Know what you don’t know

Using social media and market research to inform Loop® communication strategies

Ashley Mihle Biosolids Project Manager, King County

Photo credit: Eli Brownell QUESTIONING OUR ASSUMPTIONS Negative media and anti-biosolids activists Education and Outreach

Historical knowledge and program history Research and data

Where our assumptions come from Our assumptions guide our decisions

• Education and Outreach strategies • Marketing and social media strategies • Community partnerships • Communication tactics – Messaging and visuals – Web content – Brochures – Videos – Events 65% of King County citizens surveyed were not familiar with biosolids 9% have heard of Loop®

“Is this from my food and yard waste?”

Biosolids are… • “solids that are biodegradable.” • “The science of creating healthy food” • “solid biological stuff”

In King County, the public has no idea Our customers aren’t in King County But our ratepayers are… about biosolids

One size fits all approach doesn’t work Why does this matter?

http://www.business2community.com/social-data/social-amplification-part-of-the-social-roi-equation-0564393 http://www.merrittherald.com/biosolids-protest-to-go-around-the-clock/ OUR ASSUMPTIONS AT KING COUNTY Who is our audience? What messages do we use? Web, video and social media

Print materials In person

How do we reach our audiences? How our messaging resonates with our target audiences WHO SHOULD OUR AUDIENCE BE? General U.S. citizen views

• Social media and news assessment found general U.S. public interest in biosolids has been declining • Anti-biosolids activists have a limited online audience and social media reach (in the U.S.) • Take 3 approaches: Audiences when – Reiterate shared public legislative challenges values and general occur information – Targeted engagement • Focus short term – Disciplined message communication strategies delivery on insiders – Avoid paid media, social marketing, and direct marketing

King County Councilmembers (from left) (District 3), (District 5), Larry Gossett (District 2), Council Vice Chair (District 1), Council Chair Joe McDermott (District 8), (District 6), (District 7), Jeanne Kohl-Welles (District 4), and Council Vice Chair (District 9). http://www.kingcounty.gov/council.aspx

Photo credit: JOHN MCDONALD /InfoTel Multimedia

Pooh Poohs (20%) Poopsuadables (44%) Poop Champions (36%) Biosolids superheroes in King County How supportive are you of biosolids?

Pooh Poohs Poopsuadables Poop Champions

How do our superheroes feel about biosolids? Messages that resonate with Poopsuadables

• Big picture messages: – Sustainability, recycling, and recovering resources from wastewater – Economic benefits • Economic benefit of land application vs. other alternatives • Costs/benefits to ratepayers “This video make me truly hopeful for the future. I would love to get People think biosolids involved with Loop.” are cool (once they know about it)

• “This is way cool! Hope we have many of such treatment centers in and around the country. Sounds like a great way to recycle waste.” • “Very responsible and innovative. I liked it very much and it made me proud of King County.” • “I think this is a great way for the world to progress into a safer, reusable, and cleaner environment.” • “Loop trucks mean recycled Poop trucks! Improving the way we use renewable fuels and keeping our waste water clean.” Text description with diagram (unbranded)

“How Loop is Made” Video (branded)

Message, message tone, and message delivery matters How our videos tested

• Videos were rated highly (4+ on scale of 1-5) • Informational videos that had clear messages were rated more highly than videos with less information. – How Loop biosolids are made – Biosolids and Forestry – you’re part of the cycle – WSU soil scientist connects soil, biosolids and sustainability How social media and news assessments and market research add value and insight to program and communication reviews MORE AND MORE DATA Data verifies what we know and tells us what we don’t know Audiences

• Poop Champions are: – our product users: gardeners, foresters, farmers – our community partners • Poopsuadables are: – potential product users – general public that will never use the product – “inside the game” audiences for legislative strategies • Pooh Poos are: – Not just anti-biosolids – Also people who just do NOT care about biosolids, who’s values or interests do not align Using data to inform strategy • Marketing plans • Strategic plans • Outreach and community engagement

Using data to inform specific tactics • Use channels most popular with this group • Tailor ad visibility to target audiences • Segment messages by audience • Target new video messaging to specific audiences • Prepare content based on interests and knowledge gaps of key audiences

Using the data New Loop videos Methods WHERE DID THE DATA COME FROM? Social media and news assessment Online survey of biosolids Online Loop video media test perceptions Three main sources of data CONCLUSIONS • More data is better than less data – but these methods are just one source of data • Anyone can find out who are the Poop Champions, Poopsuadables and Pooh Poohs in their community • Knowledge is so low – but people are actually interested! • Big picture messages work for everyone • People want to know why this matters to them – segment messages by audience for maximum impact.

Conclusions Questions?

Ashley Mihle [email protected] EXTRA SLIDES How do we communicate with them: engaging content Opposite ways of communicating

Background Bottom line Scientist

Supporting So what? details

Public Results/ Supporting conclusions details

Communicating the results