fo-cusedapproachthanawebsitewhichismore formal
Additionalpoints
bull EncourageandperhapsrewardProgram adopterstosharetheirexperiencesask questionsetc
bull Setupcontrolstodeterminewhatcontent Fanscanposttothewall
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 39
bull Monitorupdatestothewallandtakedown Therearemanyexistingblogsthatcanbeused inappropriatecontent
bull Respondtoissuesquestionsandtakepart intheconversation
bull Adesignatedstaffpersonshouldmonitor thesiteitisalsoidealifseveralstaff memberspostcontentandifpartnersare activeparticipantsalthoughtheoverall strategyshouldbecentralized
Facebook Examples
Herearesomeexamplesofthetypesofpost-ingsforaFacebookpage
bull ldquoTheLATimesdescribesEnergyUpgrade CAasaperfectopportunitytobegreenand savemoneymdashintheFridaymoneysectionrdquo
bull ldquoWhydidyoudecidetoparticipatein EnergyUpgradeCATellushowyour energyefficiencyretrofitisgoingandwersquoll enteryouforachancetowina$50Home Depotgiftcardrdquo
bull ldquoWonderingwhetherEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaisrightforyouCheckoutthis videooftheSmithsinstallingnewinsula-tionandwindows--andreceivinga$3500 rebaterdquo
Cost and Budget
Relativelyfewdirectcostsstafftimewill fluctuateduringbusycalmperiodswithhigh activityatthebeginningastheProgramkicks offandafanbaseisestablishedOngoingstaff timeneededtokeeppagefreshwith3-4posts weekdailymaintenancerequiredtomonitor postingsfromfans
Blogs Blogsreachtargetaudienceswhoarealready interestedinrelatedtopicsandwhohavehigh potentialtoparticipateintheProgram
tofurthermarketingefforts
bull Identifybloggerswhowilllikelywrite positivelyabouttheProgramSendpress releasefactsheetsandPrograminforma-tiontobloggerswhowriteabouttopics suchastheenvironmentenergyefficiency homeimprovementremodelingreal estatehousingbargainssavingmoneyas wellastocompaniesthatsellsolarpanels contractorsetc
bull Bloggersarelookingfortopicalstoriesto writeaboutandwewillmaketheirnext blogposteasyBecauseEnergyUpgradeis ahighrewardoptionalProgrambloggers willwritefavorablyandhelptellthestory inafriendlyaccessibleandeasy-to-under-standway(althoughwedonrsquothavecontrol overwhattheywrite)Peoplewhoaredis-satisfiedwillwritenegativecommentsbut wewillmonitorblogsandactivelycorrect misperceptions
bull Tomonitorwhatothersarewritingabout EnergyUpgradeontheirblogswewilluse freeprogramslikeTechnoratiorGoogle Readertoscanallblogsandwebsitesthat mentiontheProgram
Blogs to Reach
Green Girl LA Blog (httpgreenlagirlcom)Thisindependent blogisfocusedonenvironmentalhap-peningsinLosAngelesArecentpostwas aboutagreennetworkingeventfeaturing TheBuildingDoctorspresentingwaysto makeyourhousemoreenergyefficient PreviouslyareporterbloggerfortheLA Timesthewriterisactiveandcoversa widevarietyofenvironmentalgreentopics happeninginLosAngeles
40 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
LA Times HomeBlog (wwwlatimesblogslatimescomhome_
blog)focusesontopicsrelatedtohouses andhashadseveralrecentpostsabout greenremodelingOneadvantageofa majornewspaperisthatthereportingis accurateandthereadershipislargerThey recentlywroteaboutauditionsforThisOld HousewhichisfeaturingaLosAngeles areahouseforasummerremodel
Bargain Babe (wwwbargainbabelatownluxecom) featuresLosAngelesbargainsYoucan searchforbargainsbyareaofLA(West-sideetc)orbytopicThisbloggerrecently wroteaboutappliancerebates
LA Times Green Remodeling (wwwlatimesblogslatimescompar-donourdustgreen_remodeling)writes aboutalltopicsrelatedtoremodelingin SouthernCaliforniawithseveralrecent postsongreentopicsArecentpostre-viewedthedifferentadvantagesofinstall-ingvarioustanklesswaterheatersPitch thatthebloggerfollowahomeenergy retrofitandhelptelltheirstoryaswellas announcebasicPrograminformation
LA Times Personal Finance wwwlatimescombusinesspersonal-finance
Home Remodeling wwwkathysremodelingblogcom
Energy Efficiency wwwlowimpactlivingcomblog
LA CreekFreak
LA Observed
LAist
YouTube PostallvideosrelatedtotheprojectonYou-TubeWewillworkwithourmediapartners todevelopacontestforearlyadopterstofilm theirexperienceandletwebsitevisitorsvote onthebestWinnerreceivesaprizetobe determined
ListServes Listservesreachgroupsofpeoplewhoare interestedinasimilartopicorwholiveina specificneighborhoodSendemailblaststo listservessuchasneighborhoodassociations homeremodelersandenvironmentalgroups withanenergyfocusCitystaffhasinforma-tionaddressesofneighborhoodandhom-eownerassociationslists
Multimedia for Presentations Website Developanengaginginformative6-8minute videofocusingoncontractorsandhomeown-ersthatcanbeusedduringpresentationsand presentedonCityTVThevideowillbeshot bothinEnglishandinSpanishandcover
bull Howtherebatesworktocreateasenseof urgencyaboutdoingtheenergyupgrades soonerratherputtingitofftotakeadvan-tageoftherebates
bull Theldquosealthenenhancerdquowholehouse concept
bull WhattheProgramelementsactuallylook likeandhowtheyareinstalledtoover-comebarrierssuchasthatonemighthave tomoveoutofthehouseortheenergy upgradesareldquouglyrdquo
bull Workingwithacontractorwhatbeing licensedandcertifiedmeansgettingmul-tiplebids
bull Financingoptions
bull Doingthepaperwork
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 41
Fromthatvideodevelop
bull Threeindividual2-minutevideosforuse onlineeachfocusingonaspecifictopicmdash
againinbothEnglishandSpanish
bull A15anda30spoteachinEnglishand SpanishforuseonCityTVandbroadcast
stations
Print Collateral Customizable fact sheetsInforma-tionsheets(onepagefrontandback)in EnglishSpanishandChinesethatcanalso bepostedonthewebsiteasPDFs
Program brochureMorehighlyde-signedforplacementinmunicipaloffices andevents
Customizable Brochure Brandedwith SunsetMagazineorNationalGeographic forcontractorsandrealtorstohandto customers
SignageBannersforeventsandstreet lamppostspostersformunicipaloffices andsmalleventsandpotentiallysignage forbussidestransitshelters
Speakers kits Countyandcitystaffwillreceivekitstoensure everyoneisfamiliarwithkeymessagesandhas informationtogivetoconstituentsThesecan besentdirectlytocitiesordistributedthrough COGsKitswillcontain
bull Talkingpoints
bull DVDofthevideo
bull PPTpresentationforpublicmeetings
bull Printedbrochuresforpermitofficesto includewithwelcomepacketsfornewho-meowners
bull Articlesandphotostheycanrunintheir onlineorprintedcitynewsletters
bull CDwithtemplatesforquickprintingand websitebuttontolinkfromtheirwebsiteto EnergyUpgradeCalifornia
42 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
description of key messages
Thefollowingmessageshadthehighestreso-nanceinpollingandfocusgroupsbothinLos AngelesCountyandtheBayArea
Primary Motivators Thefollowingtwomessagesaboutsaving moneyarekeytomotivatingalltargetaudi-encesTheyshouldbepartofeverypieceof advertisingorcollateralproduced
1 RebatesHomeownerswhomakeenergy-savinghomeimprovementscanqualifyfor a$1500federaltaxcreditandrebatesof upto$3500dependingonhowmuchthey reduceenergyconsumptionAdditional motivatorTaxcreditsonlyavailable untilDecember312010(Rebatesare preferredovertaxcreditsbecauseitrsquoscash nowratherthanlateranddependingon incomenoteveryonecangetthecredit)
2 Save on Utility Bills Upgradingahome touselessenergyandwatercanreduce utilitybillsby20ormoremdashsavingyou moneyovertime
Secondary Motivators Thefollowingmessagesarethenlayeredde-pendingonwhichaudienceisbeingtargeted
Help the EnvironmentClimate Change Weallneedtodoourparttohelp theenvironmentandslowclimatechange Makingourhomesmoregreenandenergy efficientisanimportantstepweshouldall take
Reduce Foreign OilFossil FuelsAt atimewhenwearetryingtoreduceour dependenceonforeignoilandotherfossil fuelsupgradingtheenergyefficiencyof ourhomesisanimportantstepwecanall take(Infocusgroupstheconceptofenergy independencefurtherresonatedasinde-pendencefromutilitycompaniesgetting offthegrid)
Certified Contractors Save Money Speciallytrainedandcertifiedcontractors knowhowtofindimprovementsthatthe averagehomeownerwouldnotTheiras-sessmentswillensurethatyoufindmore energysavingsandthereforesavemore moneyonyourutilitybillsAdditional motivatorContractorsarecertifiedbythe BuildingPerformanceInstituteworking withtheDepartmentofEnergyandEnvi-ronmentalProtectionAgency
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 43
Increase Property ValuesHomesthat areenergy-efficientandenvironmentally friendlyaremoreappealingtohomebuyers Theseupgradescanincreaseyourproperty value
ComfortUpgradingyourhomersquosenergy efficiencymdashinparticularupgradinginsula-tionmdashcanmakeitamorecomfortableplace toliveNomoredraftycoldroomsinthe winterorhotstuffyroomsinthesummer
Indoor Air QualityInsulationand ventilationcanreduceallergyandasthma-causingmoldandmildewimproving indoorairqualityespeciallyforinfantsand thosewithhealthconditions
Messengers Homeownersprefertoreceiveinformation fromimpartialtrustedsourcesThesemes-sengersreceivedthehighestscoresinpolling
bull Neighborsandotherhomeowners
bull Contractorthehomeownerisalready workingwithorreferredbyfriendneigh-bor
bull Architectsdesignprofessionals
bull Gasandelectricutilities
bull Environmentalorganizations
bull Homeimprovementstorestaff(when equippedwithflyers)
44 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 45
- Cover
- Table of Contents13
- Summary Overview13
- Introduction13
- Programs Goals and Objectives13
- Marketing and Outreach Program Goals and Structure13
- Strategy13
- Evaluation13
- Description of Marketing Communication Tools13
- Description of Key Messages13
-
Basedonthemarketresearchcriteriafive pilotmarketingareasarescheduledforintense marketingatlaunchwithanadditional10 areasscheduledforintensemarketingin Spring2011
Thepilotmarketstrategyissupportedby theparcel-basedmarketanalysiswhichwill identifywhichneighborhoodspropertieswill bethebesttotargetusingthisapproachThe marketanalysiswillallowlimitedmarketing fundingtobeleveragedbyfocusingonthose thataremostlikelytorespondtothemarket-ingefforts
Wewillcreatemessagesandvisualsspecifical-lytailoredtoeachtargetcommunityrsquoscultural andlinguisticpreferencesImagessymbols andiconstypographycolorandoverall designcarrydifferentmeaningsindifferent culturesAmessageistypicallymosteffective ifitiscreatedwithcarefulattentiontothese idiosyncrasiesandwithintheldquoculturalmind-setrdquooftherecipientsCreatingheadlinesand taglinesdirectlyinthetargetlanguagerather thansimplytranslatingEnglishadvertising copyensuresthatcopyhasthecorrectrhythm andrhymeandisthereforemuchmore attention-grabbingandmemorable
Community Incentives Energy Champion Program Severalconceptsareunderconsiderationto developacommunityincentivestrategyto promoteparticipationinlinewiththeRetrofit RampUpproposalforinnovativeincentiveap-proachesIncentivesmaybedirectedatenergy auditscommunity-basedorganizationsthose willingtoprovidetestimonialsorblogtweet andpublicrecognitionefforts
Grassroots Community Organizing-Trainedorganizerswillpresentinformationat themeetingsof12-15influentialcommunity leadersandcommunity-basedorganizationsin
eachpilotareacapturetheircontactdataand helpspreadtheinformationtotheirmembers throughtheirnewsletterseventsandwebsites TheProgramwillprovidepre-writtencus-tomizablearticlespresentationsorvideoand websiteldquobuttonsrdquotolinktotheProgramsite Eachgroupwillbeofferedanincentiveofado-nationtotheirorganizationforeverymember whocompletesahomeenergyupgradeThis willencourageCBOvolunteerstoincrease theirmarketingeffortsFriendlyrivalrieswill beencouragedCommunitygroupswillreport namesofparticipantscheckedforjobcomple-tionbytheProgram(underdevelopment)
Community Events One-on-onefacetimewithhomeownersis anidealwaytoengagepotentialparticipants Well-trainedorganizerswillattendfiveevents ineachtargetareaprovidinghomeowners withinformation(pocketsizemultilingual handouts)andcapturingtheircontactinfor-mationforfollowupTheycanhavehome-ownerssignuponthewebsiteonsiteifappro-priateandperhapsevenhavethemprovideus withavideocommitmentldquoItookthePledgerdquo withpermissiontopostonthewebsiteAsa luretotheboothhomeownerswillbeoffered freeitemssuchaslightbulbsmagnetsand reusablecupswithcoldwater(imprintedwith thewebsite)manufacturedintheUS
Print Radio Outdoor and Out-of Home Advertising Localmediawillcoverthelaunchofthe Programandwewillstrategicallyplaceads inlocalmediaandcommunitynewsletters Outdooradvertising(smallstreet-levelbiode-gradableeco-postersbussheltersbussides) strategicallyplacedinhigh-trafficareaswillre-inforcethemessageoveraone-monthperiod
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 27
Pilot Area Example Altadena Altadenawasidentifiedasacommunitythat fitsourtargetcriteriaItisadiverseunincor-poratedcommunitywithsixneighborhoods andanapproximatepopulationof40000The averagehouseholdincomeisabout$94000 Morethan50ofadultresidentsaremarried withchildrenandcommuteanaverageof62 milesperdaytowhite-collarjobsFully40of theadultsinthiscommunityhaveabachelors
degreeorhigherandareinvolvedinmany communityeventsandorganizationsThere areapproximately12000homesinthiscom-munityand10000ofthosehomesareowner-occupiedThegraphicshowshowoutreach wouldbeconcentratedinthisarea
pilot area outreachmarketing tactics
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
radio
Psas on multicultural stations earned county
coverage in local papers earned county
ads in local and multicultural papers Paid county
outdoor
Bus shelters in area Paid county
on-street lampost signage Paid county
Billboards Paid county
social media
Blogs (relevant to the area) earned county
online ads targeted by location Paid county
listserves of neighborhood associations (through cities)
earned county
out of Home
Movie theater ads in area Paid county
lawn signs on homes in area (through contractors)
Paid county
community organizations
community meetings with incentives to organizations for participation
earnedPaid county
community events Paid county Door hangers Paid county
28 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Home Depot
Ace Hardware
Lowersquos
Master Builders
Great Indoors
Home Expo
altadena marketing target
Hoy La Opinioacuten
Pasadena Star News
Altadena Headlines Examiner
Boulevard Magazine
Arroyo Magazine
Pasadena Weekly
Altadena Connection
Sentinel
KLVE
KPCC Pasadena
KCBS
KROQ Pasadena
KAZN Pasadena
Church Bulletins
Summer Concert Series at Farnsworth Park
Fourth of July Fireworks at
Town amp Country Club
Black History Parade
World Music Festival in Pasadena
Haunted House at
Farnsworth Park
Art Break
Rose Parade
National Latino
Congreso
Altadena Neighborhood Association
Altadena Chamber of Commerce
Altadena Arts Council
Altadena Town Council
Faith-based Organizations
Altadena Town amp Country Club
Altadena League of
Women Voters
Altadena Historical Society
Altadena Community Improvement Center
Sheriff Support Group
Santa Coming to Farnsworth
Park
Altadena California
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 29
3 Trigger-Event Marketing
Thissuiteofstrategieswillbeaimedatcaptur-ingenergyefficiencyopportunitiesfrommul-tipletriggereventsParticipantswillmainly comethroughcontractorsrealtorsandretail partnerspropertyownerswillhavealsoseen countywideadvertising
trigger event marketing
4 City and COG Outreach
OutreachbyCitiesandCOGswillbecritical becauseoftheirexistingrelationshipswith localconstituenciesCitieswillbeprovided withamini-marketingplantalkingpoints videocustomizabletemplatesoffactsheets articlesfortheirnewslettersandadvertising
EvENT dESCRIPTION LEAd AGENT COLLATERAL TACTIC
1 Replace on burnout (heating air conditioners water heaters)
Homeowners either in process of replacing an item or have already done some efficiency projects
county bull Retail partners
bull HVac installers
bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors installers
bull Retail displays
2 life-stage changes (growing family)
Homeowners working with a contractor
county bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors bull ads in media for home remodels
3 Home remodel Homeowners working with an architect contractor
county bull contractors bull architects
bull Materials for contractors
bull ads in media for home remodels
3 improvements at time of purchase
Homeowners interested are preparing a new home for move-in (research shows more interest at purchase than at sale)
shared bull contractors bull Realtors bull Home
inspectors bull city permit
offices bull city welcome
kits bull Retail
bull Brochures for cities
bull ads in weekend homes for sale sections
bull Presentations to realtor groups
bull Retail displays
4 improvements at sale
House owners preparing for sale
county bull contractors bull Realtors
bull Materials for contractors
5 complaints high utility bills cold hot house
Homeowners aware of energy-saving improvements but not whole house approach
county bull contractors bull HeRs raters
bull Materials for contractors
30 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
city amp cog outreach
materialssotheycandeveloplow-costout-reachtotheirresidentsCitieswithcommuni-tiestargetedinthePilotAreaMarketingplans willbeinformedandencouragedtodoout-reachtothoseareasAllCitieswillbeencour-agedtodothefollowing
Run stories in print and online news-letters
Send information to neighborhood associations homeowners associa-tions historic preservation districts and other appropriate community organizations
Provide information in City permit-ting offices and City Hall lobbies
Provide information at strategically located Environmental Information Centers and at COG office locations
Provide information in ldquonew home-ownersrdquo welcome kits (either directly from the city or through title compa-
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAId EARNEd
LEAd
pio coordination contact all participating citiesrsquo Pios na county
letters Key messages for letters from mayors etc to constituents Provide to Pios or city managers
na county
Website links Button for cities to place on their website to link to Program site
na county
city tV informational videos and spot promos Placed county
Welcome brochure
Brochure aimed at new homeowners before they move in
na county
articles Pre-written customizable newsletter articles earned county
email blasts Pre-written customizable info spots for communityneighborhood listserves
earned county
niesmortgage brokers)
Run videos and spots on City TV stations
5 Contractor Marketing
Localcontractorsarecriticaltothesuccess ofEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLosAngeles CountyTheyprovidetheservicesthatcom-prisetheProgramandtheycanhelpmarket theProgramtopropertyownersInfactwe estimatethatupto50ofProgrampartici-pantswillentertheProgramthrougharela-tionshipwithacontractor(theymayhavealso seenmediacoverageandadvertisingwhich spurredthemtotakeaction)Thisuniquerole requiresthattheProgramtakeatwo-tiered approachofengagingthecontractormdashmoti-vatinglocalbuildingprofessionalstoundergo thetrainingandcertificationprocessandalso providingthemwiththetoolstoeffectively promotetheprogramtoexistingandnew clientsThefollowingsectiondescribesspecific
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 31
contractor target
United Brotherhood Building Industry Carpenters (Training)
Association ofSouthern California
Email Blast
Contractors Magazines
Contractor
OnlineAds
Big Box Stores
ConractorsLicensing Schools
Realtor Associations
strategiesassociatedwithbothapproaches
Forthepurposesoftheprogramcontractors aredividedintoparticularsegmentsbasedon thetypeofserviceprovidedAninitialanalysis oftheindustryrevealedthefollowinglikely categories
HomePerformance(HP)Contractors
ProductionBuilders
HVACSystemSpecialtyTrades (windowsetc)
RemodelingContractors
SolarContractors
BuildingPerformance
Institute
Southwest Regional
City Permit Association
Offices of Carpenters
Lumber Yards
StateLicensing
Board
American Instituteof Architects
LA Chapter
Outreach to Contractors TheProgramwillcoordinatewithcontractor groupsandotherbuildingprofessionaltrade organizationstoschedulebriefpresentations abouttheProgramandthecontractortraining processForlargerorganizationsthePro-grammayworkdirectlywiththecompanyto arrangeon-sitepresentationsThesepresenta-tionsareinformalinnatureandwillbeusedto promotethecertificationorientationsrequired forcontractorparticipationintheprogram
KeyMessagestoContractors
$30millioninAmericanRecoveryand ReinvestmentActmoneyisworkinginLA Countytocreateconstructionindustryjobs
32 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
EnergyUpgradeCaliforniaOffersbig rebatesandfinancingoptionsfor homeownersdoinghomeenergy efficiencyretrofits
Therewillbemarketingandadvertis-ingstatewideandlocallytopromotethe Program
Therewillbemarketingmaterialsforyou tousetomarketyourbusiness
YoumustbelicensedandBuildingPerfor-manceInstitute-certifiedtobepartofthe Program
HomeownersmustworkwithBPI-certified contractorstheyrsquollchoosefromacontrac-tordatabaseonthewebsite
KeyOutreachMethods
BuildingIndustryAssociationofSouthern California
SouthwestRegionalCouncilofCarpenters
RealtorsAssociation
UnitedBrotherhood-Carpenters(Training Program)
Citypermittingoffice
Lumberyards
AmericanInstituteofArchitectsLA Chapter(toeducatethemaswell)
ArticlesinformationinContractortrade publications(magazinesnewslettersetc) magazines
CarpentersUnionLocals
ContractorsLicenseSchools(andonline)
BigBoxHomeImprovementstores(de-pendingonIOUrelationships)
wwwcslbcagov
Emailblasttoalllicensedcontractors
Contractor Outreach to Consumers Differentopportunitiesexistfordifferent contractorsdependingontheprobablework scopeThefollowingtableoutlinesafew potentialpathwaysforhowcontractorscan participateintheProgram
contractors outreach to customers
CONTRACTOR TyPE
TRIGGER EvENT vALUE TO CONTRACTOR
BUSINESS MOdEL
Home Performance upgrade lead generation scale for high volume
Production Builder new Business Development
create new division
HVac Replacement lead generation Value-add
expand services
specialty trade lead generation Partner with certified gc
Remodeler Remodel life-stage transition
Value-add sub work to HP contractor
solar Renewables lead generation Partner with certified gc
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 33
BPI-certifiedgeneralcontractorswillbelisted ontheEnergyUpgradeconsumerwebsite sendingmanyleadsdirectlytothemThey alsohaveaccesstotheldquoheatmapsrdquotousefor developingtheirownadvertisingcampaigns
Contractorswillbeattendingorientationses-sionstoensuretheythoroughlyunderstand theProgramrebatesfinancingoptionsand canhelpguidetheircustomersthroughthe processTheywillbeprovidedwithContractor MarketingKitstoensuretheyhaveathandthe keymessagesthathavebeenresonatingwith homeownersandhaveinformationtogive topotentialcustomerswhomightormight nothavebeentothewebsiteKitscanbesent directlytocontractorsordistributedatthe orientationsessionsKitswillcontain
Talkingpoints
DVDofthevideo
Printedfactsheetstoleavewithcustomers (withroomfortheircontactinfo)more canbeordered
Printedldquoslimjimrdquoprogrambrochure
Printedlengthierbrochuresaboutthe wholehouseapproach(brandedby Scientific American Magazine)
CDwithldquobuttonrdquotolinktoEnergyUpgrade fromtheirownwebsitesandPDFsofsite signageforprinting
Contractorswillhaveaccesstoaseparatesec-tionofthewebsitewheretheywillfindinfor-mationaboutProgrameventspromotionsand advertisinganon-demandprintsectionfor additionalcopiesofbrochuresanychanges totheProgramandasingletradecontractor databaseforassemblingteamsforcustomers whowouldlikesolarpanelsornewwindows forexample
6 Realtor Marketing
Giventhatthenationalaveragelengthofhome ownershipisroughlysixyearsrealestate agentswillbeincontactandadvisingalarge percentageofthenewandexistinghomeown-ersthatEnergyUpgradeistargetingforhome energyretrofitsThishighlevelofinfluence makesrealtorsoneofthelargestpartner groups
Realestateagentswillbeengagedonthree levels
1) Outreach
2) Training
3) Support
Outreach Outreachwillbeconductedthroughavariety ofvenuesthatwillincludeCaliforniaAssocia-tionofRealtorsreg(CAR)regionalconferences heldinSouthernCaliforniapartnershipwith themanyrealtorassociationslocatedinLos AngelesCountyanddirectvisitstorealestate agentsrsquoofficesforshortpresentationsPart-nershipswiththe15-20localRealtorsAsso-ciationswillbeachievedthroughoneormore RealtorAdvisoryBoardswhichincludethe GovernmentAffairsDirectorsfromeachof theseorganizationsAselectfewoftheseor-ganizationswillbeusedaspilotsfortargeted outreachduringearlystagesoftheProgram Oncethestrategyhasbeentestedandrevised itwillberolledouttoalloftheRealtorsAs-sociationsinLosAngelesCounty
ThefallCARRealtorExpowillbethemain kickoffeventforoutreachtoindividualreal-torsandrealtorofficesEnergyUpgradeplans tohavea30-minutetalkembeddedinthe SpeakersProgramandaboothsetuponthe ExpofloortoinformrealtorsaboutthePro-gramavailabletrainingsandthesupport
34 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
toolsthathavebeendevelopedThisevent willreachthemajorityofrealtorsintheLos Angelesareabutwillnotincludethelarge populationofrealestateagentsthatarenot membersofCARToreachthispopulation emailsocialmediaandtargetedofficevisits willbeconducted
Training EnergyUpgradewillprovidetrainingforreal estateagentsintwoformsTherealestate agenttrainingmodulecurrentlyunderdevel-opmentbyBuildItGreenwillbeusedasthe maintrainingforumThistrainingmodule isexpectedtotaketwofulldaystocomplete andwillcoverpropertyassessedcleanenergy financingenergyefficientmortgagesrebate programsbuildingscienceenergyefficiency andgreenbuildingpracticesappropriateto California
Additionalweb-basedtrainingwillbeprovided tointroducerealestateagentstotheProgram andtodrivethemtogetin-persontraining throughtheBuildItGreentrainingmodule
Support Cultivatingandclosingtoolswillbegener-atedtoassistrealtorsinusingEnergyUpgrade Californiatradetoexpandtheirbusinesswhile drivinghigherlevelsofprogramparticipation RealtorKitswillbesimilartotheContractor Kitsandtheywillhaveaccesstothedatabase ofgeneralandsingletradecontractors
7 Retail Partner Marketing
Utilitieswillpartnerwithretailoutletsthat canincludeBestBuyCostcoSearsLowes andHomeDepotParticipatingretailoutlets willbeprovided
Information centersEnd-displays detailingtheEnergyUpgradeProgram withadiagramillustratingthehouseas asystemconcept(multiplecomponents thatacttogethertomaximizesavings)and actionscustomerscantaketocapturethose savingsandrebatesIn-storecustomer educationcanshiftcustomerperception ofenergyupgradesandmotivatethem toparticipateinmultipleenergy-efficient measuresinsteadofjustoneAnadditional benefitfortheretailerisassociationwith thestatewideprogram
Program collateral One-sheet takeawaysforcustomerstoreference andshare
Video Theshortvideoscanbeplayed onaloop
Table tent cardsPlacedthroughout storesectionsthatcorrelatewiththe EnergyUpgradeProgram(CFLsappli-ancesceilingfansinsulationwindows) Againthiswillencouragecustomersto performmultipleenergyupgradesinstead ofjustoneCross-promotionhelpseducate customersandencourageparticipationin multiplemeasuresthusincreasingproduct purchase
Window clings ldquoOfficialEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaInformationCenterrdquotagline bannersplacedatstorefrontThiswillpo-sitiontheretailerasanactiveparticipantin thestatewideprogramandbuildsretailer credibilityasagreenadvocate
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 35
8 Multi-Family Outreach
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesandsched-ulesarestillinplanningphasesandbeing developedthroughastatewideconsortium
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesarebeing
developed
36 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
evaluation
Theprimarygoalsofthemarketingplanareto buildpositiveawarenessoftheEnergyUp-gradeCaliforniaProgramandcreateasus-tainedmarketforawholehouseapproach(see page8)Objectivesarespecifictothoseachiev-ingthosegoalsLosAngelesCountyresidents willseemultipleiterationsofmediacoverage paidadvertisingin-storedisplayscontractor marketingandin-personpresentations(inthe pilotmarketingareas)Forexamplearesi-dentinAltadenamightseethemoreintensive marketingandoutreacheffortsThatmayspur themtoactionmdashbutiftheyalreadyhadplans toremodelorhadpreviouslyworkedwitha contractortheymightcalltheircontractorand thusactuallycometotheprogramthrough thecontractorThereforeitwillnotbeeasy todeterminepreciselywhathasmotivated eachpersontoparticipateinEnergyUpgrade Objectivestomeetinclude
About35-45ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughthemarket-ingandoutreacheffortsTomonitorwe willincludeashortsurveyaspartofthe rebateapplicationprocessaskingpartici-pantswhatdrewthemtothewebsiteand totheProgramThewebsitecanmonitor clickthroughstocontractorssitesfrom theProgramwebsiteprovidinganindica-tionofpotentialparticpantswhocameto thesitebeforehavingacontractorOnce apropertyownerinputsanaddressthe websitewillbeabletospecificallymonitor ifthatparticipantasksformultiple estimatesfromcontractorsanotherindica-
toroffindingacontractorthroughthesite
About45-50ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughcontractors Wewillaskcontractorstoprovideinfor-mationabouttheirmarketingeffortsand successratesTheywillbeabletoidentify participantsgainedthroughtheirownmar-ketingefforts
300000uniquehitsonthewebsitewhich willbemonitoredbythewebsiteFurther thewebsitewillanalyzewherevisitors camefrom(egaclickthroughfroman onlineadfromacontractorrsquoswebsite orduringthespecifictimeframeofanad campaign)
Virtualandactualldquoword-of-mouthrdquore-portedbymonitoringsocialmedia
Communicationskitsandmarketingkits availablebothphysicallyandthroughan on-demandprintsitemonitoredbyclient
Informationalmaterialsforcitiesmoni-toredbySouthBayCitiesCouncilofGov-ernments
50000000mediaadvertisingin-person impressionsmonitoredbybroadcast printonlinestatisticsandreportsfrom grassrootsmarketingefforts
Consolidatedinformationinone-stop-shop approachwillbedeliveredthroughthe website
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 37
description of marketing communication tools
PlacedEarned Social Media ThePlancallsforsocialmediatopushinfor-mationtoourtargetaudiencesincreaseper-ceptionsoftheProgramascommunity-based reachthosewhowillhelpgenerateadditional buzzindependentmarketingeffortsaboutthe Programandprovideamechanismforlisten-ingtowhatpeoplearesayingaboutEnergy Upgrademdashandrespondingwhennecessary
Online Paid Advertising Onlineadvertisingcampaignscanbeverycost-effectiveandhighlytargetedbydemographics areasofinterestandgeographicsAdsappear ontopic-relatedblogsonsearchenginepages (egGoogle)andoncontentpages(egwhen yousearchforinformationaboutarelated topicandselectawebsitetoview)
Types of Users Targetadsbyage genderincomelanguagepreferencezip codeorhotspots
Types of SearchesTargetadsbytypeof searchconductedbasedonkeywords
Adsareusuallysoldperldquoclickrdquomdashtheviewer hasclickedontheadandbeensenttothe EnergyUpgradeCAwebsiteWewillmake fourtypesofonlineadpurchases
1 Googleadsthatplaceadsbothonits searchpagesandonhundredsofwebsites targetedbytheabove
2 Networksthattargetspecificsitesand blogsthatmatchourtargetaudiences(eg HiveBlogsLosAngelesthatoffers350LA blogstochoosefrom)
3 Directlythroughselectpublishers(eg CurbedLAGreenGirlLAlocalpapers online)
4 Onlineeditionsoflocalpapersinpilot marketingareas
Twitter Twitterusersaremostlycollegegraduates haveattendedgraduateschoolandlivein householdsmakingover$50000ayear (nationally)Usersarethreetimesmorelikely tofollowbrandsandcompaniesonTwitter thanotherusersofsocialnetworkswith40 specificallyusingTwittertolearnaboutand provideopinionsonbrands
Twittercanpushthelatestdevelopmentsand newstopeoplewhohaveexpressedaninter-estedintheProgram(theymustsignupto receiveourTweetsorhavesearchedfortag wordsincludedinourTweets)Itrsquosalsoan easywayforthosewhofollowEnergyUpgrade onTwittertoshareTweetswiththeirfriends
38 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
therebygeneratingbuzzandhelpingmarket theProgramTwittercanshareProgram newsinrealtimedrivepeopletothewebsite facilitateearlyadoptersbuzzmakersreach youngerhomeownersandincreasemarketing effortsatalowcostTwittercanbeeffectively usedtocommunicatetheProgramandits milestonesinavarietyofways
bull Tweetaboutpressreleasesmajoran-nouncementsnewitemsonwebsiteor blogsmediastoriesandarticlesespecially aboutthosethataretimesensitiveandtell ouraudiencewhatishappeningwiththe Programandencouragesthemtopartici-pateorfindoutmore
bull PutaTweeticononthemainwebsiteal-lowingvisitorstothewebsitetobeginto followEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLos AngelesCountyonTwitterwithoneclick
bull FollowotherswhoTweetaboutthe ProgramaswellasthosewhoTweetabout relatedtopicsThiswillprovideanop-portunitytodirectlyrespondtoaperson whohasaquestionabouttheProgramand pointthemtoalinktothewebsite
Tweet Examples
bull ldquo100LAhomeownershavesigned upfortheProgramatwwwEnergyUpgra-deCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoReadaboutLArsquosnewenergyefficiency rebateProgramintheLAtimes httpwwwlatimesgreenblogcomrdquo
bull ldquoWanttosaveonyourutilitybills CheckoutwwwEnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoSignupfortheHomeEnergyUpgrade contestforachancetowinafree homeenergyefficiencyretrofitat EnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
Cost and Budget
SettingupaTwitteraccountisfreeasisusing anapplicationsuchasTweetDeckthathelps followotherswhoareTweetingaboutEnergy UpgradeCaliforniaTheonlysignificantcostis stafftimewhichcanbelimitedtoafewhours aweek
Facebook Facebookisalow-costandeasywayofboth marketingtheProgramandsupportingan onlinecommunityofpeopleinterestedinthe ProgramItwillreachaudienceswhoaremore likelytospendtimeonFacebookversusaweb-siteandwhomayprefertoreceiveshortreal timeProgramnewsviaFacebookratherthan emailsorwebsitesItisidealforpostinglinks tovideosandphotosrelatedtotheprojectIt complementsthewebsiteaplacewherefans oftheProgramcanfindinformationaskques-tionsandshareideasandexcitementThese fanswillgeneratebuzzbytellingtheirfriends abouttheProgramthroughFacebook
AFacebookpagewillcontaininformation abouttheProgramalinktothewebsite Programnewsvideosphotographsandother informationWhenthepageisupdatedfans willreceivelinksinemailalertingthemtothe newposts
Facebookisalsoidealforsharingthestoryof anearlyadopter(whowillalsoTweet)through updatesphotographsandvideosItlends itselfmuchmorenaturallytothispeople-fo-cusedapproachthanawebsitewhichismore formal
Additionalpoints
bull EncourageandperhapsrewardProgram adopterstosharetheirexperiencesask questionsetc
bull Setupcontrolstodeterminewhatcontent Fanscanposttothewall
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 39
bull Monitorupdatestothewallandtakedown Therearemanyexistingblogsthatcanbeused inappropriatecontent
bull Respondtoissuesquestionsandtakepart intheconversation
bull Adesignatedstaffpersonshouldmonitor thesiteitisalsoidealifseveralstaff memberspostcontentandifpartnersare activeparticipantsalthoughtheoverall strategyshouldbecentralized
Facebook Examples
Herearesomeexamplesofthetypesofpost-ingsforaFacebookpage
bull ldquoTheLATimesdescribesEnergyUpgrade CAasaperfectopportunitytobegreenand savemoneymdashintheFridaymoneysectionrdquo
bull ldquoWhydidyoudecidetoparticipatein EnergyUpgradeCATellushowyour energyefficiencyretrofitisgoingandwersquoll enteryouforachancetowina$50Home Depotgiftcardrdquo
bull ldquoWonderingwhetherEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaisrightforyouCheckoutthis videooftheSmithsinstallingnewinsula-tionandwindows--andreceivinga$3500 rebaterdquo
Cost and Budget
Relativelyfewdirectcostsstafftimewill fluctuateduringbusycalmperiodswithhigh activityatthebeginningastheProgramkicks offandafanbaseisestablishedOngoingstaff timeneededtokeeppagefreshwith3-4posts weekdailymaintenancerequiredtomonitor postingsfromfans
Blogs Blogsreachtargetaudienceswhoarealready interestedinrelatedtopicsandwhohavehigh potentialtoparticipateintheProgram
tofurthermarketingefforts
bull Identifybloggerswhowilllikelywrite positivelyabouttheProgramSendpress releasefactsheetsandPrograminforma-tiontobloggerswhowriteabouttopics suchastheenvironmentenergyefficiency homeimprovementremodelingreal estatehousingbargainssavingmoneyas wellastocompaniesthatsellsolarpanels contractorsetc
bull Bloggersarelookingfortopicalstoriesto writeaboutandwewillmaketheirnext blogposteasyBecauseEnergyUpgradeis ahighrewardoptionalProgrambloggers willwritefavorablyandhelptellthestory inafriendlyaccessibleandeasy-to-under-standway(althoughwedonrsquothavecontrol overwhattheywrite)Peoplewhoaredis-satisfiedwillwritenegativecommentsbut wewillmonitorblogsandactivelycorrect misperceptions
bull Tomonitorwhatothersarewritingabout EnergyUpgradeontheirblogswewilluse freeprogramslikeTechnoratiorGoogle Readertoscanallblogsandwebsitesthat mentiontheProgram
Blogs to Reach
Green Girl LA Blog (httpgreenlagirlcom)Thisindependent blogisfocusedonenvironmentalhap-peningsinLosAngelesArecentpostwas aboutagreennetworkingeventfeaturing TheBuildingDoctorspresentingwaysto makeyourhousemoreenergyefficient PreviouslyareporterbloggerfortheLA Timesthewriterisactiveandcoversa widevarietyofenvironmentalgreentopics happeninginLosAngeles
40 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
LA Times HomeBlog (wwwlatimesblogslatimescomhome_
blog)focusesontopicsrelatedtohouses andhashadseveralrecentpostsabout greenremodelingOneadvantageofa majornewspaperisthatthereportingis accurateandthereadershipislargerThey recentlywroteaboutauditionsforThisOld HousewhichisfeaturingaLosAngeles areahouseforasummerremodel
Bargain Babe (wwwbargainbabelatownluxecom) featuresLosAngelesbargainsYoucan searchforbargainsbyareaofLA(West-sideetc)orbytopicThisbloggerrecently wroteaboutappliancerebates
LA Times Green Remodeling (wwwlatimesblogslatimescompar-donourdustgreen_remodeling)writes aboutalltopicsrelatedtoremodelingin SouthernCaliforniawithseveralrecent postsongreentopicsArecentpostre-viewedthedifferentadvantagesofinstall-ingvarioustanklesswaterheatersPitch thatthebloggerfollowahomeenergy retrofitandhelptelltheirstoryaswellas announcebasicPrograminformation
LA Times Personal Finance wwwlatimescombusinesspersonal-finance
Home Remodeling wwwkathysremodelingblogcom
Energy Efficiency wwwlowimpactlivingcomblog
LA CreekFreak
LA Observed
LAist
YouTube PostallvideosrelatedtotheprojectonYou-TubeWewillworkwithourmediapartners todevelopacontestforearlyadopterstofilm theirexperienceandletwebsitevisitorsvote onthebestWinnerreceivesaprizetobe determined
ListServes Listservesreachgroupsofpeoplewhoare interestedinasimilartopicorwholiveina specificneighborhoodSendemailblaststo listservessuchasneighborhoodassociations homeremodelersandenvironmentalgroups withanenergyfocusCitystaffhasinforma-tionaddressesofneighborhoodandhom-eownerassociationslists
Multimedia for Presentations Website Developanengaginginformative6-8minute videofocusingoncontractorsandhomeown-ersthatcanbeusedduringpresentationsand presentedonCityTVThevideowillbeshot bothinEnglishandinSpanishandcover
bull Howtherebatesworktocreateasenseof urgencyaboutdoingtheenergyupgrades soonerratherputtingitofftotakeadvan-tageoftherebates
bull Theldquosealthenenhancerdquowholehouse concept
bull WhattheProgramelementsactuallylook likeandhowtheyareinstalledtoover-comebarrierssuchasthatonemighthave tomoveoutofthehouseortheenergy upgradesareldquouglyrdquo
bull Workingwithacontractorwhatbeing licensedandcertifiedmeansgettingmul-tiplebids
bull Financingoptions
bull Doingthepaperwork
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 41
Fromthatvideodevelop
bull Threeindividual2-minutevideosforuse onlineeachfocusingonaspecifictopicmdash
againinbothEnglishandSpanish
bull A15anda30spoteachinEnglishand SpanishforuseonCityTVandbroadcast
stations
Print Collateral Customizable fact sheetsInforma-tionsheets(onepagefrontandback)in EnglishSpanishandChinesethatcanalso bepostedonthewebsiteasPDFs
Program brochureMorehighlyde-signedforplacementinmunicipaloffices andevents
Customizable Brochure Brandedwith SunsetMagazineorNationalGeographic forcontractorsandrealtorstohandto customers
SignageBannersforeventsandstreet lamppostspostersformunicipaloffices andsmalleventsandpotentiallysignage forbussidestransitshelters
Speakers kits Countyandcitystaffwillreceivekitstoensure everyoneisfamiliarwithkeymessagesandhas informationtogivetoconstituentsThesecan besentdirectlytocitiesordistributedthrough COGsKitswillcontain
bull Talkingpoints
bull DVDofthevideo
bull PPTpresentationforpublicmeetings
bull Printedbrochuresforpermitofficesto includewithwelcomepacketsfornewho-meowners
bull Articlesandphotostheycanrunintheir onlineorprintedcitynewsletters
bull CDwithtemplatesforquickprintingand websitebuttontolinkfromtheirwebsiteto EnergyUpgradeCalifornia
42 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
description of key messages
Thefollowingmessageshadthehighestreso-nanceinpollingandfocusgroupsbothinLos AngelesCountyandtheBayArea
Primary Motivators Thefollowingtwomessagesaboutsaving moneyarekeytomotivatingalltargetaudi-encesTheyshouldbepartofeverypieceof advertisingorcollateralproduced
1 RebatesHomeownerswhomakeenergy-savinghomeimprovementscanqualifyfor a$1500federaltaxcreditandrebatesof upto$3500dependingonhowmuchthey reduceenergyconsumptionAdditional motivatorTaxcreditsonlyavailable untilDecember312010(Rebatesare preferredovertaxcreditsbecauseitrsquoscash nowratherthanlateranddependingon incomenoteveryonecangetthecredit)
2 Save on Utility Bills Upgradingahome touselessenergyandwatercanreduce utilitybillsby20ormoremdashsavingyou moneyovertime
