Water - Use It Wisely

Promotion’s Success Shows Strength of Public/Private Partnerships

Salt River Project, Lowe’s stores, and cities across Arizona have completed the 2005 Water – Use It Wisely promotion, judging it an overwhelming success. The goal of the promotion was to educate consumers about water-efficient plants, products and appliances and show them how simple behavioral changes when using these products can make a substantial impact on water conservation. The promotion’s success was measured in several ways:

The campaign’s website, wateruseitwisely.com, experienced a 50% increase in visitors during the promotion.

The promotion generated major publicity, resulting in more than 5 million impressions statewide.

Nearly 1,000 consumers registered to win a water-efficient Fisher & Paykel washer and dryer.

Promotion sponsors experienced a spike in water-related product sales ranging from 6% increases to as much as 55%.

The Water – Use It Wisely weekend clinics, held in Lowe’s stores, were attended by 45% more consumers than Lowe’s typical How To clinics.

The most substantial return on investment was experienced by the Arizona cities. The campaign city partners allocated $58,500 toward the promotion and were able to parlay that investment into $400,984 in cash and in-kind value that went to educating the public on water conservation. “The promotion was a major success on several levels. It garnered more than 500 percent return in financial and in-kind contributions and an estimated 5.1 million media impressions statewide during the month-long promotion,” said Karen Warner, City of Scottsdale water conservation specialist.

With today’s limited financial and human resources in the cities, developing sponsorships is critical to gaining visibility for your campaign, educating consumers about water conservation, and building foundations for future private/public partnerships.

So how do you start creating promotions sponsored by private/public partnerships? Upcoming e-casts will outline the Lowe’s promotion and the steps involved in taking your message to a whole new level of visibility.

Marketing Tip #54 - Look to Other Organizations for Ideas

If you are having trouble developing fresh ideas for your campaign, it may be a good idea to look at what other organizations across the country are doing. Researching what other successful campaigns have done can inspire you to take your campaign in positive directions that you might not have considered.

Water – Use It Wisely Online Store
Register to save big money on premium items by becoming a member of our group order feature. You can share in national group orders, which can dramatically reduce your per item cost. Remember, you don't have to be a campaign partner to take advantage of the online store.

Update Your Information in the Conservationist Directory
Also, don’t forget to update your contact information in the conservationist directory. Keeping your contacts up to date will ensure that individuals or organizations seeking water conservation information will receive it from the experts.

Launch Your Own Water – Use It Wisely Campaign
The Water – Use It Wisely Starter Package is an affordable way to become our next partner. Download our PDF for more details.

To learn more about Water – Use It Wisely, download the new PowerPoint presentation or call 602-957-7323. (Please note that this is a 20MB file. Users with dialup connections should call us to have a CD mailed.)