Making the Business Case on Clean Water Issues to the Media

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

Editor's Notes

Bob’s notes:

All right, let’s get started. My name is Bob Keener. I’m the Deputy Director of PR for ASBC, and I will be your main presenter today. The presentation part of the webinar will run about 30 mins or so and that will leave room for questions at the end.

We want to ask you to use the Q&A feature to pose your questions. You can do that at anytime, and I will respond to them at the end.

And now I’d like to introduce Hammad Atassi, our CEO, to welcome you and for those who aren’t familiar with ASBC, he’ll provide a bit of background.

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Bob’s Notes:

{Hammad goes through this slide and then introduces me}

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Bob’s speaking notes:

Thank you , Hammad.

So, as Hammad said, at ASBC we use a full range of advocacy strategies. In this webinar, we're going to focus on the media components.

Our Objective today is two-fold:

First, we'll talk about the power and influence you have, as a business leader, as a spokesperson and champion for policy change.

And second, we'll give you some information to help you step into these roles with confidence and skill.

Bob’s Notes:

So, let’s start by reviewing why it’s important for business leaders to become advocates

The main reason is that business leaders have a lot of credibility with the media, just like they do with elected officials and their staff. And this is especially true of business media.

Business people are particularly credible when it comes to countering right-wing arguments and myths against regulations and government engagement. For example, how often do you hear statements like, “Regulations are job killers.” The best people to debunk those myths are business people who can talk authoritatively about how good, smart regulations are vital to their business.

As a business leader, your power comes from leveraging your personal experience and pragmatic perspective. You don't have to be a policy expert. You are an expert in running a business. That's more than knowledge than most journalists have.

And, when you get quoted or profiled in the press that’s good for your business. So, if you’re successful with your media work, you get a two-for: public interest AND self-interest.

Bob’s Notes:

So, given the realities of the current media environment….

We help our members get into the game in several ways

- When we have planned opportunities, such as when our members are meeting with policy makers (fly-ins, district office visits, etc.) we will add on a media component in parallel (press conferences,1:1’s)
- We distribute business leaders quotes through press releases to inject them into coverage of breaking news
We pitch business leaders to journalists and talk-show bookers as interview subjects
- We ghost-write and co-write op-eds that we place under the business leader’s name
We distribute the business leader message through social media
- And we coach and prep members with talking points, media research, and more.

Bob's Notes:

When we work with the media, we have several objectives (not necessarily all of these in each piece)

We of course want to win the issue.

- To do that, we often need to break the frame from the conventional and obvious narrative that tends to reinforce destructive policies -- and draw attention to the fact that triple bottom line policies have proven their worth. Some examples are, “jobs versus polar bears,” or the regulations kill jobs, that we talked about earlier.

We want to reinforce that there are sound business and economic arguments for whatever the issue happens to be. This makes it possible for a wavering Dem or moderate Republican to take our position.
This is important, because if you are passionate about a policy issue, your instinct will be to lead from the heart and talk about the moral or human reasons why you support the issue. Unfortunately, that makes it too easy for you to be dismissed as not pragmatic or business-like.
So we focus completely on business and economic arguments to support our case.

- We want to inject your brand into the discussion so the message is associated with established credible business brands, not just ASBC as a trade organization.

- And of course, we want to build the ASBC coalition to make it more influential with policy makers and more attractive to prospective members.

Bob’s Notes:
So now let’s take an example, to show you how to approach an issue where you want media attention. We’re going to pretend that we’re trying to use our clout as a business leader to push a Carbon Pricing system in our state.

I’ll touch on how to do your research on what media to target, how to put together an approach, and pitch. We’ll work through this agenda, including a few minutes on op-eds and writing.

On ASBC issues, we’ll be doing most of this for you, but you can take this framework and apply it to issues of your own at a local level -- and depending on the size and scope of your business -- the state and national level.

Bob’s Notes:

In terms of prioritizing your outreach, I think it’s good to start with easy target and those are probably local.

In the town where your business is, if there’s a small local paper, that’s a perfect place to start. That ways, you’re learning what works and what doesn’t before you go after the big media outlets in your region.

If you’re doing your own outreach, I recommend you stage your outreach and pitching, one at a time. That way you can carry your learnings from one to the other, and build your skill AND improve your pitch as you go.

Bob’s Notes:

So, given the realities of the current media environment….

We help our members get into the game in several ways

- When we have planned opportunities, such as when our members are meeting with policy makers (fly-ins, district office visits, etc.) we will add on a media component in parallel (press conferences,1:1’s)
- We distribute business leaders quotes through press releases to inject them into coverage of breaking news
We pitch business leaders to journalists and talk-show bookers as interview subjects
- We ghost-write and co-write op-eds that we place under the business leader’s name
We distribute the business leader message through social media
- And we coach and prep members with talking points, media research, and more.

Before reaching out to the press, it’s important to gather the contact information for local TV, radio, and print reporters who might cover the type of story your media pitch focused on. Only gather contact info for reporters who cover the geographical location in which your business is located and for which the messaging of your pitch is relevant.

For example, if your business has started offering free nature walks for residents in the Frankford neighborhood of Philadelphia, look for local and regional news outlets that cover that area geographically. Also look for reporters who cover topics like the outdoors, environment, or education.