Secondary Motivators Thefollowingmessagesarethenlayeredde-pendingonwhichaudienceisbeingtargeted
Help the EnvironmentClimate Change Weallneedtodoourparttohelp theenvironmentandslowclimatechange Makingourhomesmoregreenandenergy efficientisanimportantstepweshouldall take
Reduce Foreign OilFossil FuelsAt atimewhenwearetryingtoreduceour dependenceonforeignoilandotherfossil fuelsupgradingtheenergyefficiencyof ourhomesisanimportantstepwecanall take(Infocusgroupstheconceptofenergy independencefurtherresonatedasinde-pendencefromutilitycompaniesgetting offthegrid)
Certified Contractors Save Money Speciallytrainedandcertifiedcontractors knowhowtofindimprovementsthatthe averagehomeownerwouldnotTheiras-sessmentswillensurethatyoufindmore energysavingsandthereforesavemore moneyonyourutilitybillsAdditional motivatorContractorsarecertifiedbythe BuildingPerformanceInstituteworking withtheDepartmentofEnergyandEnvi-ronmentalProtectionAgency
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 43
Increase Property ValuesHomesthat areenergy-efficientandenvironmentally friendlyaremoreappealingtohomebuyers Theseupgradescanincreaseyourproperty value
ComfortUpgradingyourhomersquosenergy efficiencymdashinparticularupgradinginsula-tionmdashcanmakeitamorecomfortableplace toliveNomoredraftycoldroomsinthe winterorhotstuffyroomsinthesummer
Indoor Air QualityInsulationand ventilationcanreduceallergyandasthma-causingmoldandmildewimproving indoorairqualityespeciallyforinfantsand thosewithhealthconditions
Messengers Homeownersprefertoreceiveinformation fromimpartialtrustedsourcesThesemes-sengersreceivedthehighestscoresinpolling
bull Neighborsandotherhomeowners
bull Contractorthehomeownerisalready workingwithorreferredbyfriendneigh-bor
bull Architectsdesignprofessionals
bull Gasandelectricutilities
bull Environmentalorganizations
bull Homeimprovementstorestaff(when equippedwithflyers)
44 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 45
- Cover
- Table of Contents13
- Summary Overview13
- Introduction13
- Programs Goals and Objectives13
- Marketing and Outreach Program Goals and Structure13
- Strategy13
- Evaluation13
- Description of Marketing Communication Tools13
- Description of Key Messages13
-
Pilot Area Example Altadena Altadenawasidentifiedasacommunitythat fitsourtargetcriteriaItisadiverseunincor-poratedcommunitywithsixneighborhoods andanapproximatepopulationof40000The averagehouseholdincomeisabout$94000 Morethan50ofadultresidentsaremarried withchildrenandcommuteanaverageof62 milesperdaytowhite-collarjobsFully40of theadultsinthiscommunityhaveabachelors
degreeorhigherandareinvolvedinmany communityeventsandorganizationsThere areapproximately12000homesinthiscom-munityand10000ofthosehomesareowner-occupiedThegraphicshowshowoutreach wouldbeconcentratedinthisarea
pilot area outreachmarketing tactics
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAIdEARNEd LEAd
radio
Psas on multicultural stations earned county
coverage in local papers earned county
ads in local and multicultural papers Paid county
outdoor
Bus shelters in area Paid county
on-street lampost signage Paid county
Billboards Paid county
social media
Blogs (relevant to the area) earned county
online ads targeted by location Paid county
listserves of neighborhood associations (through cities)
earned county
out of Home
Movie theater ads in area Paid county
lawn signs on homes in area (through contractors)
Paid county
community organizations
community meetings with incentives to organizations for participation
earnedPaid county
community events Paid county Door hangers Paid county
28 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
Home Depot
Ace Hardware
Lowersquos
Master Builders
Great Indoors
Home Expo
altadena marketing target
Hoy La Opinioacuten
Pasadena Star News
Altadena Headlines Examiner
Boulevard Magazine
Arroyo Magazine
Pasadena Weekly
Altadena Connection
Sentinel
KLVE
KPCC Pasadena
KCBS
KROQ Pasadena
KAZN Pasadena
Church Bulletins
Summer Concert Series at Farnsworth Park
Fourth of July Fireworks at
Town amp Country Club
Black History Parade
World Music Festival in Pasadena
Haunted House at
Farnsworth Park
Art Break
Rose Parade
National Latino
Congreso
Altadena Neighborhood Association
Altadena Chamber of Commerce
Altadena Arts Council
Altadena Town Council
Faith-based Organizations
Altadena Town amp Country Club
Altadena League of
Women Voters
Altadena Historical Society
Altadena Community Improvement Center
Sheriff Support Group
Santa Coming to Farnsworth
Park
Altadena California
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 29
3 Trigger-Event Marketing
Thissuiteofstrategieswillbeaimedatcaptur-ingenergyefficiencyopportunitiesfrommul-tipletriggereventsParticipantswillmainly comethroughcontractorsrealtorsandretail partnerspropertyownerswillhavealsoseen countywideadvertising
trigger event marketing
4 City and COG Outreach
OutreachbyCitiesandCOGswillbecritical becauseoftheirexistingrelationshipswith localconstituenciesCitieswillbeprovided withamini-marketingplantalkingpoints videocustomizabletemplatesoffactsheets articlesfortheirnewslettersandadvertising
EvENT dESCRIPTION LEAd AGENT COLLATERAL TACTIC
1 Replace on burnout (heating air conditioners water heaters)
Homeowners either in process of replacing an item or have already done some efficiency projects
county bull Retail partners
bull HVac installers
bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors installers
bull Retail displays
2 life-stage changes (growing family)
Homeowners working with a contractor
county bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors bull ads in media for home remodels
3 Home remodel Homeowners working with an architect contractor
county bull contractors bull architects
bull Materials for contractors
bull ads in media for home remodels
3 improvements at time of purchase
Homeowners interested are preparing a new home for move-in (research shows more interest at purchase than at sale)
shared bull contractors bull Realtors bull Home
inspectors bull city permit
offices bull city welcome
kits bull Retail
bull Brochures for cities
bull ads in weekend homes for sale sections
bull Presentations to realtor groups
bull Retail displays
4 improvements at sale
House owners preparing for sale
county bull contractors bull Realtors
bull Materials for contractors
5 complaints high utility bills cold hot house
Homeowners aware of energy-saving improvements but not whole house approach
county bull contractors bull HeRs raters
bull Materials for contractors
30 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
city amp cog outreach
materialssotheycandeveloplow-costout-reachtotheirresidentsCitieswithcommuni-tiestargetedinthePilotAreaMarketingplans willbeinformedandencouragedtodoout-reachtothoseareasAllCitieswillbeencour-agedtodothefollowing
Run stories in print and online news-letters
Send information to neighborhood associations homeowners associa-tions historic preservation districts and other appropriate community organizations
Provide information in City permit-ting offices and City Hall lobbies
Provide information at strategically located Environmental Information Centers and at COG office locations
Provide information in ldquonew home-ownersrdquo welcome kits (either directly from the city or through title compa-
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAId EARNEd
LEAd
pio coordination contact all participating citiesrsquo Pios na county
letters Key messages for letters from mayors etc to constituents Provide to Pios or city managers
na county
Website links Button for cities to place on their website to link to Program site
na county
city tV informational videos and spot promos Placed county
Welcome brochure
Brochure aimed at new homeowners before they move in
na county
articles Pre-written customizable newsletter articles earned county
email blasts Pre-written customizable info spots for communityneighborhood listserves
earned county
niesmortgage brokers)
Run videos and spots on City TV stations
5 Contractor Marketing
Localcontractorsarecriticaltothesuccess ofEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLosAngeles CountyTheyprovidetheservicesthatcom-prisetheProgramandtheycanhelpmarket theProgramtopropertyownersInfactwe estimatethatupto50ofProgrampartici-pantswillentertheProgramthrougharela-tionshipwithacontractor(theymayhavealso seenmediacoverageandadvertisingwhich spurredthemtotakeaction)Thisuniquerole requiresthattheProgramtakeatwo-tiered approachofengagingthecontractormdashmoti-vatinglocalbuildingprofessionalstoundergo thetrainingandcertificationprocessandalso providingthemwiththetoolstoeffectively promotetheprogramtoexistingandnew clientsThefollowingsectiondescribesspecific
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 31
contractor target
United Brotherhood Building Industry Carpenters (Training)
Association ofSouthern California
Email Blast
Contractors Magazines
Contractor
OnlineAds
Big Box Stores
ConractorsLicensing Schools
Realtor Associations
strategiesassociatedwithbothapproaches
Forthepurposesoftheprogramcontractors aredividedintoparticularsegmentsbasedon thetypeofserviceprovidedAninitialanalysis oftheindustryrevealedthefollowinglikely categories
HomePerformance(HP)Contractors
ProductionBuilders
HVACSystemSpecialtyTrades (windowsetc)
RemodelingContractors
SolarContractors
BuildingPerformance
Institute
Southwest Regional
City Permit Association
Offices of Carpenters
Lumber Yards
StateLicensing
Board
American Instituteof Architects
LA Chapter
Outreach to Contractors TheProgramwillcoordinatewithcontractor groupsandotherbuildingprofessionaltrade organizationstoschedulebriefpresentations abouttheProgramandthecontractortraining processForlargerorganizationsthePro-grammayworkdirectlywiththecompanyto arrangeon-sitepresentationsThesepresenta-tionsareinformalinnatureandwillbeusedto promotethecertificationorientationsrequired forcontractorparticipationintheprogram
KeyMessagestoContractors
$30millioninAmericanRecoveryand ReinvestmentActmoneyisworkinginLA Countytocreateconstructionindustryjobs
32 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
EnergyUpgradeCaliforniaOffersbig rebatesandfinancingoptionsfor homeownersdoinghomeenergy efficiencyretrofits
Therewillbemarketingandadvertis-ingstatewideandlocallytopromotethe Program
Therewillbemarketingmaterialsforyou tousetomarketyourbusiness
YoumustbelicensedandBuildingPerfor-manceInstitute-certifiedtobepartofthe Program
HomeownersmustworkwithBPI-certified contractorstheyrsquollchoosefromacontrac-tordatabaseonthewebsite
KeyOutreachMethods
BuildingIndustryAssociationofSouthern California
SouthwestRegionalCouncilofCarpenters
RealtorsAssociation
UnitedBrotherhood-Carpenters(Training Program)
Citypermittingoffice
Lumberyards
AmericanInstituteofArchitectsLA Chapter(toeducatethemaswell)
ArticlesinformationinContractortrade publications(magazinesnewslettersetc) magazines
CarpentersUnionLocals
ContractorsLicenseSchools(andonline)
BigBoxHomeImprovementstores(de-pendingonIOUrelationships)
wwwcslbcagov
Emailblasttoalllicensedcontractors
Contractor Outreach to Consumers Differentopportunitiesexistfordifferent contractorsdependingontheprobablework scopeThefollowingtableoutlinesafew potentialpathwaysforhowcontractorscan participateintheProgram
contractors outreach to customers
CONTRACTOR TyPE
TRIGGER EvENT vALUE TO CONTRACTOR
BUSINESS MOdEL
Home Performance upgrade lead generation scale for high volume
Production Builder new Business Development
create new division
HVac Replacement lead generation Value-add
expand services
specialty trade lead generation Partner with certified gc
Remodeler Remodel life-stage transition
Value-add sub work to HP contractor
solar Renewables lead generation Partner with certified gc
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 33
BPI-certifiedgeneralcontractorswillbelisted ontheEnergyUpgradeconsumerwebsite sendingmanyleadsdirectlytothemThey alsohaveaccesstotheldquoheatmapsrdquotousefor developingtheirownadvertisingcampaigns
Contractorswillbeattendingorientationses-sionstoensuretheythoroughlyunderstand theProgramrebatesfinancingoptionsand canhelpguidetheircustomersthroughthe processTheywillbeprovidedwithContractor MarketingKitstoensuretheyhaveathandthe keymessagesthathavebeenresonatingwith homeownersandhaveinformationtogive topotentialcustomerswhomightormight nothavebeentothewebsiteKitscanbesent directlytocontractorsordistributedatthe orientationsessionsKitswillcontain
Talkingpoints
DVDofthevideo
Printedfactsheetstoleavewithcustomers (withroomfortheircontactinfo)more canbeordered
Printedldquoslimjimrdquoprogrambrochure
Printedlengthierbrochuresaboutthe wholehouseapproach(brandedby Scientific American Magazine)
CDwithldquobuttonrdquotolinktoEnergyUpgrade fromtheirownwebsitesandPDFsofsite signageforprinting
Contractorswillhaveaccesstoaseparatesec-tionofthewebsitewheretheywillfindinfor-mationaboutProgrameventspromotionsand advertisinganon-demandprintsectionfor additionalcopiesofbrochuresanychanges totheProgramandasingletradecontractor databaseforassemblingteamsforcustomers whowouldlikesolarpanelsornewwindows forexample
6 Realtor Marketing
Giventhatthenationalaveragelengthofhome ownershipisroughlysixyearsrealestate agentswillbeincontactandadvisingalarge percentageofthenewandexistinghomeown-ersthatEnergyUpgradeistargetingforhome energyretrofitsThishighlevelofinfluence makesrealtorsoneofthelargestpartner groups
Realestateagentswillbeengagedonthree levels
1) Outreach
2) Training
3) Support
Outreach Outreachwillbeconductedthroughavariety ofvenuesthatwillincludeCaliforniaAssocia-tionofRealtorsreg(CAR)regionalconferences heldinSouthernCaliforniapartnershipwith themanyrealtorassociationslocatedinLos AngelesCountyanddirectvisitstorealestate agentsrsquoofficesforshortpresentationsPart-nershipswiththe15-20localRealtorsAsso-ciationswillbeachievedthroughoneormore RealtorAdvisoryBoardswhichincludethe GovernmentAffairsDirectorsfromeachof theseorganizationsAselectfewoftheseor-ganizationswillbeusedaspilotsfortargeted outreachduringearlystagesoftheProgram Oncethestrategyhasbeentestedandrevised itwillberolledouttoalloftheRealtorsAs-sociationsinLosAngelesCounty
ThefallCARRealtorExpowillbethemain kickoffeventforoutreachtoindividualreal-torsandrealtorofficesEnergyUpgradeplans tohavea30-minutetalkembeddedinthe SpeakersProgramandaboothsetuponthe ExpofloortoinformrealtorsaboutthePro-gramavailabletrainingsandthesupport
34 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
toolsthathavebeendevelopedThisevent willreachthemajorityofrealtorsintheLos Angelesareabutwillnotincludethelarge populationofrealestateagentsthatarenot membersofCARToreachthispopulation emailsocialmediaandtargetedofficevisits willbeconducted
Training EnergyUpgradewillprovidetrainingforreal estateagentsintwoformsTherealestate agenttrainingmodulecurrentlyunderdevel-opmentbyBuildItGreenwillbeusedasthe maintrainingforumThistrainingmodule isexpectedtotaketwofulldaystocomplete andwillcoverpropertyassessedcleanenergy financingenergyefficientmortgagesrebate programsbuildingscienceenergyefficiency andgreenbuildingpracticesappropriateto California
Additionalweb-basedtrainingwillbeprovided tointroducerealestateagentstotheProgram andtodrivethemtogetin-persontraining throughtheBuildItGreentrainingmodule
Support Cultivatingandclosingtoolswillbegener-atedtoassistrealtorsinusingEnergyUpgrade Californiatradetoexpandtheirbusinesswhile drivinghigherlevelsofprogramparticipation RealtorKitswillbesimilartotheContractor Kitsandtheywillhaveaccesstothedatabase ofgeneralandsingletradecontractors
7 Retail Partner Marketing
Utilitieswillpartnerwithretailoutletsthat canincludeBestBuyCostcoSearsLowes andHomeDepotParticipatingretailoutlets willbeprovided
Information centersEnd-displays detailingtheEnergyUpgradeProgram withadiagramillustratingthehouseas asystemconcept(multiplecomponents thatacttogethertomaximizesavings)and actionscustomerscantaketocapturethose savingsandrebatesIn-storecustomer educationcanshiftcustomerperception ofenergyupgradesandmotivatethem toparticipateinmultipleenergy-efficient measuresinsteadofjustoneAnadditional benefitfortheretailerisassociationwith thestatewideprogram
Program collateral One-sheet takeawaysforcustomerstoreference andshare
Video Theshortvideoscanbeplayed onaloop
Table tent cardsPlacedthroughout storesectionsthatcorrelatewiththe EnergyUpgradeProgram(CFLsappli-ancesceilingfansinsulationwindows) Againthiswillencouragecustomersto performmultipleenergyupgradesinstead ofjustoneCross-promotionhelpseducate customersandencourageparticipationin multiplemeasuresthusincreasingproduct purchase
Window clings ldquoOfficialEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaInformationCenterrdquotagline bannersplacedatstorefrontThiswillpo-sitiontheretailerasanactiveparticipantin thestatewideprogramandbuildsretailer credibilityasagreenadvocate
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 35
8 Multi-Family Outreach
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesandsched-ulesarestillinplanningphasesandbeing developedthroughastatewideconsortium
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesarebeing
developed
36 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
evaluation
Theprimarygoalsofthemarketingplanareto buildpositiveawarenessoftheEnergyUp-gradeCaliforniaProgramandcreateasus-tainedmarketforawholehouseapproach(see page8)Objectivesarespecifictothoseachiev-ingthosegoalsLosAngelesCountyresidents willseemultipleiterationsofmediacoverage paidadvertisingin-storedisplayscontractor marketingandin-personpresentations(inthe pilotmarketingareas)Forexamplearesi-dentinAltadenamightseethemoreintensive marketingandoutreacheffortsThatmayspur themtoactionmdashbutiftheyalreadyhadplans toremodelorhadpreviouslyworkedwitha contractortheymightcalltheircontractorand thusactuallycometotheprogramthrough thecontractorThereforeitwillnotbeeasy todeterminepreciselywhathasmotivated eachpersontoparticipateinEnergyUpgrade Objectivestomeetinclude
About35-45ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughthemarket-ingandoutreacheffortsTomonitorwe willincludeashortsurveyaspartofthe rebateapplicationprocessaskingpartici-pantswhatdrewthemtothewebsiteand totheProgramThewebsitecanmonitor clickthroughstocontractorssitesfrom theProgramwebsiteprovidinganindica-tionofpotentialparticpantswhocameto thesitebeforehavingacontractorOnce apropertyownerinputsanaddressthe websitewillbeabletospecificallymonitor ifthatparticipantasksformultiple estimatesfromcontractorsanotherindica-
toroffindingacontractorthroughthesite
About45-50ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughcontractors Wewillaskcontractorstoprovideinfor-mationabouttheirmarketingeffortsand successratesTheywillbeabletoidentify participantsgainedthroughtheirownmar-ketingefforts
300000uniquehitsonthewebsitewhich willbemonitoredbythewebsiteFurther thewebsitewillanalyzewherevisitors camefrom(egaclickthroughfroman onlineadfromacontractorrsquoswebsite orduringthespecifictimeframeofanad campaign)
Virtualandactualldquoword-of-mouthrdquore-portedbymonitoringsocialmedia
Communicationskitsandmarketingkits availablebothphysicallyandthroughan on-demandprintsitemonitoredbyclient
Informationalmaterialsforcitiesmoni-toredbySouthBayCitiesCouncilofGov-ernments
50000000mediaadvertisingin-person impressionsmonitoredbybroadcast printonlinestatisticsandreportsfrom grassrootsmarketingefforts
Consolidatedinformationinone-stop-shop approachwillbedeliveredthroughthe website
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 37
description of marketing communication tools
PlacedEarned Social Media ThePlancallsforsocialmediatopushinfor-mationtoourtargetaudiencesincreaseper-ceptionsoftheProgramascommunity-based reachthosewhowillhelpgenerateadditional buzzindependentmarketingeffortsaboutthe Programandprovideamechanismforlisten-ingtowhatpeoplearesayingaboutEnergy Upgrademdashandrespondingwhennecessary
Online Paid Advertising Onlineadvertisingcampaignscanbeverycost-effectiveandhighlytargetedbydemographics areasofinterestandgeographicsAdsappear ontopic-relatedblogsonsearchenginepages (egGoogle)andoncontentpages(egwhen yousearchforinformationaboutarelated topicandselectawebsitetoview)
Types of Users Targetadsbyage genderincomelanguagepreferencezip codeorhotspots
Types of SearchesTargetadsbytypeof searchconductedbasedonkeywords
Adsareusuallysoldperldquoclickrdquomdashtheviewer hasclickedontheadandbeensenttothe EnergyUpgradeCAwebsiteWewillmake fourtypesofonlineadpurchases
1 Googleadsthatplaceadsbothonits searchpagesandonhundredsofwebsites targetedbytheabove
2 Networksthattargetspecificsitesand blogsthatmatchourtargetaudiences(eg HiveBlogsLosAngelesthatoffers350LA blogstochoosefrom)
3 Directlythroughselectpublishers(eg CurbedLAGreenGirlLAlocalpapers online)
4 Onlineeditionsoflocalpapersinpilot marketingareas
Twitter Twitterusersaremostlycollegegraduates haveattendedgraduateschoolandlivein householdsmakingover$50000ayear (nationally)Usersarethreetimesmorelikely tofollowbrandsandcompaniesonTwitter thanotherusersofsocialnetworkswith40 specificallyusingTwittertolearnaboutand provideopinionsonbrands
Twittercanpushthelatestdevelopmentsand newstopeoplewhohaveexpressedaninter-estedintheProgram(theymustsignupto receiveourTweetsorhavesearchedfortag wordsincludedinourTweets)Itrsquosalsoan easywayforthosewhofollowEnergyUpgrade onTwittertoshareTweetswiththeirfriends
38 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
therebygeneratingbuzzandhelpingmarket theProgramTwittercanshareProgram newsinrealtimedrivepeopletothewebsite facilitateearlyadoptersbuzzmakersreach youngerhomeownersandincreasemarketing effortsatalowcostTwittercanbeeffectively usedtocommunicatetheProgramandits milestonesinavarietyofways
bull Tweetaboutpressreleasesmajoran-nouncementsnewitemsonwebsiteor blogsmediastoriesandarticlesespecially aboutthosethataretimesensitiveandtell ouraudiencewhatishappeningwiththe Programandencouragesthemtopartici-pateorfindoutmore
bull PutaTweeticononthemainwebsiteal-lowingvisitorstothewebsitetobeginto followEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLos AngelesCountyonTwitterwithoneclick
bull FollowotherswhoTweetaboutthe ProgramaswellasthosewhoTweetabout relatedtopicsThiswillprovideanop-portunitytodirectlyrespondtoaperson whohasaquestionabouttheProgramand pointthemtoalinktothewebsite
Tweet Examples
bull ldquo100LAhomeownershavesigned upfortheProgramatwwwEnergyUpgra-deCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoReadaboutLArsquosnewenergyefficiency rebateProgramintheLAtimes httpwwwlatimesgreenblogcomrdquo
bull ldquoWanttosaveonyourutilitybills CheckoutwwwEnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoSignupfortheHomeEnergyUpgrade contestforachancetowinafree homeenergyefficiencyretrofitat EnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
Cost and Budget
SettingupaTwitteraccountisfreeasisusing anapplicationsuchasTweetDeckthathelps followotherswhoareTweetingaboutEnergy UpgradeCaliforniaTheonlysignificantcostis stafftimewhichcanbelimitedtoafewhours aweek
Facebook Facebookisalow-costandeasywayofboth marketingtheProgramandsupportingan onlinecommunityofpeopleinterestedinthe ProgramItwillreachaudienceswhoaremore likelytospendtimeonFacebookversusaweb-siteandwhomayprefertoreceiveshortreal timeProgramnewsviaFacebookratherthan emailsorwebsitesItisidealforpostinglinks tovideosandphotosrelatedtotheprojectIt complementsthewebsiteaplacewherefans oftheProgramcanfindinformationaskques-tionsandshareideasandexcitementThese fanswillgeneratebuzzbytellingtheirfriends abouttheProgramthroughFacebook
AFacebookpagewillcontaininformation abouttheProgramalinktothewebsite Programnewsvideosphotographsandother informationWhenthepageisupdatedfans willreceivelinksinemailalertingthemtothe newposts
Facebookisalsoidealforsharingthestoryof anearlyadopter(whowillalsoTweet)through updatesphotographsandvideosItlends itselfmuchmorenaturallytothispeople-fo-cusedapproachthanawebsitewhichismore formal
Additionalpoints
bull EncourageandperhapsrewardProgram adopterstosharetheirexperiencesask questionsetc
bull Setupcontrolstodeterminewhatcontent Fanscanposttothewall
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 39
bull Monitorupdatestothewallandtakedown Therearemanyexistingblogsthatcanbeused inappropriatecontent
bull Respondtoissuesquestionsandtakepart intheconversation
bull Adesignatedstaffpersonshouldmonitor thesiteitisalsoidealifseveralstaff memberspostcontentandifpartnersare activeparticipantsalthoughtheoverall strategyshouldbecentralized
Facebook Examples
Herearesomeexamplesofthetypesofpost-ingsforaFacebookpage
bull ldquoTheLATimesdescribesEnergyUpgrade CAasaperfectopportunitytobegreenand savemoneymdashintheFridaymoneysectionrdquo
bull ldquoWhydidyoudecidetoparticipatein EnergyUpgradeCATellushowyour energyefficiencyretrofitisgoingandwersquoll enteryouforachancetowina$50Home Depotgiftcardrdquo
bull ldquoWonderingwhetherEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaisrightforyouCheckoutthis videooftheSmithsinstallingnewinsula-tionandwindows--andreceivinga$3500 rebaterdquo
Cost and Budget
Relativelyfewdirectcostsstafftimewill fluctuateduringbusycalmperiodswithhigh activityatthebeginningastheProgramkicks offandafanbaseisestablishedOngoingstaff timeneededtokeeppagefreshwith3-4posts weekdailymaintenancerequiredtomonitor postingsfromfans
Blogs Blogsreachtargetaudienceswhoarealready interestedinrelatedtopicsandwhohavehigh potentialtoparticipateintheProgram
tofurthermarketingefforts
bull Identifybloggerswhowilllikelywrite positivelyabouttheProgramSendpress releasefactsheetsandPrograminforma-tiontobloggerswhowriteabouttopics suchastheenvironmentenergyefficiency homeimprovementremodelingreal estatehousingbargainssavingmoneyas wellastocompaniesthatsellsolarpanels contractorsetc
bull Bloggersarelookingfortopicalstoriesto writeaboutandwewillmaketheirnext blogposteasyBecauseEnergyUpgradeis ahighrewardoptionalProgrambloggers willwritefavorablyandhelptellthestory inafriendlyaccessibleandeasy-to-under-standway(althoughwedonrsquothavecontrol overwhattheywrite)Peoplewhoaredis-satisfiedwillwritenegativecommentsbut wewillmonitorblogsandactivelycorrect misperceptions
bull Tomonitorwhatothersarewritingabout EnergyUpgradeontheirblogswewilluse freeprogramslikeTechnoratiorGoogle Readertoscanallblogsandwebsitesthat mentiontheProgram
Blogs to Reach
Green Girl LA Blog (httpgreenlagirlcom)Thisindependent blogisfocusedonenvironmentalhap-peningsinLosAngelesArecentpostwas aboutagreennetworkingeventfeaturing TheBuildingDoctorspresentingwaysto makeyourhousemoreenergyefficient PreviouslyareporterbloggerfortheLA Timesthewriterisactiveandcoversa widevarietyofenvironmentalgreentopics happeninginLosAngeles
40 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
LA Times HomeBlog (wwwlatimesblogslatimescomhome_
blog)focusesontopicsrelatedtohouses andhashadseveralrecentpostsabout greenremodelingOneadvantageofa majornewspaperisthatthereportingis accurateandthereadershipislargerThey recentlywroteaboutauditionsforThisOld HousewhichisfeaturingaLosAngeles areahouseforasummerremodel
Bargain Babe (wwwbargainbabelatownluxecom) featuresLosAngelesbargainsYoucan searchforbargainsbyareaofLA(West-sideetc)orbytopicThisbloggerrecently wroteaboutappliancerebates
LA Times Green Remodeling (wwwlatimesblogslatimescompar-donourdustgreen_remodeling)writes aboutalltopicsrelatedtoremodelingin SouthernCaliforniawithseveralrecent postsongreentopicsArecentpostre-viewedthedifferentadvantagesofinstall-ingvarioustanklesswaterheatersPitch thatthebloggerfollowahomeenergy retrofitandhelptelltheirstoryaswellas announcebasicPrograminformation
LA Times Personal Finance wwwlatimescombusinesspersonal-finance
Home Remodeling wwwkathysremodelingblogcom
Energy Efficiency wwwlowimpactlivingcomblog
LA CreekFreak
LA Observed
LAist
YouTube PostallvideosrelatedtotheprojectonYou-TubeWewillworkwithourmediapartners todevelopacontestforearlyadopterstofilm theirexperienceandletwebsitevisitorsvote onthebestWinnerreceivesaprizetobe determined
ListServes Listservesreachgroupsofpeoplewhoare interestedinasimilartopicorwholiveina specificneighborhoodSendemailblaststo listservessuchasneighborhoodassociations homeremodelersandenvironmentalgroups withanenergyfocusCitystaffhasinforma-tionaddressesofneighborhoodandhom-eownerassociationslists
Multimedia for Presentations Website Developanengaginginformative6-8minute videofocusingoncontractorsandhomeown-ersthatcanbeusedduringpresentationsand presentedonCityTVThevideowillbeshot bothinEnglishandinSpanishandcover
bull Howtherebatesworktocreateasenseof urgencyaboutdoingtheenergyupgrades soonerratherputtingitofftotakeadvan-tageoftherebates
bull Theldquosealthenenhancerdquowholehouse concept
bull WhattheProgramelementsactuallylook likeandhowtheyareinstalledtoover-comebarrierssuchasthatonemighthave tomoveoutofthehouseortheenergy upgradesareldquouglyrdquo
bull Workingwithacontractorwhatbeing licensedandcertifiedmeansgettingmul-tiplebids
bull Financingoptions
bull Doingthepaperwork
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 41
Fromthatvideodevelop
bull Threeindividual2-minutevideosforuse onlineeachfocusingonaspecifictopicmdash
againinbothEnglishandSpanish
bull A15anda30spoteachinEnglishand SpanishforuseonCityTVandbroadcast
stations
Print Collateral Customizable fact sheetsInforma-tionsheets(onepagefrontandback)in EnglishSpanishandChinesethatcanalso bepostedonthewebsiteasPDFs
Program brochureMorehighlyde-signedforplacementinmunicipaloffices andevents
Customizable Brochure Brandedwith SunsetMagazineorNationalGeographic forcontractorsandrealtorstohandto customers
SignageBannersforeventsandstreet lamppostspostersformunicipaloffices andsmalleventsandpotentiallysignage forbussidestransitshelters
Speakers kits Countyandcitystaffwillreceivekitstoensure everyoneisfamiliarwithkeymessagesandhas informationtogivetoconstituentsThesecan besentdirectlytocitiesordistributedthrough COGsKitswillcontain
bull Talkingpoints
bull DVDofthevideo
bull PPTpresentationforpublicmeetings
bull Printedbrochuresforpermitofficesto includewithwelcomepacketsfornewho-meowners
bull Articlesandphotostheycanrunintheir onlineorprintedcitynewsletters
bull CDwithtemplatesforquickprintingand websitebuttontolinkfromtheirwebsiteto EnergyUpgradeCalifornia
42 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
description of key messages
Thefollowingmessageshadthehighestreso-nanceinpollingandfocusgroupsbothinLos AngelesCountyandtheBayArea
Primary Motivators Thefollowingtwomessagesaboutsaving moneyarekeytomotivatingalltargetaudi-encesTheyshouldbepartofeverypieceof advertisingorcollateralproduced
1 RebatesHomeownerswhomakeenergy-savinghomeimprovementscanqualifyfor a$1500federaltaxcreditandrebatesof upto$3500dependingonhowmuchthey reduceenergyconsumptionAdditional motivatorTaxcreditsonlyavailable untilDecember312010(Rebatesare preferredovertaxcreditsbecauseitrsquoscash nowratherthanlateranddependingon incomenoteveryonecangetthecredit)
2 Save on Utility Bills Upgradingahome touselessenergyandwatercanreduce utilitybillsby20ormoremdashsavingyou moneyovertime
Secondary Motivators Thefollowingmessagesarethenlayeredde-pendingonwhichaudienceisbeingtargeted
Help the EnvironmentClimate Change Weallneedtodoourparttohelp theenvironmentandslowclimatechange Makingourhomesmoregreenandenergy efficientisanimportantstepweshouldall take
Reduce Foreign OilFossil FuelsAt atimewhenwearetryingtoreduceour dependenceonforeignoilandotherfossil fuelsupgradingtheenergyefficiencyof ourhomesisanimportantstepwecanall take(Infocusgroupstheconceptofenergy independencefurtherresonatedasinde-pendencefromutilitycompaniesgetting offthegrid)
Certified Contractors Save Money Speciallytrainedandcertifiedcontractors knowhowtofindimprovementsthatthe averagehomeownerwouldnotTheiras-sessmentswillensurethatyoufindmore energysavingsandthereforesavemore moneyonyourutilitybillsAdditional motivatorContractorsarecertifiedbythe BuildingPerformanceInstituteworking withtheDepartmentofEnergyandEnvi-ronmentalProtectionAgency
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 43
Increase Property ValuesHomesthat areenergy-efficientandenvironmentally friendlyaremoreappealingtohomebuyers Theseupgradescanincreaseyourproperty value
ComfortUpgradingyourhomersquosenergy efficiencymdashinparticularupgradinginsula-tionmdashcanmakeitamorecomfortableplace toliveNomoredraftycoldroomsinthe winterorhotstuffyroomsinthesummer
Indoor Air QualityInsulationand ventilationcanreduceallergyandasthma-causingmoldandmildewimproving indoorairqualityespeciallyforinfantsand thosewithhealthconditions
Messengers Homeownersprefertoreceiveinformation fromimpartialtrustedsourcesThesemes-sengersreceivedthehighestscoresinpolling
bull Neighborsandotherhomeowners
bull Contractorthehomeownerisalready workingwithorreferredbyfriendneigh-bor
bull Architectsdesignprofessionals
bull Gasandelectricutilities
bull Environmentalorganizations
bull Homeimprovementstorestaff(when equippedwithflyers)
44 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 45
- Cover
- Table of Contents13
- Summary Overview13
- Introduction13
- Programs Goals and Objectives13
- Marketing and Outreach Program Goals and Structure13
- Strategy13
- Evaluation13
- Description of Marketing Communication Tools13
- Description of Key Messages13
-
Home Depot
Ace Hardware
Lowersquos
Master Builders
Great Indoors
Home Expo
altadena marketing target
Hoy La Opinioacuten
Pasadena Star News
Altadena Headlines Examiner
Boulevard Magazine
Arroyo Magazine
Pasadena Weekly
Altadena Connection
Sentinel
KLVE
KPCC Pasadena
KCBS
KROQ Pasadena
KAZN Pasadena
Church Bulletins
Summer Concert Series at Farnsworth Park
Fourth of July Fireworks at
Town amp Country Club
Black History Parade
World Music Festival in Pasadena
Haunted House at
Farnsworth Park
Art Break
Rose Parade
National Latino
Congreso
Altadena Neighborhood Association
Altadena Chamber of Commerce
Altadena Arts Council
Altadena Town Council
Faith-based Organizations
Altadena Town amp Country Club
Altadena League of
Women Voters
Altadena Historical Society
Altadena Community Improvement Center
Sheriff Support Group
Santa Coming to Farnsworth
Park
Altadena California
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 29
3 Trigger-Event Marketing
Thissuiteofstrategieswillbeaimedatcaptur-ingenergyefficiencyopportunitiesfrommul-tipletriggereventsParticipantswillmainly comethroughcontractorsrealtorsandretail partnerspropertyownerswillhavealsoseen countywideadvertising
trigger event marketing
4 City and COG Outreach
OutreachbyCitiesandCOGswillbecritical becauseoftheirexistingrelationshipswith localconstituenciesCitieswillbeprovided withamini-marketingplantalkingpoints videocustomizabletemplatesoffactsheets articlesfortheirnewslettersandadvertising
EvENT dESCRIPTION LEAd AGENT COLLATERAL TACTIC
1 Replace on burnout (heating air conditioners water heaters)
Homeowners either in process of replacing an item or have already done some efficiency projects
county bull Retail partners
bull HVac installers
bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors installers
bull Retail displays
2 life-stage changes (growing family)
Homeowners working with a contractor
county bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors bull ads in media for home remodels
3 Home remodel Homeowners working with an architect contractor
county bull contractors bull architects
bull Materials for contractors
bull ads in media for home remodels
3 improvements at time of purchase
Homeowners interested are preparing a new home for move-in (research shows more interest at purchase than at sale)
shared bull contractors bull Realtors bull Home
inspectors bull city permit
offices bull city welcome
kits bull Retail
bull Brochures for cities
bull ads in weekend homes for sale sections
bull Presentations to realtor groups
bull Retail displays
4 improvements at sale
House owners preparing for sale
county bull contractors bull Realtors
bull Materials for contractors
5 complaints high utility bills cold hot house
Homeowners aware of energy-saving improvements but not whole house approach
county bull contractors bull HeRs raters
bull Materials for contractors
30 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
city amp cog outreach
materialssotheycandeveloplow-costout-reachtotheirresidentsCitieswithcommuni-tiestargetedinthePilotAreaMarketingplans willbeinformedandencouragedtodoout-reachtothoseareasAllCitieswillbeencour-agedtodothefollowing
Run stories in print and online news-letters
Send information to neighborhood associations homeowners associa-tions historic preservation districts and other appropriate community organizations
Provide information in City permit-ting offices and City Hall lobbies
Provide information at strategically located Environmental Information Centers and at COG office locations
Provide information in ldquonew home-ownersrdquo welcome kits (either directly from the city or through title compa-
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAId EARNEd
LEAd
pio coordination contact all participating citiesrsquo Pios na county
letters Key messages for letters from mayors etc to constituents Provide to Pios or city managers
na county
Website links Button for cities to place on their website to link to Program site
na county
city tV informational videos and spot promos Placed county
Welcome brochure
Brochure aimed at new homeowners before they move in
na county
articles Pre-written customizable newsletter articles earned county
email blasts Pre-written customizable info spots for communityneighborhood listserves
earned county
niesmortgage brokers)
Run videos and spots on City TV stations
5 Contractor Marketing
Localcontractorsarecriticaltothesuccess ofEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLosAngeles CountyTheyprovidetheservicesthatcom-prisetheProgramandtheycanhelpmarket theProgramtopropertyownersInfactwe estimatethatupto50ofProgrampartici-pantswillentertheProgramthrougharela-tionshipwithacontractor(theymayhavealso seenmediacoverageandadvertisingwhich spurredthemtotakeaction)Thisuniquerole requiresthattheProgramtakeatwo-tiered approachofengagingthecontractormdashmoti-vatinglocalbuildingprofessionalstoundergo thetrainingandcertificationprocessandalso providingthemwiththetoolstoeffectively promotetheprogramtoexistingandnew clientsThefollowingsectiondescribesspecific
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 31
contractor target
United Brotherhood Building Industry Carpenters (Training)
Association ofSouthern California
Email Blast
Contractors Magazines
Contractor
OnlineAds
Big Box Stores
ConractorsLicensing Schools
Realtor Associations
strategiesassociatedwithbothapproaches
Forthepurposesoftheprogramcontractors aredividedintoparticularsegmentsbasedon thetypeofserviceprovidedAninitialanalysis oftheindustryrevealedthefollowinglikely categories
HomePerformance(HP)Contractors
ProductionBuilders
HVACSystemSpecialtyTrades (windowsetc)
RemodelingContractors
SolarContractors
BuildingPerformance
Institute
Southwest Regional
City Permit Association
Offices of Carpenters
Lumber Yards
StateLicensing
Board
American Instituteof Architects
LA Chapter
Outreach to Contractors TheProgramwillcoordinatewithcontractor groupsandotherbuildingprofessionaltrade organizationstoschedulebriefpresentations abouttheProgramandthecontractortraining processForlargerorganizationsthePro-grammayworkdirectlywiththecompanyto arrangeon-sitepresentationsThesepresenta-tionsareinformalinnatureandwillbeusedto promotethecertificationorientationsrequired forcontractorparticipationintheprogram
KeyMessagestoContractors
$30millioninAmericanRecoveryand ReinvestmentActmoneyisworkinginLA Countytocreateconstructionindustryjobs
32 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
EnergyUpgradeCaliforniaOffersbig rebatesandfinancingoptionsfor homeownersdoinghomeenergy efficiencyretrofits
Therewillbemarketingandadvertis-ingstatewideandlocallytopromotethe Program
Therewillbemarketingmaterialsforyou tousetomarketyourbusiness
YoumustbelicensedandBuildingPerfor-manceInstitute-certifiedtobepartofthe Program
HomeownersmustworkwithBPI-certified contractorstheyrsquollchoosefromacontrac-tordatabaseonthewebsite
KeyOutreachMethods
BuildingIndustryAssociationofSouthern California
SouthwestRegionalCouncilofCarpenters
RealtorsAssociation
UnitedBrotherhood-Carpenters(Training Program)
Citypermittingoffice
Lumberyards
AmericanInstituteofArchitectsLA Chapter(toeducatethemaswell)
ArticlesinformationinContractortrade publications(magazinesnewslettersetc) magazines
CarpentersUnionLocals
ContractorsLicenseSchools(andonline)
BigBoxHomeImprovementstores(de-pendingonIOUrelationships)
wwwcslbcagov
Emailblasttoalllicensedcontractors
Contractor Outreach to Consumers Differentopportunitiesexistfordifferent contractorsdependingontheprobablework scopeThefollowingtableoutlinesafew potentialpathwaysforhowcontractorscan participateintheProgram
contractors outreach to customers
CONTRACTOR TyPE
TRIGGER EvENT vALUE TO CONTRACTOR
BUSINESS MOdEL
Home Performance upgrade lead generation scale for high volume
Production Builder new Business Development
create new division
HVac Replacement lead generation Value-add
expand services
specialty trade lead generation Partner with certified gc
