The Challenge
APCO was retained by the California Alliance for Energy and Economic Stability (CAEES), a coalition of California's leading business organizations, to address a proposed electricity rate increase that would disproportionately affect businesses. The goal was to raise media and political awareness of the proposed increase and persuade the governor and members of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to revise the proposal.
The Solution
APCO conducted a rapid informal survey of California companies, documenting job losses and consumer price hikes that would be caused by the rate increase. The survey results, combined with the findings of a related research study, were used to drive a media campaign aimed at influencing (1) CPUC commissioners to vote against the proposal and (2) the governor to publicly call on his commission president to lessen the impact of the rate increase on businesses.
APCO drove consistent messages to print and broadcast reporters in the weeks leading up to the commission's vote. Extensive outreach to editorial boards was conducted, and opinion editorials were written and pitched to California's major newspapers.
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The Result
APCO's media outreach efforts resulted in 27 stories in the state's major dailies, 14 radio interviews broadcast in the state's major media markets and supportive editorials published by The Sacramento Bee, San Jose Mercury News and Los Angeles Times. Additionally, an op-ed was published in the San Francisco Chronicle the day before the vote.
APCO's proactive campaign earned significant media focus, and the governor publicly called on the commission to make the rate increase more equitable. While a rate increase was ultimately adopted, the CPUC backed off the original proposal, approving a rate hike that was less damaging for businesses.
APCO received the Sacramento Public Relations Association's "Gold Cappie Award" for short-term public relations campaign as a result of its efforts on behalf of CAEES.
Services Provided
- Government relations
- Issue management
- Media relations
- Positioning
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APCO helped restore balance to the public debate through statewide print
and broadcast media coverage, while also generating significant editorial support for our position.
