Client: American Wind Energy Association (AWEA)
Can a communications strategy shape the direction of an entire industry? Absolutely.
The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), the Washington, DC based trade organization representing the global wind energy industry in the United States, was looking to implement groundbreaking communications strategies for both the small wind market and the utility scale wind energy sector. Over a two year period Ecofusion delivered a portfolio of strategies and solutions that led to industry changing results.
The Global Wind Value Chain as Communications Roadmap
Leadership at the highest levels of the U.S. wind industry lacked a comprehensive strategic review of the impact of the global supply chain on the wind energy industry’s value chain.
Ecofusion worked with AWEA’s leadership and key decision makers at the world’s largest wind energy companies to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the American wind supply chain. After a thorough assessment of the supply chain, Ecofusion recommended a strategic roadmap of next steps for success through a forty-page Value Chain Marketing Priorities Assessment report.
From these action items AWEA has implemented an aggressive communications, outreach, and policy effort based on the findings of the qualitative market study performed by Ecofusion. Industry leadership at the utility, community and small scale wind system levels have identified this Ecofusion report as a critical tool in shaping the future of the American wind market.
Small Wind, It’s Time For an Upgrade
Small wind energy systems, small enough to power individual homes, farms, and businesses have been an integral part of the U.S. wind industry for over 20 years. A global leader in small wind manufacturing, AWEA members in the U.S. have been leaders in making small turbines more accessible to consumers.
AWEA turned to Ecofusion to devise and implement a campaign to elevate the visibility of AWEA’s Small Wind efforts amongst the growing renewable energy interested homeowner while also raising Small Wind’s profile inside the global wind industry.
Ecofusion established an outreach program that included the development and management of the annual Small Wind Pavilion at AWEA’s WINDPOWER, Annual Conference & Exhibition for two years. As part of the press strategy, Ecofusion designed and implemented the first-ever AWEA Global Small Wind Market Study in 2005 and used the study to educate reporters about the growing market.
The Message Blowing in the Wind
Ecofusion implemented the association’s first interactive awareness campaign amongst bloggers and online outlets. With the growth of environmental coverage happening first online and on niche blog outlets, Ecofusion developed a grass roots awareness campaign that targeted small blogs interested in distributing wind energy policy issues, rather than approaching major news outlets.
Our design work around the small wind pavilion and subsequent news stories about small wind at the annual conference were used to pique the interest of bloggers related to the rapidly growing small wind turbine sector. This effort had a trickle down effect as major outlets and mainstream media began picking up stories based on blog postings and niche-focused viral communications via list serves.