Feebate Strategic Communications Andrea Balazs Atiyah Curmally Catherine

Feebate: Strategic Communications Andrea Balazs Atiyah Curmally Catherine Mansell Maria Sinnamon Professor: Andrew Pleasant

Goal • To create a communications campaign to support the passage of Feebate legislation in Rhode Island

Presentation -- Preliminary Outline • • • Audiences Themes Barriers Proposed Timeline Summary

Audiences in Rhode Island • • Car buyers -- suburban Car buyers -- urban News media Lawmakers and politicians

Principal Communications Issue • People use too much gasoline in their cars and trucks

Key Feebate Messages Why should they care? What should they do? Audience 1 Suburban • Will reduce our dependence on foreign oil • Greenhouse gases are harming our coastline Audience 2 Urban • Many children and elderly • Sign feebate petition have greater health problems due to air pollution from vehicles Audience 3 Media • Story has reader interest • Story has unique national news potential Audience 4 Lawmakers • Reducing air pollution will • Give interviews result in reduced Medicaid • Pass feebate costs • Protection of the shoreline is beneficial for tourism and recreation • Sign feebate petition • Write stories • Cover publicity events

Feebate Themes • Dependency on foreign oil (suburban car buyers) • Greenhouse gas emissions/shoreline (suburban and legislators) • Improved health (urban car buyers) • Rhode Island leadership (all audiences) • Incentive for socially responsible behavior (all audiences)

Barriers to Feebate Barriers Audience 1 and 2: Suburban and Urban Car buyers • Perceived as an SUV tax • Possible fee • Perception that “bigger is better” for safety • Freedom/right to own any car Audience 3: Media • Complex issue to communicate • Another environmental story “cry wolf” • Not enough reader interest Audience 4: Lawmakers • Reelection concerns • Loss in gasoline tax revenue for state • Complex issue- communication, constituency

Feebate Promotional Timeline • • Design graphics and press package Develop children’s poster contest Create website Hold informational meetings Hold Waterplace Park event Gather petition signatures Provide media interviews by experts Anticipate Feebate vote

Summary: “ Few people will change car buying behavior on economic appeal alone” Mc. Kenzie-Mohr, 1999, p. 12 • Audience specific themes/ messages/ actions • Structured evaluation

Potential Donors and Supporters • Rhode Island Foundation • Rhode Island Hospital Foundation • Blue Cross Blue Shield and United Health Plan • Brown University Env Sciences • Pharmaceutical Companies • Environmental Protection Agency

Evaluation criteria • • • Numbers at events/ on petitions Numbers of Web site hits Poster contest participants Count stories/ interviews Feebate bill pass this year: y/n