Remodeler Remodel life-stage transition
Value-add sub work to HP contractor
solar Renewables lead generation Partner with certified gc
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 33
BPI-certifiedgeneralcontractorswillbelisted ontheEnergyUpgradeconsumerwebsite sendingmanyleadsdirectlytothemThey alsohaveaccesstotheldquoheatmapsrdquotousefor developingtheirownadvertisingcampaigns
Contractorswillbeattendingorientationses-sionstoensuretheythoroughlyunderstand theProgramrebatesfinancingoptionsand canhelpguidetheircustomersthroughthe processTheywillbeprovidedwithContractor MarketingKitstoensuretheyhaveathandthe keymessagesthathavebeenresonatingwith homeownersandhaveinformationtogive topotentialcustomerswhomightormight nothavebeentothewebsiteKitscanbesent directlytocontractorsordistributedatthe orientationsessionsKitswillcontain
Talkingpoints
DVDofthevideo
Printedfactsheetstoleavewithcustomers (withroomfortheircontactinfo)more canbeordered
Printedldquoslimjimrdquoprogrambrochure
Printedlengthierbrochuresaboutthe wholehouseapproach(brandedby Scientific American Magazine)
CDwithldquobuttonrdquotolinktoEnergyUpgrade fromtheirownwebsitesandPDFsofsite signageforprinting
Contractorswillhaveaccesstoaseparatesec-tionofthewebsitewheretheywillfindinfor-mationaboutProgrameventspromotionsand advertisinganon-demandprintsectionfor additionalcopiesofbrochuresanychanges totheProgramandasingletradecontractor databaseforassemblingteamsforcustomers whowouldlikesolarpanelsornewwindows forexample
6 Realtor Marketing
Giventhatthenationalaveragelengthofhome ownershipisroughlysixyearsrealestate agentswillbeincontactandadvisingalarge percentageofthenewandexistinghomeown-ersthatEnergyUpgradeistargetingforhome energyretrofitsThishighlevelofinfluence makesrealtorsoneofthelargestpartner groups
Realestateagentswillbeengagedonthree levels
1) Outreach
2) Training
3) Support
Outreach Outreachwillbeconductedthroughavariety ofvenuesthatwillincludeCaliforniaAssocia-tionofRealtorsreg(CAR)regionalconferences heldinSouthernCaliforniapartnershipwith themanyrealtorassociationslocatedinLos AngelesCountyanddirectvisitstorealestate agentsrsquoofficesforshortpresentationsPart-nershipswiththe15-20localRealtorsAsso-ciationswillbeachievedthroughoneormore RealtorAdvisoryBoardswhichincludethe GovernmentAffairsDirectorsfromeachof theseorganizationsAselectfewoftheseor-ganizationswillbeusedaspilotsfortargeted outreachduringearlystagesoftheProgram Oncethestrategyhasbeentestedandrevised itwillberolledouttoalloftheRealtorsAs-sociationsinLosAngelesCounty
ThefallCARRealtorExpowillbethemain kickoffeventforoutreachtoindividualreal-torsandrealtorofficesEnergyUpgradeplans tohavea30-minutetalkembeddedinthe SpeakersProgramandaboothsetuponthe ExpofloortoinformrealtorsaboutthePro-gramavailabletrainingsandthesupport
34 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
toolsthathavebeendevelopedThisevent willreachthemajorityofrealtorsintheLos Angelesareabutwillnotincludethelarge populationofrealestateagentsthatarenot membersofCARToreachthispopulation emailsocialmediaandtargetedofficevisits willbeconducted
Training EnergyUpgradewillprovidetrainingforreal estateagentsintwoformsTherealestate agenttrainingmodulecurrentlyunderdevel-opmentbyBuildItGreenwillbeusedasthe maintrainingforumThistrainingmodule isexpectedtotaketwofulldaystocomplete andwillcoverpropertyassessedcleanenergy financingenergyefficientmortgagesrebate programsbuildingscienceenergyefficiency andgreenbuildingpracticesappropriateto California
Additionalweb-basedtrainingwillbeprovided tointroducerealestateagentstotheProgram andtodrivethemtogetin-persontraining throughtheBuildItGreentrainingmodule
Support Cultivatingandclosingtoolswillbegener-atedtoassistrealtorsinusingEnergyUpgrade Californiatradetoexpandtheirbusinesswhile drivinghigherlevelsofprogramparticipation RealtorKitswillbesimilartotheContractor Kitsandtheywillhaveaccesstothedatabase ofgeneralandsingletradecontractors
7 Retail Partner Marketing
Utilitieswillpartnerwithretailoutletsthat canincludeBestBuyCostcoSearsLowes andHomeDepotParticipatingretailoutlets willbeprovided
Information centersEnd-displays detailingtheEnergyUpgradeProgram withadiagramillustratingthehouseas asystemconcept(multiplecomponents thatacttogethertomaximizesavings)and actionscustomerscantaketocapturethose savingsandrebatesIn-storecustomer educationcanshiftcustomerperception ofenergyupgradesandmotivatethem toparticipateinmultipleenergy-efficient measuresinsteadofjustoneAnadditional benefitfortheretailerisassociationwith thestatewideprogram
Program collateral One-sheet takeawaysforcustomerstoreference andshare
Video Theshortvideoscanbeplayed onaloop
Table tent cardsPlacedthroughout storesectionsthatcorrelatewiththe EnergyUpgradeProgram(CFLsappli-ancesceilingfansinsulationwindows) Againthiswillencouragecustomersto performmultipleenergyupgradesinstead ofjustoneCross-promotionhelpseducate customersandencourageparticipationin multiplemeasuresthusincreasingproduct purchase
Window clings ldquoOfficialEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaInformationCenterrdquotagline bannersplacedatstorefrontThiswillpo-sitiontheretailerasanactiveparticipantin thestatewideprogramandbuildsretailer credibilityasagreenadvocate
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 35
8 Multi-Family Outreach
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesandsched-ulesarestillinplanningphasesandbeing developedthroughastatewideconsortium
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesarebeing
developed
36 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
evaluation
Theprimarygoalsofthemarketingplanareto buildpositiveawarenessoftheEnergyUp-gradeCaliforniaProgramandcreateasus-tainedmarketforawholehouseapproach(see page8)Objectivesarespecifictothoseachiev-ingthosegoalsLosAngelesCountyresidents willseemultipleiterationsofmediacoverage paidadvertisingin-storedisplayscontractor marketingandin-personpresentations(inthe pilotmarketingareas)Forexamplearesi-dentinAltadenamightseethemoreintensive marketingandoutreacheffortsThatmayspur themtoactionmdashbutiftheyalreadyhadplans toremodelorhadpreviouslyworkedwitha contractortheymightcalltheircontractorand thusactuallycometotheprogramthrough thecontractorThereforeitwillnotbeeasy todeterminepreciselywhathasmotivated eachpersontoparticipateinEnergyUpgrade Objectivestomeetinclude
About35-45ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughthemarket-ingandoutreacheffortsTomonitorwe willincludeashortsurveyaspartofthe rebateapplicationprocessaskingpartici-pantswhatdrewthemtothewebsiteand totheProgramThewebsitecanmonitor clickthroughstocontractorssitesfrom theProgramwebsiteprovidinganindica-tionofpotentialparticpantswhocameto thesitebeforehavingacontractorOnce apropertyownerinputsanaddressthe websitewillbeabletospecificallymonitor ifthatparticipantasksformultiple estimatesfromcontractorsanotherindica-
toroffindingacontractorthroughthesite
About45-50ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughcontractors Wewillaskcontractorstoprovideinfor-mationabouttheirmarketingeffortsand successratesTheywillbeabletoidentify participantsgainedthroughtheirownmar-ketingefforts
300000uniquehitsonthewebsitewhich willbemonitoredbythewebsiteFurther thewebsitewillanalyzewherevisitors camefrom(egaclickthroughfroman onlineadfromacontractorrsquoswebsite orduringthespecifictimeframeofanad campaign)
Virtualandactualldquoword-of-mouthrdquore-portedbymonitoringsocialmedia
Communicationskitsandmarketingkits availablebothphysicallyandthroughan on-demandprintsitemonitoredbyclient
Informationalmaterialsforcitiesmoni-toredbySouthBayCitiesCouncilofGov-ernments
50000000mediaadvertisingin-person impressionsmonitoredbybroadcast printonlinestatisticsandreportsfrom grassrootsmarketingefforts
Consolidatedinformationinone-stop-shop approachwillbedeliveredthroughthe website
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 37
description of marketing communication tools
PlacedEarned Social Media ThePlancallsforsocialmediatopushinfor-mationtoourtargetaudiencesincreaseper-ceptionsoftheProgramascommunity-based reachthosewhowillhelpgenerateadditional buzzindependentmarketingeffortsaboutthe Programandprovideamechanismforlisten-ingtowhatpeoplearesayingaboutEnergy Upgrademdashandrespondingwhennecessary
Online Paid Advertising Onlineadvertisingcampaignscanbeverycost-effectiveandhighlytargetedbydemographics areasofinterestandgeographicsAdsappear ontopic-relatedblogsonsearchenginepages (egGoogle)andoncontentpages(egwhen yousearchforinformationaboutarelated topicandselectawebsitetoview)
Types of Users Targetadsbyage genderincomelanguagepreferencezip codeorhotspots
Types of SearchesTargetadsbytypeof searchconductedbasedonkeywords
Adsareusuallysoldperldquoclickrdquomdashtheviewer hasclickedontheadandbeensenttothe EnergyUpgradeCAwebsiteWewillmake fourtypesofonlineadpurchases
1 Googleadsthatplaceadsbothonits searchpagesandonhundredsofwebsites targetedbytheabove
2 Networksthattargetspecificsitesand blogsthatmatchourtargetaudiences(eg HiveBlogsLosAngelesthatoffers350LA blogstochoosefrom)
3 Directlythroughselectpublishers(eg CurbedLAGreenGirlLAlocalpapers online)
4 Onlineeditionsoflocalpapersinpilot marketingareas
Twitter Twitterusersaremostlycollegegraduates haveattendedgraduateschoolandlivein householdsmakingover$50000ayear (nationally)Usersarethreetimesmorelikely tofollowbrandsandcompaniesonTwitter thanotherusersofsocialnetworkswith40 specificallyusingTwittertolearnaboutand provideopinionsonbrands
Twittercanpushthelatestdevelopmentsand newstopeoplewhohaveexpressedaninter-estedintheProgram(theymustsignupto receiveourTweetsorhavesearchedfortag wordsincludedinourTweets)Itrsquosalsoan easywayforthosewhofollowEnergyUpgrade onTwittertoshareTweetswiththeirfriends
38 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
therebygeneratingbuzzandhelpingmarket theProgramTwittercanshareProgram newsinrealtimedrivepeopletothewebsite facilitateearlyadoptersbuzzmakersreach youngerhomeownersandincreasemarketing effortsatalowcostTwittercanbeeffectively usedtocommunicatetheProgramandits milestonesinavarietyofways
bull Tweetaboutpressreleasesmajoran-nouncementsnewitemsonwebsiteor blogsmediastoriesandarticlesespecially aboutthosethataretimesensitiveandtell ouraudiencewhatishappeningwiththe Programandencouragesthemtopartici-pateorfindoutmore
bull PutaTweeticononthemainwebsiteal-lowingvisitorstothewebsitetobeginto followEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLos AngelesCountyonTwitterwithoneclick
bull FollowotherswhoTweetaboutthe ProgramaswellasthosewhoTweetabout relatedtopicsThiswillprovideanop-portunitytodirectlyrespondtoaperson whohasaquestionabouttheProgramand pointthemtoalinktothewebsite
Tweet Examples
bull ldquo100LAhomeownershavesigned upfortheProgramatwwwEnergyUpgra-deCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoReadaboutLArsquosnewenergyefficiency rebateProgramintheLAtimes httpwwwlatimesgreenblogcomrdquo
bull ldquoWanttosaveonyourutilitybills CheckoutwwwEnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoSignupfortheHomeEnergyUpgrade contestforachancetowinafree homeenergyefficiencyretrofitat EnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
Cost and Budget
SettingupaTwitteraccountisfreeasisusing anapplicationsuchasTweetDeckthathelps followotherswhoareTweetingaboutEnergy UpgradeCaliforniaTheonlysignificantcostis stafftimewhichcanbelimitedtoafewhours aweek
Facebook Facebookisalow-costandeasywayofboth marketingtheProgramandsupportingan onlinecommunityofpeopleinterestedinthe ProgramItwillreachaudienceswhoaremore likelytospendtimeonFacebookversusaweb-siteandwhomayprefertoreceiveshortreal timeProgramnewsviaFacebookratherthan emailsorwebsitesItisidealforpostinglinks tovideosandphotosrelatedtotheprojectIt complementsthewebsiteaplacewherefans oftheProgramcanfindinformationaskques-tionsandshareideasandexcitementThese fanswillgeneratebuzzbytellingtheirfriends abouttheProgramthroughFacebook
AFacebookpagewillcontaininformation abouttheProgramalinktothewebsite Programnewsvideosphotographsandother informationWhenthepageisupdatedfans willreceivelinksinemailalertingthemtothe newposts
Facebookisalsoidealforsharingthestoryof anearlyadopter(whowillalsoTweet)through updatesphotographsandvideosItlends itselfmuchmorenaturallytothispeople-fo-cusedapproachthanawebsitewhichismore formal
Additionalpoints
bull EncourageandperhapsrewardProgram adopterstosharetheirexperiencesask questionsetc
bull Setupcontrolstodeterminewhatcontent Fanscanposttothewall
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 39
bull Monitorupdatestothewallandtakedown Therearemanyexistingblogsthatcanbeused inappropriatecontent
bull Respondtoissuesquestionsandtakepart intheconversation
bull Adesignatedstaffpersonshouldmonitor thesiteitisalsoidealifseveralstaff memberspostcontentandifpartnersare activeparticipantsalthoughtheoverall strategyshouldbecentralized
Facebook Examples
Herearesomeexamplesofthetypesofpost-ingsforaFacebookpage
bull ldquoTheLATimesdescribesEnergyUpgrade CAasaperfectopportunitytobegreenand savemoneymdashintheFridaymoneysectionrdquo
bull ldquoWhydidyoudecidetoparticipatein EnergyUpgradeCATellushowyour energyefficiencyretrofitisgoingandwersquoll enteryouforachancetowina$50Home Depotgiftcardrdquo
bull ldquoWonderingwhetherEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaisrightforyouCheckoutthis videooftheSmithsinstallingnewinsula-tionandwindows--andreceivinga$3500 rebaterdquo
Cost and Budget
Relativelyfewdirectcostsstafftimewill fluctuateduringbusycalmperiodswithhigh activityatthebeginningastheProgramkicks offandafanbaseisestablishedOngoingstaff timeneededtokeeppagefreshwith3-4posts weekdailymaintenancerequiredtomonitor postingsfromfans
Blogs Blogsreachtargetaudienceswhoarealready interestedinrelatedtopicsandwhohavehigh potentialtoparticipateintheProgram
tofurthermarketingefforts
bull Identifybloggerswhowilllikelywrite positivelyabouttheProgramSendpress releasefactsheetsandPrograminforma-tiontobloggerswhowriteabouttopics suchastheenvironmentenergyefficiency homeimprovementremodelingreal estatehousingbargainssavingmoneyas wellastocompaniesthatsellsolarpanels contractorsetc
bull Bloggersarelookingfortopicalstoriesto writeaboutandwewillmaketheirnext blogposteasyBecauseEnergyUpgradeis ahighrewardoptionalProgrambloggers willwritefavorablyandhelptellthestory inafriendlyaccessibleandeasy-to-under-standway(althoughwedonrsquothavecontrol overwhattheywrite)Peoplewhoaredis-satisfiedwillwritenegativecommentsbut wewillmonitorblogsandactivelycorrect misperceptions
bull Tomonitorwhatothersarewritingabout EnergyUpgradeontheirblogswewilluse freeprogramslikeTechnoratiorGoogle Readertoscanallblogsandwebsitesthat mentiontheProgram
Blogs to Reach
Green Girl LA Blog (httpgreenlagirlcom)Thisindependent blogisfocusedonenvironmentalhap-peningsinLosAngelesArecentpostwas aboutagreennetworkingeventfeaturing TheBuildingDoctorspresentingwaysto makeyourhousemoreenergyefficient PreviouslyareporterbloggerfortheLA Timesthewriterisactiveandcoversa widevarietyofenvironmentalgreentopics happeninginLosAngeles
40 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
LA Times HomeBlog (wwwlatimesblogslatimescomhome_
blog)focusesontopicsrelatedtohouses andhashadseveralrecentpostsabout greenremodelingOneadvantageofa majornewspaperisthatthereportingis accurateandthereadershipislargerThey recentlywroteaboutauditionsforThisOld HousewhichisfeaturingaLosAngeles areahouseforasummerremodel
Bargain Babe (wwwbargainbabelatownluxecom) featuresLosAngelesbargainsYoucan searchforbargainsbyareaofLA(West-sideetc)orbytopicThisbloggerrecently wroteaboutappliancerebates
LA Times Green Remodeling (wwwlatimesblogslatimescompar-donourdustgreen_remodeling)writes aboutalltopicsrelatedtoremodelingin SouthernCaliforniawithseveralrecent postsongreentopicsArecentpostre-viewedthedifferentadvantagesofinstall-ingvarioustanklesswaterheatersPitch thatthebloggerfollowahomeenergy retrofitandhelptelltheirstoryaswellas announcebasicPrograminformation
LA Times Personal Finance wwwlatimescombusinesspersonal-finance
Home Remodeling wwwkathysremodelingblogcom
Energy Efficiency wwwlowimpactlivingcomblog
LA CreekFreak
LA Observed
LAist
YouTube PostallvideosrelatedtotheprojectonYou-TubeWewillworkwithourmediapartners todevelopacontestforearlyadopterstofilm theirexperienceandletwebsitevisitorsvote onthebestWinnerreceivesaprizetobe determined
ListServes Listservesreachgroupsofpeoplewhoare interestedinasimilartopicorwholiveina specificneighborhoodSendemailblaststo listservessuchasneighborhoodassociations homeremodelersandenvironmentalgroups withanenergyfocusCitystaffhasinforma-tionaddressesofneighborhoodandhom-eownerassociationslists
Multimedia for Presentations Website Developanengaginginformative6-8minute videofocusingoncontractorsandhomeown-ersthatcanbeusedduringpresentationsand presentedonCityTVThevideowillbeshot bothinEnglishandinSpanishandcover
bull Howtherebatesworktocreateasenseof urgencyaboutdoingtheenergyupgrades soonerratherputtingitofftotakeadvan-tageoftherebates
bull Theldquosealthenenhancerdquowholehouse concept
bull WhattheProgramelementsactuallylook likeandhowtheyareinstalledtoover-comebarrierssuchasthatonemighthave tomoveoutofthehouseortheenergy upgradesareldquouglyrdquo
bull Workingwithacontractorwhatbeing licensedandcertifiedmeansgettingmul-tiplebids
bull Financingoptions
bull Doingthepaperwork
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 41
Fromthatvideodevelop
bull Threeindividual2-minutevideosforuse onlineeachfocusingonaspecifictopicmdash
againinbothEnglishandSpanish
bull A15anda30spoteachinEnglishand SpanishforuseonCityTVandbroadcast
stations
Print Collateral Customizable fact sheetsInforma-tionsheets(onepagefrontandback)in EnglishSpanishandChinesethatcanalso bepostedonthewebsiteasPDFs
Program brochureMorehighlyde-signedforplacementinmunicipaloffices andevents
Customizable Brochure Brandedwith SunsetMagazineorNationalGeographic forcontractorsandrealtorstohandto customers
SignageBannersforeventsandstreet lamppostspostersformunicipaloffices andsmalleventsandpotentiallysignage forbussidestransitshelters
Speakers kits Countyandcitystaffwillreceivekitstoensure everyoneisfamiliarwithkeymessagesandhas informationtogivetoconstituentsThesecan besentdirectlytocitiesordistributedthrough COGsKitswillcontain
bull Talkingpoints
bull DVDofthevideo
bull PPTpresentationforpublicmeetings
bull Printedbrochuresforpermitofficesto includewithwelcomepacketsfornewho-meowners
bull Articlesandphotostheycanrunintheir onlineorprintedcitynewsletters
bull CDwithtemplatesforquickprintingand websitebuttontolinkfromtheirwebsiteto EnergyUpgradeCalifornia
42 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
description of key messages
Thefollowingmessageshadthehighestreso-nanceinpollingandfocusgroupsbothinLos AngelesCountyandtheBayArea
Primary Motivators Thefollowingtwomessagesaboutsaving moneyarekeytomotivatingalltargetaudi-encesTheyshouldbepartofeverypieceof advertisingorcollateralproduced
1 RebatesHomeownerswhomakeenergy-savinghomeimprovementscanqualifyfor a$1500federaltaxcreditandrebatesof upto$3500dependingonhowmuchthey reduceenergyconsumptionAdditional motivatorTaxcreditsonlyavailable untilDecember312010(Rebatesare preferredovertaxcreditsbecauseitrsquoscash nowratherthanlateranddependingon incomenoteveryonecangetthecredit)
2 Save on Utility Bills Upgradingahome touselessenergyandwatercanreduce utilitybillsby20ormoremdashsavingyou moneyovertime
Secondary Motivators Thefollowingmessagesarethenlayeredde-pendingonwhichaudienceisbeingtargeted
Help the EnvironmentClimate Change Weallneedtodoourparttohelp theenvironmentandslowclimatechange Makingourhomesmoregreenandenergy efficientisanimportantstepweshouldall take
Reduce Foreign OilFossil FuelsAt atimewhenwearetryingtoreduceour dependenceonforeignoilandotherfossil fuelsupgradingtheenergyefficiencyof ourhomesisanimportantstepwecanall take(Infocusgroupstheconceptofenergy independencefurtherresonatedasinde-pendencefromutilitycompaniesgetting offthegrid)
Certified Contractors Save Money Speciallytrainedandcertifiedcontractors knowhowtofindimprovementsthatthe averagehomeownerwouldnotTheiras-sessmentswillensurethatyoufindmore energysavingsandthereforesavemore moneyonyourutilitybillsAdditional motivatorContractorsarecertifiedbythe BuildingPerformanceInstituteworking withtheDepartmentofEnergyandEnvi-ronmentalProtectionAgency
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 43
Increase Property ValuesHomesthat areenergy-efficientandenvironmentally friendlyaremoreappealingtohomebuyers Theseupgradescanincreaseyourproperty value
ComfortUpgradingyourhomersquosenergy efficiencymdashinparticularupgradinginsula-tionmdashcanmakeitamorecomfortableplace toliveNomoredraftycoldroomsinthe winterorhotstuffyroomsinthesummer
Indoor Air QualityInsulationand ventilationcanreduceallergyandasthma-causingmoldandmildewimproving indoorairqualityespeciallyforinfantsand thosewithhealthconditions
Messengers Homeownersprefertoreceiveinformation fromimpartialtrustedsourcesThesemes-sengersreceivedthehighestscoresinpolling
bull Neighborsandotherhomeowners
bull Contractorthehomeownerisalready workingwithorreferredbyfriendneigh-bor
bull Architectsdesignprofessionals
bull Gasandelectricutilities
bull Environmentalorganizations
bull Homeimprovementstorestaff(when equippedwithflyers)
44 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 45
- Cover
- Table of Contents13
- Summary Overview13
- Introduction13
- Programs Goals and Objectives13
- Marketing and Outreach Program Goals and Structure13
- Strategy13
- Evaluation13
- Description of Marketing Communication Tools13
- Description of Key Messages13
-
3 Trigger-Event Marketing
Thissuiteofstrategieswillbeaimedatcaptur-ingenergyefficiencyopportunitiesfrommul-tipletriggereventsParticipantswillmainly comethroughcontractorsrealtorsandretail partnerspropertyownerswillhavealsoseen countywideadvertising
trigger event marketing
4 City and COG Outreach
OutreachbyCitiesandCOGswillbecritical becauseoftheirexistingrelationshipswith localconstituenciesCitieswillbeprovided withamini-marketingplantalkingpoints videocustomizabletemplatesoffactsheets articlesfortheirnewslettersandadvertising
EvENT dESCRIPTION LEAd AGENT COLLATERAL TACTIC
1 Replace on burnout (heating air conditioners water heaters)
Homeowners either in process of replacing an item or have already done some efficiency projects
county bull Retail partners
bull HVac installers
bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors installers
bull Retail displays
2 life-stage changes (growing family)
Homeowners working with a contractor
county bull general contractors
bull Materials for contractors bull ads in media for home remodels
3 Home remodel Homeowners working with an architect contractor
county bull contractors bull architects
bull Materials for contractors
bull ads in media for home remodels
3 improvements at time of purchase
Homeowners interested are preparing a new home for move-in (research shows more interest at purchase than at sale)
shared bull contractors bull Realtors bull Home
inspectors bull city permit
offices bull city welcome
kits bull Retail
bull Brochures for cities
bull ads in weekend homes for sale sections
bull Presentations to realtor groups
bull Retail displays
4 improvements at sale
House owners preparing for sale
county bull contractors bull Realtors
bull Materials for contractors
5 complaints high utility bills cold hot house
Homeowners aware of energy-saving improvements but not whole house approach
county bull contractors bull HeRs raters
bull Materials for contractors
30 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
city amp cog outreach
materialssotheycandeveloplow-costout-reachtotheirresidentsCitieswithcommuni-tiestargetedinthePilotAreaMarketingplans willbeinformedandencouragedtodoout-reachtothoseareasAllCitieswillbeencour-agedtodothefollowing
Run stories in print and online news-letters
Send information to neighborhood associations homeowners associa-tions historic preservation districts and other appropriate community organizations
Provide information in City permit-ting offices and City Hall lobbies
Provide information at strategically located Environmental Information Centers and at COG office locations
Provide information in ldquonew home-ownersrdquo welcome kits (either directly from the city or through title compa-
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAId EARNEd
LEAd
pio coordination contact all participating citiesrsquo Pios na county
letters Key messages for letters from mayors etc to constituents Provide to Pios or city managers
na county
Website links Button for cities to place on their website to link to Program site
na county
city tV informational videos and spot promos Placed county
Welcome brochure
Brochure aimed at new homeowners before they move in
na county
articles Pre-written customizable newsletter articles earned county
email blasts Pre-written customizable info spots for communityneighborhood listserves
earned county
niesmortgage brokers)
Run videos and spots on City TV stations
5 Contractor Marketing
Localcontractorsarecriticaltothesuccess ofEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLosAngeles CountyTheyprovidetheservicesthatcom-prisetheProgramandtheycanhelpmarket theProgramtopropertyownersInfactwe estimatethatupto50ofProgrampartici-pantswillentertheProgramthrougharela-tionshipwithacontractor(theymayhavealso seenmediacoverageandadvertisingwhich spurredthemtotakeaction)Thisuniquerole requiresthattheProgramtakeatwo-tiered approachofengagingthecontractormdashmoti-vatinglocalbuildingprofessionalstoundergo thetrainingandcertificationprocessandalso providingthemwiththetoolstoeffectively promotetheprogramtoexistingandnew clientsThefollowingsectiondescribesspecific
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 31
contractor target
United Brotherhood Building Industry Carpenters (Training)
Association ofSouthern California
Email Blast
Contractors Magazines
Contractor
OnlineAds
Big Box Stores
ConractorsLicensing Schools
Realtor Associations
strategiesassociatedwithbothapproaches
Forthepurposesoftheprogramcontractors aredividedintoparticularsegmentsbasedon thetypeofserviceprovidedAninitialanalysis oftheindustryrevealedthefollowinglikely categories
HomePerformance(HP)Contractors
ProductionBuilders
HVACSystemSpecialtyTrades (windowsetc)
RemodelingContractors
SolarContractors
BuildingPerformance
Institute
Southwest Regional
City Permit Association
Offices of Carpenters
Lumber Yards
StateLicensing
Board
American Instituteof Architects
LA Chapter
Outreach to Contractors TheProgramwillcoordinatewithcontractor groupsandotherbuildingprofessionaltrade organizationstoschedulebriefpresentations abouttheProgramandthecontractortraining processForlargerorganizationsthePro-grammayworkdirectlywiththecompanyto arrangeon-sitepresentationsThesepresenta-tionsareinformalinnatureandwillbeusedto promotethecertificationorientationsrequired forcontractorparticipationintheprogram
KeyMessagestoContractors
$30millioninAmericanRecoveryand ReinvestmentActmoneyisworkinginLA Countytocreateconstructionindustryjobs
32 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
EnergyUpgradeCaliforniaOffersbig rebatesandfinancingoptionsfor homeownersdoinghomeenergy efficiencyretrofits
Therewillbemarketingandadvertis-ingstatewideandlocallytopromotethe Program
Therewillbemarketingmaterialsforyou tousetomarketyourbusiness
YoumustbelicensedandBuildingPerfor-manceInstitute-certifiedtobepartofthe Program
HomeownersmustworkwithBPI-certified contractorstheyrsquollchoosefromacontrac-tordatabaseonthewebsite
KeyOutreachMethods
BuildingIndustryAssociationofSouthern California
SouthwestRegionalCouncilofCarpenters
RealtorsAssociation
UnitedBrotherhood-Carpenters(Training Program)
Citypermittingoffice
Lumberyards
AmericanInstituteofArchitectsLA Chapter(toeducatethemaswell)
ArticlesinformationinContractortrade publications(magazinesnewslettersetc) magazines
CarpentersUnionLocals
ContractorsLicenseSchools(andonline)
BigBoxHomeImprovementstores(de-pendingonIOUrelationships)
wwwcslbcagov
Emailblasttoalllicensedcontractors
Contractor Outreach to Consumers Differentopportunitiesexistfordifferent contractorsdependingontheprobablework scopeThefollowingtableoutlinesafew potentialpathwaysforhowcontractorscan participateintheProgram
contractors outreach to customers
CONTRACTOR TyPE
TRIGGER EvENT vALUE TO CONTRACTOR
BUSINESS MOdEL
Home Performance upgrade lead generation scale for high volume
Production Builder new Business Development
create new division
HVac Replacement lead generation Value-add
expand services
specialty trade lead generation Partner with certified gc
Remodeler Remodel life-stage transition
Value-add sub work to HP contractor
solar Renewables lead generation Partner with certified gc
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 33
BPI-certifiedgeneralcontractorswillbelisted ontheEnergyUpgradeconsumerwebsite sendingmanyleadsdirectlytothemThey alsohaveaccesstotheldquoheatmapsrdquotousefor developingtheirownadvertisingcampaigns
Contractorswillbeattendingorientationses-sionstoensuretheythoroughlyunderstand theProgramrebatesfinancingoptionsand canhelpguidetheircustomersthroughthe processTheywillbeprovidedwithContractor MarketingKitstoensuretheyhaveathandthe keymessagesthathavebeenresonatingwith homeownersandhaveinformationtogive topotentialcustomerswhomightormight nothavebeentothewebsiteKitscanbesent directlytocontractorsordistributedatthe orientationsessionsKitswillcontain
Talkingpoints
DVDofthevideo
Printedfactsheetstoleavewithcustomers (withroomfortheircontactinfo)more canbeordered
Printedldquoslimjimrdquoprogrambrochure
Printedlengthierbrochuresaboutthe wholehouseapproach(brandedby Scientific American Magazine)
CDwithldquobuttonrdquotolinktoEnergyUpgrade fromtheirownwebsitesandPDFsofsite signageforprinting
Contractorswillhaveaccesstoaseparatesec-tionofthewebsitewheretheywillfindinfor-mationaboutProgrameventspromotionsand advertisinganon-demandprintsectionfor additionalcopiesofbrochuresanychanges totheProgramandasingletradecontractor databaseforassemblingteamsforcustomers whowouldlikesolarpanelsornewwindows forexample
6 Realtor Marketing
Giventhatthenationalaveragelengthofhome ownershipisroughlysixyearsrealestate agentswillbeincontactandadvisingalarge percentageofthenewandexistinghomeown-ersthatEnergyUpgradeistargetingforhome energyretrofitsThishighlevelofinfluence makesrealtorsoneofthelargestpartner groups
Realestateagentswillbeengagedonthree levels
1) Outreach
2) Training
3) Support
Outreach Outreachwillbeconductedthroughavariety ofvenuesthatwillincludeCaliforniaAssocia-tionofRealtorsreg(CAR)regionalconferences heldinSouthernCaliforniapartnershipwith themanyrealtorassociationslocatedinLos AngelesCountyanddirectvisitstorealestate agentsrsquoofficesforshortpresentationsPart-nershipswiththe15-20localRealtorsAsso-ciationswillbeachievedthroughoneormore RealtorAdvisoryBoardswhichincludethe GovernmentAffairsDirectorsfromeachof theseorganizationsAselectfewoftheseor-ganizationswillbeusedaspilotsfortargeted outreachduringearlystagesoftheProgram Oncethestrategyhasbeentestedandrevised itwillberolledouttoalloftheRealtorsAs-sociationsinLosAngelesCounty
ThefallCARRealtorExpowillbethemain kickoffeventforoutreachtoindividualreal-torsandrealtorofficesEnergyUpgradeplans tohavea30-minutetalkembeddedinthe SpeakersProgramandaboothsetuponthe ExpofloortoinformrealtorsaboutthePro-gramavailabletrainingsandthesupport
34 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
toolsthathavebeendevelopedThisevent willreachthemajorityofrealtorsintheLos Angelesareabutwillnotincludethelarge populationofrealestateagentsthatarenot membersofCARToreachthispopulation emailsocialmediaandtargetedofficevisits willbeconducted
Training EnergyUpgradewillprovidetrainingforreal estateagentsintwoformsTherealestate agenttrainingmodulecurrentlyunderdevel-opmentbyBuildItGreenwillbeusedasthe maintrainingforumThistrainingmodule isexpectedtotaketwofulldaystocomplete andwillcoverpropertyassessedcleanenergy financingenergyefficientmortgagesrebate programsbuildingscienceenergyefficiency andgreenbuildingpracticesappropriateto California
Additionalweb-basedtrainingwillbeprovided tointroducerealestateagentstotheProgram andtodrivethemtogetin-persontraining throughtheBuildItGreentrainingmodule
Support Cultivatingandclosingtoolswillbegener-atedtoassistrealtorsinusingEnergyUpgrade Californiatradetoexpandtheirbusinesswhile drivinghigherlevelsofprogramparticipation RealtorKitswillbesimilartotheContractor Kitsandtheywillhaveaccesstothedatabase ofgeneralandsingletradecontractors
7 Retail Partner Marketing
Utilitieswillpartnerwithretailoutletsthat canincludeBestBuyCostcoSearsLowes andHomeDepotParticipatingretailoutlets willbeprovided
Information centersEnd-displays detailingtheEnergyUpgradeProgram withadiagramillustratingthehouseas asystemconcept(multiplecomponents thatacttogethertomaximizesavings)and actionscustomerscantaketocapturethose savingsandrebatesIn-storecustomer educationcanshiftcustomerperception ofenergyupgradesandmotivatethem toparticipateinmultipleenergy-efficient measuresinsteadofjustoneAnadditional benefitfortheretailerisassociationwith thestatewideprogram
Program collateral One-sheet takeawaysforcustomerstoreference andshare
Video Theshortvideoscanbeplayed onaloop
Table tent cardsPlacedthroughout storesectionsthatcorrelatewiththe EnergyUpgradeProgram(CFLsappli-ancesceilingfansinsulationwindows) Againthiswillencouragecustomersto performmultipleenergyupgradesinstead ofjustoneCross-promotionhelpseducate customersandencourageparticipationin multiplemeasuresthusincreasingproduct purchase
Window clings ldquoOfficialEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaInformationCenterrdquotagline bannersplacedatstorefrontThiswillpo-sitiontheretailerasanactiveparticipantin thestatewideprogramandbuildsretailer credibilityasagreenadvocate
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 35
8 Multi-Family Outreach
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesandsched-ulesarestillinplanningphasesandbeing developedthroughastatewideconsortium
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesarebeing
developed
36 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
evaluation
Theprimarygoalsofthemarketingplanareto buildpositiveawarenessoftheEnergyUp-gradeCaliforniaProgramandcreateasus-tainedmarketforawholehouseapproach(see page8)Objectivesarespecifictothoseachiev-ingthosegoalsLosAngelesCountyresidents willseemultipleiterationsofmediacoverage paidadvertisingin-storedisplayscontractor marketingandin-personpresentations(inthe pilotmarketingareas)Forexamplearesi-dentinAltadenamightseethemoreintensive marketingandoutreacheffortsThatmayspur themtoactionmdashbutiftheyalreadyhadplans toremodelorhadpreviouslyworkedwitha contractortheymightcalltheircontractorand thusactuallycometotheprogramthrough thecontractorThereforeitwillnotbeeasy todeterminepreciselywhathasmotivated eachpersontoparticipateinEnergyUpgrade Objectivestomeetinclude
About35-45ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughthemarket-ingandoutreacheffortsTomonitorwe willincludeashortsurveyaspartofthe rebateapplicationprocessaskingpartici-pantswhatdrewthemtothewebsiteand totheProgramThewebsitecanmonitor clickthroughstocontractorssitesfrom theProgramwebsiteprovidinganindica-tionofpotentialparticpantswhocameto thesitebeforehavingacontractorOnce apropertyownerinputsanaddressthe websitewillbeabletospecificallymonitor ifthatparticipantasksformultiple estimatesfromcontractorsanotherindica-
toroffindingacontractorthroughthesite
About45-50ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughcontractors Wewillaskcontractorstoprovideinfor-mationabouttheirmarketingeffortsand successratesTheywillbeabletoidentify participantsgainedthroughtheirownmar-ketingefforts
300000uniquehitsonthewebsitewhich willbemonitoredbythewebsiteFurther thewebsitewillanalyzewherevisitors camefrom(egaclickthroughfroman onlineadfromacontractorrsquoswebsite orduringthespecifictimeframeofanad campaign)
Virtualandactualldquoword-of-mouthrdquore-portedbymonitoringsocialmedia
Communicationskitsandmarketingkits availablebothphysicallyandthroughan on-demandprintsitemonitoredbyclient
Informationalmaterialsforcitiesmoni-toredbySouthBayCitiesCouncilofGov-ernments
50000000mediaadvertisingin-person impressionsmonitoredbybroadcast printonlinestatisticsandreportsfrom grassrootsmarketingefforts
Consolidatedinformationinone-stop-shop approachwillbedeliveredthroughthe website
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 37
description of marketing communication tools
PlacedEarned Social Media ThePlancallsforsocialmediatopushinfor-mationtoourtargetaudiencesincreaseper-ceptionsoftheProgramascommunity-based reachthosewhowillhelpgenerateadditional buzzindependentmarketingeffortsaboutthe Programandprovideamechanismforlisten-ingtowhatpeoplearesayingaboutEnergy Upgrademdashandrespondingwhennecessary
Online Paid Advertising Onlineadvertisingcampaignscanbeverycost-effectiveandhighlytargetedbydemographics areasofinterestandgeographicsAdsappear ontopic-relatedblogsonsearchenginepages (egGoogle)andoncontentpages(egwhen yousearchforinformationaboutarelated topicandselectawebsitetoview)
Types of Users Targetadsbyage genderincomelanguagepreferencezip codeorhotspots
Types of SearchesTargetadsbytypeof searchconductedbasedonkeywords
Adsareusuallysoldperldquoclickrdquomdashtheviewer hasclickedontheadandbeensenttothe EnergyUpgradeCAwebsiteWewillmake fourtypesofonlineadpurchases
1 Googleadsthatplaceadsbothonits searchpagesandonhundredsofwebsites targetedbytheabove
2 Networksthattargetspecificsitesand blogsthatmatchourtargetaudiences(eg HiveBlogsLosAngelesthatoffers350LA blogstochoosefrom)
3 Directlythroughselectpublishers(eg CurbedLAGreenGirlLAlocalpapers online)
4 Onlineeditionsoflocalpapersinpilot marketingareas
Twitter Twitterusersaremostlycollegegraduates haveattendedgraduateschoolandlivein householdsmakingover$50000ayear (nationally)Usersarethreetimesmorelikely tofollowbrandsandcompaniesonTwitter thanotherusersofsocialnetworkswith40 specificallyusingTwittertolearnaboutand provideopinionsonbrands
Twittercanpushthelatestdevelopmentsand newstopeoplewhohaveexpressedaninter-estedintheProgram(theymustsignupto receiveourTweetsorhavesearchedfortag wordsincludedinourTweets)Itrsquosalsoan easywayforthosewhofollowEnergyUpgrade onTwittertoshareTweetswiththeirfriends
38 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
therebygeneratingbuzzandhelpingmarket theProgramTwittercanshareProgram newsinrealtimedrivepeopletothewebsite facilitateearlyadoptersbuzzmakersreach youngerhomeownersandincreasemarketing effortsatalowcostTwittercanbeeffectively usedtocommunicatetheProgramandits milestonesinavarietyofways
bull Tweetaboutpressreleasesmajoran-nouncementsnewitemsonwebsiteor blogsmediastoriesandarticlesespecially aboutthosethataretimesensitiveandtell ouraudiencewhatishappeningwiththe Programandencouragesthemtopartici-pateorfindoutmore
bull PutaTweeticononthemainwebsiteal-lowingvisitorstothewebsitetobeginto followEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLos AngelesCountyonTwitterwithoneclick
bull FollowotherswhoTweetaboutthe ProgramaswellasthosewhoTweetabout relatedtopicsThiswillprovideanop-portunitytodirectlyrespondtoaperson whohasaquestionabouttheProgramand pointthemtoalinktothewebsite
Tweet Examples
bull ldquo100LAhomeownershavesigned upfortheProgramatwwwEnergyUpgra-deCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoReadaboutLArsquosnewenergyefficiency rebateProgramintheLAtimes httpwwwlatimesgreenblogcomrdquo
bull ldquoWanttosaveonyourutilitybills CheckoutwwwEnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoSignupfortheHomeEnergyUpgrade contestforachancetowinafree homeenergyefficiencyretrofitat EnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
Cost and Budget
SettingupaTwitteraccountisfreeasisusing anapplicationsuchasTweetDeckthathelps followotherswhoareTweetingaboutEnergy UpgradeCaliforniaTheonlysignificantcostis stafftimewhichcanbelimitedtoafewhours aweek
Facebook Facebookisalow-costandeasywayofboth marketingtheProgramandsupportingan onlinecommunityofpeopleinterestedinthe ProgramItwillreachaudienceswhoaremore likelytospendtimeonFacebookversusaweb-siteandwhomayprefertoreceiveshortreal timeProgramnewsviaFacebookratherthan emailsorwebsitesItisidealforpostinglinks tovideosandphotosrelatedtotheprojectIt complementsthewebsiteaplacewherefans oftheProgramcanfindinformationaskques-tionsandshareideasandexcitementThese fanswillgeneratebuzzbytellingtheirfriends abouttheProgramthroughFacebook
AFacebookpagewillcontaininformation abouttheProgramalinktothewebsite Programnewsvideosphotographsandother informationWhenthepageisupdatedfans willreceivelinksinemailalertingthemtothe newposts
Facebookisalsoidealforsharingthestoryof anearlyadopter(whowillalsoTweet)through updatesphotographsandvideosItlends itselfmuchmorenaturallytothispeople-fo-cusedapproachthanawebsitewhichismore formal
Additionalpoints
bull EncourageandperhapsrewardProgram adopterstosharetheirexperiencesask questionsetc
bull Setupcontrolstodeterminewhatcontent Fanscanposttothewall