Developing a press list is especially important if you’re new to an area or aren’t yet familiar with local reporters. You can find press contacts by looking at newspapers in your community, determining the newsroom email address for TV stations, and figuring out which radio stations relay news locally. Look through the websites of media outlets to collect contact information for reporters and for the newsroom.

The biggest factor that determines whether a reporter will be interested in what you have to say is the subject matter. You really need to ask yourself: what’s my hook?

Let’s talk about what makes press.
First, conflict (for example, a potential threat of water pollution from a soon-to-be built hazardous waste facility),
prominence (for example, the Governor has labeled March 1st “clean water in PA” day),
impact (for example, your business is starting a clean water initiative that will protect the water source of 100,000 people),
timeliness (for example, there’s only 30 days left to submit comments for the Clean Water Rule replacement),
exception (for example, your business might be the only one providing free boating lessons in NE Philly),
firsts (obviously the first time something big happens),
trends (for example, your business and several others have started using only electric vehicles to reduce air pollutants),
and experts or prominent figures (this includes scientists, legislators, and also business leaders who have a unique perspective on an issue.)

Sometimes it will happen where you talk to a reporter and give an interview, but they won’t actually end up reporting on the topic. This happens, and it’s not the worst thing because, 1) you still got face-time with the reporter and got them to understand your P.O.V. and 2) should they report on that topic in the future, they might even reach back out to you.

If the press isn’t interested in your news, think about the other means you have of reaching members of the public. Utilize things like blogs, emails, and social media to get your news out. Ask allied organizations to help spread the word on their social media to get more eyes on your news. Consider doing a Facebook live stream or an Instagram live stream. Use the audiences you’re already in touch with to spread your news.

These are all examples of communication that is sent to or shared with news outlets.
But they’re all sent at different times and have different purposes.

A media advisory is an invitation to reporters to attend an in-person event or a telephone press event. Press events are laborious and involve a lot of moving parts.
A press release comes out after the press event or after something big happens. A release includes an account of everything that occurred.
Letters-to-the-editor and op-eds are opinion pieces written by community members and leaders and published (often verbatim) in the “opinion” section of a newspaper.
A media pitch is almost like an outline of an idea you have for a story that you want a reporter to know about – and a formal press conference or press event isn’t necessary for doing a pitch.

I want to talk to you more in-depth about what a media pitch entails, because it’s likely what you’ll be using the most as a business owner without a hired PR specialist.

A media pitch it typically done through email and phone.

It begins by connecting your story idea, topic, or issue area to previous work the reporter has done. For example, if a reporter has previously written an article about Philadelphia sustainable business practices and your pitch is about your store going reducing single-use plastic utensils, acknowledge that similar area of interest early on in the pitch. This shows the reporter you’ve done your research and you’re not just spamming every reporter you can find.

A pitch should be short with plenty of line breaks, and no attachments (which can be mistaken for spam.) It’s typically 2-3 paragraphs long, has a catchy subject line, and comes from a real person. In the media pitch, you want to use your expertise and background to give lend your “business voice” to an issue, project, initiative, or whatever other “hook” you’ve identified. Keep in mind, too, that stories and personal accounts can make for excellent human-interest pieces.

In your pitch, convey what’s at stake. Be sure to explain in your pitch how local communities would be impacted and keep the information locally relevant. For example, if your business’s new initiative will benefit three neighborhoods in Philadelphia, name those areas and use local data and stories. Remember: Reporters want to know how THEIR readers, viewers, or listeners are going to be impacted - so make sure you’re writing with a local angle.

Be sure to avoid jargon and too many acronyms. Give necessary background and link to sources for more information if there’s any complicated terms or anything that may seem unclear to the reporter.

Make sure the information in the pitch is timely. Reporters want to know what’s happening NOW, not 6 months in the past.

In your media pitch, you’re also going to include a “call to action” which is typically a time to speak with the reporter either in-person or over the phone to share your story idea and perspective with them.

SO – let’s say that you just had a wonderful interview with a reporter and they wrote up an article that gave your topic some great coverage. Most news coverage ends up having a digital presence, so be sure to find the internet link to any coverage you received.

Newspapers track which webpages on their website get the most visits, so you will want to share the heck out of your news coverage to push people to visit the webpage.

The more people visiting the webpage and the better that the news coverage performs means that the reporter is even more likely to cover similar topics in the future.

So after your event, send a “thank you” email to the reporter and let them know you’ll be promoting their article on social media, in e-newsletters, etc. The reporter will appreciate you for driving traffic to the webpage.

Sending a “thank you” is also just the polite thing to do and helps to establish a relationship with the reporter, should you send them pitches in the future.

Language determinants are used to appeal to stakeholders on the basis of familiar language and receptiveness to certain types of reasoning. Determining whether stakeholders might be most receptive to one type of narrative will help you formulate an argument that resonates with them. This chart lays out the differences in how one might address the risks related to climate change, for example, with those in the policy and business worlds. One reason climate messaging has been ineffective is that communicators have often been scientists who use the language of risk and highlight uncertainty regardless of who they are speaking to. Although policy makers might respond well to the fact that scientists highlight risk, business people would likely be more receptive to a message that highlights economic opportunity.

Allright, so before I get started with an overview of some of the clean water related issues and policy requests that you can bring to your media engagement, I want to direct everyone to our Clean Water is Good for Business website.

Making the Business Case on Clean Water Issues to the Media

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Making the Business Case on Clean Water Issues to the Media

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