REACHING OUT TO A
BROAD AUDIENCE
Gerry Baker
Associate Executive Director, IOGCC
IOGCC Annual Meeting, Public Outreach Committee
October 17, 2011

 Hydraulic…WHAT?? 
  
•  Hydraulic 
  fracturing 
  is 
  very 
  technical 
  and 
  can 
  
be 
  difficult 
  for 
  the 
  public 
  to 
  understand. 
  
•  Causes 
  for 
  concern: 
  
–  Oil 
  and 
  natural 
  gas 
  development 
  in 
  new 
  areas 
  
–  Informa<on 
  overload 
  in 
  media 
  (some 
  incorrect) 
  
–  Lack 
  of 
  transparency 
  from 
  industry 
  regarding 
  chemicals 
  
–  Misunderstanding 
  of 
  state 
  vs 
  federal 
  regulatory 
  process 
  
–  Percep<on 
  of 
  risk 
  

 What’s 
  the 
  Reality 
  of 
  Risk? 
  
•  When 
  people 
  do 
  not 
  get 
  all 
  of 
  the 
  informa<on, 
  or 
  
informa<on 
  is 
  too 
  technical, 
  they 
  begin 
  to 
  fill 
  in 
  the 
  
holes 
  with 
  what 
  they 
  can 
  imagine: 
  
–  Will 
  chemicals 
  harm 
  my 
  family’s 
  health? 
  
–  How 
  will 
  this 
  impact 
  my 
  land, 
  my 
  drinking 
  water? 
  

•  The 
  perceived 
  risk, 
  even 
  if 
  it 
  isn’t 
  a 
  reality, 
  makes 
  
hydraulic 
  fracturing 
  an 
  emo<onal 
  issue. 
  

 Filling 
  in 
  the 
  Blanks 
  
•  FracFocus 
  is 
  a 
  joint 
  project 
  of 
  the 
  
Groundwater 
  Protec<on 
  Council 
  and 
  IOGCC 
  
•  Goal: 
  Site 
  users 
  should 
  walk 
  away 
  educated 
  
about 
  the 
  hydraulic 
  fracturing 
  process, 
  
chemicals 
  used 
  and 
  their 
  purpose 
  with 
  a 
  clear 
  
perspec<ve. 
  

 Current 
  Status 
  
•  Industry 
  ParCcipaCon 
  
–  Par<cipa<ng 
  companies 
  = 
  66 
  
–  Repor<ng 
  companies 
  = 
  49 
  
–  Wells 
  reported 
  = 
  5,292 
  

•  Site 
  StaCsCcs 
  
–  Web 
  site 
  visits 
  = 
  85,105 
  
–  Unique 
  visitors 
  = 
  65,385 
  
–  Countries 
  = 
  125 
  

 Where 
  to 
  Next? 
  
•  Build 
  a 
  clear 
  and 
  recognizable 
  na<onal 
  brand 
  
iden<ty 
  
–  Strengths 
  & 
  Messaging 
  
•  FracFocus 
  is 
  currently 
  the 
  ONLY 
  site 
  where 
  users 
  can 
  
find 
  out 
  chemicals 
  used 
  by 
  companies 
  for 
  hydraulic 
  
fracturing 
  by 
  well, 
  all 
  in 
  one 
  place 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  state-­‐by-­‐
state 
  regula<ons. 
  
•  FracFocus 
  provides 
  objecCve 
  and 
  truthful 
  informa<on. 
  

 A 
  Broad 
  Audience 
  
•  FracFocus’s 
  success 
  requires 
  reaching 
  a 
  vast 
  
audience 
  na<onwide. 
  
–  Targets 
  
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Federal 
  Government 
  
State 
  Government 
  
Special 
  Interest 
  Groups 
  (Industrial, 
  Environmental, 
  Etc) 
  
Industry 
  
Media 
  
General 
  Public 
  

 Plan 
  of 
  AcCon 
  
•  Research 
  
–  FracFocus 
  will 
  conduct 
  qualita<ve 
  and 
  
quan<ta<ve 
  research 
  to 
  benchmark 
  and 
  shape 
  its 
  
messaging 
  for 
  different 
  audiences. 
  
–  Key 
  Ques(ons: 
  
•  Current 
  knowledge/opinion 
  of 
  hydraulic 
  fracturing 
  
•  Current 
  knowledge/opinion 
  of 
  FracFocus 
  
•  Behavioral 
  – 
  Referrals 
  of 
  FracFocus, 
  why 
  or 
  why 
  not? 
  

 ObjecCves 
  & 
  Strategies 
  
•  ObjecCve 
  1: 
   
  
–  Increase 
  FracFocus’s 
  na<onal 
  brand 
  visibility 
  and 
  
support 
  its 
  drive 
  to 
  become 
  a 
  dominant 
  source 
  of 
  
hydraulic 
  fracturing 
  informa<on 
  na<onwide. 
  