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 39
bull Monitorupdatestothewallandtakedown Therearemanyexistingblogsthatcanbeused inappropriatecontent
bull Respondtoissuesquestionsandtakepart intheconversation
bull Adesignatedstaffpersonshouldmonitor thesiteitisalsoidealifseveralstaff memberspostcontentandifpartnersare activeparticipantsalthoughtheoverall strategyshouldbecentralized
Facebook Examples
Herearesomeexamplesofthetypesofpost-ingsforaFacebookpage
bull ldquoTheLATimesdescribesEnergyUpgrade CAasaperfectopportunitytobegreenand savemoneymdashintheFridaymoneysectionrdquo
bull ldquoWhydidyoudecidetoparticipatein EnergyUpgradeCATellushowyour energyefficiencyretrofitisgoingandwersquoll enteryouforachancetowina$50Home Depotgiftcardrdquo
bull ldquoWonderingwhetherEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaisrightforyouCheckoutthis videooftheSmithsinstallingnewinsula-tionandwindows--andreceivinga$3500 rebaterdquo
Cost and Budget
Relativelyfewdirectcostsstafftimewill fluctuateduringbusycalmperiodswithhigh activityatthebeginningastheProgramkicks offandafanbaseisestablishedOngoingstaff timeneededtokeeppagefreshwith3-4posts weekdailymaintenancerequiredtomonitor postingsfromfans
Blogs Blogsreachtargetaudienceswhoarealready interestedinrelatedtopicsandwhohavehigh potentialtoparticipateintheProgram
tofurthermarketingefforts
bull Identifybloggerswhowilllikelywrite positivelyabouttheProgramSendpress releasefactsheetsandPrograminforma-tiontobloggerswhowriteabouttopics suchastheenvironmentenergyefficiency homeimprovementremodelingreal estatehousingbargainssavingmoneyas wellastocompaniesthatsellsolarpanels contractorsetc
bull Bloggersarelookingfortopicalstoriesto writeaboutandwewillmaketheirnext blogposteasyBecauseEnergyUpgradeis ahighrewardoptionalProgrambloggers willwritefavorablyandhelptellthestory inafriendlyaccessibleandeasy-to-under-standway(althoughwedonrsquothavecontrol overwhattheywrite)Peoplewhoaredis-satisfiedwillwritenegativecommentsbut wewillmonitorblogsandactivelycorrect misperceptions
bull Tomonitorwhatothersarewritingabout EnergyUpgradeontheirblogswewilluse freeprogramslikeTechnoratiorGoogle Readertoscanallblogsandwebsitesthat mentiontheProgram
Blogs to Reach
Green Girl LA Blog (httpgreenlagirlcom)Thisindependent blogisfocusedonenvironmentalhap-peningsinLosAngelesArecentpostwas aboutagreennetworkingeventfeaturing TheBuildingDoctorspresentingwaysto makeyourhousemoreenergyefficient PreviouslyareporterbloggerfortheLA Timesthewriterisactiveandcoversa widevarietyofenvironmentalgreentopics happeninginLosAngeles
40 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
LA Times HomeBlog (wwwlatimesblogslatimescomhome_
blog)focusesontopicsrelatedtohouses andhashadseveralrecentpostsabout greenremodelingOneadvantageofa majornewspaperisthatthereportingis accurateandthereadershipislargerThey recentlywroteaboutauditionsforThisOld HousewhichisfeaturingaLosAngeles areahouseforasummerremodel
Bargain Babe (wwwbargainbabelatownluxecom) featuresLosAngelesbargainsYoucan searchforbargainsbyareaofLA(West-sideetc)orbytopicThisbloggerrecently wroteaboutappliancerebates
LA Times Green Remodeling (wwwlatimesblogslatimescompar-donourdustgreen_remodeling)writes aboutalltopicsrelatedtoremodelingin SouthernCaliforniawithseveralrecent postsongreentopicsArecentpostre-viewedthedifferentadvantagesofinstall-ingvarioustanklesswaterheatersPitch thatthebloggerfollowahomeenergy retrofitandhelptelltheirstoryaswellas announcebasicPrograminformation
LA Times Personal Finance wwwlatimescombusinesspersonal-finance
Home Remodeling wwwkathysremodelingblogcom
Energy Efficiency wwwlowimpactlivingcomblog
LA CreekFreak
LA Observed
LAist
YouTube PostallvideosrelatedtotheprojectonYou-TubeWewillworkwithourmediapartners todevelopacontestforearlyadopterstofilm theirexperienceandletwebsitevisitorsvote onthebestWinnerreceivesaprizetobe determined
ListServes Listservesreachgroupsofpeoplewhoare interestedinasimilartopicorwholiveina specificneighborhoodSendemailblaststo listservessuchasneighborhoodassociations homeremodelersandenvironmentalgroups withanenergyfocusCitystaffhasinforma-tionaddressesofneighborhoodandhom-eownerassociationslists
Multimedia for Presentations Website Developanengaginginformative6-8minute videofocusingoncontractorsandhomeown-ersthatcanbeusedduringpresentationsand presentedonCityTVThevideowillbeshot bothinEnglishandinSpanishandcover
bull Howtherebatesworktocreateasenseof urgencyaboutdoingtheenergyupgrades soonerratherputtingitofftotakeadvan-tageoftherebates
bull Theldquosealthenenhancerdquowholehouse concept
bull WhattheProgramelementsactuallylook likeandhowtheyareinstalledtoover-comebarrierssuchasthatonemighthave tomoveoutofthehouseortheenergy upgradesareldquouglyrdquo
bull Workingwithacontractorwhatbeing licensedandcertifiedmeansgettingmul-tiplebids
bull Financingoptions
bull Doingthepaperwork
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 41
Fromthatvideodevelop
bull Threeindividual2-minutevideosforuse onlineeachfocusingonaspecifictopicmdash
againinbothEnglishandSpanish
bull A15anda30spoteachinEnglishand SpanishforuseonCityTVandbroadcast
stations
Print Collateral Customizable fact sheetsInforma-tionsheets(onepagefrontandback)in EnglishSpanishandChinesethatcanalso bepostedonthewebsiteasPDFs
Program brochureMorehighlyde-signedforplacementinmunicipaloffices andevents
Customizable Brochure Brandedwith SunsetMagazineorNationalGeographic forcontractorsandrealtorstohandto customers
SignageBannersforeventsandstreet lamppostspostersformunicipaloffices andsmalleventsandpotentiallysignage forbussidestransitshelters
Speakers kits Countyandcitystaffwillreceivekitstoensure everyoneisfamiliarwithkeymessagesandhas informationtogivetoconstituentsThesecan besentdirectlytocitiesordistributedthrough COGsKitswillcontain
bull Talkingpoints
bull DVDofthevideo
bull PPTpresentationforpublicmeetings
bull Printedbrochuresforpermitofficesto includewithwelcomepacketsfornewho-meowners
bull Articlesandphotostheycanrunintheir onlineorprintedcitynewsletters
bull CDwithtemplatesforquickprintingand websitebuttontolinkfromtheirwebsiteto EnergyUpgradeCalifornia
42 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
description of key messages
Thefollowingmessageshadthehighestreso-nanceinpollingandfocusgroupsbothinLos AngelesCountyandtheBayArea
Primary Motivators Thefollowingtwomessagesaboutsaving moneyarekeytomotivatingalltargetaudi-encesTheyshouldbepartofeverypieceof advertisingorcollateralproduced
1 RebatesHomeownerswhomakeenergy-savinghomeimprovementscanqualifyfor a$1500federaltaxcreditandrebatesof upto$3500dependingonhowmuchthey reduceenergyconsumptionAdditional motivatorTaxcreditsonlyavailable untilDecember312010(Rebatesare preferredovertaxcreditsbecauseitrsquoscash nowratherthanlateranddependingon incomenoteveryonecangetthecredit)
2 Save on Utility Bills Upgradingahome touselessenergyandwatercanreduce utilitybillsby20ormoremdashsavingyou moneyovertime
Secondary Motivators Thefollowingmessagesarethenlayeredde-pendingonwhichaudienceisbeingtargeted
Help the EnvironmentClimate Change Weallneedtodoourparttohelp theenvironmentandslowclimatechange Makingourhomesmoregreenandenergy efficientisanimportantstepweshouldall take
Reduce Foreign OilFossil FuelsAt atimewhenwearetryingtoreduceour dependenceonforeignoilandotherfossil fuelsupgradingtheenergyefficiencyof ourhomesisanimportantstepwecanall take(Infocusgroupstheconceptofenergy independencefurtherresonatedasinde-pendencefromutilitycompaniesgetting offthegrid)
Certified Contractors Save Money Speciallytrainedandcertifiedcontractors knowhowtofindimprovementsthatthe averagehomeownerwouldnotTheiras-sessmentswillensurethatyoufindmore energysavingsandthereforesavemore moneyonyourutilitybillsAdditional motivatorContractorsarecertifiedbythe BuildingPerformanceInstituteworking withtheDepartmentofEnergyandEnvi-ronmentalProtectionAgency
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 43
Increase Property ValuesHomesthat areenergy-efficientandenvironmentally friendlyaremoreappealingtohomebuyers Theseupgradescanincreaseyourproperty value
ComfortUpgradingyourhomersquosenergy efficiencymdashinparticularupgradinginsula-tionmdashcanmakeitamorecomfortableplace toliveNomoredraftycoldroomsinthe winterorhotstuffyroomsinthesummer
Indoor Air QualityInsulationand ventilationcanreduceallergyandasthma-causingmoldandmildewimproving indoorairqualityespeciallyforinfantsand thosewithhealthconditions
Messengers Homeownersprefertoreceiveinformation fromimpartialtrustedsourcesThesemes-sengersreceivedthehighestscoresinpolling
bull Neighborsandotherhomeowners
bull Contractorthehomeownerisalready workingwithorreferredbyfriendneigh-bor
bull Architectsdesignprofessionals
bull Gasandelectricutilities
bull Environmentalorganizations
bull Homeimprovementstorestaff(when equippedwithflyers)
44 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 45
- Cover
- Table of Contents13
- Summary Overview13
- Introduction13
- Programs Goals and Objectives13
- Marketing and Outreach Program Goals and Structure13
- Strategy13
- Evaluation13
- Description of Marketing Communication Tools13
- Description of Key Messages13
-
city amp cog outreach
materialssotheycandeveloplow-costout-reachtotheirresidentsCitieswithcommuni-tiestargetedinthePilotAreaMarketingplans willbeinformedandencouragedtodoout-reachtothoseareasAllCitieswillbeencour-agedtodothefollowing
Run stories in print and online news-letters
Send information to neighborhood associations homeowners associa-tions historic preservation districts and other appropriate community organizations
Provide information in City permit-ting offices and City Hall lobbies
Provide information at strategically located Environmental Information Centers and at COG office locations
Provide information in ldquonew home-ownersrdquo welcome kits (either directly from the city or through title compa-
TACTIC dESCRIPTION PAId EARNEd
LEAd
pio coordination contact all participating citiesrsquo Pios na county
letters Key messages for letters from mayors etc to constituents Provide to Pios or city managers
na county
Website links Button for cities to place on their website to link to Program site
na county
city tV informational videos and spot promos Placed county
Welcome brochure
Brochure aimed at new homeowners before they move in
na county
articles Pre-written customizable newsletter articles earned county
email blasts Pre-written customizable info spots for communityneighborhood listserves
earned county
niesmortgage brokers)
Run videos and spots on City TV stations
5 Contractor Marketing
Localcontractorsarecriticaltothesuccess ofEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLosAngeles CountyTheyprovidetheservicesthatcom-prisetheProgramandtheycanhelpmarket theProgramtopropertyownersInfactwe estimatethatupto50ofProgrampartici-pantswillentertheProgramthrougharela-tionshipwithacontractor(theymayhavealso seenmediacoverageandadvertisingwhich spurredthemtotakeaction)Thisuniquerole requiresthattheProgramtakeatwo-tiered approachofengagingthecontractormdashmoti-vatinglocalbuildingprofessionalstoundergo thetrainingandcertificationprocessandalso providingthemwiththetoolstoeffectively promotetheprogramtoexistingandnew clientsThefollowingsectiondescribesspecific
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 31
contractor target
United Brotherhood Building Industry Carpenters (Training)
Association ofSouthern California
Email Blast
Contractors Magazines
Contractor
OnlineAds
Big Box Stores
ConractorsLicensing Schools
Realtor Associations
strategiesassociatedwithbothapproaches
Forthepurposesoftheprogramcontractors aredividedintoparticularsegmentsbasedon thetypeofserviceprovidedAninitialanalysis oftheindustryrevealedthefollowinglikely categories
HomePerformance(HP)Contractors
ProductionBuilders
HVACSystemSpecialtyTrades (windowsetc)
RemodelingContractors
SolarContractors
BuildingPerformance
Institute
Southwest Regional
City Permit Association
Offices of Carpenters
Lumber Yards
StateLicensing
Board
American Instituteof Architects
LA Chapter
Outreach to Contractors TheProgramwillcoordinatewithcontractor groupsandotherbuildingprofessionaltrade organizationstoschedulebriefpresentations abouttheProgramandthecontractortraining processForlargerorganizationsthePro-grammayworkdirectlywiththecompanyto arrangeon-sitepresentationsThesepresenta-tionsareinformalinnatureandwillbeusedto promotethecertificationorientationsrequired forcontractorparticipationintheprogram
KeyMessagestoContractors
$30millioninAmericanRecoveryand ReinvestmentActmoneyisworkinginLA Countytocreateconstructionindustryjobs
32 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
EnergyUpgradeCaliforniaOffersbig rebatesandfinancingoptionsfor homeownersdoinghomeenergy efficiencyretrofits
Therewillbemarketingandadvertis-ingstatewideandlocallytopromotethe Program
Therewillbemarketingmaterialsforyou tousetomarketyourbusiness
YoumustbelicensedandBuildingPerfor-manceInstitute-certifiedtobepartofthe Program
HomeownersmustworkwithBPI-certified contractorstheyrsquollchoosefromacontrac-tordatabaseonthewebsite
KeyOutreachMethods
BuildingIndustryAssociationofSouthern California
SouthwestRegionalCouncilofCarpenters
RealtorsAssociation
UnitedBrotherhood-Carpenters(Training Program)
Citypermittingoffice
Lumberyards
AmericanInstituteofArchitectsLA Chapter(toeducatethemaswell)
ArticlesinformationinContractortrade publications(magazinesnewslettersetc) magazines
CarpentersUnionLocals
ContractorsLicenseSchools(andonline)
BigBoxHomeImprovementstores(de-pendingonIOUrelationships)
wwwcslbcagov
Emailblasttoalllicensedcontractors
Contractor Outreach to Consumers Differentopportunitiesexistfordifferent contractorsdependingontheprobablework scopeThefollowingtableoutlinesafew potentialpathwaysforhowcontractorscan participateintheProgram
contractors outreach to customers
CONTRACTOR TyPE
TRIGGER EvENT vALUE TO CONTRACTOR
BUSINESS MOdEL
Home Performance upgrade lead generation scale for high volume
Production Builder new Business Development
create new division
HVac Replacement lead generation Value-add
expand services
specialty trade lead generation Partner with certified gc
Remodeler Remodel life-stage transition
Value-add sub work to HP contractor
solar Renewables lead generation Partner with certified gc
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 33
BPI-certifiedgeneralcontractorswillbelisted ontheEnergyUpgradeconsumerwebsite sendingmanyleadsdirectlytothemThey alsohaveaccesstotheldquoheatmapsrdquotousefor developingtheirownadvertisingcampaigns
Contractorswillbeattendingorientationses-sionstoensuretheythoroughlyunderstand theProgramrebatesfinancingoptionsand canhelpguidetheircustomersthroughthe processTheywillbeprovidedwithContractor MarketingKitstoensuretheyhaveathandthe keymessagesthathavebeenresonatingwith homeownersandhaveinformationtogive topotentialcustomerswhomightormight nothavebeentothewebsiteKitscanbesent directlytocontractorsordistributedatthe orientationsessionsKitswillcontain
Talkingpoints
DVDofthevideo
Printedfactsheetstoleavewithcustomers (withroomfortheircontactinfo)more canbeordered
Printedldquoslimjimrdquoprogrambrochure
Printedlengthierbrochuresaboutthe wholehouseapproach(brandedby Scientific American Magazine)
CDwithldquobuttonrdquotolinktoEnergyUpgrade fromtheirownwebsitesandPDFsofsite signageforprinting
Contractorswillhaveaccesstoaseparatesec-tionofthewebsitewheretheywillfindinfor-mationaboutProgrameventspromotionsand advertisinganon-demandprintsectionfor additionalcopiesofbrochuresanychanges totheProgramandasingletradecontractor databaseforassemblingteamsforcustomers whowouldlikesolarpanelsornewwindows forexample
6 Realtor Marketing
Giventhatthenationalaveragelengthofhome ownershipisroughlysixyearsrealestate agentswillbeincontactandadvisingalarge percentageofthenewandexistinghomeown-ersthatEnergyUpgradeistargetingforhome energyretrofitsThishighlevelofinfluence makesrealtorsoneofthelargestpartner groups
Realestateagentswillbeengagedonthree levels
1) Outreach
2) Training
3) Support
Outreach Outreachwillbeconductedthroughavariety ofvenuesthatwillincludeCaliforniaAssocia-tionofRealtorsreg(CAR)regionalconferences heldinSouthernCaliforniapartnershipwith themanyrealtorassociationslocatedinLos AngelesCountyanddirectvisitstorealestate agentsrsquoofficesforshortpresentationsPart-nershipswiththe15-20localRealtorsAsso-ciationswillbeachievedthroughoneormore RealtorAdvisoryBoardswhichincludethe GovernmentAffairsDirectorsfromeachof theseorganizationsAselectfewoftheseor-ganizationswillbeusedaspilotsfortargeted outreachduringearlystagesoftheProgram Oncethestrategyhasbeentestedandrevised itwillberolledouttoalloftheRealtorsAs-sociationsinLosAngelesCounty
ThefallCARRealtorExpowillbethemain kickoffeventforoutreachtoindividualreal-torsandrealtorofficesEnergyUpgradeplans tohavea30-minutetalkembeddedinthe SpeakersProgramandaboothsetuponthe ExpofloortoinformrealtorsaboutthePro-gramavailabletrainingsandthesupport
34 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
toolsthathavebeendevelopedThisevent willreachthemajorityofrealtorsintheLos Angelesareabutwillnotincludethelarge populationofrealestateagentsthatarenot membersofCARToreachthispopulation emailsocialmediaandtargetedofficevisits willbeconducted
Training EnergyUpgradewillprovidetrainingforreal estateagentsintwoformsTherealestate agenttrainingmodulecurrentlyunderdevel-opmentbyBuildItGreenwillbeusedasthe maintrainingforumThistrainingmodule isexpectedtotaketwofulldaystocomplete andwillcoverpropertyassessedcleanenergy financingenergyefficientmortgagesrebate programsbuildingscienceenergyefficiency andgreenbuildingpracticesappropriateto California
Additionalweb-basedtrainingwillbeprovided tointroducerealestateagentstotheProgram andtodrivethemtogetin-persontraining throughtheBuildItGreentrainingmodule
Support Cultivatingandclosingtoolswillbegener-atedtoassistrealtorsinusingEnergyUpgrade Californiatradetoexpandtheirbusinesswhile drivinghigherlevelsofprogramparticipation RealtorKitswillbesimilartotheContractor Kitsandtheywillhaveaccesstothedatabase ofgeneralandsingletradecontractors
7 Retail Partner Marketing
Utilitieswillpartnerwithretailoutletsthat canincludeBestBuyCostcoSearsLowes andHomeDepotParticipatingretailoutlets willbeprovided
Information centersEnd-displays detailingtheEnergyUpgradeProgram withadiagramillustratingthehouseas asystemconcept(multiplecomponents thatacttogethertomaximizesavings)and actionscustomerscantaketocapturethose savingsandrebatesIn-storecustomer educationcanshiftcustomerperception ofenergyupgradesandmotivatethem toparticipateinmultipleenergy-efficient measuresinsteadofjustoneAnadditional benefitfortheretailerisassociationwith thestatewideprogram
Program collateral One-sheet takeawaysforcustomerstoreference andshare
Video Theshortvideoscanbeplayed onaloop
Table tent cardsPlacedthroughout storesectionsthatcorrelatewiththe EnergyUpgradeProgram(CFLsappli-ancesceilingfansinsulationwindows) Againthiswillencouragecustomersto performmultipleenergyupgradesinstead ofjustoneCross-promotionhelpseducate customersandencourageparticipationin multiplemeasuresthusincreasingproduct purchase
Window clings ldquoOfficialEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaInformationCenterrdquotagline bannersplacedatstorefrontThiswillpo-sitiontheretailerasanactiveparticipantin thestatewideprogramandbuildsretailer credibilityasagreenadvocate
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 35
8 Multi-Family Outreach
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesandsched-ulesarestillinplanningphasesandbeing developedthroughastatewideconsortium
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesarebeing
developed
36 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
evaluation
Theprimarygoalsofthemarketingplanareto buildpositiveawarenessoftheEnergyUp-gradeCaliforniaProgramandcreateasus-tainedmarketforawholehouseapproach(see page8)Objectivesarespecifictothoseachiev-ingthosegoalsLosAngelesCountyresidents willseemultipleiterationsofmediacoverage paidadvertisingin-storedisplayscontractor marketingandin-personpresentations(inthe pilotmarketingareas)Forexamplearesi-dentinAltadenamightseethemoreintensive marketingandoutreacheffortsThatmayspur themtoactionmdashbutiftheyalreadyhadplans toremodelorhadpreviouslyworkedwitha contractortheymightcalltheircontractorand thusactuallycometotheprogramthrough thecontractorThereforeitwillnotbeeasy todeterminepreciselywhathasmotivated eachpersontoparticipateinEnergyUpgrade Objectivestomeetinclude
About35-45ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughthemarket-ingandoutreacheffortsTomonitorwe willincludeashortsurveyaspartofthe rebateapplicationprocessaskingpartici-pantswhatdrewthemtothewebsiteand totheProgramThewebsitecanmonitor clickthroughstocontractorssitesfrom theProgramwebsiteprovidinganindica-tionofpotentialparticpantswhocameto thesitebeforehavingacontractorOnce apropertyownerinputsanaddressthe websitewillbeabletospecificallymonitor ifthatparticipantasksformultiple estimatesfromcontractorsanotherindica-
toroffindingacontractorthroughthesite
About45-50ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughcontractors Wewillaskcontractorstoprovideinfor-mationabouttheirmarketingeffortsand successratesTheywillbeabletoidentify participantsgainedthroughtheirownmar-ketingefforts
300000uniquehitsonthewebsitewhich willbemonitoredbythewebsiteFurther thewebsitewillanalyzewherevisitors camefrom(egaclickthroughfroman onlineadfromacontractorrsquoswebsite orduringthespecifictimeframeofanad campaign)
Virtualandactualldquoword-of-mouthrdquore-portedbymonitoringsocialmedia
Communicationskitsandmarketingkits availablebothphysicallyandthroughan on-demandprintsitemonitoredbyclient
Informationalmaterialsforcitiesmoni-toredbySouthBayCitiesCouncilofGov-ernments
50000000mediaadvertisingin-person impressionsmonitoredbybroadcast printonlinestatisticsandreportsfrom grassrootsmarketingefforts
Consolidatedinformationinone-stop-shop approachwillbedeliveredthroughthe website
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 37
description of marketing communication tools
PlacedEarned Social Media ThePlancallsforsocialmediatopushinfor-mationtoourtargetaudiencesincreaseper-ceptionsoftheProgramascommunity-based reachthosewhowillhelpgenerateadditional buzzindependentmarketingeffortsaboutthe Programandprovideamechanismforlisten-ingtowhatpeoplearesayingaboutEnergy Upgrademdashandrespondingwhennecessary
Online Paid Advertising Onlineadvertisingcampaignscanbeverycost-effectiveandhighlytargetedbydemographics areasofinterestandgeographicsAdsappear ontopic-relatedblogsonsearchenginepages (egGoogle)andoncontentpages(egwhen yousearchforinformationaboutarelated topicandselectawebsitetoview)
Types of Users Targetadsbyage genderincomelanguagepreferencezip codeorhotspots
Types of SearchesTargetadsbytypeof searchconductedbasedonkeywords
Adsareusuallysoldperldquoclickrdquomdashtheviewer hasclickedontheadandbeensenttothe EnergyUpgradeCAwebsiteWewillmake fourtypesofonlineadpurchases
1 Googleadsthatplaceadsbothonits searchpagesandonhundredsofwebsites targetedbytheabove
2 Networksthattargetspecificsitesand blogsthatmatchourtargetaudiences(eg HiveBlogsLosAngelesthatoffers350LA blogstochoosefrom)
3 Directlythroughselectpublishers(eg CurbedLAGreenGirlLAlocalpapers online)
4 Onlineeditionsoflocalpapersinpilot marketingareas
Twitter Twitterusersaremostlycollegegraduates haveattendedgraduateschoolandlivein householdsmakingover$50000ayear (nationally)Usersarethreetimesmorelikely tofollowbrandsandcompaniesonTwitter thanotherusersofsocialnetworkswith40 specificallyusingTwittertolearnaboutand provideopinionsonbrands
Twittercanpushthelatestdevelopmentsand newstopeoplewhohaveexpressedaninter-estedintheProgram(theymustsignupto receiveourTweetsorhavesearchedfortag wordsincludedinourTweets)Itrsquosalsoan easywayforthosewhofollowEnergyUpgrade onTwittertoshareTweetswiththeirfriends
38 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
therebygeneratingbuzzandhelpingmarket theProgramTwittercanshareProgram newsinrealtimedrivepeopletothewebsite facilitateearlyadoptersbuzzmakersreach youngerhomeownersandincreasemarketing effortsatalowcostTwittercanbeeffectively usedtocommunicatetheProgramandits milestonesinavarietyofways
bull Tweetaboutpressreleasesmajoran-nouncementsnewitemsonwebsiteor blogsmediastoriesandarticlesespecially aboutthosethataretimesensitiveandtell ouraudiencewhatishappeningwiththe Programandencouragesthemtopartici-pateorfindoutmore
bull PutaTweeticononthemainwebsiteal-lowingvisitorstothewebsitetobeginto followEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLos AngelesCountyonTwitterwithoneclick
bull FollowotherswhoTweetaboutthe ProgramaswellasthosewhoTweetabout relatedtopicsThiswillprovideanop-portunitytodirectlyrespondtoaperson whohasaquestionabouttheProgramand pointthemtoalinktothewebsite
Tweet Examples
bull ldquo100LAhomeownershavesigned upfortheProgramatwwwEnergyUpgra-deCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoReadaboutLArsquosnewenergyefficiency rebateProgramintheLAtimes httpwwwlatimesgreenblogcomrdquo
bull ldquoWanttosaveonyourutilitybills CheckoutwwwEnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoSignupfortheHomeEnergyUpgrade contestforachancetowinafree homeenergyefficiencyretrofitat EnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
Cost and Budget
SettingupaTwitteraccountisfreeasisusing anapplicationsuchasTweetDeckthathelps followotherswhoareTweetingaboutEnergy UpgradeCaliforniaTheonlysignificantcostis stafftimewhichcanbelimitedtoafewhours aweek
Facebook Facebookisalow-costandeasywayofboth marketingtheProgramandsupportingan onlinecommunityofpeopleinterestedinthe ProgramItwillreachaudienceswhoaremore likelytospendtimeonFacebookversusaweb-siteandwhomayprefertoreceiveshortreal timeProgramnewsviaFacebookratherthan emailsorwebsitesItisidealforpostinglinks tovideosandphotosrelatedtotheprojectIt complementsthewebsiteaplacewherefans oftheProgramcanfindinformationaskques-tionsandshareideasandexcitementThese fanswillgeneratebuzzbytellingtheirfriends abouttheProgramthroughFacebook
AFacebookpagewillcontaininformation abouttheProgramalinktothewebsite Programnewsvideosphotographsandother informationWhenthepageisupdatedfans willreceivelinksinemailalertingthemtothe newposts
Facebookisalsoidealforsharingthestoryof anearlyadopter(whowillalsoTweet)through updatesphotographsandvideosItlends itselfmuchmorenaturallytothispeople-fo-cusedapproachthanawebsitewhichismore formal
Additionalpoints
bull EncourageandperhapsrewardProgram adopterstosharetheirexperiencesask questionsetc
bull Setupcontrolstodeterminewhatcontent Fanscanposttothewall
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 39
bull Monitorupdatestothewallandtakedown Therearemanyexistingblogsthatcanbeused inappropriatecontent
bull Respondtoissuesquestionsandtakepart intheconversation
bull Adesignatedstaffpersonshouldmonitor thesiteitisalsoidealifseveralstaff memberspostcontentandifpartnersare activeparticipantsalthoughtheoverall strategyshouldbecentralized
Facebook Examples
Herearesomeexamplesofthetypesofpost-ingsforaFacebookpage
bull ldquoTheLATimesdescribesEnergyUpgrade CAasaperfectopportunitytobegreenand savemoneymdashintheFridaymoneysectionrdquo
bull ldquoWhydidyoudecidetoparticipatein EnergyUpgradeCATellushowyour energyefficiencyretrofitisgoingandwersquoll enteryouforachancetowina$50Home Depotgiftcardrdquo
bull ldquoWonderingwhetherEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaisrightforyouCheckoutthis videooftheSmithsinstallingnewinsula-tionandwindows--andreceivinga$3500 rebaterdquo
Cost and Budget
Relativelyfewdirectcostsstafftimewill fluctuateduringbusycalmperiodswithhigh activityatthebeginningastheProgramkicks offandafanbaseisestablishedOngoingstaff timeneededtokeeppagefreshwith3-4posts weekdailymaintenancerequiredtomonitor postingsfromfans
Blogs Blogsreachtargetaudienceswhoarealready interestedinrelatedtopicsandwhohavehigh potentialtoparticipateintheProgram
tofurthermarketingefforts
bull Identifybloggerswhowilllikelywrite positivelyabouttheProgramSendpress releasefactsheetsandPrograminforma-tiontobloggerswhowriteabouttopics suchastheenvironmentenergyefficiency homeimprovementremodelingreal estatehousingbargainssavingmoneyas wellastocompaniesthatsellsolarpanels contractorsetc
bull Bloggersarelookingfortopicalstoriesto writeaboutandwewillmaketheirnext blogposteasyBecauseEnergyUpgradeis ahighrewardoptionalProgrambloggers willwritefavorablyandhelptellthestory inafriendlyaccessibleandeasy-to-under-standway(althoughwedonrsquothavecontrol overwhattheywrite)Peoplewhoaredis-satisfiedwillwritenegativecommentsbut wewillmonitorblogsandactivelycorrect misperceptions
bull Tomonitorwhatothersarewritingabout EnergyUpgradeontheirblogswewilluse freeprogramslikeTechnoratiorGoogle Readertoscanallblogsandwebsitesthat mentiontheProgram
Blogs to Reach
Green Girl LA Blog (httpgreenlagirlcom)Thisindependent blogisfocusedonenvironmentalhap-peningsinLosAngelesArecentpostwas aboutagreennetworkingeventfeaturing TheBuildingDoctorspresentingwaysto makeyourhousemoreenergyefficient PreviouslyareporterbloggerfortheLA Timesthewriterisactiveandcoversa widevarietyofenvironmentalgreentopics happeninginLosAngeles
40 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
LA Times HomeBlog (wwwlatimesblogslatimescomhome_
blog)focusesontopicsrelatedtohouses andhashadseveralrecentpostsabout greenremodelingOneadvantageofa majornewspaperisthatthereportingis accurateandthereadershipislargerThey recentlywroteaboutauditionsforThisOld HousewhichisfeaturingaLosAngeles areahouseforasummerremodel
Bargain Babe (wwwbargainbabelatownluxecom) featuresLosAngelesbargainsYoucan searchforbargainsbyareaofLA(West-sideetc)orbytopicThisbloggerrecently wroteaboutappliancerebates
LA Times Green Remodeling (wwwlatimesblogslatimescompar-donourdustgreen_remodeling)writes aboutalltopicsrelatedtoremodelingin SouthernCaliforniawithseveralrecent postsongreentopicsArecentpostre-viewedthedifferentadvantagesofinstall-ingvarioustanklesswaterheatersPitch thatthebloggerfollowahomeenergy retrofitandhelptelltheirstoryaswellas announcebasicPrograminformation
LA Times Personal Finance wwwlatimescombusinesspersonal-finance
Home Remodeling wwwkathysremodelingblogcom
Energy Efficiency wwwlowimpactlivingcomblog
LA CreekFreak
LA Observed
LAist
YouTube PostallvideosrelatedtotheprojectonYou-TubeWewillworkwithourmediapartners todevelopacontestforearlyadopterstofilm theirexperienceandletwebsitevisitorsvote onthebestWinnerreceivesaprizetobe determined
ListServes Listservesreachgroupsofpeoplewhoare interestedinasimilartopicorwholiveina specificneighborhoodSendemailblaststo listservessuchasneighborhoodassociations homeremodelersandenvironmentalgroups withanenergyfocusCitystaffhasinforma-tionaddressesofneighborhoodandhom-eownerassociationslists
Multimedia for Presentations Website Developanengaginginformative6-8minute videofocusingoncontractorsandhomeown-ersthatcanbeusedduringpresentationsand presentedonCityTVThevideowillbeshot bothinEnglishandinSpanishandcover
bull Howtherebatesworktocreateasenseof urgencyaboutdoingtheenergyupgrades soonerratherputtingitofftotakeadvan-tageoftherebates
bull Theldquosealthenenhancerdquowholehouse concept
bull WhattheProgramelementsactuallylook likeandhowtheyareinstalledtoover-comebarrierssuchasthatonemighthave tomoveoutofthehouseortheenergy upgradesareldquouglyrdquo
bull Workingwithacontractorwhatbeing licensedandcertifiedmeansgettingmul-tiplebids
bull Financingoptions
bull Doingthepaperwork
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 41
Fromthatvideodevelop
bull Threeindividual2-minutevideosforuse onlineeachfocusingonaspecifictopicmdash
againinbothEnglishandSpanish
bull A15anda30spoteachinEnglishand SpanishforuseonCityTVandbroadcast
stations
Print Collateral Customizable fact sheetsInforma-tionsheets(onepagefrontandback)in EnglishSpanishandChinesethatcanalso bepostedonthewebsiteasPDFs
Program brochureMorehighlyde-signedforplacementinmunicipaloffices andevents
Customizable Brochure Brandedwith SunsetMagazineorNationalGeographic forcontractorsandrealtorstohandto customers
SignageBannersforeventsandstreet lamppostspostersformunicipaloffices andsmalleventsandpotentiallysignage forbussidestransitshelters
Speakers kits Countyandcitystaffwillreceivekitstoensure everyoneisfamiliarwithkeymessagesandhas informationtogivetoconstituentsThesecan besentdirectlytocitiesordistributedthrough COGsKitswillcontain
bull Talkingpoints
bull DVDofthevideo
bull PPTpresentationforpublicmeetings
bull Printedbrochuresforpermitofficesto includewithwelcomepacketsfornewho-meowners
bull Articlesandphotostheycanrunintheir onlineorprintedcitynewsletters
bull CDwithtemplatesforquickprintingand websitebuttontolinkfromtheirwebsiteto EnergyUpgradeCalifornia
42 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
description of key messages
Thefollowingmessageshadthehighestreso-nanceinpollingandfocusgroupsbothinLos AngelesCountyandtheBayArea
Primary Motivators Thefollowingtwomessagesaboutsaving moneyarekeytomotivatingalltargetaudi-encesTheyshouldbepartofeverypieceof advertisingorcollateralproduced
1 RebatesHomeownerswhomakeenergy-savinghomeimprovementscanqualifyfor a$1500federaltaxcreditandrebatesof upto$3500dependingonhowmuchthey reduceenergyconsumptionAdditional motivatorTaxcreditsonlyavailable untilDecember312010(Rebatesare preferredovertaxcreditsbecauseitrsquoscash nowratherthanlateranddependingon incomenoteveryonecangetthecredit)
2 Save on Utility Bills Upgradingahome touselessenergyandwatercanreduce utilitybillsby20ormoremdashsavingyou moneyovertime
Secondary Motivators Thefollowingmessagesarethenlayeredde-pendingonwhichaudienceisbeingtargeted
Help the EnvironmentClimate Change Weallneedtodoourparttohelp theenvironmentandslowclimatechange Makingourhomesmoregreenandenergy efficientisanimportantstepweshouldall take
Reduce Foreign OilFossil FuelsAt atimewhenwearetryingtoreduceour dependenceonforeignoilandotherfossil fuelsupgradingtheenergyefficiencyof ourhomesisanimportantstepwecanall take(Infocusgroupstheconceptofenergy independencefurtherresonatedasinde-pendencefromutilitycompaniesgetting offthegrid)
Certified Contractors Save Money Speciallytrainedandcertifiedcontractors knowhowtofindimprovementsthatthe averagehomeownerwouldnotTheiras-sessmentswillensurethatyoufindmore energysavingsandthereforesavemore moneyonyourutilitybillsAdditional motivatorContractorsarecertifiedbythe BuildingPerformanceInstituteworking withtheDepartmentofEnergyandEnvi-ronmentalProtectionAgency
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 43
Increase Property ValuesHomesthat areenergy-efficientandenvironmentally friendlyaremoreappealingtohomebuyers Theseupgradescanincreaseyourproperty value
ComfortUpgradingyourhomersquosenergy efficiencymdashinparticularupgradinginsula-tionmdashcanmakeitamorecomfortableplace toliveNomoredraftycoldroomsinthe winterorhotstuffyroomsinthesummer
Indoor Air QualityInsulationand ventilationcanreduceallergyandasthma-causingmoldandmildewimproving indoorairqualityespeciallyforinfantsand thosewithhealthconditions
Messengers Homeownersprefertoreceiveinformation fromimpartialtrustedsourcesThesemes-sengersreceivedthehighestscoresinpolling
bull Neighborsandotherhomeowners
bull Contractorthehomeownerisalready workingwithorreferredbyfriendneigh-bor
bull Architectsdesignprofessionals
bull Gasandelectricutilities
bull Environmentalorganizations
bull Homeimprovementstorestaff(when equippedwithflyers)
44 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 45
- Cover
- Table of Contents13
- Summary Overview13
- Introduction13
- Programs Goals and Objectives13
- Marketing and Outreach Program Goals and Structure13
- Strategy13
- Evaluation13
- Description of Marketing Communication Tools13
- Description of Key Messages13
-
contractor target
United Brotherhood Building Industry Carpenters (Training)
Association ofSouthern California
Email Blast
Contractors Magazines
Contractor
OnlineAds
Big Box Stores
ConractorsLicensing Schools
Realtor Associations
strategiesassociatedwithbothapproaches
Forthepurposesoftheprogramcontractors aredividedintoparticularsegmentsbasedon thetypeofserviceprovidedAninitialanalysis oftheindustryrevealedthefollowinglikely categories
HomePerformance(HP)Contractors
ProductionBuilders
HVACSystemSpecialtyTrades (windowsetc)
RemodelingContractors
SolarContractors
BuildingPerformance
Institute
Southwest Regional
City Permit Association
Offices of Carpenters
Lumber Yards
StateLicensing
Board
American Instituteof Architects
LA Chapter
Outreach to Contractors TheProgramwillcoordinatewithcontractor groupsandotherbuildingprofessionaltrade organizationstoschedulebriefpresentations abouttheProgramandthecontractortraining processForlargerorganizationsthePro-grammayworkdirectlywiththecompanyto arrangeon-sitepresentationsThesepresenta-tionsareinformalinnatureandwillbeusedto promotethecertificationorientationsrequired forcontractorparticipationintheprogram
KeyMessagestoContractors
$30millioninAmericanRecoveryand ReinvestmentActmoneyisworkinginLA Countytocreateconstructionindustryjobs
32 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
EnergyUpgradeCaliforniaOffersbig rebatesandfinancingoptionsfor homeownersdoinghomeenergy efficiencyretrofits
Therewillbemarketingandadvertis-ingstatewideandlocallytopromotethe Program
Therewillbemarketingmaterialsforyou tousetomarketyourbusiness
YoumustbelicensedandBuildingPerfor-manceInstitute-certifiedtobepartofthe Program
HomeownersmustworkwithBPI-certified contractorstheyrsquollchoosefromacontrac-tordatabaseonthewebsite
KeyOutreachMethods
BuildingIndustryAssociationofSouthern California
SouthwestRegionalCouncilofCarpenters
RealtorsAssociation
UnitedBrotherhood-Carpenters(Training Program)
Citypermittingoffice
Lumberyards
AmericanInstituteofArchitectsLA Chapter(toeducatethemaswell)
ArticlesinformationinContractortrade publications(magazinesnewslettersetc) magazines
CarpentersUnionLocals
ContractorsLicenseSchools(andonline)
BigBoxHomeImprovementstores(de-pendingonIOUrelationships)
wwwcslbcagov
Emailblasttoalllicensedcontractors
Contractor Outreach to Consumers Differentopportunitiesexistfordifferent contractorsdependingontheprobablework scopeThefollowingtableoutlinesafew potentialpathwaysforhowcontractorscan participateintheProgram
contractors outreach to customers
CONTRACTOR TyPE
TRIGGER EvENT vALUE TO CONTRACTOR
BUSINESS MOdEL
Home Performance upgrade lead generation scale for high volume
Production Builder new Business Development
create new division
HVac Replacement lead generation Value-add
expand services
specialty trade lead generation Partner with certified gc
Remodeler Remodel life-stage transition
Value-add sub work to HP contractor
solar Renewables lead generation Partner with certified gc
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 33
BPI-certifiedgeneralcontractorswillbelisted ontheEnergyUpgradeconsumerwebsite sendingmanyleadsdirectlytothemThey alsohaveaccesstotheldquoheatmapsrdquotousefor developingtheirownadvertisingcampaigns
Contractorswillbeattendingorientationses-sionstoensuretheythoroughlyunderstand theProgramrebatesfinancingoptionsand canhelpguidetheircustomersthroughthe processTheywillbeprovidedwithContractor MarketingKitstoensuretheyhaveathandthe keymessagesthathavebeenresonatingwith homeownersandhaveinformationtogive topotentialcustomerswhomightormight nothavebeentothewebsiteKitscanbesent directlytocontractorsordistributedatthe orientationsessionsKitswillcontain
Talkingpoints
DVDofthevideo
Printedfactsheetstoleavewithcustomers (withroomfortheircontactinfo)more canbeordered
Printedldquoslimjimrdquoprogrambrochure
Printedlengthierbrochuresaboutthe wholehouseapproach(brandedby Scientific American Magazine)
CDwithldquobuttonrdquotolinktoEnergyUpgrade fromtheirownwebsitesandPDFsofsite signageforprinting
Contractorswillhaveaccesstoaseparatesec-tionofthewebsitewheretheywillfindinfor-mationaboutProgrameventspromotionsand advertisinganon-demandprintsectionfor additionalcopiesofbrochuresanychanges totheProgramandasingletradecontractor databaseforassemblingteamsforcustomers whowouldlikesolarpanelsornewwindows forexample
6 Realtor Marketing
Giventhatthenationalaveragelengthofhome ownershipisroughlysixyearsrealestate agentswillbeincontactandadvisingalarge percentageofthenewandexistinghomeown-ersthatEnergyUpgradeistargetingforhome energyretrofitsThishighlevelofinfluence makesrealtorsoneofthelargestpartner groups
Realestateagentswillbeengagedonthree levels
1) Outreach
2) Training
3) Support
Outreach Outreachwillbeconductedthroughavariety ofvenuesthatwillincludeCaliforniaAssocia-tionofRealtorsreg(CAR)regionalconferences heldinSouthernCaliforniapartnershipwith themanyrealtorassociationslocatedinLos AngelesCountyanddirectvisitstorealestate agentsrsquoofficesforshortpresentationsPart-nershipswiththe15-20localRealtorsAsso-ciationswillbeachievedthroughoneormore RealtorAdvisoryBoardswhichincludethe GovernmentAffairsDirectorsfromeachof theseorganizationsAselectfewoftheseor-ganizationswillbeusedaspilotsfortargeted outreachduringearlystagesoftheProgram Oncethestrategyhasbeentestedandrevised itwillberolledouttoalloftheRealtorsAs-sociationsinLosAngelesCounty
