1.
Making the Business Case on Clean Water Issues
to the Media
January 21, 2020
Advocacy & Media Training Webinar
asbcouncil.org/webinars

2.
• Represent over 250,000 businesses nationwide.
• Over 250 direct member businesses.
• Over 80 association members.
• Wide range of sustainability issues.
• Advocate at federal level and in state capitals.
• Place Op-eds and Policy Statements in media.
• Have Biz leaders be spokespeople to media on issues.
• Bring Biz leaders to DC to testify & lobby Congress & Administration.
ASBC’s Reach & Capabilities
asbcouncil.org/webinars

3.
Policy Associate at American Sustainable
Business Council
COLTON FAGUNDES
asbcouncil.org/webinars

4.
Deputy Director of Public Relations at American
Sustainable Business Council
.
BOB KEENER
asbcouncil.org/webinars

5.
Outreach and Communications Manager at the
Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed
.
RITA YELDA
asbcouncil.org/webinars

6.
Marketing and Communications Manager
Princeton Hydro
.
DANA PATTERSON
asbcouncil.org/webinars

7.
• Understanding your power and influence
with the media
• Maximizing your impact with the media
TODAY’S GOALS
asbcouncil.org/webinars

8.
• Business leaders are widely credible
• Essential for business to counter typical right
wing arguments on regulation, govt overreach,
etc.
• Your personal, professional credibility carries
the day
• Self-interest meets public interest
WHY BE AN ADVOCATE
asbcouncil.org/webinars

9.
• The Message Context
• Messages to Use… and to Avoid
• Adding Your Personal Perspective
WHAT’S THE MESSAGE
asbcouncil.org/webinars

10.
THE USUAL FRAMING OF THE DEBATE
asbcouncil.org/webinars
Environment Jobs

11.
WE ARE CHANGING THE DEBATE
asbcouncil.org/webinars
New, innovative, triple-
bottom-line,
business
Old, stuck-in-
the-past
extractive,
polluting business

12.
• Create more jobs
• Use resources sensibly, so they last for the long term
• Promote innovation
• Make the U.S. more competitive
• Make the economy more efficient and dynamic
• Promote “creative destruction” of outmoded, polluting industries
and practices
MAKING THE BUSINESS CASE
asbcouncil.org/webinars

13.
• “My business depends on clean water in the community where
we are located. Here’s how…”
• “Algae blooms during the past few years have really hurt my
business.”
• “My business suffers when we can’t achieve the quality we
want if the water we use is even the slightest bit off.”
EXAMPLES
asbcouncil.org/webinars

14.
The best communications happen when you bring together your
values and your commitment to bottom line success in a
compelling personal message:
• “I’ve run my business for 15 years and I know that improving
the water quality in my community has helped it grow.”
• “We have X number of employees, all of whom live in the
watershed region. They need clean water to go about their daily
lives and be productive at work.“
LEVERAGE YOUR CREDIBILITY AS BUSINESS
LEADER
asbcouncil.org/webinars

15.
Messages of compassion that are unrelated to your
business identity should be used sparingly:
• “It breaks my heart to think that our children and grandchildren
won’t be able to enjoy the lake the way we do now.”
Those messages are best left to environmental activists and
others. Leverage your power as a business leader.
AVOID NON-BUSINESS MESSAGES
asbcouncil.org/webinars

16.
Making the Business Case on
Clean Water Issues to the
Media
Rita Yelda
Outreach & Communications Manager
Rita.Yelda@njaudubon.org
118 W. State Street, Trenton, NJ 08608 | (609) 427-3007 |
www.DelRiverWatershed.org

17.
How do I get the media interested?
118 W. State Street, Trenton, NJ 08608 | (609) 427-3007 |
www.DelRiverWatershed.org
Develop a press list
Press “hooks”:
conflict, prominence, impact,
timeliness, exception, firsts,
trends, experts
Create your own press: website
blog, social media accounts, e-
newsletter, LTE/op-ed, etc.

