Pluck reports increased digital engagement, previews new creative focused on individual actions

Dave Barron of Pluck presented spring advertising results to the MS4 Subcommittee on June 6, reporting higher click counts for less ad spend compared with the same period last year and previewing new creative that centers on individuals taking action to protect Lake Champlain.

Barron said a January survey found that 79% of respondents believe personal actions affect water quality in Lake Champlain, and he proposed ads that depict people taking concrete steps (dog waste pickup, rain barrels, rain gardens, salt management) rather than aspirational or communal messaging. "The general focus will be on the individual doing the action," Barron said.

Committee member Dave Wheeler asked whether the strategy should prioritize optimized clicks or reaching the most people with the message: "Are our strategies working? Are we optimizing clicks or optimizing people getting the message out to the most people?" Barron responded that digital advertising allows more precise targeting and tracking of engagement and that the campaign now focuses more directly on encouraging behavior change.

Members raised editorial and equity suggestions: Adelaide Dumm urged diversity across age and race in the characters shown and suggested promoting reduced mowing as a behavior to protect water quality. Chelsea Mandigo emphasized the need to show EPA and DEC measurable data that demonstrate success for reporting purposes.

Barron said he will meet with Dan Albrecht, Annie Costandi and Mandigo to refine programming and allocations and later drill down into which ads perform best.