ISSUE
Ceisler Media led communications strategy for the Coalition for Community Solar Access in the trade industry’s attempt to pass community solar enabling legislation between 2020-2023. Working with our partner MV Digital, Ceisler Media developed and implemented multiple digital ad campaigns targeted to legislative districts across Pennsylvania, including in rural counties, with a focus on bipartisan coverage of legislative and committee leadership. Counties in which digital ads ran included, but were not limited to: Lancaster, Westmoreland, Centre, Luzerne, Wayne, Indiana, Dauphin, Columbia, Montour, Snyder, Beaver, Butler and Lawrence. Platforms included Facebook for website conversion goals, IP geotargeted display and video, and YouTube pre-roll.
Ceisler Media ran different versions of ads to test messaging, performance and resonance across the targeted audiences, with one narrative focused on cost-savings for Pennsylvania’s seniors, and one focused on the economic benefits for its farmers. Ceisler Media tracked performance across a live dashboard on a weekly basis, making adjustments to content and messaging along the way to increase the display of higher-performing assets and applying learnings to hands-on budgeting adjustments throughout the course of the campaigns.
Ceisler Media built the website www.pa4communitysolar.com which hosted the legislative action interface as well as first-hand videos of farmers sharing their interest in the benefits of community solar. Ceisler Media also established a regularly scheduled newsletter, generated in-house reporting for an owned news feature, posted social media content across established channels, and pitched stories which generated earned media.
STRATEGY
Ceisler Media targeted ads to the districts of legislative leadership who needed to hear from constituents about the positive benefits of community solar. These legislators were sensitive to rising energy costs for seniors as well as the financial stress of farmers (the community solar legislation had Farm Bureau endorsement). We tested the salience of each message by rotating both ads in each district and tracking performance. As it became clear that the economic/cost-savings message was out-performing the benefit for farmers framing, we shifted all ads to economic for the constituent-facing campaign. We did, however, IP-target the legislators’ district offices with both ads so they would be sure to get both messages.
RESULT
Over a three-year period, the combination of static and video ads increased the general awareness and education of voters about the benefits of community solar for ALL of Pennsylvania, especially rural communities. The lead-generation ad campaign added new voters to CCSA’s Facebook followers and newsletter subscription roster, which amplified the universe of supporters for the cause and carried them up a ladder of engagement. The “take action” ads generated emails and calls into decisionmakers who served on committees of jurisdiction and leadership to voice support for a little-known program that legislators would not otherwise hear about in communications from constituents. And critically, the paid ad campaign demonstrated to opponents and legislators that the industry was willing to invest ad dollars into this campaign, showing a long-term commitment and financial wherewithal to generate economic impact and accountability.