18.
What’s what?
• Media Advisories
• Press Releases
• LTEs/op-eds
• Media Pitch
118 W. State Street, Trenton, NJ 08608 | (609) 427-3007 |
www.DelRiverWatershed.org

19.
Anatomy of a Media Pitch
118 W. State Street, Trenton, NJ 08608 | (609) 427-3007 |
www.DelRiverWatershed.org
Source: michaelbelfiore.com
• Refer to reporter’s previous
work
• Local/business “hook”
• Catchy subject line
• Comes from a real person
• Timely information
• Avoid jargon
• Include a “call to action”

20.
And then?
118 W. State Street, Trenton, NJ 08608 | (609) 427-3007 |
www.DelRiverWatershed.org
• Drive traffic to press
hits
• Promote on social
media, e-
newsletters, etc.
• Thank the reporter

21.
MAKING THE BUSINESS CASE ON
CLEAN WATER ISSUES TO THE MEDIA
DANA PATTERSON
Marketing & Communications Manager
Princeton Hydro
@SustainADana
AMERICAN SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS COUNCIL • JANUARY 21, 2020

22.
OVERVIEW
→ Building Values-Based Narratives
→ Developing Your Story for the Media
→ Building Relationships
→ Best Practices

23.
BUILDING VALUES-BASED NARRATIVES
LEARN TO REMOVE YOUR PERSONAL BIAS!
Value: Judgement of what is important in life
→ Preservation of redwood forests
→ Protecting water quality of the Delaware River
Heuristic: Personal rule that explains how people
make decisions, solve problems
→ fairness
→ transparency
→ consistency
→ familiarity
→ scarcity
● Anthropogenic
● Scientific
● Advocacy
● Ethics
● Sustainability
● Religious
● Environmental
● Social Justice
● Conservative
● Business
● Economic
● Resiliency

24.
YOUR FIRM DID SOMETHING BENEFICIAL… WHO CARES?
Think about the readers of your story (i.e. general public):
● Why is this important?
● What is the big picture?
● Historical information?
● How will it make their lives better?
● How is it relevant to the community?
● How does it relate to what people value?

25.
CLEAN WATER IS GOOD FOR BUSINESS
“Why is clean water important to our business and products?
It takes
20 GALLONS of water
to make
ONE PINT of beer!
PEOPLE VALUE BEER
PEOPLE LEARN WHY WATER IS
IMPORTANT TO THEIR BEER.
PEOPLE WANT TO PROTECT WATER TO
PROTECT THEIR FAVORITE BEER.
MEDIA COVERS WHAT THE
PEOPLE CARE ABOUT

26.
SCIENCE MEDIA POLICY BUSINESS
BELIEF/
COMMUNITY
Accurate Dramatic Realistic Actionable Archetypal
Qualifying Engaging Speaks to Need Speaks to Revenue Circumscribing
Highlight Uncertainty Highlight Certainty Highlight Risk Highlight Benefit Highlight Certainty
Cautious Certain Careful Candid Anthemic
Build Case for Further
Research
Build Audience and
Interest
Build Constituency Build Business Case Build Following
Objective Persuasive Popular Visionary Persuasive
Generate
Understanding
Generate Ratings Generate Momentum Generate Shareholder
Interest
Generate Action
Steer Clear of Policy Commit to a Conclusion Commit to Policy
Recommendations
Build Science-Based
Business Scenarios
Community Ethos
DEVELOP YOUR STORY - LANGUAGE
DETERMINANTS
Source: Paul Lussier, Yale University

27.
DEVELOP YOUR STORY - WORD CHOICE MATTERS

28.
HYPOTHETICAL
HEADLINE:
Princeton Hydro Designs & Constructs 300 ft of Living Shoreline in Delaware Bay
New Living Shoreline in Delaware Bay To Provide Coastal Resiliency on Delaware Bayshore
Hundreds of Native Plants Installed to Protect 500 Cape May Homes from Future Flooding
WHAT YOUR BUSINESS VALUES
WHAT ENVIRO COMMUNITY VALUES
WHAT PUBLIC VALUES

29.
BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS
● Establish your firm as the go-to expert for a topic.
○ Make experts available to reporters.
○ Manage the interactions with your technical
experts in a timely manner.
○ Track latest policy news and reach out if you
can offer info into breaking story.
● Know the reporter’s interests and “beat” - stick to this.
● Offer new, credible research in your field to reporters as it is released. AND,
tell them what it means/why it is important.

