CALSTART
CALSTART Electric Vehicle Awareness Campaign
CALSTART faced the difficult challenge of persuading a diverse group of people to expend public, private and political capital on a technology before it had been proven viable. EPC was contracted to help build public awareness of electric vehicle infrastructure through extensive research, content creation, and targeted public outreach.
Crafting a unified message
Building a successful media campaign meant making sure that all of CALSTART’s spokespeople were unified in their messaging. EPC established a clear and concise message track that crystallized the campaign’s most important messages into a few crisp bullets to be included in all communications. Answers to common questions relating to EV infrastructure were collected into an internal Q&A document to serve as background for media interviews, articles and public speaking.
Tracking media perception of electric vehicles
In order to communicate EV technology effectively, it was important to know what the media was saying. EPC tracked press coverage related to the EV industry, and built a database of 3,000 key writers and spokespeople statewide who were shaping public opinion on the EV industry. Additionally, EPC conducted surveys to tap the pulse of opinion leaders and identify emerging issues.
Communicating CALSTART's message to media outlets and the public
To help communicate CALSTART’s message to opinion-leaders and decision-makers, EPC developed content that was published across various channels. Bylined articles and op-eds were published in newspapers, magazines and newsletters to reach targeted audiences with advocacy messages from widely respected experts and credible third parties. A traveling exhibit was designed for trade shows, conferences, workshops, corporate lobbies and other public places throughout the state. Additionally, EPC developed fact sheets, brochures, and a press kit communicating CALSTART’s central messages.
Our proactive public awareness campaign succeeded in embedding CALSTART’s message in the media and the consciousness of opinion-leaders and decision-makers. The media campaign brought together a diverse group of EV supporters including environmentalists, labor groups and political figures. Despite determined opposition from the automobile and oil industries, the state’s backing of the EV industry remains solid to this day.
