Cutting Through the Noise with Compelling

Communication StrategiesModerator/Speaker: Katie Muckenhirn, Communications Director, ACE

Speaker: Sue Retka Schill, Editor/Writer, WriteOH

What’s Advocacy and Why Should You Care?

• What is it?• Standing up and speaking out with a compelling and passionate voice

• Supporting something that’s important to you

• Working toward a solution for a need by convincing others

• Why Should I Care?• We cannot expect others to care until/unless we do

• Brings solutions to the foreground

• Creates a path for change

• With strength in numbers, we can achieve things that might not otherwise be possible

ACE Advocacy Opportunities

• ACE Action Center (VoterVoice)

• News Releases / Media Outreach / Testimonial Support

• ACE Washington, DC Fly-In

• Help Staffing / Coordinating / Marketing - Pump Promotions, Educational Events, Company Celebrations, etc.

• Policy, Market Development Expertise

• Educational Materials and Events

ACE Action Center

• Influence Federal or State Policy

• Participate in Comment Periods by Regulatory Agencies

• Contact Congress About Important Legislation

• Write Letters, Sign Petitions

• Track Bills, Nominations, Candidates

Communication - Media

“Communication is the bridge between confusion and clarity.”

– Nat Turner

• Get to know your local/state news outlets, publications, stations

• Share and engage with their content

• Pitch stories relevant to their audience – be authentic and informative

• Designate someone on your team to be the communicator

Communication - Social

• Start with a plan, decide which platforms are right for you

• Know your audience, then expand it and build relationships

• Content is king, consider what you intend to share and why it’s important for your audience to know

• Pay attention to trends and mix up your formats

• Focus on quality over quantity

• On Instagram, post between 3-7 times per week.

• On Facebook, post between 1 and 2 times a day.

• On Twitter, post between 1 and 5 Tweets a day.

• On LinkedIn, post between 1 and 5 times a day

• Use scheduling and automation to free up more time for engagement

• Track and refine your performance

Common Efforts – All Good

• Annual meeting events

• Plant tours/hosting legislators and influencers

• Newsletters

• Community contributions

• Speaking to groups

• Employee recognition

• Fuel promotions (ethanol burn challenge with neighboring plants)

Find excuses for news releases/ media outreach/testimonial opportunities

• Play up any gas stations adding or expanding ethanol offerings

• Play up new investments in the plant/ new employees/ employee milestones

Engage STEM educators ScienceTechnologyEngineeringMath

Keyword search:

STEM ethanol education

Keyword search:

STEM curriculum

• Middle school unit on simple machines: get kids in plant to identify inclined planes, wedges, screws, pulleys, wheels. Kidsparkeducation.org

• High school unit on using data—applications in quality control, tracking fermentation, emissions control, cost-benefit analysis teachengineering.org

• Business classes on financial statements

• English class writing exercises with news releases, newsletter articles, web copy

College Level

• Communications or marketing class: survey local attitudes, develop a public relations strategy

• Math or statistics class: determine the plants direct and indirect contribution to the local economy; the basis impact

• Biology class: fermentation basics and optimization

• Chemistry class: introduction to fuel quality principals and quality control tests

• Business class: research and develop orientation materials for a new board member

Educator Engagement Goals

• Build good will—create a positive image with teachers, kids, parents

• Plant seeds for future employees

• Plant seeds for future investors/board members

• Develop ethanol supporters

• Inspire your team to engage

Common Efforts – All Good

• Annual meeting events

• Plant tours/hosting legislators and influencers

• Newsletters

• Community contributions

• Speaking to groups

• Employee recognition

• Fuel promotions (ethanol challenge with neighboring plants)

• Engage educators

Your Thoughts?

Ideas Brainstormed - August 19, 2021• Fuel station promotions – acting on the notion that once drivers try it (ethanol blends), they will again• Ethanol plants can help promote local c-stores selling higher blends• Build community support/recognition (supporting local businesses during COVID-19, etc.)• Gather/use testimonials from consumers on using higher ethanol blends – people trust “someone who’s like me”• Consider hiring a “communications” person – let the experts help you• Utilize social platforms to combat misinformation, get your word out• Ask a follow up question to change a mind rather than hammer an opponent with facts• Place ads in podcasts, music streaming services, other platforms heavily used by younger generations - influencers

could help target a younger audience• Get young people in the plant, that’s when they’re more impressionable• Offer to pump people’s gas, educate about blends while doing so• Explain why ethanol blends are less $ rather than just saying it is• Do some paid promotion of your plant, put out thank you ads for selling higher ethanol blends• Ask people why they don’t like ethanol rather than telling them why they should like it• Ask students what they want to know about the fuel/industry • Play up what people are interested or resonate with “low carbon/green/plant-based”

Brainstorming Outcomes

• Identify people with passion

• Build buy-in

• Counter the naysayers

• Develop a list of ideas to try

Planning the Follow Up

• Pick the favorite ideas—small or large

• Set goals/timeline

• Enable the execution