ThefallCARRealtorExpowillbethemain kickoffeventforoutreachtoindividualreal-torsandrealtorofficesEnergyUpgradeplans tohavea30-minutetalkembeddedinthe SpeakersProgramandaboothsetuponthe ExpofloortoinformrealtorsaboutthePro-gramavailabletrainingsandthesupport
34 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
toolsthathavebeendevelopedThisevent willreachthemajorityofrealtorsintheLos Angelesareabutwillnotincludethelarge populationofrealestateagentsthatarenot membersofCARToreachthispopulation emailsocialmediaandtargetedofficevisits willbeconducted
Training EnergyUpgradewillprovidetrainingforreal estateagentsintwoformsTherealestate agenttrainingmodulecurrentlyunderdevel-opmentbyBuildItGreenwillbeusedasthe maintrainingforumThistrainingmodule isexpectedtotaketwofulldaystocomplete andwillcoverpropertyassessedcleanenergy financingenergyefficientmortgagesrebate programsbuildingscienceenergyefficiency andgreenbuildingpracticesappropriateto California
Additionalweb-basedtrainingwillbeprovided tointroducerealestateagentstotheProgram andtodrivethemtogetin-persontraining throughtheBuildItGreentrainingmodule
Support Cultivatingandclosingtoolswillbegener-atedtoassistrealtorsinusingEnergyUpgrade Californiatradetoexpandtheirbusinesswhile drivinghigherlevelsofprogramparticipation RealtorKitswillbesimilartotheContractor Kitsandtheywillhaveaccesstothedatabase ofgeneralandsingletradecontractors
7 Retail Partner Marketing
Utilitieswillpartnerwithretailoutletsthat canincludeBestBuyCostcoSearsLowes andHomeDepotParticipatingretailoutlets willbeprovided
Information centersEnd-displays detailingtheEnergyUpgradeProgram withadiagramillustratingthehouseas asystemconcept(multiplecomponents thatacttogethertomaximizesavings)and actionscustomerscantaketocapturethose savingsandrebatesIn-storecustomer educationcanshiftcustomerperception ofenergyupgradesandmotivatethem toparticipateinmultipleenergy-efficient measuresinsteadofjustoneAnadditional benefitfortheretailerisassociationwith thestatewideprogram
Program collateral One-sheet takeawaysforcustomerstoreference andshare
Video Theshortvideoscanbeplayed onaloop
Table tent cardsPlacedthroughout storesectionsthatcorrelatewiththe EnergyUpgradeProgram(CFLsappli-ancesceilingfansinsulationwindows) Againthiswillencouragecustomersto performmultipleenergyupgradesinstead ofjustoneCross-promotionhelpseducate customersandencourageparticipationin multiplemeasuresthusincreasingproduct purchase
Window clings ldquoOfficialEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaInformationCenterrdquotagline bannersplacedatstorefrontThiswillpo-sitiontheretailerasanactiveparticipantin thestatewideprogramandbuildsretailer credibilityasagreenadvocate
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 35
8 Multi-Family Outreach
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesandsched-ulesarestillinplanningphasesandbeing developedthroughastatewideconsortium
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesarebeing
developed
36 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
evaluation
Theprimarygoalsofthemarketingplanareto buildpositiveawarenessoftheEnergyUp-gradeCaliforniaProgramandcreateasus-tainedmarketforawholehouseapproach(see page8)Objectivesarespecifictothoseachiev-ingthosegoalsLosAngelesCountyresidents willseemultipleiterationsofmediacoverage paidadvertisingin-storedisplayscontractor marketingandin-personpresentations(inthe pilotmarketingareas)Forexamplearesi-dentinAltadenamightseethemoreintensive marketingandoutreacheffortsThatmayspur themtoactionmdashbutiftheyalreadyhadplans toremodelorhadpreviouslyworkedwitha contractortheymightcalltheircontractorand thusactuallycometotheprogramthrough thecontractorThereforeitwillnotbeeasy todeterminepreciselywhathasmotivated eachpersontoparticipateinEnergyUpgrade Objectivestomeetinclude
About35-45ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughthemarket-ingandoutreacheffortsTomonitorwe willincludeashortsurveyaspartofthe rebateapplicationprocessaskingpartici-pantswhatdrewthemtothewebsiteand totheProgramThewebsitecanmonitor clickthroughstocontractorssitesfrom theProgramwebsiteprovidinganindica-tionofpotentialparticpantswhocameto thesitebeforehavingacontractorOnce apropertyownerinputsanaddressthe websitewillbeabletospecificallymonitor ifthatparticipantasksformultiple estimatesfromcontractorsanotherindica-
toroffindingacontractorthroughthesite
About45-50ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughcontractors Wewillaskcontractorstoprovideinfor-mationabouttheirmarketingeffortsand successratesTheywillbeabletoidentify participantsgainedthroughtheirownmar-ketingefforts
300000uniquehitsonthewebsitewhich willbemonitoredbythewebsiteFurther thewebsitewillanalyzewherevisitors camefrom(egaclickthroughfroman onlineadfromacontractorrsquoswebsite orduringthespecifictimeframeofanad campaign)
Virtualandactualldquoword-of-mouthrdquore-portedbymonitoringsocialmedia
Communicationskitsandmarketingkits availablebothphysicallyandthroughan on-demandprintsitemonitoredbyclient
Informationalmaterialsforcitiesmoni-toredbySouthBayCitiesCouncilofGov-ernments
50000000mediaadvertisingin-person impressionsmonitoredbybroadcast printonlinestatisticsandreportsfrom grassrootsmarketingefforts
Consolidatedinformationinone-stop-shop approachwillbedeliveredthroughthe website
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 37
description of marketing communication tools
PlacedEarned Social Media ThePlancallsforsocialmediatopushinfor-mationtoourtargetaudiencesincreaseper-ceptionsoftheProgramascommunity-based reachthosewhowillhelpgenerateadditional buzzindependentmarketingeffortsaboutthe Programandprovideamechanismforlisten-ingtowhatpeoplearesayingaboutEnergy Upgrademdashandrespondingwhennecessary
Online Paid Advertising Onlineadvertisingcampaignscanbeverycost-effectiveandhighlytargetedbydemographics areasofinterestandgeographicsAdsappear ontopic-relatedblogsonsearchenginepages (egGoogle)andoncontentpages(egwhen yousearchforinformationaboutarelated topicandselectawebsitetoview)
Types of Users Targetadsbyage genderincomelanguagepreferencezip codeorhotspots
Types of SearchesTargetadsbytypeof searchconductedbasedonkeywords
Adsareusuallysoldperldquoclickrdquomdashtheviewer hasclickedontheadandbeensenttothe EnergyUpgradeCAwebsiteWewillmake fourtypesofonlineadpurchases
1 Googleadsthatplaceadsbothonits searchpagesandonhundredsofwebsites targetedbytheabove
2 Networksthattargetspecificsitesand blogsthatmatchourtargetaudiences(eg HiveBlogsLosAngelesthatoffers350LA blogstochoosefrom)
3 Directlythroughselectpublishers(eg CurbedLAGreenGirlLAlocalpapers online)
4 Onlineeditionsoflocalpapersinpilot marketingareas
Twitter Twitterusersaremostlycollegegraduates haveattendedgraduateschoolandlivein householdsmakingover$50000ayear (nationally)Usersarethreetimesmorelikely tofollowbrandsandcompaniesonTwitter thanotherusersofsocialnetworkswith40 specificallyusingTwittertolearnaboutand provideopinionsonbrands
Twittercanpushthelatestdevelopmentsand newstopeoplewhohaveexpressedaninter-estedintheProgram(theymustsignupto receiveourTweetsorhavesearchedfortag wordsincludedinourTweets)Itrsquosalsoan easywayforthosewhofollowEnergyUpgrade onTwittertoshareTweetswiththeirfriends
38 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
therebygeneratingbuzzandhelpingmarket theProgramTwittercanshareProgram newsinrealtimedrivepeopletothewebsite facilitateearlyadoptersbuzzmakersreach youngerhomeownersandincreasemarketing effortsatalowcostTwittercanbeeffectively usedtocommunicatetheProgramandits milestonesinavarietyofways
bull Tweetaboutpressreleasesmajoran-nouncementsnewitemsonwebsiteor blogsmediastoriesandarticlesespecially aboutthosethataretimesensitiveandtell ouraudiencewhatishappeningwiththe Programandencouragesthemtopartici-pateorfindoutmore
bull PutaTweeticononthemainwebsiteal-lowingvisitorstothewebsitetobeginto followEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLos AngelesCountyonTwitterwithoneclick
bull FollowotherswhoTweetaboutthe ProgramaswellasthosewhoTweetabout relatedtopicsThiswillprovideanop-portunitytodirectlyrespondtoaperson whohasaquestionabouttheProgramand pointthemtoalinktothewebsite
Tweet Examples
bull ldquo100LAhomeownershavesigned upfortheProgramatwwwEnergyUpgra-deCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoReadaboutLArsquosnewenergyefficiency rebateProgramintheLAtimes httpwwwlatimesgreenblogcomrdquo
bull ldquoWanttosaveonyourutilitybills CheckoutwwwEnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoSignupfortheHomeEnergyUpgrade contestforachancetowinafree homeenergyefficiencyretrofitat EnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
Cost and Budget
SettingupaTwitteraccountisfreeasisusing anapplicationsuchasTweetDeckthathelps followotherswhoareTweetingaboutEnergy UpgradeCaliforniaTheonlysignificantcostis stafftimewhichcanbelimitedtoafewhours aweek
Facebook Facebookisalow-costandeasywayofboth marketingtheProgramandsupportingan onlinecommunityofpeopleinterestedinthe ProgramItwillreachaudienceswhoaremore likelytospendtimeonFacebookversusaweb-siteandwhomayprefertoreceiveshortreal timeProgramnewsviaFacebookratherthan emailsorwebsitesItisidealforpostinglinks tovideosandphotosrelatedtotheprojectIt complementsthewebsiteaplacewherefans oftheProgramcanfindinformationaskques-tionsandshareideasandexcitementThese fanswillgeneratebuzzbytellingtheirfriends abouttheProgramthroughFacebook
AFacebookpagewillcontaininformation abouttheProgramalinktothewebsite Programnewsvideosphotographsandother informationWhenthepageisupdatedfans willreceivelinksinemailalertingthemtothe newposts
Facebookisalsoidealforsharingthestoryof anearlyadopter(whowillalsoTweet)through updatesphotographsandvideosItlends itselfmuchmorenaturallytothispeople-fo-cusedapproachthanawebsitewhichismore formal
Additionalpoints
bull EncourageandperhapsrewardProgram adopterstosharetheirexperiencesask questionsetc
bull Setupcontrolstodeterminewhatcontent Fanscanposttothewall
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 39
bull Monitorupdatestothewallandtakedown Therearemanyexistingblogsthatcanbeused inappropriatecontent
bull Respondtoissuesquestionsandtakepart intheconversation
bull Adesignatedstaffpersonshouldmonitor thesiteitisalsoidealifseveralstaff memberspostcontentandifpartnersare activeparticipantsalthoughtheoverall strategyshouldbecentralized
Facebook Examples
Herearesomeexamplesofthetypesofpost-ingsforaFacebookpage
bull ldquoTheLATimesdescribesEnergyUpgrade CAasaperfectopportunitytobegreenand savemoneymdashintheFridaymoneysectionrdquo
bull ldquoWhydidyoudecidetoparticipatein EnergyUpgradeCATellushowyour energyefficiencyretrofitisgoingandwersquoll enteryouforachancetowina$50Home Depotgiftcardrdquo
bull ldquoWonderingwhetherEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaisrightforyouCheckoutthis videooftheSmithsinstallingnewinsula-tionandwindows--andreceivinga$3500 rebaterdquo
Cost and Budget
Relativelyfewdirectcostsstafftimewill fluctuateduringbusycalmperiodswithhigh activityatthebeginningastheProgramkicks offandafanbaseisestablishedOngoingstaff timeneededtokeeppagefreshwith3-4posts weekdailymaintenancerequiredtomonitor postingsfromfans
Blogs Blogsreachtargetaudienceswhoarealready interestedinrelatedtopicsandwhohavehigh potentialtoparticipateintheProgram
tofurthermarketingefforts
bull Identifybloggerswhowilllikelywrite positivelyabouttheProgramSendpress releasefactsheetsandPrograminforma-tiontobloggerswhowriteabouttopics suchastheenvironmentenergyefficiency homeimprovementremodelingreal estatehousingbargainssavingmoneyas wellastocompaniesthatsellsolarpanels contractorsetc
bull Bloggersarelookingfortopicalstoriesto writeaboutandwewillmaketheirnext blogposteasyBecauseEnergyUpgradeis ahighrewardoptionalProgrambloggers willwritefavorablyandhelptellthestory inafriendlyaccessibleandeasy-to-under-standway(althoughwedonrsquothavecontrol overwhattheywrite)Peoplewhoaredis-satisfiedwillwritenegativecommentsbut wewillmonitorblogsandactivelycorrect misperceptions
bull Tomonitorwhatothersarewritingabout EnergyUpgradeontheirblogswewilluse freeprogramslikeTechnoratiorGoogle Readertoscanallblogsandwebsitesthat mentiontheProgram
Blogs to Reach
Green Girl LA Blog (httpgreenlagirlcom)Thisindependent blogisfocusedonenvironmentalhap-peningsinLosAngelesArecentpostwas aboutagreennetworkingeventfeaturing TheBuildingDoctorspresentingwaysto makeyourhousemoreenergyefficient PreviouslyareporterbloggerfortheLA Timesthewriterisactiveandcoversa widevarietyofenvironmentalgreentopics happeninginLosAngeles
40 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
LA Times HomeBlog (wwwlatimesblogslatimescomhome_
blog)focusesontopicsrelatedtohouses andhashadseveralrecentpostsabout greenremodelingOneadvantageofa majornewspaperisthatthereportingis accurateandthereadershipislargerThey recentlywroteaboutauditionsforThisOld HousewhichisfeaturingaLosAngeles areahouseforasummerremodel
Bargain Babe (wwwbargainbabelatownluxecom) featuresLosAngelesbargainsYoucan searchforbargainsbyareaofLA(West-sideetc)orbytopicThisbloggerrecently wroteaboutappliancerebates
LA Times Green Remodeling (wwwlatimesblogslatimescompar-donourdustgreen_remodeling)writes aboutalltopicsrelatedtoremodelingin SouthernCaliforniawithseveralrecent postsongreentopicsArecentpostre-viewedthedifferentadvantagesofinstall-ingvarioustanklesswaterheatersPitch thatthebloggerfollowahomeenergy retrofitandhelptelltheirstoryaswellas announcebasicPrograminformation
LA Times Personal Finance wwwlatimescombusinesspersonal-finance
Home Remodeling wwwkathysremodelingblogcom
Energy Efficiency wwwlowimpactlivingcomblog
LA CreekFreak
LA Observed
LAist
YouTube PostallvideosrelatedtotheprojectonYou-TubeWewillworkwithourmediapartners todevelopacontestforearlyadopterstofilm theirexperienceandletwebsitevisitorsvote onthebestWinnerreceivesaprizetobe determined
ListServes Listservesreachgroupsofpeoplewhoare interestedinasimilartopicorwholiveina specificneighborhoodSendemailblaststo listservessuchasneighborhoodassociations homeremodelersandenvironmentalgroups withanenergyfocusCitystaffhasinforma-tionaddressesofneighborhoodandhom-eownerassociationslists
Multimedia for Presentations Website Developanengaginginformative6-8minute videofocusingoncontractorsandhomeown-ersthatcanbeusedduringpresentationsand presentedonCityTVThevideowillbeshot bothinEnglishandinSpanishandcover
bull Howtherebatesworktocreateasenseof urgencyaboutdoingtheenergyupgrades soonerratherputtingitofftotakeadvan-tageoftherebates
bull Theldquosealthenenhancerdquowholehouse concept
bull WhattheProgramelementsactuallylook likeandhowtheyareinstalledtoover-comebarrierssuchasthatonemighthave tomoveoutofthehouseortheenergy upgradesareldquouglyrdquo
bull Workingwithacontractorwhatbeing licensedandcertifiedmeansgettingmul-tiplebids
bull Financingoptions
bull Doingthepaperwork
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 41
Fromthatvideodevelop
bull Threeindividual2-minutevideosforuse onlineeachfocusingonaspecifictopicmdash
againinbothEnglishandSpanish
bull A15anda30spoteachinEnglishand SpanishforuseonCityTVandbroadcast
stations
Print Collateral Customizable fact sheetsInforma-tionsheets(onepagefrontandback)in EnglishSpanishandChinesethatcanalso bepostedonthewebsiteasPDFs
Program brochureMorehighlyde-signedforplacementinmunicipaloffices andevents
Customizable Brochure Brandedwith SunsetMagazineorNationalGeographic forcontractorsandrealtorstohandto customers
SignageBannersforeventsandstreet lamppostspostersformunicipaloffices andsmalleventsandpotentiallysignage forbussidestransitshelters
Speakers kits Countyandcitystaffwillreceivekitstoensure everyoneisfamiliarwithkeymessagesandhas informationtogivetoconstituentsThesecan besentdirectlytocitiesordistributedthrough COGsKitswillcontain
bull Talkingpoints
bull DVDofthevideo
bull PPTpresentationforpublicmeetings
bull Printedbrochuresforpermitofficesto includewithwelcomepacketsfornewho-meowners
bull Articlesandphotostheycanrunintheir onlineorprintedcitynewsletters
bull CDwithtemplatesforquickprintingand websitebuttontolinkfromtheirwebsiteto EnergyUpgradeCalifornia
42 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
description of key messages
Thefollowingmessageshadthehighestreso-nanceinpollingandfocusgroupsbothinLos AngelesCountyandtheBayArea
Primary Motivators Thefollowingtwomessagesaboutsaving moneyarekeytomotivatingalltargetaudi-encesTheyshouldbepartofeverypieceof advertisingorcollateralproduced
1 RebatesHomeownerswhomakeenergy-savinghomeimprovementscanqualifyfor a$1500federaltaxcreditandrebatesof upto$3500dependingonhowmuchthey reduceenergyconsumptionAdditional motivatorTaxcreditsonlyavailable untilDecember312010(Rebatesare preferredovertaxcreditsbecauseitrsquoscash nowratherthanlateranddependingon incomenoteveryonecangetthecredit)
2 Save on Utility Bills Upgradingahome touselessenergyandwatercanreduce utilitybillsby20ormoremdashsavingyou moneyovertime
Secondary Motivators Thefollowingmessagesarethenlayeredde-pendingonwhichaudienceisbeingtargeted
Help the EnvironmentClimate Change Weallneedtodoourparttohelp theenvironmentandslowclimatechange Makingourhomesmoregreenandenergy efficientisanimportantstepweshouldall take
Reduce Foreign OilFossil FuelsAt atimewhenwearetryingtoreduceour dependenceonforeignoilandotherfossil fuelsupgradingtheenergyefficiencyof ourhomesisanimportantstepwecanall take(Infocusgroupstheconceptofenergy independencefurtherresonatedasinde-pendencefromutilitycompaniesgetting offthegrid)
Certified Contractors Save Money Speciallytrainedandcertifiedcontractors knowhowtofindimprovementsthatthe averagehomeownerwouldnotTheiras-sessmentswillensurethatyoufindmore energysavingsandthereforesavemore moneyonyourutilitybillsAdditional motivatorContractorsarecertifiedbythe BuildingPerformanceInstituteworking withtheDepartmentofEnergyandEnvi-ronmentalProtectionAgency
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 43
Increase Property ValuesHomesthat areenergy-efficientandenvironmentally friendlyaremoreappealingtohomebuyers Theseupgradescanincreaseyourproperty value
ComfortUpgradingyourhomersquosenergy efficiencymdashinparticularupgradinginsula-tionmdashcanmakeitamorecomfortableplace toliveNomoredraftycoldroomsinthe winterorhotstuffyroomsinthesummer
Indoor Air QualityInsulationand ventilationcanreduceallergyandasthma-causingmoldandmildewimproving indoorairqualityespeciallyforinfantsand thosewithhealthconditions
Messengers Homeownersprefertoreceiveinformation fromimpartialtrustedsourcesThesemes-sengersreceivedthehighestscoresinpolling
bull Neighborsandotherhomeowners
bull Contractorthehomeownerisalready workingwithorreferredbyfriendneigh-bor
bull Architectsdesignprofessionals
bull Gasandelectricutilities
bull Environmentalorganizations
bull Homeimprovementstorestaff(when equippedwithflyers)
44 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 45
- Cover
- Table of Contents13
- Summary Overview13
- Introduction13
- Programs Goals and Objectives13
- Marketing and Outreach Program Goals and Structure13
- Strategy13
- Evaluation13
- Description of Marketing Communication Tools13
- Description of Key Messages13
-
EnergyUpgradeCaliforniaOffersbig rebatesandfinancingoptionsfor homeownersdoinghomeenergy efficiencyretrofits
Therewillbemarketingandadvertis-ingstatewideandlocallytopromotethe Program
Therewillbemarketingmaterialsforyou tousetomarketyourbusiness
YoumustbelicensedandBuildingPerfor-manceInstitute-certifiedtobepartofthe Program
HomeownersmustworkwithBPI-certified contractorstheyrsquollchoosefromacontrac-tordatabaseonthewebsite
KeyOutreachMethods
BuildingIndustryAssociationofSouthern California
SouthwestRegionalCouncilofCarpenters
RealtorsAssociation
UnitedBrotherhood-Carpenters(Training Program)
Citypermittingoffice
Lumberyards
AmericanInstituteofArchitectsLA Chapter(toeducatethemaswell)
ArticlesinformationinContractortrade publications(magazinesnewslettersetc) magazines
CarpentersUnionLocals
ContractorsLicenseSchools(andonline)
BigBoxHomeImprovementstores(de-pendingonIOUrelationships)
wwwcslbcagov
Emailblasttoalllicensedcontractors
Contractor Outreach to Consumers Differentopportunitiesexistfordifferent contractorsdependingontheprobablework scopeThefollowingtableoutlinesafew potentialpathwaysforhowcontractorscan participateintheProgram
contractors outreach to customers
CONTRACTOR TyPE
TRIGGER EvENT vALUE TO CONTRACTOR
BUSINESS MOdEL
Home Performance upgrade lead generation scale for high volume
Production Builder new Business Development
create new division
HVac Replacement lead generation Value-add
expand services
specialty trade lead generation Partner with certified gc
Remodeler Remodel life-stage transition
Value-add sub work to HP contractor
solar Renewables lead generation Partner with certified gc
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 33
BPI-certifiedgeneralcontractorswillbelisted ontheEnergyUpgradeconsumerwebsite sendingmanyleadsdirectlytothemThey alsohaveaccesstotheldquoheatmapsrdquotousefor developingtheirownadvertisingcampaigns
Contractorswillbeattendingorientationses-sionstoensuretheythoroughlyunderstand theProgramrebatesfinancingoptionsand canhelpguidetheircustomersthroughthe processTheywillbeprovidedwithContractor MarketingKitstoensuretheyhaveathandthe keymessagesthathavebeenresonatingwith homeownersandhaveinformationtogive topotentialcustomerswhomightormight nothavebeentothewebsiteKitscanbesent directlytocontractorsordistributedatthe orientationsessionsKitswillcontain
Talkingpoints
DVDofthevideo
Printedfactsheetstoleavewithcustomers (withroomfortheircontactinfo)more canbeordered
Printedldquoslimjimrdquoprogrambrochure
Printedlengthierbrochuresaboutthe wholehouseapproach(brandedby Scientific American Magazine)
CDwithldquobuttonrdquotolinktoEnergyUpgrade fromtheirownwebsitesandPDFsofsite signageforprinting
Contractorswillhaveaccesstoaseparatesec-tionofthewebsitewheretheywillfindinfor-mationaboutProgrameventspromotionsand advertisinganon-demandprintsectionfor additionalcopiesofbrochuresanychanges totheProgramandasingletradecontractor databaseforassemblingteamsforcustomers whowouldlikesolarpanelsornewwindows forexample
6 Realtor Marketing
Giventhatthenationalaveragelengthofhome ownershipisroughlysixyearsrealestate agentswillbeincontactandadvisingalarge percentageofthenewandexistinghomeown-ersthatEnergyUpgradeistargetingforhome energyretrofitsThishighlevelofinfluence makesrealtorsoneofthelargestpartner groups
Realestateagentswillbeengagedonthree levels
1) Outreach
2) Training
3) Support
Outreach Outreachwillbeconductedthroughavariety ofvenuesthatwillincludeCaliforniaAssocia-tionofRealtorsreg(CAR)regionalconferences heldinSouthernCaliforniapartnershipwith themanyrealtorassociationslocatedinLos AngelesCountyanddirectvisitstorealestate agentsrsquoofficesforshortpresentationsPart-nershipswiththe15-20localRealtorsAsso-ciationswillbeachievedthroughoneormore RealtorAdvisoryBoardswhichincludethe GovernmentAffairsDirectorsfromeachof theseorganizationsAselectfewoftheseor-ganizationswillbeusedaspilotsfortargeted outreachduringearlystagesoftheProgram Oncethestrategyhasbeentestedandrevised itwillberolledouttoalloftheRealtorsAs-sociationsinLosAngelesCounty
ThefallCARRealtorExpowillbethemain kickoffeventforoutreachtoindividualreal-torsandrealtorofficesEnergyUpgradeplans tohavea30-minutetalkembeddedinthe SpeakersProgramandaboothsetuponthe ExpofloortoinformrealtorsaboutthePro-gramavailabletrainingsandthesupport
34 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
toolsthathavebeendevelopedThisevent willreachthemajorityofrealtorsintheLos Angelesareabutwillnotincludethelarge populationofrealestateagentsthatarenot membersofCARToreachthispopulation emailsocialmediaandtargetedofficevisits willbeconducted
Training EnergyUpgradewillprovidetrainingforreal estateagentsintwoformsTherealestate agenttrainingmodulecurrentlyunderdevel-opmentbyBuildItGreenwillbeusedasthe maintrainingforumThistrainingmodule isexpectedtotaketwofulldaystocomplete andwillcoverpropertyassessedcleanenergy financingenergyefficientmortgagesrebate programsbuildingscienceenergyefficiency andgreenbuildingpracticesappropriateto California
Additionalweb-basedtrainingwillbeprovided tointroducerealestateagentstotheProgram andtodrivethemtogetin-persontraining throughtheBuildItGreentrainingmodule
Support Cultivatingandclosingtoolswillbegener-atedtoassistrealtorsinusingEnergyUpgrade Californiatradetoexpandtheirbusinesswhile drivinghigherlevelsofprogramparticipation RealtorKitswillbesimilartotheContractor Kitsandtheywillhaveaccesstothedatabase ofgeneralandsingletradecontractors
7 Retail Partner Marketing
Utilitieswillpartnerwithretailoutletsthat canincludeBestBuyCostcoSearsLowes andHomeDepotParticipatingretailoutlets willbeprovided
Information centersEnd-displays detailingtheEnergyUpgradeProgram withadiagramillustratingthehouseas asystemconcept(multiplecomponents thatacttogethertomaximizesavings)and actionscustomerscantaketocapturethose savingsandrebatesIn-storecustomer educationcanshiftcustomerperception ofenergyupgradesandmotivatethem toparticipateinmultipleenergy-efficient measuresinsteadofjustoneAnadditional benefitfortheretailerisassociationwith thestatewideprogram
Program collateral One-sheet takeawaysforcustomerstoreference andshare
Video Theshortvideoscanbeplayed onaloop
Table tent cardsPlacedthroughout storesectionsthatcorrelatewiththe EnergyUpgradeProgram(CFLsappli-ancesceilingfansinsulationwindows) Againthiswillencouragecustomersto performmultipleenergyupgradesinstead ofjustoneCross-promotionhelpseducate customersandencourageparticipationin multiplemeasuresthusincreasingproduct purchase
Window clings ldquoOfficialEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaInformationCenterrdquotagline bannersplacedatstorefrontThiswillpo-sitiontheretailerasanactiveparticipantin thestatewideprogramandbuildsretailer credibilityasagreenadvocate
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 35
8 Multi-Family Outreach
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesandsched-ulesarestillinplanningphasesandbeing developedthroughastatewideconsortium
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesarebeing
developed
36 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
evaluation
Theprimarygoalsofthemarketingplanareto buildpositiveawarenessoftheEnergyUp-gradeCaliforniaProgramandcreateasus-tainedmarketforawholehouseapproach(see page8)Objectivesarespecifictothoseachiev-ingthosegoalsLosAngelesCountyresidents willseemultipleiterationsofmediacoverage paidadvertisingin-storedisplayscontractor marketingandin-personpresentations(inthe pilotmarketingareas)Forexamplearesi-dentinAltadenamightseethemoreintensive marketingandoutreacheffortsThatmayspur themtoactionmdashbutiftheyalreadyhadplans toremodelorhadpreviouslyworkedwitha contractortheymightcalltheircontractorand thusactuallycometotheprogramthrough thecontractorThereforeitwillnotbeeasy todeterminepreciselywhathasmotivated eachpersontoparticipateinEnergyUpgrade Objectivestomeetinclude
About35-45ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughthemarket-ingandoutreacheffortsTomonitorwe willincludeashortsurveyaspartofthe rebateapplicationprocessaskingpartici-pantswhatdrewthemtothewebsiteand totheProgramThewebsitecanmonitor clickthroughstocontractorssitesfrom theProgramwebsiteprovidinganindica-tionofpotentialparticpantswhocameto thesitebeforehavingacontractorOnce apropertyownerinputsanaddressthe websitewillbeabletospecificallymonitor ifthatparticipantasksformultiple estimatesfromcontractorsanotherindica-
toroffindingacontractorthroughthesite
About45-50ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughcontractors Wewillaskcontractorstoprovideinfor-mationabouttheirmarketingeffortsand successratesTheywillbeabletoidentify participantsgainedthroughtheirownmar-ketingefforts
300000uniquehitsonthewebsitewhich willbemonitoredbythewebsiteFurther thewebsitewillanalyzewherevisitors camefrom(egaclickthroughfroman onlineadfromacontractorrsquoswebsite orduringthespecifictimeframeofanad campaign)
Virtualandactualldquoword-of-mouthrdquore-portedbymonitoringsocialmedia
Communicationskitsandmarketingkits availablebothphysicallyandthroughan on-demandprintsitemonitoredbyclient
Informationalmaterialsforcitiesmoni-toredbySouthBayCitiesCouncilofGov-ernments
50000000mediaadvertisingin-person impressionsmonitoredbybroadcast printonlinestatisticsandreportsfrom grassrootsmarketingefforts
Consolidatedinformationinone-stop-shop approachwillbedeliveredthroughthe website
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 37
description of marketing communication tools
PlacedEarned Social Media ThePlancallsforsocialmediatopushinfor-mationtoourtargetaudiencesincreaseper-ceptionsoftheProgramascommunity-based reachthosewhowillhelpgenerateadditional buzzindependentmarketingeffortsaboutthe Programandprovideamechanismforlisten-ingtowhatpeoplearesayingaboutEnergy Upgrademdashandrespondingwhennecessary
Online Paid Advertising Onlineadvertisingcampaignscanbeverycost-effectiveandhighlytargetedbydemographics areasofinterestandgeographicsAdsappear ontopic-relatedblogsonsearchenginepages (egGoogle)andoncontentpages(egwhen yousearchforinformationaboutarelated topicandselectawebsitetoview)
Types of Users Targetadsbyage genderincomelanguagepreferencezip codeorhotspots
Types of SearchesTargetadsbytypeof searchconductedbasedonkeywords
Adsareusuallysoldperldquoclickrdquomdashtheviewer hasclickedontheadandbeensenttothe EnergyUpgradeCAwebsiteWewillmake fourtypesofonlineadpurchases
1 Googleadsthatplaceadsbothonits searchpagesandonhundredsofwebsites targetedbytheabove
2 Networksthattargetspecificsitesand blogsthatmatchourtargetaudiences(eg HiveBlogsLosAngelesthatoffers350LA blogstochoosefrom)
3 Directlythroughselectpublishers(eg CurbedLAGreenGirlLAlocalpapers online)
4 Onlineeditionsoflocalpapersinpilot marketingareas
Twitter Twitterusersaremostlycollegegraduates haveattendedgraduateschoolandlivein householdsmakingover$50000ayear (nationally)Usersarethreetimesmorelikely tofollowbrandsandcompaniesonTwitter thanotherusersofsocialnetworkswith40 specificallyusingTwittertolearnaboutand provideopinionsonbrands
Twittercanpushthelatestdevelopmentsand newstopeoplewhohaveexpressedaninter-estedintheProgram(theymustsignupto receiveourTweetsorhavesearchedfortag wordsincludedinourTweets)Itrsquosalsoan easywayforthosewhofollowEnergyUpgrade onTwittertoshareTweetswiththeirfriends
38 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
therebygeneratingbuzzandhelpingmarket theProgramTwittercanshareProgram newsinrealtimedrivepeopletothewebsite facilitateearlyadoptersbuzzmakersreach youngerhomeownersandincreasemarketing effortsatalowcostTwittercanbeeffectively usedtocommunicatetheProgramandits milestonesinavarietyofways
bull Tweetaboutpressreleasesmajoran-nouncementsnewitemsonwebsiteor blogsmediastoriesandarticlesespecially aboutthosethataretimesensitiveandtell ouraudiencewhatishappeningwiththe Programandencouragesthemtopartici-pateorfindoutmore
bull PutaTweeticononthemainwebsiteal-lowingvisitorstothewebsitetobeginto followEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLos AngelesCountyonTwitterwithoneclick
bull FollowotherswhoTweetaboutthe ProgramaswellasthosewhoTweetabout relatedtopicsThiswillprovideanop-portunitytodirectlyrespondtoaperson whohasaquestionabouttheProgramand pointthemtoalinktothewebsite
Tweet Examples
bull ldquo100LAhomeownershavesigned upfortheProgramatwwwEnergyUpgra-deCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoReadaboutLArsquosnewenergyefficiency rebateProgramintheLAtimes httpwwwlatimesgreenblogcomrdquo
bull ldquoWanttosaveonyourutilitybills CheckoutwwwEnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoSignupfortheHomeEnergyUpgrade contestforachancetowinafree homeenergyefficiencyretrofitat EnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
Cost and Budget
SettingupaTwitteraccountisfreeasisusing anapplicationsuchasTweetDeckthathelps followotherswhoareTweetingaboutEnergy UpgradeCaliforniaTheonlysignificantcostis stafftimewhichcanbelimitedtoafewhours aweek
Facebook Facebookisalow-costandeasywayofboth marketingtheProgramandsupportingan onlinecommunityofpeopleinterestedinthe ProgramItwillreachaudienceswhoaremore likelytospendtimeonFacebookversusaweb-siteandwhomayprefertoreceiveshortreal timeProgramnewsviaFacebookratherthan emailsorwebsitesItisidealforpostinglinks tovideosandphotosrelatedtotheprojectIt complementsthewebsiteaplacewherefans oftheProgramcanfindinformationaskques-tionsandshareideasandexcitementThese fanswillgeneratebuzzbytellingtheirfriends abouttheProgramthroughFacebook
AFacebookpagewillcontaininformation abouttheProgramalinktothewebsite Programnewsvideosphotographsandother informationWhenthepageisupdatedfans willreceivelinksinemailalertingthemtothe newposts
Facebookisalsoidealforsharingthestoryof anearlyadopter(whowillalsoTweet)through updatesphotographsandvideosItlends itselfmuchmorenaturallytothispeople-fo-cusedapproachthanawebsitewhichismore formal
Additionalpoints
bull EncourageandperhapsrewardProgram adopterstosharetheirexperiencesask questionsetc
bull Setupcontrolstodeterminewhatcontent Fanscanposttothewall
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 39
bull Monitorupdatestothewallandtakedown Therearemanyexistingblogsthatcanbeused inappropriatecontent
bull Respondtoissuesquestionsandtakepart intheconversation
bull Adesignatedstaffpersonshouldmonitor thesiteitisalsoidealifseveralstaff memberspostcontentandifpartnersare activeparticipantsalthoughtheoverall strategyshouldbecentralized
Facebook Examples
Herearesomeexamplesofthetypesofpost-ingsforaFacebookpage
bull ldquoTheLATimesdescribesEnergyUpgrade CAasaperfectopportunitytobegreenand savemoneymdashintheFridaymoneysectionrdquo
bull ldquoWhydidyoudecidetoparticipatein EnergyUpgradeCATellushowyour energyefficiencyretrofitisgoingandwersquoll enteryouforachancetowina$50Home Depotgiftcardrdquo
bull ldquoWonderingwhetherEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaisrightforyouCheckoutthis videooftheSmithsinstallingnewinsula-tionandwindows--andreceivinga$3500 rebaterdquo
Cost and Budget
Relativelyfewdirectcostsstafftimewill fluctuateduringbusycalmperiodswithhigh activityatthebeginningastheProgramkicks offandafanbaseisestablishedOngoingstaff timeneededtokeeppagefreshwith3-4posts weekdailymaintenancerequiredtomonitor postingsfromfans
Blogs Blogsreachtargetaudienceswhoarealready interestedinrelatedtopicsandwhohavehigh potentialtoparticipateintheProgram
tofurthermarketingefforts
bull Identifybloggerswhowilllikelywrite positivelyabouttheProgramSendpress releasefactsheetsandPrograminforma-tiontobloggerswhowriteabouttopics suchastheenvironmentenergyefficiency homeimprovementremodelingreal estatehousingbargainssavingmoneyas wellastocompaniesthatsellsolarpanels contractorsetc
bull Bloggersarelookingfortopicalstoriesto writeaboutandwewillmaketheirnext blogposteasyBecauseEnergyUpgradeis ahighrewardoptionalProgrambloggers willwritefavorablyandhelptellthestory inafriendlyaccessibleandeasy-to-under-standway(althoughwedonrsquothavecontrol overwhattheywrite)Peoplewhoaredis-satisfiedwillwritenegativecommentsbut wewillmonitorblogsandactivelycorrect misperceptions
bull Tomonitorwhatothersarewritingabout EnergyUpgradeontheirblogswewilluse freeprogramslikeTechnoratiorGoogle Readertoscanallblogsandwebsitesthat mentiontheProgram
Blogs to Reach
Green Girl LA Blog (httpgreenlagirlcom)Thisindependent blogisfocusedonenvironmentalhap-peningsinLosAngelesArecentpostwas aboutagreennetworkingeventfeaturing TheBuildingDoctorspresentingwaysto makeyourhousemoreenergyefficient PreviouslyareporterbloggerfortheLA Timesthewriterisactiveandcoversa widevarietyofenvironmentalgreentopics happeninginLosAngeles
40 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
LA Times HomeBlog (wwwlatimesblogslatimescomhome_
blog)focusesontopicsrelatedtohouses andhashadseveralrecentpostsabout greenremodelingOneadvantageofa majornewspaperisthatthereportingis accurateandthereadershipislargerThey recentlywroteaboutauditionsforThisOld HousewhichisfeaturingaLosAngeles areahouseforasummerremodel
Bargain Babe (wwwbargainbabelatownluxecom) featuresLosAngelesbargainsYoucan searchforbargainsbyareaofLA(West-sideetc)orbytopicThisbloggerrecently wroteaboutappliancerebates
LA Times Green Remodeling (wwwlatimesblogslatimescompar-donourdustgreen_remodeling)writes aboutalltopicsrelatedtoremodelingin SouthernCaliforniawithseveralrecent postsongreentopicsArecentpostre-viewedthedifferentadvantagesofinstall-ingvarioustanklesswaterheatersPitch thatthebloggerfollowahomeenergy retrofitandhelptelltheirstoryaswellas announcebasicPrograminformation
LA Times Personal Finance wwwlatimescombusinesspersonal-finance
Home Remodeling wwwkathysremodelingblogcom
Energy Efficiency wwwlowimpactlivingcomblog
LA CreekFreak
LA Observed
LAist
YouTube PostallvideosrelatedtotheprojectonYou-TubeWewillworkwithourmediapartners todevelopacontestforearlyadopterstofilm theirexperienceandletwebsitevisitorsvote onthebestWinnerreceivesaprizetobe determined
ListServes Listservesreachgroupsofpeoplewhoare interestedinasimilartopicorwholiveina specificneighborhoodSendemailblaststo listservessuchasneighborhoodassociations homeremodelersandenvironmentalgroups withanenergyfocusCitystaffhasinforma-tionaddressesofneighborhoodandhom-eownerassociationslists
Multimedia for Presentations Website Developanengaginginformative6-8minute videofocusingoncontractorsandhomeown-ersthatcanbeusedduringpresentationsand presentedonCityTVThevideowillbeshot bothinEnglishandinSpanishandcover
bull Howtherebatesworktocreateasenseof urgencyaboutdoingtheenergyupgrades soonerratherputtingitofftotakeadvan-tageoftherebates
bull Theldquosealthenenhancerdquowholehouse concept
bull WhattheProgramelementsactuallylook likeandhowtheyareinstalledtoover-comebarrierssuchasthatonemighthave tomoveoutofthehouseortheenergy upgradesareldquouglyrdquo
bull Workingwithacontractorwhatbeing licensedandcertifiedmeansgettingmul-tiplebids
bull Financingoptions
bull Doingthepaperwork
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 41
Fromthatvideodevelop
bull Threeindividual2-minutevideosforuse onlineeachfocusingonaspecifictopicmdash
againinbothEnglishandSpanish
bull A15anda30spoteachinEnglishand SpanishforuseonCityTVandbroadcast
stations
Print Collateral Customizable fact sheetsInforma-tionsheets(onepagefrontandback)in EnglishSpanishandChinesethatcanalso bepostedonthewebsiteasPDFs
Program brochureMorehighlyde-signedforplacementinmunicipaloffices andevents
Customizable Brochure Brandedwith SunsetMagazineorNationalGeographic forcontractorsandrealtorstohandto customers
SignageBannersforeventsandstreet lamppostspostersformunicipaloffices andsmalleventsandpotentiallysignage forbussidestransitshelters
Speakers kits Countyandcitystaffwillreceivekitstoensure everyoneisfamiliarwithkeymessagesandhas informationtogivetoconstituentsThesecan besentdirectlytocitiesordistributedthrough COGsKitswillcontain
bull Talkingpoints
bull DVDofthevideo
bull PPTpresentationforpublicmeetings
bull Printedbrochuresforpermitofficesto includewithwelcomepacketsfornewho-meowners
bull Articlesandphotostheycanrunintheir onlineorprintedcitynewsletters
bull CDwithtemplatesforquickprintingand websitebuttontolinkfromtheirwebsiteto EnergyUpgradeCalifornia
42 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
description of key messages
Thefollowingmessageshadthehighestreso-nanceinpollingandfocusgroupsbothinLos AngelesCountyandtheBayArea
Primary Motivators Thefollowingtwomessagesaboutsaving moneyarekeytomotivatingalltargetaudi-encesTheyshouldbepartofeverypieceof advertisingorcollateralproduced
1 RebatesHomeownerswhomakeenergy-savinghomeimprovementscanqualifyfor a$1500federaltaxcreditandrebatesof upto$3500dependingonhowmuchthey reduceenergyconsumptionAdditional motivatorTaxcreditsonlyavailable untilDecember312010(Rebatesare preferredovertaxcreditsbecauseitrsquoscash nowratherthanlateranddependingon incomenoteveryonecangetthecredit)
2 Save on Utility Bills Upgradingahome touselessenergyandwatercanreduce utilitybillsby20ormoremdashsavingyou moneyovertime
Secondary Motivators Thefollowingmessagesarethenlayeredde-pendingonwhichaudienceisbeingtargeted
Help the EnvironmentClimate Change Weallneedtodoourparttohelp theenvironmentandslowclimatechange Makingourhomesmoregreenandenergy efficientisanimportantstepweshouldall take
Reduce Foreign OilFossil FuelsAt atimewhenwearetryingtoreduceour dependenceonforeignoilandotherfossil fuelsupgradingtheenergyefficiencyof ourhomesisanimportantstepwecanall take(Infocusgroupstheconceptofenergy independencefurtherresonatedasinde-pendencefromutilitycompaniesgetting offthegrid)
Certified Contractors Save Money Speciallytrainedandcertifiedcontractors knowhowtofindimprovementsthatthe averagehomeownerwouldnotTheiras-sessmentswillensurethatyoufindmore energysavingsandthereforesavemore moneyonyourutilitybillsAdditional motivatorContractorsarecertifiedbythe BuildingPerformanceInstituteworking withtheDepartmentofEnergyandEnvi-ronmentalProtectionAgency
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 43
Increase Property ValuesHomesthat areenergy-efficientandenvironmentally friendlyaremoreappealingtohomebuyers Theseupgradescanincreaseyourproperty value