30.
BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS
Reach out via various platforms after you send
the press release/advisory:
○ Email
○ Twitter
○ Instagram Direct Message
○ LinkedIn
○ Facebook Message
○ CALL THEM!

31.
BEST PRACTICES
● Don’t just tout your own horn, unless it’s significant.
● Know your firm’s official position on various policies.
● If you don’t know the answer to the reporter’s question, tell
them you don’t know, but you’ll find out!
● Ask for the reporter’s deadline.
● ALWAYS give credit to ALL of your project partners, funders,
clients, etc & ask them for a quote if possible.

32.
DANA PATTERSON
Marketing & Communications Manager
Princeton Hydro
dpatterson@princetonhydro.com
@SustainADana
QUESTIONS?

33.
• ASBC's Clean Water is Good for Business campaigns: https://www.asbcouncil.org/clean-
water
– Delaware River Watershed – home page and business case d: ocument
– Mississippi River Basin – home page and business case document
– General Clean Water is Good for Business principles sign-on page
• Interview (video) with Market Garden Brewery on why clean water is important to
brewing
• Op-eds
– NJ Brewers Association
– Princeton Hydro
MAKING THE BUSINESS CASE FOR CLEAN WATER
asbcouncil.org/webinars

34.
• This Administration’s EPA has been systematically dismantling and weakening aspects of
the Clean Water Act, especially any rule changes that were made during the Obama
administration
• Attacks on Clean Water Act:
• Limiting scope, so that CWA now does not apply to millions of miles of streams, and half of the countries
wetlands
• Weakening regulations on coal fired power plants
• Weakening ability of states to review infrastructure projects that threaten water supply
• Wastewater blending
• Clean Water Resolution was introduced this month in the House of Representatives.
POLICY ISSUE: CLEAN WATER ACT

35.
POLICY REQUESTS FOR MEDIA: WATER INFRASTRUCTURE
• Water infrastructure in many cities has not been upgraded for decades or longer, and
significant investment is needed to ensure our continued access to clean water.
• There are two federal funds to states for water infrastructure:
• Clean Water State Revolving Fund
• "Grey" stormwater and wastewater infrastructure and "green" stormwater
infrastructure
• Drinking Water State Revolving Fund
• Water Quality and Jobs Protection Act (H.R. 1497) - would inject $16.68 billion into
stormwater infrastructure investment over the next five years

36.
POLICY REQUESTS FOR MEDIA: PFAS
• This month, the House passed H.R. 535, a package of legislation dealing with PFAS
contamination.
• The Senate has said they will not consider, and the President has threatened to Veto!
• Sign-on to our campaign here and stay up-to-date on future opportunities to
engage: https://www.asbcouncil.org/companies-safer-chemicals-taking-action-pfas

37.
POLICY REQUESTS FOR MEDIA: FUNDING
• Appropriations – Budgetary process for 2021 starts in February
• Infrastructure funds
• Land Water Conservation Fund
• Regional grant programs
• e.g. Delaware River Basin Restoration Program, Greatlakes Restoration Initiative,
Chesapeake Bay Program
• More funding for Farm Bill Conservation programs that reduce agricultural runoff pollution

38.
POLICY REQUESTS FOR MEDIA: STATE-LEVEL
OPPORTUNITIES
• Storm Water Utilities
• Demand your State properly implement the Clean Water Act
• Fund agricultural conservation program
• Potential for innovative new rules, like a recent one in Minnesota state that requires farmers to
limit fertilizer application on frozen ground
• Implement regional/watershed-based planning: for example, restoration plans, watershed
implantation plans, runoff effluent limits and regional stormwater utilities

39.
Questions?
OUTSIDE ADVOCACY TECHNIQUES
asbcouncil.org/webinars

40.
OUTSIDE ADVOCACY TECHNIQUES
asbcouncil.org/webinars
Bob Keener, Deputy Director of Public Relations, ASBC
bkeener@asbcouncil.org
Rita Yelda, Outreach & Communications Manager, Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed
Rita.Yelda@njaudbon.org
Dana Patterson, Marketing and Communications Manager, Princeton Hydro
dpatterson@princetonhydro.com
Colton Fagundes, Policy Associate, ASBC
cfagundes@asbcouncil.org