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Coal-Based Generation Stakeholders

The Challenge: To establish Coal-Based Generation Stakeholders as a recognized advocacy group and source for information about clean-coal technologies.

Due to several political events concerning climate change during the fall of 2007, CBGS needed to act fast. The coalition wanted to establish themselves as the preeminent coal-based electric generation advocacy group. CBGS also saw many significant opportunities to contend for increased funding for clean-coal research and technology.

It was critical for CBGS to be a recognized source for information concerning continued use and development of coal-based electric generation as Congress worked to pass legislation potentially harmful to the coal industry.

The Strategy: We knew we had to develop and execute an issue-advocacy campaign to increase awareness and establish CBGS as an advocate for use and research of clean-coal technologies. Our strategy consisted of generating awareness of this new coalition among key political leaders/decision-makers/legislative staffers and influencers.

R&R developed and executed an integrated media plan spending $400,000 in the last quarter of the year, placing our thought-provoking print and online advertising spots in many congressionally focused publications and Web sites of interest.

Our multimedia contact approach focused on the D.C. Beltway and was supported by print, online display and online search campaigns. We knew that concentrated media surrounding the Hill would reach and saturate our target audience, especially during times of key legislative sessions.

The primary tool for the campaign was the creation of a Web site: www.CleanCoalUSA.org, which would be the source of information and facts for the clean-coal initiative. R&R designed the Web site and worked with the client to develop the content. R&R created and produced compelling online advertisements that coincided with the print messaging, with the goal of driving the intended target audience to www.CleanCoalUSA.org.

The Results: In less than a month, R&R helped the Coal-Based Generation Stakeholders coalition meet and exceed their overall goal of re-establishing themselves through a new brand identity and also by becoming a key resource for obtaining valuable information pertaining to clean-coal technologies. With the Web site's launch, www.CleanCoalUSA.org had more than 12,000 unique visitors and 24,000 page views in the first month. The site's bounce rate of 63 percent came in well under the industry target benchmark of 75 percent, suggesting that visitors were well-qualified.

A total of 15,051,227 unique impressions were delivered through paid online advertising – 10,997,947 of which had been delivered from display ads and 4,053,280 were delivered from paid online search. Based on the number of impressions that were delivered versus ordered, the display campaign over-delivered.

Although the Web site's initial focus had largely been to attract users from the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area (Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia), our online search campaign opened the site up nationally. The CleanCoalUSA.org Web site has attracted visitors from all 50 states (as well as Puerto Rico), and 67 countries across the globe.