ComfortUpgradingyourhomersquosenergy efficiencymdashinparticularupgradinginsula-tionmdashcanmakeitamorecomfortableplace toliveNomoredraftycoldroomsinthe winterorhotstuffyroomsinthesummer
Indoor Air QualityInsulationand ventilationcanreduceallergyandasthma-causingmoldandmildewimproving indoorairqualityespeciallyforinfantsand thosewithhealthconditions
Messengers Homeownersprefertoreceiveinformation fromimpartialtrustedsourcesThesemes-sengersreceivedthehighestscoresinpolling
bull Neighborsandotherhomeowners
bull Contractorthehomeownerisalready workingwithorreferredbyfriendneigh-bor
bull Architectsdesignprofessionals
bull Gasandelectricutilities
bull Environmentalorganizations
bull Homeimprovementstorestaff(when equippedwithflyers)
44 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 45
- Cover
- Table of Contents13
- Summary Overview13
- Introduction13
- Programs Goals and Objectives13
- Marketing and Outreach Program Goals and Structure13
- Strategy13
- Evaluation13
- Description of Marketing Communication Tools13
- Description of Key Messages13
-
BPI-certifiedgeneralcontractorswillbelisted ontheEnergyUpgradeconsumerwebsite sendingmanyleadsdirectlytothemThey alsohaveaccesstotheldquoheatmapsrdquotousefor developingtheirownadvertisingcampaigns
Contractorswillbeattendingorientationses-sionstoensuretheythoroughlyunderstand theProgramrebatesfinancingoptionsand canhelpguidetheircustomersthroughthe processTheywillbeprovidedwithContractor MarketingKitstoensuretheyhaveathandthe keymessagesthathavebeenresonatingwith homeownersandhaveinformationtogive topotentialcustomerswhomightormight nothavebeentothewebsiteKitscanbesent directlytocontractorsordistributedatthe orientationsessionsKitswillcontain
Talkingpoints
DVDofthevideo
Printedfactsheetstoleavewithcustomers (withroomfortheircontactinfo)more canbeordered
Printedldquoslimjimrdquoprogrambrochure
Printedlengthierbrochuresaboutthe wholehouseapproach(brandedby Scientific American Magazine)
CDwithldquobuttonrdquotolinktoEnergyUpgrade fromtheirownwebsitesandPDFsofsite signageforprinting
Contractorswillhaveaccesstoaseparatesec-tionofthewebsitewheretheywillfindinfor-mationaboutProgrameventspromotionsand advertisinganon-demandprintsectionfor additionalcopiesofbrochuresanychanges totheProgramandasingletradecontractor databaseforassemblingteamsforcustomers whowouldlikesolarpanelsornewwindows forexample
6 Realtor Marketing
Giventhatthenationalaveragelengthofhome ownershipisroughlysixyearsrealestate agentswillbeincontactandadvisingalarge percentageofthenewandexistinghomeown-ersthatEnergyUpgradeistargetingforhome energyretrofitsThishighlevelofinfluence makesrealtorsoneofthelargestpartner groups
Realestateagentswillbeengagedonthree levels
1) Outreach
2) Training
3) Support
Outreach Outreachwillbeconductedthroughavariety ofvenuesthatwillincludeCaliforniaAssocia-tionofRealtorsreg(CAR)regionalconferences heldinSouthernCaliforniapartnershipwith themanyrealtorassociationslocatedinLos AngelesCountyanddirectvisitstorealestate agentsrsquoofficesforshortpresentationsPart-nershipswiththe15-20localRealtorsAsso-ciationswillbeachievedthroughoneormore RealtorAdvisoryBoardswhichincludethe GovernmentAffairsDirectorsfromeachof theseorganizationsAselectfewoftheseor-ganizationswillbeusedaspilotsfortargeted outreachduringearlystagesoftheProgram Oncethestrategyhasbeentestedandrevised itwillberolledouttoalloftheRealtorsAs-sociationsinLosAngelesCounty
ThefallCARRealtorExpowillbethemain kickoffeventforoutreachtoindividualreal-torsandrealtorofficesEnergyUpgradeplans tohavea30-minutetalkembeddedinthe SpeakersProgramandaboothsetuponthe ExpofloortoinformrealtorsaboutthePro-gramavailabletrainingsandthesupport
34 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
toolsthathavebeendevelopedThisevent willreachthemajorityofrealtorsintheLos Angelesareabutwillnotincludethelarge populationofrealestateagentsthatarenot membersofCARToreachthispopulation emailsocialmediaandtargetedofficevisits willbeconducted
Training EnergyUpgradewillprovidetrainingforreal estateagentsintwoformsTherealestate agenttrainingmodulecurrentlyunderdevel-opmentbyBuildItGreenwillbeusedasthe maintrainingforumThistrainingmodule isexpectedtotaketwofulldaystocomplete andwillcoverpropertyassessedcleanenergy financingenergyefficientmortgagesrebate programsbuildingscienceenergyefficiency andgreenbuildingpracticesappropriateto California
Additionalweb-basedtrainingwillbeprovided tointroducerealestateagentstotheProgram andtodrivethemtogetin-persontraining throughtheBuildItGreentrainingmodule
Support Cultivatingandclosingtoolswillbegener-atedtoassistrealtorsinusingEnergyUpgrade Californiatradetoexpandtheirbusinesswhile drivinghigherlevelsofprogramparticipation RealtorKitswillbesimilartotheContractor Kitsandtheywillhaveaccesstothedatabase ofgeneralandsingletradecontractors
7 Retail Partner Marketing
Utilitieswillpartnerwithretailoutletsthat canincludeBestBuyCostcoSearsLowes andHomeDepotParticipatingretailoutlets willbeprovided
Information centersEnd-displays detailingtheEnergyUpgradeProgram withadiagramillustratingthehouseas asystemconcept(multiplecomponents thatacttogethertomaximizesavings)and actionscustomerscantaketocapturethose savingsandrebatesIn-storecustomer educationcanshiftcustomerperception ofenergyupgradesandmotivatethem toparticipateinmultipleenergy-efficient measuresinsteadofjustoneAnadditional benefitfortheretailerisassociationwith thestatewideprogram
Program collateral One-sheet takeawaysforcustomerstoreference andshare
Video Theshortvideoscanbeplayed onaloop
Table tent cardsPlacedthroughout storesectionsthatcorrelatewiththe EnergyUpgradeProgram(CFLsappli-ancesceilingfansinsulationwindows) Againthiswillencouragecustomersto performmultipleenergyupgradesinstead ofjustoneCross-promotionhelpseducate customersandencourageparticipationin multiplemeasuresthusincreasingproduct purchase
Window clings ldquoOfficialEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaInformationCenterrdquotagline bannersplacedatstorefrontThiswillpo-sitiontheretailerasanactiveparticipantin thestatewideprogramandbuildsretailer credibilityasagreenadvocate
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 35
8 Multi-Family Outreach
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesandsched-ulesarestillinplanningphasesandbeing developedthroughastatewideconsortium
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesarebeing
developed
36 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
evaluation
Theprimarygoalsofthemarketingplanareto buildpositiveawarenessoftheEnergyUp-gradeCaliforniaProgramandcreateasus-tainedmarketforawholehouseapproach(see page8)Objectivesarespecifictothoseachiev-ingthosegoalsLosAngelesCountyresidents willseemultipleiterationsofmediacoverage paidadvertisingin-storedisplayscontractor marketingandin-personpresentations(inthe pilotmarketingareas)Forexamplearesi-dentinAltadenamightseethemoreintensive marketingandoutreacheffortsThatmayspur themtoactionmdashbutiftheyalreadyhadplans toremodelorhadpreviouslyworkedwitha contractortheymightcalltheircontractorand thusactuallycometotheprogramthrough thecontractorThereforeitwillnotbeeasy todeterminepreciselywhathasmotivated eachpersontoparticipateinEnergyUpgrade Objectivestomeetinclude
About35-45ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughthemarket-ingandoutreacheffortsTomonitorwe willincludeashortsurveyaspartofthe rebateapplicationprocessaskingpartici-pantswhatdrewthemtothewebsiteand totheProgramThewebsitecanmonitor clickthroughstocontractorssitesfrom theProgramwebsiteprovidinganindica-tionofpotentialparticpantswhocameto thesitebeforehavingacontractorOnce apropertyownerinputsanaddressthe websitewillbeabletospecificallymonitor ifthatparticipantasksformultiple estimatesfromcontractorsanotherindica-
toroffindingacontractorthroughthesite
About45-50ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughcontractors Wewillaskcontractorstoprovideinfor-mationabouttheirmarketingeffortsand successratesTheywillbeabletoidentify participantsgainedthroughtheirownmar-ketingefforts
300000uniquehitsonthewebsitewhich willbemonitoredbythewebsiteFurther thewebsitewillanalyzewherevisitors camefrom(egaclickthroughfroman onlineadfromacontractorrsquoswebsite orduringthespecifictimeframeofanad campaign)
Virtualandactualldquoword-of-mouthrdquore-portedbymonitoringsocialmedia
Communicationskitsandmarketingkits availablebothphysicallyandthroughan on-demandprintsitemonitoredbyclient
Informationalmaterialsforcitiesmoni-toredbySouthBayCitiesCouncilofGov-ernments
50000000mediaadvertisingin-person impressionsmonitoredbybroadcast printonlinestatisticsandreportsfrom grassrootsmarketingefforts
Consolidatedinformationinone-stop-shop approachwillbedeliveredthroughthe website
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 37
description of marketing communication tools
PlacedEarned Social Media ThePlancallsforsocialmediatopushinfor-mationtoourtargetaudiencesincreaseper-ceptionsoftheProgramascommunity-based reachthosewhowillhelpgenerateadditional buzzindependentmarketingeffortsaboutthe Programandprovideamechanismforlisten-ingtowhatpeoplearesayingaboutEnergy Upgrademdashandrespondingwhennecessary
Online Paid Advertising Onlineadvertisingcampaignscanbeverycost-effectiveandhighlytargetedbydemographics areasofinterestandgeographicsAdsappear ontopic-relatedblogsonsearchenginepages (egGoogle)andoncontentpages(egwhen yousearchforinformationaboutarelated topicandselectawebsitetoview)
Types of Users Targetadsbyage genderincomelanguagepreferencezip codeorhotspots
Types of SearchesTargetadsbytypeof searchconductedbasedonkeywords
Adsareusuallysoldperldquoclickrdquomdashtheviewer hasclickedontheadandbeensenttothe EnergyUpgradeCAwebsiteWewillmake fourtypesofonlineadpurchases
1 Googleadsthatplaceadsbothonits searchpagesandonhundredsofwebsites targetedbytheabove
2 Networksthattargetspecificsitesand blogsthatmatchourtargetaudiences(eg HiveBlogsLosAngelesthatoffers350LA blogstochoosefrom)
3 Directlythroughselectpublishers(eg CurbedLAGreenGirlLAlocalpapers online)
4 Onlineeditionsoflocalpapersinpilot marketingareas
Twitter Twitterusersaremostlycollegegraduates haveattendedgraduateschoolandlivein householdsmakingover$50000ayear (nationally)Usersarethreetimesmorelikely tofollowbrandsandcompaniesonTwitter thanotherusersofsocialnetworkswith40 specificallyusingTwittertolearnaboutand provideopinionsonbrands
Twittercanpushthelatestdevelopmentsand newstopeoplewhohaveexpressedaninter-estedintheProgram(theymustsignupto receiveourTweetsorhavesearchedfortag wordsincludedinourTweets)Itrsquosalsoan easywayforthosewhofollowEnergyUpgrade onTwittertoshareTweetswiththeirfriends
38 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
therebygeneratingbuzzandhelpingmarket theProgramTwittercanshareProgram newsinrealtimedrivepeopletothewebsite facilitateearlyadoptersbuzzmakersreach youngerhomeownersandincreasemarketing effortsatalowcostTwittercanbeeffectively usedtocommunicatetheProgramandits milestonesinavarietyofways
bull Tweetaboutpressreleasesmajoran-nouncementsnewitemsonwebsiteor blogsmediastoriesandarticlesespecially aboutthosethataretimesensitiveandtell ouraudiencewhatishappeningwiththe Programandencouragesthemtopartici-pateorfindoutmore
bull PutaTweeticononthemainwebsiteal-lowingvisitorstothewebsitetobeginto followEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLos AngelesCountyonTwitterwithoneclick
bull FollowotherswhoTweetaboutthe ProgramaswellasthosewhoTweetabout relatedtopicsThiswillprovideanop-portunitytodirectlyrespondtoaperson whohasaquestionabouttheProgramand pointthemtoalinktothewebsite
Tweet Examples
bull ldquo100LAhomeownershavesigned upfortheProgramatwwwEnergyUpgra-deCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoReadaboutLArsquosnewenergyefficiency rebateProgramintheLAtimes httpwwwlatimesgreenblogcomrdquo
bull ldquoWanttosaveonyourutilitybills CheckoutwwwEnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoSignupfortheHomeEnergyUpgrade contestforachancetowinafree homeenergyefficiencyretrofitat EnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
Cost and Budget
SettingupaTwitteraccountisfreeasisusing anapplicationsuchasTweetDeckthathelps followotherswhoareTweetingaboutEnergy UpgradeCaliforniaTheonlysignificantcostis stafftimewhichcanbelimitedtoafewhours aweek
Facebook Facebookisalow-costandeasywayofboth marketingtheProgramandsupportingan onlinecommunityofpeopleinterestedinthe ProgramItwillreachaudienceswhoaremore likelytospendtimeonFacebookversusaweb-siteandwhomayprefertoreceiveshortreal timeProgramnewsviaFacebookratherthan emailsorwebsitesItisidealforpostinglinks tovideosandphotosrelatedtotheprojectIt complementsthewebsiteaplacewherefans oftheProgramcanfindinformationaskques-tionsandshareideasandexcitementThese fanswillgeneratebuzzbytellingtheirfriends abouttheProgramthroughFacebook
AFacebookpagewillcontaininformation abouttheProgramalinktothewebsite Programnewsvideosphotographsandother informationWhenthepageisupdatedfans willreceivelinksinemailalertingthemtothe newposts
Facebookisalsoidealforsharingthestoryof anearlyadopter(whowillalsoTweet)through updatesphotographsandvideosItlends itselfmuchmorenaturallytothispeople-fo-cusedapproachthanawebsitewhichismore formal
Additionalpoints
bull EncourageandperhapsrewardProgram adopterstosharetheirexperiencesask questionsetc
bull Setupcontrolstodeterminewhatcontent Fanscanposttothewall
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 39
bull Monitorupdatestothewallandtakedown Therearemanyexistingblogsthatcanbeused inappropriatecontent
bull Respondtoissuesquestionsandtakepart intheconversation
bull Adesignatedstaffpersonshouldmonitor thesiteitisalsoidealifseveralstaff memberspostcontentandifpartnersare activeparticipantsalthoughtheoverall strategyshouldbecentralized
Facebook Examples
Herearesomeexamplesofthetypesofpost-ingsforaFacebookpage
bull ldquoTheLATimesdescribesEnergyUpgrade CAasaperfectopportunitytobegreenand savemoneymdashintheFridaymoneysectionrdquo
bull ldquoWhydidyoudecidetoparticipatein EnergyUpgradeCATellushowyour energyefficiencyretrofitisgoingandwersquoll enteryouforachancetowina$50Home Depotgiftcardrdquo
bull ldquoWonderingwhetherEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaisrightforyouCheckoutthis videooftheSmithsinstallingnewinsula-tionandwindows--andreceivinga$3500 rebaterdquo
Cost and Budget
Relativelyfewdirectcostsstafftimewill fluctuateduringbusycalmperiodswithhigh activityatthebeginningastheProgramkicks offandafanbaseisestablishedOngoingstaff timeneededtokeeppagefreshwith3-4posts weekdailymaintenancerequiredtomonitor postingsfromfans
Blogs Blogsreachtargetaudienceswhoarealready interestedinrelatedtopicsandwhohavehigh potentialtoparticipateintheProgram
tofurthermarketingefforts
bull Identifybloggerswhowilllikelywrite positivelyabouttheProgramSendpress releasefactsheetsandPrograminforma-tiontobloggerswhowriteabouttopics suchastheenvironmentenergyefficiency homeimprovementremodelingreal estatehousingbargainssavingmoneyas wellastocompaniesthatsellsolarpanels contractorsetc
bull Bloggersarelookingfortopicalstoriesto writeaboutandwewillmaketheirnext blogposteasyBecauseEnergyUpgradeis ahighrewardoptionalProgrambloggers willwritefavorablyandhelptellthestory inafriendlyaccessibleandeasy-to-under-standway(althoughwedonrsquothavecontrol overwhattheywrite)Peoplewhoaredis-satisfiedwillwritenegativecommentsbut wewillmonitorblogsandactivelycorrect misperceptions
bull Tomonitorwhatothersarewritingabout EnergyUpgradeontheirblogswewilluse freeprogramslikeTechnoratiorGoogle Readertoscanallblogsandwebsitesthat mentiontheProgram
Blogs to Reach
Green Girl LA Blog (httpgreenlagirlcom)Thisindependent blogisfocusedonenvironmentalhap-peningsinLosAngelesArecentpostwas aboutagreennetworkingeventfeaturing TheBuildingDoctorspresentingwaysto makeyourhousemoreenergyefficient PreviouslyareporterbloggerfortheLA Timesthewriterisactiveandcoversa widevarietyofenvironmentalgreentopics happeninginLosAngeles
40 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
LA Times HomeBlog (wwwlatimesblogslatimescomhome_
blog)focusesontopicsrelatedtohouses andhashadseveralrecentpostsabout greenremodelingOneadvantageofa majornewspaperisthatthereportingis accurateandthereadershipislargerThey recentlywroteaboutauditionsforThisOld HousewhichisfeaturingaLosAngeles areahouseforasummerremodel
Bargain Babe (wwwbargainbabelatownluxecom) featuresLosAngelesbargainsYoucan searchforbargainsbyareaofLA(West-sideetc)orbytopicThisbloggerrecently wroteaboutappliancerebates
LA Times Green Remodeling (wwwlatimesblogslatimescompar-donourdustgreen_remodeling)writes aboutalltopicsrelatedtoremodelingin SouthernCaliforniawithseveralrecent postsongreentopicsArecentpostre-viewedthedifferentadvantagesofinstall-ingvarioustanklesswaterheatersPitch thatthebloggerfollowahomeenergy retrofitandhelptelltheirstoryaswellas announcebasicPrograminformation
LA Times Personal Finance wwwlatimescombusinesspersonal-finance
Home Remodeling wwwkathysremodelingblogcom
Energy Efficiency wwwlowimpactlivingcomblog
LA CreekFreak
LA Observed
LAist
YouTube PostallvideosrelatedtotheprojectonYou-TubeWewillworkwithourmediapartners todevelopacontestforearlyadopterstofilm theirexperienceandletwebsitevisitorsvote onthebestWinnerreceivesaprizetobe determined
ListServes Listservesreachgroupsofpeoplewhoare interestedinasimilartopicorwholiveina specificneighborhoodSendemailblaststo listservessuchasneighborhoodassociations homeremodelersandenvironmentalgroups withanenergyfocusCitystaffhasinforma-tionaddressesofneighborhoodandhom-eownerassociationslists
Multimedia for Presentations Website Developanengaginginformative6-8minute videofocusingoncontractorsandhomeown-ersthatcanbeusedduringpresentationsand presentedonCityTVThevideowillbeshot bothinEnglishandinSpanishandcover
bull Howtherebatesworktocreateasenseof urgencyaboutdoingtheenergyupgrades soonerratherputtingitofftotakeadvan-tageoftherebates
bull Theldquosealthenenhancerdquowholehouse concept
bull WhattheProgramelementsactuallylook likeandhowtheyareinstalledtoover-comebarrierssuchasthatonemighthave tomoveoutofthehouseortheenergy upgradesareldquouglyrdquo
bull Workingwithacontractorwhatbeing licensedandcertifiedmeansgettingmul-tiplebids
bull Financingoptions
bull Doingthepaperwork
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 41
Fromthatvideodevelop
bull Threeindividual2-minutevideosforuse onlineeachfocusingonaspecifictopicmdash
againinbothEnglishandSpanish
bull A15anda30spoteachinEnglishand SpanishforuseonCityTVandbroadcast
stations
Print Collateral Customizable fact sheetsInforma-tionsheets(onepagefrontandback)in EnglishSpanishandChinesethatcanalso bepostedonthewebsiteasPDFs
Program brochureMorehighlyde-signedforplacementinmunicipaloffices andevents
Customizable Brochure Brandedwith SunsetMagazineorNationalGeographic forcontractorsandrealtorstohandto customers
SignageBannersforeventsandstreet lamppostspostersformunicipaloffices andsmalleventsandpotentiallysignage forbussidestransitshelters
Speakers kits Countyandcitystaffwillreceivekitstoensure everyoneisfamiliarwithkeymessagesandhas informationtogivetoconstituentsThesecan besentdirectlytocitiesordistributedthrough COGsKitswillcontain
bull Talkingpoints
bull DVDofthevideo
bull PPTpresentationforpublicmeetings
bull Printedbrochuresforpermitofficesto includewithwelcomepacketsfornewho-meowners
bull Articlesandphotostheycanrunintheir onlineorprintedcitynewsletters
bull CDwithtemplatesforquickprintingand websitebuttontolinkfromtheirwebsiteto EnergyUpgradeCalifornia
42 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
description of key messages
Thefollowingmessageshadthehighestreso-nanceinpollingandfocusgroupsbothinLos AngelesCountyandtheBayArea
Primary Motivators Thefollowingtwomessagesaboutsaving moneyarekeytomotivatingalltargetaudi-encesTheyshouldbepartofeverypieceof advertisingorcollateralproduced
1 RebatesHomeownerswhomakeenergy-savinghomeimprovementscanqualifyfor a$1500federaltaxcreditandrebatesof upto$3500dependingonhowmuchthey reduceenergyconsumptionAdditional motivatorTaxcreditsonlyavailable untilDecember312010(Rebatesare preferredovertaxcreditsbecauseitrsquoscash nowratherthanlateranddependingon incomenoteveryonecangetthecredit)
2 Save on Utility Bills Upgradingahome touselessenergyandwatercanreduce utilitybillsby20ormoremdashsavingyou moneyovertime
Secondary Motivators Thefollowingmessagesarethenlayeredde-pendingonwhichaudienceisbeingtargeted
Help the EnvironmentClimate Change Weallneedtodoourparttohelp theenvironmentandslowclimatechange Makingourhomesmoregreenandenergy efficientisanimportantstepweshouldall take
Reduce Foreign OilFossil FuelsAt atimewhenwearetryingtoreduceour dependenceonforeignoilandotherfossil fuelsupgradingtheenergyefficiencyof ourhomesisanimportantstepwecanall take(Infocusgroupstheconceptofenergy independencefurtherresonatedasinde-pendencefromutilitycompaniesgetting offthegrid)
Certified Contractors Save Money Speciallytrainedandcertifiedcontractors knowhowtofindimprovementsthatthe averagehomeownerwouldnotTheiras-sessmentswillensurethatyoufindmore energysavingsandthereforesavemore moneyonyourutilitybillsAdditional motivatorContractorsarecertifiedbythe BuildingPerformanceInstituteworking withtheDepartmentofEnergyandEnvi-ronmentalProtectionAgency
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 43
Increase Property ValuesHomesthat areenergy-efficientandenvironmentally friendlyaremoreappealingtohomebuyers Theseupgradescanincreaseyourproperty value
ComfortUpgradingyourhomersquosenergy efficiencymdashinparticularupgradinginsula-tionmdashcanmakeitamorecomfortableplace toliveNomoredraftycoldroomsinthe winterorhotstuffyroomsinthesummer
Indoor Air QualityInsulationand ventilationcanreduceallergyandasthma-causingmoldandmildewimproving indoorairqualityespeciallyforinfantsand thosewithhealthconditions
Messengers Homeownersprefertoreceiveinformation fromimpartialtrustedsourcesThesemes-sengersreceivedthehighestscoresinpolling
bull Neighborsandotherhomeowners
bull Contractorthehomeownerisalready workingwithorreferredbyfriendneigh-bor
bull Architectsdesignprofessionals
bull Gasandelectricutilities
bull Environmentalorganizations
bull Homeimprovementstorestaff(when equippedwithflyers)
44 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 45
- Cover
- Table of Contents13
- Summary Overview13
- Introduction13
- Programs Goals and Objectives13
- Marketing and Outreach Program Goals and Structure13
- Strategy13
- Evaluation13
- Description of Marketing Communication Tools13
- Description of Key Messages13
-
toolsthathavebeendevelopedThisevent willreachthemajorityofrealtorsintheLos Angelesareabutwillnotincludethelarge populationofrealestateagentsthatarenot membersofCARToreachthispopulation emailsocialmediaandtargetedofficevisits willbeconducted
Training EnergyUpgradewillprovidetrainingforreal estateagentsintwoformsTherealestate agenttrainingmodulecurrentlyunderdevel-opmentbyBuildItGreenwillbeusedasthe maintrainingforumThistrainingmodule isexpectedtotaketwofulldaystocomplete andwillcoverpropertyassessedcleanenergy financingenergyefficientmortgagesrebate programsbuildingscienceenergyefficiency andgreenbuildingpracticesappropriateto California
Additionalweb-basedtrainingwillbeprovided tointroducerealestateagentstotheProgram andtodrivethemtogetin-persontraining throughtheBuildItGreentrainingmodule
Support Cultivatingandclosingtoolswillbegener-atedtoassistrealtorsinusingEnergyUpgrade Californiatradetoexpandtheirbusinesswhile drivinghigherlevelsofprogramparticipation RealtorKitswillbesimilartotheContractor Kitsandtheywillhaveaccesstothedatabase ofgeneralandsingletradecontractors
7 Retail Partner Marketing
Utilitieswillpartnerwithretailoutletsthat canincludeBestBuyCostcoSearsLowes andHomeDepotParticipatingretailoutlets willbeprovided
Information centersEnd-displays detailingtheEnergyUpgradeProgram withadiagramillustratingthehouseas asystemconcept(multiplecomponents thatacttogethertomaximizesavings)and actionscustomerscantaketocapturethose savingsandrebatesIn-storecustomer educationcanshiftcustomerperception ofenergyupgradesandmotivatethem toparticipateinmultipleenergy-efficient measuresinsteadofjustoneAnadditional benefitfortheretailerisassociationwith thestatewideprogram
Program collateral One-sheet takeawaysforcustomerstoreference andshare
Video Theshortvideoscanbeplayed onaloop
Table tent cardsPlacedthroughout storesectionsthatcorrelatewiththe EnergyUpgradeProgram(CFLsappli-ancesceilingfansinsulationwindows) Againthiswillencouragecustomersto performmultipleenergyupgradesinstead ofjustoneCross-promotionhelpseducate customersandencourageparticipationin multiplemeasuresthusincreasingproduct purchase
Window clings ldquoOfficialEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaInformationCenterrdquotagline bannersplacedatstorefrontThiswillpo-sitiontheretailerasanactiveparticipantin thestatewideprogramandbuildsretailer credibilityasagreenadvocate
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 35
8 Multi-Family Outreach
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesandsched-ulesarestillinplanningphasesandbeing developedthroughastatewideconsortium
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesarebeing
developed
36 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
evaluation
Theprimarygoalsofthemarketingplanareto buildpositiveawarenessoftheEnergyUp-gradeCaliforniaProgramandcreateasus-tainedmarketforawholehouseapproach(see page8)Objectivesarespecifictothoseachiev-ingthosegoalsLosAngelesCountyresidents willseemultipleiterationsofmediacoverage paidadvertisingin-storedisplayscontractor marketingandin-personpresentations(inthe pilotmarketingareas)Forexamplearesi-dentinAltadenamightseethemoreintensive marketingandoutreacheffortsThatmayspur themtoactionmdashbutiftheyalreadyhadplans toremodelorhadpreviouslyworkedwitha contractortheymightcalltheircontractorand thusactuallycometotheprogramthrough thecontractorThereforeitwillnotbeeasy todeterminepreciselywhathasmotivated eachpersontoparticipateinEnergyUpgrade Objectivestomeetinclude
About35-45ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughthemarket-ingandoutreacheffortsTomonitorwe willincludeashortsurveyaspartofthe rebateapplicationprocessaskingpartici-pantswhatdrewthemtothewebsiteand totheProgramThewebsitecanmonitor clickthroughstocontractorssitesfrom theProgramwebsiteprovidinganindica-tionofpotentialparticpantswhocameto thesitebeforehavingacontractorOnce apropertyownerinputsanaddressthe websitewillbeabletospecificallymonitor ifthatparticipantasksformultiple estimatesfromcontractorsanotherindica-
toroffindingacontractorthroughthesite
About45-50ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughcontractors Wewillaskcontractorstoprovideinfor-mationabouttheirmarketingeffortsand successratesTheywillbeabletoidentify participantsgainedthroughtheirownmar-ketingefforts
300000uniquehitsonthewebsitewhich willbemonitoredbythewebsiteFurther thewebsitewillanalyzewherevisitors camefrom(egaclickthroughfroman onlineadfromacontractorrsquoswebsite orduringthespecifictimeframeofanad campaign)
Virtualandactualldquoword-of-mouthrdquore-portedbymonitoringsocialmedia
Communicationskitsandmarketingkits availablebothphysicallyandthroughan on-demandprintsitemonitoredbyclient
Informationalmaterialsforcitiesmoni-toredbySouthBayCitiesCouncilofGov-ernments
50000000mediaadvertisingin-person impressionsmonitoredbybroadcast printonlinestatisticsandreportsfrom grassrootsmarketingefforts
Consolidatedinformationinone-stop-shop approachwillbedeliveredthroughthe website
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 37
description of marketing communication tools
PlacedEarned Social Media ThePlancallsforsocialmediatopushinfor-mationtoourtargetaudiencesincreaseper-ceptionsoftheProgramascommunity-based reachthosewhowillhelpgenerateadditional buzzindependentmarketingeffortsaboutthe Programandprovideamechanismforlisten-ingtowhatpeoplearesayingaboutEnergy Upgrademdashandrespondingwhennecessary
Online Paid Advertising Onlineadvertisingcampaignscanbeverycost-effectiveandhighlytargetedbydemographics areasofinterestandgeographicsAdsappear ontopic-relatedblogsonsearchenginepages (egGoogle)andoncontentpages(egwhen yousearchforinformationaboutarelated topicandselectawebsitetoview)
Types of Users Targetadsbyage genderincomelanguagepreferencezip codeorhotspots
Types of SearchesTargetadsbytypeof searchconductedbasedonkeywords
Adsareusuallysoldperldquoclickrdquomdashtheviewer hasclickedontheadandbeensenttothe EnergyUpgradeCAwebsiteWewillmake fourtypesofonlineadpurchases
1 Googleadsthatplaceadsbothonits searchpagesandonhundredsofwebsites targetedbytheabove
2 Networksthattargetspecificsitesand blogsthatmatchourtargetaudiences(eg HiveBlogsLosAngelesthatoffers350LA blogstochoosefrom)
3 Directlythroughselectpublishers(eg CurbedLAGreenGirlLAlocalpapers online)
4 Onlineeditionsoflocalpapersinpilot marketingareas
Twitter Twitterusersaremostlycollegegraduates haveattendedgraduateschoolandlivein householdsmakingover$50000ayear (nationally)Usersarethreetimesmorelikely tofollowbrandsandcompaniesonTwitter thanotherusersofsocialnetworkswith40 specificallyusingTwittertolearnaboutand provideopinionsonbrands
Twittercanpushthelatestdevelopmentsand newstopeoplewhohaveexpressedaninter-estedintheProgram(theymustsignupto receiveourTweetsorhavesearchedfortag wordsincludedinourTweets)Itrsquosalsoan easywayforthosewhofollowEnergyUpgrade onTwittertoshareTweetswiththeirfriends
38 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
therebygeneratingbuzzandhelpingmarket theProgramTwittercanshareProgram newsinrealtimedrivepeopletothewebsite facilitateearlyadoptersbuzzmakersreach youngerhomeownersandincreasemarketing effortsatalowcostTwittercanbeeffectively usedtocommunicatetheProgramandits milestonesinavarietyofways
bull Tweetaboutpressreleasesmajoran-nouncementsnewitemsonwebsiteor blogsmediastoriesandarticlesespecially aboutthosethataretimesensitiveandtell ouraudiencewhatishappeningwiththe Programandencouragesthemtopartici-pateorfindoutmore
bull PutaTweeticononthemainwebsiteal-lowingvisitorstothewebsitetobeginto followEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLos AngelesCountyonTwitterwithoneclick
bull FollowotherswhoTweetaboutthe ProgramaswellasthosewhoTweetabout relatedtopicsThiswillprovideanop-portunitytodirectlyrespondtoaperson whohasaquestionabouttheProgramand pointthemtoalinktothewebsite
Tweet Examples
bull ldquo100LAhomeownershavesigned upfortheProgramatwwwEnergyUpgra-deCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoReadaboutLArsquosnewenergyefficiency rebateProgramintheLAtimes httpwwwlatimesgreenblogcomrdquo
bull ldquoWanttosaveonyourutilitybills CheckoutwwwEnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoSignupfortheHomeEnergyUpgrade contestforachancetowinafree homeenergyefficiencyretrofitat EnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
Cost and Budget
SettingupaTwitteraccountisfreeasisusing anapplicationsuchasTweetDeckthathelps followotherswhoareTweetingaboutEnergy UpgradeCaliforniaTheonlysignificantcostis stafftimewhichcanbelimitedtoafewhours aweek
Facebook Facebookisalow-costandeasywayofboth marketingtheProgramandsupportingan onlinecommunityofpeopleinterestedinthe ProgramItwillreachaudienceswhoaremore likelytospendtimeonFacebookversusaweb-siteandwhomayprefertoreceiveshortreal timeProgramnewsviaFacebookratherthan emailsorwebsitesItisidealforpostinglinks tovideosandphotosrelatedtotheprojectIt complementsthewebsiteaplacewherefans oftheProgramcanfindinformationaskques-tionsandshareideasandexcitementThese fanswillgeneratebuzzbytellingtheirfriends abouttheProgramthroughFacebook
AFacebookpagewillcontaininformation abouttheProgramalinktothewebsite Programnewsvideosphotographsandother informationWhenthepageisupdatedfans willreceivelinksinemailalertingthemtothe newposts
Facebookisalsoidealforsharingthestoryof anearlyadopter(whowillalsoTweet)through updatesphotographsandvideosItlends itselfmuchmorenaturallytothispeople-fo-cusedapproachthanawebsitewhichismore formal
Additionalpoints
bull EncourageandperhapsrewardProgram adopterstosharetheirexperiencesask questionsetc
bull Setupcontrolstodeterminewhatcontent Fanscanposttothewall
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 39
bull Monitorupdatestothewallandtakedown Therearemanyexistingblogsthatcanbeused inappropriatecontent
bull Respondtoissuesquestionsandtakepart intheconversation
bull Adesignatedstaffpersonshouldmonitor thesiteitisalsoidealifseveralstaff memberspostcontentandifpartnersare activeparticipantsalthoughtheoverall strategyshouldbecentralized
Facebook Examples
Herearesomeexamplesofthetypesofpost-ingsforaFacebookpage
bull ldquoTheLATimesdescribesEnergyUpgrade CAasaperfectopportunitytobegreenand savemoneymdashintheFridaymoneysectionrdquo
bull ldquoWhydidyoudecidetoparticipatein EnergyUpgradeCATellushowyour energyefficiencyretrofitisgoingandwersquoll enteryouforachancetowina$50Home Depotgiftcardrdquo
bull ldquoWonderingwhetherEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaisrightforyouCheckoutthis videooftheSmithsinstallingnewinsula-tionandwindows--andreceivinga$3500 rebaterdquo
Cost and Budget
Relativelyfewdirectcostsstafftimewill fluctuateduringbusycalmperiodswithhigh activityatthebeginningastheProgramkicks offandafanbaseisestablishedOngoingstaff timeneededtokeeppagefreshwith3-4posts weekdailymaintenancerequiredtomonitor postingsfromfans
Blogs Blogsreachtargetaudienceswhoarealready interestedinrelatedtopicsandwhohavehigh potentialtoparticipateintheProgram
tofurthermarketingefforts
bull Identifybloggerswhowilllikelywrite positivelyabouttheProgramSendpress releasefactsheetsandPrograminforma-tiontobloggerswhowriteabouttopics suchastheenvironmentenergyefficiency homeimprovementremodelingreal estatehousingbargainssavingmoneyas wellastocompaniesthatsellsolarpanels contractorsetc
bull Bloggersarelookingfortopicalstoriesto writeaboutandwewillmaketheirnext blogposteasyBecauseEnergyUpgradeis ahighrewardoptionalProgrambloggers willwritefavorablyandhelptellthestory inafriendlyaccessibleandeasy-to-under-standway(althoughwedonrsquothavecontrol overwhattheywrite)Peoplewhoaredis-satisfiedwillwritenegativecommentsbut wewillmonitorblogsandactivelycorrect misperceptions
bull Tomonitorwhatothersarewritingabout EnergyUpgradeontheirblogswewilluse freeprogramslikeTechnoratiorGoogle Readertoscanallblogsandwebsitesthat mentiontheProgram
Blogs to Reach
Green Girl LA Blog (httpgreenlagirlcom)Thisindependent blogisfocusedonenvironmentalhap-peningsinLosAngelesArecentpostwas aboutagreennetworkingeventfeaturing TheBuildingDoctorspresentingwaysto makeyourhousemoreenergyefficient PreviouslyareporterbloggerfortheLA Timesthewriterisactiveandcoversa widevarietyofenvironmentalgreentopics happeninginLosAngeles
40 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
LA Times HomeBlog (wwwlatimesblogslatimescomhome_
blog)focusesontopicsrelatedtohouses andhashadseveralrecentpostsabout greenremodelingOneadvantageofa majornewspaperisthatthereportingis accurateandthereadershipislargerThey recentlywroteaboutauditionsforThisOld HousewhichisfeaturingaLosAngeles areahouseforasummerremodel
Bargain Babe (wwwbargainbabelatownluxecom) featuresLosAngelesbargainsYoucan searchforbargainsbyareaofLA(West-sideetc)orbytopicThisbloggerrecently wroteaboutappliancerebates
LA Times Green Remodeling (wwwlatimesblogslatimescompar-donourdustgreen_remodeling)writes aboutalltopicsrelatedtoremodelingin SouthernCaliforniawithseveralrecent postsongreentopicsArecentpostre-viewedthedifferentadvantagesofinstall-ingvarioustanklesswaterheatersPitch thatthebloggerfollowahomeenergy retrofitandhelptelltheirstoryaswellas announcebasicPrograminformation
LA Times Personal Finance wwwlatimescombusinesspersonal-finance
Home Remodeling wwwkathysremodelingblogcom
Energy Efficiency wwwlowimpactlivingcomblog
LA CreekFreak
LA Observed
LAist
YouTube PostallvideosrelatedtotheprojectonYou-TubeWewillworkwithourmediapartners todevelopacontestforearlyadopterstofilm theirexperienceandletwebsitevisitorsvote onthebestWinnerreceivesaprizetobe determined
ListServes Listservesreachgroupsofpeoplewhoare interestedinasimilartopicorwholiveina specificneighborhoodSendemailblaststo listservessuchasneighborhoodassociations homeremodelersandenvironmentalgroups withanenergyfocusCitystaffhasinforma-tionaddressesofneighborhoodandhom-eownerassociationslists
Multimedia for Presentations Website Developanengaginginformative6-8minute videofocusingoncontractorsandhomeown-ersthatcanbeusedduringpresentationsand presentedonCityTVThevideowillbeshot bothinEnglishandinSpanishandcover
bull Howtherebatesworktocreateasenseof urgencyaboutdoingtheenergyupgrades soonerratherputtingitofftotakeadvan-tageoftherebates
bull Theldquosealthenenhancerdquowholehouse concept
bull WhattheProgramelementsactuallylook likeandhowtheyareinstalledtoover-comebarrierssuchasthatonemighthave tomoveoutofthehouseortheenergy upgradesareldquouglyrdquo
bull Workingwithacontractorwhatbeing licensedandcertifiedmeansgettingmul-tiplebids
bull Financingoptions
bull Doingthepaperwork
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 41
Fromthatvideodevelop
bull Threeindividual2-minutevideosforuse onlineeachfocusingonaspecifictopicmdash
againinbothEnglishandSpanish
bull A15anda30spoteachinEnglishand SpanishforuseonCityTVandbroadcast
stations
Print Collateral Customizable fact sheetsInforma-tionsheets(onepagefrontandback)in EnglishSpanishandChinesethatcanalso bepostedonthewebsiteasPDFs
Program brochureMorehighlyde-signedforplacementinmunicipaloffices andevents
Customizable Brochure Brandedwith SunsetMagazineorNationalGeographic forcontractorsandrealtorstohandto customers
SignageBannersforeventsandstreet lamppostspostersformunicipaloffices andsmalleventsandpotentiallysignage forbussidestransitshelters
Speakers kits Countyandcitystaffwillreceivekitstoensure everyoneisfamiliarwithkeymessagesandhas informationtogivetoconstituentsThesecan besentdirectlytocitiesordistributedthrough COGsKitswillcontain
bull Talkingpoints
bull DVDofthevideo
bull PPTpresentationforpublicmeetings
bull Printedbrochuresforpermitofficesto includewithwelcomepacketsfornewho-meowners
bull Articlesandphotostheycanrunintheir onlineorprintedcitynewsletters
bull CDwithtemplatesforquickprintingand websitebuttontolinkfromtheirwebsiteto EnergyUpgradeCalifornia
42 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
description of key messages
Thefollowingmessageshadthehighestreso-nanceinpollingandfocusgroupsbothinLos AngelesCountyandtheBayArea
Primary Motivators Thefollowingtwomessagesaboutsaving moneyarekeytomotivatingalltargetaudi-encesTheyshouldbepartofeverypieceof advertisingorcollateralproduced
1 RebatesHomeownerswhomakeenergy-savinghomeimprovementscanqualifyfor a$1500federaltaxcreditandrebatesof upto$3500dependingonhowmuchthey reduceenergyconsumptionAdditional motivatorTaxcreditsonlyavailable untilDecember312010(Rebatesare preferredovertaxcreditsbecauseitrsquoscash nowratherthanlateranddependingon incomenoteveryonecangetthecredit)
2 Save on Utility Bills Upgradingahome touselessenergyandwatercanreduce utilitybillsby20ormoremdashsavingyou moneyovertime
Secondary Motivators Thefollowingmessagesarethenlayeredde-pendingonwhichaudienceisbeingtargeted
Help the EnvironmentClimate Change Weallneedtodoourparttohelp theenvironmentandslowclimatechange Makingourhomesmoregreenandenergy efficientisanimportantstepweshouldall take
Reduce Foreign OilFossil FuelsAt atimewhenwearetryingtoreduceour dependenceonforeignoilandotherfossil fuelsupgradingtheenergyefficiencyof ourhomesisanimportantstepwecanall take(Infocusgroupstheconceptofenergy independencefurtherresonatedasinde-pendencefromutilitycompaniesgetting offthegrid)
Certified Contractors Save Money Speciallytrainedandcertifiedcontractors knowhowtofindimprovementsthatthe averagehomeownerwouldnotTheiras-sessmentswillensurethatyoufindmore energysavingsandthereforesavemore moneyonyourutilitybillsAdditional motivatorContractorsarecertifiedbythe BuildingPerformanceInstituteworking withtheDepartmentofEnergyandEnvi-ronmentalProtectionAgency
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 43
Increase Property ValuesHomesthat areenergy-efficientandenvironmentally friendlyaremoreappealingtohomebuyers Theseupgradescanincreaseyourproperty value
ComfortUpgradingyourhomersquosenergy efficiencymdashinparticularupgradinginsula-tionmdashcanmakeitamorecomfortableplace toliveNomoredraftycoldroomsinthe winterorhotstuffyroomsinthesummer
Indoor Air QualityInsulationand ventilationcanreduceallergyandasthma-causingmoldandmildewimproving indoorairqualityespeciallyforinfantsand thosewithhealthconditions
Messengers Homeownersprefertoreceiveinformation fromimpartialtrustedsourcesThesemes-sengersreceivedthehighestscoresinpolling
bull Neighborsandotherhomeowners
bull Contractorthehomeownerisalready workingwithorreferredbyfriendneigh-bor
bull Architectsdesignprofessionals
bull Gasandelectricutilities
bull Environmentalorganizations
bull Homeimprovementstorestaff(when equippedwithflyers)
44 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 45
- Cover
- Table of Contents13
- Summary Overview13
- Introduction13
- Programs Goals and Objectives13
- Marketing and Outreach Program Goals and Structure13
- Strategy13
- Evaluation13
