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Regional Water Efficiency Program
Blue Thumb Outreach and Advertising Campaign
December 21, 2010
Category: Public Outreach and Advertising Campaign
Title: Blue Thumb Campaign
Summary: In January 2010, the Regional Water Authority (RWA) and 19 local water providers
announced a new public outreach and advertising campaign designed to help residents use less water
outdoors. With the Sacramento region's hot, dry climate and long summer season, more than 65
percent of a household's yearly water consumption typically goes toward landscape irrigation. Of that,
30 percent is lost due to overwatering or evaporation, so the potential for savings is huge.
The ongoing campaign shows residents how to use water efficiently outdoors through every-day tasks
such as adjusting their irrigation system according to the season or using a shut-off nozzle on their hose.
It stars well-known community influencers, including Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, Meteorologist
Elissa Lynn and Dinger of the Sacramento River Cats, plus six local residents showing off their “Blue
Thumb” and demonstrating how they made a personal commitment to use water wisely.
Program elements include:
 A statistically valid telephone survey of 604 adults to provide insight into attitudes, behaviors,
messages and methods of communication. The survey will be repeated in September 2011 to
evaluate the campaign.
 A unique and eye-catching campaign graphic identity
 Media outreach to announce the campaign and promote the opportunity for residents to star in
advertising, as well as a campaign launch press event
 Television and radio advertising (paid) on KOVR (CBS TV), Comcast Cable, Capitol Public Radio
and Clear Channel radio stations
 Public Service Announcements (PSAs) (no-cost placement) distributed to television and radio
stations throughout the Sacramento region
 Campaign Web site (BeWaterSmart.info) where visitors can take the pledge to use water wisely
and view video clips from campaign participants explaining how they earned their Blue Thumb
 Promotional partnership with WaterSense and 16 Home Depots throughout the Sacramento
region for Water Awareness Month in May. This included training by RWA on water efficient
topics for Home Depot associates, promoting RWA’s “Top 10 List” of water efficient products
either via end-cap displays or table displays, in-store banners promoting Water Awareness
Month and events where water providers connected with customers at Home Depot stores.
 Partnership with the Sacramento River Cats (Sacramento’s popular minor league baseball team)
and Save Our Water that included placing water efficiency advertisements in 110 bathroom
stalls at Raley Field, a blast e-mail by the Sacramento River Cats to 1,700 fans promoting the
Blue Thumb Web site pledge and inclusion of a promotional flyer in 1,000 Save Our Water totes
distributed at the California State Fair
 Collateral materials such as garden gloves, lawn signs, pledge banner and T-shirts with the Blue
Thumb logo as an incentive for taking the Blue Thumb pledge online or at events
In addition, RWA provided avenues and tools for water providers to carry the Blue Thumb campaign in
their own outreach. Tools included key messages, Web site/newsletter text, bill insert template, Blue
Thumb pledge and collateral materials. Outreach avenues included the opportunity to nominate
Document1
Regional Water Efficiency Program
Blue Thumb Outreach and Advertising Campaign
December 21, 2010
customers to star in the outreach campaign and participation in the Home Depot partnership by
featuring their logo on the in-store banners and connecting with customers at events. One water
provider whose customer was selected to star in television advertising posted the customer’s Blue
Thumb interview to YouTube with a link to their Web site. Others included campaign information on
their Web sites, newsletters, billing envelopes and “on-hold” phone messages, as well as collected
pledges via the form or pledge banner at community events.
Preliminary results: After the first year of this two-year program, results include the following:
 Nearly 30 earned media hits covering topics such as the campaign announcement/search for
residents to participate, campaign launch, Home Depot events/Water Awareness Month and
Blue Thumb Web site pledge.
 Interviews on multiple public service radio programs, including Clear Channel (where the host
even took the Blue Thumb pledge on the air!) which broadcast on five local stations, and Family
radio, which aired on two local stations
 Nearly 3.9 million impressions via paid television advertising and 6.3 million impressions via paid
radio advertising
 More than 1.2 million impressions for the (no-cost) television PSA (worth an estimated $24,500)
and over 3 million impressions for the radio PSA (worth an estimated $96,264)
Budget: $142,480 of which approximately $61,700 was used to produce/purchase television and radio
advertising and $18,600 was for the research survey. Note that $60,000 of the total budget was funded
by a Department of Water Resources 2008 Urban Drought Assistance Grant.
Contact: Linda Higgins, Regional Water Efficiency Program Manager, (916) 967-7625,
lhiggins@rwah2org, www.BeWaterSmart.info.
Agency: The RWA Water Efficiency Program includes 18 water providers serving approximately 2 million
customers in the Sacramento region of Northern California.
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