The Challenge
The American Petroleum Institute (API), the trade association that represents the oil and natural gas industry, sought to make energy a priority issue for North Carolina voters in the months leading up to Election Day 2012. In the past, API had utilized public rallies at a state level, but these events had limited reach and were reaching audiences that were already pro-energy.
The Strategy
To raise awareness with the issue-neutral audience, Eckel & Vaughan developed a novel campaign approach that targeted non-traditional stakeholders and community-minded voters in key regions across the state.
The centerpiece of the campaign was the North Carolina Energy Forum Event Series. Instead of developing stand-alone rallies, we established a presence at existing family-friendly, non-political events around the state to reach a larger, more diverse coalition of voters.
We also utilized social media and an email campaign to promote the event series and engage Energy Forum members throughout the 2012 election season.