- Description of Marketing Communication Tools13
- Description of Key Messages13
-
8 Multi-Family Outreach
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesandsched-ulesarestillinplanningphasesandbeing developedthroughastatewideconsortium
9 Whole Neighborhood Marketing
Activitiesandoutreachstrategiesarebeing
developed
36 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
evaluation
Theprimarygoalsofthemarketingplanareto buildpositiveawarenessoftheEnergyUp-gradeCaliforniaProgramandcreateasus-tainedmarketforawholehouseapproach(see page8)Objectivesarespecifictothoseachiev-ingthosegoalsLosAngelesCountyresidents willseemultipleiterationsofmediacoverage paidadvertisingin-storedisplayscontractor marketingandin-personpresentations(inthe pilotmarketingareas)Forexamplearesi-dentinAltadenamightseethemoreintensive marketingandoutreacheffortsThatmayspur themtoactionmdashbutiftheyalreadyhadplans toremodelorhadpreviouslyworkedwitha contractortheymightcalltheircontractorand thusactuallycometotheprogramthrough thecontractorThereforeitwillnotbeeasy todeterminepreciselywhathasmotivated eachpersontoparticipateinEnergyUpgrade Objectivestomeetinclude
About35-45ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughthemarket-ingandoutreacheffortsTomonitorwe willincludeashortsurveyaspartofthe rebateapplicationprocessaskingpartici-pantswhatdrewthemtothewebsiteand totheProgramThewebsitecanmonitor clickthroughstocontractorssitesfrom theProgramwebsiteprovidinganindica-tionofpotentialparticpantswhocameto thesitebeforehavingacontractorOnce apropertyownerinputsanaddressthe websitewillbeabletospecificallymonitor ifthatparticipantasksformultiple estimatesfromcontractorsanotherindica-
toroffindingacontractorthroughthesite
About45-50ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughcontractors Wewillaskcontractorstoprovideinfor-mationabouttheirmarketingeffortsand successratesTheywillbeabletoidentify participantsgainedthroughtheirownmar-ketingefforts
300000uniquehitsonthewebsitewhich willbemonitoredbythewebsiteFurther thewebsitewillanalyzewherevisitors camefrom(egaclickthroughfroman onlineadfromacontractorrsquoswebsite orduringthespecifictimeframeofanad campaign)
Virtualandactualldquoword-of-mouthrdquore-portedbymonitoringsocialmedia
Communicationskitsandmarketingkits availablebothphysicallyandthroughan on-demandprintsitemonitoredbyclient
Informationalmaterialsforcitiesmoni-toredbySouthBayCitiesCouncilofGov-ernments
50000000mediaadvertisingin-person impressionsmonitoredbybroadcast printonlinestatisticsandreportsfrom grassrootsmarketingefforts
Consolidatedinformationinone-stop-shop approachwillbedeliveredthroughthe website
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 37
description of marketing communication tools
PlacedEarned Social Media ThePlancallsforsocialmediatopushinfor-mationtoourtargetaudiencesincreaseper-ceptionsoftheProgramascommunity-based reachthosewhowillhelpgenerateadditional buzzindependentmarketingeffortsaboutthe Programandprovideamechanismforlisten-ingtowhatpeoplearesayingaboutEnergy Upgrademdashandrespondingwhennecessary
Online Paid Advertising Onlineadvertisingcampaignscanbeverycost-effectiveandhighlytargetedbydemographics areasofinterestandgeographicsAdsappear ontopic-relatedblogsonsearchenginepages (egGoogle)andoncontentpages(egwhen yousearchforinformationaboutarelated topicandselectawebsitetoview)
Types of Users Targetadsbyage genderincomelanguagepreferencezip codeorhotspots
Types of SearchesTargetadsbytypeof searchconductedbasedonkeywords
Adsareusuallysoldperldquoclickrdquomdashtheviewer hasclickedontheadandbeensenttothe EnergyUpgradeCAwebsiteWewillmake fourtypesofonlineadpurchases
1 Googleadsthatplaceadsbothonits searchpagesandonhundredsofwebsites targetedbytheabove
2 Networksthattargetspecificsitesand blogsthatmatchourtargetaudiences(eg HiveBlogsLosAngelesthatoffers350LA blogstochoosefrom)
3 Directlythroughselectpublishers(eg CurbedLAGreenGirlLAlocalpapers online)
4 Onlineeditionsoflocalpapersinpilot marketingareas
Twitter Twitterusersaremostlycollegegraduates haveattendedgraduateschoolandlivein householdsmakingover$50000ayear (nationally)Usersarethreetimesmorelikely tofollowbrandsandcompaniesonTwitter thanotherusersofsocialnetworkswith40 specificallyusingTwittertolearnaboutand provideopinionsonbrands
Twittercanpushthelatestdevelopmentsand newstopeoplewhohaveexpressedaninter-estedintheProgram(theymustsignupto receiveourTweetsorhavesearchedfortag wordsincludedinourTweets)Itrsquosalsoan easywayforthosewhofollowEnergyUpgrade onTwittertoshareTweetswiththeirfriends
38 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
therebygeneratingbuzzandhelpingmarket theProgramTwittercanshareProgram newsinrealtimedrivepeopletothewebsite facilitateearlyadoptersbuzzmakersreach youngerhomeownersandincreasemarketing effortsatalowcostTwittercanbeeffectively usedtocommunicatetheProgramandits milestonesinavarietyofways
bull Tweetaboutpressreleasesmajoran-nouncementsnewitemsonwebsiteor blogsmediastoriesandarticlesespecially aboutthosethataretimesensitiveandtell ouraudiencewhatishappeningwiththe Programandencouragesthemtopartici-pateorfindoutmore
bull PutaTweeticononthemainwebsiteal-lowingvisitorstothewebsitetobeginto followEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLos AngelesCountyonTwitterwithoneclick
bull FollowotherswhoTweetaboutthe ProgramaswellasthosewhoTweetabout relatedtopicsThiswillprovideanop-portunitytodirectlyrespondtoaperson whohasaquestionabouttheProgramand pointthemtoalinktothewebsite
Tweet Examples
bull ldquo100LAhomeownershavesigned upfortheProgramatwwwEnergyUpgra-deCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoReadaboutLArsquosnewenergyefficiency rebateProgramintheLAtimes httpwwwlatimesgreenblogcomrdquo
bull ldquoWanttosaveonyourutilitybills CheckoutwwwEnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoSignupfortheHomeEnergyUpgrade contestforachancetowinafree homeenergyefficiencyretrofitat EnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
Cost and Budget
SettingupaTwitteraccountisfreeasisusing anapplicationsuchasTweetDeckthathelps followotherswhoareTweetingaboutEnergy UpgradeCaliforniaTheonlysignificantcostis stafftimewhichcanbelimitedtoafewhours aweek
Facebook Facebookisalow-costandeasywayofboth marketingtheProgramandsupportingan onlinecommunityofpeopleinterestedinthe ProgramItwillreachaudienceswhoaremore likelytospendtimeonFacebookversusaweb-siteandwhomayprefertoreceiveshortreal timeProgramnewsviaFacebookratherthan emailsorwebsitesItisidealforpostinglinks tovideosandphotosrelatedtotheprojectIt complementsthewebsiteaplacewherefans oftheProgramcanfindinformationaskques-tionsandshareideasandexcitementThese fanswillgeneratebuzzbytellingtheirfriends abouttheProgramthroughFacebook
AFacebookpagewillcontaininformation abouttheProgramalinktothewebsite Programnewsvideosphotographsandother informationWhenthepageisupdatedfans willreceivelinksinemailalertingthemtothe newposts
Facebookisalsoidealforsharingthestoryof anearlyadopter(whowillalsoTweet)through updatesphotographsandvideosItlends itselfmuchmorenaturallytothispeople-fo-cusedapproachthanawebsitewhichismore formal
Additionalpoints
bull EncourageandperhapsrewardProgram adopterstosharetheirexperiencesask questionsetc
bull Setupcontrolstodeterminewhatcontent Fanscanposttothewall
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 39
bull Monitorupdatestothewallandtakedown Therearemanyexistingblogsthatcanbeused inappropriatecontent
bull Respondtoissuesquestionsandtakepart intheconversation
bull Adesignatedstaffpersonshouldmonitor thesiteitisalsoidealifseveralstaff memberspostcontentandifpartnersare activeparticipantsalthoughtheoverall strategyshouldbecentralized
Facebook Examples
Herearesomeexamplesofthetypesofpost-ingsforaFacebookpage
bull ldquoTheLATimesdescribesEnergyUpgrade CAasaperfectopportunitytobegreenand savemoneymdashintheFridaymoneysectionrdquo
bull ldquoWhydidyoudecidetoparticipatein EnergyUpgradeCATellushowyour energyefficiencyretrofitisgoingandwersquoll enteryouforachancetowina$50Home Depotgiftcardrdquo
bull ldquoWonderingwhetherEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaisrightforyouCheckoutthis videooftheSmithsinstallingnewinsula-tionandwindows--andreceivinga$3500 rebaterdquo
Cost and Budget
Relativelyfewdirectcostsstafftimewill fluctuateduringbusycalmperiodswithhigh activityatthebeginningastheProgramkicks offandafanbaseisestablishedOngoingstaff timeneededtokeeppagefreshwith3-4posts weekdailymaintenancerequiredtomonitor postingsfromfans
Blogs Blogsreachtargetaudienceswhoarealready interestedinrelatedtopicsandwhohavehigh potentialtoparticipateintheProgram
tofurthermarketingefforts
bull Identifybloggerswhowilllikelywrite positivelyabouttheProgramSendpress releasefactsheetsandPrograminforma-tiontobloggerswhowriteabouttopics suchastheenvironmentenergyefficiency homeimprovementremodelingreal estatehousingbargainssavingmoneyas wellastocompaniesthatsellsolarpanels contractorsetc
bull Bloggersarelookingfortopicalstoriesto writeaboutandwewillmaketheirnext blogposteasyBecauseEnergyUpgradeis ahighrewardoptionalProgrambloggers willwritefavorablyandhelptellthestory inafriendlyaccessibleandeasy-to-under-standway(althoughwedonrsquothavecontrol overwhattheywrite)Peoplewhoaredis-satisfiedwillwritenegativecommentsbut wewillmonitorblogsandactivelycorrect misperceptions
bull Tomonitorwhatothersarewritingabout EnergyUpgradeontheirblogswewilluse freeprogramslikeTechnoratiorGoogle Readertoscanallblogsandwebsitesthat mentiontheProgram
Blogs to Reach
Green Girl LA Blog (httpgreenlagirlcom)Thisindependent blogisfocusedonenvironmentalhap-peningsinLosAngelesArecentpostwas aboutagreennetworkingeventfeaturing TheBuildingDoctorspresentingwaysto makeyourhousemoreenergyefficient PreviouslyareporterbloggerfortheLA Timesthewriterisactiveandcoversa widevarietyofenvironmentalgreentopics happeninginLosAngeles
40 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
LA Times HomeBlog (wwwlatimesblogslatimescomhome_
blog)focusesontopicsrelatedtohouses andhashadseveralrecentpostsabout greenremodelingOneadvantageofa majornewspaperisthatthereportingis accurateandthereadershipislargerThey recentlywroteaboutauditionsforThisOld HousewhichisfeaturingaLosAngeles areahouseforasummerremodel
Bargain Babe (wwwbargainbabelatownluxecom) featuresLosAngelesbargainsYoucan searchforbargainsbyareaofLA(West-sideetc)orbytopicThisbloggerrecently wroteaboutappliancerebates
LA Times Green Remodeling (wwwlatimesblogslatimescompar-donourdustgreen_remodeling)writes aboutalltopicsrelatedtoremodelingin SouthernCaliforniawithseveralrecent postsongreentopicsArecentpostre-viewedthedifferentadvantagesofinstall-ingvarioustanklesswaterheatersPitch thatthebloggerfollowahomeenergy retrofitandhelptelltheirstoryaswellas announcebasicPrograminformation
LA Times Personal Finance wwwlatimescombusinesspersonal-finance
Home Remodeling wwwkathysremodelingblogcom
Energy Efficiency wwwlowimpactlivingcomblog
LA CreekFreak
LA Observed
LAist
YouTube PostallvideosrelatedtotheprojectonYou-TubeWewillworkwithourmediapartners todevelopacontestforearlyadopterstofilm theirexperienceandletwebsitevisitorsvote onthebestWinnerreceivesaprizetobe determined
ListServes Listservesreachgroupsofpeoplewhoare interestedinasimilartopicorwholiveina specificneighborhoodSendemailblaststo listservessuchasneighborhoodassociations homeremodelersandenvironmentalgroups withanenergyfocusCitystaffhasinforma-tionaddressesofneighborhoodandhom-eownerassociationslists
Multimedia for Presentations Website Developanengaginginformative6-8minute videofocusingoncontractorsandhomeown-ersthatcanbeusedduringpresentationsand presentedonCityTVThevideowillbeshot bothinEnglishandinSpanishandcover
bull Howtherebatesworktocreateasenseof urgencyaboutdoingtheenergyupgrades soonerratherputtingitofftotakeadvan-tageoftherebates
bull Theldquosealthenenhancerdquowholehouse concept
bull WhattheProgramelementsactuallylook likeandhowtheyareinstalledtoover-comebarrierssuchasthatonemighthave tomoveoutofthehouseortheenergy upgradesareldquouglyrdquo
bull Workingwithacontractorwhatbeing licensedandcertifiedmeansgettingmul-tiplebids
bull Financingoptions
bull Doingthepaperwork
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 41
Fromthatvideodevelop
bull Threeindividual2-minutevideosforuse onlineeachfocusingonaspecifictopicmdash
againinbothEnglishandSpanish
bull A15anda30spoteachinEnglishand SpanishforuseonCityTVandbroadcast
stations
Print Collateral Customizable fact sheetsInforma-tionsheets(onepagefrontandback)in EnglishSpanishandChinesethatcanalso bepostedonthewebsiteasPDFs
Program brochureMorehighlyde-signedforplacementinmunicipaloffices andevents
Customizable Brochure Brandedwith SunsetMagazineorNationalGeographic forcontractorsandrealtorstohandto customers
SignageBannersforeventsandstreet lamppostspostersformunicipaloffices andsmalleventsandpotentiallysignage forbussidestransitshelters
Speakers kits Countyandcitystaffwillreceivekitstoensure everyoneisfamiliarwithkeymessagesandhas informationtogivetoconstituentsThesecan besentdirectlytocitiesordistributedthrough COGsKitswillcontain
bull Talkingpoints
bull DVDofthevideo
bull PPTpresentationforpublicmeetings
bull Printedbrochuresforpermitofficesto includewithwelcomepacketsfornewho-meowners
bull Articlesandphotostheycanrunintheir onlineorprintedcitynewsletters
bull CDwithtemplatesforquickprintingand websitebuttontolinkfromtheirwebsiteto EnergyUpgradeCalifornia
42 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
description of key messages
Thefollowingmessageshadthehighestreso-nanceinpollingandfocusgroupsbothinLos AngelesCountyandtheBayArea
Primary Motivators Thefollowingtwomessagesaboutsaving moneyarekeytomotivatingalltargetaudi-encesTheyshouldbepartofeverypieceof advertisingorcollateralproduced
1 RebatesHomeownerswhomakeenergy-savinghomeimprovementscanqualifyfor a$1500federaltaxcreditandrebatesof upto$3500dependingonhowmuchthey reduceenergyconsumptionAdditional motivatorTaxcreditsonlyavailable untilDecember312010(Rebatesare preferredovertaxcreditsbecauseitrsquoscash nowratherthanlateranddependingon incomenoteveryonecangetthecredit)
2 Save on Utility Bills Upgradingahome touselessenergyandwatercanreduce utilitybillsby20ormoremdashsavingyou moneyovertime
Secondary Motivators Thefollowingmessagesarethenlayeredde-pendingonwhichaudienceisbeingtargeted
Help the EnvironmentClimate Change Weallneedtodoourparttohelp theenvironmentandslowclimatechange Makingourhomesmoregreenandenergy efficientisanimportantstepweshouldall take
Reduce Foreign OilFossil FuelsAt atimewhenwearetryingtoreduceour dependenceonforeignoilandotherfossil fuelsupgradingtheenergyefficiencyof ourhomesisanimportantstepwecanall take(Infocusgroupstheconceptofenergy independencefurtherresonatedasinde-pendencefromutilitycompaniesgetting offthegrid)
Certified Contractors Save Money Speciallytrainedandcertifiedcontractors knowhowtofindimprovementsthatthe averagehomeownerwouldnotTheiras-sessmentswillensurethatyoufindmore energysavingsandthereforesavemore moneyonyourutilitybillsAdditional motivatorContractorsarecertifiedbythe BuildingPerformanceInstituteworking withtheDepartmentofEnergyandEnvi-ronmentalProtectionAgency
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 43
Increase Property ValuesHomesthat areenergy-efficientandenvironmentally friendlyaremoreappealingtohomebuyers Theseupgradescanincreaseyourproperty value
ComfortUpgradingyourhomersquosenergy efficiencymdashinparticularupgradinginsula-tionmdashcanmakeitamorecomfortableplace toliveNomoredraftycoldroomsinthe winterorhotstuffyroomsinthesummer
Indoor Air QualityInsulationand ventilationcanreduceallergyandasthma-causingmoldandmildewimproving indoorairqualityespeciallyforinfantsand thosewithhealthconditions
Messengers Homeownersprefertoreceiveinformation fromimpartialtrustedsourcesThesemes-sengersreceivedthehighestscoresinpolling
bull Neighborsandotherhomeowners
bull Contractorthehomeownerisalready workingwithorreferredbyfriendneigh-bor
bull Architectsdesignprofessionals
bull Gasandelectricutilities
bull Environmentalorganizations
bull Homeimprovementstorestaff(when equippedwithflyers)
44 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 45
- Cover
- Table of Contents13
- Summary Overview13
- Introduction13
- Programs Goals and Objectives13
- Marketing and Outreach Program Goals and Structure13
- Strategy13
- Evaluation13
- Description of Marketing Communication Tools13
- Description of Key Messages13
-
evaluation
Theprimarygoalsofthemarketingplanareto buildpositiveawarenessoftheEnergyUp-gradeCaliforniaProgramandcreateasus-tainedmarketforawholehouseapproach(see page8)Objectivesarespecifictothoseachiev-ingthosegoalsLosAngelesCountyresidents willseemultipleiterationsofmediacoverage paidadvertisingin-storedisplayscontractor marketingandin-personpresentations(inthe pilotmarketingareas)Forexamplearesi-dentinAltadenamightseethemoreintensive marketingandoutreacheffortsThatmayspur themtoactionmdashbutiftheyalreadyhadplans toremodelorhadpreviouslyworkedwitha contractortheymightcalltheircontractorand thusactuallycometotheprogramthrough thecontractorThereforeitwillnotbeeasy todeterminepreciselywhathasmotivated eachpersontoparticipateinEnergyUpgrade Objectivestomeetinclude
About35-45ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughthemarket-ingandoutreacheffortsTomonitorwe willincludeashortsurveyaspartofthe rebateapplicationprocessaskingpartici-pantswhatdrewthemtothewebsiteand totheProgramThewebsitecanmonitor clickthroughstocontractorssitesfrom theProgramwebsiteprovidinganindica-tionofpotentialparticpantswhocameto thesitebeforehavingacontractorOnce apropertyownerinputsanaddressthe websitewillbeabletospecificallymonitor ifthatparticipantasksformultiple estimatesfromcontractorsanotherindica-
toroffindingacontractorthroughthesite
About45-50ofProgramparticipants cometotheProgramthroughcontractors Wewillaskcontractorstoprovideinfor-mationabouttheirmarketingeffortsand successratesTheywillbeabletoidentify participantsgainedthroughtheirownmar-ketingefforts
300000uniquehitsonthewebsitewhich willbemonitoredbythewebsiteFurther thewebsitewillanalyzewherevisitors camefrom(egaclickthroughfroman onlineadfromacontractorrsquoswebsite orduringthespecifictimeframeofanad campaign)
Virtualandactualldquoword-of-mouthrdquore-portedbymonitoringsocialmedia
Communicationskitsandmarketingkits availablebothphysicallyandthroughan on-demandprintsitemonitoredbyclient
Informationalmaterialsforcitiesmoni-toredbySouthBayCitiesCouncilofGov-ernments
50000000mediaadvertisingin-person impressionsmonitoredbybroadcast printonlinestatisticsandreportsfrom grassrootsmarketingefforts
Consolidatedinformationinone-stop-shop approachwillbedeliveredthroughthe website
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 37
description of marketing communication tools
PlacedEarned Social Media ThePlancallsforsocialmediatopushinfor-mationtoourtargetaudiencesincreaseper-ceptionsoftheProgramascommunity-based reachthosewhowillhelpgenerateadditional buzzindependentmarketingeffortsaboutthe Programandprovideamechanismforlisten-ingtowhatpeoplearesayingaboutEnergy Upgrademdashandrespondingwhennecessary
Online Paid Advertising Onlineadvertisingcampaignscanbeverycost-effectiveandhighlytargetedbydemographics areasofinterestandgeographicsAdsappear ontopic-relatedblogsonsearchenginepages (egGoogle)andoncontentpages(egwhen yousearchforinformationaboutarelated topicandselectawebsitetoview)
Types of Users Targetadsbyage genderincomelanguagepreferencezip codeorhotspots
Types of SearchesTargetadsbytypeof searchconductedbasedonkeywords
Adsareusuallysoldperldquoclickrdquomdashtheviewer hasclickedontheadandbeensenttothe EnergyUpgradeCAwebsiteWewillmake fourtypesofonlineadpurchases
1 Googleadsthatplaceadsbothonits searchpagesandonhundredsofwebsites targetedbytheabove
2 Networksthattargetspecificsitesand blogsthatmatchourtargetaudiences(eg HiveBlogsLosAngelesthatoffers350LA blogstochoosefrom)
3 Directlythroughselectpublishers(eg CurbedLAGreenGirlLAlocalpapers online)
4 Onlineeditionsoflocalpapersinpilot marketingareas
Twitter Twitterusersaremostlycollegegraduates haveattendedgraduateschoolandlivein householdsmakingover$50000ayear (nationally)Usersarethreetimesmorelikely tofollowbrandsandcompaniesonTwitter thanotherusersofsocialnetworkswith40 specificallyusingTwittertolearnaboutand provideopinionsonbrands
Twittercanpushthelatestdevelopmentsand newstopeoplewhohaveexpressedaninter-estedintheProgram(theymustsignupto receiveourTweetsorhavesearchedfortag wordsincludedinourTweets)Itrsquosalsoan easywayforthosewhofollowEnergyUpgrade onTwittertoshareTweetswiththeirfriends
38 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
therebygeneratingbuzzandhelpingmarket theProgramTwittercanshareProgram newsinrealtimedrivepeopletothewebsite facilitateearlyadoptersbuzzmakersreach youngerhomeownersandincreasemarketing effortsatalowcostTwittercanbeeffectively usedtocommunicatetheProgramandits milestonesinavarietyofways
bull Tweetaboutpressreleasesmajoran-nouncementsnewitemsonwebsiteor blogsmediastoriesandarticlesespecially aboutthosethataretimesensitiveandtell ouraudiencewhatishappeningwiththe Programandencouragesthemtopartici-pateorfindoutmore
bull PutaTweeticononthemainwebsiteal-lowingvisitorstothewebsitetobeginto followEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLos AngelesCountyonTwitterwithoneclick
bull FollowotherswhoTweetaboutthe ProgramaswellasthosewhoTweetabout relatedtopicsThiswillprovideanop-portunitytodirectlyrespondtoaperson whohasaquestionabouttheProgramand pointthemtoalinktothewebsite
Tweet Examples
bull ldquo100LAhomeownershavesigned upfortheProgramatwwwEnergyUpgra-deCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoReadaboutLArsquosnewenergyefficiency rebateProgramintheLAtimes httpwwwlatimesgreenblogcomrdquo
bull ldquoWanttosaveonyourutilitybills CheckoutwwwEnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoSignupfortheHomeEnergyUpgrade contestforachancetowinafree homeenergyefficiencyretrofitat EnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
Cost and Budget
SettingupaTwitteraccountisfreeasisusing anapplicationsuchasTweetDeckthathelps followotherswhoareTweetingaboutEnergy UpgradeCaliforniaTheonlysignificantcostis stafftimewhichcanbelimitedtoafewhours aweek
Facebook Facebookisalow-costandeasywayofboth marketingtheProgramandsupportingan onlinecommunityofpeopleinterestedinthe ProgramItwillreachaudienceswhoaremore likelytospendtimeonFacebookversusaweb-siteandwhomayprefertoreceiveshortreal timeProgramnewsviaFacebookratherthan emailsorwebsitesItisidealforpostinglinks tovideosandphotosrelatedtotheprojectIt complementsthewebsiteaplacewherefans oftheProgramcanfindinformationaskques-tionsandshareideasandexcitementThese fanswillgeneratebuzzbytellingtheirfriends abouttheProgramthroughFacebook
AFacebookpagewillcontaininformation abouttheProgramalinktothewebsite Programnewsvideosphotographsandother informationWhenthepageisupdatedfans willreceivelinksinemailalertingthemtothe newposts
Facebookisalsoidealforsharingthestoryof anearlyadopter(whowillalsoTweet)through updatesphotographsandvideosItlends itselfmuchmorenaturallytothispeople-fo-cusedapproachthanawebsitewhichismore formal
Additionalpoints
bull EncourageandperhapsrewardProgram adopterstosharetheirexperiencesask questionsetc
bull Setupcontrolstodeterminewhatcontent Fanscanposttothewall
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 39
bull Monitorupdatestothewallandtakedown Therearemanyexistingblogsthatcanbeused inappropriatecontent
bull Respondtoissuesquestionsandtakepart intheconversation
bull Adesignatedstaffpersonshouldmonitor thesiteitisalsoidealifseveralstaff memberspostcontentandifpartnersare activeparticipantsalthoughtheoverall strategyshouldbecentralized
Facebook Examples
Herearesomeexamplesofthetypesofpost-ingsforaFacebookpage
bull ldquoTheLATimesdescribesEnergyUpgrade CAasaperfectopportunitytobegreenand savemoneymdashintheFridaymoneysectionrdquo
bull ldquoWhydidyoudecidetoparticipatein EnergyUpgradeCATellushowyour energyefficiencyretrofitisgoingandwersquoll enteryouforachancetowina$50Home Depotgiftcardrdquo
bull ldquoWonderingwhetherEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaisrightforyouCheckoutthis videooftheSmithsinstallingnewinsula-tionandwindows--andreceivinga$3500 rebaterdquo
Cost and Budget
Relativelyfewdirectcostsstafftimewill fluctuateduringbusycalmperiodswithhigh activityatthebeginningastheProgramkicks offandafanbaseisestablishedOngoingstaff timeneededtokeeppagefreshwith3-4posts weekdailymaintenancerequiredtomonitor postingsfromfans
Blogs Blogsreachtargetaudienceswhoarealready interestedinrelatedtopicsandwhohavehigh potentialtoparticipateintheProgram
tofurthermarketingefforts
bull Identifybloggerswhowilllikelywrite positivelyabouttheProgramSendpress releasefactsheetsandPrograminforma-tiontobloggerswhowriteabouttopics suchastheenvironmentenergyefficiency homeimprovementremodelingreal estatehousingbargainssavingmoneyas wellastocompaniesthatsellsolarpanels contractorsetc
bull Bloggersarelookingfortopicalstoriesto writeaboutandwewillmaketheirnext blogposteasyBecauseEnergyUpgradeis ahighrewardoptionalProgrambloggers willwritefavorablyandhelptellthestory inafriendlyaccessibleandeasy-to-under-standway(althoughwedonrsquothavecontrol overwhattheywrite)Peoplewhoaredis-satisfiedwillwritenegativecommentsbut wewillmonitorblogsandactivelycorrect misperceptions
bull Tomonitorwhatothersarewritingabout EnergyUpgradeontheirblogswewilluse freeprogramslikeTechnoratiorGoogle Readertoscanallblogsandwebsitesthat mentiontheProgram
Blogs to Reach
Green Girl LA Blog (httpgreenlagirlcom)Thisindependent blogisfocusedonenvironmentalhap-peningsinLosAngelesArecentpostwas aboutagreennetworkingeventfeaturing TheBuildingDoctorspresentingwaysto makeyourhousemoreenergyefficient PreviouslyareporterbloggerfortheLA Timesthewriterisactiveandcoversa widevarietyofenvironmentalgreentopics happeninginLosAngeles
40 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
LA Times HomeBlog (wwwlatimesblogslatimescomhome_
blog)focusesontopicsrelatedtohouses andhashadseveralrecentpostsabout greenremodelingOneadvantageofa majornewspaperisthatthereportingis accurateandthereadershipislargerThey recentlywroteaboutauditionsforThisOld HousewhichisfeaturingaLosAngeles areahouseforasummerremodel
Bargain Babe (wwwbargainbabelatownluxecom) featuresLosAngelesbargainsYoucan searchforbargainsbyareaofLA(West-sideetc)orbytopicThisbloggerrecently wroteaboutappliancerebates
LA Times Green Remodeling (wwwlatimesblogslatimescompar-donourdustgreen_remodeling)writes aboutalltopicsrelatedtoremodelingin SouthernCaliforniawithseveralrecent postsongreentopicsArecentpostre-viewedthedifferentadvantagesofinstall-ingvarioustanklesswaterheatersPitch thatthebloggerfollowahomeenergy retrofitandhelptelltheirstoryaswellas announcebasicPrograminformation
LA Times Personal Finance wwwlatimescombusinesspersonal-finance
Home Remodeling wwwkathysremodelingblogcom
Energy Efficiency wwwlowimpactlivingcomblog
LA CreekFreak
LA Observed
LAist
YouTube PostallvideosrelatedtotheprojectonYou-TubeWewillworkwithourmediapartners todevelopacontestforearlyadopterstofilm theirexperienceandletwebsitevisitorsvote onthebestWinnerreceivesaprizetobe determined
ListServes Listservesreachgroupsofpeoplewhoare interestedinasimilartopicorwholiveina specificneighborhoodSendemailblaststo listservessuchasneighborhoodassociations homeremodelersandenvironmentalgroups withanenergyfocusCitystaffhasinforma-tionaddressesofneighborhoodandhom-eownerassociationslists
Multimedia for Presentations Website Developanengaginginformative6-8minute videofocusingoncontractorsandhomeown-ersthatcanbeusedduringpresentationsand presentedonCityTVThevideowillbeshot bothinEnglishandinSpanishandcover
bull Howtherebatesworktocreateasenseof urgencyaboutdoingtheenergyupgrades soonerratherputtingitofftotakeadvan-tageoftherebates
bull Theldquosealthenenhancerdquowholehouse concept
bull WhattheProgramelementsactuallylook likeandhowtheyareinstalledtoover-comebarrierssuchasthatonemighthave tomoveoutofthehouseortheenergy upgradesareldquouglyrdquo
bull Workingwithacontractorwhatbeing licensedandcertifiedmeansgettingmul-tiplebids
bull Financingoptions
bull Doingthepaperwork
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 41
Fromthatvideodevelop
bull Threeindividual2-minutevideosforuse onlineeachfocusingonaspecifictopicmdash
againinbothEnglishandSpanish
bull A15anda30spoteachinEnglishand SpanishforuseonCityTVandbroadcast
stations
Print Collateral Customizable fact sheetsInforma-tionsheets(onepagefrontandback)in EnglishSpanishandChinesethatcanalso bepostedonthewebsiteasPDFs
Program brochureMorehighlyde-signedforplacementinmunicipaloffices andevents
Customizable Brochure Brandedwith SunsetMagazineorNationalGeographic forcontractorsandrealtorstohandto customers
SignageBannersforeventsandstreet lamppostspostersformunicipaloffices andsmalleventsandpotentiallysignage forbussidestransitshelters
Speakers kits Countyandcitystaffwillreceivekitstoensure everyoneisfamiliarwithkeymessagesandhas informationtogivetoconstituentsThesecan besentdirectlytocitiesordistributedthrough COGsKitswillcontain
bull Talkingpoints
bull DVDofthevideo
bull PPTpresentationforpublicmeetings
bull Printedbrochuresforpermitofficesto includewithwelcomepacketsfornewho-meowners
bull Articlesandphotostheycanrunintheir onlineorprintedcitynewsletters
bull CDwithtemplatesforquickprintingand websitebuttontolinkfromtheirwebsiteto EnergyUpgradeCalifornia
42 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
description of key messages
Thefollowingmessageshadthehighestreso-nanceinpollingandfocusgroupsbothinLos AngelesCountyandtheBayArea
Primary Motivators Thefollowingtwomessagesaboutsaving moneyarekeytomotivatingalltargetaudi-encesTheyshouldbepartofeverypieceof advertisingorcollateralproduced
1 RebatesHomeownerswhomakeenergy-savinghomeimprovementscanqualifyfor a$1500federaltaxcreditandrebatesof upto$3500dependingonhowmuchthey reduceenergyconsumptionAdditional motivatorTaxcreditsonlyavailable untilDecember312010(Rebatesare preferredovertaxcreditsbecauseitrsquoscash nowratherthanlateranddependingon incomenoteveryonecangetthecredit)
2 Save on Utility Bills Upgradingahome touselessenergyandwatercanreduce utilitybillsby20ormoremdashsavingyou moneyovertime
Secondary Motivators Thefollowingmessagesarethenlayeredde-pendingonwhichaudienceisbeingtargeted
Help the EnvironmentClimate Change Weallneedtodoourparttohelp theenvironmentandslowclimatechange Makingourhomesmoregreenandenergy efficientisanimportantstepweshouldall take
Reduce Foreign OilFossil FuelsAt atimewhenwearetryingtoreduceour dependenceonforeignoilandotherfossil fuelsupgradingtheenergyefficiencyof ourhomesisanimportantstepwecanall take(Infocusgroupstheconceptofenergy independencefurtherresonatedasinde-pendencefromutilitycompaniesgetting offthegrid)
Certified Contractors Save Money Speciallytrainedandcertifiedcontractors knowhowtofindimprovementsthatthe averagehomeownerwouldnotTheiras-sessmentswillensurethatyoufindmore energysavingsandthereforesavemore moneyonyourutilitybillsAdditional motivatorContractorsarecertifiedbythe BuildingPerformanceInstituteworking withtheDepartmentofEnergyandEnvi-ronmentalProtectionAgency
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 43
Increase Property ValuesHomesthat areenergy-efficientandenvironmentally friendlyaremoreappealingtohomebuyers Theseupgradescanincreaseyourproperty value
ComfortUpgradingyourhomersquosenergy efficiencymdashinparticularupgradinginsula-tionmdashcanmakeitamorecomfortableplace toliveNomoredraftycoldroomsinthe winterorhotstuffyroomsinthesummer
Indoor Air QualityInsulationand ventilationcanreduceallergyandasthma-causingmoldandmildewimproving indoorairqualityespeciallyforinfantsand thosewithhealthconditions
Messengers Homeownersprefertoreceiveinformation fromimpartialtrustedsourcesThesemes-sengersreceivedthehighestscoresinpolling
bull Neighborsandotherhomeowners
bull Contractorthehomeownerisalready workingwithorreferredbyfriendneigh-bor
bull Architectsdesignprofessionals
bull Gasandelectricutilities
bull Environmentalorganizations
bull Homeimprovementstorestaff(when equippedwithflyers)
44 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 45
- Cover
- Table of Contents13
- Summary Overview13
- Introduction13
- Programs Goals and Objectives13
- Marketing and Outreach Program Goals and Structure13
- Strategy13
- Evaluation13
- Description of Marketing Communication Tools13
- Description of Key Messages13
-
description of marketing communication tools
PlacedEarned Social Media ThePlancallsforsocialmediatopushinfor-mationtoourtargetaudiencesincreaseper-ceptionsoftheProgramascommunity-based reachthosewhowillhelpgenerateadditional buzzindependentmarketingeffortsaboutthe Programandprovideamechanismforlisten-ingtowhatpeoplearesayingaboutEnergy Upgrademdashandrespondingwhennecessary
Online Paid Advertising Onlineadvertisingcampaignscanbeverycost-effectiveandhighlytargetedbydemographics areasofinterestandgeographicsAdsappear ontopic-relatedblogsonsearchenginepages (egGoogle)andoncontentpages(egwhen yousearchforinformationaboutarelated topicandselectawebsitetoview)
Types of Users Targetadsbyage genderincomelanguagepreferencezip codeorhotspots
Types of SearchesTargetadsbytypeof searchconductedbasedonkeywords
Adsareusuallysoldperldquoclickrdquomdashtheviewer hasclickedontheadandbeensenttothe EnergyUpgradeCAwebsiteWewillmake fourtypesofonlineadpurchases
1 Googleadsthatplaceadsbothonits searchpagesandonhundredsofwebsites targetedbytheabove
2 Networksthattargetspecificsitesand blogsthatmatchourtargetaudiences(eg HiveBlogsLosAngelesthatoffers350LA blogstochoosefrom)
3 Directlythroughselectpublishers(eg CurbedLAGreenGirlLAlocalpapers online)
4 Onlineeditionsoflocalpapersinpilot marketingareas
Twitter Twitterusersaremostlycollegegraduates haveattendedgraduateschoolandlivein householdsmakingover$50000ayear (nationally)Usersarethreetimesmorelikely tofollowbrandsandcompaniesonTwitter thanotherusersofsocialnetworkswith40 specificallyusingTwittertolearnaboutand provideopinionsonbrands
Twittercanpushthelatestdevelopmentsand newstopeoplewhohaveexpressedaninter-estedintheProgram(theymustsignupto receiveourTweetsorhavesearchedfortag wordsincludedinourTweets)Itrsquosalsoan easywayforthosewhofollowEnergyUpgrade onTwittertoshareTweetswiththeirfriends
38 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
therebygeneratingbuzzandhelpingmarket theProgramTwittercanshareProgram newsinrealtimedrivepeopletothewebsite facilitateearlyadoptersbuzzmakersreach youngerhomeownersandincreasemarketing effortsatalowcostTwittercanbeeffectively usedtocommunicatetheProgramandits milestonesinavarietyofways
bull Tweetaboutpressreleasesmajoran-nouncementsnewitemsonwebsiteor blogsmediastoriesandarticlesespecially aboutthosethataretimesensitiveandtell ouraudiencewhatishappeningwiththe Programandencouragesthemtopartici-pateorfindoutmore
bull PutaTweeticononthemainwebsiteal-lowingvisitorstothewebsitetobeginto followEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLos AngelesCountyonTwitterwithoneclick
bull FollowotherswhoTweetaboutthe ProgramaswellasthosewhoTweetabout relatedtopicsThiswillprovideanop-portunitytodirectlyrespondtoaperson whohasaquestionabouttheProgramand pointthemtoalinktothewebsite
Tweet Examples
bull ldquo100LAhomeownershavesigned upfortheProgramatwwwEnergyUpgra-deCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoReadaboutLArsquosnewenergyefficiency rebateProgramintheLAtimes httpwwwlatimesgreenblogcomrdquo
bull ldquoWanttosaveonyourutilitybills CheckoutwwwEnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoSignupfortheHomeEnergyUpgrade contestforachancetowinafree homeenergyefficiencyretrofitat EnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
Cost and Budget
SettingupaTwitteraccountisfreeasisusing anapplicationsuchasTweetDeckthathelps followotherswhoareTweetingaboutEnergy UpgradeCaliforniaTheonlysignificantcostis stafftimewhichcanbelimitedtoafewhours aweek
Facebook Facebookisalow-costandeasywayofboth marketingtheProgramandsupportingan onlinecommunityofpeopleinterestedinthe ProgramItwillreachaudienceswhoaremore likelytospendtimeonFacebookversusaweb-siteandwhomayprefertoreceiveshortreal timeProgramnewsviaFacebookratherthan emailsorwebsitesItisidealforpostinglinks tovideosandphotosrelatedtotheprojectIt complementsthewebsiteaplacewherefans oftheProgramcanfindinformationaskques-tionsandshareideasandexcitementThese fanswillgeneratebuzzbytellingtheirfriends abouttheProgramthroughFacebook
AFacebookpagewillcontaininformation abouttheProgramalinktothewebsite Programnewsvideosphotographsandother informationWhenthepageisupdatedfans willreceivelinksinemailalertingthemtothe newposts
Facebookisalsoidealforsharingthestoryof anearlyadopter(whowillalsoTweet)through updatesphotographsandvideosItlends itselfmuchmorenaturallytothispeople-fo-cusedapproachthanawebsitewhichismore formal
Additionalpoints
bull EncourageandperhapsrewardProgram adopterstosharetheirexperiencesask questionsetc
bull Setupcontrolstodeterminewhatcontent Fanscanposttothewall
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 39
bull Monitorupdatestothewallandtakedown Therearemanyexistingblogsthatcanbeused inappropriatecontent
bull Respondtoissuesquestionsandtakepart intheconversation
bull Adesignatedstaffpersonshouldmonitor thesiteitisalsoidealifseveralstaff memberspostcontentandifpartnersare activeparticipantsalthoughtheoverall strategyshouldbecentralized
Facebook Examples
Herearesomeexamplesofthetypesofpost-ingsforaFacebookpage
bull ldquoTheLATimesdescribesEnergyUpgrade CAasaperfectopportunitytobegreenand savemoneymdashintheFridaymoneysectionrdquo
bull ldquoWhydidyoudecidetoparticipatein EnergyUpgradeCATellushowyour energyefficiencyretrofitisgoingandwersquoll enteryouforachancetowina$50Home Depotgiftcardrdquo
bull ldquoWonderingwhetherEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaisrightforyouCheckoutthis videooftheSmithsinstallingnewinsula-tionandwindows--andreceivinga$3500 rebaterdquo
Cost and Budget
Relativelyfewdirectcostsstafftimewill fluctuateduringbusycalmperiodswithhigh activityatthebeginningastheProgramkicks offandafanbaseisestablishedOngoingstaff timeneededtokeeppagefreshwith3-4posts weekdailymaintenancerequiredtomonitor postingsfromfans
Blogs Blogsreachtargetaudienceswhoarealready interestedinrelatedtopicsandwhohavehigh potentialtoparticipateintheProgram
tofurthermarketingefforts
bull Identifybloggerswhowilllikelywrite positivelyabouttheProgramSendpress releasefactsheetsandPrograminforma-tiontobloggerswhowriteabouttopics suchastheenvironmentenergyefficiency homeimprovementremodelingreal estatehousingbargainssavingmoneyas wellastocompaniesthatsellsolarpanels contractorsetc
bull Bloggersarelookingfortopicalstoriesto writeaboutandwewillmaketheirnext blogposteasyBecauseEnergyUpgradeis ahighrewardoptionalProgrambloggers willwritefavorablyandhelptellthestory inafriendlyaccessibleandeasy-to-under-standway(althoughwedonrsquothavecontrol overwhattheywrite)Peoplewhoaredis-satisfiedwillwritenegativecommentsbut wewillmonitorblogsandactivelycorrect misperceptions
bull Tomonitorwhatothersarewritingabout EnergyUpgradeontheirblogswewilluse freeprogramslikeTechnoratiorGoogle Readertoscanallblogsandwebsitesthat mentiontheProgram
Blogs to Reach
Green Girl LA Blog (httpgreenlagirlcom)Thisindependent blogisfocusedonenvironmentalhap-peningsinLosAngelesArecentpostwas aboutagreennetworkingeventfeaturing TheBuildingDoctorspresentingwaysto makeyourhousemoreenergyefficient PreviouslyareporterbloggerfortheLA Timesthewriterisactiveandcoversa widevarietyofenvironmentalgreentopics happeninginLosAngeles
40 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
LA Times HomeBlog (wwwlatimesblogslatimescomhome_
blog)focusesontopicsrelatedtohouses andhashadseveralrecentpostsabout greenremodelingOneadvantageofa majornewspaperisthatthereportingis accurateandthereadershipislargerThey recentlywroteaboutauditionsforThisOld HousewhichisfeaturingaLosAngeles areahouseforasummerremodel
Bargain Babe (wwwbargainbabelatownluxecom) featuresLosAngelesbargainsYoucan searchforbargainsbyareaofLA(West-sideetc)orbytopicThisbloggerrecently wroteaboutappliancerebates
LA Times Green Remodeling (wwwlatimesblogslatimescompar-donourdustgreen_remodeling)writes aboutalltopicsrelatedtoremodelingin SouthernCaliforniawithseveralrecent postsongreentopicsArecentpostre-viewedthedifferentadvantagesofinstall-ingvarioustanklesswaterheatersPitch thatthebloggerfollowahomeenergy retrofitandhelptelltheirstoryaswellas announcebasicPrograminformation
LA Times Personal Finance wwwlatimescombusinesspersonal-finance
Home Remodeling wwwkathysremodelingblogcom
Energy Efficiency wwwlowimpactlivingcomblog
LA CreekFreak
LA Observed
LAist
YouTube PostallvideosrelatedtotheprojectonYou-TubeWewillworkwithourmediapartners todevelopacontestforearlyadopterstofilm theirexperienceandletwebsitevisitorsvote onthebestWinnerreceivesaprizetobe determined
ListServes Listservesreachgroupsofpeoplewhoare interestedinasimilartopicorwholiveina specificneighborhoodSendemailblaststo listservessuchasneighborhoodassociations homeremodelersandenvironmentalgroups withanenergyfocusCitystaffhasinforma-tionaddressesofneighborhoodandhom-eownerassociationslists