 ObjecCves 
  & 
  Strategies 
  
•  Strategies 
  
–  Develop 
  a 
  stand-­‐alone 
  brand 
  for 
  FracFocus 
  to 
  reinforce 
  its 
  messages. 
  
–  Create 
  buzz 
  through 
  a 
  visible 
  product 
  launch 
  event. 
  
–  Reach 
  out 
  to 
  and 
  educate 
  special 
  interest 
  groups 
  who 
  will 
  publicly 
  
support 
  FracFocus 
  as 
  a 
  reliable 
  source 
  of 
  informa<on. 
  
–  Encourage 
  references 
  to 
  FracFocus 
  as 
  a 
  reliable 
  source 
  of 
  informa<on 
  
in 
  U.S. 
  government 
  reports. 
  
–  Increase 
  FracFocus 
  visibility 
  na<onally 
  by 
  genera<ng 
  mainstream 
  news 
  
coverage. 
  

 ObjecCve 
  & 
  Strategies 
  
•  ObjecCve 
  2: 
  
–  Increase 
  total 
  site 
  visits 
  to 
  FracFocus.org 
  by 
  2012. 
  
•  Strategies 
  
–  Search 
  Engine 
  Op<miza<on 
  
–  Viral 
  Marke<ng 
  
–  Social 
  Networking 
  
–  Government 
  and 
  Industry 
  Support 
  and 
  Referral 
  

 ObjecCves 
  & 
  Strategies 
  
•  ObjecCve 
  3: 
  
–  Con<nue 
  to 
  build 
  industry 
  support 
  of 
  the 
  
FracFocus 
  site 
  and 
  increase 
  new 
  wells 
  posted 
  by 
  
2012. 
  
•  Strategies 
  
–   
  Work 
  with 
  industry 
  groups 
  and 
  small 
  independents 
  to 
  secure 
  
more 
  companies 
  and 
  reported 
  wells. 
  
–   
  Work 
  with 
  state 
  and 
  federal 
  leaders 
  to 
  champion 
  FracFocus 
  
and 
  ul<mately 
  secure 
  more 
  companies. 
  

 ObjecCves 
  & 
  Strategies 
  
•  ObjecCve 
  4: 
  
–  Garner 
  general 
  public 
  support 
  of 
  FracFocus 
  as 
  a 
  
reliable 
  source 
  of 
  informa<on. 
  
•  Strategies 
  
–  Build 
  FracFocus 
  brand 
  iden<ty 
  through 
  targeted 
  and 
  specific 
  
public 
  campaigns. 
  

 Where 
  Do 
  You 
  Fit 
  In? 
  
•  Top 
  to 
  bogom 
  support 
  from 
  state 
  and 
  federal 
  
government 
  officials 
  and 
  industry 
  leaders 
  is 
  
vital 
  to 
  the 
  success 
  of 
  FracFocus. 
  
•  QuesCon: 
  How 
  do 
  I 
  provide 
  support? 
  

 Where 
  Do 
  You 
  Fit 
  In? 
  
•  Ideas 
  for 
  FracFocus 
  Support 
  
–  State 
  Government 
  
•  Referral 
  to 
  Governors, 
  State 
  Legislators, 
  Industry 
  and 
  
General 
  Public 
  
•  Links 
  to 
  the 
  site 
  on 
  state 
  Web 
  sites 
  

–  Federal 
  Government 
  
•  Work 
  with 
  IOGCC 
  and 
  Groundwater 
  Protec<on 
  Council 
  
in 
  repor<ng 
  FracFocus 
  progress 
  to 
  na<onal 
  leaders 
  and 
  
hydraulic 
  fracturing 
  commigees. 
  
 
  

 Where 
  Do 
  You 
  Fit 
  In? 
  
–  Industry 
  
•  Non-­‐Repor(ng 
  Companies: 
   
  
–  Referral 
  to 
  company 
  leaders 
  regarding 
  informa<on 
  and 
  
signing 
  up 
  to 
  report 
  wells 
  

•  Repor(ng 
  Companies: 
  
–  Send 
  news 
  about 
  FracFocus 
  to 
  employees 
  through 
  intranet 
  
and 
  employee 
  newslegers/magazines. 
  
–  Publicize 
  the 
  company’s 
  par<cipa<on 
  through 
  news 
  releases. 
  
–  Link 
  to 
  FracFocus 
  through 
  the 
  company 
  Web 
  site. 
  

 
  

 Wrapping 
  It 
  Up 
  
•  FracFocus 
  Inquiries: 
  
 
  Gerry 
  Baker 
   
  
 
  405.525.3556 
   
  
 
  gerry.baker@iogcc.state.ok.us 
  

•  QUESTIONS??