Public Awareness – 2010 E ffective, affordable & easy communications strategies

1. Public Awareness – 2010 Effective, affordable & easy communications strategies 2010 Iowa Pipeline Safety Conference Presented by Ronald Hanser, APR Hanser & Associates hanser.com June 23, 2010

2. Fed. pipeline safety regs (API RP 1162) • Stakeholder audiences: Affected Publics, Public & Emerg. Officials, Excavators, etc. • PIPA best practices re risks (PHMSA developing with stakeholders) Public Awareness Programs

3. In a nutshell… Three requirements: 1) Message Type 2) Delivery Frequency 3) Delivery Method and/or Media Public Awareness (Cont.)

4. Safety messages must: • Be specific to each of the target audiences, • Be delivered in an effective manner, and • with a frequency appropriate for the audience. Public Awareness (Cont.)

5. Effectiveness Measurement… • U.S. DOT requires pipeline companies to measure “effectiveness” of public awareness programs by June 2010. • Right of Way direct mail responses, web surveys, written surveys, phone surveys, etc. • Off-the-shelf tools: CeleritasWorks, Paradigm, etc. Public Awareness (Cont.)

6. How to make the process easier and less costly? INTEGRATE… 1 - YOUR (PAID) MESSAGE • Ads & Direct Mail 2 – THIRD-PARTY’S MESSAGE • News media (“earned media”) strategy • Define news & work w/reporters Public Awareness tools

7. Shift from Direct Mail to Email • Publish (all types of online media) as part of “earned media” strategy • Build databases of “affected publics” and send emails. • Email/social combo lowers costs while allowing better data (open rate, click through, pass-along) • Capture Web metrics to prove reach • Ability to survey quickly (awareness) and measure effectiveness. Public Awareness tools

8. Guidelines on integration & social media • Q8. Can an operator deviate from the baseline program recommendations in RP 1162? Yes, however, the operator must justify why an alternative public awareness activity, frequency, or delivery method achieves an equivalent level of safety awareness with the stakeholder audience as compared to the recommendations outlined in RP 1162. Public Awareness tools

9. Guidelines on integration & social media • Q12. How can gas transmission and hazardous liquids operators reach people who may be present in Places of Congregation (POC)? One option is to partner with the POC by providing pipeline safety information to the POC with a request to pass the information along to individuals. Examples of how a POC could pass along pipeline safety information include newsletters, bulletins, and bulletin boards. If a large number of POC are present along the pipeline ROW, an effective strategy may be to implement a mass media campaign to increase the awareness of those who may congregate. Public Awareness tools

10. Guidelines on integration & social media • Q13. If a gas transmission or hazardous liquids operator participates in a mass media campaign, must the operator also send mailings to residents along the ROW? Maybe. If the… campaign includes all messages recommended for the Affected Public audience… operator may decide that a mass media campaign is the best method for raising… awareness. This represents a deviation from RP 1162, which would need to be justified in the written program. Operators choosing this option must provide details about the geographic areas covered by the mass media campaign. If the mass media campaign does not include all messages recommended for the Affected Public audience… operator must justify in the written plan why this message is not necessary for pipeline safety. Public Awareness tools

11. Drove record sales by engaging passengers for a transportation company • Increased attendance at internationally recognized training events • Exceeded sales goals at launch of a national restaurant franchise Our Social Media experience

12. Interact with companies via social media • Believe companies should have a presence in social media • Feel a stronger connection to companies they interact with online Internet Users

13. The Big Picture In short, this is important

14. We surveyed 907 Business Record readers • Identified social media goals, resources and outcomes • Report is available at hanser.com Our survey findings

15. Survey says: high participation

16. Survey says: we want attention

17. Strategy and measurement are lacking • 54% have no defined strategy • 67% have no established way to measure social media success Survey says: no direction?

18. Internet forums/ message boards Survey says: networks rule

19. Organizations are not committing many resources to social media; most… • Dedicated fewer than five part-time employees to social media responsibilities • Spent less than $10,000 in 2009 • Do not plan to increase budget in 2010 Survey says: low commitment

20. Just 37% say their social media activity meets their expectations • More than 40% say they don’t know if their activity meets expectations • Yet, 82% say social media is worth the investment Survey says: there is value?

21. Survey says: strategy is good

22. 62 Utility & Construction participants • Similar responses for nearly all questions • Lower participation in construction • Social media’s relevance for construction and utilities? Survey: utilities/construction

23. Listen • Formulate strategy • Identify resources • Implement • Measure Your social media program

24. Questions