Multimedia for Presentations Website Developanengaginginformative6-8minute videofocusingoncontractorsandhomeown-ersthatcanbeusedduringpresentationsand presentedonCityTVThevideowillbeshot bothinEnglishandinSpanishandcover
bull Howtherebatesworktocreateasenseof urgencyaboutdoingtheenergyupgrades soonerratherputtingitofftotakeadvan-tageoftherebates
bull Theldquosealthenenhancerdquowholehouse concept
bull WhattheProgramelementsactuallylook likeandhowtheyareinstalledtoover-comebarrierssuchasthatonemighthave tomoveoutofthehouseortheenergy upgradesareldquouglyrdquo
bull Workingwithacontractorwhatbeing licensedandcertifiedmeansgettingmul-tiplebids
bull Financingoptions
bull Doingthepaperwork
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 41
Fromthatvideodevelop
bull Threeindividual2-minutevideosforuse onlineeachfocusingonaspecifictopicmdash
againinbothEnglishandSpanish
bull A15anda30spoteachinEnglishand SpanishforuseonCityTVandbroadcast
stations
Print Collateral Customizable fact sheetsInforma-tionsheets(onepagefrontandback)in EnglishSpanishandChinesethatcanalso bepostedonthewebsiteasPDFs
Program brochureMorehighlyde-signedforplacementinmunicipaloffices andevents
Customizable Brochure Brandedwith SunsetMagazineorNationalGeographic forcontractorsandrealtorstohandto customers
SignageBannersforeventsandstreet lamppostspostersformunicipaloffices andsmalleventsandpotentiallysignage forbussidestransitshelters
Speakers kits Countyandcitystaffwillreceivekitstoensure everyoneisfamiliarwithkeymessagesandhas informationtogivetoconstituentsThesecan besentdirectlytocitiesordistributedthrough COGsKitswillcontain
bull Talkingpoints
bull DVDofthevideo
bull PPTpresentationforpublicmeetings
bull Printedbrochuresforpermitofficesto includewithwelcomepacketsfornewho-meowners
bull Articlesandphotostheycanrunintheir onlineorprintedcitynewsletters
bull CDwithtemplatesforquickprintingand websitebuttontolinkfromtheirwebsiteto EnergyUpgradeCalifornia
42 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
description of key messages
Thefollowingmessageshadthehighestreso-nanceinpollingandfocusgroupsbothinLos AngelesCountyandtheBayArea
Primary Motivators Thefollowingtwomessagesaboutsaving moneyarekeytomotivatingalltargetaudi-encesTheyshouldbepartofeverypieceof advertisingorcollateralproduced
1 RebatesHomeownerswhomakeenergy-savinghomeimprovementscanqualifyfor a$1500federaltaxcreditandrebatesof upto$3500dependingonhowmuchthey reduceenergyconsumptionAdditional motivatorTaxcreditsonlyavailable untilDecember312010(Rebatesare preferredovertaxcreditsbecauseitrsquoscash nowratherthanlateranddependingon incomenoteveryonecangetthecredit)
2 Save on Utility Bills Upgradingahome touselessenergyandwatercanreduce utilitybillsby20ormoremdashsavingyou moneyovertime
Secondary Motivators Thefollowingmessagesarethenlayeredde-pendingonwhichaudienceisbeingtargeted
Help the EnvironmentClimate Change Weallneedtodoourparttohelp theenvironmentandslowclimatechange Makingourhomesmoregreenandenergy efficientisanimportantstepweshouldall take
Reduce Foreign OilFossil FuelsAt atimewhenwearetryingtoreduceour dependenceonforeignoilandotherfossil fuelsupgradingtheenergyefficiencyof ourhomesisanimportantstepwecanall take(Infocusgroupstheconceptofenergy independencefurtherresonatedasinde-pendencefromutilitycompaniesgetting offthegrid)
Certified Contractors Save Money Speciallytrainedandcertifiedcontractors knowhowtofindimprovementsthatthe averagehomeownerwouldnotTheiras-sessmentswillensurethatyoufindmore energysavingsandthereforesavemore moneyonyourutilitybillsAdditional motivatorContractorsarecertifiedbythe BuildingPerformanceInstituteworking withtheDepartmentofEnergyandEnvi-ronmentalProtectionAgency
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 43
Increase Property ValuesHomesthat areenergy-efficientandenvironmentally friendlyaremoreappealingtohomebuyers Theseupgradescanincreaseyourproperty value
ComfortUpgradingyourhomersquosenergy efficiencymdashinparticularupgradinginsula-tionmdashcanmakeitamorecomfortableplace toliveNomoredraftycoldroomsinthe winterorhotstuffyroomsinthesummer
Indoor Air QualityInsulationand ventilationcanreduceallergyandasthma-causingmoldandmildewimproving indoorairqualityespeciallyforinfantsand thosewithhealthconditions
Messengers Homeownersprefertoreceiveinformation fromimpartialtrustedsourcesThesemes-sengersreceivedthehighestscoresinpolling
bull Neighborsandotherhomeowners
bull Contractorthehomeownerisalready workingwithorreferredbyfriendneigh-bor
bull Architectsdesignprofessionals
bull Gasandelectricutilities
bull Environmentalorganizations
bull Homeimprovementstorestaff(when equippedwithflyers)
44 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 45
- Cover
- Table of Contents13
- Summary Overview13
- Introduction13
- Programs Goals and Objectives13
- Marketing and Outreach Program Goals and Structure13
- Strategy13
- Evaluation13
- Description of Marketing Communication Tools13
- Description of Key Messages13
-
therebygeneratingbuzzandhelpingmarket theProgramTwittercanshareProgram newsinrealtimedrivepeopletothewebsite facilitateearlyadoptersbuzzmakersreach youngerhomeownersandincreasemarketing effortsatalowcostTwittercanbeeffectively usedtocommunicatetheProgramandits milestonesinavarietyofways
bull Tweetaboutpressreleasesmajoran-nouncementsnewitemsonwebsiteor blogsmediastoriesandarticlesespecially aboutthosethataretimesensitiveandtell ouraudiencewhatishappeningwiththe Programandencouragesthemtopartici-pateorfindoutmore
bull PutaTweeticononthemainwebsiteal-lowingvisitorstothewebsitetobeginto followEnergyUpgradeCaliforniainLos AngelesCountyonTwitterwithoneclick
bull FollowotherswhoTweetaboutthe ProgramaswellasthosewhoTweetabout relatedtopicsThiswillprovideanop-portunitytodirectlyrespondtoaperson whohasaquestionabouttheProgramand pointthemtoalinktothewebsite
Tweet Examples
bull ldquo100LAhomeownershavesigned upfortheProgramatwwwEnergyUpgra-deCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoReadaboutLArsquosnewenergyefficiency rebateProgramintheLAtimes httpwwwlatimesgreenblogcomrdquo
bull ldquoWanttosaveonyourutilitybills CheckoutwwwEnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
bull ldquoSignupfortheHomeEnergyUpgrade contestforachancetowinafree homeenergyefficiencyretrofitat EnergyUpgradeCAgovrdquo
Cost and Budget
SettingupaTwitteraccountisfreeasisusing anapplicationsuchasTweetDeckthathelps followotherswhoareTweetingaboutEnergy UpgradeCaliforniaTheonlysignificantcostis stafftimewhichcanbelimitedtoafewhours aweek
Facebook Facebookisalow-costandeasywayofboth marketingtheProgramandsupportingan onlinecommunityofpeopleinterestedinthe ProgramItwillreachaudienceswhoaremore likelytospendtimeonFacebookversusaweb-siteandwhomayprefertoreceiveshortreal timeProgramnewsviaFacebookratherthan emailsorwebsitesItisidealforpostinglinks tovideosandphotosrelatedtotheprojectIt complementsthewebsiteaplacewherefans oftheProgramcanfindinformationaskques-tionsandshareideasandexcitementThese fanswillgeneratebuzzbytellingtheirfriends abouttheProgramthroughFacebook
AFacebookpagewillcontaininformation abouttheProgramalinktothewebsite Programnewsvideosphotographsandother informationWhenthepageisupdatedfans willreceivelinksinemailalertingthemtothe newposts
Facebookisalsoidealforsharingthestoryof anearlyadopter(whowillalsoTweet)through updatesphotographsandvideosItlends itselfmuchmorenaturallytothispeople-fo-cusedapproachthanawebsitewhichismore formal
Additionalpoints
bull EncourageandperhapsrewardProgram adopterstosharetheirexperiencesask questionsetc
bull Setupcontrolstodeterminewhatcontent Fanscanposttothewall
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 39
bull Monitorupdatestothewallandtakedown Therearemanyexistingblogsthatcanbeused inappropriatecontent
bull Respondtoissuesquestionsandtakepart intheconversation
bull Adesignatedstaffpersonshouldmonitor thesiteitisalsoidealifseveralstaff memberspostcontentandifpartnersare activeparticipantsalthoughtheoverall strategyshouldbecentralized
Facebook Examples
Herearesomeexamplesofthetypesofpost-ingsforaFacebookpage
bull ldquoTheLATimesdescribesEnergyUpgrade CAasaperfectopportunitytobegreenand savemoneymdashintheFridaymoneysectionrdquo
bull ldquoWhydidyoudecidetoparticipatein EnergyUpgradeCATellushowyour energyefficiencyretrofitisgoingandwersquoll enteryouforachancetowina$50Home Depotgiftcardrdquo
bull ldquoWonderingwhetherEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaisrightforyouCheckoutthis videooftheSmithsinstallingnewinsula-tionandwindows--andreceivinga$3500 rebaterdquo
Cost and Budget
Relativelyfewdirectcostsstafftimewill fluctuateduringbusycalmperiodswithhigh activityatthebeginningastheProgramkicks offandafanbaseisestablishedOngoingstaff timeneededtokeeppagefreshwith3-4posts weekdailymaintenancerequiredtomonitor postingsfromfans
Blogs Blogsreachtargetaudienceswhoarealready interestedinrelatedtopicsandwhohavehigh potentialtoparticipateintheProgram
tofurthermarketingefforts
bull Identifybloggerswhowilllikelywrite positivelyabouttheProgramSendpress releasefactsheetsandPrograminforma-tiontobloggerswhowriteabouttopics suchastheenvironmentenergyefficiency homeimprovementremodelingreal estatehousingbargainssavingmoneyas wellastocompaniesthatsellsolarpanels contractorsetc
bull Bloggersarelookingfortopicalstoriesto writeaboutandwewillmaketheirnext blogposteasyBecauseEnergyUpgradeis ahighrewardoptionalProgrambloggers willwritefavorablyandhelptellthestory inafriendlyaccessibleandeasy-to-under-standway(althoughwedonrsquothavecontrol overwhattheywrite)Peoplewhoaredis-satisfiedwillwritenegativecommentsbut wewillmonitorblogsandactivelycorrect misperceptions
bull Tomonitorwhatothersarewritingabout EnergyUpgradeontheirblogswewilluse freeprogramslikeTechnoratiorGoogle Readertoscanallblogsandwebsitesthat mentiontheProgram
Blogs to Reach
Green Girl LA Blog (httpgreenlagirlcom)Thisindependent blogisfocusedonenvironmentalhap-peningsinLosAngelesArecentpostwas aboutagreennetworkingeventfeaturing TheBuildingDoctorspresentingwaysto makeyourhousemoreenergyefficient PreviouslyareporterbloggerfortheLA Timesthewriterisactiveandcoversa widevarietyofenvironmentalgreentopics happeninginLosAngeles
40 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
LA Times HomeBlog (wwwlatimesblogslatimescomhome_
blog)focusesontopicsrelatedtohouses andhashadseveralrecentpostsabout greenremodelingOneadvantageofa majornewspaperisthatthereportingis accurateandthereadershipislargerThey recentlywroteaboutauditionsforThisOld HousewhichisfeaturingaLosAngeles areahouseforasummerremodel
Bargain Babe (wwwbargainbabelatownluxecom) featuresLosAngelesbargainsYoucan searchforbargainsbyareaofLA(West-sideetc)orbytopicThisbloggerrecently wroteaboutappliancerebates
LA Times Green Remodeling (wwwlatimesblogslatimescompar-donourdustgreen_remodeling)writes aboutalltopicsrelatedtoremodelingin SouthernCaliforniawithseveralrecent postsongreentopicsArecentpostre-viewedthedifferentadvantagesofinstall-ingvarioustanklesswaterheatersPitch thatthebloggerfollowahomeenergy retrofitandhelptelltheirstoryaswellas announcebasicPrograminformation
LA Times Personal Finance wwwlatimescombusinesspersonal-finance
Home Remodeling wwwkathysremodelingblogcom
Energy Efficiency wwwlowimpactlivingcomblog
LA CreekFreak
LA Observed
LAist
YouTube PostallvideosrelatedtotheprojectonYou-TubeWewillworkwithourmediapartners todevelopacontestforearlyadopterstofilm theirexperienceandletwebsitevisitorsvote onthebestWinnerreceivesaprizetobe determined
ListServes Listservesreachgroupsofpeoplewhoare interestedinasimilartopicorwholiveina specificneighborhoodSendemailblaststo listservessuchasneighborhoodassociations homeremodelersandenvironmentalgroups withanenergyfocusCitystaffhasinforma-tionaddressesofneighborhoodandhom-eownerassociationslists
Multimedia for Presentations Website Developanengaginginformative6-8minute videofocusingoncontractorsandhomeown-ersthatcanbeusedduringpresentationsand presentedonCityTVThevideowillbeshot bothinEnglishandinSpanishandcover
bull Howtherebatesworktocreateasenseof urgencyaboutdoingtheenergyupgrades soonerratherputtingitofftotakeadvan-tageoftherebates
bull Theldquosealthenenhancerdquowholehouse concept
bull WhattheProgramelementsactuallylook likeandhowtheyareinstalledtoover-comebarrierssuchasthatonemighthave tomoveoutofthehouseortheenergy upgradesareldquouglyrdquo
bull Workingwithacontractorwhatbeing licensedandcertifiedmeansgettingmul-tiplebids
bull Financingoptions
bull Doingthepaperwork
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 41
Fromthatvideodevelop
bull Threeindividual2-minutevideosforuse onlineeachfocusingonaspecifictopicmdash
againinbothEnglishandSpanish
bull A15anda30spoteachinEnglishand SpanishforuseonCityTVandbroadcast
stations
Print Collateral Customizable fact sheetsInforma-tionsheets(onepagefrontandback)in EnglishSpanishandChinesethatcanalso bepostedonthewebsiteasPDFs
Program brochureMorehighlyde-signedforplacementinmunicipaloffices andevents
Customizable Brochure Brandedwith SunsetMagazineorNationalGeographic forcontractorsandrealtorstohandto customers
SignageBannersforeventsandstreet lamppostspostersformunicipaloffices andsmalleventsandpotentiallysignage forbussidestransitshelters
Speakers kits Countyandcitystaffwillreceivekitstoensure everyoneisfamiliarwithkeymessagesandhas informationtogivetoconstituentsThesecan besentdirectlytocitiesordistributedthrough COGsKitswillcontain
bull Talkingpoints
bull DVDofthevideo
bull PPTpresentationforpublicmeetings
bull Printedbrochuresforpermitofficesto includewithwelcomepacketsfornewho-meowners
bull Articlesandphotostheycanrunintheir onlineorprintedcitynewsletters
bull CDwithtemplatesforquickprintingand websitebuttontolinkfromtheirwebsiteto EnergyUpgradeCalifornia
42 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
description of key messages
Thefollowingmessageshadthehighestreso-nanceinpollingandfocusgroupsbothinLos AngelesCountyandtheBayArea
Primary Motivators Thefollowingtwomessagesaboutsaving moneyarekeytomotivatingalltargetaudi-encesTheyshouldbepartofeverypieceof advertisingorcollateralproduced
1 RebatesHomeownerswhomakeenergy-savinghomeimprovementscanqualifyfor a$1500federaltaxcreditandrebatesof upto$3500dependingonhowmuchthey reduceenergyconsumptionAdditional motivatorTaxcreditsonlyavailable untilDecember312010(Rebatesare preferredovertaxcreditsbecauseitrsquoscash nowratherthanlateranddependingon incomenoteveryonecangetthecredit)
2 Save on Utility Bills Upgradingahome touselessenergyandwatercanreduce utilitybillsby20ormoremdashsavingyou moneyovertime
Secondary Motivators Thefollowingmessagesarethenlayeredde-pendingonwhichaudienceisbeingtargeted
Help the EnvironmentClimate Change Weallneedtodoourparttohelp theenvironmentandslowclimatechange Makingourhomesmoregreenandenergy efficientisanimportantstepweshouldall take
Reduce Foreign OilFossil FuelsAt atimewhenwearetryingtoreduceour dependenceonforeignoilandotherfossil fuelsupgradingtheenergyefficiencyof ourhomesisanimportantstepwecanall take(Infocusgroupstheconceptofenergy independencefurtherresonatedasinde-pendencefromutilitycompaniesgetting offthegrid)
Certified Contractors Save Money Speciallytrainedandcertifiedcontractors knowhowtofindimprovementsthatthe averagehomeownerwouldnotTheiras-sessmentswillensurethatyoufindmore energysavingsandthereforesavemore moneyonyourutilitybillsAdditional motivatorContractorsarecertifiedbythe BuildingPerformanceInstituteworking withtheDepartmentofEnergyandEnvi-ronmentalProtectionAgency
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 43
Increase Property ValuesHomesthat areenergy-efficientandenvironmentally friendlyaremoreappealingtohomebuyers Theseupgradescanincreaseyourproperty value
ComfortUpgradingyourhomersquosenergy efficiencymdashinparticularupgradinginsula-tionmdashcanmakeitamorecomfortableplace toliveNomoredraftycoldroomsinthe winterorhotstuffyroomsinthesummer
Indoor Air QualityInsulationand ventilationcanreduceallergyandasthma-causingmoldandmildewimproving indoorairqualityespeciallyforinfantsand thosewithhealthconditions
Messengers Homeownersprefertoreceiveinformation fromimpartialtrustedsourcesThesemes-sengersreceivedthehighestscoresinpolling
bull Neighborsandotherhomeowners
bull Contractorthehomeownerisalready workingwithorreferredbyfriendneigh-bor
bull Architectsdesignprofessionals
bull Gasandelectricutilities
bull Environmentalorganizations
bull Homeimprovementstorestaff(when equippedwithflyers)
44 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 45
- Cover
- Table of Contents13
- Summary Overview13
- Introduction13
- Programs Goals and Objectives13
- Marketing and Outreach Program Goals and Structure13
- Strategy13
- Evaluation13
- Description of Marketing Communication Tools13
- Description of Key Messages13
-
bull Monitorupdatestothewallandtakedown Therearemanyexistingblogsthatcanbeused inappropriatecontent
bull Respondtoissuesquestionsandtakepart intheconversation
bull Adesignatedstaffpersonshouldmonitor thesiteitisalsoidealifseveralstaff memberspostcontentandifpartnersare activeparticipantsalthoughtheoverall strategyshouldbecentralized
Facebook Examples
Herearesomeexamplesofthetypesofpost-ingsforaFacebookpage
bull ldquoTheLATimesdescribesEnergyUpgrade CAasaperfectopportunitytobegreenand savemoneymdashintheFridaymoneysectionrdquo
bull ldquoWhydidyoudecidetoparticipatein EnergyUpgradeCATellushowyour energyefficiencyretrofitisgoingandwersquoll enteryouforachancetowina$50Home Depotgiftcardrdquo
bull ldquoWonderingwhetherEnergyUpgrade CaliforniaisrightforyouCheckoutthis videooftheSmithsinstallingnewinsula-tionandwindows--andreceivinga$3500 rebaterdquo
Cost and Budget
Relativelyfewdirectcostsstafftimewill fluctuateduringbusycalmperiodswithhigh activityatthebeginningastheProgramkicks offandafanbaseisestablishedOngoingstaff timeneededtokeeppagefreshwith3-4posts weekdailymaintenancerequiredtomonitor postingsfromfans
Blogs Blogsreachtargetaudienceswhoarealready interestedinrelatedtopicsandwhohavehigh potentialtoparticipateintheProgram
tofurthermarketingefforts
bull Identifybloggerswhowilllikelywrite positivelyabouttheProgramSendpress releasefactsheetsandPrograminforma-tiontobloggerswhowriteabouttopics suchastheenvironmentenergyefficiency homeimprovementremodelingreal estatehousingbargainssavingmoneyas wellastocompaniesthatsellsolarpanels contractorsetc
bull Bloggersarelookingfortopicalstoriesto writeaboutandwewillmaketheirnext blogposteasyBecauseEnergyUpgradeis ahighrewardoptionalProgrambloggers willwritefavorablyandhelptellthestory inafriendlyaccessibleandeasy-to-under-standway(althoughwedonrsquothavecontrol overwhattheywrite)Peoplewhoaredis-satisfiedwillwritenegativecommentsbut wewillmonitorblogsandactivelycorrect misperceptions
bull Tomonitorwhatothersarewritingabout EnergyUpgradeontheirblogswewilluse freeprogramslikeTechnoratiorGoogle Readertoscanallblogsandwebsitesthat mentiontheProgram
Blogs to Reach
Green Girl LA Blog (httpgreenlagirlcom)Thisindependent blogisfocusedonenvironmentalhap-peningsinLosAngelesArecentpostwas aboutagreennetworkingeventfeaturing TheBuildingDoctorspresentingwaysto makeyourhousemoreenergyefficient PreviouslyareporterbloggerfortheLA Timesthewriterisactiveandcoversa widevarietyofenvironmentalgreentopics happeninginLosAngeles
40 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
LA Times HomeBlog (wwwlatimesblogslatimescomhome_
blog)focusesontopicsrelatedtohouses andhashadseveralrecentpostsabout greenremodelingOneadvantageofa majornewspaperisthatthereportingis accurateandthereadershipislargerThey recentlywroteaboutauditionsforThisOld HousewhichisfeaturingaLosAngeles areahouseforasummerremodel
Bargain Babe (wwwbargainbabelatownluxecom) featuresLosAngelesbargainsYoucan searchforbargainsbyareaofLA(West-sideetc)orbytopicThisbloggerrecently wroteaboutappliancerebates
LA Times Green Remodeling (wwwlatimesblogslatimescompar-donourdustgreen_remodeling)writes aboutalltopicsrelatedtoremodelingin SouthernCaliforniawithseveralrecent postsongreentopicsArecentpostre-viewedthedifferentadvantagesofinstall-ingvarioustanklesswaterheatersPitch thatthebloggerfollowahomeenergy retrofitandhelptelltheirstoryaswellas announcebasicPrograminformation
LA Times Personal Finance wwwlatimescombusinesspersonal-finance
Home Remodeling wwwkathysremodelingblogcom
Energy Efficiency wwwlowimpactlivingcomblog
LA CreekFreak
LA Observed
LAist
YouTube PostallvideosrelatedtotheprojectonYou-TubeWewillworkwithourmediapartners todevelopacontestforearlyadopterstofilm theirexperienceandletwebsitevisitorsvote onthebestWinnerreceivesaprizetobe determined
ListServes Listservesreachgroupsofpeoplewhoare interestedinasimilartopicorwholiveina specificneighborhoodSendemailblaststo listservessuchasneighborhoodassociations homeremodelersandenvironmentalgroups withanenergyfocusCitystaffhasinforma-tionaddressesofneighborhoodandhom-eownerassociationslists
Multimedia for Presentations Website Developanengaginginformative6-8minute videofocusingoncontractorsandhomeown-ersthatcanbeusedduringpresentationsand presentedonCityTVThevideowillbeshot bothinEnglishandinSpanishandcover
bull Howtherebatesworktocreateasenseof urgencyaboutdoingtheenergyupgrades soonerratherputtingitofftotakeadvan-tageoftherebates
bull Theldquosealthenenhancerdquowholehouse concept
bull WhattheProgramelementsactuallylook likeandhowtheyareinstalledtoover-comebarrierssuchasthatonemighthave tomoveoutofthehouseortheenergy upgradesareldquouglyrdquo
bull Workingwithacontractorwhatbeing licensedandcertifiedmeansgettingmul-tiplebids
bull Financingoptions
bull Doingthepaperwork
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 41
Fromthatvideodevelop
bull Threeindividual2-minutevideosforuse onlineeachfocusingonaspecifictopicmdash
againinbothEnglishandSpanish
bull A15anda30spoteachinEnglishand SpanishforuseonCityTVandbroadcast
stations
Print Collateral Customizable fact sheetsInforma-tionsheets(onepagefrontandback)in EnglishSpanishandChinesethatcanalso bepostedonthewebsiteasPDFs
Program brochureMorehighlyde-signedforplacementinmunicipaloffices andevents
Customizable Brochure Brandedwith SunsetMagazineorNationalGeographic forcontractorsandrealtorstohandto customers
SignageBannersforeventsandstreet lamppostspostersformunicipaloffices andsmalleventsandpotentiallysignage forbussidestransitshelters
Speakers kits Countyandcitystaffwillreceivekitstoensure everyoneisfamiliarwithkeymessagesandhas informationtogivetoconstituentsThesecan besentdirectlytocitiesordistributedthrough COGsKitswillcontain
bull Talkingpoints
bull DVDofthevideo
bull PPTpresentationforpublicmeetings
bull Printedbrochuresforpermitofficesto includewithwelcomepacketsfornewho-meowners
bull Articlesandphotostheycanrunintheir onlineorprintedcitynewsletters
bull CDwithtemplatesforquickprintingand websitebuttontolinkfromtheirwebsiteto EnergyUpgradeCalifornia
42 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
description of key messages
Thefollowingmessageshadthehighestreso-nanceinpollingandfocusgroupsbothinLos AngelesCountyandtheBayArea
Primary Motivators Thefollowingtwomessagesaboutsaving moneyarekeytomotivatingalltargetaudi-encesTheyshouldbepartofeverypieceof advertisingorcollateralproduced
1 RebatesHomeownerswhomakeenergy-savinghomeimprovementscanqualifyfor a$1500federaltaxcreditandrebatesof upto$3500dependingonhowmuchthey reduceenergyconsumptionAdditional motivatorTaxcreditsonlyavailable untilDecember312010(Rebatesare preferredovertaxcreditsbecauseitrsquoscash nowratherthanlateranddependingon incomenoteveryonecangetthecredit)
2 Save on Utility Bills Upgradingahome touselessenergyandwatercanreduce utilitybillsby20ormoremdashsavingyou moneyovertime
Secondary Motivators Thefollowingmessagesarethenlayeredde-pendingonwhichaudienceisbeingtargeted
Help the EnvironmentClimate Change Weallneedtodoourparttohelp theenvironmentandslowclimatechange Makingourhomesmoregreenandenergy efficientisanimportantstepweshouldall take
Reduce Foreign OilFossil FuelsAt atimewhenwearetryingtoreduceour dependenceonforeignoilandotherfossil fuelsupgradingtheenergyefficiencyof ourhomesisanimportantstepwecanall take(Infocusgroupstheconceptofenergy independencefurtherresonatedasinde-pendencefromutilitycompaniesgetting offthegrid)
Certified Contractors Save Money Speciallytrainedandcertifiedcontractors knowhowtofindimprovementsthatthe averagehomeownerwouldnotTheiras-sessmentswillensurethatyoufindmore energysavingsandthereforesavemore moneyonyourutilitybillsAdditional motivatorContractorsarecertifiedbythe BuildingPerformanceInstituteworking withtheDepartmentofEnergyandEnvi-ronmentalProtectionAgency
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 43
Increase Property ValuesHomesthat areenergy-efficientandenvironmentally friendlyaremoreappealingtohomebuyers Theseupgradescanincreaseyourproperty value
ComfortUpgradingyourhomersquosenergy efficiencymdashinparticularupgradinginsula-tionmdashcanmakeitamorecomfortableplace toliveNomoredraftycoldroomsinthe winterorhotstuffyroomsinthesummer
Indoor Air QualityInsulationand ventilationcanreduceallergyandasthma-causingmoldandmildewimproving indoorairqualityespeciallyforinfantsand thosewithhealthconditions
Messengers Homeownersprefertoreceiveinformation fromimpartialtrustedsourcesThesemes-sengersreceivedthehighestscoresinpolling
bull Neighborsandotherhomeowners
bull Contractorthehomeownerisalready workingwithorreferredbyfriendneigh-bor
bull Architectsdesignprofessionals
bull Gasandelectricutilities
bull Environmentalorganizations
bull Homeimprovementstorestaff(when equippedwithflyers)
44 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 45
- Cover
- Table of Contents13
- Summary Overview13
- Introduction13
- Programs Goals and Objectives13
- Marketing and Outreach Program Goals and Structure13
- Strategy13
- Evaluation13
- Description of Marketing Communication Tools13
- Description of Key Messages13
-
LA Times HomeBlog (wwwlatimesblogslatimescomhome_
blog)focusesontopicsrelatedtohouses andhashadseveralrecentpostsabout greenremodelingOneadvantageofa majornewspaperisthatthereportingis accurateandthereadershipislargerThey recentlywroteaboutauditionsforThisOld HousewhichisfeaturingaLosAngeles areahouseforasummerremodel
Bargain Babe (wwwbargainbabelatownluxecom) featuresLosAngelesbargainsYoucan searchforbargainsbyareaofLA(West-sideetc)orbytopicThisbloggerrecently wroteaboutappliancerebates
LA Times Green Remodeling (wwwlatimesblogslatimescompar-donourdustgreen_remodeling)writes aboutalltopicsrelatedtoremodelingin SouthernCaliforniawithseveralrecent postsongreentopicsArecentpostre-viewedthedifferentadvantagesofinstall-ingvarioustanklesswaterheatersPitch thatthebloggerfollowahomeenergy retrofitandhelptelltheirstoryaswellas announcebasicPrograminformation
LA Times Personal Finance wwwlatimescombusinesspersonal-finance
Home Remodeling wwwkathysremodelingblogcom
Energy Efficiency wwwlowimpactlivingcomblog
LA CreekFreak
LA Observed
LAist
YouTube PostallvideosrelatedtotheprojectonYou-TubeWewillworkwithourmediapartners todevelopacontestforearlyadopterstofilm theirexperienceandletwebsitevisitorsvote onthebestWinnerreceivesaprizetobe determined
ListServes Listservesreachgroupsofpeoplewhoare interestedinasimilartopicorwholiveina specificneighborhoodSendemailblaststo listservessuchasneighborhoodassociations homeremodelersandenvironmentalgroups withanenergyfocusCitystaffhasinforma-tionaddressesofneighborhoodandhom-eownerassociationslists
Multimedia for Presentations Website Developanengaginginformative6-8minute videofocusingoncontractorsandhomeown-ersthatcanbeusedduringpresentationsand presentedonCityTVThevideowillbeshot bothinEnglishandinSpanishandcover
bull Howtherebatesworktocreateasenseof urgencyaboutdoingtheenergyupgrades soonerratherputtingitofftotakeadvan-tageoftherebates
bull Theldquosealthenenhancerdquowholehouse concept
bull WhattheProgramelementsactuallylook likeandhowtheyareinstalledtoover-comebarrierssuchasthatonemighthave tomoveoutofthehouseortheenergy upgradesareldquouglyrdquo
bull Workingwithacontractorwhatbeing licensedandcertifiedmeansgettingmul-tiplebids
bull Financingoptions
bull Doingthepaperwork
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 41
Fromthatvideodevelop
bull Threeindividual2-minutevideosforuse onlineeachfocusingonaspecifictopicmdash
againinbothEnglishandSpanish
bull A15anda30spoteachinEnglishand SpanishforuseonCityTVandbroadcast
stations
Print Collateral Customizable fact sheetsInforma-tionsheets(onepagefrontandback)in EnglishSpanishandChinesethatcanalso bepostedonthewebsiteasPDFs
Program brochureMorehighlyde-signedforplacementinmunicipaloffices andevents
Customizable Brochure Brandedwith SunsetMagazineorNationalGeographic forcontractorsandrealtorstohandto customers
SignageBannersforeventsandstreet lamppostspostersformunicipaloffices andsmalleventsandpotentiallysignage forbussidestransitshelters
Speakers kits Countyandcitystaffwillreceivekitstoensure everyoneisfamiliarwithkeymessagesandhas informationtogivetoconstituentsThesecan besentdirectlytocitiesordistributedthrough COGsKitswillcontain
bull Talkingpoints
bull DVDofthevideo
bull PPTpresentationforpublicmeetings
bull Printedbrochuresforpermitofficesto includewithwelcomepacketsfornewho-meowners
bull Articlesandphotostheycanrunintheir onlineorprintedcitynewsletters
bull CDwithtemplatesforquickprintingand websitebuttontolinkfromtheirwebsiteto EnergyUpgradeCalifornia
42 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
description of key messages
Thefollowingmessageshadthehighestreso-nanceinpollingandfocusgroupsbothinLos AngelesCountyandtheBayArea
Primary Motivators Thefollowingtwomessagesaboutsaving moneyarekeytomotivatingalltargetaudi-encesTheyshouldbepartofeverypieceof advertisingorcollateralproduced
1 RebatesHomeownerswhomakeenergy-savinghomeimprovementscanqualifyfor a$1500federaltaxcreditandrebatesof upto$3500dependingonhowmuchthey reduceenergyconsumptionAdditional motivatorTaxcreditsonlyavailable untilDecember312010(Rebatesare preferredovertaxcreditsbecauseitrsquoscash nowratherthanlateranddependingon incomenoteveryonecangetthecredit)
2 Save on Utility Bills Upgradingahome touselessenergyandwatercanreduce utilitybillsby20ormoremdashsavingyou moneyovertime
Secondary Motivators Thefollowingmessagesarethenlayeredde-pendingonwhichaudienceisbeingtargeted
Help the EnvironmentClimate Change Weallneedtodoourparttohelp theenvironmentandslowclimatechange Makingourhomesmoregreenandenergy efficientisanimportantstepweshouldall take
Reduce Foreign OilFossil FuelsAt atimewhenwearetryingtoreduceour dependenceonforeignoilandotherfossil fuelsupgradingtheenergyefficiencyof ourhomesisanimportantstepwecanall take(Infocusgroupstheconceptofenergy independencefurtherresonatedasinde-pendencefromutilitycompaniesgetting offthegrid)
Certified Contractors Save Money Speciallytrainedandcertifiedcontractors knowhowtofindimprovementsthatthe averagehomeownerwouldnotTheiras-sessmentswillensurethatyoufindmore energysavingsandthereforesavemore moneyonyourutilitybillsAdditional motivatorContractorsarecertifiedbythe BuildingPerformanceInstituteworking withtheDepartmentofEnergyandEnvi-ronmentalProtectionAgency
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 43
Increase Property ValuesHomesthat areenergy-efficientandenvironmentally friendlyaremoreappealingtohomebuyers Theseupgradescanincreaseyourproperty value
ComfortUpgradingyourhomersquosenergy efficiencymdashinparticularupgradinginsula-tionmdashcanmakeitamorecomfortableplace toliveNomoredraftycoldroomsinthe winterorhotstuffyroomsinthesummer
Indoor Air QualityInsulationand ventilationcanreduceallergyandasthma-causingmoldandmildewimproving indoorairqualityespeciallyforinfantsand thosewithhealthconditions
Messengers Homeownersprefertoreceiveinformation fromimpartialtrustedsourcesThesemes-sengersreceivedthehighestscoresinpolling
bull Neighborsandotherhomeowners
bull Contractorthehomeownerisalready workingwithorreferredbyfriendneigh-bor
bull Architectsdesignprofessionals
bull Gasandelectricutilities
bull Environmentalorganizations
bull Homeimprovementstorestaff(when equippedwithflyers)
44 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 45
- Cover
- Table of Contents13
- Summary Overview13
- Introduction13
- Programs Goals and Objectives13
- Marketing and Outreach Program Goals and Structure13
- Strategy13
- Evaluation13
- Description of Marketing Communication Tools13
- Description of Key Messages13
-
Fromthatvideodevelop
bull Threeindividual2-minutevideosforuse onlineeachfocusingonaspecifictopicmdash
againinbothEnglishandSpanish
bull A15anda30spoteachinEnglishand SpanishforuseonCityTVandbroadcast
stations
Print Collateral Customizable fact sheetsInforma-tionsheets(onepagefrontandback)in EnglishSpanishandChinesethatcanalso bepostedonthewebsiteasPDFs
Program brochureMorehighlyde-signedforplacementinmunicipaloffices andevents
Customizable Brochure Brandedwith SunsetMagazineorNationalGeographic forcontractorsandrealtorstohandto customers
SignageBannersforeventsandstreet lamppostspostersformunicipaloffices andsmalleventsandpotentiallysignage forbussidestransitshelters
Speakers kits Countyandcitystaffwillreceivekitstoensure everyoneisfamiliarwithkeymessagesandhas informationtogivetoconstituentsThesecan besentdirectlytocitiesordistributedthrough COGsKitswillcontain
bull Talkingpoints
bull DVDofthevideo
bull PPTpresentationforpublicmeetings
bull Printedbrochuresforpermitofficesto includewithwelcomepacketsfornewho-meowners
bull Articlesandphotostheycanrunintheir onlineorprintedcitynewsletters
bull CDwithtemplatesforquickprintingand websitebuttontolinkfromtheirwebsiteto EnergyUpgradeCalifornia
42 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
description of key messages
Thefollowingmessageshadthehighestreso-nanceinpollingandfocusgroupsbothinLos AngelesCountyandtheBayArea
Primary Motivators Thefollowingtwomessagesaboutsaving moneyarekeytomotivatingalltargetaudi-encesTheyshouldbepartofeverypieceof advertisingorcollateralproduced
1 RebatesHomeownerswhomakeenergy-savinghomeimprovementscanqualifyfor a$1500federaltaxcreditandrebatesof upto$3500dependingonhowmuchthey reduceenergyconsumptionAdditional motivatorTaxcreditsonlyavailable untilDecember312010(Rebatesare preferredovertaxcreditsbecauseitrsquoscash nowratherthanlateranddependingon incomenoteveryonecangetthecredit)
2 Save on Utility Bills Upgradingahome touselessenergyandwatercanreduce utilitybillsby20ormoremdashsavingyou moneyovertime
Secondary Motivators Thefollowingmessagesarethenlayeredde-pendingonwhichaudienceisbeingtargeted
Help the EnvironmentClimate Change Weallneedtodoourparttohelp theenvironmentandslowclimatechange Makingourhomesmoregreenandenergy efficientisanimportantstepweshouldall take
Reduce Foreign OilFossil FuelsAt atimewhenwearetryingtoreduceour dependenceonforeignoilandotherfossil fuelsupgradingtheenergyefficiencyof ourhomesisanimportantstepwecanall take(Infocusgroupstheconceptofenergy independencefurtherresonatedasinde-pendencefromutilitycompaniesgetting offthegrid)
Certified Contractors Save Money Speciallytrainedandcertifiedcontractors knowhowtofindimprovementsthatthe averagehomeownerwouldnotTheiras-sessmentswillensurethatyoufindmore energysavingsandthereforesavemore moneyonyourutilitybillsAdditional motivatorContractorsarecertifiedbythe BuildingPerformanceInstituteworking withtheDepartmentofEnergyandEnvi-ronmentalProtectionAgency
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 43
Increase Property ValuesHomesthat areenergy-efficientandenvironmentally friendlyaremoreappealingtohomebuyers Theseupgradescanincreaseyourproperty value
ComfortUpgradingyourhomersquosenergy efficiencymdashinparticularupgradinginsula-tionmdashcanmakeitamorecomfortableplace toliveNomoredraftycoldroomsinthe winterorhotstuffyroomsinthesummer
Indoor Air QualityInsulationand ventilationcanreduceallergyandasthma-causingmoldandmildewimproving indoorairqualityespeciallyforinfantsand thosewithhealthconditions
Messengers Homeownersprefertoreceiveinformation fromimpartialtrustedsourcesThesemes-sengersreceivedthehighestscoresinpolling
bull Neighborsandotherhomeowners
bull Contractorthehomeownerisalready workingwithorreferredbyfriendneigh-bor
bull Architectsdesignprofessionals
bull Gasandelectricutilities
bull Environmentalorganizations
bull Homeimprovementstorestaff(when equippedwithflyers)
44 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 45
- Cover
- Table of Contents13
- Summary Overview13
- Introduction13
- Programs Goals and Objectives13
- Marketing and Outreach Program Goals and Structure13
- Strategy13
- Evaluation13
- Description of Marketing Communication Tools13
- Description of Key Messages13
-
description of key messages
Thefollowingmessageshadthehighestreso-nanceinpollingandfocusgroupsbothinLos AngelesCountyandtheBayArea
Primary Motivators Thefollowingtwomessagesaboutsaving moneyarekeytomotivatingalltargetaudi-encesTheyshouldbepartofeverypieceof advertisingorcollateralproduced
1 RebatesHomeownerswhomakeenergy-savinghomeimprovementscanqualifyfor a$1500federaltaxcreditandrebatesof upto$3500dependingonhowmuchthey reduceenergyconsumptionAdditional motivatorTaxcreditsonlyavailable untilDecember312010(Rebatesare preferredovertaxcreditsbecauseitrsquoscash nowratherthanlateranddependingon incomenoteveryonecangetthecredit)
2 Save on Utility Bills Upgradingahome touselessenergyandwatercanreduce utilitybillsby20ormoremdashsavingyou moneyovertime
Secondary Motivators Thefollowingmessagesarethenlayeredde-pendingonwhichaudienceisbeingtargeted
Help the EnvironmentClimate Change Weallneedtodoourparttohelp theenvironmentandslowclimatechange Makingourhomesmoregreenandenergy efficientisanimportantstepweshouldall take
Reduce Foreign OilFossil FuelsAt atimewhenwearetryingtoreduceour dependenceonforeignoilandotherfossil fuelsupgradingtheenergyefficiencyof ourhomesisanimportantstepwecanall take(Infocusgroupstheconceptofenergy independencefurtherresonatedasinde-pendencefromutilitycompaniesgetting offthegrid)
Certified Contractors Save Money Speciallytrainedandcertifiedcontractors knowhowtofindimprovementsthatthe averagehomeownerwouldnotTheiras-sessmentswillensurethatyoufindmore energysavingsandthereforesavemore moneyonyourutilitybillsAdditional motivatorContractorsarecertifiedbythe BuildingPerformanceInstituteworking withtheDepartmentofEnergyandEnvi-ronmentalProtectionAgency
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 43
Increase Property ValuesHomesthat areenergy-efficientandenvironmentally friendlyaremoreappealingtohomebuyers Theseupgradescanincreaseyourproperty value
ComfortUpgradingyourhomersquosenergy efficiencymdashinparticularupgradinginsula-tionmdashcanmakeitamorecomfortableplace toliveNomoredraftycoldroomsinthe winterorhotstuffyroomsinthesummer
Indoor Air QualityInsulationand ventilationcanreduceallergyandasthma-causingmoldandmildewimproving indoorairqualityespeciallyforinfantsand thosewithhealthconditions
Messengers Homeownersprefertoreceiveinformation fromimpartialtrustedsourcesThesemes-sengersreceivedthehighestscoresinpolling
bull Neighborsandotherhomeowners
bull Contractorthehomeownerisalready workingwithorreferredbyfriendneigh-bor
bull Architectsdesignprofessionals
bull Gasandelectricutilities
bull Environmentalorganizations
bull Homeimprovementstorestaff(when equippedwithflyers)
44 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 45
- Cover
- Table of Contents13
- Summary Overview13
- Introduction13
- Programs Goals and Objectives13
- Marketing and Outreach Program Goals and Structure13
- Strategy13
- Evaluation13
- Description of Marketing Communication Tools13
- Description of Key Messages13
-
Increase Property ValuesHomesthat areenergy-efficientandenvironmentally friendlyaremoreappealingtohomebuyers Theseupgradescanincreaseyourproperty value
ComfortUpgradingyourhomersquosenergy efficiencymdashinparticularupgradinginsula-tionmdashcanmakeitamorecomfortableplace toliveNomoredraftycoldroomsinthe winterorhotstuffyroomsinthesummer
Indoor Air QualityInsulationand ventilationcanreduceallergyandasthma-causingmoldandmildewimproving indoorairqualityespeciallyforinfantsand thosewithhealthconditions
Messengers Homeownersprefertoreceiveinformation fromimpartialtrustedsourcesThesemes-sengersreceivedthehighestscoresinpolling
bull Neighborsandotherhomeowners
bull Contractorthehomeownerisalready workingwithorreferredbyfriendneigh-bor
bull Architectsdesignprofessionals
bull Gasandelectricutilities
bull Environmentalorganizations
bull Homeimprovementstorestaff(when equippedwithflyers)
44 | energy upgrade californiatrade in Los Angeles Ccounty
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 45
- Cover
- Table of Contents13
- Summary Overview13
- Introduction13
- Programs Goals and Objectives13
- Marketing and Outreach Program Goals and Structure13
- Strategy13
- Evaluation13
- Description of Marketing Communication Tools13
- Description of Key Messages13
-
AugusT 27 2010 DRAFT marketing and communications plan | 45
- Cover
- Table of Contents13
- Summary Overview13
- Introduction13
- Programs Goals and Objectives13
- Marketing and Outreach Program Goals and Structure13
- Strategy13
- Evaluation13
- Description of Marketing Communication Tools13
- Description of Key Messages13
-