The Clean Bay Campaign:

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The Clean Bay Campaign Engaging Residents Across
the Metro Area
Christopher Conner Chesapeake Bay
Program Washington Council of Governments July
14, 2004
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• Why a Clean Bay Campaign?...
• The Bay watersheds population is growing
• New nutrient and sediment reduction goals are
  extremely ambitious
• We need to tap new, broader audiences
• Urban nutrient loads growing quickly
• Long-term sustainability of the Bay will likely
  require changes to business as usual

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• Why the Washington area?
• 2002 Chesapeake Bay Program/ Virginia Tech
  University Survey of Bay Watershed Residents
• High level of concern
• High interest in getting Involved
• Low level of knowing how to get involved
• Can reach residents living in multiple Bay
  Program partner jurisdictions

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A couple of Washington facts
Washington Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area
(PMSA )
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• A couple of Washington facts
• about 1.96 million households
• estimated lawn area of 530,000 acres
• current estimated annual nitrogen load to local
  water bodies about 4.7 million pounds
• current estimated annual phosphorus load to
  local water bodies about 560,000 pounds per year
  
• Urban nutrient management in this area would
• reduce nitrogen loads to an estimated 3.9
  million pounds
• 800,000 pound reduction
• reduce phosphorus loads to an estimated 430,000
  pounds per year
• 120,000 pound reduction

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• Campaign Strategy
• Different than traditional public awareness
  campaigns
• Social Marketing approach
• most effective way to seek what we are looking
  for behavior change
• main focus is on improving what we are offering
  the audience in exchange for behavior change
• Solely raising awareness is not enough

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• Campaign Focus
• Focus has evolved over the past four years
• Will help meet Bay nutrient reduction goals
• Target Audience
• Green Lawn Set
• Desired Outcome
• Reduction of urban nutrient load

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• Campaign Focus
• Current campaign will focus on lawn care related
  behaviors
• can be expanded in futures years/campaigns
• We will offer a competitive product to
  over-fertilizing
• product will benefit the audience
• we wont just tell them no

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• Key Campaign Components
• Mass media will be used for messaging
• Radio, television, print advertisements
• Additional emphasis on earned media and
  non-traditional channels will be used to expand
  the message and is critical to the campaigns
  success
• Developing and leveraging partnerships will
  allow us to reach target audience from different
  angles

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• Want to get involved?
• Excellent opportunity to work on a regional
  level
• Could tie into your existing requirements for
  storm water outreach
• Regional campaign can awaken a large number of
  people to this issue
• Once aware of the issue, residents may be more
  open to locally-driven messages

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• Timeline ...
• Summer 2004
• Field pre-campaign survey
• Create the Brand
• Develop advertising
• Build Partnerships

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• Timeline ...
• Fall 2004
• Expand partnerships
• Purchase media
• Develop distribution channels
• January 2005
• Prepare for launch
• February 2005
• Campaign Launch

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• Contact me...
• Christopher Conner
• Chesapeake Bay Program
• cconner_at_chesapeakebay.net
• 410-267-5758